Ecclesiastes 5:18 {17}
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

This therefore hath seemed good to me, that a man should eat and drink, and enjoy the fruit of his labour, wherewith he hath laboured under the sun, all the days of his life, which God hath given him: and this is his portion.

it is good and comely

Ecclesiastes 2:24 Is it not better to eat and drink, and to shew his soul good things of his labours? and this is from the hand of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:12,13,22 And I have known that there was no better thing than to rejoice, and to do well in this life. . . .

Ecclesiastes 8:15 Therefore I commended mirth, because there was no good for a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and be merry, and that he should take nothing else with him of his labour in the days of his life, which God hath given him under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 9:7 Go then, and eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with gladness: because thy works please God.

Ecclesiastes 11:9 Rejoice therefore, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart be in that which is good in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thy eyes: and know that for all these God will bring thee into judgment.

1 Timothy 6:17 Charge the rich of this world not to be highminded nor to trust in the uncertainty of riches, but in the living God (who giveth us abundantly all things to enjoy)

the days

Ecclesiastes 2:10 And whatsoever my eyes desired, I refused them not: and I withheld not my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and delighting itself in the things which I had prepared: and esteemed this my portion, to make use of my own labour.

Ecclesiastes 3:22 And I have found that nothing is better than for a man to rejoice in his work, and that this is his portion. For who shall bring him to know the things that shall be after him?

Jeremiah 52:34 And for his diet a continual provision was allowed him by the king of Babylon, every day a portion, until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

Context
The Futility of Wealth
17All the days of his life he eateth in darkness, and in many cares, and in misery, and sorrow. 18This therefore hath seemed good to me, that a man should eat and drink, and enjoy the fruit of his labour, wherewith he hath laboured under the sun, all the days of his life, which God hath given him: and this is his portion.19And every man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to enjoy his portion, and to rejoice of his labour: this is the gift of God.…
Cross References
1 Corinthians 16:16
That you also be subject to such and to every one that worketh with us and laboureth.

Deuteronomy 12:7
And you shall eat there in the sight of the Lord your God: and you shall rejoice in all things, whereunto you shall put your hand, you and your houses wherein the Lord your God hath blessed you.

Deuteronomy 12:18
But thou shalt eat them before the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, thou and thy son and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and maidservant, and the Levite that dwelleth in thy cities: and thou shalt rejoice and be refreshed before the Lord thy God in all things, whereunto thou shalt put thy hand.

Deuteronomy 26:11
And thou shalt feast in all the good things which the Lord thy God hath given thee, and thy house, thou and the Levite, and the stranger that is with thee.

Psalm 42:8
In the daytime the Lord hath commanded his mercy; and a canticle to him in the night. With me is prayer to the God of my life.

Ecclesiastes 2:3
I thought in my heart, to withdraw my flesh from wine, that I might turn my mind to wisdom, and might avoid folly, till I might see what was profitable for the children of men: and what they ought to do under the sun, all the days of their life.

Ecclesiastes 2:10
And whatsoever my eyes desired, I refused them not: and I withheld not my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and delighting itself in the things which I had prepared: and esteemed this my portion, to make use of my own labour.

Ecclesiastes 2:24
Is it not better to eat and drink, and to shew his soul good things of his labours? and this is from the hand of God.

Ecclesiastes 8:15
Therefore I commended mirth, because there was no good for a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and be merry, and that he should take nothing else with him of his labour in the days of his life, which God hath given him under the sun.

Lexicon
Here
הִנֵּ֞ה (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's Hebrew 2009: Lo! behold!

is what
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's Hebrew 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

I
אָ֗נִי (’ā·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew 589: I

have seen
רָאִ֣יתִי (rā·’î·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew 7200: To see

to be good
ט֣וֹב (ṭō·wḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

and fitting:
יָפֶ֣ה (yā·p̄eh)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3303: Fair, beautiful

to eat
לֶֽאֶכוֹל־ (le·’e·ḵō·wl-)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's Hebrew 398: To eat

and drink,
וְ֠לִשְׁתּוֹת (wə·liš·tō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's Hebrew 8354: To imbibe

and to find
וְלִרְא֨וֹת (wə·lir·’ō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's Hebrew 7200: To see

satisfaction
טוֹבָ֜ה (ṭō·w·ḇāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

in all
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's Hebrew 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the labor
עֲמָל֣וֹ ׀ (‘ă·mā·lōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 5999: Toil, wearing effort, worry, wheth, of body, mind

one does
שֶׁיַּעֲמֹ֣ל (še·ya·‘ă·mōl)
Pronoun - relative | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 5998: To toil, work severely and with irksomeness

under
תַּֽחַת־ (ta·ḥaṯ-)
Preposition
Strong's Hebrew 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

the sun
הַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ (haš·še·meš)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's Hebrew 8121: The sun, the east, a ray, a notched battlement

during the few
מִסְפַּ֧ר (mis·par)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's Hebrew 4557: A number, definite, indefinite, narration

days
יְמֵי־ (yə·mê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's Hebrew 3117: A day

of life
חַיָּ֛יו‪‬‪‬ (ḥay·yāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

that
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's Hebrew 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

God
הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

has given him—
נָֽתַן־ (nā·ṯan-)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 5414: To give, put, set

for
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's Hebrew 3588: A relative conjunction

this
ה֥וּא (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

is his lot.
חֶלְקֽוֹ׃ (ḥel·qōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 2506: Portion, tract, territory


Additional Translations
Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of life that God has given him—for this is his lot.Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor that he takes under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him: for it is his portion.

Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, wherein he laboreth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.

Behold, I have seen good, that it is a fine thing for a man to eat and to drink, and to see good in all his labour in which he may labour under the sun, all the number of the days of his life which God has given to him: for it is his portion.

Behold what I have seen good and comely: [it is] to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour wherewith [man] laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for that is his portion.

Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour, wherein he laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.

Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.

Lo, that which I have seen: It is good, because beautiful, to eat, and to drink, and to see good in all one's labour that he laboureth at under the sun, the number of the days of his life that God hath given to him, for it is his portion.
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Alphabetical: a all and be days drink during eat enjoy few find fitting for given God good has have he Here him his I in is it labor life lot man of one's oneself proper realized reward satisfaction seen sun that the Then this to toils toilsome under what which years

OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 5:18 Behold that which I have seen (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.) Bible Study Resources, Dictionary, Concordance and Search Tools

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