Ecclesiastes 6:12 For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun?

Bible > Ecclesiastes > Chapter 6 > Verse 12

◄ Ecclesiastes 6:12 ►

New International Version
For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?

New Living Translation
In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone?

English Standard Version
For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?

Berean Standard Bible
For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun?

King James Bible
For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

New King James Version
For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?

New American Standard Bible
For who knows what is good for a person during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a person what will happen after him under the sun?

NASB 1995
For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

NASB 1977
For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

Legacy Standard Bible
For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few days of his vain life? He will make do with them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

Amplified Bible
For who [limited by human wisdom] knows what is good for man during his lifetime, during the few days of his futile life? He spends them like a shadow [staying busy, but achieving nothing of lasting value]. For who can tell a man what will happen after him [to his work, his treasure, his plans] under the sun [after his life is over]?

Christian Standard Bible
For who knows what is good for anyone in life, in the few days of his futile life that he spends like a shadow? Who can tell anyone what will happen after him under the sun?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For who knows what is good for man in life, in the few days of his futile life that he spends like a shadow? Who can tell man what will happen after him under the sun?

American Standard Version
For who knoweth what is good for man in his life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

Contemporary English Version
Life is short and meaningless, and it fades away like a shadow. Who knows what is best for us? Who knows what will happen after we are gone?

English Revised Version
For who knoweth what is good for man in his life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Who knows what may be good for mortals while they are alive, during the brief, pointless days they live? Mortals pass by like a shadow. Who will tell them about their future under the sun?

Good News Translation
How can anyone know what is best for us in this short, useless life of ours--a life that passes like a shadow? How can we know what will happen in the world after we die?

International Standard Version
Who knows what is best for people in this life, every day of their pointless lives that they pass through like a shadow? Who informs people on earth what will come along after them?

Majority Standard Bible
For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun?

NET Bible
For no one knows what is best for a person during his life--during the few days of his fleeting life--for they pass away like a shadow. Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth.

New Heart English Bible
For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

Webster's Bible Translation
For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

World English Bible
For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
For who knows what [is] good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he makes them as a shadow? For who declares to man what is after him under the sun?

Young's Literal Translation
For who knoweth what is good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is after him under the sun?

Smith's Literal Translation
For who shall know what is for man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he will make them as a shadow? for who shall announce to man what shall be after him under the sun?

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
What needeth a man to seek things that are above him, whereas he knoweth not what is profitable for him in his life, in all the days of his pilgrimage, and the time that passeth like a shadow? Or who can tell him what shall be after him under the sun?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Why is it necessary for a man to seek things that are greater than himself, when he does not know what is advantageous for himself in his life, during the number of the days of his sojourn, and while time passes by like a shadow? Or who will be able to tell him what will be in the future after him under the sun?

New American Bible
For who knows what is good for mortals in life, the limited days of their vain life, spent like a shadow? Because who can tell them what will come afterward under the sun?

New Revised Standard Version
For who knows what is good for mortals while they live the few days of their vain life, which they pass like a shadow? For who can tell them what will be after them under the sun?

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
For who knows what is good for man in his life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
For who knows what good a son of man has in his life, the numbers of the days of life of his futility, and he passes them as a shadow? Who will show a son of man what will be after him under the sun?

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
For who knoweth what is good for man in his life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
for who knows what is good for a man in his life, during the number of the life of the days of his vanity? and he has spent them as a shadow; for who shall tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Futility of Life
…11For the more words, the more futility—and how does that profit anyone? 12For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun?

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

James 4:14
You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Psalm 39:5-6
You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah / Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul them away.

Job 14:1-2
“Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble. / Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.

Psalm 90:10
The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty if we are strong—yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

1 Peter 1:24
For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,

Psalm 144:4
Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.

Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

1 Timothy 6:7
For we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot carry anything out of it.

Luke 12:20-21
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’ / This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”

Proverbs 27:1
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

Isaiah 40:6-8
A voice says, “Cry out!” And I asked, “What should I cry out?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field. / The grass withers and the flowers fall when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. / The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

1 John 2:17
The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.

Psalm 49:10-12
For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others. / Their graves are their eternal homes—their dwellings for endless generations—even though their lands were their namesakes. / But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish.

Job 7:6-7
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope. / Remember that my life is but a breath. My eyes will never again see happiness.

2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Treasury of Scripture

For who knows what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spends as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

who knoweth

Ecclesiastes 2:3
I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Psalm 4:6
There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

the days of his vain life

Ecclesiastes 8:13
But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

Ecclesiastes 9:6
Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

1 Chronicles 29:15
For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

for who can

Ecclesiastes 3:22
Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

Ecclesiastes 8:7
For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

Job 14:21
His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

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Ecclesiastes 6

1. the vanity of riches without use
3. though a man have many children and a long life
7. the vanity of sight and wandering desires
10. The conclusion of vanities

Berean Study Bible

For who knows
The phrase "For who knows" introduces a rhetorical question that emphasizes human limitation in understanding. In the Hebrew text, the word "yada" is used, which means to know or to perceive. This reflects the theme of human ignorance in the face of divine wisdom. The question challenges the reader to consider the limits of human knowledge and the need for reliance on God's omniscience.

what is good for a man in life
The phrase "what is good for a man in life" speaks to the quest for meaning and purpose. The Hebrew word "tov" is translated as "good," which can also mean beneficial or pleasing. This reflects the existential search for what truly benefits a person during their earthly existence. The verse suggests that without divine guidance, discerning what is genuinely good is elusive.

during the few and meaningless days
The phrase "during the few and meaningless days" underscores the brevity and perceived futility of life. The Hebrew word "hebel," translated as "meaningless," is often rendered as "vanity" or "vapor," indicating something transient and insubstantial. This echoes the recurring theme in Ecclesiastes of life's fleeting nature and the challenge of finding lasting significance.

he spends as a shadow
The imagery "he spends as a shadow" conveys the ephemeral and insubstantial nature of human life. In ancient Near Eastern culture, a shadow was often used as a metaphor for something fleeting and lacking substance. This metaphor serves to remind readers of the temporary nature of earthly existence and the importance of seeking eternal truths.

Who can tell him
The phrase "Who can tell him" again emphasizes human limitation and the inability to predict or control the future. It suggests a sense of humility and the need for dependence on God's wisdom. The rhetorical nature of the question invites reflection on the unpredictability of life and the futility of relying solely on human understanding.

what will happen under the sun after he is gone
The phrase "what will happen under the sun after he is gone" points to the uncertainty of the future and the limits of human foresight. "Under the sun" is a recurring phrase in Ecclesiastes, symbolizing the earthly, temporal realm. This highlights the transient nature of human endeavors and the ultimate sovereignty of God over the course of history. It encourages readers to trust in God's eternal plan rather than being consumed by the uncertainties of life.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) As a shadow.--Ecclesiastes 8:13; Job 14:2.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - This verse in the Greek and Latin versions, as in some copies of the Hebrew, is divorced from its natural place, as the conclusion of the paragraph, vers. 10, 11, and is arranged as the commencement of Ecclesiastes 7. Plainly, the Divine prescience of vers. 10, 11 is closely connected with the question of man's ultimate good and his ignorance of the future, enunciated in this verse. For who knoweth what is good for man in this life? Such discussions are profitless, for man knows not what is his real good - whether pleasure, apathy, or virtue, as philosophers would put it. To decide such questions he must be able to foresee results, which is denied him. The interrogative "Who knows?" is equivalent to an emphatic negative, as Ecclesiastes 3:21, and is a common rhetorical form which surely need not be attributed to Pyrrhonism (Plumptre). All the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow. These words amplify and explain the term "in life" of the preceding clause. They may be rendered literally, During the number of the days of the life (Ecclesiastes 5:18) of his vanity, and he passeth them as a shadow. A life of vanity is one that yields no good result, full of empty aims, unsatisfied wishes, unfulfilled purposes. It is the man who is here compared to the shadow, not his life. So Job 14:2, "He fleeth as a shadow, and continueth not," He soon passes away, and leaves no trace behind him. The thought is common. "Ye [Revised Version] are a vapor," says St. James (James 4:14), "that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." Plumptre well quotes Soph., 'Ajax,' 125 -

῾ορῶ γὰρ ἡμᾶς οὐδὲν ὄντας ἄλλο πλὴν
Αἴδωλ ὅσοιπερ ζῶμεν η} κούφην σκιάν

"In this I see that we, all we that live,
Are but vain shadows, unsubstantial dreams." To which we may add Pind., 'Pyth.,' 8:95 -

Ἐπάμεροι τί δέ τις τίδ οὔ τις σκιᾶς ὄναρ Ἄνθρωπος. . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

For
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

who
מִֽי־ (mî-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

knows
יוֹדֵעַ֩ (yō·w·ḏê·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

what
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

is good
טּ֨וֹב (ṭō·wḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

for a man
לָֽאָדָ֜ם (lā·’ā·ḏām)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

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

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

he passes through
וְיַעֲשֵׂ֣ם (wə·ya·‘ă·śêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

his fleeting
הֶבְל֖וֹ (heḇ·lōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1892: Emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory

life
חַיֵּ֥י (ḥay·yê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

like a shadow?
כַּצֵּ֑ל (kaṣ·ṣêl)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6738: A shadow

Who
מִֽי־ (mî-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

can tell
יַגִּ֣יד (yag·gîḏ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous

a man
לָֽאָדָ֔ם (lā·’ā·ḏām)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

what
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

will come
יִּהְיֶ֥ה (yih·yeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

after him
אַחֲרָ֖יו (’a·ḥă·rāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

under
תַּ֥חַת (ta·ḥaṯ)
Preposition
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

the sun?
הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ (haš·šā·meš)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 8121: The sun, the east, a ray, a notched battlement

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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 6:12 For who knows what is good (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)