Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 6:5
Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known [any thing]: this hath more rest than the other.
Rather, it hath not seen nor known the sun: this (the untimely birth) hath rest rather than the other.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
He hath not seen the sun; he never beheld the light, and therefore it is not grievous to him to want it; whereas the covetous man saw that light was very pleasant, and therefore the loss of it was irksome to him.
Nor known any thing; hath had no knowledge, sense, or experience of any thing, whether good or evil.
Hath more rest, because he is perfectly free from all those encumbrances and vexatious to which the covetous man is long exposed.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. thisyet “ithas more rest than” the toiling, gloomy miser.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Moreover, he hath not seen the sun,…. This must be spoken of the abortive, and seems to confirm the sense of the former text, as belonging to it; and whereas it has never seen the light of the sun, nor enjoyed the pleasure and comfort of it, it is no ways distressing to it to be without it. The Targum is,
“the light of the law he seeth not; and knoweth not between good and evil, to judge between this world and that to come:”
so the Vulgate Latin version, “neither knows the difference of good and evil”;
nor known [anything]; not the sun, nor anything else: or “experienced” z and “felt” the heat of the sun, and its comfortable influences; which a man may, who is blind, and has never seen it, but an abortive has not; and indeed has known no man, nor any creature nor thing in this world, and therefore it is no concern to it to be without them; and besides, has never had any knowledge or experience of the troubles of lifts, which every living man is liable to. Wherefore this is certain,
this hath more rest than the other; that is, the abortive than the covetous man; having never been distressed with the troubles of life, and now not affected with the sense of loss.
z “ueque expertus est”, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Rambachius, so Broughton.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
5. Hath not seen the sun All analogy suggests that human life begins with the soul, which builds up for itself a body by assimilating the materials furnished in its various conditions. The embryo enters into the rest of souls, where the wicked never trouble it, and its loss of sight and knowledge of the sun is compensated by its escape from earthly ill. Such is the sense of the verse. The sun should follow the word known.
Rest In all the Old Testament, “rest” is used in an emphatic and comprehensive sense, as if including all worldly good.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ecc 6:5-6. Nor known any thing: this hath, &c. Nor known the difference of one thing from another: Ecc 6:6. Nay, though he had lived twice a thousand years, without enjoying happiness, do not both go to one place? Desvoeux. Houbigant renders the clause in the 16th verse, Yet hath he seen no good, by enjoying good. From the instances mentioned in the first and second proof, the sacred orator infers, from the third to the present verses, by way of corollary, that the fate of an abortive is preferable to that of many men, and especially of those whose condition he had described, and to whose case he refers again. To have come into the world in vain; that is to say, so as to have nothing remaining of what one might imagine you came for; to depart without being taken notice of; to be soon forgotten; is the common fate of the abortive, and of the man who, notwithstanding the longest life most honourably spent, does not get fortune enough to enable him to provide a sepulchre for himself. Nay, the former has the advantage of him who had the tempting knowledge of the pleasures of this world, without being allowed the fruition: If the abortive was not blessed with the enjoyment, he was not tormented with the eagerness of desires.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Ecc 6:5 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known [any thing]: this hath more rest than the other.
Ver. 5. Moreover he hath not seen the sun. ] A second privilege and prerogative of the poor abortive. None are so miserable, we see, but they may be comparatively happy. It is ever best to look at those below us, and then we shall see cause to be better contented.
This hath more rest than the other.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
this: Job 3:10-13, Job 14:1, Psa 58:8, Psa 90:7-9