Ecclesiastes 5:19

As Ecc 5:18 refers to the "laboring" man (Ecc 5:12), so Ecc 5:19 to the "rich" man, who gets wealth not by "oppression" (Ecc 5:8), but by "God's gift." He is distinguished also from the "rich" man (Ecc 6:2) in having received by God's gift not only "wealth," but also "power to eat thereof," which that one has not.

to take his portion--limits him to the lawful use of wealth, not keeping back from God His portion while enjoying his own.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Ecc 5:19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this [is] the gift of God.

Ver. 19. This is the gift of God.] A gift of his right hand, donum throni, non scabelli, - Godliness only hath contentedness. {1Ti 6:6} The comfort of wealth comes in by no other door than by the assurance of God’s love in bestowing it, and of his grace in sanctifying it. "God give thee the dew of heaven." {Gen 27:28} Esau likewise had the like, but not with a "God give thee." A carnal heart cares not how, so he may have it; hence his so little comfort and enjoyment. A godly man will have God with it, or else he is all amort. Moses would not be put off with an angel to go along with them. Luther protested, when great gifts were offered him, that he would not be satisfied or quieted with those rattles. {a}

{a} Valde protestatus sum me nolle sic satiari. -Luth.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ecc 5:19-20. Every man also, &c. — “And whosoever he be whom God hath blessed, not only with plenty of worldly goods, but also with such a noble and generous mind that he is not their slave, but truly master of them,” (so the Hebrew, השׂלישׂוsignifies,) “being able to enjoy them innocently, and that with cheerfulness, and to delight in doing good to others with them; let him be very thankful to Almighty God for so great a happiness, and acknowledge it to be a singular gift of his bounty.” For be shall not much remember the days of his life — “For he that is thus highly favoured by God, will not think life tedious or irksome; but, forgetting his past toils, and taking no” anxious “care for the future, will spend his time most comfortably; because God hath given him his hearths desire, in that inward tranquillity of mind, or, rather, joy and gladness of heart, wherewith God hath compensated all his pains, and testified his extraordinary kindness to him.” — Bishop Patrick. See notes on Ecc 2:24; and Ecc 3:12-13.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He will take no great thought for the pains that he hath endured in time past.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

19. this is the gift of God] The words indicate a return to the sense of dependence on the Divine bounty, which we have seen in chs. Ecc_2:24, Ecc_3:13. Life itself, and the outward goods of life, few or many, and the power to enjoy these, all are alike God’s gifts.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth,.... Which include the whole of a man's substance; all his estate, personal and real; and all his goods and possessions, movable and immovable, as gold, silver, cattle, fields, and farms; which are all the gift of God, by whatsoever means they may be acquired or possessed;

and hath given him power; or, "caused him to have dominion" (r), over his wealth and riches, and not be a slave to them, as many are: but to have so much command of them and of himself, as

to eat thereof; comfortably enjoy them; and dispose of them to his own good, the good of others, and the glory of God. It follows,

and to take his portion; which God hath allotted him; to take it thankfully, and use it freely and comfortably;

and to rejoice in his labour; in the things he has been labouring for, in a cheerful use of them; blessing God for them, and taking the comfort of them;

this is the gift of God; to have such power over his substance, and not be a slave to it, and to enjoy the fruits of his labour, in a cheerful and comfortable manner; this is as much the gift of God as riches themselves (s).

(r) "eumque dominari eum fecerit", Tigurine version; "imperare fecit eum", Gejerus; "dominari eum fecerit", Rambachius. (s) "Di tibi divitias dederunt, artemque fruendi", Horat. Ep. l. 1. Ep. 4. v. 7.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Delight, while he observes due moderation. His life passes away sweetly. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Hath given him power, Heb. hath given him the dominion; who is the lord and master of his estate, not a slave to it. Of this and the former verse, See Poole "Ecc 2:24"; See Poole "Ecc 3:12", See Poole "Ecc 3:13". To take his portion to his own use, to use what God hath given him.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

19. Every man also — In this verse the “also” should be the first word, as this confirms the latter part of Ecc_2:24, and has a logical connexion with the preceding. This second part, now restated, is, that man’s blessings proceed from God, who intends them to be cheerfully and thankfully enjoyed.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Every man also. The sentence is anacoluthic, like. Ecc_3:13, and may best be rendered, Also for every man to whom... this is a gift of God. Ginsburg connects the verse closely with the preceding one, supplying, "I have also seen that a man," etc. Whichever way we take the sentence, it comes to the same tiling, implying man"s absolute dependence upon God"s bounty. To whom God hath given riches and wealth. Before he can enjoy his possessions a man must first receive them from God"s hands. The two terms here used are not quite synonymous. While the former word, osher; is used for wealth of any kind whatever, the latter, nekasim, means properly "wealth in cattle," like the Latin pecunia, and thence used generally for riches (volek) Hath given him power to eat thereof. Abundance is useless without the power to enjoy it. This is the gift of God, a great and special bounty from a loving and gracious God. Thus Horace, "Epist.," 1:4. 7

Di tibi divitias dederunt artemque fruendi.

The gods have given you wealth, and (what is more) Have given you wisdom to enjoy your store. (Howes. )

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To take - To use what God hath given him.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

This verse, expressing the same, is constructed anakolouthistically, altogether like Ecc 3:13 : "Also for every man to whom God hath given riches and treasures, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; just this is a gift of God." The anakolouthon can be rendered into English here as little as it can at Ecc 3:13; for if we allow the phrase, "also every man," the "also" remains fixed to the nearest conception, while in the Heb it governs the whole long sentence, and, at the nearest, belongs to זה. Cheerful enjoyment is in this life that which is most advisable; but also it is not made possible in itself by the possession of earthly treasures, - it is yet a special gift of God added thereto. Nechasim, besides here, occurs also in Jos 22:8; Ch2 1:11.; and in the Chald. of the Book of Ezra; Ezr 6:8; Ezr 7:26. Also hishlit, to empower, to make possible, is Aram., Dan 2:38, Dan 2:48, as well as Heb., Psa 119:133; the prevalence of the verbal stem שלט is characteristic of the Book of Koheleth. Helqo, "his portion," is just the cheerful enjoyment as that which man has here below of life, if he has any of it at all.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

riches and wealth

These two words mean basically the same thing. They refer to money and the things that a person can buy with money. (See: Doublet)

to receive his share

"to accept what he is given"

he does not call to mind

Here the word "he" refers to the person to whom God has given a gift. The phrase "call to mind" is an idiom. AT: "he does not remember" or "he does not think about" (See: Idiom)

the days of his life

This refers to the things that happened during his lifetime. This can be stated clearly. AT: "the things that have happened during his lifetime" (See: Idiom)

keep busy

"stay busy"

translationWords

receive

joy

gift

mind

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

are not many for there is no longevity in this world.

For let him remember that the days of his life for they are few and not many; so why should he toil to accumulate wealth? Let him toil in his lifetime with a thing that endures for him in the World to Come.

for God is testimony, etc. The Holy One, blessed be He, [testifies] a constant testimony about this forever.

of the joy of his heart that he rejoiced to do good in his lifetime, and I saw in the Midrash (Ecc. Rabbah): This refers to Elkanah, who led Israel up to Shiloh on the festivals, and on the way that he brought them up on one year he did not bring them up the foll owing year, in order to publicize the matter and to accustom them [to perform the pilgrimage]. Therefore, Scripture praises him (I Sam. 1:3): “And that man was wont to go up from his city, etc.” I believe [lit., I say] that this Midrash is [based on] the end of the verse: “for God is testimony of the joy of his heart.” This is Elkanah, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, established in the Scriptures, and testified about him: “And that man was wont to go up from his city.”

testimony Heb. מַעֲנֶה. This is vowelized with a “pattah kattan” (seggol). Therefore, I explain it as a noun, like (Job 32:5): “for there was no answer (מַעֲנֶה) in the mouth of the three men.”

of the joy of his heart that he was happy on the festival.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.