There is another evil I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily upon mankind:
Parallel translations
- WEB There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men:
- KJV There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:
- NKJV Thereis an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:
- NASB There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is widespread among mankind:
- NLT There is another serious tragedy I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Preacher introduces another evil he has observed that weighs heavily on humanity. It matters as the setup for a sobering case of wealth that cannot be enjoyed.
Overview
This transitional verse marks a fresh observation 'under the sun,' continuing Ecclesiastes' honest catalog of life's frustrations. The phrase 'heavy on men' signals the seriousness of what follows. By naming the burden plainly, the Preacher prepares readers to feel the need for a remedy beyond earthly goods, ultimately found in God who alone gives the gift of true enjoyment.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- Eccl 5:13There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner,
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Christ at the center
The search that finds everything 'under the sun' to be vapor exposes the emptiness of life without God and drives us to the one who alone gives meaning, the resurrection that makes our labor not in vain.
How Ecclesiastes 6:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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