Ecclesiastes 5:16
5:15 As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
KJV
This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind?
And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit has he that has labored for the wind?
What does Ecclesiastes 5:16 mean?
Ecclesiastes 5:16 is a verse in the book of Ecclesiastes, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include זֹה (zôh), חָלָה (châlâh), רַע (raʻ). It connects to 14 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.
Hebrew interlinear
Full chapter interlinear →Commentary on Ecclesiastes 5:16
HENRY_FULL · Ecclesiastes 5:16
Cross-references
Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
Exodus 19:5Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
Exodus 19:6And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
Exodus 25:8And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
Exodus 29:45And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
Exodus 29:46And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.
Leviticus 11:45For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
Deuteronomy 23:14For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee. unclean: Heb. nakedness of any thing
Deuteronomy 27:9And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel, saying, Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the LORD thy God.
Deuteronomy 27:12These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin:
Ezekiel 37:26Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
2 Corinthians 6:16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
2 Corinthians 6:17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
Revelation 21:3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Topics
Verses like this
Other verses that share key original-language words with Ecclesiastes 5:16.
And the LORD said unto Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son; for he is sick: thus and thus shalt thou say unto her: for it shall be, when she cometh in, that she shall feign herself to be another woman.
Ecclesiastes 1:3What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
Ecclesiastes 2:11Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
Genesis 11:31And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
Genesis 12:5And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
Genesis 16:8And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
Frequently asked questions
What does Ecclesiastes 5:16 say?
Ecclesiastes 5:16 (King James Version) reads: "And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?"
Is Ecclesiastes 5:16 in the Old or New Testament?
Ecclesiastes 5:16 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Ecclesiastes.
Reflect
As you read Ecclesiastes 5:16, what is one truth here you can carry into today?
Plan a sermon or study on Ecclesiastes 5:16 →