Ecclesiastes Chapter 5 verse 14 Holy Bible

ASV Ecclesiastes 5:14

and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.
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BBE Ecclesiastes 5:14

As he came from his mother at birth, so does he go again; he gets from his work no reward which he may take away in his hand.
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DARBY Ecclesiastes 5:14

or those riches perish by some evil circumstance, and if he have begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.
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KJV Ecclesiastes 5:14

But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
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WBT Ecclesiastes 5:14


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WEB Ecclesiastes 5:14

Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand.
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YLT Ecclesiastes 5:14

And that wealth hath been lost in an evil business, and he hath begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand!
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Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerse 14. - Those riches perish by evil travail; thing or circumstance. There is no need to confine the cause of the loss to unsuccessful business, as many commentators do. The rich man does not seem to be a tradesman or speculator; he loses his property, like Job, by visitations for which he is in no way answerable - by storm or tempest, by robbers, by fire, by exactions, or by lawsuits. And he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. The verb rendered "begetteth" is in the past tense, and used as it were, hypothetically, equivalent to "hath he begotten a son," supposing he has a son. His misery is doubled by the reflection that he has lost all hope of securing a fortune for his children, or founding a family, or passing on an inheritance to posterity. It is doubtful to whom the pronoun "his" refers. Many consider that the father is meant, and the clause says that when he has begotten a son, he finds he has nothing to give him. But the suffix seems most naturally to refer to the son, who is thus left a pauper. Vulgate, Generavit filium qui in summa egestate erit. Having a thing in the hand moans having power over it, or possessing it.

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(14) Evil travail.--Unsuccessful business.Nothing in his hand.--The same words occur in a literal sense in Judges 14:6.