New International Version for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? New Living Translation For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? English Standard Version for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? Berean Standard Bible For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment? Berean Literal Bible for who can eat, and who can enjoy, apart from Him? King James Bible For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? New King James Version For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? New American Standard Bible For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? NASB 1995 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? NASB 1977 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? Legacy Standard Bible For who can eat and who can have enjoyment outside of Him? Amplified Bible For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? Berean Annotated Bible For apart from Him [apart from me], who can eat and who can find enjoyment? Christian Standard Bible because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from him? Holman Christian Standard Bible because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from Him? American Standard Version For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? Contemporary English Version and no one enjoys eating and living more than I do. English Revised Version For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? GOD'S WORD® Translation Who can eat or enjoy themselves without God? Good News Translation How else could you have anything to eat or enjoy yourself at all? International Standard Version for who can eat or enjoy life apart from him? NET Bible For no one can eat and drink or experience joy apart from him. New Heart English Bible For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, apart from him? Webster's Bible Translation For who can eat, or who else can hasten to it more than I? Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleFor apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment? World English Bible For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionFor who eats and who hurries out more than I? Berean Literal Bible for who can eat, and who can enjoy, apart from Him? Young's Literal Translation For who eateth and who hasteth out more than I? Smith's Literal Translation For who shall eat, and who shall hasten forth above me? Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleWho shall so feast and abound with delights as I? Catholic Public Domain Version So who will feast and overflow with delights as much as I have? New American Bible For who can eat or drink apart from God? New Revised Standard Version for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleFor who can eat or who can drink except he? Peshitta Holy Bible Translated For who is going to eat and who will drink apart from him? OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917For who will eat, or who will enjoy, if not I? Brenton Septuagint Translation For who shall eat, or who shall drink, without him? Additional Translations ... Audio Bible (Voice ▾ Musical ▾) Context The Futility of Work…24Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God. 25For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment? 26To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.… Cross References For apart from Him, John 15:5 I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. 1 Corinthians 4:7 For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow. who can eat Psalm 145:15-16 The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season. / You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Psalm 136:25 He gives food to every creature. His loving devotion endures forever. Acts 14:17 Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.” and who can find enjoyment? 1 Timothy 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy. Ecclesiastes 5:19 Furthermore, God has given riches and wealth to every man, and He has enabled him to enjoy them, to accept his lot, and to rejoice in his labor. This is a gift from God. Psalm 16:11 You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. Psalm 104:15 wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil that makes his face to shine, and bread that sustains his heart. Proverbs 15:13 A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance, but sorrow of the heart crushes the spirit. 1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. Philippians 4:11-13 I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances. / I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. In any and every situation I have learned the secret of being filled and being hungry, of having plenty and having need. / I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Psalm 4:7 You have filled my heart with more joy than when grain and new wine abound. Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. John 15:11 I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. Treasury of Scripture For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? who can Ecclesiastes 1:12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 1 Kings 4:21-24 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life… Jump to Previous Apart Eager Eat Eateth Enjoy Enjoyment Find Food Hasten Hasteth Hereunto PleasureJump to Next Apart Eager Eat Eateth Enjoy Enjoyment Find Food Hasten Hasteth Hereunto PleasureEcclesiastes 2 1. the vanity of human courses is the work of pleasure12. Though the wise be better than the fool, yet both have one event 18. The vanity of human labor, in leaving it they know not to whom 24. Nothing better than joy in our labor but that is God's gift For apart from Him, God alone grants lasting meaning to human labor, possessions, and daily life. Solomon’s wealth, wisdom, and pleasure had shown him that created things cannot satisfy the heart when received apart from their Creator. Jhn 15:5 I am the vine and you are the branches… who can eat Even ordinary provisions depend on God’s favor. Food may sustain the body, yet its goodness is fully known only as a gift from God. Psa 145:15-16 The eyes of all look to You, and You give them… and who can find enjoyment? Wealth and success cannot produce enduring enjoyment, or joy, by themselves. God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who live before Him, while a life centered on earthly gain remains empty. 1Ti 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in the present age… Persons / Places / Events 1. SolomonTraditionally considered the author of Ecclesiastes, Solomon was the king of Israel known for his wisdom, wealth, and extensive writings. His reflections in Ecclesiastes are often seen as a culmination of his life experiences and search for meaning. 2. Jerusalem The central place of worship and the capital of Israel during Solomon's reign. It serves as the backdrop for much of Solomon's life and his reflections on the futility of worldly pursuits. 3. The Preacher (Qoheleth) The voice in Ecclesiastes, often identified with Solomon, who explores the meaning of life and the pursuit of happiness. Teaching Points Dependence on God for True JoyTrue enjoyment and satisfaction in life are gifts from God. Without Him, our pursuits are ultimately empty. The Futility of Worldly Pursuits Solomon's reflections remind us that wealth, wisdom, and pleasure, when sought apart from God, lead to vanity and dissatisfaction. The Role of Gratitude Recognizing God as the source of all good things fosters a heart of gratitude, which enhances our enjoyment of life. The Importance of a God-Centered Life Aligning our lives with God's purposes brings fulfillment and joy that transcends circumstances. Contentment in God's Provision Learning to be content with what God provides helps us to find joy in the present moment, rather than constantly seeking more. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Ecclesiastes 2:25?2. How does Ecclesiastes 2:25 emphasize God's role in providing joy and satisfaction? 3. What does Ecclesiastes 2:25 teach about the source of true contentment? 4. How can we apply Ecclesiastes 2:25 to our daily pursuit of happiness? 5. Compare Ecclesiastes 2:25 with Philippians 4:19 on God's provision. 6. How does Ecclesiastes 2:25 challenge worldly views on fulfillment and pleasure? 7. What does Ecclesiastes 2:25 reveal about the source of true joy and satisfaction in life? 8. How does Ecclesiastes 2:25 challenge the pursuit of material wealth and pleasure? 9. In what ways does Ecclesiastes 2:25 emphasize dependence on God for fulfillment? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Ecclesiastes 2? (25) Hasten.--Habakkuk 1:8. More than I.--There is a various rendering, which has the authority of the LXX., and which has every appearance of being right: "without Him." Verse 25. - For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? This is the translation of the received text. "Eat" means enjoy one's self, as in the preceding verse; "hasten hereunto" implies eager pursuit of pleasure; and Koheleth asks - Who had better opportunity than he for verifying the principle that all depends upon the gift of God? Vulgate, Quis ita devorabit, et deliciis affluet ut ego? The Septuagint had a different reading, which obtains also in the Syriac and Arabic versions, and has been adopted by many modern critics. Instead of מִמֶּנִּי, they read מִמֶּנְּוּ, "without him," i.e. except from God. "For who shall eat or who shall drink without him (πάρεξ αὐτοῦ)?" This merely repeats the thought of the last verse, in agreement with the saying of St. James (James 1:17), "Every good gift and every perfect boon is from above, coming down from the Father' of lights." But the received reading, if it admits the rendering of the Authorized Version (which is somewhat doubtful), stands in close connection with the personal remark just preceding, "This also I saw," etc., and is a more sensible confirmation thereof than a tautological observation can be. The next verse carries on the thought that substantial enjoyment is entirely the gift of God, and granted by him as the moral Governor of the world. Ecclesiastes 2:25 drives home a simple yet life-defining truth: God is both the Provider of our necessities and the Source of our pleasures. Remove Him, and neither the plate nor the heart is full. Receive life from His hand, and ordinary meals and moments become arenas of gratitude and joy.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Forכִּ֣י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction apart from ח֥וּץ (ḥūṣ) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 2351: Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoors Him, מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ (mim·men·nî) Preposition | first person common singular Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of who מִ֥י (mî) Interrogative Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix can eat יֹאכַ֛ל (yō·ḵal) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 398: To eat and who וּמִ֥י (ū·mî) Conjunctive waw | Interrogative Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix can find enjoyment? יָח֖וּשׁ (yā·ḥūš) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 2363: To hurry, to be eager with excitement, enjoyment Additonal Resources Ecclesiastes 2:25 Blue Letter BibleEcclesiastes 2:25 Bible Gateway Ecclesiastes 2:25 Bible.com Ecclesiastes 2:25 NIV |
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