Ecclesiastes 6:7
New International Version
Everyone’s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied.

New Living Translation
All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough.

English Standard Version
All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.

Berean Standard Bible
All a man’s labor is for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied.

King James Bible
All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

New King James Version
All the labor of man is for his mouth, And yet the soul is not satisfied.

New American Standard Bible
All a person’s labor is for his mouth, and yet his appetite is not satisfied.

NASB 1995
All a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied.

NASB 1977
All a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied.

Legacy Standard Bible
All a man’s labor is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not fulfilled.

Amplified Bible
All the labor of man is for his mouth [for self-preservation and enjoyment], and yet the desire [of his soul] is not satisfied.

Christian Standard Bible
All of a person’s labor is for his stomach, yet the appetite is never satisfied.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
All man’s labor is for his stomach, yet the appetite is never satisfied.

American Standard Version
All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

Contemporary English Version
We struggle just to have enough to eat, but we are never satisfied.

English Revised Version
All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Everything that people work so hard for goes into their mouths, but their appetite is never satisfied.

Good News Translation
We do all our work just to get something to eat, but we never have enough.

International Standard Version
Every person works for his own self-interests, but his desires remain unsatisfied.

Majority Standard Bible
All a man’s labor is for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied.

NET Bible
All of man's labor is for nothing more than to fill his stomach--yet his appetite is never satisfied!

New Heart English Bible
All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

Webster's Bible Translation
All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

World English Bible
All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
All the labor of man [is] for his mouth, "" And yet the soul is not filled.

Young's Literal Translation
All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not filled.

Smith's Literal Translation
All the labor of man for his mouth, and also the soul shall not be filled.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
All the labour of man is for his mouth, but his soul shall not be filled.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Every labor of man is for his mouth, but his soul will not be filled.

New American Bible
All human toil is for the mouth, yet the appetite is never satisfied.

New Revised Standard Version
All human toil is for the mouth, yet the appetite is not satisfied.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
All the labor of a man is for his mouth, and yet his appetite is not filled.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
All that a man labors goes into his mouth and his soul is not full
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
All the labour of man is for his mouth, And yet the appetite is not filled.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
All the labour of a man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite shall not be satisfied.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Futility of Life
6even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place? 7All a man’s labor is for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied. 8What advantage, then, has the wise man over the fool? What gain comes to the poor man who knows how to conduct himself before others?…

Cross References
Proverbs 16:26
A worker’s appetite works for him because his hunger drives him onward.

Proverbs 27:20
Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

Ecclesiastes 1:8
All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.

Ecclesiastes 4:8
There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.

Ecclesiastes 5:10
He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile.

Isaiah 55:2
Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.

Micah 6:14
You will eat but not be satisfied, and your hunger will remain with you. What you acquire, you will not preserve; and what you save, I will give to the sword.

Haggai 1:6
You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but never get warm. You earn wages to put into a bag pierced through.”

Matthew 6:25-34
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? / Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? / Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ...

Luke 12:22-31
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. / For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. / Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds! ...

John 6:27
Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”

John 4:13-14
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. / But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”

John 6:35
Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.

Philippians 3:19
Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.

1 Timothy 6:8-10
But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. / Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. / For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.


Treasury of Scripture

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

the labour

Genesis 3:17-19
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; …

Proverbs 16:26
He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.

Matthew 6:25
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

appetite

Ecclesiastes 6:3
If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

Ecclesiastes 5:10
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

Luke 12:19
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

Jump to Previous
Appetite Desire Efforts Filled Food Labor Mouth Satisfied Soul Toil Work
Jump to Next
Appetite Desire Efforts Filled Food Labor Mouth Satisfied Soul Toil Work
Ecclesiastes 6
1. the vanity of riches without use
3. though a man have many children and a long life
7. the vanity of sight and wandering desires
10. The conclusion of vanities














All a man's labor
The phrase "All a man's labor" refers to the entirety of human effort and toil. In the Hebrew text, the word for "labor" is "עֲמָל" (amal), which conveys a sense of wearisome toil or hard work. This reflects the human condition post-Fall, where labor became burdensome (Genesis 3:17-19). Historically, this toil encompasses both physical and mental exertion, highlighting the universal struggle of mankind to provide for basic needs.

is for his mouth
The phrase "is for his mouth" indicates that the primary purpose of labor is to satisfy physical needs, particularly hunger. The Hebrew word "פֶּה" (peh) for "mouth" is often used metaphorically to represent consumption or desire. This reflects the basic human drive to sustain life through nourishment. In a broader sense, it underscores the material focus of human endeavors, often at the expense of spiritual fulfillment.

yet his appetite
"Yet his appetite" introduces a contrast between labor and satisfaction. The Hebrew word "נֶפֶשׁ" (nephesh), translated here as "appetite," can also mean "soul" or "life." This suggests a deeper longing within humans that goes beyond physical hunger. Theologically, it points to the innate desire for something greater than material possessions, a yearning for spiritual fulfillment that only God can satisfy (Psalm 42:1-2).

is never satisfied
The phrase "is never satisfied" speaks to the insatiable nature of human desire. The Hebrew word "מָלֵא" (male) means "to be full" or "to be satisfied." Despite all efforts and achievements, true contentment remains elusive. This reflects the theme of vanity and futility found throughout Ecclesiastes, emphasizing that earthly pursuits cannot fulfill the deeper needs of the human soul. It serves as a reminder of the temporary nature of worldly gains and the eternal satisfaction found in a relationship with God (Philippians 4:11-13).

Verses 7-9. - Section 10. Desire is insatiable; men are always striving after enjoyment, but they never gain their wish completely - which fortifies the old conclusion that man's happiness is not in his own power. Verse 7. - All the labor of man is for his mouth; i.e. for self-preservation and enjoyment, eating and drinking being taken as a type of the proper use of earthly blessings (comp; Ecclesiastes 2:24; Ecclesiastes 3:13, etc.; Psalm 128:2). The sentiment is general, and does not refer specially to the particular person described above, though it carries on the idea of the unsatisfactory result of wealth. Luther translates strangely and erroneously, "To every man is work allotted according to his measure. Such an idea is entirely foreign to the context. And yet the appetite is not filled. The word rendered "appetite" is nephesh, "soul," and Zockler contends that "' mouth 'and 'soul' stand in contrast to each other as representatives of the purely sensual and therefore transitory enjoyment (comp. Job 12:11; Proverbs 16:26) as compared with the deeper, more spiritual, and therefore more lasting kind of joy." But no such contrast is intended; the writer would never have uttered such a truism as that deep, spiritual joy is not to be obtained by sensual pleasure; and, as Delitzsch points out, in some passages (e.g., Proverbs 16:26; Isaiah 5:14; Isaiah 29:8) "mouth" in one sentence corresponds to "soul" in another. The soul is considered as the seat of the appetitive faculty - emotions, desires, etc. This is never satisfied (Ecclesiastes 1:8) with what it has, but is always craving for more. So Horace affirms that a man rightly obtains the appellation of king, "avidum domando spiritum," by subduing his spirit's cravings ('Carm.,' 2:2. 9).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
All
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

a man’s
הָאָדָ֖ם (hā·’ā·ḏām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

labor
עֲמַ֥ל (‘ă·mal)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5999: Toil, wearing effort, worry, wheth, of body, mind

[is] for his mouth,
לְפִ֑יהוּ (lə·p̄î·hū)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

yet
וְגַם־ (wə·ḡam-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

his appetite
הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ (han·ne·p̄eš)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

is never
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

satisfied.
תִמָּלֵֽא׃ (ṯim·mā·lê)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 6:7 All the labor of man (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
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