# Ecclesiastes 4.6 **Book:** [Ecclesiastes](/codex/ecclesiastes/) · NASB95 ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/)) > 4. Then I saw all labor and every skilful work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. 5. The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. > > **6. Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and striving after wind.** > > 7. Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun. 8. There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with riches. For whom then, saith he, do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This also is vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. (Ecclesiastes 4:4-8, ASV) **WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/)) > 4. Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. 5. The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself. > > **6. Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind.** > > 7. Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun. 8. There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then, do I labor, and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business. (Ecclesiastes 4:4-8, WEB) **KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/)) > 4. Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. every: Heb. all the rightness of work for this: Heb. this is the envy of a man from his neighbour 5. The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. > > **6. Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.** > > 7. Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. 8. There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. (Ecclesiastes 4:4-8, KJV) **YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/)) > 4. And I have seen all the labour, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbour. Even this [is] vanity and vexation of spirit. 5. The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh: > > **6. 'Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labour and vexation of spirit.'** > > 7. And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun: 8. There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and [he saith not], 'For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail. (Ecclesiastes 4:4-8, YLT) ## Setting - **Speaker:** _TBD_ - **Audience:** _TBD_ - **Location:** _TBD_ - **Time period:** _TBD_ ## Theological reading _Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._ ## Key words _Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._ - _TBD_ - _TBD_ - _TBD_ - _TBD_ ## Notes _Your annotations._ ## Why these four translations ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance. The four: - **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition. - **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English. - **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base. - **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff. See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.