Ecclesiastes 4 · Verse 16

Ecclesiastes 4:16

There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecclesiastes 4:16, King James Version

Ecclesiastes 4:16 in other translations

BSBThere is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
WEBThere was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
ASVThere was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
YLTthere is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter rejoice not in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
DARBYThere is no end of all the people, of all that stood before them; those however that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after the wind.
BBEThere was no end of all the people, of all those whose head he was, but they who come later will have no delight in him. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.
WebsterThere is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

What does Ecclesiastes 4:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. Notwithstanding their now worshipping the rising sun, the heir-apparent, I reflected that "there were no bounds, no stability (2Sa 15:6; 20:1), no check on the love of innovation, of all that have been before them," that is, the past generation; so also they that come after--that is, the next generation, shall not rejoice in him--namely, Rehoboam. The parallel, "shall not rejoice," fixes the sense of "no bounds," no permanent adherence, though now men rejoice in him.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 There is no end of all the people - This is supposed to refer to the multitudes of people who hail the advent and accession of a new sovereign; for, as Suetonius remarks, A plerisque adorari solem orientem, "Most people adore the rising sun." But when the new king becomes old, very few regard him; and perhaps he lives long enough to be as much despised by the very persons who before were ready to worship him. This is also a miserable vanity. Thus the blooming heir: - "Shall feel the sad reverse: honored awhile; Then, like his sire, contemn'd, abhorr'd, forgot." C.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 4:13-16

People are never long easy and satisfied; they are fond of changes. This is no new thing. Princes see themselves slighted by those they have studied to oblige; this is vanity and vexation of spirit. But the willing servants of the Lord Jesus, our King, rejoice in him alone, and they will love Him more and more to all eternity.

Read the full comment on Ecclesiastes 4:13-16 →

Ecclesiastes 4:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אֵֽין\־'ein-there notH369
קֵ֣ץketz[is] an endH7093
לְכָל\־le.kholto allH3605
הָעָ֗םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
לְכֹ֤לle.Kholto allH3605
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-[those] whomH834
הָיָה֙ha.Yahhe wasH1961
לִפְנֵיהֶ֔םlif.nei.Hem<to> before themH6440
גַּ֥םgamalsoH1571
הָאַחֲרוֹנִ֖יםha.'a.cha.ro.Nimthe subsequent [people]H314
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
יִשְׂמְחוּ\־yis.me.chu-they will rejoiceH8055
ב֑וֹvoin <the> him
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
גַם\־gam-alsoH1571
זֶ֥הzehthisH2088
הֶ֖בֶלHe.vel[is] futilityH1892
וְרַעְי֥וֹןve.ra'.Yonand a striving ofH7475
רֽוּחַ\׃Ru.achwindH7307

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ecclesiastes 4:16

  • Ecclesiastes 1:14

    I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

  • 1 Kings 1:40

    And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.

  • Ecclesiastes 2:17

    Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

  • 2 Samuel 15:12-13

    And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom. And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.

  • 1 Kings 1:5-7

    Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.

  • 2 Samuel 18:7-8

    Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men. For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

  • Ecclesiastes 2:11

    Then 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.

  • 2 Samuel 19:9

    And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.

  • Ecclesiastes 2:26

    For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

  • Judges 9:19-20

    If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

  • 1 Kings 12:10-16

    And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him; …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
no end.
2Sa 15:12,13; 1Ki 1:5-7,40; 12:10-16
they also.
Jud 9:19,20; 2Sa 18:7,8; 19:9
this.
1:14; 2:11,17,26

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ecclesiastes 4:15

    I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.

  • Ecclesiastes 4:16

    There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 4

Ecclesiastes 4:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
No tiene fin todo el pueblo que fué antes de ellos: tampoco los que vendrán después estarán con él contentos. Y esto es también vanidad y aflicción de espíritu.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Il n’y a pas de fin à tout le peuple, à tous ceux qui ont été devant eux; cependant ceux qui viendront après ne se réjouiront point en lui. Car cela aussi est vanité et poursuite du vent.
German
Elberfelder 1871
kein Ende all des Volkes, aller derer, welchen er vorstand; dennoch werden die Nachkommen sich seiner nicht freuen. Denn auch das ist Eitelkeit und ein Haschen nach Wind.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Infinitus numerus est populi omnium qui fuerunt ante eum, et qui postea futuri sunt non lætabuntur in eo; sed et hoc vanitas et afflictio spiritus.