Ecclesiastes 5:17 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

Bible Comments

All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness. All his days also he eateth in darkness - Even his enjoyments are embittered by uncertainty. He fears for his goods; the possibility of being deprived of them fills his heart with anguish. But instead of יאכל yochel, "he shall eat," ילך yelech, "he shall walk," is the reading of several MSS. He walks in darkness - he has no evidence of salvation. There is no ray of light from God to penetrate the gloom; and all beyond life is darkness impenetrable!

And wrath with his sickness - His last hours are awful; for,

"Counting on long years of pleasure here,

He's quite unfurnish'd for the world to come."

Blair.

He is full of anguish at the thought of death; but the fear of it is horrible. But if he have a sense of God's wrath in his guilty conscience, what horror can be compared with his horror!

Ecclesiastes 5:17

17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.