Bible Strands

Ecclesiastes 5:15

As a man came from his mother’s womb, so he will depart again, naked as he arrived. He takes nothing for his labor to carry in his hands.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — The Preacher addresses readers within a wisdom discourse on wealth and labor, positioned between warnings about failed ventures and the futility of toil.

The words — The Hebrew term עָר֛וֹם (a.Rom) denotes bareness or nakedness, while יָשׁ֥וּב (ya.Shuv) means he will return, together framing the unchangeable cycle of human existence.

The thread — This motif of birth and death stripped of possessions echoes in Job 1:21, Psalms 49:17, and 1 Timothy 6:7.

Why it lands — The text states that a person leaves life with the same physical state and possessions as at birth. This observation requires a reader to abandon the assumption that labor secures lasting earthly inheritance.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

כַּאֲשֶׁ֤רka./'a.Sherjust/ asיָצָא֙ya.Tza'he came outמִבֶּ֣טֶןmi./Be.tenfrom/ [the] womb ofאִמּ֔וֹ'i.M/omother/ hisעָר֛וֹםa.Romnakedיָשׁ֥וּבya.Shuvhe will returnלָלֶ֖כֶתla./Le.khetto/ goכְּשֶׁבָּ֑אke./she./Ba'when/ he/ cameוּמְא֙וּמָה֙u./me.'U.mahand/ anythingלֹא־lo'-notיִשָּׂ֣אyi.Sa'he will carryבַעֲמָל֔וֹva./'a.ma.L/oin/ toil/ hisשֶׁיֹּלֵ֖ךְshei./yo.Lekhthat/ he may takeבְּיָדֽוֹ׃be./ya.D/oin/ hand/ his

King James Version

As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

Cross-references