Ecclesiastes 5:16

“And this also [is] a sore evil, [that] in all points as he came, so shall he go, etc.] This seems not to be an evil or vanity, distinct from the former; but the same repeated and confirmed, and expressed, if possible, in stronger terms, that a man is in all respects alike, when he goes out of the world, as when he came in. A man’s birth is signified by “coming”, that is, out of his mother’s womb, and into the world; and which is a description of every man born into it, (<430109>John 1:9); he is of the earth, earthly; comes forth like a flower, and springs up as grass; he comes not of himself, nor casually, but by means of his parents; and according to the determinate will of God, and to…”

“Even supposing that he loses not his wealth before death, then at least he must go stripped of it all (Psa 49:17). laboured for the wind-- (Hos 12:1; Co1 9:26).”

“The wind - For riches, which are empty and unsatisfying, uncertain and transitory, which no man can hold or stay in its course, all which are the properties of the wind. Ecclesiastes 5:17”

“5:16-17 Working simply to gain possessions is like working for the wind; it leads to being frustrated, discouraged, and angry.”

“a sore: Ecc 5:13, Ecc 2:22, Ecc 2:23 what: Sa1 12:21; Jer 2:8; Mar 8:36 for: Ecc 1:3; Pro 11:29; Isa 26:18; Hos 8:7; Joh 6:27 Ecclesiastes 5:17”

“A transition is now made to rich men as such, and the registering formula which should go before Ecc 5:14 here follows: "And this also is a sore evil: altogether exactly as he came, thus shall he depart: and what gain hath he that laboureth in the wind?" Regarding זה; and regarding כּל־ע שׁ, (Note: I n H. written as one word: כּלעמת. Parchon (Lex. under עמת) had this form before him. In his Lex. Kimchi bears evidence in favour of the correct writing as two words.) The writing of these first two as one word \[vid. note below\] accords with Ibn-Giat's view, accidentally quoted by Kimchi, that the word is compounded of כ of comparison, and the frequently occurring לעמּת always retaining its ל,…”