Ecclesiastes 5:17

“All his days also he eateth in darkness, etc.] To all that has been said is added another evil, that attends such whose hearts are inordinately set on riches; that all their days, throughout the whole of their lives, they live a most uncomfortable life; for eating is here put for their whole manner of living: such not only eat coarse bread, and very mean food of any sort, but wear sordid apparel, and live in a poor cottage, in a very obscure and miserable manner. Aben Ezra understands it literally of the night, to which time such a man defers eating, that he might lose no time in his labour; and that it might not be seen what sort of food he eats, and how sparingly, and that others might not…”

“eateth--appropriately put for "liveth" in general, as connected with Ecc 5:11-12, Ecc 5:18. darkness--opposed to "light (joy) of countenance" (Ecc 8:1; Pro 16:15). wrath--fretfulness, literally, "His sorrow is much, and his infirmity (of body) and wrath."”

“Hath much sorrow ... - Rather, is very sad and hath pain and vexation. return to 'Top of Page'”

“He eateth - He hath no comfort in his estate, but even when he eats, he doth it with anxiety and discontent. And wrath - When he falls sick, and presages his death, he is filled with rage, because he is cut off before he hath accomplished his designs, and because he must leave that wealth and world in which all his hopes and happiness lie. Ecclesiastes 5:18”

“he eateth: Gen 3:17; Kg1 17:12; Job 21:25; Psa 78:33, Psa 102:9, Psa 127:2; Eze 4:16, Eze 4:17 much: Kg2 1:2, Kg2 1:6, Kg2 5:27; Ch2 16:10-12, Ch2 24:24, Ch2 24:25; Psa 90:7-11; Pro 1:27-29; Act 12:23; Co1 11:30-32 Ecclesiastes 5:18”

“"Also all his life long he eateth in darkness and grieveth himself much, and oh for his sorrow and hatred!" We might place Ecc 5:16 under the regimen of the שׁ of שׁיע of Ecc 5:15; but the Heb. style prefers the self-dependent form of sentences to that which is governed. The expression Ecc 5:16 has something strange. This strangeness disappears if, with Ewald and Heiligst., after the lxx and Jerome, for יאכל we read ואכל: καὶ ἐν πένθει; Bttch. prefers ואפל, "and in darkness." Or also, if we read ילך for יאכל; thus the Midrash here, and several codd. by Kennicott; but the Targ., Syr., and Masora read יאכל. Hitzig gets rid of that which is strange in this passage by taking כּל־ימיו as…”