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Ecclesiastes 4:5

The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

Revised Version 1895

In The King James Version

The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

In Context

4Then I saw all labour and every skilful work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

6Better is an handful with quietness, than two handfuls with labour and striving after wind.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 4

Cross References

Proverbs 6:9How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

Proverbs 6:11So shall thy poverty come as a robber, and thy want as an armed man.

Proverbs 12:27The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the precious substance of men is to the diligent.

Proverbs 20:4The slothful will not plow by reason of the winter; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.

Isaiah 9:20And one shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:

Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 4:5-7

The Prevalence of Oppression. 4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. 5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. 6 Better is a handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit. Here Solomon returns to the observation and consideration of the vanity and vexation of spirit that attend the business of this world, which he had spoken of before, ch. ii.… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

King James VersionBíblia Portuguesa MundialLuther Bibel (Deutsch)Bible Louis Segond (Français)Библия (Русский)新标点和合本성경 (한국어)الكتاب المقدس باللغة العربية، فان دايكBibbia Diodati (Italiano)Kinh Thánh (Tiếng Việt)Biblia Cornilescu (Română)Polish Biblia Gdanska (1881)Statenvertaling (Nederlands)

Study Ecclesiastes 4:5

Matthew HenryJamieson-Fausset-BrownAdam ClarkeJohn WesleyJohn CalvinKeil and DelitzschScofieldFamily Bible NotesGeneva Bible Notes (1599)
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