Ecclesiastes 4:5
The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:
Young's Literal Translation
In The King James Version
The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
In Context
6'Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labour and vexation of spirit.'
Cross References
Proverbs 6:9Till when, O slothful one, dost thou lie? When dost thou arise from thy sleep?
Proverbs 6:11And thy poverty hath come as a traveller, And thy want as an armed man.
Proverbs 12:27The slothful roasteth not his hunting, And the wealth of a diligent man is precious.
Proverbs 20:4Because of winter the slothful plougheth not, He asketh in harvest, and there is nothing.
Isaiah 9:20And cutteth down on the right, and hath been hungry, And he devoureth on the left, And they have not been satisfied, Each the flesh of his own arm they devour.
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 →