Ecclesiastes 5:15
As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse is part of a larger reflection on the futility of worldly gain and the anxieties that riches can bring. The preacher has just described how wealth, instead of bringing contentment, often leads to more worry, sleepless nights, and the burden of managing possessions. This verse drives home the point that all these earthly pursuits and accumulations ultimately amount to nothing when life ends.
Imagine working your whole life, accumulating wealth, power, and influence. Then, one day, it's all gone. That's the stark reality Ecclesiastes points to.
The Great Stripping
The verse paints a vivid picture of our arrival and departure from this world. We enter life completely dependent, naked, and with nothing of our own. The ancient writers understood this profound vulnerability.
More than just physical nakedness, this speaks to a radical stripping away of everything we cling to: possessions, status, even accomplishments. When we face death, all the toil and labor of our lives amounts to nothing we can physically carry.
This isn't meant to be depressing, but rather a foundational truth. It reminds us that our ultimate security and value can't be found in what we accumulate.
What's the ultimate outcome of all our hard work and striving? Ecclesiastes offers a sobering, yet clarifying, perspective.
The Futility of Hoarding
The preacher uses the image of 'laboring for the wind' to describe our often-futile pursuit of wealth. Like trying to grasp the wind, our efforts to hoard material possessions are ultimately in vain because they cannot be taken with us.
This isn't a condemnation of work itself. The text acknowledges that 'the profit of the earth is for all' and that a laborer's sleep is sweet (Ecclesiastes 5:9, 12). The problem arises when our labor becomes an end in itself, leading to anxiety, greed, and a misplaced trust in riches.
When we hoard wealth, it doesn't bring true satisfaction. Instead, it can lead to sleepless nights, anxiety, and a heart detached from God and others. The true 'profit' is found not in accumulation, but in how we use what we have for God's purposes.
The verse draws a powerful parallel between our beginning and our end. What does this connection reveal about our place in the world?
From Earth, To Earth
The imagery of returning to the 'womb' is profound. It connects our individual existence to the larger reality of humanity's origin and ultimate destiny.
This cyclical view of life and death, emphasized by the shared imagery, underscores our transient existence on earth. It calls us to recognize that this life is not our permanent home and that our ultimate security lies beyond material wealth or earthly status.
Understand the original words
'amal · Hebrew Noun
The physical effort, hardship, or struggle exerted in human activity. In the biblical narrative, it is often associated with the consequences of the Fall, characterizing the strain and burdensome nature of work.
'arom · Hebrew Adjective
A state of total lack or emptiness. Biblically, it represents the reality that humans arrive into the world without possessions and depart in the same condition, highlighting the transient nature of material wealth.
This passage echoes the sentiment of Ecclesiastes 5:15, as Job famously declares 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart,' emphasizing the transience of earthly possessions and the reality of our arrival and departure from life.
Psalm 49:17This Psalm directly addresses the futility of riches in the face of death, stating 'For when he dies he will take nothing with him; his glory will not follow him down.' This powerfully reinforces the idea in Ecclesiastes that we can carry none of our accumulated wealth into the next life.
1 Timothy 6:7Paul reminds Timothy, 'For we brought nothing into this world, and we cannot take anything out of it.' This New Testament teaching directly mirrors the ancient wisdom found in Ecclesiastes, highlighting the consistent biblical perspective on the limits of material wealth.
Ecclesiastes 12:7This verse provides a related thought about returning to the earth, 'and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.' It complements the idea of returning to the earth naked by explaining the ultimate destination of both body and spirit, with the spirit's return to God being the ultimate truth beyond earthly toil.
pooleEcclesiastes 5:15: "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."
Return to go into the womb or belly of the earth, the common mother of all mankind. See Poole "Job 1:21" , See Poole "Ecclesiastes 12:7 ". And return to go , is put for return and go ; and going is here put for dying , as Job 16:22 Psalm 39:13 . This is another vanity: if his estate be neither lost, nor kept to his hurt, b…
clarkeEcclesiastes 5:15: "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."
As he came forth - However it may be, he himself shall carry nothing with him into the eternal world. If he die worth millions, those millions are dead to him for ever; so he has had no real profit from all his labors, cares, anxieties, and vast property!
{ "hasHistoricalBackground": false }
This verse is part of a larger reflection on the futility of worldly gain and the anxieties that riches can bring. The preacher has just described how wealth, instead of bringing contentment, often leads to more worry, sleepless nights, and the burden of managing possessions. This verse drives home the point that all these earthly pursuits and accumulations ultimately amount to nothing when life ends.
This verse is part of a larger reflection on the futility of worldly gain and the anxieties that riches can bring. The preacher has just described how wealth, instead of bringing contentment, often leads to more worry, sleepless nights, and the burden of managing possessions. This verse drives home the point that all these earthly pursuits and accumulations ultimately amount to nothing when life ends.
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"As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand." — { "hasHistoricalBackground": false }
