The vanity of riches without use, 1, 2; though a man have many children and a long life, 3-6. The vanity of sight and wandering desires, 7-9. The conclusion of vanities, 10-12.
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: 2 A man to whom God has given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a stranger eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease. 3 If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good and he also has no burial, I say that the one of an untimely birth is better than he is. 4 For that one comes with vanity and departs in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness. 5 Moreover, he has not seen the sun, nor known anything. This one has more rest than the other. 6 Even though he lives a thousand years twice told, yet he has seen no good. Do not all go to one place?
7 All the labor of man is for his mouth,/
and yet the appetite is not filled.
8 For what does the wise have more than the fool? What does the poor have, who knows how to walk before the living? 9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
10 That which has been is named already, and it is known what man is, for he cannot contend with him who is mightier than he is. 11 Seeing there are many things that increase vanity, what is man the better? 12 For who knows what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spends as a shadow? For who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
Matthew Henry Commentary - Ecclesiastes, Chapter 6[➚]
[v.5] - "This one has more rest than the other" - That is, the latter one (the one of an untimely birth) has more rest than the former (the one mentioned at the beginning of verse 3).