Misinterpretations of Ecclesiastes 6:5 often wrongly portray it as devaluing human life or endorsing abortion and infanticide by suggesting stillbirth is preferable, ignoring the context of Solomon's lament over lives cursed by unfulfilled prosperity without divine enjoyment. Others mistakenly conclude it teaches universal despair where death always trumps life, overlooking the book's nuanced exploration of vanity under the sun contrasted with fearing God, or twist it to support euthanasia, when it specifically critiques burdensome longevity lacking contentment rather than condemning existence itself.
Ecclesiastes 6:5
King James Version (1769)
5 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.
Ecclesiastes 6:5 observes that a stillborn child, who 'hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing,' experiences more rest than a man who lives long yet cannot enjoy life's blessings despite having many children and wealth. This underscores the core truth of the passage: the profound vanity of a protracted existence devoid of God's gift of satisfaction and enjoyment, highlighting that true peace surpasses mere survival, as unfulfilled life brings greater misery than untimely death without awareness of toil or sorrow.