Ecclesiastes 5:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Consequently, departing with nothing, he will amplify his malice, oblivious to the truth that he faces an end similar to his beginning. His efforts are futile, driven more by fleeting desires than by genuine diligence, as he squanders his life on sinful cravings and irrational ambitions, along with grief and illness. In summary, for this individual, the days are filled with darkness, and existence is marked by anguish.

He contemplates the administration of justice. Injustice should not lead him to despair, for the supreme judge will reward lesser judges. Even tyrannical authority should not invoke hopelessness, as it is preferable to being powerless. Shifting the focus to the issue of material wealth, the preacher observes that the impoverished individual who laments his situation ought not to envy the affluent; for the poor man can find greater joy in life than the rich man, and the wealthy will not always utilize their riches. Thus, the wisest course is to relish what God provides, without fretting about the future.