If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.
If a man has a hundred children and lives for many years, but his soul is never satisfied with good things, and he doesn't even get a proper burial when he dies, I say that a baby who dies before birth is better off than he is.
The writer is saying that a life filled with emptiness and dissatisfaction is worse than no life at all, even if that person has many children and lives a long time.
📚 Historical Context
In ancient Israel, having many children and living a long life were considered the greatest signs of God's blessing and success. A proper burial was also extremely important for one's honor and legacy. The Teacher (traditionally thought to be Solomon) is challenging these conventional measures of a blessed life by suggesting that without inner fulfillment, even these 'blessings' become meaningless.
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