Even in friendly rivalry this may play a larger part than we think----for we can bear to be outclassed for some of the time and by some people, but not too regularly or too profoundly" (Kidner p. 45). If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them.Moreover the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field. Ecclesiastes 1:3. So, in these chapters we get a good cross-section of issues of life and how to approach them. 1 comment Ecc6: Here is an evil: to have wealth and honour but not to enjoy them. Ecclesiastes 4 is the fourth chapter of the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. ), Ecclesiastes 4:4. Show content in: English Both Hebrew. (18-26) Commentary on Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 (Read Ecclesiastes 2:1-11) Solomon soon found mirth and pleasure to be vanity. There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? Prosperity, which men so much covet, is the very source of provoking oppression (Ecclesiastes 4:1) and "envy," so far is it from constituting the chief good. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. None at all. The matter of complaint is that the skill developed in labour has no higher prerogative. Eateth his own flesh; wasteth his substance, and bringeth himself to poverty, whereby his very flesh pineth away for want of bread, and he is reduced to skin and bone; and if he have any flesh left, he is ready to eat it through extremity of hunger. Who, in consequence of this very wealth, run the risk of falling into a helpless, joyless, and isolated condition, destitute of friends and adherents, IV. To lay or fold the hands together is a gesture of laziness. Every right work ... for this a man is envied - rather (as note, Ecclesiastes 2:21, "equity," prosperity), prosperous. no comforter--twice said to express continued suffering without any to give comfort ( Isaiah 53:7). If it be, as I think it is, we have grave need to take the Preacher’s warning. 4. Ecclesiastes 4:4 - I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. The "wise" child, though a supposed case of Solomon, answers, in the event foreseen by the Holy Ghost, to Jeroboam, then a poor but valiant youth, once a "servant" of Solomon, and ( 1 Kings 11:26-40 ) appointed by God through the prophet Ahijah to be heir of the kingdom of the ten tribes about to be rent from Rehoboam. becometh poor--rather, "though he (the youth) was born poor in his kingdom" (in the land where afterwards he was to reign). What is gained by toil? The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is published by Jehovah’s Witnesses. In this case too, he concludes that kingly power confers no lasting happiness. When wilt thou arise out of sleep? Salem Media Group. . If one be poor, he is in distress; if rich, he is exposed to envy; so that all is vanity. The vanity and vexation of mirth, sensual pleasure, riches, and pomp. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, "For this a man is envied of his neighbor", Again I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour, I. 14. out of prison--Solomon uses this phrase of a supposed case; for example, Joseph raised from a dungeon to be lord of Egypt. 2 And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. 4. right--rather, "prosperous" which men so much covet, is the very source of provoking oppression ( Ecclesiastes 4:1 ) and "envy," so far is it from constituting the chief good. IV. Fear the Lord. It is of course better to be envied than pitied, but still envy with all the hostile and pernicious acts flowing therefrom, and which frequently bring about the ruin of their object, is a great evil, and it is no small consolation for a man who, like Israel at the time, finds himself in an unenviable position, to know that he is not exposed to this torment. 1 But I returned and saw all the oppressed who are made [so] under the sun, and behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they have no consoler, and from the hand of their oppressors there is power, but they have no consoler. I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who replaces him. Ecclesiastes 4. Perceiving that diligence is attended with envy, Ecclesiastes 4:4, he, like a fool, runs into the other extreme. Industries, or Hebrew, "righteous actions." Chapter 5 vs.7: For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also divers vanities: but fear thou God. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. Mirth. Who, in consequence of this very wealth, run the risk of falling into a helpless, joyless, and isolated condition, destitute of friends and adherents (7, 8). Solomon asked for wisdom rather than riches, power, or glory. All rights reserved. 2. The tears of the oppressed, But they have no comforter— On the side of their oppressors there is power, But they have no comforter. This too is vanity and striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 2 A Study in Ecclesiastes Table of Contents Lesson 1: Introduction Lesson 2: Chapter 1 – Vanity of vanities, all is vanity Lesson 3: Chapter 2 – The wisest and the richest still lose Lesson 4: Chapter 3:1-15 – To everything there is a season (turn, turn, turn) Lesson 5: Chapter 3:16 – 4:12 – Oppression, toil, and friendship vexation, &c. = feeding on wind. Ecclesiastes 4:1-16. 2. It shoul… When men gather grapes from thorns and figs from thistles, then, but not before, we may look to find a satisfying good in "all the toil and all the dexterity in toil" which spring from this "jealous rivalry of the one with the other.". (Calmet), "And I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. 4. This is speaking of a person working hard and becoming a success, and then, his neighbors become envious of his success. Two--opposed to "one" ( Ecclesiastes 4:8 ). ς, betrays himself as a Jew. Looking with jealous envy on the successful rivals of their struggles, and with scorn on those less fortunate, who are contented with a more modest lot, III. : aemulatio qua unus prae altero eminere studet . However, man may take comfort in the knowledge that kings too, are subject to a higher power. Usually the person, who is envious, would not put out the effort it took to be a success. In addition, how many of us have inherently linked our personal worth with our economic worth? If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of justice… do not marvel at the matter: The Preacher spoke realistically about life under the sun. Untwist the cord, and the separate threads are easily "broken.". But the remark here is of activity and skill now at work, so that jealousy is the true word. All this expenditure of strength and art has covetousness and envy, with which one seeks to surpass another, as its poisoned sting. Prev Article Next Article . It aggravates the baseness of the envy, that it is on the part of one's own neighbour. In the latter signification, namely, "advantage, gain," it occurs in Ecclesiastes 5:10; in the former we find it used in Ecclesiastes 2:21, in conjunction with wisdom and knowledge: "a man whose work is in. Of his neighbour. It is good to find enjoyment in life. Notwithstanding their now worshipping the rising sun, the heir-apparent, I reflected that "there were no bounds, no stability ( 2 Samuel 15:6 , 20:1 ), no check on the love of innovation, of all that have been before them," that is, the past generation; so also they that come after--that is, the next generation, shall not rejoice in him--namely, Rehoboam. a. Ecclesiastes chapter 4; 4:1-3 - The power of wealthy people; 4:4-6 - Jealous and lazy attitudes; 4:7-8 - Work that never satisfies; 4:9-12 - Advantages of love and friendship; 4:13-16 - The weakness of people’s support Ecclesiastes chapter 5; 5:1-3 - Foolish and wise prayers; 5:4-7 - Promises to God; 5:8-9 - Responsibilities towards poor people That would be an incorrect thought: whereas it is a demonstrated truth that "men envy the happy." So the tenth commandment. . V. The sentence against the vanity of all earthly things necessarily extends even to the greatest and most powerful of earth (13–16). Ecclesiastes 4:5. in his stead--the old king's. Even in friendly rivalry this may play a larger part than we think----for we can bear to be outclassed for some of the time and by some people, but not too regularly or too profoundly", John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Keil & Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary, Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible, Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments, George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Ernst Hengstenberg on John, Revelation, Ecclesiastes, Ezekiel & Psalms. Please watch: "The ONE Thing Every Christian Should Be Doing But Most Are NOT!" Is it not as accurate a delineation of our life as it could be of any ancient form of life? Wherever we turn, we see melancholy proofs of the wickedness and misery of mankind, who try to create trouble to themselves and to each other. Ties of union, marriage, friendship, religious communion, are better than the selfish solitariness of the miser ( Genesis 2:18 ). Hengstenberg translates skill. BSPon Ecclesiastes 4:1 Verse 6-chasing after the wind is futile because you can't catch the wind. All is unprofitable as to the attainment of that happiness which all men are inquiring after. 1 Jun 2012. In Isaiah 11:13, קנאת אפרים is the jealousy felt by Ephraim of Judah, who was preferred: in Ecclesiastes 9:6, of this book, envy is conjoined with hatred. 4 And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. With כּי, quod, that which forms the pred. I just seems that whenever we get something really nice, someone tries to shoot us down or find a flaw in our selection. New International Version Update. Assuming, as Koheleth does in this discussion, from Ecclesiastes 3:22, that there is no future life, he is prepared to suggest that jealousy of one another is the main cause of men’s efforts in life. 1 Unusual skill, talent and success seem only to expose a man to envy and ill will from his neighbor. III. This too is vanity and striving after wind. The only effect of that would be to ruin ourselves. Ver. The "threefold cord" ( Ecclesiastes 4:12 ) of social ties suggests the subject of civil government. The tragedy of oppression. Ecclesiastes 3:1-4. The root meaning of the word is “thus pointing to what is hidden in the distant future or in the distant past.”[1] Therefore, in some passages the word refers to something in the distant past or future. This [is] also vanity and vexation of spirit. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. "I considered all the living," the present generation, in relation to ("with") the "second youth" (the "legitimate successor" of the "old king," as opposed to the "poor youth," the one first spoken of, about to be raised from poverty to a throne), that is, Rehoboam. Being thus hardly used, men are tempted to hate and despise life. The "old and foolish king" answers to Solomon himself, who had lost his wisdom, when, in defiance of two warnings of God ( 1 Kings 3:14 , 9:2-9 ), he forsook God. Earnests, however, are often even now given, by partial judgments of the future, to assure us, in spite of difficulties, that God governs the earth. Devotion to Business springs from Jealous Competition: (a) Let us glance once more at the several symptoms we have already heard him discuss, and consider whether or not they accord with the results of our own observation and experience, is it true, then-or, rather, is it not true-that our devotion to business is becoming excessive and exhausting, and that this devotion springs mainly from our jealous rivalry and competition with each other? And really – what more is there to life? One need not be surprised at oppression on every rung of the governmental ladder. To get a proper understanding of those verses, let’s read Ecclesiastes 4:7-12, “Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. 5. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. 12. one--enemy. The book contains philosophical speeches by a character called '(the) Qoheleth' (="the Teacher"), composed probably between 5th to 2nd century BCE. So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.". Chapter 4 Tears for Fears Ecclesiastes considers how many people there are who live their whole lives suffering, oppressed by the higher-ups, and who never get their tears wiped away. What does noisy, flashy mirth towards making a man happy? In order to avoid envy we may not throw ourselves into the arms of inactivity. This is another piece of life’s vanity; that, as greater men will lie heavy upon you and oppress you, so meaner men will be envying at you and oppose you: as Cain did Abel, Saul’s courtiers did David; the peers of Persia, Daniel; the Scribes and Pharisees, our Saviour. a. (See Note on Ecclesiastes 2:21. 6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit. From the sad lot of victims innocently suffering from tyrannical persecution and oppression (1–3), the description proceeds directly to the more lucky but not more innocent condition of persons consumed with envy, dissatisfaction, and jealousy, and who with toilsome efforts chase after the treasures of this earth. It grieved Solomon to see might prevail against right. Colossians 4:1 "Masters, give unto [your] servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven." 4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. (1-11) Human wisdom insufficient. Wherever we turn, we see melancholy proofs of the wickedness and misery of mankind, who try to create trouble to themselves and to each other. eye--( Ecclesiastes 1:8 ). Proud member It is hard that a man's zeal should be interpreted by his neighbour to be an envious desire to surpass, to outstrip him. 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