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Texts -- Ecclesiastes 4:1-10 (NET)

Context
Evil Oppression on Earth
4:1 So I again considered all the oppression that continually occurs on earth . This is what I saw : The oppressed were in tears , but no one was comforting them; no one delivers them from the power of their oppressors . 4:2 So I considered those who are dead and gone more fortunate than those who are still alive . 4:3 But better than both is the one who has not been born and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth .
Labor Motivated by Envy
4:4 Then I considered all the skillful work that is done: Surely it is nothing more than competition between one person and another . This also is profitless – like chasing the wind . 4:5 The fool folds his hands and does no work, so he has nothing to eat but his own flesh . 4:6 Better is one handful handful with some rest than two hands full of toil and chasing the wind .
Labor Motivated by Greed
4:7 So I again considered another futile thing on earth : 4:8 A man who is all alone with no companion , he has no children nor siblings ; yet there is no end to all his toil , and he is never satisfied with riches . He laments, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure ?” This also is futile and a burdensome task !
Labor is Beneficial When Its Rewards Are Shared
4:9 Two people are better than one , because they can reap more benefit from their labor . 4:10 For if they fall , one will help his companion up , but pity the person who falls down and has no one to help him up .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Union

    [nave] UNION, advantages of, Prov. 15:22; Eccl. 4:9-12. Of the Righteous See: Unity, Of the Righteous; of the righteous with Christ, See: Righteous, Unity of, with Christ.

  • TEARS

    [isbe] TEARS - terz (dim`ah; dakrua): In the instances recorded in Scripture weeping is more frequently associated with mental distress than with physical pain. Eastern peoples show none of the restraint of emotion in lamentation w...

  • SKILL; SKILFUL

    [isbe] SKILL; SKILFUL - skil, skil'-fool (forms of yadha` (2 Ch 2:14, etc.), bin (1 Ch 15:22), sakhal (Dan 1:4, etc.), lamadh (1 Ch 5:18), chakham (1 Ch 28:21), charash (Ezek 21:31), yaTabh (Ps 33:3); in Apocrypha empeiria (The Wis...

  • RIGHT

    [isbe] RIGHT - rit (yashar, mishpaT; dikaios, euthus): Many Hebrew words are translated "right," with different shades of meaning. Of these the two noted are the most important: yashar, with the sense of being straight, direct, as ...

  • RICHES

    [isbe] RICHES - rich'-ez, rich'-iz: Used to render the following Hebrew and Greek words: (1) `Osher, which should, perhaps, be considered the most general word, as it is the most often used (Gen 31:16; Eccl 4:8; Jer 9:23). It looks...

  • Philosophy

    [nave] PHILOSOPHY The nature of things, Eccl. 1-7. A philosophical inquiry on wisdom, Job. 28. Philosophical inductions and deductions relating to God and his providence, Job 5:8-20; 9; 10:2-21; 12:6-24; 33:12-30; 37. Reveals th...

  • Miser

    [nave] MISER, Eccl. 4:7, 8.

  • Life

    [nave] LIFE. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics; Brevity and Uncertainty of; Everlasting; From God; Long; Spiritual. Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics Breath of, Gen. 2:7. Called Spirit of God, Job 27:3. Tree of,...

  • LIFT

    [isbe] LIFT - To make lofty, to raise up. A very common word in English Versions of the Bible representing a great variety of Hebrew and Greek words, although in the Old Testament used chiefly as the translation of nasa'. Of none o...

  • Instruction

    [nave] INSTRUCTION From nature, Prov. 24:30-34; Eccl. 1:13-18; 3; 4:1; Matt. 6:25-30. See: Parables. From the study of human nature, Eccl. 3-12. By Object Lessons: The pot of maa, Ex. 16:32. The pillar of twelve stones at the f...

  • HANDFUL

    [isbe] HANDFUL - hand'-fool: There are five words in Hebrew used to indicate what may be held in the hand, either closed or open. (1) chophen, chophnayim. The fist or closed hand occurs in the dual in Ex 9:8, where it signifies wha...

  • HAND

    [isbe] HAND - (yadh, "hand"; kaph, "the hollow hand," "palm"; yamin, "the right hand"; semo'l, "the left hand"; cheir, "hand"; dexia, "the right hand"; aristera, "the left hand" (only Lk 23:33; 2 Cor 6:7), or euphemistically (for e...

  • Greed

    [nave] GREED. Ex. 18:21; Ex. 20:17 Deut. 5:21. Neh. 5:7; Job 20:15; Job 31:24, 25, 28; Psa. 10:3; Psa. 119:36; Prov. 1:19; Prov. 11:24, 26; Prov. 15:27; Prov. 21:25, 26; Prov. 22:16; Prov. 23:4, 5; Prov. 30:8, 9; Eccl. 1:8 vs. 2-8...

  • Friendship

    [nave] FRIENDSHIP. Deut. 13:6-9; Job 6:14, 15; Job 16:2, 20; Job 19:13-22; Psa. 35:13, 14; Psa. 41:9; Psa. 55:12-14; Psa. 88:8, 18; Prov. 11:13; Prov. 17:9, 17; Prov. 18:24; Prov. 22:24-27; Prov. 25:17, 19; Prov. 27:6, 9, 10, 14, ...

  • Fellowship

    [nave] FELLOWSHIP. Eccl. 4:9-12; Amos 3:3 See: Fraternity; Fellowship. With God Gen. 5:22, 24; Gen. 6:9; Ex. 29:45; Ex. 33:14-17; Lev. 26:12; Isa. 57:15; Zech. 2:10; Mark 9:37; John 14:23; John 17:21, 23; 2 Cor. 6:16; 2 Cor. 13:...

  • FOOL; FOLLY

    [isbe] FOOL; FOLLY - fool nabhal, 'ewil, kecil, cakhal and forms; aphron, aphrosune, moros): I. In the Old Testament. 1. General: Taking the words generally, apart from the Wisdom literature, we find nabhal frequently translated "f...

  • FOLD; FOLDING

    [isbe] FOLD; FOLDING - fold fold'-ing (verb; chabhaq, sabhakh; helisso): The verb occurs only 3 times in the King James Version, and in each instance represents a different word; we have chabhaq "to clasp" (Eccl 4:5), "The fool fol...

  • FELLOW

    [isbe] FELLOW - fel'-o (chabher, rea`; hetairos): Meant originally a "partner," from fe, "property," and lag, "to lay," then "a companion," "an equal," "a person or individual," "a worthless person." (1) As "companion" it is the tr...

  • ESTEEM

    [isbe] ESTEEM - es-tem' (chashabh; hegeomai): "To esteem" means sometimes simply "to think" or "reckon"; in other connections it means "to regard as honorable" or "valuable." We have examples of both senses in the Bible. The word m...

  • BEREAVE; BEREAVER; BEREFT

    [isbe] BEREAVE; BEREAVER; BEREFT - be-rev', be-rev'-er, be-reft': Bereave is frequently used in the Old Testament in the (now almost obsolete) meaning of "to deprive," "to take away," especially with reference to loss of children. ...

Arts

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • I believe that the message of Ecclesiastes is essentially a positive one. This may seem strange since the vanity of various human endeavors is such a major theme of this book. Nevertheless the total statement that Solomon mad...
  • I. The introductory affirmation 1:1-11A. Title and theme 1:1-21. The title 1:12. The theme 1:2B. The futility of all human endeavor 1:3-111. The vanity of work 1:32. The illustrations from life 1:4-11II. The futility of work ...
  • "Vanity"(Heb. hebel) means "meaningless."11As Solomon used this word in Ecclesiastes he meant lacking real substance, value, permanence, or significance. "All"in the context of what he proceeded to describe refers to all huma...
  • Rather than saying, "All work is vanity,"Solomon made the same point by asking this rhetorical question that expects a negative response. He used this literary device often throughout the book (cf. 2:2; 3:9; 6:8, 11-12; et al...
  • Solomon had unique resources for investigating life. He was the king of Israel (v. 12), and he possessed superlative wisdom (v. 13; cf. v. 16; 1 Kings 4:26-34). He says he made a comprehensive study of all kinds of human acti...
  • Thus far Solomon had reflected on the futility of all human endeavor generally (1:3-11) and the futility of human achievement (1:12-15) and his own achievements in particular (2:1-17). Next he turned to an evaluation of labor...
  • In this section Solomon expressed his conviction that in view of God's incomprehensible workings all human toil is without permanent profit.3:1-8 As is customary in Ecclesiastes the writer began this section by stating a thes...
  • The phrase "vanity and striving after wind"(vv. 4, 16) brackets this section. This structure emphasizes the relative futility of everything between these statements. The main theme seems to be "the power complex common among ...
  • "Every labor and every skill"(v. 4) undoubtedly means every type of labor and skill rather than every individual instance of these things. This is hyperbole. Much achievement is the result of a desire to be superior. Verse 5 ...
  • The reader cannot miss the folly of working just to accumulate more in this powerful description."Such a man, even with a wife and children, will have little time for them, convinced that he is toiling for their benefit altho...
  • Again Solomon urged the enjoyment of life (v. 18; cf. 2:24-26; 3:12-13, 22), but he warned of some obstacles to that enjoyment. Solomon was not advocating hedonism but the simple enjoyment of life day by day (v. 18). In other...
  • 9:1 "All this"refers to the general pattern of God's inconsistent retribution that Solomon had discussed. Even though he could not predict whether a given person would experience prosperity or adversity, he believed all peopl...
  • In 1:12-6:9, Solomon demonstrated that all work is ultimately futile for two reasons. It does not yield anything really permanent under the sun. Moreover we can never be sure we will enjoy the fruits of our labor before we di...
  • In conclusion Solomon repeated his original thesis (v. 8; cf. 1:2) and his counsel in view of life's realities (vv. 13-14). In between these statements he set forth his source of authority for writing what we have in Ecclesia...
  • Jesus continued to minister in Galilee. His ministry to the Twelve was an important part of His ministry. It prepared the disciples for further future service. It also anticipated His ministry through them following His ascen...
  • James proceeded to explain in 1:26-2:13 what a doer of works (1:25) does.1:26 "Religious"(Gr. threskos, used here only in the New Testament) describes someone who fears or worships God. In particular, it refers to the outward...
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