Advanced Commentary
Texts -- Ecclesiastes 4:7-8 (NET)
Pericope
NET
- Ecc 4:7-8 -- Labor Motivated by Greed
Bible Dictionary
-
Miser
[nave] MISER, Eccl. 4:7, 8.
-
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...
-
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,...
-
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...
-
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...
-
Vanity
[nave] VANITY A consequence of the fall, Rom. 8:20. Every one is, Psa. 39:11. Every state of mankind is, Psa. 62:9. Mankind in his best estate is, Psa. 39:5. Mankind is like to, Psa. 144:4. The thoughts of mankind are, Psa. 94...
-
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...
-
Anxiety
[nave] ANXIETY. Worldly Psa. 39:6; Psa. 127:2; Eccl. 4:8; Matt. 6:25-34; Matt. 13:22 Mark 4:19; Luke 8:14. Luke 14:18-20; Luke 21:34; 1 Cor. 7:32, 33; Phil. 4:6; 2 Tim. 2:4 See: Carnal Mindedness; Riches; Trouble; Worldliness. R...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...