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Text -- Ecclesiastes 9:4 (NET)

Strongs On/Off
Context
Better to Be Poor but Alive than Rich but Dead
9:4 But whoever is among the living has hope; a live dog is better than a dead lion.
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics

Dictionary Themes and Topics: WISDOM | PSALMS, BOOK OF | Lion | Instruction | Hades | Death | DEAD | more
Table of Contents

Word/Phrase Notes
Wesley , JFB , Clarke , TSK

Word/Phrase Notes
Barnes , Poole , Haydock , Gill

Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes , Geneva Bible

Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis , MHCC , Matthew Henry , Keil-Delitzsch , Constable

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Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Wesley: Ecc 9:4 - -- That continues with living men.

That continues with living men.

Wesley: Ecc 9:4 - -- He hath not only some comfort for the present, but also hopes of further happiness in this world.

He hath not only some comfort for the present, but also hopes of further happiness in this world.

Wesley: Ecc 9:4 - -- Much happier as to the comforts of this world.

Much happier as to the comforts of this world.

JFB: Ecc 9:4 - -- Rather, "Nevertheless." English Version rightly reads as the Margin, Hebrew, "that is joined," instead of the text, "who is to be chosen?"

Rather, "Nevertheless." English Version rightly reads as the Margin, Hebrew, "that is joined," instead of the text, "who is to be chosen?"

JFB: Ecc 9:4 - -- Not of mere temporal good (Job 14:7); but of yet repenting and being saved.

Not of mere temporal good (Job 14:7); but of yet repenting and being saved.

JFB: Ecc 9:4 - -- Metaphor for the vilest persons (1Sa 24:14).

Metaphor for the vilest persons (1Sa 24:14).

JFB: Ecc 9:4 - -- The noblest of animals (Pro 30:30).

The noblest of animals (Pro 30:30).

JFB: Ecc 9:4 - -- As to hope of salvation; the noblest who die unconverted have no hope; the vilest, so long as they have life, have hope.

As to hope of salvation; the noblest who die unconverted have no hope; the vilest, so long as they have life, have hope.

Clarke: Ecc 9:4 - -- For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope - While a man lives he hopes to amend, and he hopes to have a better lot; and thus life is...

For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope - While a man lives he hopes to amend, and he hopes to have a better lot; and thus life is spent, hoping to grow better, and hoping to get more. The Vulgate has, "There is none that shall live always, nor has any hope of such a thing."Perhaps the best translation is the following: "What, therefore, is to be chosen? In him that is living there is hope."Then choose that eternal life which thou hopest to possess

Clarke: Ecc 9:4 - -- A living dog is better than a dead lion - I suppose this was a proverb. The smallest measure of animal existence is better than the largest of dead ...

A living dog is better than a dead lion - I suppose this was a proverb. The smallest measure of animal existence is better than the largest of dead matter. The poorest living peasant is infinitely above Alexander the Great.

TSK: Ecc 9:4 - -- Job 14:7-12, Job 27:8; Isa 38:18; Lam 3:21, Lam 3:22; Luk 16:26-29

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Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: Ecc 9:4 - -- For to him - Rather: "Yet to him."Notwithstanding evils, life has its advantage, and especially when compared with death. Dog - To the He...

For to him - Rather: "Yet to him."Notwithstanding evils, life has its advantage, and especially when compared with death.

Dog - To the Hebrews a type of all that was contemptible 1Sa 17:43.

Poole: Ecc 9:4 - -- That is joined to all the living that continueth in the land and society of living men. Or, according to the reading of the Hebrew text, that is cho...

That is joined to all the living that continueth in the land and society of living men. Or, according to the reading of the Hebrew text,

that is chosen or allotted to life whom God hath appointed yet to live in the world, when he hath appointed that many others shall die; or who are written among the living , as the phrase is, Isa 4:3 , which is borrowed from the custom of cities, where men are first chosen, and then enrolled citizens.

There is hope he hath not only some comfort for the present, but also hopes of further and greater happiness in this world, which men are very prone to entertain and cherish in themselves. Yea, they may have the hopes of a better life, if they improve their opportunities. But he seems to confine himself here to the present life.

Better i.e. much happier, as to the comforts and privileges of this world, though in other respects death be better than life, as was said, Ecc 7:1 .

Haydock: Ecc 9:4 - -- There. Even those who have had the vanity to claim divine honours, never could persuade themselves that they would escape death. But the just forms...

There. Even those who have had the vanity to claim divine honours, never could persuade themselves that they would escape death. But the just forms a different conclusion from the wicked. He looks upon his life only as a preparation for the other, (Hebrews xi. 13., and Ephesians ii. 19.) while libertines make haste to enjoy the fleeting pleasure, Isaias xxii. 13. To the former death seems desirable, (chap. iv. 2., and vi. 3.) to the latter it is a subject of consternation; and he prefers the vilest creature living, to the most noble when dead. (Calmet) ---

Hebrew, "for whosoever is chosen ( yebuchar. Marginal note yechubar, "is united") to all the living, has hope; for a," &c. (Haydock) ---

Moderns generally follow the marginal reading of the Masorets. (Calmet) ---

"For who shall live for ever?" (Symmachus) "Who partakes with all the living? There is hope." (Septuagint) (Haydock) ---

During life alone the sinner may amend, chap. ii. 3. The Gentiles are preferred before the Jews. (Worthington)

Gill: Ecc 9:4 - -- For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope,.... That is, who is among the living, is one of them, and, as long as he is, there is hope,...

For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope,.... That is, who is among the living, is one of them, and, as long as he is, there is hope, if his circumstances are mean, and he is poor and afflicted, that it may be better with him in time; see Job 14:7; or of his being a good man, though now wicked; of his being called and converted, as some are at the eleventh hour, even on a death bed; and especially there is a hope of men, if they are under the means of grace, seeing persons have been made partakers of the grace of God after long waiting. There is here a "Keri" and a "Cetib", a marginal reading and a textual writing; the former reads, "that is joined", the latter, "that is chosen"; our version follows the marginal reading, as do the Targum, Jarchi, Aben Ezra, the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions: some, following the latter, render the words, "who is to be chosen" y, or preferred, a living, or a dead man? not a dead but a living man: "to all the living there is hope"; of their being better; and, as Jarchi observes, there is hope, while alive, even though he is a wicked man joined to the wicked; yea, there is hope of the wicked, that he may be good before he dies;

for a living dog is better than a dead lion; a proverbial speech, showing that life is to be preferred to death; and that a mean, abject, and contemptible person, living, who for his despicable condition may be compared to a dog, is to be preferred to the most generous man, or to the greatest potentate, dead; since the one may possibly be useful in some respects or another, the other cannot: though a living sinner, who is like to a dog for his uncleanness and vileness, is not better than a dead saint or righteous man, comparable to a lion, who has hope in his death, and dies in the Lord.

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Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Ecc 9:4 Heb “all the living.”

Geneva Bible: Ecc 9:4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a ( c ) living dog is better than a dead lion. ( c ) He notes the Epicurean and carnal...

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Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: Ecc 9:1-18 - --1 Like things happen to good and bad.4 There is a necessity of death unto men.7 Comfort is all their portion in this life.11 God's providence rules ov...

MHCC: Ecc 9:4-10 - --The most despicable living man's state, is preferable to that of the most noble who have died impenitent. Solomon exhorts the wise and pious to cheerf...

Matthew Henry: Ecc 9:4-10 - -- Solomon, in a fret, had praised the dead more than the living (Ecc 4:2); but here, considering the advantages of life to prepare for death and mak...

Keil-Delitzsch: Ecc 9:4 - -- "For (to him) who shall be always joined to all the living, there is hope: for even a living dog is better than a dead lion."The interrog. אשׁר ...

Constable: Ecc 6:10--11:7 - --III. THE LIMITATIONS OF WISDOM 6:10--11:6 Clues in the text indicate the value and purpose of 6:10-11:6. The phr...

Constable: Ecc 9:1--11:7 - --C. Man's Ignorance of the Future 9:1-11:6 The emphasis in this section (9:1-11:6) is on what man does no...

Constable: Ecc 9:1-10 - --1. The future of the righteous on earth 9:1-10 9:1 "All this" refers to the general pattern of God's inconsistent retribution that Solomon had discuss...

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Introduction / Outline

JFB: Ecclesiastes (Book Introduction) The Hebrew title is Koheleth, which the speaker in it applies to himself (Ecc 1:12), "I, Koheleth, was king over Israel." It means an Assembler or Con...

JFB: Ecclesiastes (Outline) INTRODUCTION. (Ecc. 1:1-18)

TSK: Ecclesiastes 9 (Chapter Introduction) Overview Ecc 9:1, Like things happen to good and bad; Ecc 9:4, There is a necessity of death unto men; Ecc 9:7, Comfort is all their portion in th...

Poole: Ecclesiastes 9 (Chapter Introduction) CHAPTER 9 All things in the hand of God: his love or hatred not visible in them; but the like happeneth to good and bad in this life, and in death ...

MHCC: Ecclesiastes (Book Introduction) The name of this book signifies " The Preacher." The wisdom of God here preaches to us, speaking by Solomon, who it is evident was the author. At the...

MHCC: Ecclesiastes 9 (Chapter Introduction) (Ecc 9:1-3) Good and bad men fare alike as to this world. (Ecc 9:4-10) All men must die, Their portion as to this life. (Ecc 9:11, Ecc 9:12) Disappo...

Matthew Henry: Ecclesiastes (Book Introduction) An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The Book of Ecclesiastes We are still among Solomon's happy men, his happy servants, that stood contin...

Matthew Henry: Ecclesiastes 9 (Chapter Introduction) Solomon, in this chapter, for a further proof of the vanity of this world, gives us four observations which he had made upon a survey of the state ...

Constable: Ecclesiastes (Book Introduction) Introduction Title The title of this book in the Hebrew text is all of verse 1. The Se...

Constable: Ecclesiastes (Outline)

Constable: Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes Bibliography Archer, Gleason L., Jr. "The Linguistic Evidence for the Date of Ecclesiastes'." Jour...

Haydock: Ecclesiastes (Book Introduction) ECCLESIASTES. INTRODUCTION. This Book is called Ecclesiastes, or the preacher, (in Hebrew, Coheleth ) because in it Solomon, as an excelle...

Gill: Ecclesiastes (Book Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES This book has been universally received into the canon of the Scriptures, by Jews and Christians. The former, indeed, ...

Gill: Ecclesiastes 9 (Chapter Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 9 Though the wise man, with all his wisdom, search, and labour, could not find out the causes and reasons of divine Pr...

Advanced Commentary (Dictionaries, Hymns, Arts, Sermon Illustration, Question and Answers, etc)


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