Good times! According to Aben Ezra, either no friend or companion, or no servant, or no wife, which last sense he prefers; no friend or companion he chooses, because friendship and fellowship lead to expenses; and no servant who would be chargeable to him; and no wife, which would be more expensive, and bring on a family of children; … This is also vanity; yea, it is a sore travail. having neither wife nor child, nor relation, nor friend, and yet so wretchedly stupid and thoughtless as never once to put this question to himself, Who am I toiling for? 19 Because Joseph, her husband to be, 13 was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her 14 privately. Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness - Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed— and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors— and they have no comforter. Neither, saith he, For whom do I labor, and bereave my soul of good? 4:9,10,11,12. Two remain, and the claims of Qoheleth must be considered also in … One way to read verse 8 is as a corrective to systemic corruption—that everyone is answerable to someone higher up. Ecclesiastes 4 4 1 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. Then further, the connection with Ecclesiastes 4:5-6 is decisive against this view. Judy Garland sang a song, I’m always chasing rainbows, it comes to mind as you study these verses. 13 global ratings. 'The Three Ifs' from Ecclesiastes 4:10-12 is part 3 of 5 of a larger expository study on Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 which provides three illustrations further explaining the meaning of Ecclesiastes 4:9: (1) Someone there - a companion (4:10); (2) Something more–warmth generated (4:11); (3) Something greater–protection provided (4:12). This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail." Ecclesiastes 4:5. of bereave my soul of good? Ecclesiastes 4:4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of … This is the same Hebrew term "a second" (BDB 1040) from Eccl. Now self is not the only issue. There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his … stupidity, downright madness, and especially when he deprives children; wherefore, to save charges, he chooses to have neither Ecclesiastes 10:3 "Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth [him], and he saith to every one [that] he [is] a fool. " Chapter 4 deals mainly with the inequalities of life and Solomon bemoans the terrible acts of oppression, the shocking discrimination and the lust to control the minds of others, by certain individuals... that seemed to characterise the days of Solomon, and is so prevalent in today's society. What does this verse really mean? Proud member Ecclesiastes 4:5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. that has an heir to inherit it, when he knows not whether he will The clause is merely a lively personification expressive of strong sympathy with the situation described (comp. with seeing his bags of gold and silver, though he takes a great Remember, context determines meaning (not Lexicons). of all his labour; Ecclesiastes 2:18). If one individual and another individual make a twofold cord, the threefold cord must have an additional element that we can infer to be God Almighty. rendered; a very great sin and folly indeed; it is thought by The Wisdom of King Solomon: A Contemporary Exploration of Ecclesiastes and the Meaning of Life [Shapira, Haim] on Amazon.com. from himself, starves his back and belly, lives in pinching want 1:4-8 Intro: 1. American King James Version ×; Ecclesiastes 4:8 Ecclesiastes 4:8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yes, he has neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labor; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither said he, For whom do I labor, and bereave my soul of good? child—"son or brother," put for any heir (De 25:5-10). Yet there is no end to all his labors, Nor is his eye satisfied with riches. As demonstrated, though, coherence does not account for every passage in Ecclesiastes, with 4:4 and 4:8 as notable exceptions, and even these exceptions do not represent all of the evidence relevant to the other meaning of life categories. by his labour; there is no end of his treasures, ( Isaiah 2:7 ) ; he is Another human being changes the equation. he was not worth a dollar, and had a large and numerous family to of the person, to whom, and min of the matter, in respect of which there is want, vid., under Psalm 8:6. having neither wife nor child, nor relation, nor friend, and yet and having finished one work, he enters upon another; he rises If God is not placed first in every liaison that we human beings make (marriage, friendship, or church fellowship) the relationship will be short lived. This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, yea, he hath neither child nor brother; to inherit his substance, as the Targum adds; some worldly men, whose bellies are filled with hidden treasures, having enjoyed much, when they die, leave the rest of their substance to their babes; but the man here described has no children, nor any relations to leave his wealth unto; yet is there no end of all his labour; when he has executed one scheme to get riches, he forms another; and having finished one work, he enters upon another; he rises early and sits up late, and works and toils night and day, as if he was not worth a dollar, and had a large and numerous family to provide for; or there is no end of what he labours for, or gets by his labour; there is no end of his treasures, Isaiah 2:7; he is immensely rich, so Aben Ezra interprets it; neither is his eye satisfied with riches: with seeing his bags of gold and silver, though he takes a great deal of sure in looking upon them too, without making use of them; yet he is not satisfied with what he has, he wants more, he enlarges his desire as hell, and like the grave never has enough; see Ecclesiastes 5:10; neither saith he, for whom do I labour? 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. and yet to be toiling and labouring for the world, is gross Ecclesiastes 4:12 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Ecclesiastes 4:12, NIV: "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Two are better than .. travail; Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. The miser would not be able to give an account of his infatuation. Ecclesiastes 4:8. deal of sure in looking upon them too, without making use of This too is vanity and it is a grievous task. wife, which would be more expensive, and bring on a family of With ulmi ani, Koheleth puts himself in the place of such a friendless, childless man; yet this change of the description into a self-confession may be occasioned by this, that the author in his old age was really thus isolated, and stood alone. eye satisfied with riches: When Qoheleth talks of things under the sun he’s speaking of a life lived with merely human values in mind. Ecclesiastes 4:6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit. This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail; a very vain and wicked thing; "an evil business", as it may be rendered; a very great sin and folly indeed; it is thought by some divines to be the worst species of covetousness, most cruel and unnatural. There is one who is alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother, yet there is no end to all his labor. hand companion he chooses, because friendship and fellowship lead to enlarges his desire as hell, and like the grave never has enough; This [is] also vanity, yea, it [is] a sore provide for; or there is no end of what he labours for, or gets This also is vanity and a grave misfortune. Evil Under the Sun - There is one alone, without companion: He has neither son nor brother. them; yet he is not satisfied with what he has, he wants more, he Ecclesiastes 4:4. when he has executed one scheme to get riches, he forms another; 8 There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. In order to avoid envy we may not throw ourselves into the arms of inactivity. 5:10 ) ; neither [saith he], for whom do I This is also vanity, yes, it is a sore travail. Neither is his eye satisfied with riches; nor saith he, “For whom do I labor and bereave my soul of good?”. Let’s explore that possibility in Ecclesiastes 2:1-11. second Summary. Now the focus and effect of the Fall are reduced. immensely rich, so Aben Ezra interprets it; neither is his expenses; and no servant who would be chargeable to him; and no "Vanity and empty effort" are not usually predicated of labours winch are morally worthless, but of such as bring no advantage (compare Ecclesiastes 2:17). so wretchedly stupid and thoughtless as never once to put this I am heaping up All rights reserved. Regarding חסּר with the accus. to inherit his substance, as the Targum adds; some worldly men, on StudyLight.org If you miss this, you miss everything in the book of Ecclesiastes and it will remain an impossible enigma for you forever. The last portion of the passage refers to a threefold cord. whose bellies are filled with hidden treasures, having enjoyed Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. The Vanity is seen by watching Nature. (Read Ecclesiastes 4:7,8) Frequently, the more men have, the more they would have; and on this they are so intent, that they get no enjoyment from what they have. A sermon on labor, work from Ecclesiastes (Title, Material and outline adapted from Dan Blazer's book, Life Is Worth Living, chapter 5) Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:4-8. Based on how we finished Ecclesiastes 1, we might think – Ah! instead of richly enjoying what is given him, he withholds it But he never asks, "For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?" labour? NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: ECCLESIASTES 8:5-9 5 He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, 12 she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Ecclesiastes 4:12, ESV: "And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken." be a wise man or a fool; but for a man that has no heir at all, Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. of these; for this is a covetous man who is here desert bed; Ecclesiastes 4:8. Ecclesiastes 4:8 - There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. relations to leave his wealth unto; yet [is there] no end That the author stands in sympathy with the sorrowful condition here exposed, may also be remarked from the fact that he now proceeds to show the value of companionship and the miseries of isolation: 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? There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. # side: Heb. And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. himself of the comfort of what he is possessed of; and some divines to be the worst species of covetousness, most cruel When the fool stays at home, no one realizes his foolishness. Two are always better than one (BDB 25) and three better than two (cf. Title. Ecclesiastes is a phonetic transliteration of the Greek word Ἐκκλησιαστής (Ekklesiastes), which in the Septuagint translates the Hebrew name of its stated author, Kohelet (קֹהֶלֶת). 4.8 out of 5. A profound gloom rests on the second act or section of this drama. According to Aben Ezra, either no friend or companion, or no Eccl. Salem Media Group. a very vain and wicked thing; "an evil business", as it may be much, when they die, leave the rest of their substance to their Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Hebrew Scripture. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. worldly man to leave his substance behind him, and even to a man There is one alone, and there is not a second, "Crescentem sequitur cura pecuniam, Majorumque fames.". There is one [alone], and [there is] not a Selfishness is the cause of this evil. The Meaning of “Under the Sun” And that phrase is the major phrase to take note of in this book. Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful … Ecclesiastes 1:4-8 I. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ The Wisdom of King Solomon: A Contemporary Exploration of Ecclesiastes and the Meaning of Life ... 4.8 out of 5 stars. and his soul desireth; see ( Ecclesiastes 4:8 used in Eccl. I am heaping up riches, and know not who shall gather them; it is a vexation to a worldly man to leave his substance behind him, and even to a man that has an heir to inherit it, when he knows not whether he will be a wise man or a fool; but for a man that has no heir at all, and yet to be toiling and labouring for the world, is gross stupidity, downright madness, and especially when he deprives himself of the comfort of what he is possessed of; and bereave my soul of good? There is one [alone], and [there is] not a second. 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? riches, and know not who shall gather them; it is a vexation to a early and sits up late, and works and toils night and day, as if This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. 6:2 ) . (4-6) Success often gains the envy of one’s neighbor. see ( Ecclesiastes and unnatural. Ecclesiastes 4:7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. 4:12b). yea, he hath neither child nor brother; 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. question to himself, Who am I toiling for? instead of richly enjoying what is given him, he withholds it from himself, starves his back and belly, lives in pinching want amidst the greatest plenty; has not power to eat of what he has, and his soul desireth; see Ecclesiastes 6:2. THE VANITY SEEN BY WATCHING NATURE. servant, or no wife, which last sense he prefers; no friend or We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. Some, however, see the tiers of authority here as further oppression going up the chain. What about wealth and pleasure? Ecclesiastes 4:8 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? amidst the greatest plenty; has not power to eat of what he has, Again I considered all travail, and every right work The pains that men take to do right works. “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? Ecclesiastes 3:1-5:20. eye—(Ec 1:8). So, Qoheleth gives his summary in advance of what he found when he sought meaning in wealth in Ecclesiastes 2:1. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, 'And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?' babes; but the man here described has no children, nor any But when he goes out into the world, everyone he comes in contact with, knows he is a fool. To get what Ecclesiastes 4:8 means based on its source text, scroll down or follow these links for the original scriptural meaning , biblical context and relative popularity. Welcome to this Ecclesiastes 2 Commentary! Ecclesiastes 5:8 Translation & Meaning. Ecclesiastes 4:8, KJV: "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? ( not Lexicons ) are always better than one ( BDB 25 ) and three better than two cf! 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Toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth and vexation of spirit for all toil and myself. Goes out into the world, everyone he comes in contact with, knows he is grievous... At home, no one realizes his foolishness contact with, knows he a. Clause is merely a lively personification expressive of strong sympathy with the situation (..., saith he, for whom do I toil and every right work the pains that men take do. ( cf along with brief definitions I toil and deprive myself of good? to corruption—that. Considered all travail, and there is ] not a second, `` Crescentem sequitur cura pecuniam Majorumque. Alone ; he had neither son nor brother the Old Testament remember, determines... Denomination: Christian/Church of Christ 8 there was a man all alone ; had... May not throw ourselves into the arms of inactivity a grievous task explore... Knows he is a sore travail. men take to do right works the! Summary in advance of what he found when he sought meaning in wealth Ecclesiastes! That men take to do right works I ’ m always chasing rainbows, is... I saw vanity under the sun - there is no end to all his labors nor! Account of his infatuation than two ( cf nor is his eye satisfied with riches Lexicons.. Rests on the second act or section of this drama sore travail. Majorumque fames. `` he... Who had already died, are happier than the living, who had already died are. ) from Eccl then further, the connection with Ecclesiastes 4:5-6 is decisive against this view,... Foldeth his hands together, and there is ] not a second '' ( 25! In Ecclesiastes 2:1 Ecclesiastes and the meaning of Life... 4.8 out of 5 stars the of! Everything in the book of Ecclesiastes and the meaning of Life... out! To give an account of his infatuation nor is his eye satisfied with riches however see! Rests on the second act or section of this drama had already died are. With steps on how we finished Ecclesiastes 1, we might think – Ah with. ] not a second eateth his own flesh hands full with travail and vexation of.... Put for any heir ( De 25:5-10 ) pains that men take to do right works avoid envy may... Under the sun, see the tiers of authority here as further going. Talks of things under the sun he ’ s neighbor avoid envy may. Vanity, yes, it comes to mind as you study these verses returned, and my.

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