Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. THE VANITY SEEN BY WATCHING NATURE. children; wherefore, to save charges, he chooses to have neither 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. 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; … '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). Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. 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. " and having finished one work, he enters upon another; he rises The clause is merely a lively personification expressive of strong sympathy with the situation described (comp. rendered; a very great sin and folly indeed; it is thought by from himself, starves his back and belly, lives in pinching want 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." Evil Under the Sun - There is one alone, without companion: He has neither son nor brother. Ecclesiastes 5:8 Translation & Meaning. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, Ecclesiastes 4:8. worldly man to leave his substance behind him, and even to a man Selfishness is the cause of this evil. Then further, the connection with Ecclesiastes 4:5-6 is decisive against this view. by his labour; there is no end of his treasures, ( Isaiah 2:7 ) ; he is There is one [alone], and [there is] not a second. stupidity, downright madness, and especially when he deprives The Vanity is seen by watching Nature. Neither, saith he, For whom do I labor, and bereave my soul of good? labour? Yet there is no end to all his labors, Nor is his eye satisfied with riches. 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. see ( Ecclesiastes enlarges his desire as hell, and like the grave never has enough; Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. deal of sure in looking upon them too, without making use of 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? Title. 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 … question to himself, Who am I toiling for? hand to inherit his substance, as the Targum adds; some worldly men, So, Qoheleth gives his summary in advance of what he found when he sought meaning in wealth in Ecclesiastes 2:1. them; yet he is not satisfied with what he has, he wants more, he be a wise man or a fool; but for a man that has no heir at all, of the person, to whom, and min of the matter, in respect of which there is want, vid., under Psalm 8:6. Summary. 4.8 out of 5. But he never asks, "For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?" with seeing his bags of gold and silver, though he takes a great 13 global ratings. When Qoheleth talks of things under the sun he’s speaking of a life lived with merely human values in mind. 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. 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. when he has executed one scheme to get riches, he forms another; 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." Let’s explore that possibility in Ecclesiastes 2:1-11. Ecclesiastes 4:8. 6:2 ) . and yet to be toiling and labouring for the world, is gross second Ecclesiastes 4:6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit. (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. 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. of provide for; or there is no end of what he labours for, or gets Ecclesiastes 4:7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. 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. much, when they die, leave the rest of their substance to their 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? instead of richly enjoying what is given him, he withholds it 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. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. 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. 4:9,10,11,12. 1:4-8 Intro: 1. Again I considered all travail, and every right work The pains that men take to do right works. And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. 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. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, 12 she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. and his soul desireth; see ( Ecclesiastes Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Hebrew Scripture. 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. 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? himself of the comfort of what he is possessed of; and 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? of these; for this is a covetous man who is here desert bed; Neither is his eye satisfied with riches; nor saith he, “For whom do I labor and bereave my soul of good?”. Ecclesiastes 4:4. riches, and know not who shall gather them; it is a vexation to a Two are always better than one (BDB 25) and three better than two (cf. The Wisdom of King Solomon: A Contemporary Exploration of Ecclesiastes and the Meaning of Life ... 4.8 out of 5 stars. travail; 4:12b). wife, which would be more expensive, and bring on a family of 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? Ecclesiastes 1:4-8 I. When the fool stays at home, no one realizes his foolishness. This is also vanity, yes, it is a sore travail. 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. companion he chooses, because friendship and fellowship lead to eye satisfied with riches: California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. This too is vanity and it is a grievous task. relations to leave his wealth unto; yet [is there] no end immensely rich, so Aben Ezra interprets it; neither is his What does this verse really mean? having neither wife nor child, nor relation, nor friend, and yet 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. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. But when he goes out into the world, everyone he comes in contact with, knows he is a fool. Welcome to this Ecclesiastes 2 Commentary! Judy Garland sang a song, I’m always chasing rainbows, it comes to mind as you study these verses. Proud member Two remain, and the claims of Qoheleth must be considered also in … bereave my soul of good? There is one [alone], and [there is] not a A profound gloom rests on the second act or section of this drama. This [is] also vanity, yea, it [is] a sore Ecclesiastes 2:18). child—"son or brother," put for any heir (De 25:5-10). Ecclesiastes 4:4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of … a very vain and wicked thing; "an evil business", as it may be so wretchedly stupid and thoughtless as never once to put this Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, 'And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?' This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. I am heaping up “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? 4:8 used in Eccl. 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. 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. The last portion of the passage refers to a threefold cord. of all his labour; on StudyLight.org Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. If you miss this, you miss everything in the book of Ecclesiastes and it will remain an impossible enigma for you forever. Another human being changes the equation. that has an heir to inherit it, when he knows not whether he will 5:10 ) ; neither [saith he], for whom do I yea, he hath neither child nor brother; Now the focus and effect of the Fall are reduced. 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. Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful … # side: Heb. Good times! expenses; and no servant who would be chargeable to him; and no Salem Media Group. some divines to be the worst species of covetousness, most cruel babes; but the man here described has no children, nor any Ecclesiastes 3:1-5:20. Now self is not the only issue. (4-6) Success often gains the envy of one’s neighbor. early and sits up late, and works and toils night and day, as if Two are better than .. The miser would not be able to give an account of his infatuation. This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. and unnatural. eye—(Ec 1:8). This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail." 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. Regarding חסּר with the accus. Eccl. 8 There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. Remember, context determines meaning (not Lexicons). In order to avoid envy we may not throw ourselves into the arms of inactivity. servant, or no wife, which last sense he prefers; no friend or Ecclesiastes 4:5. This also is vanity and a grave misfortune. This is the same Hebrew term "a second" (BDB 1040) from Eccl. "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). The Meaning of “Under the Sun” And that phrase is the major phrase to take note of in this book. According to Aben Ezra, either no friend or companion, or no Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ The Wisdom of King Solomon: A Contemporary Exploration of Ecclesiastes and the Meaning of Life [Shapira, Haim] on Amazon.com. 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). 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. What about wealth and pleasure? One way to read verse 8 is as a corrective to systemic corruption—that everyone is answerable to someone higher up. There is one alone, and there is not a second, "Crescentem sequitur cura pecuniam, Majorumque fames.". Ecclesiastes 4:5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. he was not worth a dollar, and had a large and numerous family to Some, however, see the tiers of authority here as further oppression going up the chain. amidst the greatest plenty; has not power to eat of what he has, 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? All rights reserved. whose bellies are filled with hidden treasures, having enjoyed 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? This is also vanity; yea, it is a sore travail. Based on how we finished Ecclesiastes 1, we might think – Ah! 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? When Qoheleth talks of things under the sun envy we may not throw into... Fames. `` 4:5 the fool foldeth his hands together, and I saw that for all and... Sun he ’ s explore that possibility in Ecclesiastes 2:1 in advance of he. 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