Ecclesiastes 4 Commentary

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THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES The Search for Significance The Quest for Contentment The Pursuit of Purpose
Exploration			Exhortation
All is Vanity	Vanity of Doing	Vanity of Having	Vanity of Being	Using Life Well	Source of True Living
Eccl 1:1-18	Eccl 2:1-26	Eccl 3:1-6:12	Eccl 7:1-9:18	Eccl 10:1-11:10	Eccl 12:1-14
Declaration of Vanity	Demonstration of Vanity		Deliverance from Vanity
Subject	Sermons		Summary
Fickleness of Life Versus Fear of the Lord
Place: "Under the Sun"
Decades of Searching (in the days of King Solomon) circa 936BC
King Solomon Author

Ecclesiastes 4:1 Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them.

• I returned: Job 6:29 Mal 3:18 
• and considered: Ec 3:16 5:8 7:7 Ex 1:13,14,16,22 2:23,24 5:16-19 De 28:33,48 Jud 4:3 10:7,8 Ne 5:1-5 Job 24:7-12 Ps 10:9,10 Pr 28:3,15,16 Isa 5:7 51:23 59:7,13-15 Mal 3:5 
• the tears: Ps 42:3,9 80:5 102:8,9 Mal 2:13 Jas 5:4 
• they had: Job 16:4 19:21,22 Ps 69:20 142:4 Pr 19:7 La 1:2,9 Mt 26:56 2Ti 4:16,17 
• side: Heb. hand

Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them.

Ecclesiastes 4:2 So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living.

• Ec 2:17 9:4-6 Job 3:17-21

So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living.

Ecclesiastes 4:3 But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.  

• better: Ec 6:3-5 Job 3:10-16 10:18,19 Jer 20:17,18 Mt 24:19 Lu 23:29 
• who: Ec 1:14 2:17 Ps 55:6-11 Jer 9:2,3 

But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.  

Ecclesiastes 4:4 I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

• every: etc. Heb. all the rightness of work, that this is the envy of man from his neighbour, Ge 4:4-8 37:2-11 1Sa 18:8,9,14-16,29,30 Pr 27:4 Mt 27:18 Ac 7:9 Jas 4:5 1Jn 3:12 
• This is: Ec 4:16 1:14 2:21,26 6:9,11 Ge 37:4,11 

I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 4:5 The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.

• fool: Pr 6:10,11 12:27 13:4 20:4 24:33,34 
• eateth: That is, with envy, (see ver. 4,) though too idle to follow his neighbour's example. Job 13:14 Pr 11:17 Isa 9:20

The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.

Ecclesiastes 4:6 One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.  

• Ps 37:16 Pr 15:16,17 16:8 17:1 

One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.  

Ecclesiastes 4:7 Then I looked again at vanity under the sun.

• Ec 4:1 Ps 78:33 Zec 1:6 

Then I looked again at vanity under the sun.

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. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a grievous task.  

• one: Ec 4:9-12 Ge 2:18 Isa 56:3-5 
• he hath: Ge 15:2,3 
• no: Isa 5:8 
• is his: Ec 1:8 5:10 Pr 27:20 Hab 2:5-9 1Jn 2:16 
• For: Ps 39:6 Isa 44:19,20 Lu 12:20 
• it is: Ec 1:13 2:23 Isa 55:2 Mt 11:28 

There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a grievous task.  

Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.

• are: Ge 2:18 Ex 4:14-16 Nu 11:14 Pr 27:17 Hag 1:14 Mk 6:7 Ac 13:2 Ac 15:39,40 1Co 12:18-21 
• a good: Ru 2:12  Joh 4:36 2Jn 1:8

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.

Ecclesiastes 4:10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

• if: Ex 32:2-4,21 De 9:19,20 1Sa 23:16 2Sa 11:27 12:7-14 Job 4:3,4 Isa 35:3,4 Lu 22:31,32 Ga 2:11-14 6:1 1Th 4:18 5:11 
• but: Ge 4:8 2Sa 14:6 

For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

Ecclesiastes 4:11 Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?

• 1Ki 1:1,2 

Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone

Ecclesiastes 4:12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.  

• And if: This is well illustrated by the fable of the dying father, who, to shew his sons the advantages of union, gave them a bundle of twigs, which could not be broken when bound together, but were easily snapped asunder one by one.
• and a: 2Sa 23:9,16,18,19,23 Da 3:16,17 Eph 4:3 

And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart

Ecclesiastes 4:13 A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction.

• is a poor: Ec 9:15,16 Ge 37:2 Pr 19:1 28:6,15,16 
• will no more be: Heb. knoweth not to be, 1Ki 22:8 2Ch 16:9,10 24:20-22 25:16

A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction

Ecclesiastes 4:14 For he has come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom.

• For out: This is probably an allusion to some fact with which we are unacquainted.  History furnishes many instances of mean persons raised to sovereign authority, and of kings being reduced to the meanest offices, and to a morsel.  Agrippa mounted the throne of Israel after having been long in prison; and similar instances are not wanting in modern times. Ge 41:14,33-44 Job 5:11 Ps 113:7,8 
• also: 1Ki 14:26,27 2Ki 23:31-34 24:1,2,6,12 25:7,27-30 La 4:20 Da 4:31 

For he has come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom

Ecclesiastes 4:15 I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who replaces him.

• child: 2Sa 15:6 

I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who replaces him

Ecclesiastes 4:16 There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind.

• no end: 2Sa 15:12,13 1Ki 1:5-7,40 12:10-16 
• they also: Jud 9:19,20 2Sa 18:7,8 19:9 
• this: Ec 1:14 2:11,17,26 

There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind.