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Ecclesiastes 4

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The Misery of Oppression 1–3

1
Then I returned and saw 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. ​
2
Wherefore I praised the dead that have been long dead more than the living that are yet alive;
3
yea, better than them both did I esteem him that hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. ​

Envy and the Vanity of Toil 4–6

4
Then I saw all labor and every skilful work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. ​
5
The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. ​
6
Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and striving after wind. ​

The Futility of Solitary Labor 7–8

7
Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
8
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 labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with riches. For whom then, saith he, do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This also is vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. ​

The Power of Two 9–12

9
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. ​
10
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and hath not another to lift him up.
11
Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one be warm alone?
12
And if a man prevail against him that is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. ​

The Fickleness of Royal Favor 13–16

13
Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receive admonition any more. ​
14
For out of prison he came forth to be king; yea, even in his kingdom he was born poor. ​
15
I saw all the living that walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second, that stood up in his stead.
16
There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Ecclesiastes 4

Verse 1

no comforter — Nacham, to console, stands twice in the verse, on either side of 'on the side of their oppressors there was power'. 'Oppressions', 'oppressed' and 'oppressors' all come from one root, ashaq. The same verb opens God's word to His people: 'Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God' (Isa 40:1).

Verse 3

better is he than both they — The one who 'hath not yet been' is set above both the dead and the living of v.2; 'yet' is aden, found only in vv.2–3. The same weighing returns in 6:3–5. Christ speaks in like terms of Judas: 'good were it for that man if he had never been born' (Mark 14:21).

Verse 4

every right work — 'Right' is kishron, skill or success, a word found only in Ecclesiastes (2:21; 4:4; 5:11). Envy is an old answer to good work: Cain slew his brother because 'his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous' (1 John 3:12). 'Vexation of spirit' is re'ut ruach, a striving after wind (1:14).

Verse 5

foldeth his hands together — Chabaq, to clasp, is the verb of embracing (Gen 29:13), here of arms folded in idleness, like 'a little folding of the hands to sleep' (Prov 6:10), after which 'thy poverty' comes (Prov 6:11). That he 'eateth his own flesh' means he is consumed by it; Isa 9:20 uses a like image of famine.

Verse 6

an handful with quietness — Kaph is the hollow of one hand; 'both the hands' (chophen) are two fists grasping. 'Quietness' (nachath) is rest, the word of 'this hath more rest' (6:5) and of wise words 'heard in quiet' (9:17). Proverbs makes the same comparison: 'Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith' (Prov 15:16).

Verse 8

neither child nor brother — The counting that begins here, 'one alone… not a second', continues in v.9, 'Two are better than one'. 'For whom do I labour?' has its counterpart in Luke 12:20, 'then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?' 'Sore travail' is inyan ra; inyan occurs only in Ecclesiastes, where God also gives men 'this sore travail' (1:13).

Verse 9

a good reward for their labour — 'Reward' (sakar) is a wage, the word of 9:5, where the dead have none. The question 'For whom do I labour?' (v.8) is answered by the second pair of hands, and vv.10–12 give three instances: a fall, the cold of night, an attacker. The need was named at the beginning: 'It is not good that the man should be alone' (Gen 2:18).

Verse 12

a threefold cord — Chut is a thread or string, and 'broken' is nathaq, the verb used when Samson 'brake them from off his arms like a thread' (Judg 16:12). 'Prevail' (taqaph) is to overpower, so defence against an attacker is the third benefit of company, after help in a fall (v.10) and warmth (v.11).

Verse 13

a poor and a wise child — 'Poor' is miskeen, found only here and in 9:15–16, where 'a poor wise man' delivered the city and 'no man remembered' him. 'Admonished' is zahar, to warn, the watchman's word (Ezek 3:17) and the word of 12:12, 'by these, my son, be admonished'. Amaziah refused such warning: 'hast not hearkened unto my counsel' (2 Chr 25:16).

Verse 14

out of prison — Literally 'from the house of the bound'. Joseph's rise from the dungeon to Pharaoh (Gen 41:14) is such a turn, and the LORD 'raiseth up the poor out of the dust' to 'set him with princes' (Ps 113:7–8). The verse is usually read of the poor wise youth of v.13, while the king 'born in his kingdom' becomes poor (rush, destitute).

Verse 16

no end of all the people — 'No end' (qets) is the multitude that has followed each ruler, yet those 'that come after shall not rejoice in him', and the crowd of v.15 that walked with the second child is not the last. 'Vexation' here is ra'yon, found also in 1:17 and 2:22, not the re'ut of vv.4 and 6. Compare 1:11, 'no remembrance of former things'.