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Commentary on Ecclesiastes 3 verses 16–22
Solomon is still showing that every thing in this world, without piety and the fear of God, is vanity. Take away religion, and there is nothing valuable among men, nothing for the sake of which a wise man would think it worth while to live in this world. In these verses he shows that power (than which there is nothing men are more ambitious of) and life itself (than which there is nothing men are more fond, more jealous of) are nothing without the fear of God.
I. Here is the vanity of man as mighty, man in his best estate, man upon the throne, where his authority is submitted to, man upon the judgment-seat, where his wisdom and justice are appealed to, and where, if he be governed by the laws of religion, he is God's viceregent; nay, he is of those to whom it is said, You are gods; but without the fear of God it is vanity, for, set that aside, and,
1.The judge will not judge aright, will not use his power well, but will abuse it; instead of doing good with it he will do hurt with it, and then it is not only vanity, but a lie, a cheat to himself and to all about him, Ecc 3:16. Solomon perceived, by what he had read of former times, what he heard of other countries, and what he had seen in some corrupt judges, even in the land of Israel, notwithstanding all his care to prefer good men, that there was wickedness in the place of judgment. It is not so above the sun: far be it from God that he should do iniquity, or pervert justice. But under the sun it is often found that that which should be the refuge, proves the prison, of oppressed innocency. Man being in honour, and not understanding what he ought to do, becomes like the beasts that perish, like the beasts of prey, even the most ravenous, Psa 49:20. Not only from the persons that sat in judgment, but even in the places where judgment was, in pretence, administered, and righteousness was expected, there was iniquity; men met with the greatest wrongs in those courts to which they fled for justice. This is vanity and vexation; for, (1.) It would have been better for the people to have had no judges than to have had such. (2.) It would have been better for the judges to have had no power than to have had it and used it to such ill purposes; and so they will say another day.
2.The judge will himself be judged for not judging aright. When Solomon saw how judgment was perverted among men he looked up to God the Judge, and looked forward to the day of his judgment (Ecc 3:17): "I said in my heart that this unrighteous judgment is not so conclusive as both sides take it to be, for there will be a review of the judgment; God shall judge between the righteous and the wicked, shall judge for the righteous and plead their cause, though now it is run down, and judge against the wicked and reckon with them for all their unrighteous decrees and the grievousness which they have prescribed," Isa 10:1. With an eye of faith we may see, not only the period, but the punishment of the pride and cruelty of oppressors (Psa 92:7), and it is an unspeakable comfort to the oppressed that their cause will be heard over again. Let them therefore wait with patience, for there is another Judge that stands before the door. And, though the day of affliction may last long, yet there is a time, a set time, for the examination of every purpose, and every work done under the sun. Men have their day now, but God's day is coming, Psa 37:13. With God there is a time for the re-hearing of causes, redressing of grievances, and reversing of unjust decrees, though as yet we see it not here, Job 24:1.
II. Here is the vanity of man as mortal. He now comes to speak more generally concerning the estate of the sons of men in this world, their life and being on earth, and shows that their reason, without religion and the fear of God, advances them but little above the beasts. Now observe,
1.What he aims at in this account of man's estate. (1.) That God may be honoured, may be justified, may be glorified - that they might clear God (so the margin reads it), that if men have an uneasy life in this world, full of vanity and vexation, they may thank themselves and lay no blame on God; let them clear him, and not say that he made this world to be man's prison and life to be his penance; no, God made man, in respect both of honour and comfort, little lower than the angels; if he be mean and miserable, it is his own fault. Or, that God (that is, the world of God) might manifest them, and discover them to themselves, and so appear to be quick and powerful, and a judge of men's characters; and we may be made sensible how open we lie to God's knowledge and judgment. (2.) That men may be humbled, may be vilified, may be mortified - that they might see that they themselves are beasts. It is no easy matter to convince proud men that they are but men (Psa 9:20), much more to convince bad men that they are beasts, that, being destitute of religion, they are as the beasts that perish, as the horse and the mule that have no understanding. Proud oppressors are as beasts, as roaring lions and ranging bears. Nay, every man that minds his body only, and not his soul, makes himself no better than a brute, and must wish, at least, to die like one.
2.The manner in which he verifies this account. That which he undertakes to prove is that a worldly, carnal, earthly-minded man, has no preeminence above the beast, for all that which he sets his heart upon, places his confidence, and expects a happiness in, is vanity, Ecc 3:19. Some make this to be the language of an atheist, who justifies himself in his iniquity (Ecc 3:16) and evades the argument taken from the judgment to come (Ecc 3:17) by pleading that there is not another life after this, but that when man dies there is an end of him, and therefore while he lives he may live as he lists; but others rather think Solomon here speaks as he himself thinks, and that it is to be understood in the same sense with that of his father (Psa 49:14), Like sheep they are laid in the grave, and that he intends to show the vanity of this world's wealth and honours "By the equal condition in mere outward respects (as bishop Reynolds expounds it) between men and beasts," (1.) The events concerning both seem much alike (Ecc 3:19); That which befals the sons of men is no other than that which befals beasts; a great deal of knowledge of human bodies is gained by the anatomy of the bodies of brutes. When the deluge swept away the old world the beasts perished with mankind. Horses and men are killed in battle with the same weapons of war. (2.) The end of both, to an eye of sense, seems alike too: They have all one breath, and breathe in the same air, and it is the general description of both that in their nostrils is the breath of life (Gen 7:22), and therefore, as the one dies, so dies the other; in their expiring there is no visible difference, but death makes much the same change with a beast that it does with a man. [1.] As to their bodies, the change is altogether the same, except the different respects that are paid to them by the survivors. Let a man be buried with the burial of an ass (Jer 22:19) and what preminence then has he above a beast? The touch of the dead body of a man, by the law of Moses, contracted a greater ceremonial pollution than the touch of the carcase even of an unclean beast or fowl. And Solomon here observes that all go unto one place; the dead bodies of men and beasts putrefy alike; all are of the dust, in their original, for we see all turn to dust again in their corruption. What little reason then have we to be proud of our bodies, or any bodily accomplishments, when they must not only be reduced to the earth very shortly, but must be so in common with the beasts, and we must mingle our dust with theirs! [2.] As to their spirits there is indeed a vast difference, but not a visible one, Ecc 3:21. It is certain that the spirit of the sons of men at death is ascending; it goes upwards to the Father of spirits, who made it, to the world of spirits to which it is allied; it dies not with the body, but is redeemed from the power of the grave, Psa 49:15. It goes upwards to be judged and determined to an unchangeable state. It is certain that the spirit of the beast goes downwards to the earth; it dies with the body; it perishes and is gone at death. The soul of a beast is, at death, like a candle blown out - there is an end of it; whereas the soul of a man is then like a candle taken out of a dark lantern, which leaves the lantern useless indeed, but does itself shine brighter. This great difference there is between the spirits of men and beasts; and a good reason it is why men should set their affections on things above, and lift up their souls to those things, not suffering them, as if they were the souls of brutes, to cleave to this earth. But who knows this difference? We cannot see the ascent of the one and the descent of the other with our bodily eyes; and therefore those that live by sense, as all carnal sensualists do, that walk in the sight of their eyes and will not admit any other discoveries, by their own rule of judgment have no preminence above the beasts. Who knows, that is, who considers this? Isa 53:1. Very few. Were it better considered, the world would be every way better; but most men live as if they were to be here always, or as if when they die there were an end of them; and it is not strange that those live like beasts who think they shall die like beasts, but on such the noble faculties of reason are perfectly lost and thrown away.
3.An inference drawn from it (Ecc 3:22): There is nothing better, as to this world, nothing better to be had out of our wealth and honour, than that a man should rejoice in his own works, that is, (1.) Keep a clear conscience, and never admit iniquity into the place of righteousness. Let every man prove his own work, and approve himself to God in it, so shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, Gal 6:4. Let him not get nor keep any thing but what he can rejoice in. See Co2 1:12. (2.) Live a cheerful life. If God have prospered the work of our hands unto us, let us rejoice in it, and take the comfort of it, and not make it a burden to ourselves and leave others the joy of it; for that is our portion, not the portion of our souls (miserable are those that have their portion in this life, Psa 17:14, and fools are those that choose it and take up with it, Luk 12:19), but it is the portion of the body; that only which we enjoy is ours out of this world; it is taking what is to be had and making the best of it, and the reason is because none can give us a sight of what shall be after us, either who shall have our estates or what use they will make of them. When we are gone it is likely we shall not see what is after us; there is no correspondence that we know of between the other world and this, Job 14:21. Those in the other world will be wholly taken up with that world, so that they will not care for seeing what is done in this; and while we are here we cannot foresee what shall be after us, either as to our families or the public. It is not for us to know the times and seasons that shall be after us, which, as it should be a restraint to our cares about this world, so it should be a reason for our concern about another. Since death is a final farewell to this life, let us look before us to another life.
I saw in the lower regions a pit of punishment awaiting the ungodly but a different place set apart for the godly.
"Furthermore,
I have observed beneath the sun: in the place of justice there is wickedness,
and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. I mused: God will judge the righteous and the
wicked, for there is a time for everything and for every deed, there." The
meaning of this is clear but is cloaked by the cloud of interpretation. He says: I sought truth and righteousness
under the sun and I saw that even among the benches of judges truth is not
valued, but gifts. Or differently: I
thought some kind of justice present in this world and either took the pious
man on his own merit, or punished the impious for his crimes; and I found the
opposite to that which I had been thinking.
For I saw a righteous man here suffer much injustice and an impious man
made to rule instead of being punished for his crime. But thinking to myself afterwards and
considering it carefully I understood that they judge not in respect of God and
treating each case one by one, but rather reserve judgement for the future, so
that all are judged equally and receive there according to their will and
effort. For this is what he says:
"and there is a time for everything and for every deed, there", that
is, in judgement when God will have begun to judge, then there will be truth,
now injustice prevails in the world.
Such as when we read in Wisdom, Sirach wrote: "lest you say, what
is this or what is that? For all things are sought in their own time" [Eccli. ?].
“The shape of this world passes away,” not its substance; just as with our bodies too, the shape will be changed. The substance does not perish when “what is sowed as a physical body rises as a spiritual body.” But we read nothing of this sort about the fire and the water. Rather we have in the book of Revelation, “And the sea is now no longer,” and in the prophets, “And the light of the lamp shall shine for you no more.” “We wait for his promises,” he says, “in which righteousness dwells.” Righteousness dwells in the future age, because then the crown of righteousness will be given to each of the faithful in accord with the measure of their struggle. This is a thing that cannot at all happen in this life, according to the saying of Solomon, “I have seen beneath the sun wickedness in place of judgment and iniquity in place of righteousness and I said in my heart, ‘God will judge the righteous and the wicked, and there will be a time for everything.’ ” And again he says, “I saw the deceit that goes on beneath the sun and the tears of the innocent and that there was no comforter, nor were those deprived of the help of all able to resist their power, and I praised the dead rather than the living.”
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SUMMARY
Ecclesiastes 3:16 presents a profoundly sobering observation from the Preacher (Koheleth) regarding the pervasive corruption and injustice found within human society. Despite the inherent expectation that places designated for judgment and righteousness should uphold truth and equity, the Preacher witnesses an unsettling reality where wickedness and iniquity flourish there instead. This verse encapsulates a central tension within Ecclesiastes: the reality of a divinely ordered world juxtaposed with the brokenness, apparent chaos, and moral perversion of human experience "under the sun," prompting a deep reflection on the limitations of earthly systems and the ultimate necessity of divine accountability.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ecclesiastes 3:16 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message of pervasive injustice. Parallelism is prominently featured in the two balanced clauses: "the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there." This structural repetition emphasizes the widespread and deep-seated nature of the problem, showing that corruption is not isolated but contaminates both legal and moral spheres of human life. The verse skillfully uses Juxtaposition, placing the ideal ("judgment," "righteousness") directly against the harsh reality ("wickedness," "iniquity"). This stark contrast creates a profound sense of irony and disillusionment, highlighting the tragic disconnect between what ought to be and what truly is. Furthermore, the phrase "under the sun" functions as a recurring Idiom or Motif throughout Ecclesiastes. It consistently frames the Preacher's observations within the confines of earthly human experience, thereby underscoring the limited, often frustrating, and ultimately futile perspective of life when viewed apart from divine revelation and eternal purpose.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ecclesiastes 3:16 serves as a profound theological statement on the pervasive reality of sin and the inherent brokenness of human systems in a fallen world. It challenges any utopian view of human society, asserting that even the most noble institutions, designed for order and justice, are susceptible to corruption and moral decay. This observation is not merely a cynical complaint but a realistic assessment that sets the stage for the Preacher's deeper theological conclusions about God's ultimate sovereignty and perfect justice. The manifest failure of earthly justice systems necessitates a divine judge, providing a crucial bridge to the book's overarching message that true meaning, lasting satisfaction, and ultimate justice are found only in God and His future judgment. This lament echoes the universal biblical truth that human sin permeates all aspects of creation and society, making perfect human-administered justice an elusive and ultimately unattainable ideal.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ecclesiastes 3:16 offers a timeless mirror for humanity, reflecting the enduring reality of injustice in a fallen world. It encourages us not to be naive about human institutions—whether governmental, corporate, educational, or even religious—recognizing that they are all susceptible to the taint of sin and the corrupting influence of power. This verse calls us to a sober realism, acknowledging that perfect justice is rarely, if ever, found "under the sun." However, this realism should not lead to despair, cynicism, or apathy. Instead, it should fuel our longing for God's perfect justice and motivate us to be diligent agents of righteousness in our spheres of influence, even as we recognize the inherent limitations of our efforts. It reminds us that our ultimate hope for true, unblemished justice rests not in flawed human systems, but in the sovereign God who "will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Our present efforts for justice, though imperfect, become acts of faith and obedience, anticipating the day when all wrongs will be righted.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "under the sun" mean in Ecclesiastes?
Answer: The phrase "under the sun" is a defining and recurring motif in Ecclesiastes, appearing 29 times. It encapsulates the scope of the Preacher's observations, referring to human life, experience, and endeavors as perceived from an earthly, temporal viewpoint, often without explicit reference to eternity or direct divine intervention. It highlights the limitations and frustrations of a purely human, material perspective, emphasizing the futility (hebel) of life when viewed apart from God's ultimate purpose and eternal plan. It serves to frame the Preacher's exploration of meaning and vanity from a finite, human standpoint, setting the stage for his eventual conclusion that true meaning is found only in fearing God and keeping His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Is Ecclesiastes 3:16 a pessimistic verse?
Answer: While Ecclesiastes 3:16 certainly presents a stark and sobering observation of pervasive injustice, it is more accurately described as profoundly realistic rather than purely pessimistic. The Preacher (Koheleth) is not simply complaining; he is honestly grappling with the brokenness and moral disorder of the world as he observes it. This verse, like many others in Ecclesiastes, serves to strip away illusions about human perfection or the inherent fairness of earthly systems. By exposing these difficult realities, the Preacher ultimately guides his readers toward a greater, transcendent truth: that ultimate justice and true meaning are found not "under the sun" but in God's sovereign plan and future judgment. It is a necessary and crucial step in his larger argument, pointing to a higher hope and the ultimate accountability that God will bring, as explicitly stated in Ecclesiastes 3:17 and Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ecclesiastes 3:16, with its lament over pervasive injustice in the very places where righteousness should reign, finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound answer in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Preacher's observation of "wickedness" and "iniquity" in the "place of judgment" perfectly foreshadows the ultimate perversion of justice witnessed in the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. The very religious and political authorities, who were meant to uphold God's law and administer justice, condemned the innocent Lamb of God, demonstrating the profound depth of human depravity and the utter failure of earthly systems to deliver true righteousness. Yet, it is precisely through this ultimate act of injustice that God's perfect justice and boundless mercy were simultaneously revealed. Jesus, the perfectly righteous one (1 Peter 3:18), bore the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6), becoming sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). His resurrection further assures us that while earthly judgment may be corrupted, God's ultimate verdict is true and righteous. Moreover, Christ's future return will establish a new heavens and a new earth where "righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13), finally eradicating all wickedness and iniquity from the places of judgment and righteousness, bringing the Preacher's longing for ultimate justice to its glorious and perfect conclusion in the eternal reign of Christ (Revelation 21:3-4).