Categories
- 1 Corinthians (91)
- 1 John (30)
- 1 Peter (35)
- 1 Thessalonians (28)
- 1 Timothy (33)
- 2 Corinthians (53)
- 2 John (3)
- 2 Peter (19)
- 2 Thessalonians (12)
- 2 Timothy (25)
- Acts (146)
- Colossians (31)
- Ecclesiastes (45)
- Ephesians (48)
- Galatians (46)
- Genesis (145)
- Hebrews (65)
- James (25)
- John (165)
- Mark (99)
- Matthew (165)
- Miscellaneous (13)
- Philemon (6)
- Philippians (36)
- Psalms (171)
- Romans (224)
- Titus (13)
Meta
Ecclesiastes 5:8-12
8 If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them.
9 Moreover the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field.
10 He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.
11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them; so what profit have the owners except to see them with their eyes?
12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.
Do not be surprised or dismayed at the systemic injustice and oppression of human government (v.8) — Grace, page 1173.
__________
The argument of verse 8 is that if God, who is higher than the kings of the earth, temporarily permits oppression, His child is not to be stumbled, or confused by the fact, but approve the Divine purpose; at the same time recognizing (v.9) that God never intended private ownership of land; that such an economic system is the basal cause of poverty; and that the profit of the land should be for the benefit of all the members of the province who cooperate to produce the profit. A laboring man (v.12) is really happier and richer than the millionaire (vs.10-11). — Williams, page 443.
__________
Those who suffer from oppression should consider the way to true profit to be this: the problem of injustice must be resolved by designated leadership. Rulers are to rule for good (Romans 13), and it is an advantage to the country that they are there. Their presence may not always further justice, but their absence is sure to guarantee anarchy. — KJV Commentary, page 743.
He who loves silver (v.10) — The love of money increases, in proportion, as money increases.
For most people, more money leads to a bigger house, a bigger car, more taxes, etc., so that their net gain is zero (Proverbs 23:5). “See them with their eyes” (v.11) — Having to keep an eye on their possessions. — Grace, page 1173.
Verse 12 is saying that the rich have many possessions and, therefore, much to worry about. This worry prevents them from sleeping comfortably. The laboring man, however, has few possessions and few worries. Therefore, he will sleep soundly.
Posted in Ecclesiastes
Comments Off on Ecclesiastes 5:8-12
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7
1 Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.
2 Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few.
3 For a dream comes through much activity, and a fool’s voice is known by his many words.
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed—
5 Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.
6 Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?
7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God.
walk prudently (v.1) = guard your steps, be careful
The man who worships properly is a careful listener. To hear implies not only hearing, but understanding and obedience as well. The fool offers sacrifices in a mechanical manner, but the man of wisdom is responsive to the teachings and prayers of the Temple service. — KJV Commentary, page 742.
Solomon is urging his readers (v.2) not to make vows to God without thinking them through carefully first — they shouldn’t make vows they cannot keep.
dream (v.3) — a perplexing, unsettling dream
Note the Hebrew parallelism in verse 3. As “a multitude of business” produces bad dreams, so a “multitude of words” produces foolish speech (“a fool’s voice”). As Proverbs 17:27-28 says, “He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise; and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” — Grace, page 1173.
__________
It was not a sin to make a vow (v.5), but it was a sin to make a vow and not keep it (Deuteronomy 23:21-22). — Grace, page 1173.
Sin (v.6) — It was a sin to vow before God to do something and then not do it.
messenger (v.6) — a priest, one who heard vows and accepted offerings
The maker of rash vows desires the priest to offer for him a trespass offering. Under the premise that his vow was an error, he expects to thus dispose of his sin. Those who trifle with vows in this way are reminded that such shallowness is an affront to God. — KJV Commentary, page 743.
The way to avoid careless words is to fear God (v.7).
Posted in Ecclesiastes
Comments Off on Ecclesiastes 5:1-7
Ecclesiastes 4:13-16
13 Better a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more.
14 For he comes out of prison to be king, although he was born poor in his kingdom.
15 I saw all the living who walk under the sun; they were with the second youth who stands in his place.
16 There was no end of all the people [e]over whom he was made king; yet those who come afterward will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
Some of my commentaries suggest that verse 14 refers to an actual historical event in which a poor man ended up in prison but then was released and became king. Williams has an interesting take on it, although most of what he suggests happened after Solomon’s death, it would have to be prophetical, so I’m not totally convinced.
The facts which Solomon verified “under the sun,” and records in verses 13-16, proved a prophecy of what would happen to himself, to his son Rehoboam, and to his servant Jeroboam. He [Solomon] became the “old and foolish king” who refused to listen to the Divine admonition (1 Kings 3:14, 9:3-9; and 11:9-40); Jeroboam was the poor but clever youth who came out of prison and was made king; and whilst Rehoboam, the second youth, reigned in his father’s stead, and for a time was accepted by all the people, yet they did not continue “to rejoice in him” but followed Jeroboam. Thus Rehoboam, though born to the kingdom and wealth of his father, became poor: for the king of Egypt took from him the wealth, and Jeroboam took from him the kingdom. Thus there is no stability nor satisfying happiness guaranteed even to a throne: and the multitude who applaud a prince today will strike off his head tomorrow. — Williams, page 442.
with (v.15) — siding with
the second youth (v.15) — the wise youth of verses 13-14
his (v.15) — the foolish king of v.13
Even though there initially was “no end” of all the people who followed the young king (v.14), those who came along later would not be happy with him. People are fickle. Consider how the Jews went from shouting “Hosanna” to Jesus Christ one day to “Crucify Him!” the next (Mark 11:9; 15:13). — Grace, page 1173.
Posted in Ecclesiastes
Comments Off on Ecclesiastes 4:13-16
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Verses 9-12 speak of the blessings and benefits of companionship. The Talmud says, “A man without companions is like the left hand without the right.” — Grace, page 1172.
threefold cord (v.12) — Three threads are wound together to make strong cord. This was a common proverb at the time. Three, in Hebrew, is the number of completeness.
In v.12, I think Solomon is saying that one is vulnerable, two working together have a chance to succeed, but three working together is unbeatable.
Posted in Ecclesiastes
Comments Off on Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Ecclesiastes 4:4-8
4 Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
5 The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.
6 Better a handful with quietness than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.
7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun:
8 There is one alone, without companion: He has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his labors, nor is his eye satisfied with riches. But he never asks, “For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?” This also is vanity and a grave misfortune.
[Verse 4] can be taken to mean either that doing excellent work makes others jealous, or that the worker just wants to do well because he is envious of what others have. — Grace, page 1172
__________
The man who achieves great skill in his profession is envied by his neighbor. … This spirit of rivalry renders the achievement of greatness a lonely and empty accomplishment. One may suggest that the way to avoid the frustrations which rivalry produces is to do nothing. … The fool resigns all ambition to perform a successful work. He sits in seething anger, overcome by a sense of life’s futility. …
In contrast to the excessive toil of the envious and the bitter resignation of the fool, we view in [v.6] the model of the man of wisdom. He adopts a course of action … between the self-ruinous sloth of the fool and the vexatious toil of the workaholic.
The Preacher points now [vs.7-8] to the dilemma of the one alone whose heart is set on the gathering of riches. Since his heart is committed to the acquisition of riches for himself, he never takes the time to relate significantly to others. … The pursuit of riches so thoroughly absorbs his energies that he shuts himself away from all others. … From his restless and lonely heart comes the question, “For whom do I labor…”” No profit can be discovered in the midst of such loneliness. … Since no one profits from his labor and he himself cannot (for his eye cannot be satisfied), the whole enterprise must be pronounced profitless and vain. — KJV Commentary, pages 741-742.
There are various interpretations of v.5. The KJV Commentary (above) says it refers to a man who gives up and does no work.
Williams says:
He further observed that the man who with grasping hands, enriched himself by robbing others, was a fool; for he ate his own flesh, that is, was eaten up with self remorse. — Williams, page 442.
Guthrie says:
The irony of it is that it is often the least enterprising, the fool (v.5) … who obtains the most satisfaction. … “Eats his own flesh” [means] eats what meat he has without coveting that of others. It is not a reference to the autophagous [self-devouring] tendency of idleness; this hardly suits the context. — Guthrie, page 573.
And Grace says:
Contrasted with the man who works hard to produce skillful works, the fool does nothing because of his laziness. The context seems to favor the interpretation that “eat his own flesh” means that the lazy man is content to just eat his food in quietness. — Grace, page 1172.
The interpretation by Grace is similar to that of the KJV Commentary, and I think it makes the most sense. I don’t think Guthrie is even close.
Verse 6 means that it’s better to have a little and be content than to have a lot and be discontent.
returned (v.7) — to his study of life “under the sun.”
Money does not buy happiness—or friends. Here (v.8) described is a rich but miserable miser. The person who seeks money never has enough (Proverbs 27:20) … his insatiable greed consumes him. — Grace, page 1172.
Posted in Ecclesiastes
Comments Off on Ecclesiastes 4:4-8
Ecclesiastes 4:1-3
1 Then I returned and considered all the oppression that is done under the sun: And look! The tears of the oppressed, but they have no comforter—On the side of their oppressors there is power, but they have no comforter.
2 Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead, more than the living who are still alive.
3 Yet, better than both is he who has never existed, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
The confusion, ignorance, and misery which result from banishing God from the world is in this chapter made more apparent by the absence of the Divine Name. It does not once appear .
“I returned and saw” (v.1) means I resumed my investigation; and has special reference to Ecclesiastes 3:16.
“I praised” (v.2) means I esteemed happy. The argument is that men suffer so much from the injustice of governments that it were better to be dead or never to have been born.
The repetition of the statement “they had no comforter” (v.1) emphasizes the tender pity of God for the oppressed. If there be no God, and no future life, then indeed it would be better never to have been born; and when knowledge is limited to what takes place “under the sun” (v.1) then is the congratulation of verses 2 and 3 sound philosophy. — Williams, page 442.
Posted in Ecclesiastes
Comments Off on Ecclesiastes 4:1-3
Ecclesiastes 3:18-22
18 I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.”
19 For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity.
20 All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.
21 Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?
22 So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?
tests (v.18) — God tests men to show them that, without Him, they are nothing more than animals.
Since the Fall (Genesis 3:19) man, like the beast, is on his journey from dust to dust. Man, who fancies himself to be like God, is in reality more like the beast. …
Many commentators portray [the] Preacher here as a confused figure who is uncertain of man’s destiny after death. Those interpreters who maintain that the author is expressing doubt here have the author contradicting himself, for in Ecclesiastes 12:7 he claims that the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. [It could be translated] “There are not many who take to heart as they ought to the fact that the spirit of man goeth upward, and that the spirit of the beast goeth downward to the earth.” — KJV Commentary, page 741.
__________
The Hebrews commonly believed that the spirit of an animal was different from that of a man. When the breath of life departed from an animal, it died, and its carcass was returned to the ground—that was the end of its existence. When the breath of life departed from man, his body also was returned to the ground, but his spirit returned to God from whence it came (Genesis 2:7). So, while this belief was commonly accepted, Solomon asked, “Does anyone really know for sure if this is what happens?” … Solomon himself [knew] for sure that man’s spirit returned to God as evidenced by Ecclesiastes 12:7, but he posed the question here as one looking at life “under the sun,” i.e., a life lived from a temporal, man-centered point of view. — Grace, page 1171.
__________
The question in verse 21 not only declares that man is wholly unable to discover what lies beyond death, but the form of the question implies that he does not wish to know. A similar question is: “Who hath believed our report?” (Isaiah 53:1). The answer is, no one: for none wished to believe it.
The fact of death, and the darkness that lies beyond, impenetrable by man, turn into vanity and vexation of spirit all man’s efforts to make this world a satisfying portion. — Williams, page 441.
If, as most men profess to believe, there is nothing after death, than no matter what sort of spin they try to put on it, they are simply animals.
Posted in Ecclesiastes
Comments Off on Ecclesiastes 3:18-22
Ecclesiastes 3:16-17
16 Moreover I saw under the sun: In the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, iniquity was there.
17 I said in my heart, “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”
God will judge. Some will petition the Preacher and question why God has delayed the time of judgement. Such questions only serve to point out man’s wretched unwillingness to abide under the conviction of Ecclesiastes 3:11. — KJV Commentary, page 740.
__________
A difficulty is presented in verse 16, but answered in verse 17. The difficultly is: If God governs human affairs, why is injustice found where justice should be enthroned? The answer is, that God permits this folly on the part of man in order to humble him; and that He will in a future life judge him for his wrong doing. The word “there” (v.17) means in the world beyond the grave; that is, in the great day of future judgment. — Williams, page 441.
__________
The prophetic books are replete with warnings of consequences to Israel for failing to execute proper justice. The Psalms also lament the lack of justice against the wicked (Psalm 73:3-17). When considered “under the sun,” these things are depressing. But the antidote to despair is knowing that in His time God will righteously execute judgment on the world (2 Corinthians 11:15; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:11-13) — Grace, page 1171.
time (v.17) — a set time.
Posted in Ecclesiastes
Comments Off on Ecclesiastes 3:16-17
Ecclesiastes 3:14-15
14 I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him.
15 That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been; and God requires an account of what is past.
fear (v.14) = reverence and awesome regard.
The conclusion that is offered in verses 14-15 has been carefully formulated. All of the preceding observations concerning God’s supreme control over all things lead the Preacher to advance a final conclusion. When man realizes that everything God does is unchangeable and compares the vanity and uncertainty of his efforts with those of God, he is forced to accept the conclusion of the Preacher: God must be feared! All of the exercising of man is directed toward the accomplishment of that fear in the heart of man. The fear of God alone makes possible that fruitful and filial relationship between God and man that leads man to the good and profitable life. Properly understood, fear is that attribute of humanity that opens the mind of man to the reality that everything depends upon God’s achievements. — KJV Commentary, page 740.
__________
The immutability and unchangeableness of God’s actions and purposes awaken reverential fear and holy love and worship in all who are born of the Spirit. This consolation is deepened by the added statement that God will bring again that which is passed away; or, as some translate the Hebrew text, He will vindicate those whom men have condemned because of their obedience to His laws. The principle underlying either translation is the same: viz, that man cannot thwart God’s plans; they are certain of fulfilment. — Williams, page 441.
__________
There are many things that we do not know. But one thing we DO know is that God is in control. Even if it may not appear so to us, we can be assured that God is … directing history to its divinely ordained end for His glory. This should be especially comforting to believers in Christ who are assured that God is working everything out for good according to His will (Romans 8:28). — Grace, page 1171.
__________
[Verse 15 is] a repeat of 1:9, but now said in view of God’s sovereignty. The cycles of nature and history are ordained by God. — Grace, page 1171.
Posted in Ecclesiastes
Comments Off on Ecclesiastes 3:14-15