Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
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Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
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Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
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Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
Cross-references (3)
Passages linked to Ecclesiastes 4:7 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Ecclesiastes 4:1 Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
- Psalms 78:33 Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
- Zechariah 1:6 But my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, didn’t they overtake your fathers? “Then they repented and said, ‘Just as Yahweh of Armies determined to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our practices, so he has dealt with us.’ ”
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Ecc 4:7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity…
Ecc 4:7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
Ver. 7. Then I returned, and saw vanity, &c., ] i.e., Another extreme of vanity, visible wherever the sun is seen. Dum vitant stulti vitium in contraria currant: Fools while they shun the sands rush upon the rocks, - as Herod would needs prevent perjury by murder. The sluggard here, seeing those that do best to be envied of others, resolves to do just nothing. Again, the covetous miser, seeing the sluggard lie under so much infamy for doing nothing, se laboribus conficit, undoes himself with over doing. Sed nemo ita perplexus tenetur inter duo vitia, quin exitus pateat absque tertio, saith an ancient; but no man is so held hampered between two vices but that he may well get off without falling into a third. What need Eutyches fall into the other extreme of Nestorius? or Stancarus, of Osiander? or Illyricus, of Strigelius? but that they were for their pride justly given up to a spirit of giddiness.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain Here Solomon fastens upon another instance of the vanity…
Here Solomon fastens upon another instance of the vanity of this world, that frequently the more men have of it the more they would have; and on this they are so intent that they have no enjoyment of what they have. Now Solomon here shows,
I. That selfishness is the cause of this evil (Ecc 4:7, Ecc 4:8): There is one alone, that minds none but himself, cares for nobody, but would, if he could, be placed alone in the midst of the earth; there is not a second, nor does he desire there should be: one mouth he thinks enough in a house, and grudges every thing that goes beside him. See how this covetous muckworm is here described. 1. He makes himself a mere slave to his business. Though he has no charge, neither child nor brother, none to take care of but himself, none to hang upon him, or draw from him, no poor relations, nor dares he marry, for fear of the expense of a family, yet is there no end of his labour; he is at it night and day, early and late, and will scarcely allow necessary rest to himself and those he employs. He does not confine himself within the bounds of his own calling, but is for having a hand in any thing that he can get by. See Psa 127:2. 2. He never thinks he has enough: His eye is not satisfied with riches. Covetousness is called the lust of the eye (Jo1 2:16) because the beholding of it with his eyes is all that the worldling seems to covet, Ecc 5:11. He has enough for his back (as bishop Reynolds observes), for his belly, for his calling, for his family, for his living decently in the world, but he has not enough for his eyes. Though he can but see it, can but count his money, and not find in his heart to use it, yet he is not easy because he has not more to regale his eyes with. 3. He denies himself the comfort of what he has: he bereaves his soul of good. If our souls are bereaved of good, it is we ourselves that do bereave them. Others may bereave us of outward good, but cannot rob us of our graces and comforts, our spiritual good things. It is our own fault if we do not enjoy ourselves. Yet many are so set upon the world that, in pursuit of it, they bereave their souls of good here and for ever, make shipwreck of faith and of a good conscience, bereave themselves not only of the favour of God and eternal life, but of the pleasures of this world too and this present life. Worldly people, pretending to be wise for themselves, are really enemies to themselves. 4. He has no excuse for doing this: He has neither child nor brother, none that he is bound to, on whom he may lay out what he has to his satisfaction while he lives, none that he has a kindness for, for whom he may lay it up to his satisfaction and to whom he may leave it when he dies, none that are poor or dear to him. 5. He has not consideration enough to show himself the folly of this. He never puts this question to himself, "For whom do I labour thus? Do I labour, as I should, for the glory of God, and that I may have to give to those that need? Do I consider that it is but for the body that I am labouring, a dying body; it is for others, and I know not for whom - perhaps for a fool, that will scatter it as fast as I have gathered it - perhaps for a foe, that will be ungrateful to my memory?" Note, It is wisdom for those that take pains about this world to consider whom they take all this pains for, and whether it be really worth while to bereave themselves of good that they may bestow it on a stranger. If men do not consider this, it is vanity, and a sore travail; they shame and vex themselves to no purpose.
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II. That sociableness is the cure of this evil. Men are thus sordid because they are all for themselves. Now Solomon shows here, by divers instances, that it is not good for man to be alone (Gen 2:18); he designs hereby to recommend to us both marriage and friendship, two things which covetous misers decline, because of the charge of them; but such are the comfort and advantage of them both, if prudently contracted, that they will very well quit cost. Man, in paradise itself, could not be happy without a mate, and therefore is no sooner made than matched. 1. Solomon lays this down for a truth, That two are better than one, and more happy jointly than either of them could be separately, more pleased in one another than they could be in themselves only, mutually serviceable to each other's welfare, and by a united strength more likely to do good to others: They have a good reward of their labour; whatever service they do, it is returned to them another way. He that serves himself only has himself only for his paymaster, and commonly proves more unjust and ungrateful to himself than his friend, if he should serve him, would be to him; witness him that labours endlessly and yet bereaves his soul of good; he has no reward of his labour. But he that is kind to another has a good reward; the pleasure and advantage of holy love will be an abundant recompence for all the work and labour of love. Hence Solomon infers the mischief of solitude: Woe to him that is alone. He lies exposed to many temptations which good company and friendship would prevent and help him to guard against; he wants that advantage which a man has by the countenance of his friend, as iron has of being sharpened by iron. A monastic life then was surely never intended for a state of perfection, nor should those be reckoned the greatest lovers of God who cannot find in their hearts to love any one else. 2. He proves it by divers instances of the benefit of friendship and good conversation. (1.) Occasional succour in an exigency. It is good for two to travel together, for if one happen to fall, he may be lost for want of a little help. If a man fall into sin, his friend will help to restore him with the spirit of meekness; if he fall into trouble, his friend will help to comfort him and assuage his grief. (2.) Mutual warmth. As a fellow-traveller is of use (amicus pro vehiculo - a friend is a good substitute for a carriage) so is a bedfellow: If two lie together, they have heat. So virtuous and gracious affections are excited by good society, and Christians warm one another by provoking one another to love and to good works. (3.) United strength. If an enemy find a man alone, he is likely to prevail against him; with his own single strength he cannot make his part good, but, if he have a second, he may do well enough: two shall withstand him. "You shall help me against my enemy, and I will help you against yours;" according to the agreement between Joab and Abishai (Sa2 10:11), and so both are conquerors; whereas, acting separately, both would have been conquered; as was said of the ancient Britons, when the Romans invaded them, Dum singuli pugnant, universi vincuntur - While they fight in detached parties, they sacrifice the general cause. In our spiritual warfare we may be helpful to one another as well as in our spiritual work; next to the comfort of communion with God, is that of the communion of saints. He concludes with this proverb, A threefold cord is not easily broken, any more than a bundle of arrows, though each single thread, and each single arrow, is. Two together he compares to a threefold cord; for where two are closely joined in holy love and fellowship, Christ will by his Spirit come to them, and make the third, as he joined himself to the two disciples going to Emmaus, and then there is a threefold cord that can never be broken. They that dwell in love, dwell in God, and God in them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the…
Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. Another vanity besides what he had taken notice of, and is as follows. Aben Ezra's note is,
"I turned from considering the words of this fool, and I saw another fool, the reverse of the former.''
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The spectacle of a prosperous man whose condition is…
The spectacle of a prosperous man whose condition is rendered vain by his brotherless, childless isolation.
Ecc 4:8
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A second - Any one associated or connected with him.
Ecc 4:9-12
Compare a saying from the Talmud: “A man without companions is like the left hand without the right.”
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain A vanity described in Ecc 4:8.
A vanity described in Ecc 4:8.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 7. I returned, and I saw — That is,…
7. I returned, and I saw — That is, again I saw. A case of avarice is now considered; a man giving up all enjoyment of the present, and struggling against the inevitable order of affairs, under the desire of accumulating money — “accursed hunger for gold.”
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (7) Then I returned.—The vanity of toil is especially…
(7) Then I returned.—The vanity of toil is especially apparent in the case of a solitary man. It is possible, as has been suggested (see Ecc_2:18), that this may have been the writer’s own case. The following verses, which speak of the advantages of friendship and unity, are of a more cheerful tone than the rest of the book.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Vers. 7-12. Thirdly, avarice causes isolation and a sense…
Vers. 7-12. Thirdly, avarice causes isolation and a sense of insecurity, and brings no satisfaction.
Then I returned. Another reflection serves to confirm the uselessness of human efforts. The vanity under the sun is now avarice, with the evils that accompany it.
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Vers. 7-12.
Friendship a gain in life.
A new thought dawns upon our author. In his observation of the different phases of human life, he notes much that is disappointing and unsatisfactory but he also perceives some alleviations of the evils by which man is harassed and disturbed. Amidst all his depreciation of the conditions under which we live, he admits positive blessings which it is our wisdom to discern and make the most of. Amongst these latter he counts friendship. It is a positive gain, by which the difficulties of life are diminished and its enjoyments increased. In vers. 8-12 he describes an isolated life wasted in fruitless, selfish toil, and dilates with something like enthusiasm upon the advantages of companionship. In order, I suppose, to make the contrast between the two states more vivid, he chooses a very pronounced case of solitariness not that of a man merely isolated from his fellows, say living by himself on a desert island, but that of one utterly separate in spirit, a miser intent only on his own interests. We may call the passage a description of the evils of a solitary life and the value of friendship.
I THE EVILS OF A SOLITARY LIFE. (Vers. 7, 8.) The picture is drawn with a very few touches, but it is remarkably distinct and vivid. It represents a "solitary, friendless money-maker a Shylock without even a Jessica; an Isaac of York with his faithful Rebecca." He is alone, he has no companion, no relative or friend, he knows not who will succeed him in the possession of his heaped-up treasures; and yet he toils on with unremitting anxiety, from early in the morning till late at night, unwilling to lose a moment from his work as long as he can add anything to his gains. "There is no end of all his labor." The assiduity with which he at first applied himself to the task of accumulating riches distinguishes him to the end of life. At first, perhaps, he had to force himself to cultivate habits of industry and application, but now he cannot tear himself away from business. His habits rule him, and take away from him both the ability and the inclination to relax his labors and to enjoy the fruit of them. Have we not often seen instances of this folly in our own experience? Those who have lived a laborious life, and have been successful in their undertakings, toiling on to the very last, afflicted with an insatiable avarice, never satisfied with their riches, and only enjoying the mere consciousness of possessing them? Have we not noticed how such a man gets to be penurious and fretful and utterly unfeeling? He gathers in eagerly, and often unscrupulously, and gives out reluctantly and sparingly. He starves himself in the midst of abundance, grudges the most necessary expenses, and denies himself and those dependent upon him the commonest comforts. The misery he inflicts upon himself does not open his eyes to the folly of his conduct; he grows gradually callous to discomforts, and finds in the sordid gains which his parsimony secures an abundant compensation for all inconveniences. And not only does he doom himself to material discomfort and to intellectual impoverishment by setting his desires solely upon riches, but he degrades his moral and spiritual character. If he must keep all he has to himself, he must often ignore the just claims of others upon him; he must steel his heart against the appeals of the poor and needy, and. he must look with scorn and contempt upon all those who are generous and liberal in helping their fellows. And so we find such men gradually growing harsher and more unsympathetic, until it seems at last as if they regarded every one about them with suspicion, as seeking to wrest from their hands their hard-earned gains. And what is the pleasure of such a life? How is it such men do not say within themselves, "For whom do I labor, and bereave my soul of good?" The folly of their conduct springs from two causes.
1. They forget that unremitting, fruitless toil is a curse. As a means to an end, toil is good, as an end in itself it is evil. It was never contemplated, even when man was innocent, that he should be idle. He was placed in the garden of Eden to dress and to keep it. But it is either his fault or his misfortune if he is all his life a slavish drudge. It may be that he is forced by the necessities of his position to labor incessantly and to the very end, to make a livelihood for himself and for those dependent upon him, but his condition is not an ideal one. If he could secure a little leisure and relaxation, it would be all the better for him in every sense of the word. And therefore for the miser to toil like a mere slave, when he might save himself the trouble, is an evidence of how blinded he is by the vice to which Be is addicted.
2. A second cause of the miser"s folly is his ignoring the fact that riches have only value when made use of. The mere accumulation of them is not enough; they must be employed if they are to be of service. No real, healthy enjoyment of them is to be obtained by merely contemplating them and reckoning them up. Used in that way they only feed an unnatural and morbid appetite.
II Over against the miseries of a selfish, solitary life, our author sets THE loyalties OF COMPANIONSHIP. (Vers. 9-12.) Friendship affords considerable mitigation of the evils by which life is beset, and a positive gain is secured by those who cultivate it. Three very homely figures are used to describe these advantages. The thought which connects them all together is that of life as a journey, or pilgrimage, like that which Bunyan describes in his wonderful book. If a man is alone in the journey of life, he is liable to accidents and discomforts and dangers which the presence of a friend would have averted or mitigated. He may fall on the road, and none be by to help him; he may at night lie shivering in the cold, if he has no companion to cherish him with kindly warmth; he may meet with robbers, whom his unaided strength is insufficient to beat off. All these figures illustrate the general principle that in union there is mutual helpfulness, comfort, and strength, verification of which we find in all departments of life in the family, in the intercourse of friends, and in the Church. The benefits of such fellowships are undeniable. "It affords to the parties mutual counsel and direction, especially in seasons of perplexity and embarrassment; mutual sympathy, consolation, and care in the hour of calamity and distress; mutual encouragement in anxiety and depression; mutual aid by the joint application of bodily or mental energy to difficult and laborious tasks; mutual relief amidst the fluctuations of worldly circumstances, the abundance of the one reciprocally supplying the deficiencies of the other; mutual defense and vindication when the character of either is injuriously attacked and defamed; and mutual reproof and affectionate expostulation when either has, through the power of temptation, fallen into sin. "Woe to him that is alone when he so falleth-and hath not another to help him up! no one to care for his soul, and restore him to the paths of righteousness" (Wardiaw). So far as the application of the principle to the case of ordinary friendship is concerned, the wisdom of our author is instinctively approved of by all. The writings of moralists in all countries and times teem with maxims similar to his. Some have thought that this virtue of friendship is too secular in its character to receive much encouragement in the teaching of Christianity; that it is somewhat overshadowed, if not relegated to comparative insignificance, by the obligations which a highly spiritual religion imposes. The fact that the salvation of his soul is the one great duty of the individual might have been expected to lead to a new development of selfishness, and the fact that devotion to the Savior is to take precedence of all other forms of affection might have been expected to diminish the intensity of love which is the source of friendship. And not only have such ideas existed in a speculative form, but they have led, in many cases, to actual attempts to realize them. The ancient hermits sought to cultivate the highest form of Christian life by complete isolation from their fellows; they fled from society, dissevered themselves from all the ties of blood and friendship, and shunned all association with their kind as something contaminating. And in our own time, among many to whom the monastical life is specially repulsive, the very same delusion which lay at the root of it is still cherished. They think that love of husband, wife, child, or friend conflicts with love of God and Christ; that if the human love is too intense it becomes a form of sin. And along with this is generally found a cruel and dishonoring conception of the Divine character. God is thought of as jealous of those who take his place in the affections, and the loss of those loved is spoken of as a removal by him of the "idols" who had usurped his rights. That such teaching is a perversion of Christianity is very evident. The New Testament takes all the forms of natural human love as types of the Divine. As the father loves his children, so does God love us. As Christ loved the Church ought a husband to love his wife, ought his followers to love one another. No bounds can be set to affection; he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God." The one great check, that our love for another should not be allowed to lead us to do wrong or condone wrong, is not upon the intensity, but upon the perversion of affection, and leads to a purer, holier, and more satisfying exercise of affection. That Christ, whose love was universal, did not discourage friendship is evident from the fact that he chose twelve disciples, and admitted them to a closer intimacy with himself than others enjoyed, and that even among them there was one whom he specially loved. It was seen, too, in the affection which he manifested to the family in Bethany Martha and Mary and their brother Lazarus. In the time of his agony in Gethsemane he chose three of the disciples to watch with him, seeking for some solace and support in the fact of their presence and sympathy. The truth of Solomon"s statement that "two are better than one" was confirmed by Christ"s sending out his disciples "two and two together", (Luk_10:1) and by the Divine direction given by the Holy Ghost when Barnabas and Saul were set apart to go together on their first great missionary enterprise. (Act_13:2) But over and above these instances of Christ"s example in cultivating friendship, and of the advantages of mutual co-operation in Christian work, the peat principle remains that true religion cannot come to any strength in an isolated life. We cannot worship God aright if we "forsake the assembling of ourselves together;" we cannot cultivate the virtues of which holiness consists justice, compassion, forbearance, purity, and love if we isolate ourselves; for all these virtues imply our conducting ourselves in certain ways in all our relations with others. We lose the opportunity of helping the weak, of cheering the disheartened, and of co-operating with those who are striving to overcome the evils by which the world is burdened, if we withdraw into ourselves and ignore others. So far, then, from the wisdom of Solomon in this matter being, in comparison with the fuller revelation through Christ, of an inferior and almost pagan character, it is of permanent and undiminished value. Our acquaintance with Christian teaching is calculated to lead us to form quite as decided a judgment as Solomon did as to the evils of a solitary life, and the advantages of friendship . J.W.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain Ecc_4:10. If they fall.] Not both together, but if…
CRITICAL NOTES.—
Ecc_4:10. If they fall.] Not both together, but if one or the other falls.
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Ecc_4:12. A threefold cord.] Two cords would only suggest plurality, but three give the idea of strength.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Ecc_4:7-12
PORTRAIT OF A MAMMON WORSHIPPER
Instead of using the gifts of fortune wisely, and gaining favour with mankind, some only increase their misery by depriving life of its proper happiness. Here is the picture of a man who is possessed by the spirit of avarice—a worshipper of Mammon. Of such an one we may say:—
I. That his conduct is unreasonable. (Ecc_4:8.) He has no “child,” nor “brother;” no relation to care for, and yet he toils after money with restless anxiety, as if life itself depended upon it. This conduct is unreasonable.
1. It surpasses the proper bounds of prudence. Prudence ought to govern all conduct. A man should be diligent in work, striving to build for himself a defence against the storms of adversity. But when this passes to the extreme of greediness and grasping, so that a man forgets his own happiness to serve a base passion, his conduct is unreasonable.
2. The folly of it is sometimes apparent to himself. There are times when the voice of awakened reason within the avaricious man proclaims his folly. A better spirit possesses him for awhile, and he asks, “For whom do I labour?” &c. He feels, during this momentary fit of wisdom, that his conduct is utterly without useful purpose. He cannot spend all upon himself. He has no relations, and has made no friends. He wilfully deprives himself of happiness.
3. It is conduct which does violence to calm conviction, and to the tenderest feelings of nature. It is the nature of avarice to increase in fearful proportion, growing by what it feeds on. The more a man has, the more he covets. Avarice leads a man to trample rudely upon the charities of life; his whole heart withers, all his affections are resolved into one base passion. To love wealth for the sake of the power it gives, is capable of some defence from reason; but to love it for its own sake is the height of folly.
II. That he is condemned to suffer the distress of a cold and cheerless isolation. He has no relatives, but he might have made friends. He has not a “Second,” but is left all alone. His supreme selfishness has repelled all hearts.
1. This comes from the retribution of society. He who does not love cannot be beloved. Society, in the matter of the affections of love or hatred, gives measure for measure.
2. It is self inflicted. There is no necessity that it should be thus. A man can make himself friends by means of his wealth. Good deeds secure the gratitude of others—they bind heart to heart. The avaricious man may command men by his wealth, but he is obeyed without love. To live to self, is to die to all that is dear and precious in life. It is moral suicide.
III. That he is deprived of the true enjoyment of life. Social life has pleasures which are sought for in vain in selfish solitude.
1. The participation of others in our joy serves to increase it. (Ecc_4:11.) Superior joys are not impoverished by giving. The communication of knowledge to another does not decrease our own store; and in pleasing others, we lose nothing ourselves. He who will not share his joy with other breasts, must be content to see his own joy dwindle away.
2. Neglect of the social principle can only produce unhappiness. We were made for society, and there only can our happiness reach to any tolerable development. Beasts may herd together, but only men can live together. Selfishness is a breach of the natural laws of society, and the penalty is a blank and gloomy solitude.
IV. That he is deprived of proper protection. He who by his selfishness brings himself into a condition of barbarous solitude, suffers many disadvantages. If he has made a friend, he has the joy and satisfaction of a mutual reward of labour. (Ecc_4:9.) But in a state of isolation, he loses this, with all other advantages that are derived from companionship.
1. He is deprived of the protection of wise counsel. There are events in life which greatly perplex the judgment, and the mind of the exercised man is so confused by the circumstances in which it is placed, that it fails to be a safe guide. Hence the importance of wise counsel. Another mind coming fresh to the subject is able to suggest some wise directing ideas, and to place the difficulty in a more hopeful light.
2. He is deprived of timely aid in danger. He who has a companion when he falls, has one to help him. A man may fall, tripped by some snare of temptation, or overwhelmed by sudden calamity; and his state is desolate indeed if he has made no friend who can give him timely aid, and lift him up again.
3. He is deprived of the protection of sympathy in joy and sorrow. When men can feel together both on the joyful and mournful occasions of life, the gladness is intensified, and the force of the sorrow abated. There is a genial warmth in sympathy which secures a large comfort, and preserves a man from perishing in the severe season of trial. (Ecc_4:11.)
4. He is deprived of the defence of a large and compact friendship. (Ecc_4:12.) If he has two, or more to help him in the hour of need, so much the better. With a large fellowship, his defence is made stronger, and the enemy overawed and confounded. To despise the social compact is unnatural; it is unwise, and ends in unmitigated misery. The heart’s affections of the mammon worshipper are so completely given to the idol he adores, that he has nothing left in him responsive to the kind charities of life.
SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON THE VERSES
Ecc_4:7. As the vain and sinful courses which men take for happiness in this earth are so many and various that, let a diligent observer turn himself never so often to what hand he will, he shall always see more and more of them—so those who would promote the work of mortification in their own hearts ought to search them all out, and study the variety of them one after another [Nisbet].
Ecc_4:8. This is the first thing which a covetous man desireth, to have nobody near him, nobody that may either borrow, or beg, or get anything from him. Wherefore, St. Chrysostom calleth a covetous man the common enemy of all men [Jermin].
The ties of kindred are forced upon us by nature, but those of friendship are within our own power. A loving and kindly disposition will gain friends. It is a man’s own fault if he has no part in the kindred of souls.
The most selfish man has some connection with society, for he too is bound by the system of mutual dependence. Yet it is only a mechanical, and not a vital connection. Selfishness cuts the roots of social life.
Every virtue lies near some dangerous extreme. Activity in our worldly calling is commendable up to a certain point; but beyond this, wanting sufficient reason, it deserves the imputation of folly.
There is a diseased appetite for gain which only grows the more it is indulged.
The selfish soul can enjoy no true happiness, and is therefore driven to the unhealthy stimulus of onesordid thought.
The Mammon Man.—In his very nature he becomes as little human as that which he adores. Where his gold is buried, his affections too are buried. The figure which Salvian uses in speaking of him is scarcely too bold,—that his soul assimilates itself to his treasure, and is transmuted, as it were, into a mere earthly mass [Dr. T. Brown].
Even diligence must be restrained by rules. It should not degenerate into an unreasonable passion.
Ecc_4:9. He who deprives himself of the advantages of society by a mistaken devotion, or his own selfishness, has but an impaired heritage of life.
Man has no such resources in himself so that he can find a sufficient defence in loneliness. He must lean upon another. The strength of a man’s belief is more than doubled when he finds that his doctrine is received by another mind. Society is necessary for the very life of faith and action.
Society makes the Church possible. It is “where two or three are gathered together” that the Church is to be found.
Society lightens the tasks of labour, and exalts the enjoyment of its rewards.
God alone is self-sufficient—Man can only come to his true heritage of strength and enjoyment in society.
A single drop of water is insignificant, but united with the rest, in the ocean, it becomes an immense power. Society makes man sublime.
The improving of Christian Society for our furtherance in duty hath a special reward, not only after time, but even in this life. Hereby His people may expect to be sharpened, and have an edge put upon them in their duty—to have encouragements from others against difficulties—and fresh supplies of the Spirit drawn from heaven to each other by their mutual prayers; and so both their work is furthered, and their future reward ensured [Nisbet].
Ecc_4:10. The fellowship of love will always render help in danger.
The true man never deserts his friend when he falls. The first impulse of love is to give succour. Love does not wait to investigate. Danger, sorrow, and necessity are sufficient arguments.
In the best state of society, there must of necessity be many falls into sin, danger, and sorrow.
That is the only religion for man which can show him a true helper.
The Christian, even though deserted by all, yet, like his Master, is never really alone.
A sense of loneliness and desertion plunges the soul into the most oppressive gloom of sorrow. Society, friendship, and love assuage our sharpest grief, and pierce the thickest gloom with a kindly ray.
To be a helper to the fallen is one of the noblest uses of society—it is the joyful sound which fallen humanity hears in the Gospel.
In Christian society, mutual help has the highest motive, and the most splendid reward.
Ecc_4:11. If two lie together in the cold night of sorrow and sadness, they have the heat of comfort, which mutually they yield one to the other, even by striking together the hard flints of their misery, by easing their hearts while their tongues talk of their distress, by supporting each other under their burdens who cannot bear his own, by doubling the light of counsel which may the better show them the way of getting out. If two lie together in the prison of affliction, society gives heat to their cold irons, softens the hardness of them, and though it cannot break them off, yet makes them to be borne with the more contentment [Jermin].
The fervent glow of zeal for the truth, the fire of devotion and love, can only be maintained by the close communion of mind with mind, and heart with heart.
True sympathy cannot be generated by proxy; the close contact of hearts is necessary to melt them into the tenderness of love.
The live coals of a furnace soon expire when isolated from the rest.
A heartless solitude chills the affections. Love delights in presence—seeks the companionship of one who is ever near.
The soul may sooner leave off to subsist, than to love; and like the vine, it withers and dies if it has nothing to embrace [South].
Ecc_4:12. Love, by seeking companionship, provides a defence against the enemy.
It is the duty of the good to use their strength for the defence of one another.
As the union of the children of the Lord should be so strict, as their adversaries may lose hopes of breaking one of them, except they break all; so when the Lord doth unite them, it will be no easy matter for their most powerful enemies to prevail against them [Nisbet].
If we make friends by means of whatever wealth of mind, goodness, or estate we may have, we provide ourselves with a strong defence here, and with a welcome for us on the other shores of life.
The good man feels that though his native strength is small, yet, because he has communion with the Highest, and with all who are noble and true, his feeble power is multiplied by an infinite factor.
Mere doctrines, institutions, and laws can never give the Church power to vanquish her enemies. The Church can only be strong as a nation of brothers.
Unity in the Church gives strength to faith, increases charity, strikes awe into the enemy, and is the pledge of final victory.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain Evils of Social and Civil Life
Evils of Social and Civil Life
v. 7. Then I returned, fixing his attention upon another point that needed explanation, and I saw vanity under the sun.
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v. 8. There is one alone, and there is not a second, the reference being to a man without relatives or friends; yea, he hath neither child nor brother, no one bound to him by natural ties, the necessity being laid upon him, therefore, to gain friends by other means; yet is there no end of all his labor; neither is his eye satisfied with riches, he continues to crave new treasures, although there is no object in it for him; neither saith he, For whom do I labor, and bereave my soul of good? He never stops to think that his heaping up of treasures is pure folly. This is also vanity, an empty and useless performance, yea, it is a sore travail.
v. 9. Two are better than one, for friendship, marriage, association in religious communion will tend to oppose selfishness; because they have a good reward for their labor, the advantage resulting from such associating with others being shown in the next. verses.
v. 10. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow, a second one always being present to aid the one stumbling; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up, he lacks the friendly sympathy and assistance enjoyed by one who is united with others by the ties of friendship or a common cause.
v. 11. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat, the reference being to traveling companions obliged to pass the night out in the open air, the chilliness of the Palestinian nights being proverbial; but how can one be warm alone? A poorer traveler particularly, with only his over-garment as a cover, would probably suffer severely. The expression brings out the benefits of warm sympathy derived from social ties.
v. 12. And if one prevail against him, if an individual person finds himself obliged to submit to the attacks of some criminal, two shall withstand him, their combined strength overcoming the assailant; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. In union is strength, but such union must be based upon unity.
v. 13. Better is a poor and a wise child, one which, although in the depths of poverty, yet uses proper knowledge and circumspection and is willing to be guided by proper counsel, than an old and foolish king, one presumably with great wealth at his command, who will no more be admonished, believing himself beyond good advice of every kind.
v. 14. For out of prison he cometh to reign, that is, some person in the very lowest station is elevated to the highest position of authority in the land; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom, a prince by birth, becometh poor. Joseph becomes ruler of Egypt, Jehoahaz is led away to Egypt in shame and disgrace.
v. 15. I considered all the living which walk under the sun, observing the great number of adherents which the poor person elevated to power in the country had gained, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead, taking the place of the old and foolish king who was dethroned for his refusal to take advice.
v. 16. There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them, the entire mass of subjects hail the usurper with joy and expect great things from him; they also that come after shall not rejoice in him, he may disappoint the expectations which are placed in him, or his popularity may suddenly wane. Whether Solomon had a certain instance in mind or not, the truth of his observation has often been shown in history, as Luther and other commentators point out. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit, coming under the heading of the many things in life which give no lasting satisfaction and happiness.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 being useless, without profit
futility
being useless, without profit
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more vanishing vapor
"more vanishing mist." The author speaks of things as being useless and meaningless as if they were vapor. See how you translated "vapor" in Ecclesiastes 1:14. AT: "more things that are as useless as vapor" or "more meaningless things" (See: Metaphor)
under the sun
This refers to things that are done on earth. See how you translated this in Ecclesiastes 1:3. AT: "on the earth" (See: Idiom)
no son or brother
This person has no family. AT: "he has no family" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
his eyes are not satisfied
Here the whole person is represented by his "eyes" to emphasize his desires. AT: "he is not satisfied" (See: Synecdoche)
For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure
"Will anyone benefit from me working hard and not enjoying myself"
vapor
"mist." The author speaks of things as being useless and meaningless as if they were vapor. See how you translated this in Ecclesiastes 1:14. AT: "as useless as vapor" or "meaningless" (See: Metaphor)
translationWords
son
brother
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 4:7-8 This solitary man is a case study of…
4:7-8 This solitary man is a case study of the principle expressed in 4:6.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.