Eclesiastes 4
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Eclesiastes 4
CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS If it is true that the vanity of all life is balanced by Qoheleth's admonition to enjoy the simple pleasures of daily life, then chapters 4 and 5 form a literary unit. The recurrent theme of enjoying daily life is found in Eccl. 2:24-26 Eccl. 3:12,13,22 Eccl. 5:18-20 Eccl. 9:7-9 The recurrent theme of "advantage" ("gain," BDB 452, KB 452) is found in Eccl. 2:15 (see note there and Eccl. 1:3) Eccl. 6:8,11 Eccl. 7:11,16 Eccl. 12:9,12 There is no lasting advantage in this life without faith in God and His eternal plans. Verses 9-12 are a unique strophe on the value of friendship companionship community (cf. v. 12c) These communal aspects of life are a blessing to help humans cope with the futility and discouragement of earthly life after the Fall. It is helpful to get through great pain, danger, and frustration with another person or group! The issue of prose versus poetry returns again. It is so difficult to know how to structure Wisdom Literature. Notice how the different modern translations handle chapters 4 and 5: PROSE POETRY NASB NKJV NRSV TEV NJB REB JPSOA NIV Eccl. 4 & 5 Eccl. 4:4; 5:1,6-7,8-9,10-20 Eccl. 4 & 5 Eccl. 4 & 5 Eccl. 4:1-4,7-8, 9,12,15-17; 5:1,3-5,7-8,10-20 Eccl. 4 & 5 —— Eccl. 4:1,4,13-16; 5:1,4-7,8-9,18-20 —— Eccl. 4:1-3; 4:5-16; 5:25; 6:10-19 —— —— Eccl. 4:5-6,13-14; 5:2,6,9 —— Eccl. 4:5-6 Eccl. 4:2-3,5-12; 5:2-3,10,11-17 This chart shows the uncertainty as to genre.
Eclesiastes 4:1-3
4:1 "Then I looked again" This reflects Eccl. 3:16. ▣ "the acts of oppression" This first verse of chapter 4 clearly shows that Solomon is not the author. He had the power to confront and correct injustice (cf. Eccl. 3:16; 5:8), but our author sees it and is helpless. ▣ "under the sun" See note about this key theological phrase at Eccl. 1:3,9. Life apart from God is "dog-eat-dog"; "me-at-any-cost"; "power-makes-right" humanity! If fallen humanity is left to itself, it will corrupt everything! Notice the key terms "oppress" NOUN, BDB 799 VERB, BDB 798, KB 897 (1) Qal PASSIVE PARTICIPLE (2) Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE "no one to comfort," BDB 636, KB 688, Piel, ACTIVE PARTICIPLE (twice) "power," BDB 470, KB 468 ▣ "they had no one to comfort them" This is speaking (cf. Eccl. 3:16; 5:8) from the governmental perspective. SPECIAL TOPIC: COMFORT 4:2-3 This is such a startling statement. a hyperbole (see G. B. Caird, The Language and Imagery of the Bible) a view of pre-birth existence (cf. Job 3:11-19; Ps. 139:13-16; Jer. 1:5) The pain and frustration of physical life without God, without hope, without help screams out! This is not the world that God intended it to be!!! 4:3 "better" This ADJECTIVE (BDB 373 II, KB 370 I) is used in a comparative sense throughout the book, but translated (NASB) in different ways: "enjoy yourself" (lit. "consider with goodness"), Eccl. 2:1 "good," Eccl. 2:3,26 (twice); 3:12,13; 4:9; 5:18; 6:12; 7:1,11,18,20; 8:15; 9:2 (twice); 11:6,7; 12:14 "better," Eccl. 2:24; 3:12,22; 4:3,6,9,13; 5:5; 6:3,9; 7:1,2,3,5,8 (twice),10; 9:4,16,18 "be happy," Eccl. 7:14 "pleasing," Eccl. 7:26 "well," Eccl. 8:12,13 "cheerful," Eccl. 9:7 Qoheleth's thought is a comparison on two levels: life here on earth the physical compared to the spiritual Each occurrence of this ADJECTIVE must be interpreted in its context. By the way, this is true of every word!
Eclesiastes 4:4-6
4:4 Life is a competition for food, for shelter, for work, for possessions, for honor, for control! This is the philosophy of atheistic humanism. Power makes right! This is human ego run amuck! Without God the only motive is "me"! This is where laissez faire capitalism is a human curse! This is where communism failed! Every human is envious, every human takes advantage. Every human exploits his fellow human. Life without God is a "dog-eat-dog" life of competition and unsatisfied lust for more-and-more-for-me at any cost. This is a recurrent theme (cf. Eccl. 1:6,14,17; 2:11,17,26; 4:4,6,16; 6:9). SPECIAL TOPIC: JEALOUSY/ZEAL ▣ "striving after the wind" This is a recurrent phrase for the hopelessness of human effort apart from God (cf. Eccl. 1:6,14,17; 2:11,17,26; 4:4,6,16; 6:9). See note at Eccl. 1:6. SPECIAL TOPIC: BREATH, WIND, SPIRIT 4:5 "fool" This verse is possibly a proverb or a quote. This kind of mindless self destruction is also seen in Isa. 9:20. Lack of effort leads to destruction, but effort itself has no lasting benefit! SPECIAL TOPIC: FOOLISH PEOPLE 4:6 This verse is possibly another proverb (e.g., Prov. 15:16,17; 16:8) or quote. It is meant to highlight the futility of human effort apart from God. It is possible that "rest" (NASB; MT has "quietness," BDB 629) here represents Eccl. 2:24-26; 3:12,13,22; 5:18; 9:7-9. It so, then the workaholic and the sluggard are contrasted.
Eclesiastes 4:7-8
4:7 This is a recurrent and theologically significant theme. See note at Eccl. 1:3,9. 4:8 "dependent" NKJV, JPSOA "companion" —— —— "child" LXX, Peshitta "a second" REV "a friend" The Hebrew has "a second" (BDB 1041, KB 1604), which is simply the numeral. It can refer to almost anything. Context becomes crucial. You can see by the translations the different relationships possible. This verse describes a "workaholic." They work for the fun of the work. Work becomes their goal and purpose in life! Work becomes their god! ▣ "his eyes were not satisfied with riches" In many ways (without God) wealth is a curse. Before long it controls us! Those who are wealthy in earthly things never seem to have enough! Life is consumed with more and more; then every effort is made to protect what is accumulated! A good modern example of this strange truth is the disaster of winning a lot of money in the lottery. Statistics show that winning destroys the winners! We need more than wealth and possessions to find true happiness and lasting "gain" (i.e., advantage, profit; see note at Eccl. 1:3). We need God. We were created by Him and for Him. Apart from Him there is no purpose or lasting joy! SPECIAL TOPIC: WEALTH
Eclesiastes 4:9-12
4:9-12 This paragraph speaks of the advantage of companionship. This is the same Hebrew term "a second" (BDB 1040, KB 1604) from Eccl. 4:8 used in Eccl. 4:9,10,11,12. Two are always better than one (BDB 25) and three better than two (cf. Eccl. 4:12b). Another human being changes the equation. Now self is not the only issue. Now the focus and effect of the Fall are reduced. Companionship and community trump isolation and self. wife family neighbor nation The Jewish Study Bible asserts that "three cords/strands" is imagery going back to Sumerian culture (the first writing culture of the ANE) of the third millennium B.C." p. 1611. SPECIAL TOPIC: BIBLICAL FAITH IS CORPORATE
Eclesiastes 4:13-16
4:13-16 This is so specific. It must refer to a historical incident, possibly Joseph and Pharaoh Saul and David However, the point of the whole paragraph is the fickleness of the populace. No lasting help can come from politics. Fallen humanity cannot be governed into blessings and peace. Selfishness, corruption, and greed will permeate all! SPECIAL TOPIC: GOVERNMENT 4:13 "poor" This Hebrew term (BDB 587, KB 605) is found only four times in Ecclesiastes (cf. Eccl. 4:13; 9:15 [twice],16) and means "a poor man."