Eccl 4:1 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.
The oppressed here are the lost in the world. The oppressed “is in the hands of the oppressor (satan)… The word oppress occurs three times, suggesting… intensity of the oppression. .. There is no one to help the victim. The phrase ‘they have no comforter’ (4:1) is repeated twice… indeed, saying that ‘they have no comforter’ is to suggest the absence of (a personal relationship with) God… Jeremiah deplores the fact that … (many) Israelites (according to the flesh) ‘have no comforter’ (Lam 1:2, 9,17,21) He cries precisely because God, who was supposed to be their Comforter, is not there… ‘For these things I weep; my eye, my eye overflows with water; because the comforter, who should restore my life, is far from me. My children are desolate because the enemy prevailed.’ (Lam 1:16) In biblical tradition, God is called ‘the Comforter’ (Isa 51:12; 66:13). One classic text that represents God as the Comforter is Psalm 23:4b—You are with me; your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." (Jacques B Doukhan)
“It was not simply the tears and the power imbalance but rather the fact that no one came alongside the oppressed to comfort them that was so painful (cf. Job 16:2; Ps. 69:20).”(Baker Bible Commentary) “But there is a Comforter for the having! He is the one who was himself ‘oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken’ (Isa 53:7,8). IN HIS OPPRESSION – AND IN HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION -- HE PROVIDES COMFORT FOR THOSE WHO ARE THEMSELVES OPPRESSED: ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls’ (Mat 11:28,29).” http://www.christadelphianbooks.org/agora/comm/21_eccl/eccl04.html
Eccl 4:2-3 Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead, more than the living who are still alive. Yet, better than both is he who has never existed, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
Remember the subject is those without the Comforter. “With this may be compared the despairing words of the long-suffering Job: ‘May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, A boy is born!... Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?... For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest’ (Job 3:3-22). … But it may be suggested that none of these exaggerated expressions of grief and depression should be taken literally -- they are what they are: cries of overwrought minds which have pushed to the breaking point by circumstances over which they have no control, minds which for a moment at least have forgotten, or have set aside, the knowledge of an overseeing Divine Presence, which can and will set all things right in due time.” http://www.christadelphianbooks.org/agora/comm/21_eccl/eccl04.html
Eccl 4:4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. (KJV)
So now we consider all good actions [3788 kishrown (kish-rone'); from 3787; success, advantage: KJV-- equity, good, right.] These may be actions with the oppressed in mind. These are the righteous deeds of the saints. The righteous are envied in the Bible. “Joseph was persecuted by his brothers because they envied him (Genesis 37:11). Jesus was sent to the cross ‘because of envy’ (Matthew 27:18). Even the violent conflicts of Israel were related to envy (Isaiah 11:13). It is also noteworthy that in the book of Proverbs envy is listed next to the oppressor and the wicked: ‘Envy is rottenness to the bones. He who oppresses the poor… The wicked is banished’ (Prov 14:30, 31, 32).” (Jacques B Doukhan)
Eccl 4:5-6 The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh. Better a handful with quietness than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.
[The fool folds his hands]
“These verses are linked by three references to ‘hands.’ Only fools avoid work—to their own ruin (literally ‘and eats his own flesh’….” (The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary)
[and consumes his own flesh.] “…and lets life go to ruin” (Moffatt).
[Better a handful with quietness than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.] “Working solely to supply one’s material needs, if accompanied by ‘tranquility,’ is preferable to striving constantly for more (literally ‘two fistfuls,’ cf. Prov. 17:1).” (The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary)
Eccl 4: 7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun: There is one alone, without companion: he has neither son nor brother.
The return indicates that the subject has changed to another type of person—a spiritual one with a Comforter. “Despite the popularity of these verses as a wedding text, they refer rather to one’s needs during a (spiritual) journey: assistance after falling (4:10), warmth when sleeping (4:11), and backup when attacked (4:12).”(The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary)
Eccl 4:8a Yet there is no end to all his labors, nor is his eye satisfied with riches.
The spiritual man’s eye is not satisfied with riches. “Then Peter answered and said to Him, ‘See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.’” (Matthew 19:27-30)”
Eccl 4:8b But he never asks, "For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?" This also is vanity and a grave misfortune.
“Society is preferable to solitariness; conversation with a friend is better than to be always alone; the Targum is, ‘two righteous men in a generation are better than one;'” (Gill’s Exposition of the Bible)
Eccl 4:9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
“Thus Jesus sends the disciples out by twos: Luke 10:1. And those who went about preaching the gospel traveled in pairs (Paul and Barnabas, Paul and Silas, Barnabas and Mark), and sometimes larger groups.… Two working together can often accomplish more than the same two can working separately -- sometimes an extra pair of hands, or an extra perspective on a problem, can surmount a problem that might stymie one person."As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another’" (Pro 27:17)…” http://www.christadelphianbooks.org/agora/comm/21_eccl/eccl04.html
Eccl 4:10 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.
“Two men are on a journey in a distant land; often the way is fraught with perils. If one falls into a pit, then the other is there to lift him out, or perhaps even to go for help. But if a single man, like the lonely and loveless miser of v 8, falls into such a pit, he may very well perish there -- for no one will know of his plight. The same may be true of individuals in ecclesial [church] life. ‘Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ’ (Gal 6:1,2; cp Job 4:4; Jam 5:14). But the man, or woman, who walks alone may have no one who is even aware of his or her spiritual problem, and no one to offer a gentle helping hand -- when a moral crisis looms, or an overwhelming temptation or trial pushes the believer to the brink. It is good to have those who know our faults and our weaknesses. They can help us through the times when we fall and when we fail. When we need rebuke, their words may wound us, but we know they are our faithful friends, and only desire to help us (Proverbs 27:6).” http://www.christadelphianbooks.org/agora/comm/21_eccl/eccl04.html
Eccl 4:11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone?
“In cultures other than our own, people of the same sex will often sleep together for the sake of warmth -- with no hint of impropriety such as we might feel: cp the ‘two people in one bed’ of Luke 17:34. In times of crisis, this lesson may be driven home to us... Some years ago four friends of mine climbed a mountain (three brethren and one sister -- she being the wife of one of the brethren). There was nothing unusual in this, for they were all experienced mountain climbers, who enjoyed the exhilaration of the climb associated with that special sense of nearness to God and His handiwork that only mountain climbers can understand! But on this occasion something went wrong. They probably started their climb a little late anyway, but just after they arrived at the mountain's peak, an unexpected blizzard attacked the mountain. Movement downwards was totally impossible in these conditions which continued relentlessly all night. It wasn't until the calm of morning that they were able to make their way downwards to safety. They arrived at ground level just as the mountain rescue team was setting off to try and find them. The rescuers were amazed that the four were still alive -- they felt that it was impossible for a human being to survive the weather conditions that had existed during the previous night. The reason they survived? When the blizzard struck they had stood very close and had then roped themselves together. Because they were four close together they had retained their body heat and had survived. As four separate individuals the bitter cold would have killed each of them separately. This true story provides me with my understanding of Ecc 4:11 -- 'If two lie together then they have heat, but how can one be warm alone?'…‘Being in the wilderness or on a mountain alone is highly dangerous, but there is strength and support, and warmth, in numbers. And being alone in the spiritual wilderness is to look spiritual death in the face. But our brothers and sisters can give us the 'warmth' we need in order to survive’ (Simon Hodgson)… So in this verse, and in these circumstances, the ‘warmth’ we need may be more than physical -- it may be emotional or spiritual... someone who truly cares! In a cold, cruel, callous world, what a blessed help can he or she be! Or, as Henry puts it, ‘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 [Heb 10:24].’ BUT HOW CAN ONE KEEP WARM ALONE?... This was surely the idea that led his servants to bring the young woman Abishag to David (1Ki 1:1,2).” http://www.christadelphianbooks.org/agora/comm/21_eccl/eccl04.html
Eccl 4:12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. [Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.]
“Two men in a lonely and out-of-the-way place can take turns keeping watch. Two men traveling through a dangerous place may each watch the other's back -- so as not to be surprised by ambush. Thus two men can defend one another much more effectively than any one man can defend himself alone (cp 2Sa 10:11).
[And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.] … In this section, up until now, all the stress has been on the two that are so much better than one. Now, almost incongruously, the writer introduces a third. If two are good, then three can be so much better! It may be that, especially now, when the two become three -- it is not by the added help of a third weak human being, but because God Himself (or His Son, as His representative) has become the ‘third’ in the relationship. So now the writer has elevated what might have been only a natural relationship to the level of a spiritual one. Once the Divine is introduced into this friendship and companionship, now such a ‘cord’ is surely unbreakable. Each of the two human, mortal beings can look to the Third, who wraps them round, and binds them together, and strengthens them out of all proportion above what they might have been and done by themselves. Of course, this whole section (vv 9-12), with its emphasis on first two, and then three, becoming one -- and so helping and supporting one another in all of life's vicissitudes -- reaches its spiritual apogee in Paul's detailed development of the analogy of the One Body in 1Co 12… The Scriptures are made up of many themes. These, like the threads in a rope or the yarn in a fabric, link together, intertwine and interlace, producing an object of strength and reliability. The product is a fabric of words which shows evidence of forethought, purpose and design. Their number, their interdependence and their mutual support result in a work which is dependable. This shows design beyond human capability, which cannot be broken and which has been recorded and preserved for a purpose -- to bring the existence, plan and glory of God to the knowledge of men and women.” http://www.christadelphianbooks.org/agora/comm/21_eccl/eccl04.html
Eccl 4:13 Better a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more.
The LORD chastens and admonishes, but also the fact that the church is supposed to be His agents for this is firmly established. Jesus taught, “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' (Deuteronomy 19:15) And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.” (Matt 18:15-17) The Old Testament quote refers to civil matters for the nation of Israel; no one can be put to death by the testimony of one witness. But I believe that there is an end-time meaning to this text. As the doctrines of Old Testament are discovered… and re-enforced and taught by other writers… and even explained in the New Testament, I believe that they become the basis of our end-time judgment.
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Eccl 4: 14 For he comes out of prison to be king, although he was born poor in his kingdom.
Every believer comes out of prison to be a ruler although they were born poor in their kingdom. John Wesley explains what happens when folks who are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus”, (Rom 3:24) do not allow God to admonish them through His Word often brought to them by a brother or sister in Christ. He says: “The greater part of them wanders, more or less, out of the good way into which he has brought them. They come, as it were, into a 'waste and howling desert,' (Deut 32:10) where they are variously tempted and tormented." [The Wilderness State]
Eccl 4:15-16 I saw all the living who walk under the sun; they were with the second youth who stands in his place. There was no end of all the people over whom he was made king; yet those who come afterward will not rejoice in him.
Do you like your preacher? “'Numberless were the people, all, at whose head HE [not ‘they’] stood'. Koheleth places himself in the position of a spectator, and marks how numerous are the adherents who flock around the youthful aspirant’ (Pulpit). BUT THOSE WHO CAME LATER WERE NOT PLEASED WITH THE SUCCESSOR… Early success does not guarantee later approval -- such is the unreliability of human nature, and the fickleness of public approval. ‘There will always be dissatisfaction with the decisions of the rulers… The obstinate ruler is at risk of being thrown out. ’ (Bowen).” But many will not even like the good pastor. http://www.christadelphianbooks.org/agora/comm/21_eccl/eccl04.html
1 Tim 2:1-3 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,