The Book of Ecclesiastes 4:1–16

¹Then 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.

²Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead,

More than the living who are still alive.

³Yet, better than both is he who has never existed,

Who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

⁴Again, 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.

⁵The fool folds his hands

And consumes his own flesh.

⁶Better a handful with quietness

Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.

⁷Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun:

⁸There 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.

⁹Two are better than one,

Because they have a good reward for their labor.

¹⁰For 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.

¹¹Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;

But how can one be warm alone?

¹²Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.

And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

¹³Better a poor and wise youth

Than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more.

¹⁴For he comes out of prison to be king,

Although he was born poor in his kingdom.

¹⁵I saw all the living who walk under the sun;

They were with the second youth who stands in his place.

¹⁶There was no end of all the people 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.

Commentary

Vs. 1-3 ¹Then 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.

²Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead,

More than the living who are still alive.

³Yet, better than both is he who has never existed,

Who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

King Solomon having then considered the end of all life, now returns to the living, and considers all the oppression that is done under the sun. For it grieved him greatly to see the tears of the oppressed, their helplessness against those who are mighty and powerful in every generation, for they have no comforter, and yet ironically is their oppressors, who though wielding much ruthlessness and power over them also have no comforter. There is then a great sense of need for both, and yet our Comforter the Holy Spirit was not yet given, and so humanity without Him, God's Spirit in their persons and lives is very dark and tragic, so much so that King Solomon praised the dead more than the living, because there is no solace or peace in this life without Him in one’s life, who comes into all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, he went onto say that even better than the living or the dead is he who has never existed, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. For a world without Christ Jesus and His Holy Spirit in people’s hearts and lives is not a world that anyone who has a heart would desire to live in.

Vs. 4-6 ⁴Again, 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.

⁵The fool folds his hands

And consumes his own flesh.

⁶Better a handful with quietness

Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.

King Solomon also saw the vanity of selfish toil and gain, of striving to outdo ones neighbors, for striving to outdo another only arouses their envy against you. For people will not rejoice in your works when you’re only driven to try to "one up them", (which is the narcissist’s calling card), and yet this world is driven by just that, people living in competition, all striving to outdo each other, or striving to attain to…, and for what? Their own glory, fame, and riches? All which is just vanity and grasping for the wind, for true joy, peace, and satisfaction is never found in trying to outdo another whom you envy, or in exalting yourself above another so as to feel good about yourself. Now in contrast to being overtly and wrongly driven to achieve..., is the fool, the lazy person who never tries to do or achieve anything. For they don’t use, nor grow their natural God given talents and abilities. No they just loft around and attain to nothing in their lives. And so their own idleness inevitably immiserates their lives and ultimately shortens their time on earth. For God has created our bodies to work, (to be physically tasked and challenged), and our minds to think and learn and grow, and doing neither of these will only shorten ones days down here. Nonetheless in regards to the sort of drivenness, where one is never satisfied, King Solomon says it is better to have a handful with quietness, that to have both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind. For with contentment comes peace.

Vs. 7-8 ⁷Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun:

⁸There 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.

Sadly there are those whose lives are only spent in striving and toil, the person who is always trying to get more and more, even to point of having no relationships or friendships in their lives, for their focus is only on acquiring more and more, and then stashing away all that they have acquired. And yet they never ask themselves, “whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?” This also then is vanity and grave misfortune, because in the end, they never get to enjoy the fruit of their labors, nor are they a blessing to anyone else in this life, and so in the end all they have acquired and done will profit them nothing.

Vs. 9-12 ⁹Two are better than one,

Because they have a good reward for their labor.

¹⁰For 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.

¹¹Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;

But how can one be warm alone?

¹²Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.

And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

In contrast to the striving miser who lives alone and only for their “treasures”, King Solomon now expounds the wisdom of companionship, community, and family, for as he rightly observes two are better than one, because they have a good reward from their labor. Two in a business venture are always better than one for they can combine their skill and resources (vs. 9). Same with the marriage relationship, or having a close friendship, for if one falls the other can lift them up, but woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to lift him up. Same when two lie down they can keep each other warm, but one by themselves will aways get cold (vs. 10-11). Again the point is that having meaningful relationships makes one stronger, not weaker, and so it is though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him, and three fold cord is not quickly broken, which is clearly a reference to the family unit, or any unit where the hearts are united as one.

Vs. 13-16 ¹³Better a poor and wise youth

Than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more.

¹⁴For he comes out of prison to be king,

Although he was born poor in his kingdom.

¹⁵I saw all the living who walk under the sun;

They were with the second youth who stands in his place.

¹⁶There was no end of all the people 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.

King Solomon now looks into the elderly king or ruler or has “overstayed their welcome”, who does not discern time and seasons, who does not see that their tenure has ended, that the people want someone new, vibrant, and youthful. A man’s legacy then can be ruined by him at the end of it, simply because he will not heed the wise counsel of others, who only want him to depart gracefully, rather than stubbornly clinging to power, while the people, his people, one by one depart from him. And so it is there is a youth who rises from his prison house to rule over all that he once did, whom the people now delight in, who make him their king in his place. There is no end to people whom he was made king over, and yet for all of that, those who come after him will not rejoice in him, for just as the people departed from his predecessor, so they will one day depart from him. Surely then this worldly pursuit of power is also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson. 

 

 

The Book of Ecclesiastes 3:1–22

 ¹To everything there is a season,  

A time for every purpose under heaven:

²A time to be born,

And a time to die;

A time to plant,

And a time to pluck what is planted;

³A time to kill,

And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

And a time to build up;

⁴A time to weep,

And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

And a time to dance;

⁵A time to cast away stones,

And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace,

And a time to refrain from embracing;

⁶A time to gain,

And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

And a time to throw away;

⁷A time to tear,

And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

And a time to speak;

⁸A time to love,

And a time to hate;

A time of war,

And a time of peace.

⁹What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? ¹⁰I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. ¹¹He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. ¹²I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, ¹³and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.

¹⁴I 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.

¹⁵That which is has already been,

And what is to be has already been;

And God requires an account of what is past.

¹⁶Moreover I saw under the sun:

In the place of judgment,

Wickedness was there;

And in the place of righteousness,

Iniquity was there.

¹⁷I 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.”

¹⁸I 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.” ¹⁹For 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. ²⁰All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.

²¹Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? ²²So 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?

Preamble: As has been noted by others there are twenty eight different activities noted by King Solomon that make up this most famous section of O.T. Scripture. In essence they speak to cycles of life that every generation will face, with no clear one having any advantage over the other. For half of them (14) are positive, and half are negative (BBC). How we apply them then will be the measure of each ones wisdom. O yes they are literal, but do not forget that metaphoric application is also possible.

Commentary

Vs. 1-8 ¹To everything there is a season,  

A time for every purpose under heaven:

²A time to be born,

And a time to die;

A time to plant,

And a time to pluck what is planted;

³A time to kill,

And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

And a time to build up;

⁴A time to weep,

And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

And a time to dance;

⁵A time to cast away stones,

And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace,

And a time to refrain from embracing;

⁶A time to gain,

And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

And a time to throw away;

⁷A time to tear,

And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

And a time to speak;

⁸A time to love,  

And a time to hate;

A time of war,

And a time of peace.

King Solomon’s opening declaration is profound, for he rightly sees that for everything there is season; that there are repeatable cycles in this life under the sun that all of creation goes through. The randomness of evolution then is clearly debunked, because to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven (vs. 1). For God Himself has created all things, sustains all things, watches over all things; even while allowing humanity, and all created life, its own free will, for which every living thing will give an account to Him for what they have done here under the sun. These wise sayings then are a look into that.

Vs. 1-2 “To everything there is a season,  

A time for every purpose under heaven:

²A time to be born,

And a time to die”

A time to plant,

And a time to pluck what is planted;

The time of birth is a time which no one chooses for themselves in all of creation; whether mankind, or anything in the animal kingdom, or any aquatic life. For the time of and place of our births is determined by God alone (Acts 17:26-28). Equally on par with that then is our deaths, for the length of life is also determined by God, no amount of genetic engineering then will ever alter the human lifespan which is governed to now max out at 120 years. Therefore because no one is assured of life, it is critically important to be reconciled to God while you can be, for who knows what the future holds, or doesn’t hold for you. Therefore, there is a very clear Spiritual application, and that is the rebirth of our persons by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet this also is predetermined and foreordained by God, however, to go into this subject here in detail here would take many pages, and so we will forego that aspect of this for now, yet know this that everyone who has been appointed to eternal life will believe in Christ (Acts 13:48). And yet there is still another application of this and that is one may have to give one’s life for another, the Lord Jesus Christ laid down His life for us so that we might live, and one day we too may have to lay down ours to save another, or maybe even save many.

“A time to plant,

And a time to pluck what is planted”

The obvious here is that there are cycles of life not only in the agrarian culture of the Bible times, where planting and harvesting was done by one and all; O’ that the church as a whole had such a mindset today of sowing the seeds of the Gospel and then reaping in the harvest; and so there is an appropriate time for everything is the point that is being made here. Now there are endless applications for this, and for all of these sayings, their applications for your person and life then are to be discovered and exercised by you.

Vs. 3 “A time to kill,

And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

And a time to build up”

Now this may seems offensive to some, but in the cycles of life there is a time to kill, like when we slaughter animals for our food, though the saying is more clearly directed towards human life, like when a murderer is to be put to death, or when God ordered His people to kill the Canaanites and take possession of their land. Regarding this though no Christian has ever been ordered by God to kill anyone, for the Lord Jesus Christ would not allow His disciples to kill, not even to protect Him (Matt. 26:52). Nonetheless this saying has a general application during times of defense; like of defending someone's life which may necessitate taking another's, or during times of war, when sadly young men (and women) have to take another’s life. The positive to that is that there is also a time to heal, a time for reconciliation, when the bitter animosities of war are forgotten (or better) forgiven. Now the second half of the verse carries this theme on, saying there is also a time to break down and a time to build up. For which the applications are seemingly innumerable, and yet sometimes it’s better to break something down than to leave it standing, while on the other hand there is also a time to build up; for a rebuke is not always needed, for sometimes a building up of someone or something is desperately needed.

 Vs. 4 A time to weep,

And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

And a time to dance;

These too a very important, because there are times when weeping is most appropriate; especially in one’s own life; for as King Solomon notes later,

²Better to go to the house of mourning

Than to go to the house of feasting,

For that is the end of all men;

And the living will take it to heart.

³Sorrow is better than laughter,

For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.

⁴The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. ^{Ecc. 7:2-4}

That said life is not to be monotone, or of one fixed emotion, rather just as there are times of weeping and mourning, there are also times of laughter, for a cheerful heart does us all much good (Pr. 15:13). Again there is a time for mourning, and there is a time for dancing (i.e. celebration). But singing songs to one who is of a heavy heart is not how you comfort or console them (Prov. 25:20), nor should one be given to joy and celebration when repentance and contriteness is clearly needed and called for (Isaiah 65:12; 66:4; Jeremiah 7:8-20 etc.).

Vs. 5 “A time to cast away stones,

And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace,

And a time to refrain from embracing”

Casting away stones was how one cleared the land in ancient Israel, making the field fit for plowing and seeding crops. Similarly gathering stones was how they built their houses, out of stones and mortar. Each then has its own place, and yet they are both tied together, for from one comes the other. And so it is in the marriage life there is a time for embracing, and a time to refrain from embracing; because having intimate relations is not always appropriate, especially when children are around.

Vs. 6 A time to gain,

And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

And a time to throw away;

There are times to gain, when in one’s life one acquires…, equally there are also times to lose… times when those “treasures” no longer are needed, or profit you. Like downsizing after the kids move out, or a beloved spouse has passed on, or your time of life dictates a change, or maybe it’s putting some of that gain into the Gospels service, or for the benefit of others; though I would never see that as a loss but more gain! However I don’t want to decide these things for you, nor do I want to limit the scope of the passages application. Again there is a time to gain and a time to lose, a time to keep and a time to throw away, for when something becomes enslaving it’s time to get rid of it! Hoarders then should consider this passage, and release themselves from their own fears and bondages. Now ones faith in Christ is above all else ones most valuable possession, guard and keep and treasure it above all else, for everything else in this life ends when yours down here under the sun does. 

Vs. 7 “A time to tear,

And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

And a time to speak”

This theme and thought continues, and though ones first instinct is to think of clothing, there is more to this than just that. Yes, it could just be clothing; if that is as far as you want to take it; but tearing is the destruction of something, for it is an aggressive act by which something is going to be permanently altered or damaged. Sewing on the other hand is the making of something new, or the repairing of something old. It is the positive act to the tearing's negative. And so there is also a time to keep silence and a time to speak. Endless applications abound for this, and a good study of the Book of Proverbs will endow one with much understanding regarding this (to get started consider Psalm 39:1; Prov. 9:8-9; 13:3; 15:2, 4, 28; 16:23; 18:21; 21:23; 24:7, 25; 28:23; 31:8-9; Isaiah 1:17 etc.).

Vs. 8 “A time to love,  

And a time to hate;

A time of war,

And a time of peace.”

Our love towards others should never be in question, for this is apart of the greatest commandment. That said there is also a time of hate, like when one observes a grave injustice, or sees the helpless and weak being abused, for these and many other things (sins) we are to hate, and so the saying love the sinner, but hate the sin finds a clear application here. Again you can love someone, but hate what they are doing. The Lord Jesus made hating one’s own life, or even one’s own family members (when necessary) apart of being His disciple (Matt. 10:37-39; Luke 14:26). For sometimes we will have to leave those who reject the Lord behind. As for war and peace, the disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ is never called to war, or to be at war with anyone, for as much as depends on us we are to live peaceably with all (Rom. 12:18). Nonetheless as In O.T. times there are clearly times of war which God ordains, as there will be again when the Lord Jesus Christ returns and makes war with the beast and his armies. Going to war then for the Christian on behalf of the nation in which one dwells then is a deeply personal choice and conviction, whether to go, or not to go; whether to take an active role in combat, or not. Know this though that the war waged by man is a always a horrible thing, for many innocent people always suffer and are killed in them. Therefore before you go, if you decide to go, just make sure that you are sure of your own faith and convictions, for in all things and at all times Christians are first and foremost to be people who seek the well being of others. So that whatever you chose, you can do so with a clear conscience, for whatever is not of faith is sin. A time of peace; as there is a time of war, there is also a time of peace, when life is no longer combative or even argumentative, when the world’s weapons of war will be made into implement for feeding the poor, when the Lord Jesus Christ Reigns and brings an end to all rule and authority and power, for only then will we all know peace.

Vs. 9-13 ⁹What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? ¹⁰I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. ¹¹He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. ¹²I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, ¹³and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.

King Solomon now questions the “profit” that the worker has in all his labors, for if what one does not remain what is the point? Nonetheless God has given us all purposes and abilities by which our persons and lives may be occupied and enriched in doing and pursuing down here under the sun (vs. 9). Indeed God has made everything beautiful in its time (vs. 10). And He has put eternity in our hearts; so that we may in the hope of finding Him seek Him and find Him (Acts 17:26-27); and yet Solomon found that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end; there is a clear distinction then between God's works and ours, for ours can be sought out and seen, but all of His are way beyond the scope of our comprehension (vs. 11). With that then King Solomon found it is best then for mankind to rejoice and do good in our lives, to live our best lives, and enjoy all the fruit of our labors, for it is the gift of God (vs. 12-13).

Vs. 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.

In contrast then to mankind’s earth bound works, which are temporary, there is God’s. For everything He does shall be forever, for like His own Eternal Person, so are all His Works and Ways. Nothing then can be added to what God has done and nothing then can ever be taken from it. For if God creates a thing no one can destroy it, or if God destroys a thing no one can rebuild it, for God does it so that we all should fear before Him. People who think the world will end by nuclear conflict are only deceived, for God will not give this world to be destroyed by mans will and power, but He Himself will bring an end to all of this creation that mankind has corrupted through sin, before He institutes a new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells! (Isaiah 65:17, 22-24; 2 Peter  2:13). 

Vs. 15 “That which is has already been,

And what is to be has already been;

And God requires an account of what is past.”

In the theme of there is nothing new under the sun is the fact that history constantly repeats itself, for human beings don’t “evolve”; (but we can be changed through the Gospel by our faith In the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Holy Spirit regenerates our person and makes us new creations In Christ, with a new nature with new righteous appetites and holy desires); for the same evils and injustices appear in every generation, this is humanities ongoing legacy because of sin. Thus history past is right now once again playing itself out somewhere in this broken world, for what is to be has already been, there is nothing new under the sun. Nonetheless God requires an account of what is past. Humanity collectively or individually cannot then claim “ignorance”, for God has placed eternity in everyone’s heart. For we all in that sense know Him and know His will therefore we are all without excuse (Read Romans 1:16-32).

Vs. 16-17 ¹⁶Moreover I saw under the sun:

In the place of judgment,

Wickedness was there;

And in the place of righteousness,

Iniquity was there.

¹⁷I 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.”

King Solomon also observed under the sun, in this broken world in the place of judgment wickedness was there. For not all lawful authority is good and decent, nor honest and fair. Indeed in the seat of judgment he found that wickedness was there. Police officers then are not inherently more honest, or have more integrity, or live more righteous lives than anyone else, simply because they wear a uniform. For a uniform changes no one. For what they are when they go in, is what they will be when they go out. Same with Judges, rulers and government authorities, for these too can also be wicked, corrupt, dishonest, and misleading, even abusing and wrongly imprisoning people through the power and authority that they wield. Thus it pained King Solomon greatly to see in the place of judgment wickedness there. Just as it greatly pained him to see in the place of righteous (i.e. the pulpit) where the pastor, preacher, teacher, or priest holds a seat that iniquity was found there. Therefore King Solomon knowing even his own limitations to make things right in this broken and sinful world, said in his heart; like all who want to see truth and justice done, who are now so powerless against such things, that:

“God shall judge the righteous and the wicked,

For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

Their time then is now, but His will be then, when He makes straight what they made crooked. When He repays the righteous and judges the wicked. 

Vs. 18-22 ¹⁸I 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.” ¹⁹For 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. ²⁰All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. ²¹Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? ²²So 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?

King Solomon now turns to the subject of death, but first he considers mankind’s frailty, and in this he sees God testing us all so that we may all see ourselves as we really are, temporal and mortal; no better than anything in the animal kingdom; not that we are animals in God’s sight; but that we are no better than them in regards to the temporal nature of our flesh. For as he rightly observes all go to one place, that is the grave, for just as we all came from dust, so we all return to dust (vs. 18-20). Thus in that regard mankind has no advantage over anything in the animal kingdom, just as the wise man has no more advantage over the fool, when it comes to this inevitable fact, for all die. What King Solomon could not observe though as one living under the sun as a natural man, not born-again by God’s Holy Spirit, is that we who now live under the Son of God will live! For just as in Adam all die so also all those in Christ shall be made alive! And so here he merely sees the end of all mortal life as the animal spirits going downward to the earth and ours upward back to God who created us who will judge us all (vs. 21). King Solomon then returns to the familiar, to mankind living out their days in the enjoyment of their labors, for this is their heritage given us by God (vs. 22). Again, these things were all written by him as one living under the sun, not one living under the Son, at least not yet.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson. 

The Book of Ecclesiastes 2:1–26

 ¹I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity. ²I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” ³I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. ⁴I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. ⁵I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. ⁶I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. ⁷I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. ⁸I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds. ⁹So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.

¹⁰Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.

I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,

For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;

And this was my reward from all my labor.

¹¹Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done

And on the labor in which I had toiled;

And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.

There was no profit under the sun.

¹²Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; For what can the man do who succeeds the king?— Only what he has already done. 

¹³Then I saw that wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness. 

¹⁴The wise man’s eyes are in his head, But the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived That the same event happens to them all. ¹⁵So I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, And why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.”

¹⁶For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool! ¹⁷Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind. ¹⁸Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. ¹⁹And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

²⁰Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. ²¹For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. ²²For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? ²³For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity. ²⁴Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. ²⁵For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? ²⁶For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity.”

 

King Solomon having failed to find satisfaction in all his intellectual pursuits (BBC), now turns his heart to pleasure. Lavish parties and grand gatherings, and all kinds of celebratory feasts and festivals with grand music, he held them all to the full in his royal court. Now of course these served up an abundance of the most delectable kinds of food and drink that could be found. King Solomon then experienced “mirth” like no other. But in the end he found it all was also just vanity. For his heart still longed for something more to satisfy it.

Vs. 2 I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

In recalling all of the laughter he experienced through such a lifestyle; for there is always much laughter and carefree folly during a kings party; and yet King Solomon upon reflection of it all only sees it all as utter madness, of accomplishing nothing satisfying, significant, or lasting. Therefore he asks himself, what does mirth accomplish? For after the party ends, the emptiness always returns.

Vs. 3 I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

King Solomon thus sought out how to gratify his flesh with wine; he became a connoisseur of the choicest vintages, while still guiding his heart with wisdom; thus he was not a self indulgent drunkard who throws up all over himself; but a sophisticated and tactful connoisseur of the finest of wines. Even so King Solomon also sought how to lay hold of folly, that is all of the playful and mostly harmless nonsense that the rich and super rich very often do and pursue at their grand parties and gatherings and such. All of this, and so much more, King Solomon embraced and pursued in his search to find out what is good for the sons of men to do while living down here under heaven all the days of their lives.

 Vs. 4-9 ⁴I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. ⁵I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. ⁶I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. ⁷I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. ⁸I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds. ⁹So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.

Beyond the extravagant partying King Solomon's life was not just about “mirth”. No King Solomon was an industrious man with grand ambitions and very lofty goals. And so he made his works great, for he built houses for himself, (i.e. grand mansions), he also planted vineyards, gardens, and orchards with all kinds of fruit trees in them so that grounds of them were majestic to behold. Indeed he even made water pools by which to keep trees of the grove watered like the Garden of Eden. He then went on to acquire male and female servants for himself; the most skilled people in their various fields of expertise to keep and maintain all of his properties and such. Indeed Solomon says that he even had servants born in his house; these people then were like family to him. Yes says Solomon, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me (vs. 7). King Solomon then went onto gather silver and gold and all the special treasures of kings and of provinces. (See 1 Kings 9:26-28; 10:14-29 etc.). nd of for his own entertainment and the entertainment of his guests King Solomon also acquired male and female singers, (those blessed with angelic voices) who are the delights of the sons of men, as well as musical instruments of all kinds (vs. 8). For Solomon learned from his father King David how to love and appreciate excellent music. And so it was King Solomon excelled all of the kings around him, even all of the kings who came before him in Jerusalem, and in all of this King Solomon retained his wisdom (vs. 9). 

Vs. 10-11 ¹⁰Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.

I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,

For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;

And this was my reward from all my labor.

¹¹Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done

And on the labor in which I had toiled;

And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.

There was no profit under the sun.

King Solomon then kept his eyes back from nothing he desired, for he allowed his heart to experience every pleasure, and he pursued and built his every desire, and so his heart rejoiced in all of his labor, for he saw that this was his reward for all of his labor (vs. 10). King Solomon then did not squander his wealth, prestige, and grand standing before all given him by God, rather he by wisdom increased it all. And yet it was when he sat back and reflected upon all the works that his hands had done, and all the labor in which he toiled so skillfully in; of all that he had acquired and achieved; it was all just vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun in doing and pursuing all that he had pursued and done. For a life lived in the service of one’s own desires and pleasures only ends in one’s own disappointment and disillusionment. This what King Solomon found. 

Vs. 12 ¹²Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly;

For what can the man do who succeeds the king?—

Only what he has already done.

King Solomon having then discovered the great disillusionment that comes with all self centered pursuits, now decides to search the depth s of wisdom and madness and folly; so he might see what would be best for a man to do and live out, whether a life lived in the pursuit of wisdom, or a life lived full of  folly and reckless abandon. For as King Solomon reasoned, what can the man do that will succeed him, only what he himself has already done and discovered.

Vs. 13-16 ¹³Then I saw that wisdom excels folly

As light excels darkness.

¹⁴The wise man’s eyes are in his head,

But the fool walks in darkness.

Yet I myself perceived

That the same event happens to them all.

¹⁵So I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool,

It also happens to me,

And why was I then more wise?”

Then I said in my heart,

“This also is vanity.”

¹⁶For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever,

Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come.

And how does a wise man die?

As the fool!

Having then explored the depths of both lifestyles, he found that wisdom excels folly, as light excels darkness. There is then no debate about this, to live wise and prudently far and away exceeds and excels living recklessly and foolishly. For the wise man eyes are in his head; that is he can see where he is and where he is going and avoid the many pitfalls and dangers that are in this life, while the fool only walks in darkness completely blind to all the perils and dangers and miseries that are on the road that he is taking. And yet in pursuing these things King Solomon also found another unsettling truth, that is, that the same event happens to both the wise and the fool, for death comes to us all. For sooner or later we all die, and why then is the wise man any “wiser” than the fool? If we all go to the same place. In considering his words here we must remember that King Solomon is referring to lives lived under the sun, not under the Son of God. Thus if a person’s life is only lived in the pursuit of wisdom, i.e. such as the ancient Greeks placed such importance on their pursuits of, what advantage did they, or anyone else have in taking that road, for both the fool and wise man if they die without faith in the one true God will go to the same place. Thus pursuing wisdom in of itself is just vanity. For as Solomon noted there is no more remembrance of the wise man and fool forever, for once their generation passes away, all that now is that they have learned and acquired will be forgotten in the days to come, and so how does the wise man die? As the fool! Neither fame nor fortune then lasts. For you cannot take it with you to the grave

Vs. 17-23 ¹⁷Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind. ¹⁸Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. ¹⁹And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. ²⁰Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. ²¹For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. ²²For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? ²³For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

And with that discovery, King Solomon now says he hated life, for all the work that once so pleased him in doing and pursuing, now only became distressing to him. For he saw that it was all just vanity and  grasping for the wind (vs. 17). Therefore he hated all the labor in which he so skillfully labored, for he now realized that he was going to have to leave it all to a man who would come after him, and who knows whether this person would be wise or a fool? Yet they would rule over all that he had done and accomplished, all that he had shown himself so wise under the sun in accomplishing. Therefore he despaired of all that he had done and accomplished, for it all must go into the hands of another, and who knows what kind of person they will be, and what they will do with it all, with his entire legacy. This King Solomon found to be vanity and a great evil, to give one’s life to building that which does last nor remain with you, only to turn it over to the hands of someone who has not labored for it (vs. 18-21). Indeed King Solomon the goes on and looks at the individual who spends their life trying to attain to greatness, who strives and toils under the sun, who maybe then attains to it, but in seeking to attain to it all their life was just one only filled with sorrow and burdens, and even in the night they found no rest as they were constantly worrying about this or that. Of trying to solve or resolve this problem or that (vs. 22-23). 

Vs. 24-26 ²⁴Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. ²⁵For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? ²⁶For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

Thus living your life for only trying to build a legacy for yourself is vanity; for all the achievements, accolades, and awards that one may acquire in this life will not remain with them; nor will people remember them when you are gone. Thus all that striving and lost relationships through it all only attain you nothing in the end. Therefore King Solomon found that it is much better to live and enjoy one’s life, (and ones friends and family), that ones soul should enjoy good in their labor, rather than only pursing vanity. For you can be a “corporate giant”, or you can spend your weekends and evenings playing with your kids, laughing with them and openly loving them, and thus helping them grow up into well adjusted and well settled adults. Or you can pursue your own legacy. But which “legacy” do you want to be remembered for? Again you can seek after the noble prize or the academy award, or even the sports title, at the expense of your own life and relationships, but in the end you will find it all to be vanity, grasping for the wind, for it will not satisfy your soul. And so it was King Solomon found that it is God who gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to the person who is good in His sight, (thus living right before Him is always right!), but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. For the sinner may acquire this or that but it does not remain with them, for God redistributes their wealth to those who please Him. The sinful life then is always vanity and grasping for the wind. Don't then idolize those celebrities who live for it here and now, for their sorrows and judgment to come you do not want. 

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.