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Selected Verse: Ecclesiates 4:7 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Ec 4:7 |
King James |
Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
| A vanity described in Ecc 4:8. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
The spectacle of a prosperous man whose condition is rendered vain by his brotherless, childless isolation.
Ecc 4:8
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." |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
"There is one without a second, also son and brother he has not; and there is no end of his labour; his eyes nevertheless are not satisfied with riches: For whom do I labour, then, and deny all good to my soul? Also this is vain, and it is a sore trouble." That ואין, as in Psa 104:25; Psa 105:34, has the meaning of בּאין, absque, Nolde has already observed in his Partik.-Concordanz: a solitarius, without one standing by his side, a second standing near him, i.e., without wife and without friend; also, as the words following show, without son and brother. Regarding ואח, for which, with the connect. accus., ואח might be expected (cf. also Ecc 2:7, וצאן with Mahpach; and, on the other hand, Ecc 2:23, וכעס with Pashta), vid., under Psa 55:10. Gam may be interpreted in the sense of "also" as well as of "nevertheless" (Ewald, 354a); the latter is to be preferred, since the endless labour includes in itself a restless striving after an increase of possession. The Kerî<, in an awkward way, changes עיניו into עינו; the taking together the two eyes as one would here be unnatural, since the avaricious man devours gold, silver, and precious things really with both his eyes, and yet, however great be his wealth, still more does he wish to see in his possession; the sing. of the pred. is as at Sa1 4:15; Mic 4:11.
With ulmi ani, Koheleth puts himself in the place of such a friendless, childless man; yet this change of the description into a self-confession may be occasioned by this, that the author in his old age was really thus isolated, and stood alone. Regarding חסּר with the accus. of the person, to whom, and min of the matter, in respect of which there is want, vid., under Psa 8:6. That the author stands in sympathy with the sorrowful condition here exposed, may also be remarked from the fact that he now proceeds to show the value of companionship and the miseries of isolation: |
8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.
15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.
10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
34 He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,
25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.