Chapter Four

1. Sad phenomena in the life of men. 2–3. Oppression. 4–6. Envy and anxiety. 7–12. Loneliness and stinginess. 13–16. The fragility of human attachment. 17. The conduct of the God-fearing man.

In the preceding chapters, in proving the vanity of human life, the Preacher drew chiefly on general grounds. Now he confirms his thought by particular facts which make human happiness unstable, temporary, and contingent.

Ecclesiastes 4:1. And I turned and saw all the oppressions done under the sun: and behold the tears of the oppressed, and there is no comforter to them; and in the hand of the oppressors – strength, and there is no comforter to them. Ecclesiastes 4:2. And I praised the dead, who had long been dead, more than the living, who are still alive; Ecclesiastes 4:3. yet more blessed than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil deeds done under the sun. Violence, the oppression of the strong and rich over the weak and poor, have so penetrated all society and infected the entire social order that the morally sensitive and impressionable Preacher felt revulsion at life and deemed the dead more fortunate than the living, and still more fortunate those who had never existed and were not witnesses to evil deeds on earth. The Preacher, of course, does not raise to a principle the superiority of non-being over being, but, depressed by the contemplation of moral evil, merely pours out his feelings of deep indignation and revulsion, like Job (Job 3:10-13) and Jeremiah (Jer 20:18). In another place, calmly reasoning, he says, on the contrary, that it is better to be a living dog than a dead lion (Eccl 9:4).

Ecclesiastes 4:4. I saw also that all labor and all skill in work come from mutual envy between men. And this is vanity and a chasing after wind! Ecclesiastes 4:5. The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh. Ecclesiastes 4:6. Better a handful with rest than both hands full with toil and striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 4:7. And I turned and saw another vanity under the sun; Ecclesiastes 4:8. there is one lonely man, and no other; he has neither son nor brother; yet all his labors have no end, and his eye is never satisfied with riches. “For whom then am I laboring and depriving my soul of good?” And this is vanity and a bad business! Ecclesiastes 4:9. Two are better than one; for they have a good reward for their labor: Ecclesiastes 4:10. for if one falls, the other will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, and there is no one to lift him up. Ecclesiastes 4:11. Again, if two lie together, they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone? Ecclesiastes 4:12. And if anyone can overcome one of them, two will stand against him: and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. The Preacher points out a new trait in the society of his time that ruins human well-being, namely – the inner isolation of men, their moral separation. A man is rich, but he is lonely; he has no “other,” that is, a sincere friend, neither son nor brother. He does not know for whom he labors and deprives himself of goods. Meanwhile, life lived two together has many advantages, as it gives each moral and material support.

Ecclesiastes 4:13. Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king, who no longer knows how to accept advice; Ecclesiastes 4:14. for he will come out of prison to reign, though he was born poor in his kingdom. Ecclesiastes 4:15. I saw all the living who walk under the sun, together with the young man who would take his place. Ecclesiastes 4:16. There was no number to all the people, all those before him, though those who come later will not rejoice in him. And this is vanity and a striving after wind! The Preacher gives an example that proves the changeability and inconstancy of human happiness. A poor but wise youth takes the place of a foolish king who cannot accept advice. All turn to the youth’s side, but, alas, the later generation will be cold and indifferent to him. “Better (tob) is a poor but wise youth.” The word tob should be understood in the sense of “more fortunate.” But this happiness is short-lived. It is vanity and a chasing after wind. Many commentators saw in these verses a hint at certain historical figures: some at Joseph, others at Saul and David, still others at Jeroboam and Rehoboam, etc. But most likely the Preacher had in mind here simply a possible case, to show more strongly the perversity of human happiness.

Ecclesiastes 4:17. Watch over your feet when you go to the house of God, and listen rather than to offer sacrifice; for they do not know that they do wrong. Until now the Preacher has reasoned, made his observations and conclusions known to the reader; now he addresses it with positive advice and exhortations in accordance with the positions he had set forth earlier. He describes in detail the disposition of a man seeking happiness in good labor and pure joys. Such a man should carefully watch over himself during worship, avoiding everything that might disturb a pious disposition of spirit, conforming even his external behavior to it. His piety should be expressed not so much in mechanical sacrifices without faith and repentance, but in reverent listening to and obedience to the word of God. “For they do not know that they do wrong.” The Preacher speaks of his contemporaries, whose sacrifices, devoid of faith and reverence, were “an abomination to the Lord” (cf. Prov 21:27).