v I said, “I will be wise”;
But it was far from me.
24w As for that which is far off and xexceedingly deep,
Who can find it out?
25y I applied my heart to know,
To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things,
To know the wickedness of folly,
Even of foolishness and madness.
26z And I find more bitter than death
The woman whose heart is snares and nets,
Whose hands are fetters.
11 He who pleases God shall escape from her,
But the sinner shall be trapped by her.
27“Here is what I have found,” says athe Preacher,
“Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason,
28Which my soul still seeks but I cannot find:
b One man among a thousand I have found,
But a woman among all these I have not found.
29Truly, this only I have found:
c That God made man upright,
But dthey have sought out many schemes.”
Ecclesiastes 8
Obey Authorities for God’s Sake
1Who is like a wise man?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
a A man’s wisdom makes his face shine,
And bthe 1sternness of his face is changed.
Obey Authorities for God’s Sake
2I say, “Keep the king’s commandment cfor the sake of your oath to God.
3d“Do not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.”
4Where the word of a king is, there is power;
And ewho may say to him, “What are you doing?”
5He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful;
And a wise man’s heart 2discerns both time and judgment,
6Because ffor every matter there is a time and judgment,
Though the misery of man 3increases greatly.
7g For he does not know what will happen;
So who can tell him when it will occur?
8h No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit,
And no one has power in the day of death.
There is ino release from that war,
And wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it.
9All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.
Death Comes to All
10Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were jforgotten4 in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity.
11kBecause the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12lThough a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that mit will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him.
13But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
14There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it nhappens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the orighteous. I said that this also is vanity.
15pSo I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.
16When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night,
17then I saw all the work of God, that qa man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it.
Ecclesiastes 9
Death Comes to All
1For I 1considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: athat the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them.
2bAll things come alike to all:
One event happens to the righteous and the wicked;
To the 2good, the clean, and the unclean;
To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice.
As is the good, so is the sinner;
He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath.
3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
4But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5For the living know that they will die;
But cthe dead know nothing,
And they have no more reward,
For dthe memory of them is forgotten.
6Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished;
Nevermore will they have a share
In anything done under the sun.
7Go, eeat your bread with joy,
And drink your wine with a merry heart;
For God has already accepted your works.
8Let your garments always be white,
And let your head lack no oil.
93Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; ffor that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.
10gWhatever your hand finds to do, do it with your hmight; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
11I returned iand saw under the sun that—
The race is not to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor bread to the wise,
Nor riches to men of understanding,
Nor favor to men of skill;
But time and jchance happen to them all.
12For kman also does not know his time:
Like fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are lsnared in an evil time,
When it falls suddenly upon them.
Wisdom Superior to Folly
13This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me:
14mThere was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great 4snares around it.
15Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.
16Then I said:
“Wisdom is better than nstrength.
Nevertheless othe poor man’s wisdom is despised,
And his words are not heard.
17Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard
Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.
18Wisdom is better than weapons of war;
But pone sinner destroys much good.”
Ecclesiastes 10
Wisdom and Folly
1Dead1 flies 2putrefy the perfumer’s ointment,
And cause it to give off a foul odor;
So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.
2A wise man’s heart is at his right hand,
But a fool’s heart at his left.
3Even when a fool walks along the way,
He lacks wisdom,
a And he shows everyone that he is a fool.
4If the spirit of the ruler rises against you,
b Do not leave your post;
For cconciliation3 pacifies great offenses.
5There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
As an error proceeding from the ruler:
6d Folly is set in 4g
reat dignity,
While the rich sit in a lowly place.
7I have seen servants eon horses,
While princes walk on the ground like servants.
8f He who digs a pit will fall into it,
And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.
9He who quarries stones may be hurt by them,
And he who splits wood may be endangered by it.
10If the ax is dull,
And one does not sharpen the edge,
Then he must use more strength;
But wisdom 5brings success.
11A serpent may bite gwhen it is not charmed;
The 6babbler is no different.
12h The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,
But ithe lips of a fool shall swallow him up;
13The words of his mouth begin with foolishness,
And the end of his talk is raving madness.
14j A fool also multiplies words.
No man knows what is to be;
Who can tell him kwhat will be after him?
15The labor of fools wearies them,
For they do not even know how to go to the city!
16l Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,
And your princes feast in the morning!
17Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles,
And your mprinces feast at the proper time—
For strength and not for drunkenness!
18Because of laziness the 7building decays,
And nthrough idleness of hands the house leaks.
19A feast is made for laughter,
And owine makes merry;
But money answers everything.
20p Do not curse the king, even in your thought;
Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom;
For a bird of the air may carry your voice,
And a bird in flight may tell the matter.
The Value of Diligence
Ecclesiastes 11
The Value of Diligence
1Cast your bread aupon the waters,
b For you will find it after many days.
2c Give a serving dto seven, and also to eight,
e For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.
3If the clouds are full of rain,
They empty themselves upon the earth;
And if a tree falls to the south or the north,
In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.
4He who observes the wind will not sow,
And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
5As fyou do not know what is the way of the 1wind,
g Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child,
So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.
6In the morning sow your seed,
And in the evening do not withhold your hand;
For you do not know which will prosper,
Either this or that,
Or whether both alike will be good.
7Truly the light is sweet,
And it is pleasant for the eyes hto behold the sun;
8But if a man lives many years
And irejoices in them all,
Yet let him jremember the days of darkness,
For they will be many.
All that is coming is vanity.
Seek God in Early Life
9Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,
And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;
k Walk in the 2ways of your heart,
And 3in the sight of your eyes;
But know that for all these
l God will bring you into judgment.
10Therefore remove 4sorrow from your heart,
And mput away evil from your flesh,
n For childhood and 5youth are vanity.
Ecclesiastes 12
Seek God in Early Life
1Remembera now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the 1difficult days come,
And the years draw near bwhen you say,
“I have no pleasure in them”:
2While the sun and the light,
The moon and the stars,
Are not darkened,
And the clouds do not return after the rain;
3In the day when the keepers of the house tremble,
And the strong men bow down;
When the grinders cease because they are few,
And those that look through the windows grow dim;
4When the doors are shut in the streets,
And the sound of grinding is low;
When one rises up at the sound of a bird,
And all cthe daughters of music are brought low.
5Also they are afraid of height,
And of terrors in the way;
When the almond tree blossoms,
The grasshopper is a burden,
And desire fails.
For man goes to dhis eternal home,
And ethe mourners go about the streets.
6Remember your Creator before the silver cord is 2loosed,
Or the golden bowl is broken,
Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,
Or the wheel broken at the well.
7f Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
g And the spirit will return to God hwho gave it.
8“Vanityi of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“All is vanity.”
The Whole Duty of Man
9And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and jset3 in order many proverbs.
10The Preacher sought to find 4acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth.
11The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of 5scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd.
12And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and kmuch study is wearisome to the flesh.
13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
l Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
14For mGod will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
Ecclesiastes Commentaries
Ecclesiastes 1
1:1 The words. The matters of the book are the crucial issues for Solomon’s faith. They resemble the subject matter of Pss. 39; 49. the Preacher. The title of one who gathers the assembly together for instruction. See Introduction: Title.
1:2 Vanity of vanities. Solomon’s way of saying “the greatest vanity.” Cf. the discussion of “vanity” in Introduction: Interpretive Challenges.
1:3 profit. Advantage to or gain from one’s labor. A very important and repeated word for Solomon (cf. 3:19; 5:9, 11, 16; 6:7, 11; 7:11, 12; 10:10). Solomon looks at the fleeting moments of life and the seemingly small gain for man’s activity under the sun. The only lasting efforts are those designed to accomplish God’s purposes for eternity. labor. Labor is not just one’s livelihood, but all of man’s activity in life. under the sun. The phrase appears about 30 times to describe daily life.
1:4–7 These pictures from God’s creation illustrate and underscore the futile repetition of human activity.
1:4 generation…earth. The essence of this comparison is permanence/impermanence without “profit” or “advantage.” The observer perceives life as an endless cycle of activity which, by itself, does not bring security or meaning to man’s experience.
1:8–11 This is a summary of sorts. Solomon looks at the effect of repetitious, enduring activity in God’s creation over many generations as compared to the brief, comparatively profitless activity of one man which fails to produce an enduring satisfaction, and he concludes that it is wearisome. Another harsh reality comes with the realization that nothing is new and nothing will be remembered.
1:11 no remembrance. A written record or some other object which serves as a reminder of these events, people, and things will be short-lived.
1:12—6:9 This section records Solomon’s ill-advised quest for greater wisdom.
1:12 king over Israel. See Introduction: Author and Date.
1:13 wisdom. Solomon’s use of the term, in typical Hebrew fashion, is more practical than philosophical and implies more than knowledge. It carries notions of ability for proper behavior, success, common sense, and wit. burdensome task. Man’s search to understand is at times difficult, yet God-given (cf. 2:26; 3:10; 5:16–19; 6:2; 8:11, 15; 9:9; 12:11). God. The covenant name, LORD, is never used in Ecclesiastes. However, “God” is found almost 40 times. The emphasis is more on God’s sovereignty in creation and providence than His covenant relationship through redemption.
1:14 grasping for the wind. One aspect of life’s vanity is its fleeting character. Like the wind, much of what is desirable in life cannot be held in one’s hand (cf. 1:14, 17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 5:16; 6:9).
1:15 crooked…lacking. With no necessarily moral implications being made, these words measure wisdom as the ability to resolve issues in life. In spite of man’s grandest efforts, some crooked matters will remain unstraightened.
Eccl. 1:15
The “Vanities” of Ecclesiastes (1:2; 12:8)
1. Human wisdom 2:14–16
2. Human effort 2:18–23
3. Human achievement 2:26
4. Human life 3:18–22
5. Human rivalry 4:4
6. Human selfish sacrifice 4:7, 8
7. Human power 4:16
8. Human greed 5:10
9. Human accumulation 6:1–12
10. Human religion 8:10–14
1:16 wisdom. Cf. Introduction: Background and Setting.
1:17 I set my heart to know. When Solomon depended on empirical research rather than divine revelation to understand life, he found it to be an empty experience.
1:18 wisdom…much grief. The expected outcome of wisdom is success. Success, in turn, should bring happiness. But Solomon concluded that there were no guarantees. This grieves the one who places his hope in human achievement alone.
Ecclesiastes 2
2:1–11 Pleasure, although not necessarily evil, has its shortcomings, much like human wisdom. Solomon reflected upon his tragic experiences in attempting to draw satisfaction purely out of pleasure.
The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV Page 312