Ecclesiastes 9
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| Comments |
| V1 We cannot know God's ways with our intellect or emotions but only through the spirit. |
| v2 We cannot manipulate God's plan no matter what we do. There is no way to circumvent "Divine Will". We should not do good for gain but love of righteousness. Our name must conform on heart and mind to His name. |
| V3 If the heart of man is evil and madness(וְהוֹלֵל֤וֹת)[1] how can we figure out the Will of God with the wisdom of our heart? |
| V4 Commentary opinions very between "older translators" rendering “chosen” instead of “joined” in some cases.[2] The Hebrew word in the text is chabar (חָבַר)[3] bit we find the same Hebrew letters composing many different words. |
| V4 So, a "living dog is better than a dead lion" because, though it is a fog it is in the company of the living. |
| V5 "the living know(יוֹדְעִ֣ים)[4] that they shall die[5]: but the dead know(יוֹדְעִ֣ים)[4] not any thing," The root word "know" is the same word we see in Genesis 4:1 "And Adam knew <03045> Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD." |
| V6 "their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished;" destroyed. They have no portion(חֵלֶק)[6] or share among the living. |
| V7 "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart;" It does not say to go the way of the wicked nor eat the bread of strangers, the dainties of rulers by "thy bread". |
| V8 "Let thy garments"[7] be always white;"(לָבָן)[8] |
| V9 With thy "wife... for that is thy portion(חֵלֶק)[6] in this life". Is this the same woman of Ecclesiastes 7:26 ", whose heart [is] snares and nets?" Does she set the tables that should have been for our welfare but are a snare which David speaks of in Psalms 69[9] and Paul quotes in Romans 11[10] |
| V11 "but time and chance(פֶגַע)[11] happeneth". What does it mean "chance"? |
| V12 How are we "taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare"? |
| What did we learn in Proverbs 1 about not consenting with sinners and when we were told, "Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird."[12] and what did David and Paul warn us about tables that are snares? |
| V13 This wisdom have I seen ... and it seemed great unto me: |
| V14 "a little city, and few men within it; and... besieged it.." |
| V15 "a poor(מִסְכֵּן֙)[13] wise(חָכָ֔ם)[14] man(אִישׁ)[15]... delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man." Preachers often say that no one will remember the good the poor(הַמִּסְכֵּ֖ן)[13] man(הָאִ֥ישׁ)[15] did but it is not the man but his wisdom they forget. Which is " How are we "taken in an evil net" of that woman(הָֽאִשָּׁה֙)[16], whose heart [is] snares and nets. See Ecclesiastes 7, wages of unrighteousness, covetous practices that make you merchandise and are a snare. |
| V16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor(הַמִּסְכֵּ֖ן)[13] man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. |
| V17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. |
| [[1]] |
Death Comes to All
1 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
The heart of man is evil and madness
3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness(וְהוֹלֵל֤וֹת) is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
4 ¶ For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion(חֵלֶק)[6] for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
Enjoy Life with the One You Love
7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
8 Let thy garments"[7] be always white(לָבָן)[8]; and let thy head lack no ointment.
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion(חֵלֶק)[6] in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
Wisdom Better than Folly
11 ¶ I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance(פֶגַע)[11] happeneth to them all.
An evil net
12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
13 ¶ This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.[17]
Ecclesiastes | Ecclesiastes 1 | Ecclesiastes 2 | Ecclesiastes 3 | Ecclesiastes 4 | Ecclesiastes 5 | Ecclesiastes 6 | Ecclesiastes 7 | Ecclesiastes 8 | Ecclesiastes 9 | Ecclesiastes 10 | Ecclesiastes 11 | Ecclesiastes 12
Preceded by: Proverbs - Followed by: Song of Songs
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- ↑ 01947 הוֹלֵלָה howlelah [ho-lay-law’] act. participle of 01984 הָלַל halal to shine or praise; n f; [BDB-239b] [{See TWOT on 501 @@ "501a" }]
AV-madness 4; 4
- 1) madness
- Howlelah only appears in Ecclesiastes basically the word for shine with a Vav between the Hey and double Lamed.
- The Tav at the end of hōwlêlōwṯ וְהוֹלֵל֤וֹת could be understood as a feminine plural and may suggest a Mystery wanting to be revealed. Ecclesiastes 1:17, Ecclesiastes 7:25
- ↑ Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
- ↑ 02266 חָבַר chabar [khaw-bar’] a primitive root; v; [BDB-287b] [{See TWOT on 598 }] AV-couple 8, join 8, couple together 4, join together 3, compact 1, charmer + 02267 1, charming + 02267 1, have fellowship 1, league 1, heap up 1; 29
- 1) to unite, join, bind together, be joined, be coupled, be in league, heap up, have fellowship with, be compact, be a charmer
- 1a) (Qal)
- 1a1) to unite, be joined
- 1a2) to tie magic charms, charm
- 1b) (Piel)
- 1b1) to unite with, make an ally of
- 1b2) to unite, join, ally
- 1c) (Pual)
- 1c1) to be allied with, be united
- 1c2) to be joined together
- 1d) (Hiphil) to join together, pile up (words)
- 1e) (Hithpael) to join oneself to, make an alliance, league together
- 1a) (Qal)
- 1) to unite, join, bind together, be joined, be coupled, be in league, heap up, have fellowship with, be compact, be a charmer
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 03045 ^עדי^ yada‘ \@yaw-dah’\@ a primitive root; v; {See TWOT on 848} AV-know 645, known 105, knowledge 19, perceive 18, shew 17, tell 8, wist 7, understand 7, certainly 7, acknowledge 6, acquaintance 6, consider 6, declare 6, teach 5, misc 85; 947
- 1) to know
- 1a) (Qal)
- 1a1) to know
- 1a1a) to know, learn to know
- 1a1b) to perceive
- 1a1c) to perceive and see, find out and discern
- 1a1d) to discriminate, distinguish
- 1a1e) to know by experience
- 1a1f) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess
- 1a1g) to consider
- 1a2) to know, be acquainted with
- 1a3) to know (a person carnally)
- 1a4) to know how, be skilful in
- 1a5) to have knowledge, be wise
- 1a1) to know
- 1b) (Niphal)
- 1b1) to be made known, be or become known, be revealed
- 1b2) to make oneself known
- 1b3) to be perceived
- 1b4) to be instructed
- 1c) (Piel) to cause to know
- 1d) (Poal) to cause to know
- 1e) (Pual)
- 1e1) to be known
- 1e2) known, one known, acquaintance (participle)
- 1f) (Hiphil) to make known, declare
- 1g) (Hophal) to be made known
- 1h) (Hithpael) to make oneself known, reveal oneself
- 1a) (Qal)
- 1) to know
- ↑ 04191 ^תומ^ muwth \@mooth\@ a primitive root MemVavTav; v; {See TWOT on 1169} |rely 50, kill 31, dead man 3, dead body 2, in no wise 2, misc 10; 835
- 1) to die, kill, have one executed
- 1a) (Qal)
- 1a1) to die
- 1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death
- 1a3) to die, perish (of a nation)
- 1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct)
- 1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch
- 1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death
- 1d) (Hophal)
- 1d1) to be killed, be put to death
- 1d1a) to die prematurely
- 1d1) to be killed, be put to death
- 1a) (Qal)
- מ ם Mem Fountain of water, a flow, a fountain of the Divine Wisdom [massive, overpower chaos] (Numeric value: 40)
- ו Vav Connection, Connecting realms and worlds or the dividing veil between them. [nail... And, Add, secure, hook] (Numeric value: 6)
- ת Tav is a Seal of a Higher kingdom or realm through faith. The paradigm keter–malchut “The Crown of Sovereignty” from the Tree of Life spiritually linking worlds or realms through an unseen doorway of faith. The Aleph & Tav are the first and last letters. [door sign cross seal] (Numeric value: 400)
- other combination found together (ומת מות יומת) see Exodus 21 and Mark 7
- 1) to die, kill, have one executed
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 02506 חֵלֶק cheleq [khay’lek] from 02505 divided or distributed, Greek 184 Ακελδαμα field purchased with the blood money that could not be mingled with Corban; n m; [BDB-324a, BDB-325a] [{See TWOT on 669 @@ "669a" }] AV-portion 40, part 22, flattering 1, flattery 1, inheritance 1, partaker 1; 66
- 1) portion, share, part, territory
- 1a) portion, share
- 1b) portion, tract, parcel (of land)
- 1c) one’s portion, one’s possession
- 1d) (chosen) portion
- 1e) portion, award (from God)
- 2) smoothness, seductiveness, flattery
- 1) portion, share, part, territory
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 0899 ^דגב^ beged \@behg’- ed\@ from 0898 (to act treacherously, deceitfully,) of the same letters ^דגב^; n m; AV-garment 107, clothes 69, cloth 13, raiment 12, apparel 4, robe 4, wardrobe 2, very 2, clothing 1, lap 1, rags 1, vestures 1; 217
- 1) treachery, deceit
- 2) (CLBL) garment, clothing (used indiscriminately)
- Note: Why does a word ^דגב^ with the Hebrew letters BeitGimelDeleth mean garment and deceit? See Holy Spirit.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 03836 לָבָן laban [law-bawn’] or (#Ge 49:12) לבן laben [law-bane’]from 03835 לָבַן laban white, purify, make bricks; adj; [BDB-526a] [{See TWOT on 1074 @@ "1074a" }] AV-white 29; 29
- 1) white
- ↑ Psalms 69:22 Let their table become a snare before them: and [that which should have been] for [their] welfare, [let it become] a trap."
- ↑ Romans 11:8 "(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: 10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway."
- Malachi 2:2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay [it] to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings<[[01293>: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay [it] to heart.
- Malachi 2:2 "If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay [it] to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay [it] to heart." See wages of unrighteousness and snare.
- Isaiah 8:14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
- 1 Peter 2:8 "And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, [even to them] which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:"
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 06294 פֶגַע pega‘ [peh’-gah] from 06293 פָגַע paga‘ to encounter, meet, reach, entreat, make intercession; n m; [BDB-803b] [{See TWOT on 1731 @@ "1731a" }] AV-occurrent 1, chance 1; 2
- 1) occurrence, happening, chance
- ↑ 10 ¶ My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: 15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. 18 And they lay wait for their [own] blood; they lurk privily for their [own] lives. 19 So [are] the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; [which] taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 04542 מִסְכֵּן micken [mis-kane’] said to be from 05531 סִכְלוּת cikluwth or שׂכלות sikluwth from 05528 סָכַל cakal; adj; [BDB-587b] [{See TWOT on 1221 }] AV-poor 3, poor man 1; 4
- 1) poor, poor man
- There are numerous Hebrew words translated "poor men".
- Exodus 23:3 countenance a poor <(דַּל) dal01800 From (דָּלַל)dalal01809 impoverished> man in his cause.
- Deuteronomy 24:12 And if the man <0376> [be] poor <(עָנִי) ‘aniy 06041>,
- Deuteronomy 15:7 If there be among you a poor man <(אֶבְי֜וֹן) eḇyōwn 034>
- 1 Samuel 18:23 "a poor <(רוּשׁ) ruwsh07326> man <0376>"
- 2 Samuel 12:3 But the poor <(רוּשׁ) ruwsh07326> [man] had nothing
- We see this term in Ecclesiastes 5:8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor <(רוּשׁ) ruwsh07326>
- Micken is only found in
- Ecclesiastes 4:13 Better [is] a poor <04542> and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.
- Ecclesiastes 9:15 Now there was found in it a poor <04542> wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor <04542> man. 16 Then said I, Wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s <04542> wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard.
- The Hebrew word micken מִסְכֵּן does not seem connected to the meaning of poor based on any of the common words for poor. It is said to be from 05528 סָכַל cakal which seem to be a stretch. They say the term calal is from 05531 סִכְלוּת cikluwth
- 04543 מִסְכְּנָה mickënah with a Hey added means a supply, storage, storage house, or the term mickënah מסכנות is the plural. We see it in Exodus 1:11 "Pharaoh treasure <04543> cities" and 1 Kings 9:19 And all the cities of store <04543> that Solomon had..." Is 04542 מִסְכֵּן micken about a poor man or a man with wisdom who manages the stores of the city?
- ↑ 02450 חָכָם chakam [khaw-kawm’] from 02449 wise; adj; [BDB-314b] [{See TWOT on 647 @@ "647b" }] AV-wise 109, wise man 13, cunning 6, cunning men 4, subtil 1, unwise 2, wiser 2; 137
- 1) wise, wise (man)
- 1a) skilful (in technical work)
- 1b) wise (in administration)
- 1c) shrewd, crafty, cunning, wily, subtle
- 1d) learned, shrewd (class of men)
- 1e) prudent
- 1f) wise (ethically and religiously)
- 1) wise, wise (man)
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 0376 ^שׁיא^ ‘iysh \@eesh\@ contracted for 0582 [or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant]; n m; AV-man 1002, men 210, one 188, husband 69, any 27, misc 143; 1639
- 1) man
- 1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)
- 1b) husband
- 1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)
- 1d) servant
- 1e) mankind
- 1f) champion
- 1g) great man
- 2) whosoever
- 3) each (adjective)
- 1) man
- ↑ 0802 אִשָּׁה ‘ishshah [ish-shaw’,] irregular plural נשׁים nashiym [naw-sheem’] from 0376 or 0582; n f; [BDB-61a] [{See TWOT on 137 @@ "137a" }] AV-wife 425, woman 323, one 10, married 5, female 2, misc 14; 779
- 1) woman, wife, female
- 1a) woman (opposite of man)
- 1b) wife (woman married to a man)
- 1c) female (of animals)
- 1d) each, every (pronoun)
- 1) woman, wife, female
- ↑ Destroyers of liberty
- "That the man who first ruined the Roman people twas he who first gave them treats and gratuities. But this mischief crept secretly and gradually in, and did not openly make it's appearance in Rome for a considerable time." Plutarch's Life of Coriolanus (c. 100 AD.) This would include Julius Caesar and eventually Augustus Caesar which is why Plutarch also reported, “The real destroyers of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations, and benefits.” This was a major theme of the Bible:
- There were tables of welfare which were both snares and a traps as David and Paul stated and Peter warned would make us merchandise and curse children. Proverbs 23 told us not to not eat the "dainties" offered at those tables of Rulers and Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10 we cannot eat of those tables and the table of the Lord. We are not to consent to their covetous systems of One purse or Corban which makes the word of God to none effect.
- We know when the masses become accustomed to those benefits of legal charity which are the rewards of unrighteousness provided by benefactors who exercise authority and the Fathers of the earth through the covetous practices that makes men merchandise and curse children as a surety for debt.