14 For out of prison H631 H1004 he cometh H3318 to reign; H4427 whereas also he that is born H3205 in his kingdom H4438 becometh poor. H7326
Then Pharaoh H6547 sent H7971 and called H7121 Joseph, H3130 and they brought him hastily H7323 out of the dungeon: H953 and he shaved H1548 himself, and changed H2498 his raiment, H8071 and came in H935 unto Pharaoh. H6547
Now therefore let Pharaoh H6547 look out H7200 a man H376 discreet H995 and wise, H2450 and set H7896 him over the land H776 of Egypt. H4714 Let Pharaoh H6547 do H6213 this, and let him appoint H6485 officers H6496 over the land, H776 and take up the fifth part H2567 of the land H776 of Egypt H4714 in the seven H7651 plenteous H7647 years. H8141 And let them gather H6908 all the food H400 of those good H2896 years H8141 that come, H935 and lay up H6651 corn H1250 under the hand H3027 of Pharaoh, H6547 and let them keep H8104 food H400 in the cities. H5892 And that food H400 shall be for store H6487 to the land H776 against the seven H7651 years H8141 of famine, H7458 which shall be in the land H776 of Egypt; H4714 that the land H776 perish H3772 not through the famine. H7458 And the thing H1697 was good H3190 in the eyes H5869 of Pharaoh, H6547 and in the eyes H5869 of all his servants. H5650 And Pharaoh H6547 said H559 unto his servants, H5650 Can we find H4672 such a one as this H2088 is, a man H376 in whom H834 the Spirit H7307 of God H430 is? And Pharaoh H6547 said H559 unto Joseph, H3130 Forasmuch H310 as God H430 hath shewed H3045 thee all this, there is none so discreet H995 and wise H2450 as thou art: Thou shalt be H1961 over my house, H1004 and according unto thy word H6310 shall all my people H5971 be ruled: H5401 only in the throne H3678 will I be greater H1431 than thou. And Pharaoh H6547 said H559 unto Joseph, H3130 See, H7200 I have set H5414 thee over all the land H776 of Egypt. H4714 And Pharaoh H6547 took off H5493 his ring H2885 from his hand, H3027 and put H5414 it upon Joseph's H3130 hand, H3027 and arrayed H3847 him in vestures H899 of fine linen, H8336 and put H7760 a gold H2091 chain H7242 about his neck; H6677 And he made him to ride H7392 in the second H4932 chariot H4818 which he had; and they cried H7121 before him, H6440 Bow the knee: H86 and he made H5414 him ruler over all the land H776 of Egypt. H4714 And Pharaoh H6547 said H559 unto Joseph, H3130 I am Pharaoh, H6547 and without H1107 thee shall no man H376 lift up H7311 his hand H3027 or foot H7272 in all the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
And he took away H3947 the treasures H214 of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and the treasures H214 of the king's H4428 house; H1004 he even took away H3947 all: and he took away H3947 all the shields H4043 of gold H2091 which Solomon H8010 had made. H6213 And king H4428 Rehoboam H7346 made H6213 in their stead brasen H5178 shields, H4043 and committed H6485 them unto the hands H3027 of the chief H8269 of the guard, H7323 which kept H8104 the door H6607 of the king's H4428 house. H1004
Jehoahaz H3059 was twenty H6242 and three H7969 years H8141 old H1121 when he began to reign; H4427 and he reigned H4427 three H7969 months H2320 in Jerusalem. H3389 And his mother's H517 name H8034 was Hamutal, H2537 the daughter H1323 of Jeremiah H3414 of Libnah. H3841 And he did H6213 that which was evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 according to all that his fathers H1 had done. H6213 And Pharaohnechoh H6549 put him in bands H631 at Riblah H7247 in the land H776 of Hamath, H2574 that he might not reign H4427 in Jerusalem; H3389 and put H5414 the land H776 to a tribute H6066 of an hundred H3967 talents H3603 of silver, H3701 and a talent H3603 of gold. H2091 And Pharaohnechoh H6549 made Eliakim H471 the son H1121 of Josiah H2977 king H4427 in the room of Josiah H2977 his father, H1 and turned H5437 his name H8034 to Jehoiakim, H3079 and took H3947 Jehoahaz H3059 away: H3947 and he came H935 to Egypt, H4714 and died H4191 there.
In his days H3117 Nebuchadnezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon H894 came up, H5927 and Jehoiakim H3079 became his servant H5650 three H7969 years: H8141 then he turned H7725 and rebelled H4775 against him. And the LORD H3068 sent H7971 against him bands H1416 of the Chaldees, H3778 and bands H1416 of the Syrians, H758 and bands H1416 of the Moabites, H4124 and bands H1416 of the children H1121 of Ammon, H5983 and sent H7971 them against Judah H3063 to destroy H6 it, according to the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 which he spake H1696 by H3027 his servants H5650 the prophets. H5030
And Jehoiachin H3078 the king H4428 of Judah H3063 went out H3318 to the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 he, and his mother, H517 and his servants, H5650 and his princes, H8269 and his officers: H5631 and the king H4428 of Babylon H894 took H3947 him in the eighth H8083 year H8141 of his reign. H4427
And they slew H7819 the sons H1121 of Zedekiah H6667 before his eyes, H5869 and put out H5786 the eyes H5869 of Zedekiah, H6667 and bound H631 him with fetters H5178 of brass, H5178 and carried H935 him to Babylon. H894
And it came to pass in the seven H7651 and thirtieth H7970 year H8141 of the captivity H1546 of Jehoiachin H3078 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 in the twelfth H8147 H6240 month, H2320 on the seven H7651 and twentieth H6242 day of the month, H2320 that Evilmerodach H192 king H4428 of Babylon H894 in the year H8141 that he began to reign H4427 did lift up H5375 the head H7218 of Jehoiachin H3078 king H4428 of Judah H3063 out of prison; H1004 H3608 And he spake H1696 kindly H2896 to him, and set H5414 his throne H3678 above the throne H3678 of the kings H4428 that were with him in Babylon; H894 And changed H8132 his prison H3608 garments: H899 and he did eat H398 bread H3899 continually H8548 before H6440 him all the days H3117 of his life. H2416 And his allowance H737 was a continual H8548 allowance H737 given H5414 him of the king, H4428 a daily H3117 H3117 rate H1697 for every day, H3117 all the days H3117 of his life. H2416
To set up H7760 on high H4791 those that be low; H8217 that those which mourn H6937 may be exalted H7682 to safety. H3468
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Ecclesiastes 4
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 4
Ec 4:1-16.
1. returned—namely, to the thought set forth (Ec 3:16; Job 35:9).
power—Maurer, not so well, "violence."
no comforter—twice said to express continued suffering without any to give comfort (Isa 53:7).
2. A profane sentiment if severed from its connection; but just in its bearing on Solomon's scope. If religion were not taken into account (Ec 3:17, 19), to die as soon as possible would be desirable, so as not to suffer or witness "oppressions"; and still more so, not to be born at all (Ec 7:1). Job (Job 3:12; 21:7), David (Ps 73:3, &c.), Jeremiah (Jer 12:1), Habakkuk (Hab 1:13), all passed through the same perplexity, until they went into the sanctuary, and looked beyond the present to the "judgment" (Ps 73:17; Hab 2:20; 3:17, 18). Then they saw the need of delay, before completely punishing the wicked, to give space for repentance, or else for accumulation of wrath (Ro 2:15); and before completely rewarding the godly, to give room for faith and perseverance in tribulation (Ps 92:7-12). Earnests, however, are often even now given, by partial judgments of the future, to assure us, in spite of difficulties, that God governs the earth.
3. not seen—nor experienced.
4. right—rather, "prosperous" (see on Ec 2:21). Prosperity, which men so much covet, is the very source of provoking oppression (Ec 4:1) and "envy," so far is it from constituting the chief good.
5. Still the
fool (the wicked oppressor) is not to be envied even in this life, who "folds his hands together" in idleness (Pr 6:10; 24:33), living on the means he wrongfully wrests from others; for such a one
eateth his own flesh—that is, is a self-tormentor, never satisfied, his spirit preying on itself (Isa 9:20; 49:26).
6. Hebrew; "One open hand (palm) full of quietness, than both closed hands full of travail." "Quietness" (mental tranquillity flowing from honest labor), opposed to "eating one's own flesh" (Ec 4:5), also opposed to anxious labor to gain (Ec 4:8; Pr 15:16, 17; 16:8).
7. A vanity described in Ec 4:8.
8. not a second—no partner.
child—"son or brother," put for any heir (De 25:5-10).
eye—(Ec 1:8). The miser would not be able to give an account of his infatuation.
9. Two—opposed to "one" (Ec 4:8). Ties of union, marriage, friendship, religious communion, are better than the selfish solitariness of the miser (Ge 2:18).
reward—Advantage accrues from their efforts being conjoined. The Talmud says, "A man without a companion is like a left hand without the right.
10. if they fall—if the one or other fall, as may happen to both, namely, into any distress of body, mind, or soul.
11. (See on 1Ki 1:1). The image is taken from man and wife, but applies universally to the warm sympathy derived from social ties. So Christian ties (Lu 24:32; Ac 28:15).
12. one—enemy.
threefold cord—proverbial for a combination of many—for example, husband, wife, and children (Pr 11:14); so Christians (Lu 10:1; Col 2:2, 19). Untwist the cord, and the separate threads are easily "broken."
13. The "threefold cord" [Ec 4:12] of social ties suggests the subject of civil government. In this case too, he concludes that kingly power confers no lasting happiness. The "wise" child, though a supposed case of Solomon, answers, in the event foreseen by the Holy Ghost, to Jeroboam, then a poor but valiant youth, once a "servant" of Solomon, and (1Ki 11:26-40) appointed by God through the prophet Ahijah to be heir of the kingdom of the ten tribes about to be rent from Rehoboam. The "old and foolish king" answers to Solomon himself, who had lost his wisdom, when, in defiance of two warnings of God (1Ki 3:14; 9:2-9), he forsook God.
will no more be admonished—knows not yet how to take warning (see Margin) God had by Ahijah already intimated the judgment coming on Solomon (1Ki 11:11-13).
14. out of prison—Solomon uses this phrase of a supposed case; for example, Joseph raised from a dungeon to be lord of Egypt. His words are at the same time so framed by the Holy Ghost that they answer virtually to Jeroboam, who fled to escape a "prison" and death from Solomon, to Shishak of Egypt (1Ki 11:40). This unconscious presaging of his own doom, and that of Rehoboam, constitutes the irony. David's elevation from poverty and exile, under Saul (which may have been before Solomon's mind), had so far their counterpart in that of Jeroboam.
whereas … becometh poor—rather, "though he (the youth) was born poor in his kingdom" (in the land where afterwards he was to reign).
15. "I considered all the living," the present generation, in relation to ("with") the "second youth" (the "legitimate successor" of the "old king," as opposed to the "poor youth," the one first spoken of, about to be raised from poverty to a throne), that is, Rehoboam.
in his stead—the old king's.
16. Notwithstanding their now worshipping the rising sun, the heir-apparent, I reflected that "there were no bounds, no stability (2Sa 15:6; 20:1), no check on the love of innovation, of all that have been before them," that is, the past generation; so
also they that come after—that is, the next generation,
shall not rejoice in him—namely, Rehoboam. The parallel, "shall not rejoice," fixes the sense of "no bounds," no permanent adherence, though now men rejoice in him.