10 That which hath been is named H7121 H8034 already, H3528 and it is known H3045 that it is man: H120 neither may H3201 he contend H1777 with him that is mightier H8623 than he.
For he is not a man, H376 as I am, that I should answer H6030 him, and we should come H935 together H3162 in judgment. H4941
Woe H1945 unto him that striveth H7378 with his Maker! H3335 Let the potsherd H2789 strive with the potsherds H2789 of the earth. H127 Shall the clay H2563 say H559 to him that fashioneth H3335 it, What makest H6213 thou? or thy work, H6467 He hath no hands? H3027 Woe H1945 unto him that saith H559 unto his father, H1 What begettest H3205 thou? or to the woman, H802 What hast thou brought forth? H2342
And the LORD H3068 God H430 called H7121 unto Adam, H120 and said H559 unto him, Where art thou? H335
And unto Adam H121 he said, H559 Because thou hast hearkened H8085 unto the voice H6963 of thy wife, H802 and hast eaten H398 of the tree, H6086 of which H834 I commanded thee, H6680 saying, H559 Thou shalt not eat H398 of it: cursed H779 is the ground H127 for thy sake; in sorrow H6093 shalt thou eat H398 of it all H3605 the days H3117 of thy life; H2416 Thorns also H6975 and thistles H1863 shall it bring forth H6779 to thee; and thou shalt eat H398 the herb H6212 of the field; H7704 In the sweat H2188 of thy face H639 shalt thou eat H398 bread, H3899 till H5704 thou return H7725 unto the ground; H127 for out of it wast thou taken: H3947 for dust H6083 thou H859 art, and unto dust H6083 shalt thou return. H7725
If he will H2654 contend H7378 with him, he cannot answer H6030 him one H259 of a thousand. H505 He is wise H2450 in heart, H3824 and mighty H533 in strength: H3581 who hath hardened H7185 himself against him, and hath prospered? H7999
Man H120 that is born H3205 of a woman H802 is of few H7116 days, H3117 and full H7649 of trouble. H7267 He cometh forth H3318 like a flower, H6731 and is cut down: H5243 he fleeth H1272 also as a shadow, H6738 and continueth H5975 not. And dost thou open H6491 thine eyes H5869 upon such an one, H2088 and bringest H935 me into judgment H4941 with thee? Who can bring H5414 a clean H2889 thing out of an unclean? H2931 not one. H259
Surely every man H376 walketh H1980 in a vain shew: H6754 surely they are disquieted H1993 in vain: H1892 he heapeth up H6651 riches, and knoweth H3045 not who shall gather H622 them.
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done H6213 is that which shall be done: H6213 and there is no new H2319 thing under the sun. H8121 Is there H3426 any thing H1697 whereof it may be said, H559 See, H7200 this is new? H2319 it hath been already H3528 of old time, H5769 which was before H6440 us. There is no remembrance H2146 of former H7223 things; neither shall there be any remembrance H2146 of things that are to come H314 with those that shall come after. H314
Behold, he shall come up H5927 like a lion H738 from the swelling H1347 of Jordan H3383 against the habitation H5116 of the strong: H386 but I will suddenly H7280 make him run away H7323 from her: and who is a chosen H977 man, that I may appoint H6485 over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? H3259 and who is that shepherd H7462 that will stand H5975 before H6440 me?
Thou wilt say G2046 then G3767 unto me, G3427 Why G5101 doth he yet G2089 find fault? G3201 For G1063 who G5101 hath resisted G436 his G846 will? G1013 Nay but, G3304 O G5599 man, G444 who G5101 art G1488 thou G4771 that repliest against G470 God? G2316 G3361 Shall G2046 the thing formed G4110 say G2046 to him that formed G4111 it, Why G5101 hast thou made G4160 me G3165 thus? G3779
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Ecclesiastes 6
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 6 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 6
Ec 6:1-12.
1. common—or else more literally,—"great upon man," falls heavily upon man.
2. for his soul—that is, his enjoyment.
God giveth him not power to eat—This distinguishes him from the "rich" man in Ec 5:19. "God hath given" distinguishes him also from the man who got his wealth by "oppression" (Ec 5:8, 10).
stranger—those not akin, nay, even hostile to him (Jer 51:51; La 5:2; Ho 7:9). He seems to have it in his "power" to do as he will with his wealth, but an unseen power gives him up to his own avarice: God wills that he should toil for "a stranger" (Ec 2:26), who has found favor in God's sight.
3. Even if a man (of this character) have very many (equivalent to "a hundred," 2Ki 10:1) children, and not have a "stranger" as his heir (Ec 6:2), and live long ("days of years" express the brevity of life at its best, Ge 47:9), yet enjoy no real "good" in life, and lie unhonored, without "burial," at death (2Ki 9:26, 35), the embryo is better than he. In the East to be without burial is the greatest degradation. "Better the fruit that drops from the tree before it is ripe than that left to hang on till rotten" [Henry].
4. he—rather "it," "the untimely birth." So "its," not "his name."
with vanity—to no purpose; a type of the driftless existence of him who makes riches the chief good.
darkness—of the abortive; a type of the unhonored death and dark future beyond the grave of the avaricious.
5. this—yet "it has more rest than" the toiling, gloomy miser.
6. If the miser's length of "life" be thought to raise him above the abortive, Solomon answers that long life, without enjoying real good, is but lengthened misery, and riches cannot exempt him from going whither "all go." He is fit neither for life, nor death, nor eternity.
7. man—rather, "the man," namely, the miser (Ec 6:3-6). For not all men labor for the mouth, that is, for selfish gratification.
appetite—Hebrew, "the soul." The insatiability of the desire prevents that which is the only end proposed in toils, namely, self-gratification; "the man" thus gets no "good" out of his wealth (Ec 6:3).
8. For—"However" [Maurer]. The "for" means (in contrast to the insatiability of the miser), For what else is the advantage which the wise man hath above the fool?"
What—advantage, that is, superiority, above him who knows not how to walk uprightly
hath the poor who knoweth to walk before the living?—that is, to use and enjoy life aright (Ec 5:18, 19), a cheerful, thankful, godly "walk" (Ps 116:9).
9. Answer to the question in Ec 6:8. This is the advantage:
Better is the sight of the eyes—the wise man's godly enjoyment of present seen blessings
than the (fool's) wandering—literally, walking (Ps 73:9), of the desire, that is, vague, insatiable desires for what he has not (Ec 6:7; Heb 13:5).
this—restless wandering of desire, and not enjoying contentedly the present (1Ti 6:6, 8).
10. Part II begins here. Since man's toils are vain, what is the chief good? (Ec 6:12). The answer is contained in the rest of the book.
That which hath been—man's various circumstances
is named already—not only has existed, Ec 1:9; 3:15, but has received its just name, "vanity," long ago,
and it is known that it—vanity
is man—Hebrew, "Adam," equivalent to man "of red dust," as his Creator appropriately named him from his frailty.
neither may he contend, &c.—(Ro 9:20).
11. "Seeing" that man cannot escape from the "vanity," which by God's "mighty" will is inherent in earthly things, and cannot call in question God's wisdom in these dispensations (equivalent to "contend," &c.),
what is man the better—of these vain things as regards the chief good? None whatever.
12. For who knoweth, &c.—The ungodly know not what is really "good" during life, nor "what shall be after them," that is, what will be the event of their undertakings (Ec 3:22; 8:7). The godly might be tempted to "contend with God" (Ec 6:10) as to His dispensations; but they cannot fully know the wise purposes served by them now and hereafter. Their sufferings from the oppressors are more really good for them than cloudless prosperity; sinners are being allowed to fill up their measure of guilt. Retribution in part vindicates God's ways even now. The judgment shall make all clear. In Ec 7:1-29, he states what is good, in answer to this verse.