Bible Commentaries

I considered = I have taken to heart.

even to declare. Septuagint and Syriac read, "and my heart proved".

the righteous =. just ones. God. Hebrew. Elohim.(with Art.) = the [true] God: the Deity. App-4.

hatred by all that is before them = hatred. All lies before them (i.e. in the future).

them: i.e. the righteous and the lawless.

All things come alike to all = Just as before all others. Reading on from Ecclesiastes 9:1.

one event: i.e. death. See note on Ecclesiastes 2:14.

the wicked = a lawless one. Hebrew. rasha". App-44.

sinner. Hebrew. chata. App-44. All the nouns in this verse are singular.

an evil. The Preposition (= B) in bebol, gives the force of the superlative: i.e. the greatest or worst calamity of all, &c.

evil = calamity. Hebrew. ra"a" App-44.

under the sun. See note on Ecclesiastes 1:3.

madness. Plural as elsewhere. See note on Ecclesiastes 1:17.

they go. Omit these words and note the Figure of speech Aposiopesis (App-6), "and after that to the dead! "See the following note.

For to him that is joined. Connect this with the end of preceding verse and render "For who is excepted? To all the living", &c.

hope = confidence. Hebrew. bittahon (from batah). App-69. Occurs only here, 2 Kings 18:19, and Isaiah 36:4.

a living dog, &c. Figure of speech Paroemia, App-6. Same proverb in Arabic.

living dog. Regarded by the Jews as the most unclean and despicable creature (1 Samuel 17:43; 1 Samuel 24:14. 2 Samuel 9:8; 2 Samuel 16:9. 2 Kings 8:13. Matthew 7:6; Matthew 15:26. Revelation 22:15). Hence Gentiles so called.

is = he [is]: i.e. even he.

better. See note on Ecclesiastes 2:24.

lion. Regarded as the noblest of animals (Genesis 49:10. Job 10:16. Isaiah 38:13. Lamentations 3:10. Hosea 13:7. Revelation 5:5).

the dead know not any thing. See and Compare Ecclesiastes 9:10. Psalms 6:5; Psalms 30:9; Psalms 31:17; Psalms 88:11. Isaiah 38:18, Isaiah 38:19.

a reward = any advantage [to them].

memory = the faculty of remembering. See note on "them", below.

them. The Hebrew suffix "them" must be taken as the subject in all the four nouns alike. As in Ecclesiastes 9:6, the possessive pronoun "their" is, and must be, taken alike in each case.

is forgotten = ceases to exist, as in Psalms 77:9, where it is parallel with "clean gone for ever "and "evermore", and in the next verse here(Ecclesiastes 9:6), where it stands parallel with "perished" and "for ever".

perished. Like the knowledge and memory of Ecclesiastes 9:5.

wine. Hebrew. yayin. App-27.

ointment = perfume.

labour . . . takest = toil. . . toilest.

thy hand findeth to do. Hand put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6, for the strength put forth by it (Leviticus 12:8; Leviticus 25:28).

do it with thy might = do it while thou art able, and have time to do it.

nor knowledge, &c. See note on Ecclesiastes 9:5, above.

wisdom. Hebrew. chakmah. See note on Ecclesiastes 1:2. t

he grave. Hebrew Sheol. App-35.

men. Hebrew. gibbor. App-14.

chance = occurrence. Hebrew. phega" : i.e. "time[of misfortune]". Occurs only here and 1 Kings 5:4, where it is associated with "evil" (or calamity).

happeneth = meeteth, or befalleth.

For man, &c. Connect this sentence with Ecclesiastes 9:11.

man . . . men. Hebrew. "adam (with Art.) App-14.

a little city. For the application of verses: Ecclesiastes 9:14-16, note the following illustrations: poor (2 Corinthians 8:9. Philippians 1:2, Philippians 1:6-8); wise (1 Corinthians 1:24); delivered (1 Corinthians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 1:25); none remembered (Isaiah 53:3); despised (1 Corinthians 1:28); words heard in quiet (Job 6:24. Ezekiel 1:24, Ezekiel 1:25. Luke 10:39).

men. Hebrew, plural of "enosh. App-14.

there was found = [some one] was found.

poor = unfortunate. Hebrew. misken. See note on Proverbs 6:11.

poor wise. Some codices, with three early printed editions, Aramaean, Septuagint, and Vulgate, read "poor but wise".

man. Hebrew. "ish. App-14.

fools = fat, inert. Hebrew. kesil. See note on Proverbs 1:7.