Oppression, Futility, and the Strength of Companionship
Ecclesiastes 4:1-12
Ecc.4.1 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ושבתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- ואראה: VERB,qal,imperfect,1,com,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- העשקים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- נעשים: VERB,nif,ptcp,?,m,pl
- תחת: PREP
- השמש: NOUN,f,sg,def
- והנה: ADV
- דמעת: NOUN,f,sg,const
- העשקים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- מנחם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ומיד: CONJ+PREP
- עשקיהם: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- כח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- מנחם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Job 24:1-12 (thematic): Job laments unchecked injustice and enumerates the sufferings of the poor—their groans and lack of redress—echoing Qoheleth’s observation of oppressed tears and apparent absence of comfort.
- Psalm 10:17-18 (thematic): Speaks of the LORD attending to the desire of the poor and vindicating the oppressed, directly addressing the problem of those who cry out without a comforter or defender.
- Proverbs 22:22-23 (verbal): Warns against robbing the poor because God will plead their cause and rescue them—responds to the situation where the oppressed have no human comforter or help.
- Amos 5:11-12 (thematic): Condemns those who exploit and oppress the poor (imposing hard exactions and taking spoil), highlighting the social reality of powerful oppressors and suffering victims like Ecclesiastes describes.
- Isaiah 10:1-3 (thematic): Denounces unjust laws and the leaders who pervert justice to exploit the needy and widows—paralleling the prophetic critique of powerful oppressors and the lack of relief for the afflicted.
Alternative generated candidates
- I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the heavens. Behold the tears of the oppressed—there is no one to comfort them; and the power is with their oppressors—there is no one to comfort them.
- I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. Behold the tears of the oppressed—they had no comforter; and the power was on the side of their oppressors, and they had no comforter.
Ecc.4.2 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ושבח: VERB,qal,impf,1,m,sg
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- המתים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- שכבר: ADV
- מתו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3,m,sg
- מן: PREP
- החיים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- המה: PRON,3,m,pl
- חיים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- עדנה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ecclesiastes 4:1 (structural): Immediate context: speaks of oppression and the plight of the living under wrath, which leads the narrator to prefer the dead.
- Ecclesiastes 4:3 (structural): Direct continuation/contrast within the book: compares the dead, the living, and those not yet born in light of seeing life's evil.
- Job 3:11-13 (thematic): Job laments his birth and wishes he had died at birth—expresses the same preference for death over a life of suffering.
- Isaiah 57:1-2 (thematic): Portrays the righteous as taken away from evil to enter peace, implying death can be a relief from the woes of life.
- 1 Kings 19:4 (thematic): Elijah, exhausted and despairing, prays that he might die—another instance of preferring death to continuing a burdensome life.
Alternative generated candidates
- I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are yet alive.
- And I commended the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still alive.
Ecc.4.3 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- וטוב: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg
- משניהם: PREP+NUM,m,pl,abs,3,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- אשר: PRON,rel
- עדן: NOUN,m,sg,abs,prop
- לא: PART_NEG
- היה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לא: PART_NEG
- ראה: VERB,qal,imperat,2,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- המעשה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הרע: ADJ,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- נעשה: VERB,qal,impf,1,pl
- תחת: PREP
- השמש: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Ecclesiastes 4:1 (structural): Immediate context: 4:1 describes oppression and the comparison between the dead and the living that leads directly into 4:3’s conclusion about it being better not to have been born.
- Ecclesiastes 2:17 (verbal): Voices the same sentiment—'I hated life' and laments what is done 'under the sun'—echoing the despair that makes non‑existence seem preferable.
- Job 3:3-11 (thematic): Job’s lament wishing the day of his birth had perished and that he had never been born parallels the idea that it is better never to have seen the evil done under the sun.
- Jeremiah 20:14-18 (thematic): Jeremiah’s curse on the day of his birth and wish that he had not been born reflect the same motif of preferring non‑existence because of suffering and evil witnessed in life.
Alternative generated candidates
- And better than both of them is he who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the heavens.
- And better than both of them is the one who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work done under the sun.
Ecc.4.4 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- וראיתי: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,1,sg
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- עמל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- כל: DET
- כשרון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המעשה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- כי: CONJ
- היא: PRON,dem,3,f,sg
- קנאת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מרעהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- גם: ADV
- זה: PRON,dem,m,sg
- הבל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ורעות: CONJ+ADJ,f,pl,abs
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ecclesiastes 1:14 (verbal): Uses the same language and theme—'I have seen all the works that are done under the sun' concluding that it is 'vanity and a striving after wind,' echoing 4:4's verdict on toil and achievement.
- Ecclesiastes 2:11 (verbal): Solomon reviews his own accomplishments and declares them 'vanity and a striving after wind,' a direct verbal and thematic parallel to 4:4's judgment on labor that provokes envy.
- Ecclesiastes 2:18-23 (thematic): Discusses toil and sorrow when one works for others and is envied or loses the product of labor—closely related to 4:4's concern with work motivated by rivalry and its futility.
- Ecclesiastes 4:7-8 (structural): Continues the chapter's critique of solitary or purposeless toil—portrays the futility of working alone for no lasting gain, reinforcing 4:4's theme of vanity in competitive labor.
- Psalm 127:1-2 (thematic): Warns that labor is vain without the Lord ('It is vain for you to rise up early...'), echoing the biblical motif that human effort apart from right ends is ultimately futile like the 'striving after wind' in 4:4.
Alternative generated candidates
- I saw all the toil and all the skill of work; it is because of a man's envy of his neighbor—this too is vanity and a striving after wind.
- I saw all the toil and every skilful undertaking, and behold, it is the envy of one man for another—this also is vanity and a vexation of spirit.
Ecc.4.5 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- הכסיל: NOUN,m,sg,def
- חבק: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- ידיו: NOUN,f,pl,abs,suff:3,m,sg
- ואכל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- בשרו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 21:25 (verbal): Speaks of the sluggard whose craving brings death because his hands refuse to work—close verbal/thematic parallel to a fool folding his hands and thus destroying himself.
- Proverbs 26:15 (verbal): Uses the image of a sluggard’s inactive hand (burying it in the dish) to convey extreme laziness, echoing Ecclesiastes’ picture of folded hands and self-consumption.
- Proverbs 6:9-11 (thematic): Warns that prolonged idleness and sleep lead to poverty and ruin, paralleling the idea that inactivity (folded hands) brings harm to oneself.
- Ecclesiastes 10:18 (structural): Within the same book, links slackness/idle hands to physical decay (roof sagging), a structural parallel showing neglect leads to self-inflicted loss.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (allusion): New Testament admonition that unwillingness to work results in not eating—thematic resonance with the motif that failing to labor (folding hands) produces one’s own want or harm.
Alternative generated candidates
- The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.
- The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.
Ecc.4.6 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- מלא: ADJ,m,sg
- כף: NOUN,f,sg,construct
- נחת: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ממלא: VERB,piel,part,1,ms
- חפנים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- עמל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ורעות: CONJ+ADJ,f,pl,abs
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 15:16 (verbal): Same comparative formula (“Better is... than...”) and contrast between modest good (little with peace/fear of the Lord) and greater wealth accompanied by trouble.
- Ecclesiastes 2:24 (thematic): Within Qoheleth’s own reflection: endorses modest enjoyment of what one has and finding value in simple, non‑anxious satisfaction rather than exhausting pursuit.
- 1 Timothy 6:6-8 (thematic): Affirms contentment over the pursuit of riches: 'godliness with contentment is great gain' and being satisfied with food and clothing instead of craving more.
- Philippians 4:11-12 (thematic): Paul’s emphasis on having learned to be content in every circumstance parallels the valuation of a modest, peaceful share over anxious accumulation.
- Luke 12:15-21 (thematic): The parable of the rich fool warns that accumulating more (and the anxious toil behind it) is ultimately vain—echoing the contrast between a quiet handful and frantic pursuit.
Alternative generated candidates
- Better is a handful of contentment than two handfuls of toil and a striving after wind.
- Better is a handful with quiet than two handfuls with toil and vexation of spirit.
Ecc.4.7 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ושבתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- ואראה: VERB,qal,imperfect,1,com,sg
- הבל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תחת: PREP
- השמש: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Ecclesiastes 1:2 (quotation): The book's opening refrain 'Vanity of vanities' echoes the same judgment of emptiness 'under the sun' proclaimed in 4:7.
- Ecclesiastes 1:14 (verbal): The narrator states 'I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity,' a close verbal and thematic parallel to 'I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.'
- Ecclesiastes 2:11 (verbal): After reviewing his labors the speaker concludes 'all was vanity and vexation of spirit,' repeating the verdict of futility that 4:7 expresses.
- Psalm 39:5-6 (thematic): Speaks of human life and pursuits as a 'vapor' or 'vanity,' thematically resonating with Ecclesiastes' claim that things under the sun are transient and ultimately meaningless.
Alternative generated candidates
- I returned and saw vanity under the heavens.
- Again I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
Ecc.4.8 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- יש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אחד: NUM,card,m,sg
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
- שני: NUM,m,pl,construct
- גם: ADV
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואח: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אין: PART,neg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
- קץ: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לכל: PREP
- עמלו: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- גם: ADV
- עינו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- תשבע: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- עשר: NUM,card,m,sg,cons
- ולמי: CONJ+PREP,interr
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- עמל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ומחסר: CONJ+VERB,qal,part,ms,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- נפשי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+1cs
- מטובה: PREP+ADJ,f,sg
- גם: ADV
- זה: PRON,dem,m,sg
- הבל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וענין: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Ecclesiastes 4:7 (verbal): Immediate parallel/repetition in the same passage: same image of a solitary person without heirs whose toil is endless and whose desires are unsatisfied.
- Ecclesiastes 2:18-23 (thematic): Reflection on the futility of labor and the problem of leaving one’s work to someone who did not toil for it—questions the profit of toil when there is no lasting benefit.
- Ecclesiastes 5:10 (verbal): Direct statement that love of wealth breeds insatiability—echoes the motif that the eye (or desire) is not satisfied with riches.
- Luke 12:16-21 (thematic): Parable of the rich fool: intense accumulation and pleasure-deprivation for no lasting gain—parallels the question 'For whom am I toiling?' and the futility of selfish hoarding.
- James 4:14 (allusion): Life described as a mist/brief vapor—reflects Ecclesiastes’ central motif of hevel/vanity and undergirds the judgment that relentless toil for transient ends is futile.
Alternative generated candidates
- There is one who is alone, without a second; he has neither son nor brother, yet there is no end to his toil. His eye is not satisfied with riches—for whom does he toil, and deprive his soul of good? This also is vanity and an evil business.
- There is one who is alone, and there is no second; neither son nor brother has he, yet there is no end to all his labors, and his eyes are not satisfied with riches. 'For whom do I toil and deprive my soul of good?' This also is vanity and a grievous business.
Ecc.4.9 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- טובים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- השנים: NOUN,f,pl,def
- מן: PREP
- האחד: PRON,indef,sg,m
- אשר: PRON,rel
- יש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- שכר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- בעמלם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 2:18 (thematic): God observes that it is not good for man to be alone and provides a helper—emphasizing the beneficence and necessity of companionship, akin to 'two are better than one.'
- Proverbs 27:17 (thematic): 'Iron sharpens iron' highlights mutual benefit and improvement through relationship, paralleling the advantage and reward of cooperative labor.
- Matthew 18:20 (verbal): 'For where two or three are gathered...' echoes the numerical focus on small-group presence and the special efficacy or benefit found in pairs/companies.
- Ecclesiastes 4:12 (structural): Same chapter’s concluding image of a threefold cord not easily broken extends the argument about strength and support found in companionship and cooperative effort.
Alternative generated candidates
- Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.
- Two are better than one, for they have a good reward for their toil.
Ecc.4.10 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- אם: CONJ
- יפלו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- האחד: PRON,indef,sg,m
- יקים: VERB,hiph,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- חברו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms_suf
- ואילו: CONJ
- האחד: PRON,indef,sg,m
- שיפול: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
- שני: NUM,m,pl,construct
- להקימו: VERB,hif,inf,-,-,-,3ms_suf
Parallels
- Ecclesiastes 4:9 (structural): Immediate parallel in the same pericope—‘Two are better than one’ expresses the positive side of mutual support that explains why one can lift up the other.
- Ecclesiastes 4:12 (structural): Same chapter develops the theme of mutual aid—three are stronger than one, underscoring the vulnerability of the lone person who falls and has no helper.
- Proverbs 17:17 (thematic): Affirms friendship and loyalty in adversity—‘a friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity,’ resonating with the claim that a companion helps when one falls.
- Proverbs 27:17 (thematic): ‘Iron sharpens iron’ highlights reciprocal benefit and mutual strengthening, a parallel idea to one person helping another up after a fall.
- Galatians 6:2 (verbal): ‘Bear one another’s burdens’ echoes the New Testament ethic of mutual support—practical assistance and lifting up those who are weak or have fallen.
Alternative generated candidates
- For if one falls, the other will lift up his companion; but if one falls and there is no second, there is not another to lift him up.
- For if they fall, one will lift up his companion; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, for there is no one to lift him up.
Ecc.4.11 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- גם: ADV
- אם: CONJ
- ישכבו: VERB,qal,imf,3,m,pl
- שנים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- וחם: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,f,sg
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- ולאחד: CONJ+PREP+NUM,m,sg
- איך: ADV
- יחם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (structural): Immediate context: the famous saying 'two are better than one' and the example of one lifting the other when fallen—verse 11 continues the same argument about the practical benefits of companionship.
- Ecclesiastes 4:12 (structural): Close continuation of the same unit: the image of a threefold cord not quickly broken intensifies the argument that companionship provides protection and strength beyond the individual.
- Genesis 2:18 (thematic): God's declaration that 'it is not good for the man to be alone' provides an earlier theological articulation of human need for companionship, paralleling Ecclesiastes' practical observation about two keeping warm.
- Psalm 133:1 (thematic): 'How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity'—celebrates the blessing and benefit of togetherness, echoing the positive value of companionship in Ecclesiastes 4:11.
- Proverbs 27:17 (thematic): 'Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another'—expresses the reciprocal advantage of close association, similar to Ecclesiastes' point that people benefit materially and morally from companionship.
Alternative generated candidates
- Also if two lie down together, they keep warm; but how can one be warm alone?
- Again, if two lie together they keep warm; but how can one be warm alone?
Ecc.4.12 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ואם: CONJ
- יתקפו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- האחד: PRON,indef,sg,m
- השנים: NOUN,f,pl,def
- יעמדו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- נגדו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- והחוט: NOUN,m,sg,def
- המשלש: ADJ,m,sg,def
- לא: PART_NEG
- במהרה: ADV
- ינתק: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Ecclesiastes 4:9-11 (structural): Immediate context: the preceding verses develop the same argument (two are better than one; if one falls the other helps), culminating in the image of a threefold cord—an internal parallel and continuation of the thought.
- Genesis 2:24 (thematic): The image of two becoming united (one flesh) echoes the theme of mutual support and strength found in pairing—marital unity as a foundational example of ‘two’ forming a durable bond.
- Matthew 18:20 (thematic): Jesus' saying that where two or three are gathered his presence is among them connects to the idea that small numbers joined together carry power or benefit beyond individuals—a New Testament reflection on communal strength.
- Psalm 133:1-3 (thematic): Celebrates the goodness and blessing of brethren dwelling together in unity; like Ecclesiastes 4:12 it affirms the positive value and resilience of harmonious togetherness.
Alternative generated candidates
- And if one can be overpowered, two can withstand him; a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
- If one can be overpowered, two can withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
I returned and saw all the oppressed who are afflicted under the sun; behold, their tears, and there is no one to comfort them; the power is with their oppressors, and there is no one to comfort them.
I praised the dead—those already dead—more than the living who are yet alive. And better than both of them is the one who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.
I saw all the toil and all the cleverness in work; it is rivalry of one man with his neighbor—this too is vanity and vexation of spirit.
The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.
Better a handful of quiet than two handfuls of toil and vexation of spirit.
I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
There is one who is alone, who has neither son nor brother; yet there is no end to his labor, and his eye is not satisfied with wealth. "To whom do I labor, and deprive my soul of good?"—this also is vanity and a grievous business.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.
For if one falls, the other will lift up his companion; but woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up.
Again, if two lie together they keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.