The Strand Study Bible

ECCLESIASTES 9:5

ECCLESIASTES 10:7

1022

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 for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. 7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Learn to enjoy your spouse 8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment. 9 1 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 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. 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 happeneth to them all. 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 2 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 h e by 3 his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16 Then said I, 4 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. Ecclesiastes 10 Woe to the wise man who acts foolishly Date Written - c. 970 BC/AM 3030 1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the 5 apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. 2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left. 3 Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool. Wise men practice controlled submission 4 If the 6 spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences. 5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error 7 which proceedeth from the ruler: 6 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.

1. Prov 5:15-19 2. II Sam 20:13-22 3. II Sam 20:22 4. Eccl 7:12,19 & 10:10 & Prov 21:22 & 24:5,10-12 5. or, “perfumer” 6. or, “temper” 7. that is, “which comes to the notice of the ruler” 8. Prov 19:10 & 30:21-22

7 I have seen 8 servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth. 9:8 White garments and ointment are symbols of festivity and joy. Solomon is reminding us that though much of life is futile, one must “grasp its opportunities” ( Let ) while he can and use them to the fullest in serving God. 9:10 Solomon was not advocating that life ended ( for there is no work ) after death ( in the grave ). Solomon believed in life after death. He said so in Ecclesiastes 12:7. What Solomon was saying here was that life on earth would be the only place of opportunity for accomplishment and reward (Psa 6:5 & 30:9 & 88:10-12 & 115:17 and Isa 38:18). 9:13 Because of his “God-given wisdom” ( this wisdom ), Solomon seemed to understand the futility of life better than most. Since the uncertainty of life hangs over us like a pendulum that is ready to swing down upon us at any moment, Solomon urged his readers to work for God today (vs 10) (Jn 9:1-4). 9:14 This little city was quite possibly the city of Abel of Beth-maachah (II Sam 20:15). 9:16 Sadly, in spite of the value of wisdom ( Wisdom is better than strength ), it often goes “unheeded” ( nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised ). 9:18 Although wisdom is always better than the mightiest weapons of war, yet one sinner can destroy many of wisdom’s accomplishments. 10:1 Just as a perfumer would discard an entire jar of perfume due to a dead fly in it, so people will often reject a wise man because of one mistake ( a little folly ) he might have made. Sadly, this is how life goes. 10:2 Whereas the right hand suggests that which is good and honorable (Lk 1:11), the left hand suggests that which is evil and dishonorable (Mt 25:41). 10:4 Yielding to the authorities over us is God’s will for our lives (Rom 13:1-7 and Heb 13:17 ). 10:5 The evil Solomon is referring to here (vs 5-7) is the unusual turn-a-bouts that are often experienced in life.