Ecclesiastes 4:1

The NET Bible®

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Contextual Overview

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I returned: Job 6:29, Malachi 3:18

and considered: Ecclesiastes 3:16, Ecclesiastes 5:8, Ecclesiastes 7:7, Exodus 1:13, Exodus 1:14, Exodus 1:16, Exodus 1:22, Exodus 2:23, Exodus 2:24, Exodus 5:16-19, Deuteronomy 28:33, Deuteronomy 28:48, Judges 4:3, Judges 10:7, Judges 10:8, Nehemiah 5:1-5, Job 24:7-12, Psalms 10:9, Psalms 10:10, Proverbs 28:3, Proverbs 28:15, Proverbs 28:16, Isaiah 5:7, Isaiah 51:23, Isaiah 59:7, Isaiah 59:13-15, Malachi 3:5

the tears: Psalms 42:3, Psalms 42:9, Psalms 80:5, Psalms 102:8, Psalms 102:9, Malachi 2:13, James 5:4

they had: Job 16:4, Job 19:21, Job 19:22, Psalms 69:20, Psalms 142:4, Proverbs 19:7, Lamentations 1:2, Lamentations 1:9, Matthew 26:56, 2 Timothy 4:16, 2 Timothy 4:17

side: Heb. hand

Reciprocal: Exodus 3:9 - and I have Exodus 5:19 - evil case 1 Kings 21:7 - Dost thou now 1 Kings 21:13 - they carried him Job 20:19 - Because Job 24:12 - groan Psalms 12:5 - oppression Psalms 72:12 - him Proverbs 24:30 - went Proverbs 30:14 - to devour Ecclesiastes 1:8 - man Ecclesiastes 4:7 - General Ecclesiastes 6:11 - General Ecclesiastes 9:11 - returned Ecclesiastes 10:5 - as an Isaiah 51:19 - by whom Amos 4:1 - which oppress Habakkuk 1:3 - General Revelation 14:13 - Blessed

Cross-References

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Gill's Notes on the Bible

So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun,.... The wise man, according to Aben Ezra, returned from the thought, which he had expressed in the latter part of the preceding chapter, that it was good for a man to rejoice in his works, and called it in; since he could not rejoice, when he considered the oppression and violence that were in the world; but it does not appear that he did call it in, for he afterwards repeats it: or rather he returns to his former subject, the abuse of power and authority, mentioned Ecclesiastes 3:16; and from whence he had digressed a little by the above observation; and takes a review of all kinds of oppressions which are done, and of all sorts of "oppressed" x ones, as some render it, which become so, under the sun; subjects by their prince; the stranger, widow, and fatherless, by unjust judges; the poor by the rich; servants and labourers by their masters; and the like. Moreover, he saw by the Holy Ghost, as Jarchi paraphrases it, all oppressions by a spirit of prophecy; he foresaw all the oppressions that would be done under the sun; as all the injuries done to the people of Israel in their several captivities; so to the church of Christ in Gospel times; all the persecutions of Rome Pagan, and also of Rome Papal; all that has or will be done by antichrist, the man of the earth, who before long will oppress no more, Psalms 10:18; the Targum restrains these oppressions to those which are done to the righteous in this world: and it is well observed by the wise man, that they are such as are under the sun, for there are none above it, nor any beyond the grave, Job 3:17;

and behold the tears of [such as were] oppressed; which their eyes poured out, and which ran down their cheeks, and were all they could do, having no power to help themselves: it is in the singular number, "and behold the tear" y; as if it was one continued stream of tears, which, like a torrent, flowed from them; or as if they had so exhausted the source of nature by weeping, that the fountain of tears was dried up, and scarce another could drop; or it was as much as could be, that another should drop from them: and this the wise man could not well behold, without weeping himself; it being the property of a good man to weep with them that weep, especially with good men oppressed;

and they had no comforter; to speak a comfortable word to them; not so much as to do that which would be some alleviation of their sorrow, much less to help them, no human comforter; and this is a very deplorable condition, Lamentations 1:2; indeed, when this is the case, good men under their oppressions have a divine Comforter; God comforts them under all their tribulations; one of the names of the Messiah is "the Consolation of Israel", Luke 2:25; and the Spirit of God is "another Comforter", John 14:16; and such are well off, when all other comforters are miserable ones, or other men have none;

and on the side of their oppressors [there was] power; to crush them and keep them under, or to hinder others from helping or comforting them: or there was no "power [to deliver them] out of the hand of their oppressors" z; so some render and supply the words; with which sense agrees the Targum,

"and there is none to redeem them out of the hand of their oppressors, by strength of hand and by power.''

It may be rendered, "out of the hand of their oppressors [comes] power", or violence; such as the oppressed are not able to withstand; so the Arabic version;

but they had no comforter: which is repeated, not so much for confirmation, as to excite attention and pity, and to express the affliction of the oppressed, and the cruelty of others; and this following on the other clause, leads to observe, that the power of the oppressor is what hinders and deters others from comforting. Jarchi interprets this whole verse of the damned in hell, punished for their evil works, weeping for their souls oppressed by the destroying angels; and so, he says, it is, explained in an ancient book of theirs, called Siphri.

x העשקים "oppressos", Montanus, Junius Tremellius, Drusius, Schmidt, Rambachius, so Broughton "fraudatos", Cocceius. y דמעת "lachryma", Montanus, Tigurine version, Cocceius, Rambachius. z ומיד עשקיהם כח "et quia deest facultas se vindicandi e manu opprimentium ipsos", Tigurine version; "aut evadendi e manu opprimentium se virtus", Junius Tremellius "nec vires ad evadendum a manu opprimentium ipsos", Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

So I returned, and considered - Rather, And I returned and saw. He turns to look upon other phenomena, and to test his previous conclusion by them.

Oppressed - See the introduction to Ecclesiastes.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER IV

The vanity of life is increased by oppression, 1-3;

by envy, 4;

by idleness, 5.

The misery of a solitary life, and the advantages of society,

6-12.

A poor and wise child; better than an old and foolish king, 13.

The uncertainty of popular favour, 14-16.

NOTES ON CHAP. IV

Verse Ecclesiastes 4:1. Considered all the oppressions — עשקים ashukim signifies any kind of injury which a man can receive in his person, his property, or his good fame.

On the side of their oppressors there was power — And, therefore, neither protection nor comfort for the oppressed.