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Wednesday 5/24/26
Thru the Bible: Let my words be Few
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Let my words be Few
Ecclesiastes 4:1-16, (ESV)
In this chapter Solomon appears to use sets of three to illustrate different aspects of human life as futile, evil, oppressive or fleeting.
The use of three may, and probably was deliberate – with three being a number of some importance to the Jewish people. The number three. often being associated with balance, completeness, harmony, and connection. In these cases it almost certainly was used to illustrate the full spectrum of a given topic or scenario.
I say that Solomon “appears” to use sets of three because the last example may only contain two. Two among the ancient Jews was a number of duality and witness, the unity between two extremes. So it is possible that Solomon was deliberately ending with an example of two, as a type of literary exclamation point to all he had said.
Oppression – the oppressed, the oppressor and the unborn
“(1) So I again considered all the oppression that continually occurs on earth. This is what I saw:
The oppressed were in tears, but no one was comforting them; no one delivers them from the power of their oppressors.
(2) So I considered those who are dead and gone more fortunate than those who are still alive. (3) But better than both is the one who has not been born and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth.”
Work – none, sufficient & workaholic
“(4) Then I considered all the skillful work that is done:
Surely it is nothing more than competition between one person and another. This also is profitless – like chasing the wind.
(5) The fool folds his hands and does no work, so he has nothing to eat but his own flesh.
(6) Better is one handful with some rest than two hands full of toil and chasing the wind.”
1, 2 or 3: alone, paired up, a confederate (ally)
“(7) So I again considered another futile thing on earth:
(8) A man who is all alone with no companion, he has no children nor siblings; yet there is no end to all his toil, and he is never satisfied with riches.
He laments, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?”
This also is futile and a burdensome task!
(9) Two people are better than one, because they can reap more benefit from their labor. (10) For if they fall, one will help his companion up, but pity the person who falls down and has no one to help him up. (11) Furthermore, if two lie down together, they can keep each other warm, but how can one person keep warm by himself?
(12) Although an assailant may overpower one person, two can withstand him. Moreover, a three-stranded cord is not quickly broken.”
Now Solomon branches into a hypothetical scenario in which he was able to illustrate what was to him one of the greatest travesties of life. That is, the short-lived praise and fame humans achieve in this life.
Much has to be read into this passage for it to possess any cohesion and many attempts have been made. The greatest of these are but a few, however, in the end it makes no difference whatsoever, because the overall point is still communicated regardless.
Power and fame are fleeting: An unwise king, a poor wise youth, a young successor
“(13) A poor but wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive advice. (14) For he came out of prison to become king, even though he had been born poor in what would become his kingdom.”
The one referred to as “he” here is either the king of the youth. In either case assumptions have to be made, but again it really does not matter.
“(15) I considered all the living who walk on earth, as well as the successor who would arise in his place.”
Arise in whose place – the king who started off poor but was not wise, or the poor youth who was wise and became king or is it yet another and third youth who comes up after the first one? Again, nothing can be said with certainty about this, but it does not matter. For the following point remains regardless of who the players on the field are.
“(16) There is no end to all the people nor to the past generations, yet future generations will not rejoice in him.
This also is profitless and like chasing the wind.”
The point is that fame and the praise of man is fleeting and rarely lasts even an entire lifetime, much less afterwards. Each generation looks at the preceding one as if they simply didn’t have a clue what was truly important in life and so they seek for others to lead them in a reform they are just certain will make their generation the greatest. The effect almost always results in the leaders of the previous generation fading into history as little more than a footnote of diminishing importance.
“He has reached a pinnacle of human glory, only to be stranded there. It is yet another of our human anticlimaxes and ultimately empty achievements.” (Kidner)
Ecclesiastes 5:1-20,
Solomon picks back up a familiar refrain from his proverbs regarding words, wisdom and fools.
“(1) Be careful what you do when you go to the temple of God; draw near to listen rather than to offer a sacrifice like fools, for they do not realize that they are doing wrong.”
The fool is not only one who talks too much without realizing the implications of what he is saying, but even worse, he does not even have the reverence for God to realize that in God’s house less of his words is more and that by multiplying his words he shows contempt for God and for his own soul.
“(2) Do not be rash with your mouth or hasty in your heart to bring up a matter before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth! Therefore, let your words be few.”
The word for “matter” as in “hasty in your heart to bring up a matter before God”, is the Hebrew word ָדָּבר dāḇār and is very broad in its possible meanings though by itself it simply means “speech”, and “utterance” or a “word”.
Since Solomon is about to address vows, this may simply be counseling fools to not be brash or too quick to make a vow to God. In Numbers 30:2 we have outlined for us the framework for uttering legal and sacred conditional vows to God. It says that if a person makes a vow to the Lord, “he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” This was a quid quo pro approach to prayer. God if you will do this then I vow to do this in response. Most typically, man’s action was only required if God honored the vow by fulfilling the request – Hannah with Sampson (1 Samuel 1:11), Jacob regarding God’s protection and provision for him as he flees his brother Esau (Genesis 31:13) and of course Jephthah which is so wildly misunderstood (Judges 11:30-31).
Deuteronomy 23:21-23 tells us that making a vow before God is completely voluntary, but once a person initiates this conditional pact, it becomes an obligation. God requires payment, and failing to hold up your end of the spiritual quid pro quo is explicitly called a sin.
So it is possible that this is what Solomon is referring to.
I can’t tell you why, but I believe it is something else altogether. I believe Solomon is referring to bringing a perceived wrong before God for which one wants justice. This too may be spoken as a vow and so perhaps both are true.
Regardless, the counsel offered remains the same.
“(3) Just as dreams come when there are many cares, so the rash vow of a fool occurs when there are many words.
(4) When you make a vow to God, do not delay in paying it. For God takes no pleasure in fools: Pay what you vow! (5) It is better for you not to vow than to vow and not pay it.
(6) Do not let your mouth cause you to sin, and do not tell the priest, “It was a mistake!” Why make God angry at you so that He would destroy the work of your hands?”
The implication here is that if you fail to honor your vow, God’s judgment may be realized in some external form of disaster. Of course, there are many provisions for repentance and even nullification of vows, but if spoken and not accomplished one could expect these broken vows to reap a response from God. [See Jephthah’s Vow & God Commissions the Second Generation.]
“(7) Just as there is futility in many dreams, so also in many words. Therefore, fear God!”
An expression of reverence for God is silence before Him.
Money, provision and wealth are fleeting
“(8) If you see the extortion of the poor, or the perversion of justice and fairness in the government, do not be astonished by the matter. For the high official is watched by a higher official, and there are higher ones over them!
(9) The produce of the land is seized by all of them, even the king is served by the fields.”
“(10) The one who loves money will never be satisfied with money, he who loves wealth will never be satisfied with his income. This also is futile.”
(11) When someone’s prosperity increases, those who consume it also increase; so what does its owner gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes?
(12) The sleep of the laborer is pleasant – whether he eats little or much – but the wealth of the rich will not allow him to sleep.”
Now Solomon launches into three misfortunes, the last of which appears at the beginning of chapter 6 and largely carries its theme.
The noun רָעָה (raʿah) means evil but here it probably carries the idea of “misfortune” or “injustice or wrong”. It appears 22 times in this short book.
“(13) Here is a misfortune on earth that I have seen:
Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery. (14) Then that wealth was lost through bad luck; although he fathered a son, he has nothing left to give him.
(15) Just as he came forth from his mother’s womb, naked will he return as he came, and he will take nothing in his hand that he may carry away from his toil.
(16) This is another misfortune:
Just as he came, so will he go. What did he gain from toiling for the wind? (17) Surely, he ate in darkness every day of his life, and he suffered greatly with sickness and anger.
(18) I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people: to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all their hard work on earth during the few days of their life which God has given them, for this is their reward.
(19) To every man whom God has given wealth, and possessions, He has also given him the ability to eat from them, to receive his reward and to find enjoyment in his toil; these things are the gift of God.
(20) For he does not think much about the fleeting days of his life because God keeps him preoccupied with the joy he derives from his activity.”
Ecclesiastes 6:1-12,
“(1) Here is another misfortune that I have seen on earth, and it weighs heavily on people:
(2) God gives a man riches, property, and wealth so that he lacks nothing that his heart desires, yet God does not enable him to enjoy the fruit of his labor – instead, someone else enjoys it! This is fruitless and a grave misfortune.
(3) Even if a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years – even if he lives a long, long time, but cannot enjoy his prosperity – even if he were to live forever – I would say, “A stillborn child is better off than he is!”
(4) Though the stillborn child came into the world for no reason and departed into darkness, though its name is shrouded in darkness, (5) though it never saw the light of day nor knew anything, yet it has more rest than that man – (6) if he should live a thousand years twice, yet does not enjoy his prosperity. For both of them die!
(7) All of man’s labor is for nothing more than to fill his stomach – yet his appetite is never satisfied! (8) So what advantage does a wise man have over a fool? And what advantage does a pauper gain by knowing how to survive?
(9) It is better to be content with what the eyes can see than for one’s heart always to crave more. This continual longing is futile – like chasing the wind.
(10) Whatever has happened was foreordained, and what happens to a person was also foreknown. It is useless for him to argue with God about his fate because God is more powerful than he is.
(11) The more one argues with words, the less he accomplishes. How does that benefit him?
(12) For no one knows what is best for a person during his life – during the few days of his fleeting life – for they pass away like a shadow. Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth.”
Blessings!
Blessings!
