It depends also on what kind of man has the handful or handfuls. It is better to be happy with a little, than unhappy with much. Taking the wisdom of the world, he pushes it to its logical end-points, which is what Francis Schaeffer did in his book The God Who is There . One man may get more real satisfaction out of a little than another man gets out of much. When a person is born, he is nothing, until the breath of life is breathed into him by God. Better is a handful with quietness - These may be the words of the slothful man, and spoken in vindication of his idleness; as if he had said, "Every man who labors and amasses property is the object of envy, and is marked by the oppressor as a subject for spoil; better, therefore, to act as I do; gain little, and have little, and enjoy my handful with quietness." Ecclesiastes 4:6 Better [is] an handful [with] quietness, than both the hands full [with] travail and vexation of spirit. "Both fists full of, etc," is as much as "both fists full of good," which more carefully looked into, is after all only travail and empty effort. NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: ECCLESIASTES 4:4-6 4 I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. Ecclesiastes 4:6 Context. Ecclesiastes is wisdom literature in regard to kind of a big picture of life. One handful of grain is better than two handfuls of chaff. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had # Lam. In my previous post I pointed to the "Wisdom" literature of the Old Testament (usually said to comprise Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes), suggesting that this is a good time for all of us to ingest some wisdom from those who went before. Solomon is speaking here, as if that life was not breathed into him, and he was a baby who never lived. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. 4 ¶ Againe I considered all trauaile, and euery right worke, that for this a man is enuied of his neighbour: this is also vanitie, and vexation of spirit. — This verse confirms what has been said to the credit of the lazy man, and really assigns a reason for the statement of, in place of “with,” and Hebrew usage would demand it — “handful, "One hand full or rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind", John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Keil & Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary, Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible, Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments, George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged, Ernst Hengstenberg on John, Revelation, Ecclesiastes, Ezekiel & Psalms. by the bitter experience mentioned in Ecclesiastes 4:4, to do well, and not to go beyond that which is strictly necessary. It is pitched in the same key as the maxim of the Apostle Paul: “Godliness with contentment is great gain”: and it reminds us of the still more inclusive maxim of our Lord Himself: “A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (T. C. If one individual and another individual make a twofold cord, the threefold cord must have an additional element that we can infer to be God Almighty. Plenty of people do not think there is much meaning to life. Ecclesiastes 4:6 Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than both the hands full [with] travail and vexation of spirit. Ecclesiastes is a book in the Old Testament of the Bible.It is described as "the words of the Philosopher, David's son, who was King in Jerusalem" (verse 1).This is probably Solomon.The book talks about the meaning of life and the best way to live.. People disagree about what the Book of Ecclesiastes means. It depends on what is in the hands. 9:11 Again I # ch. Does it have meaning or not? It would be better to use of in place of “with,” and Hebrew usage would demand it — “handful of quietness,” “both the hands full of travail.”. Ecclesiastes 11:5 “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. Ecclesiastes 4:6 Context. רוּח נחת, satisfaction, contentment, comfort. The answer lies in rightly facing sinful drives that urge us to follow the world in its evil quests. The striving of a man who laboriously seeks only himself and loses himself in restlessness, is truly a striving which has wind for its object, and has the property of wind. Definition of ecclesiastes in the Definitions.net dictionary. They often become great and … The fifth verse stands in a relation of contrast to this which follows: “Better is one hand full of quietness, than both fists full of labour and windy effort.” Mendelssohn and others interpret Ecclesiastes 4:5 as the objection of the industrious, and Ecclesiastes 4:6 as the reply of the slothful. Atheists love to contend that the book of Ecclesiastes seems to confirm that view. (Menochius). Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. Better is an handful with quietness.] Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil … These are the words of the fool, according to Aben Ezra; and which is the sense of other interpreters, particularly Mr. Broughton, who connects this verse with Ecclesiastes 4:5 by adding at the end of that the word "saying"; making an excuse or an apology for himself and conduct, from the use and profitableness of his sloth; that little had with ease, and without toil and labour, is much better. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, , etc. As everywhere, so also here it preserves the unity of the combination of thoughts. "One hand full of rest"-"Better is a handful with rest, than both fists full of toil and chasing after wind" (Ber). Taught by such an experience they will be satisfied with a humble and limited lot. — This verse confirms what has been said to the credit of the lazy man, and really assigns a reason for the statement of Ecclesiastes 4:5. Many of them might be disposed to murmur because the times were adverse to their acquisition of wealth. Ecclesiastes 4:6. See the note on Ecclesiastes 12:2-3. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. He summarizes how to avoid the influence of the corruption. Ecclesiastes is one of the favorite books of the Bible for skeptics, scoffers, atheists and certain of the cultists. Commentary on Ecclesiastes 4:4-6 (Read Ecclesiastes 4:4-6) Solomon notices the sources of trouble peculiar to well-doers, and includes all who labour with diligence, and whose efforts are crowned with success. The reason for that is that there are certain passages in this book which seem to deny that there is life after death, that it is all over when this life ends. Hebrew; “One open hand (palm) full of quietness, than both closed hands full of travail.” “Quietness” (mental tranquillity flowing from honest labor), opposed to “eating one‘s own flesh” (Ecclesiastes 4:5), also opposed to anxious labor to gain (Ecclesiastes 4:8; Proverbs 15:16, Proverbs 15:17; Proverbs 16:8). Ver. Ecclesiastes, (Preacher), an Old Testament book of wisdom literature that belongs to the third section of the biblical canon, known as the Ketuvim (Writings). What does ecclesiastes mean? a penny by begging better than twopence by true labour? Zצckler agrees with Hitz., and lapses into the hypothesis of a dialogue otherwise rejected by him. These are the words of the slothful, (Calmet) or of truth. Browse Sermons on Ecclesiastes 4:6. 2. Ecclesiastes 6:4 "For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness. " High popularity:210 searches a month. The sequence of the thoughts is this: The fool in idleness consumes his own life-strength; but, on the other hand, a little of true rest is better than the labour of windy effort, urged on by rivalry yielding no rest. would say, No, I dont think so. Information and translations of ecclesiastes in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. §118. Ecclesiastes 4:6 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Ecclesiastes 4:6, NIV: "Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind." But in order to get the significance of that verse and the section it’s in, we need to back up just a little. Ecclesiastes 4:6. 5:8; Job 35:9 the oppressions that are done under the sun. To get what Ecclesiastes 4:6 means based on its source text, scroll down or follow these links for the original scriptural meaning , biblical context and relative popularity. נחת signifies here, as little as it does anywhere else, the rest of sloth; but rest, in contrast to such activity in labour as robs a man of himself, to the hunting after gain and honour which never has enough, to the rivalry which places its goal always higher and higher, and seeks to be before others - it is rest connected with well-being (Ecclesiastes 6:5), gentle quietness (Ecclesiastes 9:17), resting from self-activity (Isaiah 30:15); cf. “Rest” and “labour and windy effort” are the accusatives of that to which the designation of measure refers (Gesen. Ecclesiastes is a phonetic transliteration of the Greek word Ἐκκλησιαστής (Ekklesiastes), which in the Septuagint translates the Hebrew name of its stated author, Kohelet (קֹהֶלֶת). Those living by faith will face the pulls of the corruption and endeavor to resist them as they strive to live above-the-sun lives by faith. Two handfuls are not necessarily better than one. See more. It is well observed by an interpreter, that this sentence uttered by the sluggard, is, in its true meaning, not much different from that of the wise man in Proverbs 17:1, but ill applied by him. Or the words may contain Solomon's reflection on the subject. Good words are not always to be trusted, from ill men especially. The Targum is, "better to a man is a handful of food with quietness of soul, and without robbery and rapine, than two handfuls of food with robbery and rapine;''. כּף is the open hollow hand, and חפן (Assyr. Happiness, in its degree and quality, varies with the man who enjoys, as welt as with the means of enjoyment. The book of Ecclesiastes has long been my… 5 The foole foldeth his hands together, and eateth his owne flesh. I have written on the Book of Ecclesiastes and the subject of the meaning of our lives on several occasions on this blog.In this series on Ecclesiastes I hope to show how secular humanist man can not hope to find a lasting meaning to his life in a closed system without bringing God back into the picture. He that observeth the wind, shall not sow, &c. — He who neglects the necessary works of sowing and reaping, because the weather is not exactly suitable to his desires, will lose his harvest. And so, this is the meaning of Ecclesiastes: We live in a broken world where life is confusing and chaotic, filled with things that seem satisfying but actually leave us empty, hurt, and/or angry. "Quietness" (tranquillity flowing from moderate labour) is the happy mean between ruinous indolence on the one hand (Ecclesiastes 4:5), and laborious acquisition of wealth, and with it envy, on the other (Ecclesiastes 4:4 ; Proverbs 15:16-17; Proverbs 16:8). The “quietness” here spoken of is not the inactivity of sloth, but that restfulness of spirit which an industrious man may enjoy when his industry is pervaded by a cheerful contentment. Ecclesiastes 4:4. The meaning of Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 shows that Solomon is speaking of what awaits us after we die. 1 # ch. Ecclesiastes 4:6 NIV - Better one handful with tranquillity - Bible Gateway. “a handful of repose, … two handfuls of travail and feeding on wind.”, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. Ecclesiastes 11:4. Meaning of ecclesiastes. 5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. Ecclesiastes 11:5 Meaning of Path of the Wind. Solomon is saying, that many times with great wealth and success, goes much unhappiness. Ecclesiastes 4:6. Hebrew, 'one open hand (palm) full of quietness, than both closed hands (fists) full of (what seems wealth, but which is really) travail.' Or. 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