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ושׁבח7623 אני589 את853 המתים4191 שׁכבר3528 מתו4191 מן4480 החיים2416 אשׁר834 המה1992 חיים2416 עדנה׃5728

Job 6:29 Mal 3:18

Verse 1. Considered all the oppressions - µyq¨[ 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.

Verse 2. Wherefore I praised the dead - I considered those happy who had escaped from the pilgrimage of life to the place where the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary are at rest.

Ver. 1. So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun , etc.] 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” 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, ( Psalm 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 3:17,18); 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” f97 ; 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 1:2,9,16,17 Psalm 69:20); 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” f98 ; 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.

Ver. 2. Wherefore I praised the dead, which are already dead , etc.] Truly and properly so; not in a figurative sense, as dead sinners, men dead in trespasses and sins; nor carnal professors, that have a name to live, and are dead; nor in a civil sense, such as are in calamity and distress, as the Jews in captivity, or in any affliction, which is sometimes called death: but such who are dead in a literal and natural sense, really and thoroughly dead; not who may and will certainly die, but who are dead already and in their graves, and not all these; not the wicked dead, who are in hell, in everlasting torments; but the righteous dead, who are taken away from the evil to come, and are free from all the oppressions of their enemies, sin, Satan, and the world. The Targum is, “I praised those that lie down or are asleep, who, behold, are now dead;” a figure by which death is often expressed, both in the Old and New Testament; sleep being, as the poet says, the image of death; and a great likeness there is between them; Homer calls sleep and death twins. The same paraphrase adds, “and see not the vengeance which comes upon the world after their death;” (see Isaiah 57:1,2). The wise man did not make panegyrics or encomiums on those persons, but he pronounced them happy; he judged them in his own mind to be so; and to be much more happy than the living which are yet alive : that live under the oppression of others; that live in this world in trouble until now, as the Targum; of whom it is as much as it can be said that they are alive; they are just alive, and that is all; they are as it were between life and death. This is generally understood as spoken according to human sense, and the judgment of the flesh, without any regard to the glory and happiness of the future state; that the dead must be preferred to the living, when the quiet of the one, and the misery of the other, are observed; and which sense receives confirmation from ( Ecclesiastes 4:3): otherwise it is a great truth, that the righteous dead, who die in Christ and are with him, are much more happy than living saints; since they are freed from sin; are out of the reach of Satan’s temptations; are no more liable to darkness and desertions; are freed from all doubts and fears; cease from all their labours, toil, and trouble; and are delivered from all afflictions, persecutions, and oppressions; which is not the case of living saints: and besides, the joys which they possess, the company they are always in, and the work they are employed about, give them infinitely the preference to all on earth; (see Revelation 14:13 Philippians 1:21,23).

Eccl. 4:1-3 It grieved Solomon to see might prevail against right Wherever we turn, we see melancholy proofs of the wickedness and miser of mankind, who try to create trouble to themselves and to each other Being thus hardly used, men are tempted to hate and despise life. But good man, though badly off while in this world, cannot have cause to wish he had never been born, since he is glorifying the Lord, even in the fires, and will be happy at last, for ever happy. Ungodly men have most cause to wish the continuance of life with all its vexations, as far more miserable condition awaits them if they die in their sins. I human and worldly things were our chief good, not to exist would be preferable to life, considering the various oppressions here below.

Eccl. 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. They often become great an prosperous, but this excites envy and opposition. Others, seeing the vexations of an active course, foolishly expect more satisfaction i sloth and idleness. But idleness is a sin that is its own punishment Let us by honest industry lay hold on the handful, that we may not wan necessaries, but not grasp at both hands full, which would only creat vexation of spirit. Moderate pains and gains do best.

Eccl. 4:7,8 Frequently, the more men have, the more they would have and on this they are so intent, that they get no enjoyment from what they have. Selfishness is the cause of this evil. A selfish man care for nobody; there is none to take care of but himself, yet he wil scarcely allow necessary rest to himself, and the people he employs. He never thinks he has enough. He has enough for his calling, for his family, but he has not enough for his eyes. Many are so set upon the world, that in pursuit of it they bereave themselves, not only of the favour of God and eternal life, but of the pleasures of this life. The distant relations or strangers who inherit such a man's wealth, neve thank him. Covetousness gathers strength by time and habit; me tottering on the brink of the grave, grow more grasping and griping Alas, and how often do we see men professing to be followers of Him who, "though he was rich, for our sakes became poor," anxiousl scraping money together and holding it fast, excusing themselves by common-place talking about the necessity of care, and the danger of extravagance!

Eccl. 4:9-12 Surely he has more satisfaction in life, who labours har to maintain those he loves, than the miser has in his toil. In all things union tends to success and safety, but above all, the union of Christians. They assist each other by encouragement, or friendl reproof. They warm each other's hearts while they converse together of the love of Christ, or join in singing his praises. Then let us improv our opportunities of Christian fellowship. In these things all is no vanity, though there will be some alloy as long as we are under the sun. Where two are closely joined in holy love and fellowship, Chris will by his Spirit come to them; then there is a threefold cord.

Eccl. 4:13-16 People are never long easy and satisfied; they are fon of changes. This is no new thing. Princes see themselves slighted by those they have studied to oblige; this is vanity and vexation of spirit. But the willing servants of the Lord Jesus, our King, rejoic in him alone, and they will love Him more and more to all eternity _________________________________________________

ושׁבח7623 אני589 את853 המתים4191 שׁכבר3528 מתו4191 מן4480 החיים2416 אשׁר834 המה1992 חיים2416 עדנה׃5728