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| 1 For, unto all this, I applied my heart, and, my heart, considered all this, that, the righteous and the wise and their servants, were in the hand of God,–neither love nor hatred, could any man know, every one, was before Him. |
No man knoweth – He could not tell certainly from the book of nature whether God loved or hated them. R1532:6
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| 2 Every one, was like every one else, one destiny, had the righteous and the lawless, the good and the pure and the impure, and he that sacrificed, and he that did not sacrifice,–as the good man, so, the sinner, he that took an oath, as he who, of an oath, stood in fear. |
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| 3 This was a misfortune in all that was done under the sun, that, one destiny, had they all,–yea also, the heart of the sons of men, was full of wickedness, and, madness, was in their heart, while they lived, and, after that, [they went] unto the dead. |
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| 4 For, whosoever was united to all the living, for him, there was hope,–inasmuch as, a living dog, fared better than a dead lion. |
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| 5 For, the living, knew that they should die,–but, the dead, knew not, anything, neither had they any longer a reward, because forgotten was their memory. |
For the living – Even the least intelligent. E347
But the dead – When man dies his personality, the result of his heredity and pre-natal influences combined with his experiences, perishes; for it cannot exist without a body. R5166:2
Death is an actual extinction of being but not the annihilation of matter, which is indestructible. R1377:6
Know not any thing – Thus neither Dorcas, nor Lazarus, nor the widow of Nain, nor Jairus' daughter had any wonderful experiences or mysterious visions to relate. R1450:5
Thus Jesus could do no preaching while dead, nor the antediluvians any listening. R1679:1, R4176:6; HG727:5
Whoever knows this is fortified against all the deceptions of the evil spirits. SM197:T
All, good and bad, go down to the tomb, to sheol, hades, called in our Bibles, hell. They are experiencing neither joy nor sorrow, pleasure nor suffering awaiting the resurrection. OV362:3; R4551:5, R5131:3,6; SM115:1, SM197:T, CR21:1
The resurrection of the dead is an absolute necessity to any future life or hope or blessing. R5579:2, R5673:6,3; SM99:2
Contrary to the teachings of Spiritism. R2170:2, R3741:3, R3387:2, R4521:2, R5378:2
The various manifestations of Spiritism come not from dead men. R4521:2
Only the Bible teaches that the dead are dead--all other religions teach that death is a deception. R4410:3
During the Jewish age God guarded his typical people against delusions and lying spirits of devils. R1642:6
Is Forgotten – Is very generally forgotten. E347
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| 6 Both their love and their hatred and their envy, already had perished,–and, portion, had they none any longer, unto times age-abiding, in aught that was done under the sun. |
Is now perished – "In that very day his thoughts perish." (Psa. 146:4) R5166:2[R5166]
A condition of peaceful unconsciousness. R2172:3[R2172]
Any more a portion – An interest. E347[E347]
Forever – Olam, for a long, indefinite period. E347[E347]
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| 7 Go thy way–eat, with gladness, thy food, and drink, with a happy heart, thy wine,–when already God is well pleased with thy works. |
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| 8 Continually, let thy garments be white,–and, ointment upon thy head, let it not be lacking. |
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| 9 Enjoy life, with thy wife whom thou lovest, all the days of thy life of vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all thy days of vanity,–for, that, is thy portion in life, and in thy toil wherewith, thou, art toiling under the sun. |
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| 10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, with thy might, do,–for there is no work nor calculation nor knowledge nor wisdom, in hades, whither, thou, art going. |
With thy might – We should be actively engaged in doing some good according to our talents and opportunities because we are all hastening to sheol, to the tomb. SM28:T
Solomon shows in this verse that the absence of natural wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel and might, brings physical death; the same is true applied spiritually. See comments on Ex. 30:23, 24. R4093:5*
Act quickly therefore; the time is short. R5127:5
There is no work – Good or bad, praising or cursing. E368
"The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence." (Psa. 115:17) R2599:2
The condition of the dead is one of total unconsciousness. R4794:1,4, R4792:1, R4551:5, R5303:1
The world in general, including infants, will be raised just as they went down, excepting infirmity and disease. R631:5
Therefore the dead will not be required to aid or co-operate in their awakening from the graves, for the can neither assent to nor oppose their awakening. R1509:5
Opportunities now afforded should be exercised to the fullest, for to each one will come a night time when these will pass, as one passes into death. R4149:3
In the literal grave. This does not apply to those merely reckoned dead, but alive as New Creatures in Christ. Q760:1
Nor device – Planning good, or thinking ill. E368
These four--wisdom, knowledge, device (understanding) and works (results of workmanship) relate to the same four elements in Exo. 31:3 and Isa. 11:2, and to the four ingredients of the holy anointing oil. R4093:5, 2*
Nor knowledge – Holy knowledge or unholy knowledge. E368
"His sons come to honor and he knoweth it not." (Job 14:21) A210
The suggestion that the moment of death is the moment of greater life is of the Adversary. OV215:T
As mankind goes into death, so shall they come out of it; for in it they shall have learned nothing. R721:6, R5167:2
In the grave – Sheol, oblivion, death, not torment. E348, E368, R4551:6, R4162:5, R2599:2; SM115:1, SM525:2
Since God will "have all men to come to the knowledge of the truth" (I Tim. 2:4); and since mankind have didead. A106
Since the state of death is an entire suspension of being, man's probation or trial must occur, not in death, but before death or after it has ended--in the resurrection. R902:3*, R2612:2
Whither thou – The soul, the sentient being. E348
Goest – Whether wicked or righteous before death. E368; OV362:3
God has prepared for the awakening of the dead in order to knowledge, faith and salvation. OV177:3, OV226:T, A106
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| 11 I again saw under the sun, that not, to the swift, was the race, nor, to the strong, the battle, nay! nor, to the wise, food, nor yet, to the intelligent, riches, nor, even to the well-informed, comeliness,–for, time and accident, happened to them all. |
Not to the...strong – The Lord may grant his blessing with the feebly spoken word if the life be in harmony with the message given out. R4968:5
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| 12 For, indeed, man could not know his own time, like fishes which were caught in a cruel net, and like little birds which were caught in a trap,–like them, were ensnared the sons of men, by a time of misfortune, when it fell upon them suddenly. |
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| 13 Even this, had I seen of wisdom, under the sun,–and, of great import, was the same unto me:– |
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| 14 A little city, and men therein few,–and there came against it a great king, and surrounded it, and built against it large siege-works; |
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| 15 but there was found therein, a man, poor [but] wise, and, he, delivered the city by his wisdom,–yet, no one, remembered that poor man. |
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| 16 Then said, I, Better is wisdom than strength,–although, the wisdom of the poor man, be despised, and, his words, not heard. |
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| 17 The words of the wise, in quietness, are heard,–beyond the outcry of one who ruleth over dullards. |
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| 18 Better is wisdom, than weapons of war,–but, one sinner, may destroy much good. |
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