Ecclesiastes 4:7

7 I beheld and found also another vanity under the sun; (I looked and found more emptiness and futility under the sun;)

Ecclesiastes 4:7 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 4:7

Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
] Another vanity besides what he had taken notice of, and is as follows. Aben Ezra's note is,

``I turned from considering the words of this fool, and I saw another fool, the reverse of the former.''

Ecclesiastes 4:7 In-Context

5 A fool foldeth together his hands, and eateth his flesh (and eateth his meat),
6 and saith, Better is an handful, with rest, than ever either hand full, with travail and torment of soul.
7 I beheld and found also another vanity under the sun; (I looked and found more emptiness and futility under the sun;)
8 one there is, and he hath not a second; neither a son, nor a brother; and nevertheless he ceaseth not to travail, neither his eyes be (ful)filled with riches; neither he bethinketh (to) him(self), and saith, To whom travail I, and deceive my soul in goods? In this also is vanity, and the worst torment. (one is alone, and he hath not a second, or someone with him; neither a son, nor a brother; and yet he ceaseth not to labour, and his eyes be not fulfilled with his riches; nor he thinketh to himself, and saith, For whom do I labour, and deprive myself of the enjoyment of good things? This is also empty and futile, and the worst torment.)
9 Therefore it is better, that two be together than one; for they have profit of their fellowship. (And so it is better, that two be together, rather than that they be alone; for they shall have profit, or shall benefit, from their fellowship.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.