Ecclesiastes 4:10

10 For if they fall, the one raiseth up his companion, but wo to the one who falleth and there is not a second to raise him up!

Ecclesiastes 4:10 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 4:10

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow
That is, if anyone of them fall, the other will lift him up, as they are travelling together, in whatsoever manner; if one falls from his horse, or out of his carriage, or into a ditch, the other will endeavour to raise him up again: this, as it is true in a natural, so in a figurative and metaphorical sense, with religious persons especially;

``if one of them falls upon the bed, and lies sick,''

as the Targum paraphrases it, his friend and brother in a religions community will visit him, and sympathize with him, and speak a word of comfort to him, and pray with him, which may issue in his restoration. So the Targum,

``the other will cause his friend to rise by his prayer;''

or if he fall into outward distress, poverty, and want, his spiritual friend or friends will distribute to his necessity; if he falls into errors, as a good man may, such as are of the same religious society with him will take some pains to convince him of the error of his way, and to convert him from it, and to save a soul from death, and cover a multitude of sins; and if he falls into sin, to which the best of men are liable, such as are spiritual will endeavour to restore him in a spirit of meekness; but woe to him [that is] alone when he falleth! for [he hath] not
another to help him up;
no companion to raise him up when fallen; no Christian friend to visit and comfort him when sick, to relieve him under his necessities, when poor and afflicted, or to recover him from errors in judgment, or immoralities in practice; and especially if he has not Christ with him to raise him up, keep, and uphold him.

Ecclesiastes 4:10 In-Context

8 There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and [he saith not], `For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.

9 The two [are] better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labour.

10 For if they fall, the one raiseth up his companion, but wo to the one who falleth and there is not a second to raise him up!

11 Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how hath one heat?

12 And if the one strengthen himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not hastily broken.