Having examined the various phases of business, ending with this last case of a man struggling vainly to recover a lost inheritance, Koheleth restates what he had proposed to prove. 4. ", "So I reached the conclusion that what is satisfying and suitable is to eat and drink and enjoy oneself in all one's struggle under the sun, during the few years which God grants a man; that is what one gets out of it. Equally just is it for Labour to assert its right to an honest reward. The period of time denoted by מספּר is as at Ecclesiastes 2:3; Ecclesiastes 6:12. Ecclesiastes' role in the triad of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes is to teach you to live wisely in a Genesis 3, fallen world. Bible Commentary for Ecclesiastes 5:18. The rich man indeed may have bread stored up for a long time; but whether he has the health and opportunity to eat it, or to profit by it if he does eat it, is altogether a gift of God, granted one day at a time! Jeremiah 8:1, where Pazer instead of Telisha Bedhola ; but as for the rest, the sequence of the accents is the same). A man’s religion is seen in the byways of conduct, and if in these movements he is not above suspicion, he loses all claim to be called a Christian, for the spirit of Christ’s Gospel says, “Deal with all men as with your brother, as with children of God, whose necessity is your sorrow, whose strength is your joy.” (T. A. John Trapp Complete Commentary. Jump to Passage. True enjoyment in life comes from a specific knowledge which results in constant thanksgiving. Subject to permission policy, all rights reserved. Have you ever met people like that? Behold that which I have seen — That is, learned by study and experience; it is good and comely — Good, or comfortable to a man’s self, and comely, or amiable in the eyes of other men, as penuriousness is base and dishonourable; for one to — enjoy the good of his labour — Both for the constant supply of all the necessities of nature, and for the entertainment of his friends, and the relief of his poor neighbours; all the days of his life — All the time God shall be pleased to continue him in this world. holds to the accents, for he translates in strict accordance therewith, as Tremmelius does: “Behold what I have seen: that it is fine and good (Trem. To eat, to drink, to sleep, to think, to speak, are pleasurable sensations; why should so natural and necessary a function as toil be otherwise? To the securing of that which the writer has recognised as good there needs no heaping up of treasures. Ray Stedman (Ecc 5:18, 19) - Enjoyment does not come from possessions, or from riches. and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him; this last clause, "which God giveth him", is not to be connected with "the good of all his labour"; though it is true, that whatever good is got by labour is the gift of God; but with "all the days of his life"; for the life of man, and all the days of it, be they more or fewer, are the gift of God, and according to his determinate will and pleasure; and throughout this time a man should enjoy, in a comfortable way, with thankfulness to God, the good things he has gotten by his labour and industry, through the blessing of God along with them. Furthermore, every man to whom God grants riches and possessions, and enables him to benefit from them, and to possess his share and to be happy in his work - he has a bonus from God. Commentary on Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 (Read Ecclesiastes 5:18-20) Life is God's gift. Ecclesiastes 5:17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness. Behold that which I have seen - This is the result of my observations and experience. Also we read חל ... כּי־, Ecclesiastes 3:22, in the same connection. Forerunner Commentary Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown John Wesley's Notes Matthew Henry People's Commentary (NT) Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) Scofield: Definitions: Interlinear: Library: Topical Studies: X-References: Verse Comparison: Ecclesiastes 5:19. Ecclesiastes Commentary - 103 Pages - Includes numerous quotes from other respected conservative sources, including almost 100 quotations from Michael Eaton's Tyndale OT Commentary (ranked as one of the best on Ecclesiastes). Enjoyment comes by knowing the living God and taking everything from His hand with thanksgiving, whether it is pain or pleasure. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, "And hath given him power to eat thereof", and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him. Ecclesiastes 5:15 - As he had come naked from his mother's womb, so will he return as he came. 18 Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. Book Theme . This is the gift of God.] This liberty is given to him by God, and this is the best advantage, as to this life, which he can make of them. If it be the maxim of commerce to buy in the cheapest market and sell in the dearest, blind to all considerations as to whether thereby one obeys or disobeys the law of Christ; if to take advantage of a brother’s necessity is not condemned as a breach of commercial ethics, there is no justification whatever for any worker adopting similar principles in his life work. “Behold then what I have seen as good, what as beautiful (is this): that one eat and drink and see good in all his labour with which he wearieth himself, under the sun, throughout the number of the days of his life which God hath given him; for that is his portion.” Toward this seeing, i.e., knowing from his own experience, his effort went forth, according to Ecclesiastes 2:3; and what he here, Ecclesiastes 5:17, Ecclesiastes 5:18, expresses as his resultat, he has already acknowledged at Ecclesiastes 2:24 and Ecclesiastes 3:12. 18 Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. It may, for instance, be quite legitimate for a mill-hand to grumble over the poorness of his pay, but the justice of his plea becomes miserably weakened when he “plays” for a couple of days when work is abundant, with the consequence that that work is driven elsewhere. Remember words only have meaning in … Ecclesiastes 5 Summary Commentary. And the Preacher wants to help you do that. It is the only good to be gotten of one's goods. on StudyLight.org "And hath given him power to eat thereof" (Ecclesiastes 5:19). "We may take either טוב or יפה as an adverb, or even explain—"that it is good, comely." "which God has given him"-"At first sight this may look like the mere praise of simplicity and moderation; but in fact the key word is God, and the secret of life held out to us is openness to Him: a readiness to take what comes to us as heaven-sent….Once more, a positive note has broken through, and as the chapter ends we catch a glimpse of the man for whom life passes swiftly, not because it is short and meaningless but because, by the grace of God, he finds it utterly absorbing" (Kidner pp. "Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter [any] thing before God: for God … And that’s about it. Christ taught men to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." . The sentence אני ... הנה (with pausal āni with Rebîa ) constitutes the beginning of the verse, in the form, as it were, of a superscription; and then its second part, the main proposition, is divided by the disjunctives following each other: Telisha Gedhola, Geresh, Legarmeh, Rebîa, Tebir, Tifcha, Silluk (cf. This Daily Devotion was Inspired by one of Ray's Messages. The work done by our trade unions is a splendid monument to the sturdy self-restraint of the workers, and whilst in the future the principles taught and the methods adopted by them may undergo considerable change, yet the intelligent association of men for purposes of educating public opinion, and influencing the legislature will remain the most effective of means for realizing Labour’s ideals. for it is his portion.” Amid the complex tangle of modern mercantile transactions it would be an impossibility to assign to the hand-worker the exact product of his individual labour, after deducting the wages of the brain-worker who designs, organizes, or superintends, and the other expenses involved in production. II. "Good" for the man himself; "comely" in relation to others. heart--(). His portion, to wit, of worldly goods; for he hath another and a better portion in heaven. Yet we know it is to many. Study the bible online using commentary on Ecclesiastes 5 and more! 18-20 After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely, etc. Having examined the various phases of business, ending with this last case of a man struggling vainly to recover a lost inheritance, Koheleth restates what he had proposed to prove. 5:18 Good - Good or comfortable to a man's self, and comely or amiable in the eye of other men. Such thankful enjoyment is inculcated by the Law Deuteronomy 12:7, Deuteronomy 12:18. This will be further affirmed and expanded on in the major section conclusion in Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 [18] Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor that he takes under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him: for it is his portion. Ecclesiastes Commentary; JOHN SCHULTZ. Enjoyment does not come from possessions or riches; nor does it come from companionship, popularity, and fame; or from the approval and admiration of others. Such a man will not brood over the shortness of his life, when God keeps his mind occupied with happy thoughts."[10]. Good and comely; good or comfortable to man’s self, and comely or amiable in the eyes of other men, as penuriousness is base and dishonourable. If “capital” be the miserable abstraction of which the proverb says it has “neither soul to save, nor heart to feel, nor body to kick,” it is no reason why workers should deal unfairly with the individual “capitalist,” who often is as much the victim of an evil social system as the worker himself. Teach believers how to live, and die in order to find rest, Give! Holiday at any time he pleases, but take pleasure in his.. Of what God Gives portion, to See good ( Ecclesiastes 5:10, Ecclesiastes he! No heaping up of treasures ( is ) his portion — of worldly goods he. ×Ö²× ×™ by day - good or comfortable to a man 's self, and light! You provide for me day by day employers of Labour are sometimes made unnecessarily hard the. So when regarded as such Cor 10:31 Conclusion: the purpose of the Book of Ecclesiastes ). To wit, of worldly goods ; he hath a better portion in heaven this life what comes your... 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