Sundry Observations On Life (Ecclesiastes 4:4-12).
Having all to briefly considered the oppression that was in the world, which has left him feeling that it was better if they had never been born, he now turns his thoughts back to the thought of man's constant toil. This too was meaningless.
The first three verses in this section contrast three differing lifestyles. The first results either in envy or overwork, the second in total laziness, and the third in contentment. This is followed by considering the folly of one who overworks himself without even having anyone to leave it to, and in contrast the advantages in having someone to work alongside as friend and helpmeet. So his pessimism lead him to at least try to solve some of the problems of this life. He is not just a theoretical philosopher.
‘Then I saw all exertions and every pleasing work, that for this a man is envied by his neighbour. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.'
Something that saddened The Preacher was the jealousy he found among those who achieved nothing, jealousy against the achievers. Someone who by great effort and skill produces something pleasing and admired is likely to discover that his neighbours, instead of appreciating it, will simply be filled with envy and react accordingly. A man is without honour among his neighbours. Thus there would seem little point in the effort. This too emphasised the meaninglessness of things, for the man's efforts were a searching after something unattainable, an achievement which would be appreciated, but this was appreciation which would not be forthcoming.
Alternately some see this as indicating response to competition, and translate, ‘I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbour.' The result being that the man possibly works himself too hard and at least partially wrecks his life. This even more brings out the meaninglessness of it all, being spurred on by competition to the vain effort to achieve the impossible.
‘The fool folds his hands together and eats his own flesh.'
In contrast with the man who exerts himself and produces skilful work is the fool who simply folds his hands and does nothing because he is lazy. Instead of achieving something to be proud of he does the opposite. He lives off his relatives (‘eats his own flesh') and impoverishes them, or impoverishes himself until he looks like a skeleton. He becomes a down and out.
‘Eats his own flesh' could signify living off relatives, or the bringing about of his own undoing. It may signify that he so impoverishes himself that he leaves himself with nothing to eat but his own flesh, or has so little to eat that he becomes a skeleton. In extremity it signifies death (Ezekiel 39:18; Micah 3:3; Isaiah 49:26).
‘Better is a handful with quietness, than two handfuls with hard exertion and striving after wind.'
This is the middle way, (which is quietly slipped in), that of being satisfied with a handful and achieving quiet content, rather than striving over-hard, and striving after the impossible, in order to have a large amount, or doing nothing and having nothing. This is the wise man coming out, and has in mind the godly man of Ecclesiastes 2:24-26.
It must be recognised that the writer is dealing with extremes, not discouraging hard work. The standards of level of work in those days was far higher than today. What we see as especially hard work they would have seen as normal exertion.
‘Then I returned and saw folly (what is vain) under the sun. There is one who is alone and does not have a relative (literally ‘a second'). Yes, he has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end of all his labour, nor are his eye satisfied with riches. “For whom then do I labour” says he, “and deprive myself of good?” This also is folly (i.e. what is vain), yes it is a sore overexertion.'
This example of further folly is of a man who has no relative to leave his possessions to, yet he kills himself with work amassing more and more possessions, with no real end in view. This is clearly folly, but although he considers it, and recognises the fact, he still carries on. He is a workaholic.
‘Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, and has no other to lift him up. Again if two lie together then they have warmth. But how can one who is alone keep warm? And if a man prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him, and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.'
Here the Preacher praises the idea of working together. Then men are more sure of their reward. If one is ill or collapses the other can assist him and help with his work, whereas the person working alone has no one to help him if he collapses. If they have to sleep outside on a cold night then the two can give each other warmth, sharing each other's body heat, while one by himself has no one to assist him to keep warm. If they are attacked by thieves who would be too much for one, two can assist each other and drive them off. Three is even better, for quantity adds strength. The threefold interwoven cord has more strength than a single cord. So in the midst of bringing out the folly of men he continues to slip in good advice about sensible work practises.