For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
Ecclesiastes 9:1-18.-Temptation to unbelief, as the like lot happens to good and bad.-Godly wisdom the main thing.
For - connecting this chapter with Ecclesiastes 8:14-17. What follows is mentioned as an instance, to show that 'man cannot find out the work of God.'
All this - following not "for," but "I considered."
To declare all this - Hebrew х wªlaabuwr (H952)], 'even to purge all this.' I considered all this in my heart, so as to make all this clear of the obscuring soils of my former ignorance concerning the divine government: 'so as to elucidate all this.' Hengstenberg translates, 'And (indeed) thereby I fathomed all this.'
The righteous ... , (are) in the hand of God: no man knoweth either (the) love or hatred (of God in them) (by) all (that is) before them By my exploring I find, "the righteous ... , (are) in the hand of God: no man knoweth either (the) love or hatred (of God in them) (by) all (that is) before them" - Hebrew, '(by) all (that is) before their face;' i:e., by what is outwardly seen in His present dealings (Ecclesiastes 8:14; Ecclesiastes 8:17; Malachi 1:2). None can tell by external things the love or hatred of God toward himself and others. Neither outward goods are a sure sign of God's favour, nor are adverse circumstances a sure sign of His wrath (Mercer and Grotius). This gives no countenance to the Popish notion, that none can have the certainty of grace and of their salvation. However, from the sense of the same words in Ecclesiastes 9:6, 'love and hatred' may be the feelings of men toward the righteous, whereby they cause to the latter comfort or sorrow. Translate. 'Even the love and hatred (exhibited toward the righteous) are in God's hand' (Psalms 76:10; Proverbs 16:7). No man knoweth all that is before him. I prefer the former view.