Worship With Us Sunday School10 AM Sunday Morning11 AM Sunday Evening4 PM Thursday Night7 PM
1377 S 20th St, Louisville, KY 40210 Contact
True Words Baptist Church — Revelation 21:5
My TWBC Plan Your Visit Give
BOOK 21 OF 66 · WISDOM & POETRY · KING JAMES BIBLE

Ecclesiastes 4

Ecclesiastes book home•Chapter 4 of 12•16 verses
Search Ecclesiastes
Aa  Reading settings
Text size
Reading width
Track chapter:
Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study
REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Ecclesiastes 4 Overview

The Preacher surveys oppression, competitive labor, foolish idleness, lonely accumulation, the strength of companionship, and the instability of public popularity.

EcclesiastesBook
4Chapter
16Verses
PoetryDivision

Before you read Ecclesiastes 4

Coming from

Chapter 3 viewed life within God’s appointed times and acknowledged both injustice and divine judgment. Chapter 4 examines several forms of human misery that appear inside that ordered but fallen world.

In this chapter

The Preacher surveys oppression, competitive labor, foolish idleness, lonely accumulation, the strength of companionship, and the instability of public popularity.

Leads into

Chapter 5 moves from social observation into worship, vows, wealth, government, and the proper reception of God’s gifts.

Key understandingExplore deeper

The chapter collects several wisdom observations rather than advancing one continuous narrative. Oppression, envy, isolation, and political change all show how human relationships can turn labor and success into sorrow.

“A threefold cord is not quickly broken” grows out of the value of companionship in work, danger, warmth, and conflict. The immediate subject is the practical strength of shared life; the verse should not be detached into a hidden numerical formula.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Oppression is genuinely grievous

The tears of the oppressed matter; the chapter does not minimize suffering by pretending earthly conditions are always fair.

Competition can corrupt labor

Much skill and work can be driven by rivalry rather than healthy purpose.

Companionship is a real good

Two can help, warm, and defend one another in ways the isolated person cannot.

Popularity is unstable

Even a ruler who rises from poverty can eventually lose the favor of the people who once celebrated him.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Genesis 2:18

God’s statement that it is not good for man to be alone provides a broad biblical foundation for the chapter’s praise of companionship.

Philippians 2:3-4

Paul warns against strife and vainglory and calls believers to regard others, answering the envy-driven labor described here.

Hebrews 13:3

Scripture calls believers to remember those in bonds and adversity rather than becoming indifferent to oppression.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not romanticize every partnership.

The chapter praises the practical strength of companionship; other Scripture still governs whether a particular alliance is righteous.

Do not make the “threefold cord” a secret Trinitarian proof text.

The immediate point is accumulated strength in companionship. The Trinity is true, but this verse does not explicitly teach that doctrine.

Read Ecclesiastes 4 watching for…

the tears of the oppressed

envy behind labor

the contrast between idleness and restless striving

the repeated value of two together

the rise and fall of public favor

TWBC REVIEW STANDARD

Plain language. Scripture first. Fact distinguished from inference. No filler. No fake certainty. Designed to help you read the Bible itself.

Chapter outline4 sections
1-3The Preacher considers oppression and the tears of those who have no comforter4-6Envy drives much labor, yet both idleness and restless striving are folly7-12Lonely labor is empty, while companionship gives help, warmth, and strength13-16A poor wise youth may be better than an old foolish king, yet popularity also passes away
1

So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

2

Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.

3

Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

4

Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

5

The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

6

Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.

7

Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.

8

There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

9

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

10

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

11

Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

12

And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

13

Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.

14

For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.

15

I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.

16

There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.