Ecclesiastes 4:1
in Ecclesiastes 4Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then I returned and saw 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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 4
Commentary
10 notes on this verseSuch oppressions are done under the sun; above the sun righteousness reigns for ever. Wise men will consider these oppressions, and contrive to do something for the relief of those that are oppressed. Blessed is he that considers the poor.
This site's exposition
I saw the tears of the oppressed
The Teacher turns to a scene he considered, all the oppression taking place under the sun. He saw the tears of the oppressed, and no comforter stands twice, once for the tears and once for the power ranged against them. The verse names a real grief and leaves it unanswered.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
A commentator
Gregory of NeocaesareaA Metaphrase of the Book of Ecclesiastes · Written before 270.
proposed
And leaving all these reflections, I considered and turned in aversion from all the forms of oppression which are done among men; whence some receiving injury weep and lament, who are struck down by violence in utter default of those who protect them, or who …
We desire each day to know what is new, and what is knowledge itself but our daily sorrow and abasement? All things that are have already been, and "nothing is new under the sun," but "all is vanity. Therefore I hated the whole of this life," said Ecclesiastes. He who hated his life certainly commended death. And so he praised the dead rather than the living and judged him happy that did not come into this life nor take up this vain toil. "My heart took a circuit to know the joy of the impious man and to examine carefully and to seek wisdom and a mode of calculating and to know joy through the impious man and trouble and disquietude, and I find that it is bitterer than death"—not because death is bitter, but because it is bitter for the impious one. And yet life is bitterer than death. For it is a greater burden to live for sin than to die in sin, because the impious person increases his sin as long as he lives, but if he dies, he ceases to sin.
"And I returned and contemplated all the acts of oppression that are committed beneath the sun: Behold! Tears of the oppressed with none to comfort them, and their oppressors have the power - with none to comfort them. "After considering this I turned my eyes and attention to this, so that I saw the slanderers and those sustaining chicanery. And look on those who, oppressed unjustly by more powerful men, are not able to find a comforter for their tears. For this is only permitted in disasters and in protest at the ill will of the matter.
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 4 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
"I turned myself to other things," etc. Above we treated the vanity of malice in prelates; here in subjects. The vanity of malice is touched upon here with regard to a threefold distinction: first, of calumny, in maliciously harming; second, of envy, in maliciously grieving, …
He praised the innocent dead rather than the living because the latter were still engaged in the struggle but the former had been given their reward of everlasting happiness. He complained that he had seen deceit beneath the sun because he knew that above the …
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Considered all the oppressions - עשקים ashukim signifies any kind of injury which a man can receive in his person, his property, or his good fame. On the side of their oppressors there was power - And, therefore, neither protection nor comfort for the oppressed.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
So I returned, and considered - Rather, And I returned and saw. He turns to look upon other phenomena, and to test his previous conclusion by them. Oppressed - See the introduction to Ecclesiastes.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And I turned and saw all the oppressions which are done to the righteous in this world under the sun, from the hand of their oppressors; and there is none that should speak consolation to them; and there is none to deliver them from the hand of their oppressors with strong hand and power, and none comforts them.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשַׁ֣בְתִּֽי | veshavti | and I returned | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֲנִ֗י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| וָאֶרְאֶה֙ | vaereh | and I saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָ֣עֲשֻׁקִ֔ים | haashukim | the oppression<s> | H6217 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נַעֲשִׂ֖ים | naasim | [were being] done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| תַּ֣חַת | tachat | under | H8478 → | 505 times |
| הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ | hashamesh | the sun | H8121 → | 134 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֣ה׀ | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| דִּמְעַ֣ת | dimat | [the] tear[s] of | H1832 → | |
| הָעֲשֻׁקִ֗ים | haashukim | the oppressed | H6217 → | |
| וְאֵ֤ין | veein | and not | H369 → | 789 times |
| לָהֶם֙ | lahem | [belonged] to <the> them | ||
| מְנַחֵ֔ם | menachem | a comforter | H5162 → | |
| וּמִיַּ֤ד | umiyad | and [was] from [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| עֹֽשְׁקֵיהֶם֙ | ʾoshekeihem | oppressors their | H6231 → | |
| כֹּ֔חַ | koach | power | H3581 → | |
| וְאֵ֥ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| לָהֶ֖ם | lahem | [belonged] to <the> them | ||
| מְנַחֵֽם׃ | menachem | a comforter | H5162 → |
וְשַׁ֣בְתִּֽיand I returned
veshavtiH7725 →1056 times
אֲנִ֗יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
וָאֶרְאֶה֙and I saw
vaerehH7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָ֣עֲשֻׁקִ֔יםthe oppression<s>
haashukimH6217 →
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נַעֲשִׂ֖ים[were being] done
naasimH6213 →2628 times
תַּ֣חַתunder
tachatH8478 →505 times
הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁthe sun
hashameshH8121 →134 times
וְהִנֵּ֣ה׀and there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
דִּמְעַ֣ת[the] tear[s] of
dimatH1832 →
הָעֲשֻׁקִ֗יםthe oppressed
haashukimH6217 →
וְאֵ֤יןand not
veeinH369 →789 times
לָהֶם֙[belonged] to <the> them
lahem
מְנַחֵ֔םa comforter
menachemH5162 →
וּמִיַּ֤דand [was] from [the] hand of
umiyadH3027 →1618 times
עֹֽשְׁקֵיהֶם֙oppressors their
ʾoshekeihemH6231 →
כֹּ֔חַpower
koachH3581 →
וְאֵ֥יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
לָהֶ֖ם[belonged] to <the> them
lahem
מְנַחֵֽם׃a comforter
menachemH5162 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 42:3My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”
it leads to
- Psalms 79:10
Why should the nations ask, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations Your vengeance for the bloodshed of Your servants.
- Psalms 115:2
Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
- Joel 2:17
Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among…
- Psalms 42:10
Like the crushing of my bones, my enemies taunt me, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
- Psalms 80:5
You fed them with the bread of tears and made them drink the full measure of their tears.
- Psalms 79:10
Through
Isaiah 5:7For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the plant of His delight. He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but…
it leads to
- Psalms 80:8–11
You uprooted a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and transplanted it.
- Psalms 80:8–11
Through
Ecclesiastes 5:8If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astonished at the matter; for one official is watched by a superior, and…
it leads to
- Psalms 12:5
“For the cause of the oppressed and for the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will bring safety to him who yearns.”
- Ecclesiastes 3:16
Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.
- Psalms 12:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, DEATH AS A GOOD 7:28; Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles, 2 Peter 3:13; Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 4; Gregory of Neocaesarea, A Metaphrase of the Book of Ecclesiastes; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.