19 For that which befalleth H4745 the sons H1121 of men H120 befalleth H4745 beasts; H929 even one thing H259 befalleth H4745 them: as the one dieth, H4194 so dieth H4194 the other; H2088 yea, they have all one H259 breath; H7307 so that a man H120 hath no preeminence H4195 above a beast: H929 for all is vanity. H1892
20 All go H1980 unto one H259 place; H4725 all are of the dust, H6083 and all turn H7725 to dust H6083 again. H7725
21 Who knoweth H3045 the spirit H7307 of man H1121 H120 that goeth H5927 upward, H4605 and the spirit H7307 of the beast H929 that goeth H3381 downward H4295 to the earth? H776
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ecclesiastes 3
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
Solomon having shown the vanity of studies, pleasures, and business, and made it to appear that happiness is not to be found in the schools of the learned, nor in the gardens of Epicurus, nor upon the exchange, he proceeds, in this chapter, further to prove his doctrine, and the inference he had drawn from it, That therefore we should cheerfully content ourselves with, and make use of, what God has given us, by showing,
Ecc 3:1-10
The scope of these verses is to show,
Ecc 3:11-15
We have seen what changes there are in the world, and must not expect to find the world more sure to us than it has been to others. Now here Solomon shows the hand of God in all those changes; it is he that has made every creature to be that to us which it is, and therefore we must have our eye always upon him.
Ecc 3:16-22
Solomon is still showing that every thing in this world, without piety and the fear of God, is vanity. Take away religion, and there is nothing valuable among men, nothing for the sake of which a wise man would think it worth while to live in this world. In these verses he shows that power (than which there is nothing men are more ambitious of) and life itself (than which there is nothing men are more fond, more jealous of) are nothing without the fear of God.