Ecclesiastes 9:11

9:11,12 Men's success seldom equals their expectations. We must use means, but not trust to them: if we succeed, we must give God the praise; if crossed, we must submit to his will. Those who put off the great concerns of their souls, are caught in Satan's net, which he baits with some worldly object, for which they reject or neglect the gospel, and go on in sin till they suddenly fall into destruction.

Ecclesiastes 9:11 . I returned and saw — This may have some respect to the foregoing verse: for having urged men to labour with all their might, he now adds, by way of caution, that yet they must not be confident of their own strength, as if they were sure of success by it, but must look up to God for his blessing, without which all their endeavours would be in vain. But it seems chiefly to be added, either, as another instance of the liberty and power of God’s providence, in the disposing of human affairs, of which he spake Ecclesiastes 9:1-2 ; or as another of the vanities of this present life; that the race is not to the swift — Either ability to run, or success and victory in running; nor the battle to the strong — The victory in battle; nor riches to men of understanding — Who yet are most likely to get and keep riches; nor yet favour — Acceptance and love from men; to men of skill — Who know how to conduct themselves and all affairs, and therefore are most likely to find favour, at least, in the eyes of such as need their services; but time and chance happeneth to them all — There are times or seasons, casual to men, but known by God, in which alone he will give men success.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and {f} chance happeneth to them all. (f) Thus the worldlings say to prove that all things are lawful for them and attribute that to chance and fortune which is done by the providence of God.

11. This verse qualifies the sentiment, Ec 9:7-9. Earthly "enjoyments," however lawful in their place (Ec 3:1), are to give way when any work to be done for God requires it. Reverting to the sentiment (Ec 8:17), we ought, therefore, not only to work God's work "with might" (Ec 9:10), but also with the feeling that the event is wholly "in God's hand" (Ec 9:1). race … not to the swift—(2Sa 18:23); spiritually (Zep 3:19; Ro 9:16). nor … battle to … strong—(1Sa 17:47; 2Ch 14:9, 11, 15; Ps 33:16). bread—livelihood. favour—of the great. chance—seemingly, really Providence. But as man cannot "find it out" (Ec 3:11), he needs "with all might" to use opportunities. Duties are ours; events, God's.

I returned, and saw: this may have some respect to the foregoing verse; for having pressed men to labour with all their might, he now adds, by way of caution, that yet they must not be confident of their own strength, as if they were sure of success by it, but in all, above all, to look up to God for his blessing, without which all their endeavours will be in vain. But it seems chiefly to be added, either, 1. As another instance of the liberty and power of God’s providence in the disposal of human affairs, of which he spoke above, Ecclesiastes 9:1-3 . Or, 2. As another of the vanities of this present life. The race; either ability to run, or success and victory in running. The battle; the victory in battle. Men of understanding; who yet are most likely to get and to keep riches. Favour; good acceptance and love from men. Men of skill; who know how to manage themselves and all affairs, whereby they are necessary and serviceable to others, and therefore most likely to find favour in their eyes. Time and chance happeneth to them all; there are some times or seasons unknown and casual to men, but certain and determined by God, in which alone he will give men success.

11 . that the race is not to the swift ] The sequence of thought is that while it is a man’s wisdom to do the work which he finds ready to his hand, he must not reckon on immediate and visible results. The course of the world witnesses many apparent failures even where men fulfil the apparent conditions of success. The wise and skilful often gain neither “bread” nor “favour,” and the injustice of fortune is worse than that painted in the words of the Satirist, “ Probitas laudatur et alget ” (Juven. i. 74). So a poet of our own time has sung, “Oh, if we draw a circle premature, Heedless of far gain, Greedy of quick return of profits, sure Bad is our bargain.” Browning. A Grammarian’s Funeral . The thought of “the race” seems to belong to a time when contests of this nature had become familiar to the dwellers in Palestine, i.e. after they had come in contact with Greek habits, and is so far an argument for the later date of the book. In 1Ma 1:14 ; 2Ma 4:9-14 , games of this kind are said to have been introduced in Jerusalem under Antiochus Epiphanes. On the assumption of Alexandrian authorship we may think of the hippodrome of that city as present to the writer’s mind. time and chance ] The first word is that which is so prominent in ch. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ; the second is found elsewhere only in 1 Kings 5:4 , where it is translated “occurrent,” the latter word being used, as commonly in the English of the 16th and 17th centuries, as a substantive.

Verses 11, 12. - Section 8. It is impossible to calculate upon the issues and duration of life . Verse 11. - He reverts to the sentiment of ver. 1, that we cannot calculate on the issues of life. Work as we may and must and ought, the results are uncertain and beyond our control. This he shows by his own personal experience. I returned, and saw under the sun. The expression here does not indicate a new departure, but merely a repetition and confirmation of a previous thought - the dependence and conditionality of man. It implies, too, a correction of a possible misunderstanding of the injunction to labor, as if one's own efforts were sure to secure success. The race is not to the swift. One is reminded of the fable of the hare and tortoise; but Koheleth's meaning is different. In the instances given he intimates that, though a man is well equipped for his work and uses all possible exertions, he may incur failure. So one may be a fleet runner, and yet, owing to some untoward accident or disturbing circumstance, not come in first. Thus Ahimaaz brought to David tidings of Absalom's defeat before Cushi, who had had the start of him ( 2 Samuel 18:27, 31 ). There is no occasion to invent an allusion to the foot-race in the formal Greek games. The battle to the strong. Victory does not always accrue to mighty men, heroes.

As David, himself an instance of the truth of the maxim, says ( 1 Samuel 17:47 ), "The Lord saveth not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's" (comp. 2 Chronicles 20:15 ; Psalm 33:16 ). Neither yet bread to the wise . Wisdom will not ensure competency. To do this requires other endowments. Many a man of cultivated intellect and of high mental power is left to starve. Riches to men of understanding . Aristophanes accounts for the unequal distribution of wealth thus ('Plutus,' 88), the god himself speaking- "I threatened, when a boy,On none but just and wise and orderlyMy favors to bestow; so Zeus in jealousyHath made me blind, that I may none of these Distinguish." Nor yet favor to men of skill . "Skill" here does not mean dexterity in handicrafts or arts, but knowledge generally; and the gnome says that reputation and influence do not necessarily accompany the possession of knowledge and learning; knowledge is not a certain or indispensable means to favor. Says the Greek gnomist - Τύχης τὰ θνητῶν πράγματ οὐκ εὐβουλίας . "Not prudence rules, but fortune, men's affairs." That time and chance happeneth to them all. We have had the word eth , "time," all through Ecclesiastes 3 . and elsewhere; but פֶגַע , rendered "chance," is uncommon, being found only in 1 Kings 5:4 (18, Hebrew). Everything has its proper season appointed by God, and man is powerless to control these arrangements. Our English word "chance" conveys an erroneous impression.