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Ecclesiastes 4

Eccl. 4:4 KJV (With Strong’s)

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4

Again, I considered all travail, and κevery right work, that λfor this a man is enviedm of his neighbor. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

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all the rightness of.

λ

this is the envy of a man from.

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Gen. 37:4‑11• ⁴And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
⁵And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
⁶And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
⁷For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
⁸And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
⁹And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
¹⁰And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
¹¹And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. (Gen. 37:4‑11)

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every, etc.

Heb. all the rightness of work, that this is theenvy of man from his neighbour.

Gen. 4:4‑8• ⁴And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
⁵But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
⁶And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
⁷If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
⁸And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. (Gen. 4:4‑8)

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Gen. 37:2‑11• ²These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
³Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors.
⁴And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
⁵And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
⁶And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
⁷For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
⁸And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
⁹And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
¹⁰And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
¹¹And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. (Gen. 37:2‑11)

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1 Sam. 18:8‑9,14‑16,29‑30• ⁸And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
⁹And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
¹⁴And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him.
¹⁵Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.
¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
²⁹And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.
³⁰Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by. (1 Sam. 18:8‑9,14‑16,29‑30)

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Prov. 27:4• ⁴Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy? (Prov. 27:4)

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Matt. 27:18• ¹⁸For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. (Matt. 27:18)

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Acts 7:9• ⁹And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, (Acts 7:9)

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James 4:5• ⁵Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? (James 4:5)

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1 John 3:12• ¹²Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. (1 John 3:12)

This is.

Eccl. 4:16• ¹⁶There 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. (Eccl. 4:16)

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Eccl. 1:14• ¹⁴I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. (Eccl. 1:14)

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Eccl. 2:21,26• ²¹For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
²⁶For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit. (Eccl. 2:21,26)

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Eccl. 6:9,11• ⁹Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
¹¹Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better? (Eccl. 6:9,11)

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Gen. 37:4,11• ⁴And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
¹¹And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. (Gen. 37:4,11)

• But the Preacher still continues his search “under the sun,” and turns from oppression and tears to regard what is, on the surface at least, a comparatively happy lot―“right work,” by which a man has attained to prosperity and pre-eminence. But as he looks closer at a case which, at first sight, seems to promise real satisfaction, he sees that there is a bitter sting connected with it―a sting that at once robs it of all its attraction, and makes void all its promise of true rest―for “for this a man is envied of his neighbor.” His success is only cause of bitter jealousy, and makes him the object not of love, but of envy, to all about him. Success, then, and a position of pre-eminence above one’s competitors, gained by skillful toil, is rather to be avoided as vanity and pursuit of the wind―a grasping at an empty nothingness. (“Ecclesiastes 4” by F.C. Jennings)

J. N. Darby Translation

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4

And I saw all labour, and all successi of work, that it is man’s jealousy of his neighbour. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

JND Translation Notes

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Or "skilfulness," as ch. 2.21.