Go
Articles on

Ecclesiastes 4

Eccl. 4:9 KJV (With Strong’s)

+
9
Two
shnayim (Hebrew #8147)
feminine shttayim {shet-tah'-yim}; two; also (as ordinal) twofold
KJV usage: both, couple, double, second, twain, + twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.
Pronounce: shen-ah'-yim
Origin: dual of 8145
are better
towb (Hebrew #2896)
good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)
KJV usage: beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, X fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, X most, pleasant, + pleaseth, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well ((-favoured)).
Pronounce: tobe
Origin: from 2895
than one
'echad (Hebrew #259)
properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first
KJV usage: a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), + eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,
Pronounce: ekh-awd'
Origin: a numeral from 258
; because they have
yesh (Hebrew #3426)
entity; used adverbially or as a copula for the substantive verb (1961); there is or are (or any other form of the verb to be, as may suit the connection)
KJV usage: (there) are, (he, it, shall, there, there may, there shall, there should) be, thou do, had, hast, (which) hath, (I, shalt, that) have, (he, it, there) is, substance, it (there) was, (there) were, ye will, thou wilt, wouldest.
Pronounce: yaysh
Origin: perhaps from an unused root meaning to stand out, or exist
a good
towb (Hebrew #2896)
good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)
KJV usage: beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, X fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, X most, pleasant, + pleaseth, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well ((-favoured)).
Pronounce: tobe
Origin: from 2895
reward
sakar (Hebrew #7939)
payment of contract; concretely, salary, fare, maintenance; by implication, compensation, benefit
KJV usage: hire, price, reward(-ed), wages, worth.
Pronounce: saw-kawr'
Origin: from 7936
for their labor
`amal (Hebrew #5999)
toil, i.e. wearing effort; hence, worry, wheth. of body or mind
KJV usage: grievance(-vousness), iniquity, labour, mischief, miserable(-sery), pain(-ful), perverseness, sorrow, toil, travail, trouble, wearisome, wickedness.
Pronounce: aw-mawl'
Origin: from 5998
.

Cross References

+

Ministry on This Verse

+
are.
Gen. 2:18• 18And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. (Gen. 2:18)
;
Ex. 4:14‑16• 14And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
 15And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
 16And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. (Ex. 4:14‑16)
;
Num. 11:14• 14I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. (Num. 11:14)
;
Prov. 27:17• 17Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. (Prov. 27:17)
;
Hag. 1:14• 14And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, (Hag. 1:14)
;
Mark 6:7• 7And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; (Mark 6:7)
;
Acts 13:2• 2As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. (Acts 13:2)
;
Acts 15:39‑40• 39And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
 40And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. (Acts 15:39‑40)
;
1 Cor. 12:18‑21• 18But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
 19And if they were all one member, where were the body?
 20But now are they many members, yet but one body.
 21And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. (1 Cor. 12:18‑21)
a good.
Ruth 2:12• 12The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. (Ruth 2:12)
;
John 4:36• 36And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. (John 4:36)
;
2 John 8• 8Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. (2 John 8)
• This naturally leads to the conclusion that solitude, at least, is no blessing; for man was made for companionship and mutual dependence, and in this is safety. (Ecclesiastes 4:9 to 12). (“Ecclesiastes 4” by F.C. Jennings)

J. N. Darby Translation

+
9
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.