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

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Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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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• ⁴{i}And Abel, he also{/i} brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And Jehovah had respect to Abel and to his offering;
⁵but to Cain and to his offering he had not respect: And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
⁶And Jehovah said to Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
⁷If thou doest well, will it not be lifted up ? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door; and to thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
⁸And Cain said to 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] Jacob's generations. Joseph, [being] seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and he [was] a lad with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought their evil report to his father.
³And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he [was] son of his old age; and he gave him a coat of many colours.
⁴And his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren; and they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
⁵And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told [it] to his brethren; and they hated him yet more.
⁶And he said to them, Hear, pray, this dream which I have dreamed.
⁷And, behold, we [were] binding sheaves in the midst of the field; and, behold, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about and bowed down to my sheaf.
⁸And his brethren said to him, Wilt thou indeed reign over us? or wilt thou indeed rule over us? And they hated him yet more for his dreams, and for his words.
⁹And he dreamed yet another dream and told [it] to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars bowed down to me.
¹⁰And he told [it] to his father, and to his brethren. And his father rebuked him, and said to him, What [is] this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall indeed I and thy mother and thy brethren come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
¹¹And his brethren envied him; but his father kept 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.
¹⁴David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Jehovah 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 outrageous;{HR}But who [is] able to stand before jealousy? (Prov. 27:4)

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Matt. 27:18• ¹⁸{i}For he knew that they had delivered him up through envy.{/i} (Matt. 27:18)

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Acts 7:9• ⁹And the patriarchs through jealousy sold Joseph into Egypt; and God was with him, (Acts 7:9)

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James 4:5• ⁵Or think ye that the scripture saith in vain? Doth the Spirit that took his dwelling in us long unto envy? (James 4:5)

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1 John 3:12• ¹²not as Cain was of the wicked one, and slew his brother; and for what did he slay him? Because his works were wicked, and those of his brother righteous. (1 John 3:12)

This is.

Eccl. 4:16• ¹⁶[There was] no end of all the people,{HR}Of all them over whom he was:{HR}Yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him.{HR}Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind. (Eccl. 4:16)

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Eccl. 1:14• ¹⁴I have seen all the works that are done under the sun;{HR}And, behold, all [is] vanity and a striving after wind. (Eccl. 1:14)

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Eccl. 2:21,26• ²¹For there is a man whose labour [is] with wisdom,{HR}And with knowledge, and with skilfulness;{HR}Yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion.{HR}This also [is] vanity and a great evil.
²⁶For to the man that pleaseth him God giveth wisdom,{HR}And knowledge, and joy:{HR}But to the sinner he giveth travail,{HR}To gather and to heap up,{HR}That he may give to him that pleaseth God.{HR}This also [is] vanity and a striving after wind. (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:{HR}This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
¹¹Seeing there be many things that increase vanity,{HR}What is man the better? (Eccl. 6:9,11)

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Gen. 37:4,11• ⁴And his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren; and they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
¹¹And his brethren envied him; but his father kept 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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i

Or "skilfulness," as ch. 2.21.

W. Kelly Translation

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4

Then I saw all labour and every skilful work,{HR}That for this a man is envied of his neighbour.{HR}This also is vanity and a striving after wind.