True, our blankets were soggy, my newspaper and novel were soaked, our hair looked weird, but we had a great time. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. (e) , Plato de Leg. Being caught in a rain shower could be called bad luck, although a possibility of showers was in the forecast. A lot of folks packed up and went home. There was lightning along with this rain, and we were sitting in an open field. How could the fastest runner not win the race? It may be worrisome to contemplate and very painful to experience, but we are admonished through Solomon that such things will occur. Duties are ours; events, God's. That was chance, an unexpected and random event. What does Solomon mean? Ecclesiastes 9:11 Translation & Meaning. And in this chapter, the Preacher in the first six verses gives us some good sound financial advice. I have determined to eradicate that phrase because, as we have seen, it is really not appropriate. God can claim our lives for any unrepented sin. This advice may be considered as serious; and either as relating to natural, corporeal, and temporal delight and pleasure, under due limitations; that as mirth and cheerfulness, or a free use of the creatures of God, with moderation and temperance, is allowable to all men in common, and is spoken of throughout this book as commendable, and is … A closer examination of this in God's Word, however, reveals that in reality there are no innocent victims! Darby And in so doing He is perfectly just. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. It did not bring the rabbit much luck, did it? The mere bounding sense of physical strength which leads so many of you young men astray is a good thing and a blessed thing-a blessing to be thankful for and to cherish. The race; either ability to run, or success and victory in running. But, this verse makes clear that we don’t always have a way to understand exactly why God does what he does when he does it. race … not to the swift—(2Sa 18:23); spiritually (Zep 3:19; Ro 9:16). Ecclesiastes 11:9. Brent Kercheville August 3, 2008 Chapter 10 and the beginning of chapter 11 contain single proverbs much like what can be read in the book of Proverbs. Yet I myself perceived also that the same event happens to them all." It will not bring us luck. We always have the ability to rebel against God, to say "No," and walk away from our calling. NASB E-Prime nor … battle to … strong—(1Sa 17:47; 2Ch 14:9, 11, 15; Ps 33:16). Ecclesiastes 11:9 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Ecclesiastes 11:9, NIV: "You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that … We can only assume that he meant that we ultimately have no control over our lives and the events surrounding us. Our own lives are meant to fall into that redemption story, and each moment is full of meaning as a result. None of this means that mankind is not moving about. We all have the opportunity to make something of our lives, but eventually, death occurs to us all. He struck down the sons of Aaron, probably with bolts of lightning, when they offered profane fire on the incense altar (Leviticus 10:1-7). They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one. The important lesson of Ecclesiastes is that no amount of learning, experience, wealth, privilege, or power, can compare with the secure position we have in Christ - but that when wisdom, skill, prosperity, and power, are under God's sovereign influence and subject to His control, then life has meaning. (f) "occursus", Montanus; "sive eventus", Mercerus, Rambachius; "occurrent", Broughton. That says, “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 chance happeneth to them all.” Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth. The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. Young's So, realizing the perspective from which Solomon wrote this book, let’s read Ecclesiastes 9:11. Such possibilities must be part of our thinking if we are going to face the trials of life in a mature manner that will glorify our Father in heaven. Ecclesiastes 9:11, NLT: "I have observed something else under the sun. The author of Ecclesiastes made a puzzling statement when he wrote that "time and chance happen to them all" (Ecclesiastes 9:11 Ecclesiastes 9:11 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 favor to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all. K.J.V. There are victims who did not trigger the tragedy that brought about a sudden and unexpected death. It describes a lack of control, and that despite all of our striving for greatness, strength and security, we can all be brought low. Earlier, Solomon says, "For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin" (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Aben Ezra and Kimchi, who are followed by others, think that, from Ecclesiastes 10:4; to this, Solomon is speaking in the person of epicures and atheists; which is not likely, since it is not in character for such persons to talk of God's acceptance of men's works; of living joyfully with a wife; of this life being a life of vanity; and of death and the grave; and of diligence in working while the present life lasts. On a recent Fourth of July, my family and I went to Stone Mountain Park, outside Atlanta, Georgia, for the laser and fireworks show. Albert Barnes notes, "[Event] does not mean chance, independent of the ordering of Divine Providence: the Gentile notion of 'mere chance,' or 'blind fate' is never once contemplated by the writer of this book." yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. It essentially leaves God out of the picture. Ecclesiastes 2:14 reinforces this, "The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise. Ecclesiastes 9:11. Este sermón trata sobre la decepción de haber perdido la segunda venida de Cristo y el rapto. This may not seem just. Is all human activity subject to fate? Or the sense may be, that the swift are not always made use of in running a race; or, if they are, they do not always win the prize, something or other happens to hinder them; they fall, or become lame, when one more slow gets the advantage of them, 1 Corinthians 9:24; and so in spiritual things, one that is ready to halt, as David says of himself, gets to heaven, and is saved, Psalm 38:17; when others, at first starting or setting out in a profession, run well for a while, as the Galatians did, Galatians 5:7; but afterwards drop and fall short; for "it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God, that sheweth mercy", Romans 9:16; nor the battle to the strong: as not to the Midianites, nor to Goliath, nor to Abner, in whom Jarchi instances; victory is not always on the side of the mighty and the many, but oftentimes on the side of the weak and few; see 2 Chronicles 14:9; so in spirituals, such who go forth in their own strength against an enemy, trusting in it, fall; while weak believers, depending on the grace and strength of Christ, wrestle with principalities and powers, and come off victorious; neither yet bread to the wise: the Targum adds, in a time of famine, when their wisdom cannot help them; but the sense rather is, that skilful artificers, in any trade or business, do not always get the best livelihood, yea, sometimes want the necessaries of life, or eat the bread of sorrow, when persons of meaner capacities shall thrive and flourish; and even the wisest of men sometimes have been obliged to others for bread, as was the case of David, 1 Samuel 21:3; and even of a wiser than he, our Lord himself, Luke 8:2; and as for the wise men of this world, the bread of life, Christ Jesus, is neither enjoyed nor sought after by them; nor yet riches to men of understanding; mention is afterwards made of a wise man that was poor, Jarchi instances in Job; and, on the other hand, sometimes fools are rich, as Nabal and others; and as for the riches of grace, and treasures of spiritual knowledge, they are not usually given to the wise and prudent Matthew 11:25; Nor yet favour to men of skill; to men of knowledge and learning, whose genius and abilities might be thought sufficient to recommend them to the favour, affection, and applause of men, and yet oftentimes fall herein; such who have the art of address and persuasion are not always able to ingratiate themselves, and gain the esteem of men: Jarchi interprets it of the favour of God, and instances in Moses; than whom there was not a more knowing and understanding man in Israel, yet could not by his prayer find grace and favour to enter into the land: but the Targum is better; "neither they that know understanding are helped by their knowledge to find favour in the eyes of a king;''. As another of the vanities of this present life. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. Amplified® ", Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. As the idea of spiritual superiority is here expressed in a threefold manner by הח (whence לה of the plur., also with the art. He answered our prayers and kept the lightning away from us. Such possibilities must be part of our thinking if we are going to … It was a random event. Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. that the race is not to the swift; swiftness oftentimes is of no service to a man to escape dangers, as may be seen in the case of Asahel and others, 2 Samuel 2:18; so the Targum, "men who are swift as eagles are not helped by running to escape from death in battle.''. The word signifies "occurrence" (f), or event, which is under the wise direction and order of the providence of God, with respect to whom nothing comes by chance; and it is rendered "occurrent", 1 Kings 5:4; and so it is here, by the Septuagint version, "occurrence" or "event"; and in the Targum, event by their star, which is fate: and Aben Ezra interprets it , the "superior ordination"; it is something we meet, or meets us, by divine appointment. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. Ecclesiastes 9:11 “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 chance happeneth to them all.” King James Version (KJV) While this might be true to an extent, in the strictest sense of God's sovereignty, he is well off the mark. It may be worrisome to contemplate and very painful to experience, but we are admonished through Solomon that such things will occur. to him or her. chance—seemingly, really Providence. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Sure enough, after three trips back to the parking lot, lugging blankets, coolers, chairs, and so on to the lawn in front of the mountain and putting them in place, we had a sudden shower. A.F.V or maybe, "Vaya con dios!". Had the lightning been on top of us, had I sat in the middle of Stone Mountain's large lawn holding a metal rod, and had I been struck and killed, would that have been bad luck or stupidity? Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Hebrew Scripture. In each case, their sin was directly and quickly connected to their death, giving vivid testimony of what God has every right to do. Good or bad, we will all have the same fate, death, because we have all sinned (Romans 6:23). Ecclesiastes 9:1; Exodus 36:4; Esther 1:13), 'הן, and היּ, so at Isaiah 11:2, the gifts of "wisdom," "counsel," and "knowledge" follow each other. Eclesiastés 9:11 Study the Inner Meaning 11 Me volví y vi debajo debajo del sol sol , que ni es de los ligeros la carrera, ni la guerra guerra de los fuertes, ni aun de los sabios el pan pan , ni de los prudentes las riquezas, ni de los elocuentes la gracia; sino que tiempo y ocasión acontece a todos. Ecclesiastes 9:11 Many of us have had experiences that confirm the truth of this verse. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. That depends on one's outlook. God cut Uzza down when he stretched out his hand to steady the ark, which David was bringing to Jerusalem on a cart (I Chronicles 13:5-10). It’s a bad thing. On some occasions in the Bible, God executed the death penalty with dramatic and terrifying suddenness. I have also read Ecclesiastes 3:11 (part a) ~ as according to what some translations have placed this scripture — the phrase ‘eternity’ in the hearts of men” : for example the Amplified, New American Standard, and NIV ~ … but the King James Version reads quite different; He protected and guided us. Solomon continues with a similar theme of profitlessness except that he draws his illustrations from human examples. A.S.V. Or, 2. I believe that it does, in so much that Ecclesiastes 9:11 describes our powerlessness in the face of the nature of our existence. Ecclesiastes 9:11 New International Version (NIV) 11 I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift. שיר פגעים, Psalm 3:1-8; 91). Ecclesiastes 11. Ecclesiastes 9:11–12 — American Standard Version (ASV 1901) 11 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 favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. The dictionary defines chance as "the abstract nature or quality shared by unexpected, random, or unpredictable events; luck; the likelihood of occurrence of an event." The thoughtless actions, careless decisions, or deliberate deceitfulness of one person, can frustrate the best-laid plans of the wise, squander vital resources, and can even cause the total downfall of a once-great nation, through folly and foolishness. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), and God, as the Sovereign Ruler of His creation, has every right to execute that penalty—or allow it to occur—on anybody at any time He deems appropriate. R.S.V. We usually go every year, and it rains on us just about every year. After speaking these proverbs the Teacher presents his final conclusions concerning his observations about life under the sun. Ecclesiastes 9:11 — Word Study on "chance" - Gesenius says the Hebrew word "chance" "peh"-gah" (פֶּגַע) (H 6294) means, "an incident, event, chance." But as man cannot "find it out" (Ec 3:11), he needs "with all might" to use opportunities. But was it an adverse event? time and fate happen to all whose ability appears to warrant the issue, they both time and fate encounter them and bar to them the way; they are in an inexplicable manner dependent on both, and helplessly subject to them. 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. Did He make it rain on us? Chance suggests total absence of design or predictability. How could the strongest man not be victorious in battle? 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