Ecclesiastes 4:1

Then I turned to consider all the ways people oppress others here on earth. Look at the tears of the oppressed—there's no one to comfort them! Powerful people oppress them, and there's no one to comfort them!

Free Bible Version

In The King James Version

So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

In Context

2I congratulated those who were already dead, for the dead are better off than those who are still alive and being oppressed.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 4

Cross References

Exodus 1:16He told them, “When you assist the Hebrew women during childbirth, if you see it's a boy, kill him; but if it's a girl, let her live.”

Exodus 2:23Years later, the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites were still groaning under their hard labor. Their cries for help because of their hardship reached God.

Exodus 5:18Now get out of here and go back to work! You won't be given any straw but you'll still have to produce the full quota of bricks!”

Deuteronomy 28:48you will serve your enemies that the Lord sends to attack you. You will be hungry, thirsty, naked, and poor. He will tie an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.

Judges 10:7So the Lord became angry with Israel, and he sold them to the Philistines and the Ammonites.

Job 6:29Don't talk like this! Don't be unjust! What I'm saying is right.

Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 4:1

Solomon, having shown the vanity of this world in the temptation which those in power feel to oppress and trample upon their subjects, here further shows, I. The temptation which the oppressed feel to discontent and impatience, ver. 1-3 . II. The temptation which those that love their case feel to take their case and neglect business, for fear of being envied, ver. 4-6 . III. The folly of hoarding up abundance of worldly wealth, ver. 7, 8 . IV. A remedy against that folly, in being made sensible of the benefit of… Read the whole commentary →

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