Ecclesiastes 4:16
Large crowds of people crowd around him. But after a few years, they will reject him, too. So it is all senseless, like chasing after the wind.
Translation for Translators
In The King James Version
In Context
15But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone ◄starts to support/is pleased with► him.
Cross References
2 Samuel 15:12While Absalom was offering sacrifices at Hebron, he sent a message to Ahithophel, from Giloh town, requesting him to come. Ahithophel was one of the king’s advisors. So the number of people who joined Absalom and who were ready to rebel against David became larger.
2 Samuel 19:9Then all the people throughout the tribes of Israel started to quarrel among themselves. They said to each other, “King David rescued us from the people of Philistia and from our other enemies. But now he has fled from Absalom and left Israel!
1 Kings 1:40Then all the people followed him back up to the city, shouting joyfully and playing flutes. They shouted very loudly, with the result that the ground shook.
Ecclesiastes 1:14It seems that nothing that happens on the earth really enables us to do anything useful. It is like [MET] chasing the wind.
Ecclesiastes 2:17So I hated being alive, because everything that we do here on the earth [MTY] distresses me. It all seems to be useless like chasing the wind.
Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 4:14-16
The Advantages of Society. 13 Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished. 14 For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor. 15 I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead. 16 There 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.… Read the whole commentary →