Ecclesiastes 4:2

וְשַׁבֵּחַ אֲנִי אֶת ־ הַמֵּתִים שֶׁכְּבָר מֵתוּ מִן ־ הַחַיִּים אֲשֶׁר הֵמָּה חַיִּים עֲדֶֽנָה ׃

Hebrew Tanakh (Original)

In The King James Version

Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.

In Context

1וְשַׁבְתִּֽי אֲנִי וָאֶרְאֶה אֶת ־ כָּל ־ הָעֲשֻׁקִים אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשִׂים תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְהִנֵּה ׀ דִּמְעַת הָעֲשֻׁקִים וְאֵין לָהֶם מְנַחֵם וּמִיַּד עֹֽשְׁקֵיהֶם כֹּחַ וְאֵין לָהֶם מְנַחֵֽם ׃

3וְטוֹב מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר ־ עֲדֶן לֹא הָיָה אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא ־ רָאָה אֶת ־ הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הָרָע אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ ׃

Read all of Ecclesiastes 4

Cross References

Job 3:11לָמָּה לֹּא מֵרֶחֶם אָמוּת מִבֶּטֶן יָצָאתִי וְאֶגְוָֽע ׃

Job 3:21הַֽמְחַכִּים לַמָּוֶת וְאֵינֶנּוּ וַֽיַּחְפְּרֻהוּ מִמַּטְמוֹנִֽים ׃

Ecclesiastes 2:17וְשָׂנֵאתִי אֶת ־ הַחַיִּים כִּי רַע עָלַי הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ כִּֽי ־ הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רֽוּחַ ׃

Ecclesiastes 9:4כִּי ־ מִי אֲשֶׁר יבחר אֶל כָּל ־ הַחַיִּים יֵשׁ בִּטָּחוֹן כִּֽי ־ לְכֶלֶב חַי הוּא טוֹב מִן ־ הָאַרְיֵה הַמֵּֽת ׃

Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 4:2-4

The Prevalence of Oppression. 1 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. 2 Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive. 3 Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. Solomon had a large soul ( 1 Kings… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Ecclesiastes 4:2