Daily Devotions
Ecclesiastes
"Its name is covered with darkness"
Text: Ecclesiastes 6:4
AN IMAGINED SCENARIO
Solomon used an imagined scenario to bring home a point. This scenario is exaggerated for effect.
“If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years,
so that the days of his years are many,
but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial,
I say that a stillborn child is better than he—
for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness,
and its name is covered with darkness.”
Ecclesiastes 6:3-4
1. “If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many”
a) This is a typical Hebraistic expression.
b) To have many children:
i) This is a desire of many.
ii) To have a hundred children would be considered superlative.
c) To have a very long life:
i) “To live many years”.
ii) “The days of his years are many”.
iii) This is a typical Hebraistic way of having a very long life.
d) “But his soul is not satisfied with goodness”
i) Though he is supposed to be very happy.
ii) But he has not found satisfaction with all the goodness given to him.
e) “Or indeed he has no burial”
i) To have a good funeral was important to a Jew in the old days.
ii) This man however has “no burial”.
f) This can occur under extreme circumstances.
i) He has denied his faith and is not allowed to be buried in sacred grounds.
ii) His children refused to honour him.
iii) He is far away from home and his death is not made known to his family.
2. “I say that a stillborn child is better than he”
a) A stillborn is still given a decent burial.
b) In this regard, he is considered “better than” the so-called rich man.
“If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years,
so that the days of his years are many,
but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial,
I say that a stillborn child is better than he—
for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness,
and its name is covered with darkness.”Ecclesiastes 6:3-4
1. “If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many”
a) This is a typical Hebraistic expression.
b) To have many children:
i) This is a desire of many.
ii) To have a hundred children would be considered superlative.
c) To have a very long life:
i) “To live many years”.
ii) “The days of his years are many”.
iii) This is a typical Hebraistic way of having a very long life.
d) “But his soul is not satisfied with goodness”
i) Though he is supposed to be very happy.
ii) But he has not found satisfaction with all the goodness given to him.
e) “Or indeed he has no burial”
i) To have a good funeral was important to a Jew in the old days.
ii) This man however has “no burial”.
f) This can occur under extreme circumstances.
i) He has denied his faith and is not allowed to be buried in sacred grounds.
ii) His children refused to honour him.
iii) He is far away from home and his death is not made known to his family.
2. “I say that a stillborn child is better than he”
a) A stillborn is still given a decent burial.
b) In this regard, he is considered “better than” the so-called rich man.
b) To have many children:
i) This is a desire of many.
ii) To have a hundred children would be considered superlative.
c) To have a very long life:
i) “To live many years”.
ii) “The days of his years are many”.
iii) This is a typical Hebraistic way of having a very long life.
d) “But his soul is not satisfied with goodness”
i) Though he is supposed to be very happy.
ii) But he has not found satisfaction with all the goodness given to him.
e) “Or indeed he has no burial”
i) To have a good funeral was important to a Jew in the old days.
ii) This man however has “no burial”.
f) This can occur under extreme circumstances.
i) He has denied his faith and is not allowed to be buried in sacred grounds.
ii) His children refused to honour him.
iii) He is far away from home and his death is not made known to his family.
2. “I say that a stillborn child is better than he”
a) A stillborn is still given a decent burial.
b) In this regard, he is considered “better than” the so-called rich man.
ii) To have a hundred children would be considered superlative.
c) To have a very long life:
i) “To live many years”.
ii) “The days of his years are many”.
iii) This is a typical Hebraistic way of having a very long life.
d) “But his soul is not satisfied with goodness”
i) Though he is supposed to be very happy.
ii) But he has not found satisfaction with all the goodness given to him.
e) “Or indeed he has no burial”
i) To have a good funeral was important to a Jew in the old days.
ii) This man however has “no burial”.
f) This can occur under extreme circumstances.
i) He has denied his faith and is not allowed to be buried in sacred grounds.
ii) His children refused to honour him.
iii) He is far away from home and his death is not made known to his family.
2. “I say that a stillborn child is better than he”
a) A stillborn is still given a decent burial.
b) In this regard, he is considered “better than” the so-called rich man.
i) “To live many years”.
ii) “The days of his years are many”.
iii) This is a typical Hebraistic way of having a very long life.
d) “But his soul is not satisfied with goodness”
i) Though he is supposed to be very happy.
ii) But he has not found satisfaction with all the goodness given to him.
e) “Or indeed he has no burial”
i) To have a good funeral was important to a Jew in the old days.
ii) This man however has “no burial”.
f) This can occur under extreme circumstances.
i) He has denied his faith and is not allowed to be buried in sacred grounds.
ii) His children refused to honour him.
iii) He is far away from home and his death is not made known to his family.
2. “I say that a stillborn child is better than he”
a) A stillborn is still given a decent burial.
b) In this regard, he is considered “better than” the so-called rich man.
iii) This is a typical Hebraistic way of having a very long life.
d) “But his soul is not satisfied with goodness”
i) Though he is supposed to be very happy.
ii) But he has not found satisfaction with all the goodness given to him.
e) “Or indeed he has no burial”
i) To have a good funeral was important to a Jew in the old days.
ii) This man however has “no burial”.
f) This can occur under extreme circumstances.
i) He has denied his faith and is not allowed to be buried in sacred grounds.
ii) His children refused to honour him.
iii) He is far away from home and his death is not made known to his family.
2. “I say that a stillborn child is better than he”
a) A stillborn is still given a decent burial.
b) In this regard, he is considered “better than” the so-called rich man.
i) Though he is supposed to be very happy.
ii) But he has not found satisfaction with all the goodness given to him.
e) “Or indeed he has no burial”
i) To have a good funeral was important to a Jew in the old days.
ii) This man however has “no burial”.
f) This can occur under extreme circumstances.
i) He has denied his faith and is not allowed to be buried in sacred grounds.
ii) His children refused to honour him.
iii) He is far away from home and his death is not made known to his family.
2. “I say that a stillborn child is better than he”
a) A stillborn is still given a decent burial.
b) In this regard, he is considered “better than” the so-called rich man.
e) “Or indeed he has no burial”
i) To have a good funeral was important to a Jew in the old days.
ii) This man however has “no burial”.
f) This can occur under extreme circumstances.
i) He has denied his faith and is not allowed to be buried in sacred grounds.
ii) His children refused to honour him.
iii) He is far away from home and his death is not made known to his family.
2. “I say that a stillborn child is better than he”
a) A stillborn is still given a decent burial.
b) In this regard, he is considered “better than” the so-called rich man.
ii) This man however has “no burial”.
f) This can occur under extreme circumstances.
i) He has denied his faith and is not allowed to be buried in sacred grounds.
ii) His children refused to honour him.
iii) He is far away from home and his death is not made known to his family.
2. “I say that a stillborn child is better than he”
a) A stillborn is still given a decent burial.
b) In this regard, he is considered “better than” the so-called rich man.
i) He has denied his faith and is not allowed to be buried in sacred grounds.
ii) His children refused to honour him.
iii) He is far away from home and his death is not made known to his family.
2. “I say that a stillborn child is better than he”
a) A stillborn is still given a decent burial.
b) In this regard, he is considered “better than” the so-called rich man.
iii) He is far away from home and his death is not made known to his family.
2. “I say that a stillborn child is better than he”
a) A stillborn is still given a decent burial.
b) In this regard, he is considered “better than” the so-called rich man.
a) A stillborn is still given a decent burial.
b) In this regard, he is considered “better than” the so-called rich man.
c) “For it comes in vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness”