19/2/22. Study 16. Ecclesiastes 6:7-12.

 ⁷ All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied ⁸ For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? ⁹ Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

¹⁰ Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. ¹¹ The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? ¹² For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?

 

In this study we see Qoheleth asking many questions and not providing answers. We will unpack his thought in 3 parts to unravel his meanings:

1. v.7-9 (What is Qoheleth saying here?)
2. v.10-11 (Compare the idea of naming in Gen 2:19-20 and Psalm 91:14-15)
3. v.12 (How do these questions challenge us) 

 We should keep in mind some principles of interpretation when we face difficult passages like this one:

1. Observe the genre and context of the passage
2. Interpret the Bile literally (using the plain sense of the word)
   
3.  Use clear passages of scripture to throw light on the unclear passages. Scripture must not contradict itself.
   
4. Do word studies if ncessary
5. There is only one correct interpretation
   

  1. v.7-9

These verses are bracketed by the word "appetite" in v.7 and v.9.  This helps us understand the theme of the passage and helps us see truths about the "appetite" of the wise and the foolish, as well as the "appetite" of the rich and poor.

• 'toil'. Work is so we can eat. But we will get hungry again, so we have to keep working. Toil is ultimately meaningless (1:3, "What does a main gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun", 3:9 "What gain has the worker from his toil?") and does not ultimately satisfy (2:10-11 "I conisdered...the toil... and...all was vanity") and the fruit of toil can be enjoyed by others (2:18-22).

 In this respect, the wise man has to do what the fool does. Just like in the fact that wise men and fools die and are forgotten (2:14-16), the wise man also cannot escape this cycle of working to eat. So being wise is better than being a fool in some ways, but not in others. 

• 'poor' The poor are oppressed (5:8) and yet can rise to greatness by wisdom (4:13-14). Here Qoheleth seems to says that right 'conduct' by the poor - a right attitude to life that is content with what is in front of us rather than seeking for many different types of desires, is good. The poor have fewer resources and fewer opportunities to do this. So poverty is not all bad. It is more condusive to wise conduct in some ways.

"wandering" = Heb 'halak' (= walking, as in to and fro)  "desire" = Heb 'nepes(h)' (= soul)

We should remember that God loves and has a special regard for the poor in the Bible (cf. Lk 6:20-21). The poor have nothing to help them - no resources of their own, so they can only trust in God.

 

2. v.10-11 

Naming carries ideas of authority and intimate knowledge. The passage focuses on the sovereignty of God.

That the future has already been named speaks of God already determining what will come to pass. In previous chapters Qoheleth has said that God's work is immutable and eternal (3:14). He alone knows the future, and we do not. Also, God fully knows the nature and the limits of mankind. Man cannot argue with God, who is 'stronger'. The more you argue, the more useless effort is involved.

Qoheleth has also already previously warned us againt many words when coming into God's presence (5:1-7)

 To anticipate Qoheleth, 7:20 speaks not only of mankind's inherent limitations, but also of man's moral limitations such that we have no right to speak with Him.

3,  v.12

What is the point of the 2 questions in v.12?  How do these questions challenge us? What do these questions teach us about life? Taking the questions literally, as in "Who knows?", the answer would be "God knows!".

• The first question "For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? " has to do with quality and meaning of life. It looks back at our reflection on the 'good life'. The question also tells us that our life is short and 'vain' (= 'hebel', 'meaningless'). How do we live well? How should we live?

We pass our lives like a 'shadow'. This carries the meaning of insubstantiality "For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding." (1 Chr 29:15; "For we are but of yesterday and know nothing, for our days on earth are a shadow." (Job 8:9) “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. ² He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not." (Job 14:1-2).

Qoheleth does use 'shadow' in 8:13 to denote length of days.

• "For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?" has to do with our inability to tell the future, both with respect to our legacy (2:18 "I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, ¹⁹ and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool?") , as well as to our own eternal destiny (2:21 "Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?")