Ecclesiastes 4:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

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.

I returned

Job 6:29

Malachi 3:18

And considered

The tears

James 5:4

They had

General references

Bible References

I returned

Repent! Let there be no injustice; Change your ways! My vindication is at stake.

When you return, you will see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, and between the one who serves God and the one who does not."

And considered

I also examined on earth: where the halls of justice were supposed to be, there was lawlessness; and where the righteous were supposed to be, there was lawlessness. 17I told myself, "God will judge both the righteous and the wicked, because there is a time set to judge every event and every work."

Don't be surprised when you see the poor oppressed and the violent perverting both justice and verdicts in a province, for one high official watches another, and there are ones higher still over them.

Unjust gain makes the wise foolish, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

The Egyptians ruthlessly forced the Israelis to serve them,

The king of Egypt eventually died, and the Israelis groaned because of the bondage. They cried out, and their cry for deliverance from slavery ascended to God.

No straw is being given to us, yet they're saying to us, "Make bricks!' Look, we are being beaten. It's wrong how you are treating your people!"

"A people whom you don't know will devour what your land and labor produces. You'll be only oppressed and discouraged continuously

The Israelis cried out to the LORD, because of his 900 iron chariots. Jabin oppressed the Israelis forcefully for twenty years.

In his burning anger against Israel, he sold them into domination by the Philistines and the Ammonites,

Now the people along with their spouses complained loudly against their fellow Jews,

They spend the night naked, without clothing, with no covering against the cold.

Their eyes secretly watch the helpless, lying in wait like a lion in his den. They lie in wait to catch the afflicted. They catch the afflicted when they pull him into their net.

A poor man who oppresses the weak is like a rainstorm that destroys all the crops.

For the vineyard of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden in which he delights. He looked for justice, but saw only bloodshed; he searched for righteousness, but heard only an outcry!

But I will put it into the hands of those who tormented and oppressed you, those who said to you, "Lie down, so we can step over you,' so that you had to make your back like the ground, and like a street for them to walk over."

Their feet rush to evil, and they are quick to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; ruin, destruction, and violence are in their paths.

"I'll come near to you for judgment. I'll be a witness, quick to speak against sorcerers, against adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who defraud the laborer of his wage, against those who defraud the widow and the orphan, against those who deprive the alien of justice, and against those who don't fear me," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

The tears

My tears have been my food day and night, while people keep asking me all day long, "Where is your God?"

You fed them tears as their food, and caused them to drink a full measure of tears.

My enemies revile me all day long; those who ridicule me use my name to curse.

"This is another thing you do: you flood the altar of the LORD with tears, weeping and wailing because he no longer pays attention to your offering nor takes pleasure in it from your hand.

Look! The wages that you kept back from the workers who harvested your fields are shouting out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.

They had

"I could also talk like you if only you were in my place! Then I would put together an argument against you. I would shake my head at you

"Be gracious to me, be gracious to me, my friends, because God's hand has struck me.

Insults broke my heart. I despaired and looked for sympathy; but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.

I look to my right and observe no one is concerned about me. There is nowhere I can go for refuge, and no one cares for me.

All the relatives of a poor person shun him how much more do his friends avoid him! Though he runs after them pleading, they aren't around.

Bitterly she cries in the night, as tears stream down her cheeks. No one consoles her of all her friends. All her neighbors have betrayed her; they have become her enemies.

But all of this has happened so that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted Jesus and ran away.

At my first trial no one came to my defense. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be held against them!

General references

Then I turned to re-examine something else that is pointless on earth:

Because many words lead to pointlessness, how do people benefit from this? 12Who knows what is best for people in this life, every day of their pointless lives that they pass through like a shadow? Who informs people on earth what will come along after them?

Why are you forcing me to look at iniquity and to stare at wickedness? Social havoc and oppression are all around me; there are legal conflicts, and disputes abound.