Ecclesiastes 4:4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

Every, etc

This is

Genesis 37:4

General references

Ecclesiastes 1:2

Ecclesiastes 6:11

Ecclesiastes 12:8

Bible References

Every, etc

and Abel also brought [an offering] from {the choicest firstlings of his flock}. And Yahweh looked with favor to Abel and to his offering,

These [are] the generations of Jacob. Joseph, [being] seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers. Now he [was] a helper with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, the wives of his father. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father.

{Saul became very angry}, and {this saying displeased him}, and he thought, "They have attributed to David ten thousands, but to me they have attributed thousands! {What more can he have but the kingdom}?"

Cruel [is] wrath and overwhelming [is] anger, but who will stand before jealousy?

(For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy.

And the patriarchs, [because they] were jealous of Joseph, sold [him] into Egypt. And God was with him,

Or do you think that in vain the scripture says, "The spirit which he caused to dwell in us desires jealously"?

not as Cain, who was of the evil one and violently murdered his brother. And {for what reason} did he violently murder him? Because his deeds were evil and the [deeds] of his brother [were] righteous.

This is

There is no end to all the people, to all who were before him. Yet the later generation will not rejoice in him, for this also [is] vanity and chasing wind!

I saw all the works that are done under the sun. Look! Everything [is] vanity and chasing wind.

For although a person may toil with great wisdom and skill, he must leave his reward to someone who has not toiled for it. This also [is] vanity and a great calamity.

{Better to be content with what your eyes see than for your soul to constantly crave more}. This also [is] vanity and chasing wind!

When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and were not able to speak peaceably to him.

General references

"Vanity of vanities!" says the Teacher, "Vanity of vanities! All [is] vanity!"

{Increasing words only multiplies futility}, how does that profit anyone?

"Vanity of vanity!" says the Teacher. "Everything [is] vanity!"