![]() ![]() The Targum understands it of the wicked ``and they have no good part with the righteous in the world to come and they have no profit of all that is done in this world under the sun.''į26 ( Mtanq) "aemulatio ipsorum", Cocceius, Gejerus "aelus eorum", Drusius, Amana, Rambachius. The worldly man's portion is only in this life, and when he dies, he carries nothing of it with him whose ever his possessions will be at death, they are no more his, nor will he ever return to enjoy them any more his houses, his lands, his estates, his gold and silver, and whatever of worth and value he had, he has no more lot and part in them: but the good man has a portion above the sun God is his portion, heaven is his inheritance for ever and ever. Not that the separate spirits of the dead are without their affections, or these unexercised the spirits of just men made perfect will love God and Christ, and angels, and good men, and all that is good, more intensely love will continue after this life, and be in its height, and therefore said to be the greatest grace, ( 1 Corinthians 13:13 ) they will hate sin, Satan, and all the enemies of Christ, and be filled with zeal for his glory so the word F26 for envy may be rendered see ( Revelation 6:9 Revelation 6:10 ) and the spirits of the wicked dead will still continue to love sin, and hate the Lord, and envy the happiness of the saints and will rise again with the same spite and malice against them see ( Ezekiel 32:27 ) ( Revelation 20:8 Revelation 20:9 ) but this respects persons and things in this world they no more love persons and things here, nor are loved by any death parts the best friends, and the most endearing and loving relations, and puts an end to all their mutual friendship and affection they hate their enemies no more, nor are hated by them they no more envy the prosperity of others, nor are envied by others all such kind of love and hatred, enmity and envy, active or passive, cease at death out of the world, as the Targum adds neither have they any more a portion for ever in any that is In the end, the fullest life is one that honors God and keeps His ways (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14).Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now ![]() Solomon encourages his readers to live life to its fullest, knowing life is short. The saying “the dead know nothing” seems to be a negative sentiment, but it is not without a positive message. The second and third lines lay down associated ideas in parallel: the dead know nothing, and the dead can no longer enjoy or be rewarded for their activities in this life. Lines 1 and 4 are parallel thoughts in the sense that the living know death is coming while those who remain after a person dies quickly forget those who have died. Eventually, “even their name is forgotten” (Ecclesiastes 9:5).Įcclesiastes 9:5 displays a chiastic structure (ABBA format) like this:Ī “For the living know that they will die, Those who have died have “no further reward” in this life they no longer have the ability to enjoy life like those who are living. There is no more knowledge to give or be given, just a grave to mark his remains. When a person dies “under the sun,” the earthly perspective, without God, is that it’s over. His conclusion, also repeated throughout the book, is that everything from that perspective is “vanity” or emptiness (Ecclesiastes 1:2). Solomon is commenting on an earth-bound life, “under the sun,” without God. The key phrase, repeated throughout the book, is under the sun, used about thirty times. It is an enigmamysterious and incapable of being grasped. Ecclesiastes is written specifically from an earthly perspective. The key to understanding the statement “the dead know nothing” is found in the theme of the book of Ecclesiastes. There, Solomon states that the dead are “happier than the living.” However, when a person is dead, the opportunities to enjoy things on earth no longer exist. Second, Ecclesiastes 9:5 cannot contradict Ecclesiastes 4:2. The rich man has feelings, can talk, and has the ability to remember, think, and reason. Lazarus is in paradise in eternal joy, while the rich man is in torment in hell (called “Hades”). In fact, Luke 16:19–31 offers an example of human capabilities in the afterlife. Each person will have feelings, thoughts, and abilities that exist in eternity. For example, Matthew 25:46 speaks of everlasting consciousness: “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Every person will spend eternity with God in heaven or apart from Him in hell. ![]() The “dead know nothing,” but in what way?įirst, it is clear from other places in the Bible that this verse cannot mean the dead have absolutely no knowledge. Ecclesiastes 9:5 reads, “For the living know that they will die, / but the dead know nothing / they have no further reward, / and even their name is forgotten.” This verse is sometimes used as a proof text for annihilationism, but that concept is not what is being communicated here. ![]()
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