קהלת פרק ד 1-16 – פרשנות לספר קהלת

קהלת פרק ד 1-16 – פרשנות לספר קהלת

ד וְשַׁבְתִּי אֲנִי, וָאֶרְאֶה אֶת־כָּל־הָעֲשֻׁקִים, אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשִׂים תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ; וְהִנֵּה דִּמְעַת הָעֲשֻׁקִים, וְאֵין לָהֶם מְנַחֵם, וּמִיַּד עֹשְׁקֵיהֶם כֹּחַ, וְאֵין לָהֶם מְנַחֵם׃ ² וְשַׁבֵּחַ אֲנִי אֶת־הַמֵּתִים שֶׁכְּבָר מֵתוּ; מִן־הַחַיִּים, אֲשֶׁר הֵמָּה חַיִּים עֲדֶנָה׃ ³ וְטוֹב מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם, אֵת אֲשֶׁר־עֲדֶן לֹא הָיָה; אֲשֶׁר לֹא־רָאָה אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הָרָע, אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃ ⁴ וְרָאִיתִי אֲנִי אֶת־כָּל־עָמָל, וְאֵת כָּל־כִּשְׁרוֹן הַמַּעֲשֶׂה, כִּי הִיא קִנְאַת־אִישׁ מֵרֵעֵהוּ; גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ׃ ⁵ הַכְּסִיל חֹבֵק אֶת־יָדָיו, וְאֹכֵל אֶת־בְּשָׂרוֹ׃ ⁶ טוֹב מְלֹא כַף נָחַת; מִמְּלֹא חָפְנַיִם עָמָל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ׃ ⁷ וְשַׁבְתִּי אֲנִי וָאֶרְאֶה הֶבֶל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃ ⁸ יֵשׁ אֶחָד וְאֵין שֵׁנִי גַּם בֵּן וָאָח אֵין־לוֹ, וְאֵין קֵץ לְכָל־עֲמָלוֹ, גַּם־עֵינָיו (עֵינוֹ) לֹא־תִשְׂבַּע עֹשֶׁר; וּלְמִי אֲנִי עָמֵל, וּמְחַסֵּר אֶת־נַפְשִׁי מִטּוֹבָה, גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וְעִנְיַן רָע הוּא׃ ⁹ טוֹבִים הַשְּׁנַיִם מִן־הָאֶחָד; אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ־לָהֶם שָׂכָר טוֹב בַּעֲמָלָם׃ ¹⁰ כִּי אִם־יִפֹּלוּ, הָאֶחָד יָקִים אֶת־חֲבֵרוֹ; וְאִילוֹ, הָאֶחָד שֶׁיִּפּוֹל, וְאֵין שֵׁנִי לַהֲקִימוֹ׃ ¹¹ גַּם אִם־יִשְׁכְּבוּ שְׁנַיִם וְחַם לָהֶם; וּלְאֶחָד אֵיךְ יֵחָם׃ ¹² וְאִם־יִתְקְפוֹ הָאֶחָד, הַשְּׁנַיִם יַעַמְדוּ נֶגְדּוֹ; וְהַחוּט הַמְשֻׁלָּשׁ, לֹא בִמְהֵרָה יִנָּתֵק׃ ¹³ טוֹב יֶלֶד מִסְכֵּן וְחָכָם; מִמֶּלֶךְ זָקֵן וּכְסִיל, אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדַע לְהִזָּהֵר עוֹד׃ ¹⁴ כִּי־מִבֵּית הָסוּרִים יָצָא לִמְלֹךְ; כִּי גַּם בְּמַלְכוּתוֹ נוֹלַד רָשׁ׃ ¹⁵ רָאִיתִי אֶת־כָּל־הַחַיִּים, הַמְהַלְּכִים תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ; עִם הַיֶּלֶד הַשֵּׁנִי, אֲשֶׁר יַעֲמֹד תַּחְתָּיו׃ ¹⁶ אֵין־קֵץ לְכָל־הָעָם, לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה לִפְנֵיהֶם, גַּם הָאַחֲרוֹנִים לֹא יִשְׂמְחוּ־בוֹ; כִּי־גַם־זֶה הֶבֶל וְרַעְיוֹן רוּחַ׃

4:1 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.

4:2 Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.

4:3 Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

4:4 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.

4:5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

4:6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.

4:7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.

4:8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

4:9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

4:10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

4:11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 4:12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

4:13 Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.

4:14 For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.

4:15 I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.

4:16 There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.