Ecclesiastes 9:1

For all this I considered in my heart More literally, For to all this I gave my heart to dig through, i.e.to explain and penetrate to the secret of the great enigma of life.

that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God The words hover, as it were, between the thought of Destiny and Providence, the latter, perhaps, slightly predominating. The wise and good need not despair, though they remain in ignorance of the working of the Divine Will. It is enough for them to know that they are in Its power, under Its care, and that It is in its essence as righteous as It is almighty.

no man knoweth either love or hatred The words have been differently interpreted according as the "love" and "hatred" are referred to God or man. In the former case, the thought would be, that as things are, no man knows by the outward events of his life whether he is the object of God's favour or displeasure, in the latter that no man knows who, as he passes through life, will be the objects of his love or hate. Both interpretations are tenable, but the former seems more in harmony with what follows. The latter has the interest of finding a parallel in the thought of Sophocles as to the mutability of human life:

φθίνει μὲν ἰσχὺς γῆς, φθίνει δὲ σώματος,

θνήσκει δὲ πίστις, βλαστάνει δʼ ἀπιστία,

καὶ πνεῦμα ταὐτὸν οὔ ποτʼ οὔτʼ ἐν ἀνδράσιν

φίλοις βέβηκεν, οὔτε πρὸς πόλιν πόλει.

τοῖς μέν γὰρ ἤδη, τοῖς δʼ ἐν ὑστέρῳ χρόνῳ

τὰ τερπνὰ πικρὰ γίγνεται καὖθις φίλα.

"Earth's strength doth wither, withers strength of limb,

And trust dies out, and mistrust grows apace,

And the same spirit lasts not among them

Who once were friends, nor joineth state with state.

To these at once, to those in after years,

Sweet things grow bitter, then turn sweet again."

Œd. Col.610 615.

by all that is before them Better, all is before them. i. e.as in what follows: all chances and changes of life coming from love or wrath, are possible in the future.