Ecclesiastes 9:11

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. THE RACE (IS) NOT TO THE SWIFT (for they may be hindered by a slight obstacle). (See ; John 20:4; ; spiritually, ; .) NOR THE BATTLE TO THE STRONG - reverting to the sentiment. ; we o...

11,12 Men's success seldom equals their expectations. We must use means, but not trust to them: if we succeed, we must give God the praise; if crossed, we must submit to his will. Those who put off the great concerns of their souls, are caught in Satan's net, which he baits with some worldly object, for which they reject or neglect the gospel, and go on in sin till they suddenly fall into destruction....

Verse Ecclesiastes 9:11. _THE RACE_ IS _NOT TO THE SWIFT_] It is not by swiftness, nor by strength and valour, that races are gained and battles won. God causes the _lame_ often to take the _prey_, the prize; and so works that the _weak_ overthrow the _strong_; therefore, no man should confide in himself. All things are under the government, and at the disposal of God. _BUT TIME AND CHANCE_] עת _eth_, time or opportunity, and פגע _pega_, incident or occurrence, - _HAPPENETH TO THEM ALL._] Every man has what may be called _time_ and _space_ to act in, and _opportunity_ to do a particular work. But in this TIME and OPPORTUNITY there is INCIDENT, what _may fall in_; and OCCURRENCE, what may _meet_ and frustrate an attempt. These things should be wise

Read these six verses connectedly, in order to arrive at the meaning of the writer; and compare Ecclesiastes 2:1. After the description Ecclesiastes 9:5 of the portionless condition of the dead, the next thought which occurs is that the man who is prosperous and active should simply enjoy his portion all through this life Ecclesiastes 9:7; and then Ecclesiastes 9:11 follows the correcting thought (see Ecclesiastes 3:1 note), introduced as usual...

EXPOSITION ECCLESIASTES 9:1 One fate happens to all, and the dead are cut off from all the feelings and interests of life in the upper world. ECCLESIASTES 9:1 This continues the subject treated above, confirming the conclusion arrived at in Ecclesiastes 8:17, viz. that God's government of the world is unfathomable. FOR ALL THIS I CONSIDERED IN MY HEART EVEN TO DECLARE ALL THIS; literally, _for_ _all this laid up in my heart, and all this I have been about _(equivalent to _I sought_)_ to clear up_._ _The reference is both to what has been said and to what is coming. The ki,...

I RETURNED, AND SAW UNDER THE SUN,.... The wise man returned to his former subject, concerning the same events happening to all sorts of persons, righteous and wicked, wise and unwise, Ecclesiastes 10:1; and enlarged upon it in his mind; and took notice of various things done under the sun, and made the following remarks: and whereas he had exhorted men to use all their might in doing the duties of their calling while they lived here; he suggests, that they should not depend upon, and promise themselves, anything from their own strength and wisdom; but have a regard to the providence of God, that superintends all affairs, and gives or withholds success as he pleases; since it may be observed, THAT THE RACE [IS] NOT TO THE SWIFT; swiftness oftentimes is of no service to a man to escape dangers, as may be seen in the case of Asahel and others,...

CHAPTER 9 _ 1. The common fate (Ecclesiastes 9:1)_ 2. Make the best of life (Ecclesiastes 9:7) 3. The great uncertainty (Ecclesiastes 9:11) Ecclesiastes 9:1. Here is another conclusion. The righteous and the wise with their works are in the hands of God. One event is in store for all, for the righteous, the wicked, the good, the clean, the unclean, the one who sacrificeth and the one who sacrificeth not--the grave is the one common goal. In that goal there is the end of all human toil and ambition. But even with this knowledge that all go one way, and the certainty of it,

ECCLESIASTES 8:16 TO ECCLESIASTES 9:16. LIFE'S RIDDLE BAFFLES THE WISEST QUEST. The parenthesis in Ecclesiastes 8:16_ b_ describes the ceaseless effort of the keen student of life, or perhaps the fate of the toiler who is too tired to sleep; with Ecclesiastes 8:17; cf. Ecclesiastes 7:24; Job 11:6, and from the Christian standpoint Romans 11:33

MEN. Hebrew. _gibbor._ App-14. CHANCE. occurrence. Hebrew. _phega'_: i.e. "time[of misfortune]". Occurs only here and 1 Kings 5:4, where it is associated with "evil" (or calamity). HAPPENETH. meeteth, or befalleth....

_that the race is not to the swift_ The sequence of thought is that while it is a man's wisdom to do the work which he finds ready to his hand, he must not reckon on immediate and visible results. The course of the world witnesses many apparent failures even where men fulfil the apparent conditions of success. The wise and skilful often gain neither "bread" nor "favour," and the injustice of fortune is worse than that painted in the words of the Satirist, "_Probitas laudatur et alget_" (Juven. i. 74). So a poet of our own time has sung, "Oh, if we draw a circle premature, Heedless of far gain, Greedy of quick return of profits, sure Bad is our bargain." Browning. _A Grammarian's Funeral_. The thought of "the race" seems to belong to a time when contests of this nature had become familiar to the dwellers in Palestine, _i.e._after they had come in contact with Greek habits, and is so...