SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:4
¶ Porque hay esperanza para todo aquél que está aún entre los vivos; porque mejor es perro vivo que león muerto.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 9:4
Verse 4. For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope - While a man lives he hopes to amend, and he hopes to have a better lot; and thus life is spent, hoping to grow better, and hoping to get more. The Vulgate has, "There is none that shall live always, nor has any hope of such a thing." Perhaps the best translation is the following: "What, therefore, is to be chosen? In him that is living there is hope." Then choose that eternal life which thou hopest to possess. A living dog is better than a dead lion. - I suppose this was a proverb.
The smallest measure of animal existence is better than the largest of dead matter. The poorest living peasant is infinitely above Alexander the Great.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 4. For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope , etc.] That is, who is among the living, is one of them, and, as long as he is, there is hope, if his circumstances are mean, and he is poor and afflicted, that it may be better with him in time; (see Job 14:7); or of his being a good man, though now wicked; of his being called and converted, as some are at the eleventh hour, even on a death bed; and especially there is a hope of men, if they are under the means of grace, seeing persons have been made partakers of the grace of God after long waiting. There is here a “Keri” and a “Cetib”, a marginal reading and a textual writing; the former reads, “that is joined”, the latter, “that is chosen”; our version follows the marginal reading, as do the Targum, Jarchi, Aben Ezra, the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions: some, following the latter, render the words, “who is to be chosen” f219 , or preferred, a living, or a dead man? not a dead but a living man: “to all the living there is hope”; of their being better; and, as Jarchi observes, there is hope, while alive, even though he is a wicked man joined to the wicked; yea, there is hope of the wicked, that he may be good before he dies; for a living dog is better than a dead lion ; a proverbial speech, showing that life is to be preferred to death; and that a mean, abject, and contemptible person, living, who for his despicable condition may be compared to a dog, is to be preferred to the most generous man, or to the greatest potentate, dead; since the one may possibly be useful in some respects or another, the other cannot: though a living sinner, who is like to a dog for his uncleanness and vileness, is not better than a dead saint or righteous man, comparable to a lion, who has hope in his death, and dies in the Lord.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Good and bad men fare alike as to this world. (Eccl. 9:1-3) All me must die, Their portion as to this life. (Eccl. 9:4-10) Disappointment common. (Eccl. 9:11,12) Benefits of wisdom. (Eccl. 9:13-18)
Eccl. 9:1-3 We are not to think our searching into the word or works of God useless, because we cannot explain all difficulties. We may lear many things good for ourselves and useful to others. But man cannot always decide who are objects of God's special love, or under his wrath; and God will certainly put a difference between the precious an the vile, in the other world. The difference as to present happiness arises from the inward supports and consolations the righteous enjoy and the benefit they derive from varied trials and mercies. As far a the sons of men are left to themselves, their hearts are full of evil and prosperity in sin, causes them even to set God at defiance by daring wickedness. Though, on this side death, the righteous and the wicked may often seem to fare alike, on the other side there will be vast difference between them.
Eccl. 9:4-10 The most despicable living man's state, is preferable to that of the most noble who have died impenitent. Solomon exhorts the wise and pious to cheerful confidence in God, whatever their conditio in life. The meanest morsel, coming from their Father's love, in answe to prayer, will have a peculiar relish. Not that we may set our heart upon the delights of sense, but what God has given us we may use with wisdom. The joy here described, is the gladness of heart that spring from a sense of the Divine favour. This is the world of service, tha to come is the world of recompence. All in their stations, may fin some work to do. And above all, sinners have the salvation of their souls to seek after, believers have to prove their faith, adorn the gospel, glorify God, and serve their generation.
Eccl. 9:11,12 Men's success seldom equals their expectations. We mus 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.
Eccl. 9:13-18 A man may, by his wisdom, bring to pass that which he could never do by his strength. If God be for us, who can be agains us, or stand before us? Solomon observes the power of wisdom, though it may labour under outward disadvantages. How forcible are right words But wise and good men must often content themselves with the satisfaction of having done good, or, at least, endeavoured to do it when they cannot do the good they would, nor have the praise the should. How many of the good gifts, both of nature and Providence, doe one sinner destroy and make waste! He who destroys his own sou destroys much good. One sinner may draw many into his destroying ways See who are the friends and enemies of a kingdom or a family, if on saint does much good, and one sinner destroys much good __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
כי 3588 מי 4310 אשׁר 834 יבחר 977 אל 413 כל 3605 החיים 2416 ישׁ 3426 בטחון 986 כי 3588 לכלב 3611 חי 2416 הוא 1931 טוב 2896 מן 4480 האריה 738 המת׃ 4191
