What is the meaning of Ecclesiastes 4:3? But better than both Solomon has just compared the oppressed, who suffer with no one to comfort them, and the powerful, who can be just as miserable in their grasping (Ecclesiastes 4:1–2). He now says “better than both” of those groups: • The statement echoes Jesus’ words about Judas, “It would be better for him if he had not been born” (Matthew 26:24), underscoring how devastating unchecked evil can be. • Scripture repeatedly weighs the heartache of life in a fallen world against the peace of never having entered it (Job 3:11–19; Jeremiah 20:14-18). • The comparison is not commending non-existence but magnifying how grievous sin and oppression truly are (Romans 8:22). is he who has not yet existed The focus turns to the unborn—those who have never tasted life’s sorrows. • They stand outside the cycle of toil, envy, and injustice that Solomon has been cataloging (Ecclesiastes 3:16–22; 4:4). • Jesus welcomed such little ones, saying “to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14), hinting at God’s special care for the innocent. • Their absence from earth’s pain reminds us creation was never meant to be marred; God originally called everything “very good” (Genesis 1:31). who has not seen the evil Seeing evil goes beyond observation; it involves experiencing and internalizing its wounds. • Lot’s soul was “tormented” by what he saw in Sodom (2 Peter 2:7-8). • Psalm 119:136 laments, “My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed,” showing how exposure to wickedness burdens the righteous. • The unborn are spared that torment, highlighting how tragic sin’s effects are on those who must witness it (Habakkuk 1:3). that is done under the sun “Under the sun” is Solomon’s refrain for life in a fallen, temporal order—life lived apart from an eternal perspective. • Oppression, rivalry, and discontent fill this realm (Ecclesiastes 4:1, 4, 8). • Romans 8:20-21 explains that creation is “subjected to futility” but promises future liberation for all who are in Christ. • The phrase reminds us that while evil dominates the earthly scene, it does not have the final word; God will ultimately judge every deed (Ecclesiastes 12:14; Revelation 21:4). summary Ecclesiastes 4:3 paints a sobering picture: the misery produced by sin can be so intense that Solomon momentarily calls the never-born “better” than both oppressed victims and powerful oppressors. The verse is not an endorsement of non-existence but a prophetic cry for redemption. It exposes how grievous evil truly is “under the sun” and drives us to long for the One who will wipe away every tear and make all things new. |
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