What is the meaning of Ecclesiastes 6:1? There is another evil • Solomon labels what he is about to describe as “evil,” a moral wrong and a tragic reality, not merely an unfortunate circumstance (Ecclesiastes 5:13–16 gives a prior example of such “grievous evil”). • By calling it “another,” he signals that life under the curse contains multiple recurring wrongs, echoing Genesis 3:17–19 where sin introduced toil and frustration. • Scripture consistently names evil for what it is—Psalm 34:16 reminds us that “the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,” underscoring God’s clear moral standard. I have seen • Solomon writes from firsthand observation, not abstract theory (Ecclesiastes 1:14, “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun”). • His royal vantage point allowed him to survey every social strata, much like Jesus in John 2:24–25 who “knew all men.” • The personal testimony strengthens the warning: this is not rare, but common to the human scene (Proverbs 24:32, “I observed and took it to heart”). under the sun • A phrase Solomon repeats nearly thirty times, marking life viewed from an earthly, time-bound perspective—life after the Fall but before eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:16; 4:1). • It reminds us that without God’s eternal horizon, human experience appears cyclical and burdensome, as Paul echoes in Romans 8:20 - 21, creation being “subjected to futility.” • The contrast is Isaiah 55:9, where God’s thoughts and ways rise far “above” ours; looking merely “under the sun” limits true hope. and it weighs heavily • The evil is not a momentary irritation but a crushing load; the verb picture is of something grievous and oppressive (Psalm 38:4, “my iniquities… a burden too heavy for me”). • Jesus acknowledges such weight yet offers relief: “Come to Me… For My yoke is easy” (Matthew 11:28-30). • The heaviness flags the need for redemption; human systems cannot lift it (Jeremiah 6:14 warns of superficial remedies). upon mankind • The burden is universal, sparing no class or culture—Romans 3:23, “all have sinned.” • Ecclesiastes continually exposes shared human brokenness, anticipating the gospel’s universal invitation (1 Timothy 2:4, God “wants all people to be saved”). • The corporate scope magnifies both the problem and God’s grace: Christ bore the world’s sin (John 1:29) to free those oppressed by vanity (Romans 8:21). summary Ecclesiastes 6:1 introduces yet another instance of life’s fallen frustration: a real, observable evil that presses like a weight upon every person living only “under the sun.” Solomon’s candid observation readies us for the specific example in the following verses and, ultimately, for the Savior who alone can lift the universal burden and replace it with eternal purpose. |
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