Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 9:6
Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in any [thing] that is done under the sun.
6. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished ] The three passions are named as strongest and most vehement in their action. Even these are all hushed in the calm of the grave. There are no passions there, and the deadliest foes, rival statesmen and bitter controversialists, rest side by side together. The thought of the state of the dead stands on nearly the same level as that of the elegy of Hezekiah (Isa 38:9-20).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 6. Also their love, and their hatred] It is evident that he speaks here of the ignorance, want of power, c., of the dead, in reference only to this life. And though they have no more a portion under the sun, yet he does not intimate that they have none anywhere else. A man threatens to conquer kingdoms, &c. He dies what are his threats?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
They neither love, nor hate, nor envy any person or thing in this world, but are now altogether unconcerned in all things done under the sun.
In any thing that is done under the sun; in any worldly thing; by which limitation he sufficiently insinuates his belief of their portion in the other world.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. love, and . . . hatred,c.(referring to Ec 9:1 see onEc 9:1). Not that these cease ina future world absolutely (Eze 32:27;Rev 22:11); but as the end ofthis verse shows, relatively to persons and things in this world.Man’s love and hatred can no longer be exercised for good or evil inthe same way as here; but the fruits of them remain. What he is atdeath he remains for ever. “Envy,” too, marks the wicked asreferred to, since it was therewith that they assailed the righteous(see on Ec 9:1).
portionTheir “portion”was “in this life” (Ps17:14), that they now “cannot have any more.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished,…. Not that the separate spirits of the dead are without their affections, or these unexercised; the spirits of just men made perfect will love God and Christ, and angels, and good men, and all that is good, more intensely; love will continue after this life, and be in its height, and therefore said to be the greatest grace,
1Co 13:13; they will hate sin, Satan, and all the enemies of Christ, and be filled with zeal for his glory; so the word z for envy may be rendered; see Re 6:9; and the spirits of the wicked dead will still continue to love sin, and hate the Lord, and envy the happiness of the saints; and will rise again with the same spite and malice against them; see Eze 32:27; but this respects persons and things in this world; they no more love persons and things here, nor are loved by any; death parts the best friends, and the most endearing and loving relations, and puts an end to all their mutual friendship and affection; they hate their enemies no more, nor are hated by them; they no more envy the prosperity of others, nor are envied by others; all such kind of love and hatred, enmity and envy, active or passive, cease at death; out of the world, as the Targum adds;
neither have they any more a portion for ever in any [thing] that is under the sun: the worldly man’s portion is only in this life, and when he dies, he carries nothing of it with him; whose ever his possessions will be at death, they are no more his, nor will he ever return to enjoy them any more; his houses, his lands, his estates, his gold and silver, and whatever of worth and value he had, he has no more lot and part in them: but the good man has a portion above the sun; God is his portion, heaven is his inheritance for ever and ever. The Targum understands it of the wicked;
“and they have no good part with the righteous in the world to come; and they have no profit of all that is done in this world under the sun.”
z “aemulatio ipsorum”, Cocceius, Gejerus; “aelus eorum”, Drusius, Amana, Rambachius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(6, 7) Now.Rather, long ago.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. Their envy Better, their zeal. Love, hatred, and zeal are the chief movers of the human breast, but now they are for ever extinguished.
“The loftiest passions and the least
Lie sleeping side by side,
And Love hath reared its staff of rest
Hard by the grave of Pride.”
Ecc 9:6. Also their love, &c. We have from Ecc 9:4 to the present, the second reason. It is certain, that the dead are excluded from any participation, not only of the pleasure of this world, but likewise of all affairs belonging to it. The most unfortunate in the world may hope to see a happy change in their circumstances; at least they know that death shall put an end to all their troubles: but the dead have no sort of knowledge of what passes in this world; their expectations with respect to it are buried with them; and there is neither reward for, nor scarce a remembrance of their actions. No regard is paid to what they loved, or hated, or envied. The influence of their passions and affections over human affairs is at an end, Ecc 9:4-6. Upon this double ground, viz. the consideration of earthly enjoyments, and the impossibility that the dead should partake of them, is grounded the preference expressed in the vulgar saying, a living dog hath better hopes, or a better chance, than a dead lion. Our author, who has always an eye to useful conclusions, cannot resolve to part with the above-mentioned facts, without suggesting two right inferences which men ought to draw from them. See on Ecc 9:9-10.
Ecc 9:6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any [thing] that is done under the sun.
Ver. 6. Also their love and their hatred, &c. ] Here is lie upon lie. The atheist, as he had denied knowledge to the dead, so here he denies affections, as love, hatred, envy, or zeal, as Jerome renders it. But it is certain that those that are dead in Jesus do very dearly love God, and hate evil with a perfect hatred. The wicked, on the other side, continue in that other world to hate God and goodness, to love such as themselves are, to stomach the happiness of those in heaven, &c.
perished. Like the knowledge and memory of Ecc 9:5.
their love: Exo 1:8, Job 3:17, Job 3:18, Psa 146:3, Psa 146:4, Pro 10:28, Mat 2:20
have they: Ecc 2:18-23, Ecc 6:12
Reciprocal: Ecc 1:3 – under Ecc 9:10 – for Isa 38:11 – General Joh 2:8 – Draw 1Co 15:55 – is thy victory
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge