Movatterモバイル変換

Ecclesiastes 1:11
There is no remembrance of formerthings; neither shall there beany remembrance ofthings that are to come withthose that shall come after.

Exodus 1:6,8
And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation…

Psalm 88:12
Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

how

Ecclesiastes 6:8
For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

2 Samuel 3:33
And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth?

Psalm 49:10
For he seeththat wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come
This part of the verse reflects the inevitability of being forgotten over time, a common theme in wisdom literature. Historically, even great kings and scholars of the ancient Near East, despite their accomplishments, often faded into obscurity. This serves as a humbling reminder of human limitations and the fleeting nature of worldly success. The phrase also points to the ultimate leveling effect of death, which does not discriminate between the wise and the foolish. In a broader biblical context, this can be contrasted with the eternal remembrance promised to those who are in Christ, as seen inRevelation 3:5, where believers' names are written in the Book of Life.

Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!
This conclusion underscores the inevitability of death for all, regardless of one's wisdom or folly. In the cultural context of the ancient world, where wisdom was highly valued and often associated with divine favor, this statement is particularly striking. It challenges the assumption that wisdom alone can secure a meaningful or lasting legacy. The universality of death is a recurring theme in Scripture, reminding readers of the need for a perspective that transcends earthly life. This phrase also foreshadows the New Testament revelation of Jesus Christ, who conquers death and offers eternal life, as seen inJohn 11:25-26, where Jesus declares Himself the resurrection and the life.

“​For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise…”

• Solomon, inspired by the Holy Spirit, bluntly tells us that human wisdom, achievements, and accolades cannot preserve a person’s name forever.

•Psalm 103:15-16 echoes the point: “As for man, his days are like grass… the place remembers it no more.”

• Even great patriarchs of faith—Abraham, Moses, David—are remembered primarily because God recorded their stories, not because mere human memory endured.

• Practical takeaway: education, honors, and influence are good gifts from God, but they are temporary when measured against eternity (1 Corinthians 1:19-20).

“…just as with the fool…”

• The distinction society makes between “smart” and “simple” evaporates before the throne of God.

•Psalm 49:10 observes, “For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish.”

• In earthly life we may separate people by IQ, résumé, or reputation, yet Scripture levels the field (Proverbs 22:2).

• Application: we dare not boast in intellect, credentials, or refinement (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

“…seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come.”

• Time erases monuments and memories alike; even towering figures fade (Isaiah 40:7-8).

•James 4:14 reminds us life is “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

• Only what is done in the fear of God and for His glory carries eternal significance (1 Corinthians 3:11-15).

• This truth redirects our ambitions from self-promotion to kingdom service (Colossians 3:23-24).

“Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!”

• Physical death comes to every person (Hebrews 9:27); brains and achievements offer no exemption.

•Romans 6:23 sets the ultimate contrast: sin brings death, yet God offers eternal life in Christ Jesus.

• Solomon’s lament pushes us toward the only solid hope—resurrection and judgment in which Christ Himself is the difference between life and condemnation (John 11:25-26;1 Corinthians 15:22).

• Therefore, pursuing godly wisdom (Proverbs 9:10) matters far more than accumulating facts or fame.

Ecclesiastes 2:16 strips away every illusion of lasting human glory. Wisdom and folly alike end in the grave, and earthly memory soon fades. The passage urges us to value what endures: fearing God, trusting Christ, and living for eternity.

"Exegi monumentum aere perennius...
Non omnis metier, multaque pars mei
Vitabit Libitinam." Ovid, 'Amor.,' 1:15. 4 -

"Ergo etiam, cum me supremus adederit ignis,
Vivam, parsquc mei multa supersteserit." But Koheleth shows the vanity of all such hopes; they are based on sounds which experience proves to be unsubstantial. Though Solomon's own fame gives the lie to the statement received without limitation (comp. Wisd. 8:13), yet his reflections might well have taken this turn, and the writer is quite justified in putting the thought into his mouth, as the king could not know how subsequent ages would regard his wisdom and attainments.Seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. The clause has been variously translated. Septuagint, "Forasmuch as the coming days, even all the things, are forgotten;" Vulgate, "And future times shall cover all things equally with oblivion." Modern editors give, "Since in the days that are to come they are all forgotten;" "As in time past, so in days to come, all will be forgotten.... In the days which are coming [it will be said by-and-by], The whole of them are long ago forgotten.'" This is a specimen of the uncertainty of exact interpretation, where the intended meaning is well ascertained. "All" (הכל) may refer either to wise and foolish, or to the circumstances of their lives.And how dieth the wise man? as the fool. Better taken as one sentence, with an exclamation,How doth the wise man die with (even as)the fool I (For "with" (ira), equivalent to "as," comp.Ecclesiastes 7:11;Job 9:26;Psalm 106:6.) "How" (אֵידּ) is sarcastic, asIsaiah 14:4, or sorrowful, as2 Samuel 1:19. The same complaint falls from a psalmist's lips, "He seeth that wise men die; the fool and the brutish togetherperish" (Psalm 49:10). So David laments the death of the murdered leader, "Should Abner die as a fool dieth?" (2 Samuel 3:33). Plumptre considers that the author of the Book of Wisdom expands this view with the design of exposing its fallacy, and introducing a better hope (Ecclesiastes 2:1-9). But that writer would not have designated Solomon's sentiments as those of "the ungodly" (ἀσεβεῖς), nor foisted these utterances of sensualists and materialists upon so honored a source. At the same time, it is only as being victims,nil miserantis Opel, the prey of the pitiless and indiscriminating grave, that the wise and foolish are placed in the same category. There is the widest difference between the death-beds of the two, as the experience of any one who has watched them will testify, the one happy with the consciousness of duty done honestly, however imperfectly, and bright with the hope of immortality; the other darkened by vain regrets and shrinking despair, or listless in brutish insensibility.

Parallel Commentaries ...