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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - Ecclesiastes 9:11 - 9:11
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“Further, I came to see under the sun, that the race belongs not to the swift, and the war not to the heroes, and also not bread to the wise man, and not riches to the prudent, and not favour to men of knowledge; for time and chance happeneth to them all.” The nearest preceding רָאִ, to which this וְרָבְ וְרָאֹ suitably connects itself, is at Ecc 8:17. Instead of redii et videndo quidem = rursus vidi (cf. Ecc 8:9 and under Ecc 9:1), we had at Ecc 4:1 the simpler expression, redii et vidi. The five times repeated ל is that of property, of that, viz., by virtue of which one is master of that which is named, has power over it, disposes of it freely. The race belongs not to the swift (מֵרוֹץ, masc. to מְרוּצָה, only here), i.e., their fleetness is yet no guarantee that on account of it they will reach the goal. Luther freely: “To be fleet does not help in running,” i.e., running to an object or goal. “The war belongs not to the heroes,” means that much rather it belongs to the Lord, 1Sa 17:47. - God alone gives the victory (Psa 33:16). Even so the gaining of bread, riches, favour (i.e., influence, reputation), does not lie in wisdom, prudence, knowledge of themselves, as an indispensable means thereto; but the obtaining of them, or the not obtaining of them, depends on times and circumstances which lie beyond the control of man, and is thus, in the final result, conditioned by God (cf. Rom 9:16);
(Note: But not Jer 9:22; this passage, referred to by Bernstein, is of a different nature.)
time and fate happen to all whose ability appears to warrant the issue, they both time and fate encounter them and bar to them the way; they are in an inexplicable manner dependent on both, and helplessly subject to them. As the idea of spiritual superiority is here expressed in a threefold manner by הֶחָ (whence להֲ of the plur., also with the art. Ecc 9:1; Exo 36:4; Est 1:13), 'הַןָ, and הַיֹּ, so at Isa 11:2, the gifts of “wisdom,” “counsel,” and “knowledge” follow each other. 'Eth is here “time” with its special circumstances (conjunctures), and pega', “accident,” particularly as an adversity, disappointment of the word is used also without any addition (1Ki 5:18) of misfortune (cf. שיר פגעים, Psa 3:1-8; 91). The masc. יִקְ is regulated after וף; 'eth can, however, be used in the masc., Son 2:12; Böttch. §648, viz., “with the misapprehension of its origin” (v. Orelli).
This limitation of man in his efforts, in spite of all his capacity, has its reason in this, that he is on the whole not master of his own life: