Ecclesiastes 4:2
Wherefore I praised the dead that have been long dead more than the living that are yet alive;
Additional Resources
Referenced Verses
- Eccl 2:17 : 17 So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
- Eccl 9:4-6 : 4 For to him that is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, is perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion for ever in anything that is done under the sun.
- Job 3:11-26 : 11 Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when my mother bare me? 12 Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should suck? 13 For now should I have lain down and been quiet; I should have slept; then had I been at rest, 14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, Who built up waste places for themselves; 15 Or with princes that had gold, Who filled their houses with silver: 16 Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, As infants that never saw light. 17 There the wicked cease from troubling; And there the weary are at rest. 18 There the prisoners are at ease together; They hear not the voice of the taskmaster. 19 The small and the great are there: And the servant is free from his master. 20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, And life unto the bitter in soul; 21 Who long for death, but it cometh not, And dig for it more than for hid treasures; 22 Who rejoice exceedingly, And are glad, when they can find the grave? 23 [ Why is light given] to a man whose way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in? 24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, And my groanings are poured out like water. 25 For the thing which I fear cometh upon me, And that which I am afraid of cometh unto me. 26 I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; But trouble cometh.
Similar Verses (AI)
These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.
- Eccl 4:3-42 verses83%
3 yea, better than them both [did I esteem] him that hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
4 Then I saw all labor and every skilful work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
- Eccl 9:3-64 verses77%
3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead.
4 For to him that is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
6 As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, is perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion for ever in anything that is done under the sun.
- Eccl 4:15-162 verses75%
15 I saw all the living that walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second, that stood up in his stead.
16 There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
- 75%
17 The dead praise not Jehovah, Neither any that go down into silence;
- Eccl 2:15-184 verses75%
15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then said I in my heart, that this also is vanity.
16 For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool!
17 So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
18 And I hated all my labor wherein I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
- 74%
10 So I saw the wicked buried, and they came [to the grave] ; and they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city: this also is vanity.
- 73%
1 Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and, behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
- 73%
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
- Job 3:21-222 verses72%
21 Who long for death, but it cometh not, And dig for it more than for hid treasures;
22 Who rejoice exceedingly, And are glad, when they can find the grave?
- 72%
22 Wherefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him [back] to see what shall be after him?
- Isa 38:18-192 verses71%
18 For Sheol cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: The father to the children shall make known thy truth.
- 71%
7 Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
- Eccl 2:11-122 verses71%
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [even] that which hath been done long ago.
- 71%
18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul (And men praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself,)
- Eccl 6:5-62 verses71%
5 moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath rest rather than the other:
6 yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet enjoy no good, do not all go to one place?
- Eccl 2:24-252 verses71%
24 There is nothing better for a man [than] that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?
- 71%
15 That which is hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which is passed away.
- 71%
8 Yea, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
- Eccl 8:14-152 verses70%
14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there are righteous men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: for that shall abide with him in his labor [all] the days of his life which God hath given him under the sun.
- 70%
5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: In Sheol who shall give thee thanks?
- 70%
12 I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good so long as they live.
- 70%
8 For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? [or] what hath the poor man, that knoweth how to walk before the living?
- Eccl 1:9-113 verses70%
9 That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been long ago, in the ages which were before us.
11 There is no remembrance of the former [generations] ; neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter [generations] that are to come, among those that shall come after.
- 70%
20 Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor wherein I had labored under the sun.
- 70%
6 For unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
- 70%
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
- 70%
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.
- 70%
8 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.
- 69%
3 If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:
- 69%
6 He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
- 69%
2 While I live will I praise Jehovah: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
- 69%
11 Seeing there are many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?
- 69%
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
- 69%
19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; and man hath no preeminence above the beasts: for all is vanity.