Bible Commentary

Ecclesiastes 4:10

Ecclesiastes 4:10

John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible · John Gill (1697–1771) · Public Domain

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow,.... That is, if anyone of them fall, the other will lift him up, as they are travelling together, in whatsoever manner; if one falls from his horse, or out of his carriage, or into a ditch, the other will endeavour to raise him up again: this, as it is true in a natural, so in a figurative and metaphorical sense, with religious persons especially;"if one of them falls upon the bed, and lies sick,''as the Targum paraphrases it, his friend and brother in a religions community will visit him, and sympathize with him, and speak a word of comfort to him, and pray with him, which may issue in his restoration.

So the Targum,"the other will cause his friend to rise by his prayer;''or if he fall into outward distress, poverty, and want, his spiritual friend or friends will distribute to his necessity; if he falls into errors, as a good man may, such as are of the same religious society with him will take some pains to convince him of the error of his way, and to convert him from it, and to save a soul from death, and cover a multitude of sins; and if he falls into sin, to which the best of men are liable, such as are spiritual will endeavour to restore him in a spirit of meekness;but woe to him [that is] alone when he falleth!

The Daily Devotional

One devotional. Every morning.

The full reading, the passage behind it, and where to go deeper — in your inbox before the day starts. No ads, ever.

We'll send one email to confirm it's really you. Unsubscribe in one tap, any time.

Continue tomorrow

Turn Bible study into a daily habit

Read today's devotional, save your progress, and receive a gentle daily reminder.

Recommended reading

More for Ecclesiastes 4:10

Continue with other commentaries and DiscipleDeck content connected to this verse, chapter, or topic.

Other commentaries

Ecclesiastes 4 — OverviewEcclesiastes 4 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleSolomon, having shown the vanity of this world in the temptation which those in power feel to oppress and trample upon their subjects, here further shows, I. The temptation which the oppressed feel to discontent…Ecclesiastes 4 — OverviewEcclesiastes 4 · Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeEcclesiastes 4:1, Vanity is increased unto men by oppression; Ecclesiastes 4:4, by envy; Ecclesiastes 4:5, by idleness; Ecclesiastes 4:7, by covetousness; Ecclesiastes 4:9, by solitariness; Ecclesiastes 4:13, by…Ecclesiastes 4 — OverviewEcclesiastes 4 · John Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleIn this chapter the wise man reassumes the consideration of the case of the abuse of power, to show that there is no happiness in this world, in grandeur and authority enjoyed; since, as he had observed before, on the…Ecclesiastes 4:1-16Ecclesiastes 4:1-16 · The Pulpit CommentaryEXPOSITIONEcclesiastes 4:1-16Ecclesiastes 4:1-16 · The Pulpit CommentarySection 5. Koheleth proceeds to give further illustrations of man's inability to be the architect of his own happiness. There are many things which interrupt or destroy it.Ecclesiastes 4:7-12Ecclesiastes 4:7-12 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleHere Solomon fastens upon another instance of the vanity of this world, that frequently the more men have of it the more they would have; and on this they are so intent that they have no enjoyment of what they…