Life Together · Day 3
Ecclesiastes 4:7-12 — a devotion
Ecclesiastes 4
- 7내가 또 돌이켜 해 아래서 헛된 것을 보았도다Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
- 8어떤 사람은 아들도 없고 형제도 없으니 아무도 없이 홀로 있으나 수고하기를 마지 아니하며 부를 눈에 족하게 여기지 아니하면서도 이르기를 내가 누구를 위하여 수고하고 내 심령으로 낙을 누리지 못하게 하는고 하나니 이것도 헛되어 무익한 노고로다There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then do I labor and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.
- 9두 사람이 한 사람보다 나음은 저희가 수고함으로 좋은 상을 얻을 것임이라Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
- 10혹시 저희가 넘어지면 하나가 그 동무를 붙들어 일으키려니와 홀로 있어 넘어지고 붙들어 일으킬 자가 없는 자에게는 화가 있으리라For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up.
- 11두 사람이 함께 누우면 따뜻하거니와 한 사람이면 어찌 따뜻하랴Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone?
- 12한 사람이면 패하겠거니와 두 사람이면 능히 당하나니 삼겹 줄은 쉽게 끊어지지 아니하느니라And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
KJV and World English Bible — Public Domain · 개역한글 ⓒ Korean Bible Society
Background
Ecclesiastes is traditionally attributed to Solomon and is wisdom literature that reflects deeply on the meaning and futility of life. The Preacher observes the many scenes of life unfolding under the sun and searches for what is truly worthwhile. Chapter 4 deals with social injustice, competition, and loneliness. Verses 7-12 contrast the emptiness of being alone with the benefit of having a companion. After speaking of the futility of competition in verses 4-6, the Preacher points out the emptiness of an isolated life and emphasizes the value of relationships. Even in the ancient Near East, the importance of companionship was widely recognized, but Ecclesiastes shines a deeper light on it from the perspective of faith.
Reflection questions: 1. Do I tend to try to solve everything on my own? How might that be affecting my life of faith? 2. If there is a companion in faith who lifted me up when I fell, how did that experience change me? 3. What is one concrete way I could become a strand in someone else's threefold cord?
Today's reflection
Ecclesiastes 4:7-12 contrasts the futility of a life lived alone with the benefit of life shared together. The Preacher observes someone who works endlessly alone yet is never satisfied, and he calls this vanity. A life with no son or brother, with no end to its toil, whose eyes are never satisfied with riches — it is a picture still familiar today. In contrast, when two are together, they receive a good reward for their labor, lift each other up when one falls, and keep each other warm in the cold.
In particular, verse 12's image of the threefold cord that is not quickly broken powerfully displays the strength of relationship. Two together are already a blessing, but the phrase 'threefold cord' hints at the bond of a community with God at its center. Alone we are only a single strand, but together we become a strong cord that does not break.
Ecclesiastes is a book that deals honestly with the futility of life. And one of the answers it offers is precisely the relationship of companionship. It is not success or wealth but relationships of mutual dependence that give life its meaning.
The same is true of our journey of faith. Walking alone, it is hard to get back up when we fall; but when someone walks beside us, we can rise again. Give thanks for the companions in faith at your side, and become that kind of presence for someone else.
In the app
Reading is where it starts, not where it stops.
Today's passage and devotional are yours to read here on the web. The app takes it from there — a place to write what stayed with you, receive a reflection on top of it, and watch the days add up.
A reflection arrives on what you wrote
Write what stayed with you, and a paragraph comes back — read against the passage you just finished. It does not lecture, and it does not grade you.
Your devotions gather into a record
What you write and what comes back stay on the calendar. Your streak is counted for you, and any past devotion opens again whenever you want it.
Today's verse on your lock screen
The widget puts the day's passage up each morning, so you read it once more in passing without opening anything.
160 topical series and a reading plan
Start wherever you are — 'weakness', 'waiting'. The one-year Bible reading plan, a Proverb a day, and the anonymous prayer box are all in there too.