Does excellence cause envy?

Ecclesiastes 4:4 is one of those interesting verses that is rendered very differently in different translations. Look at the difference between ESV and NKJV:

Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his eighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. (Ecclesiastes 4:4; ESV)

Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. (Ecclesiastes 4:4; NKJV)

In the first sense of the verse, envy of one’s neighbor is the cause of one’s toil and skill. In the second sense of the verse, one’s skill and toil causes the neighbor to envy. Which translation is better? Which is right? Certainly toil and skill may spring from envy and it may also create envy. This is one of those verses where the 1611 KJV seems to make more sense:

Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

In any case, this difference in meaning seems important in the light of Philippians 4:8 and Romans 14:13:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8; ESV)

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. (Romans 14:13; ESV)

Do we cause our brothers to stumble through our devotion to skillful toil and excellence?

You can't take it with you

This week is Ecclesiastes 6 week. I'm behind on my commentary for Ecc 4-5 but I have found a lot of cool things there - I will get around to posting that soon. Ecclesiastes 6 is very brief...

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil.

If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.

For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he.

Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good--do not all go to the one place?

All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?

Defense for the Elderly