EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Ecclesiastes 4:9
9Two people who work together are better than one person who works alone. They can help each other to work well.
Ecclesiastes 4:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
- New International Version (NIV)Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
- English Standard Version (ESV)Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.
Context of Ecclesiastes 4:9
7I thought about something else on the earth that has no purpose. 8There are people who live alone. They have no friends, children or brothers. They work hard every day. They want to get more riches for themselves. But they are never happy with the things that they have. They should ask themselves, ‘Why am I working so hard? Am I helping anybody? I am not doing things that make me happy.’ Their work has no purpose. It only brings trouble to their lives. Two people who work together are better than one person who works alone. They can help each other to work well. 10If one of them falls down, his friend can help him to get up. But it is terrible if you fall down when you are alone. There is nobody who can help you to stand up again. 11Also, if two people sleep together, they help each other to be warm. But if you sleep alone, it is difficult to be warm.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 4Ecclesiastes 4:9 word by word
טוֹבִ֥ים הַשְּׁנַ֖יִם מִן־הָאֶחָ֑ד אֲשֶׁ֧ר יֵשׁ־לָהֶ֛ם שָׂכָ֥ר ט֖וֹב בַּעֲמָלָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 4:9
- Genesis 2:18Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a helper who is right for him.’
- Exodus 4:14Then the Lord became angry with Moses. He said, ‘Aaron, the Levite, is your brother. I know that he can speak very well. Look! He is coming to meet you now. When he sees you, he will be very happy.
- Numbers 11:14I cannot be the leader of all these people unless I receive help. This job is too difficult for me.
- Proverbs 27:17People learn from each other, as one iron tool can make another one sharp.
- Haggai 1:14In that way, the Lord gave strength to Zerubbabel, Joshua and all the people who had returned to live in Jerusalem. They decided to work hard to build the temple of their God, the Almighty Lord.
- Mark 6:7Jesus asked his 12 apostles to come to him. He started to send them out to tell God's message to people. He sent them out two by two and he gave them authority over bad spirits.
- Acts 13:2One day, the believers were meeting together. They were praising the Lord God and they were praying. They also fasted for a time. During that time, the Holy Spirit said to them, ‘I have chosen Barnabas and Saul to do a special work for me. Let them go now and do it.’
- Acts 15:39Paul and Barnabas argued strongly about this. They could not agree, so they went in different directions. Barnabas took John Mark with him and they sailed to Cyprus.
- 1 Corinthians 12:18But God has decided where each different part of our body should be.
- Ruth 2:12You have done many good things. So I pray that the Lord will do good things for you in return. You have come here to be safe with the Lord, who is Israel's God. I pray that he will bless you.’
- John 4:36The workers are already bringing in the fruit and their master is paying them. As a result, people are receiving life for ever with God. So the person who plants the seeds will be very happy. And the person who brings in the fruit will also be very happy. Both of them will be happy together.
- 2 John 1:8So be careful! Do not believe their lies. Do not lose the good things that we have worked for. Make sure that you receive all the good things that God has promised to give you.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 4:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Two are better than one - Married life is infinitely to be preferred to this kind of life, for the very reasons alleged below, and which require no explanation.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7-12Verses 7-12 The spectacle of a prosperous man whose condition is rendered vain by his brotherless, childless isolation. Ecclesiastes 4:8 A second - Any one associated or connected with him. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Compare a saying from the Talmud: “A man without companions is like the left hand without the right.”Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-12Verses 9-12 Surely he has more satisfaction in life, who labours hard to maintain those he loves, than the miser has in his toil. In all things union tends to success and safety, but above all, the union of Christians. They assist each other by encouragement, or friendly reproof. They warm each other's hearts while they converse together of the love of Christ, or join in singing his praises. Then let us improve our opportunities of Christian fellowship…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-12Two are better than one: The solitary man (Ecclesiastes 4:8) reminds us of the benefits of partnerships in business and personal life.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Two--opposed to "one" (Ec 4:8). Ties of union, marriage, friendship, religious communion, are better than the selfish solitariness of the miser (Ge 2:18). reward--Advantage accrues from their efforts being conjoined. The Talmud says, "A man without a companion is like a left hand without the right.Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 4:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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