| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
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| 1 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens: |
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| 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; |
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| 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up; |
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| 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance; |
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| 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; |
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| 6 A time to seek, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to cast away; |
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| 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak; |
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| 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace. |
Hate – Despise that which is contrary to the principles of justice and righteousness. "I hate thee with a perfect hatred." (Psa. 139:22) Q783:T
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| 9 What profit hath he that worketh from that wherein he laboureth? |
What profit – Solomon sees man laboring hard to amass wealth, and wisely inquires thus. R1532:3
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| 10 I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of men to toil in. |
To be exercised – By experience. R1533:5
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| 11 He hath made everything beautiful in its time; also he hath set the world in their heart, so that man findeth not out from the beginning to the end the work that God doeth. |
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| 12 I know that there is nothing good for them but to rejoice and to do well in their life; |
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| 13 yea also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labour, it is the gift of God. |
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| 14 I know that whatever God doeth, it shall be for ever; there is nothing to be added to it, nor anything to be taken from it; and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. |
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| 15 That which is was long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God bringeth back again that which is past. |
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| 16 And moreover I saw under the sun, that in the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there. |
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| 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. |
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| 18 I said in my heart, It is thus with the children of men, that God may prove them, and that they should see that they themselves are but beasts. |
Sons of men – None of Adam's children are called "Sons of God" until Jesus gave himself a ransom. R1005:2
Beasts – Those who, by wilful sin, forfeit and lose the likeness of God are to be treated as "natural brute beasts made to be destroyed." (2 Pet. 2:12) R1005:2
The distinction is not in the kind of breath of life, but in that man has a higher organism than other animals. R1880:4
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| 19 For what befalleth the children of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other, and they have all one breath; and man hath no pre-eminence above the beast: for all is vanity. |
For that which – Death. E315
Even one thing – Even the same thing. E315
The destruction of the tissues goes on, so everything that had life in the body perishes--a process common to both man and beast. R5166:1
So dieth the other – Your senses can discern no difference between them. R4792:5
Death is not sleep; it is destruction. R5166:1
Such as die the Second Death are not sons; they will be treated as brute beasts, destroyed. R1006:6
But though there is no hope for the future life for the brute, God's Word stands pledged for a future life for humanity. HG646:2
Have all one breath – Life is not a created element at all, but a principle or force transmuted into different organisms. R822:1*
One kind of ruach, spirit of life; an invisible power or influence. E174, E389; R1880:4
All life is the same whether in fish, fowl, beast, man or angel. R822:2*
But with different bodies and organic quality. E327
No preeminence – Mankind is not possessed of any power of life beyond that of a beast, except by God's provision; nevertheless, our Creator has made provision for everlasting life for man. R4792:5
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| 20 All go unto one place: all are of the dust, and all return to dust. |
Unto one place – But for God's mercy the infidel view would be true--no beyond, no future for man after death. SM29:1
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| 21 Who knoweth the spirit of the children of men? Doth it go upwards? and the spirit of the beasts, doth it go downwards to the earth? |
Who knoweth – Who can prove the popular theory? E315
The wise man challenges any proof, any knowledge to such effect. R1880:4
Spirit of man that – That the ruach, spirit of life, of man. E315
Goeth upward – Controverting the heathen theory that man had some inherent quality which would prevent his death, even when he seemed to die. R1880:4; HG331:2
Spirit of the beast that – That the ruach, spirit of life, of the beast. E315
Goeth downward – The distinction between man and beast is not in the kind of breath or life, but in man's likeness to God and the provision for his resurrection. R1880:5
Such as die the Second Death will be treated as "brute beasts," destroyed. (2 Pet. 2:12) R1006:6
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| 22 And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him? |
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