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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

Ecclesiastes 9:12

For man also knoweth not his time, he knows neither when death will overtake him nor the hour when some special work is expected of him; as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, their fate suddenly overtaking them, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, altogether unawares; so are the sons of men, all weak and sinful mortals, snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them, the unexpected suddenness of the capture being the point of comparison.

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See also Ecclesiastes 9:12 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Ecclesiastes 9:12. _AS THE BIRDS THAT ARE CAUGHT_] Man acts so heedlessly, notwithstanding all his wisdom, and all his warnings, that he is often taken, as a _fish_ is, by the baited hook; and...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    Read these six verses connectedly, in order to arrive at the meaning of the writer; and compare Ecclesiastes 2:1. After the description Ecclesiastes 9:5 of the portionless condition of the dead, the n...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 9 _ 1. The common fate (Ecclesiastes 9:1)_ 2. Make the best of life (Ecclesiastes 9:7) 3. The great uncertainty (Ecclesiastes 9:11)...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ECCLESIASTES 8:16 TO ECCLESIASTES 9:16. LIFE'S RIDDLE BAFFLES THE WISEST QUEST. The parenthesis in Ecclesiastes 8:16_ b_ describes the ceaseless effort of the keen student of life, or perhaps the fate

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    FOR MAN, &C. Connect this sentence with Ecclesiastes 9:11. MAN... MEN. Hebrew. _'adam_ (with Art.) App-14....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _as the fishes that are taken in an evil net_ The words paint vividly the suddenness of calamities which defeat all men's purposes and plans. The imagery was a natural one in any country, and meets us...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    WHEN IT FALLETH SUDDENLY UPON THEM— _By sudden accidents._ The _third proof,_ in support of the third proposition, is taken from those wrong judgments which are known to be such only by the event; but...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    5. Work with the awareness that God will control the final outcome. Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 TEXT 9:11-12 11 I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, and the battle is not to the wa...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    LIVE WORTHILY WHILE YOU MAY 1-3. The future is in God's hands. Good and bad alike must die....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE TEACHER SEARCHES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OUR LIVES BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 9 EVERYONE MUST DIE AT SOME TIME – ECCLESIASTES 9:1-10...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    Proverbs 7:23; Ezekiel 12:13; Hosea 7:12....

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    כִּ֡י גַּם֩ לֹֽא ־יֵדַ֨ע הָ אָדָ֜ם אֶת

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE CHIEF GOOD NOT TO BE FOUND IN WISDOM: Ecclesiastes 8:16; Ecclesiastes 9:1 1. The Preacher commences this section by carefully defining his position and equipment as he starts on his final course...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    NOR IN PLEASURE: Ecclesiastes 9:7 Imagine, then, a Jew brought to the bitter pass which Coheleth has described. He has acquainted himself with wisdom, native and foreign; and wisdom has led him to co...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    In view of the evidences of the truth of the affirmation, "vanity... all is vanity," the preacher now turns to its effect on the mind of the man living "under the sun." He extols this worldly wisdom,...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    For man also knoweth not his (g) time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so [are] the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth sudd...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _With. Hebrew adds, "evil." Net, (Montanus) or hook. (Haydock) --- Them. They may use precautions; but, without God's aid, they will not succeed, Psalm cxxvi. 1. (Calmet)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skil...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 THROUGH 12. The Book of Ecclesiastes is, up to a certain point, the converse of the Book of Proverbs. (see NOTE TO PROVERBS below) It is the experience of a...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    FOR MAN ALSO KNOWETH NOT HIS TIME,.... Though it is fixed and settled by the Lord, yet times and seasons are kept in his own power, and not known by men; not the time of his death, nor of any calamity...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so [are] the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _For man also knoweth not his time_ Namely, the time of his death, or of some other sore distress, which God is bringing upon him; _as fishes are taken in an evil net_ While they are sporting and feed...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "MOREOVER, MAN DOES NOT KNOW HIS TIME: LIKE FISH CAUGHT IN. TREACHEROUS NET, AND BIRDS TRAPPED IN. SNARE, SO THE SONS OF MEN ARE ENSNARED AT AN EVIL TIME WHEN IT SUDDENLY FALLS ON THEM."MAN DOES NOT K...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    11,12 Men's success seldom equals their expectations. We must use means, but not trust to them: if we succeed, we must give God the praise; if crossed, we must submit to his will. Those who put off th...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    HIS TIME, to wit, the time of his death, or of some other sore distress which God is bringing upon him; which is opposed to the time of success mentioned in the foregoing verse, and man is said to be...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ecclesiastes 9:12 man H120 know H3045 (H8799) time H6256 fish H1709 taken H270 (H8737) cruel H7451 net...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    SAYINGS ABOUT THE WISE (ECCLESIASTES 9:11 TO ECCLESIASTES 10:12). His philosophy having come up with the fact that all a man has to look forward to is the life just described, the Preacher now recogni...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THINGS DO NOT ALWAYS GO AS WE EXPECT (ECCLESIASTES 9:11). His first lesson is that men do not necessarily succeed because of their advantages and their abilities, because in the end success is largel...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    CHAPTER 9 THE SAME THINGS HAPPEN TO ALL WHETHER THEY BE RIGHTEOUS, WISE OR SONS OF MEN. AND IN THE END ALL DIE IN THE SAME WAY. SO LET THE RIGHTEOUS LIVE LIFE AS THEY MAY AND ENJOY IT FOR GOD HAS ACCE...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 9:12 I. There are many cases in which to our weak eyes the love of God is apparently most questionable, in which men and women seem absolutely abandoned to tyrannous circumstances, to the...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 8:16-10 I. At the end of chap. viii. and the beginning of chap. ix., Koheleth points out that it is impossible for us to construct a satisfactory policy of life. "The work of God," or, as...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: The universality of death and the need of minding the business of life and using wisdom. CHARACTERS: God, Solomon. CONCLUSION: While there is life there is opportunity of preparing for dea...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Ecclesiastes 9:5. _The dead know not any thing._ This is explained by the next phrase, _the memory of them is forgotten._ Elijah went up to heaven, or paradise, as the Jews will have it. John 3:13. Si...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Man also knoweth not his time._ BLESSED IGNORANCE “If ignorance is bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise.” This applies to our ignorance in relation to the future. It is mercy that has woven the veil. I. I...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ECCLESIASTES—NOTE ON ECCLESIASTES 9:11 From the human perspective, many things appear to be the result of pure CHANCE. ⇐...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— ECCLESIASTES 9:12. KNOWETH NOT HIS TIME.] He knows not the hour of his destruction, when he shall be suddenly snared and taken by death. This solemn crisis in man’s destiny is called...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ECCLESIASTES 9:1 One fate happens to all, and the dead are cut off from all the feelings and interests of life in the upper world. ECCLESIASTES 9:1 This continues the subject treated abo...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knows either love or hatred by all that is before them...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Peter 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:3; 2 Corinthians 6:2; 2 Peter 2:12;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    His time — The time of his death, or other distress which God is bringing upon him. Are taken — While they are sporting and feeding themselves. When — When they are most careless and secure....

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