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Geneva Study Bible Commentary

Ecclesiastes 4:12

And if one prevaileth against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold (g) cord is not quickly broken.

(g) By this proverb he declares how necessary it is, that men should live in society.

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See also Ecclesiastes 4:12 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    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...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 4 OBSERVATIONS OF DIFFERENT WRONGS _ 1. Concerning oppressions (Ecclesiastes 4:1)_ 2. Concerning envy of fools and the rich (Ecclesiastes 4:4) 3. Concerning the miser (Ecclesiast

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ECCLESIASTES 4. A GLOOMY SURVEY. The chapter falls into four parts, which treat respectively of oppression (Ecclesiastes 4:1), rivalry (Ecclesiastes 4:4), isolation amounting to self-torture (Ecclesia...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    PREVAIL AGAINST. overpower. Hebrew. _takaph,_ supposed to belong to later Hebrew, but it is found in Job 14:20 with Job 15:24 (the only three occurrences). See App-76. A THREEFOLD CORD. Compare Number...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _if one prevail against him_ Better, IF A MAN OVERPOWERS HIM THAT IS ALONE, YET TWO SHALL WITHSTAND. Another incident of travel is brought before us. The robber may lie in ambush. Against one his atta...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AND IF ONE PREVAIL AGAINST HIM, &C.— _And though one should be strong, the two will make a stand against him; for a three-stringed cord shall not quickly be broken._ Desvoeux. Houbigant renders it, _B...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    3. Attain your riches for practical good. Ecclesiastes 4:7-12 TEXT 4:7-12 7 Then I looked again at vanity under the sun. 8 There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a b...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. IF ONE PREVAIL AGAINST HIM. One = the enemy. Rather, join "one" with "him." 'If (an enemy) prev...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    VICISSITUDES OF LIFE. 'OH, THE PITY OF IT!' 1-3. The mass of human suffering and the absence of pity are such that better off are the dead and still more the unborn. It is not only through God's ord...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    TWO more ills of life are covetousness aria loneliness....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    RV 'AND IF a man prevail against him that, is alone.'...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE TEACHER SEARCHES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OUR LIVES BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 4 This chapter contains several subjects. 1. PEOPLE WHO SUFFER – ECCLESIASTES 4:1-...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ אִֽם ־יִתְקְפֹו֙ הָ אֶחָ֔ד הַ שְּׁנַ֖יִם

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    SECOND SECTION The Quest Of The Chief Good In Devotion To The Affairs Of Business Ecclesiastes 3:1 - Ecclesiastes 5:20 I. IF the true Good is not to be found in the School where Wisdom utters her vo...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    AND BY HUMAN INJUSTICE AND PERVERSITY. Ecclesiastes 3:16; Ecclesiastes 4:1 But not only are our endeavours to find the "good" of our labours thwarted by the gracious, inflexible laws of the just God...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    YET THESE ARE CAPABLE OF A NOBLER MOTIVE AND MODE. Ecclesiastes 4:9 Now a jealous rivalry culminating in mere avarice, -that surely is not the wisest or noblest spirit of which those are capable who...

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

    From this general survey the preacher returned to examine the condition of the beings whom he had described as being no better than the beasts. He looked out upon them, and saw them in suffering, and...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Cord. True charity increaseth in strength as it does in number, (St. Jerome; Worthington) though friendship may not admit of more than two persons. (Haydock) --- Some explain this triple cord of the...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. (10) For 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...

  • 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

    AND IF ONE PREVAIL AGAINST HIM, TWO SHALL WITHSTAND HIM,.... If an enemy, or a thief, or a robber, attack anyone of them, in friendship and fellowship together, and is more than a match for him; both...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ver. 12. _And if one prevail against him, &c._] _Vis unita fortior._ God bade Gideon to go down to...

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

    _For, if they fall_ If one or more of them fall in any way; as into any mistakes, and errors, or sins, dangers, or distresses. _The one will lift up his fellow_ Will hold him up, if he be falling, or...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And if one prevail against him, if an individual person finds himself obliged to submit to the attacks of some criminal, TWO SHALL WITHSTAND HIM, their combined strength overcoming the assailant; AND...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    EVILS OF SOCIAL AND CIVIL LIFE...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "AND IF ONE CAN OVERPOWER HIM WHO IS ALONE, TWO CAN RESIST HIM.. CORD OF THREE STRANDS IS NOT QUICKLY TORN APART." Companionship also brings with it protection and security. "While numbers, wrongly re...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    AGAINST HIM; against either of them. A THREEFOLD CORD IS NOT QUICKLY BROKEN; if a man have not only one, but two or more friends, he is so much the safer and the happier....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ecclesiastes 4:12 one H259 overpowered H8630 (H8799) two H8147 withstand H5975 (H8799) threefold H8027 (H8794

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    SUNDRY OBSERVATIONS ON LIFE (ECCLESIASTES 4:4). Having all to briefly considered the oppression that was in the world, which has left him feeling that it was better if they had never been born, he no...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    CHAPTER 4 THE DREADFULNESS OF OPPRESSION. GUIDANCE ON LIVING. This chapter begins with considering the dreadfulness of oppression and then continues with thoughts on living, giving both good and bad...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

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  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Discontent and impatience because of the oppressions and iniquities of life. CHARACTERS: Solomon. CONCLUSION: The world is full of trouble. By reason of man's perversity, he is ever distur...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Ecclesiastes 4:2. _Wherefore I praised the dead more than the living,_ who are robbed, fleeced, and exposed to incessant afflictions, from oppression and war. Solomon alludes to extreme cases, such as...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _A threefold cord is not quickly broken._ A THREEFOLD CORD I have read somewhere that the ancient Thebans had in their army a band of men who were pledged to friendship and fellowship with each other...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour._ THE NECESSITY AND BENEFITS OF RELIGIOUS SOCIETY I. Prove the truth of the wise man’s assertion, that, “two are better than...

  • The children's great texts of the Bible by James Hastings

    THREE'S BEST One alone. Ecclesiastes 4:8 (AV). Two are better than one. Ecclesiastes 4:9. A threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12. Instead of one text we are going to h

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ECCLESIASTES—NOTE ON ECCLESIASTES 4:12 A THREEFOLD CORD stands for the great value of being part of a larger group rather than being alone. ⇐

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— ECCLESIASTES 4:10. IF THEY FALL.] Not both together, but if one or the other falls. ECCLESIASTES 4:12. A THREEFOLD CORD.] Two cords would only suggest plurality, but three give the...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

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  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    So I returned, and I considered all of the oppressions that are done under the sun: and the tears of those that are oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Daniel 3:16; Daniel 3:17; Ephesians 4:3...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Prevail — Against either of them....

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