Ecclesiastes 4

V 1–3: OPPRESSION OVERVIEW Oppression ‘under the sun’ leads the Preacher to conclude that it is better not to have existed than to be oppressed! V 4–6: WHY WORK? Although skills are envied by others, a foolish and unskilled person gets by with a quiet life without grasping for the wind. V 7–12: LONELINESS LAMENTED The Preacher sees the fact of being lonely as another vanity. Clearly, here on earth, it is better to have friends for support. V 13–16: PASSING POPULARITY A powerful king will pass away and it is better to be a poor and wise youth than a dead king. This further ‘under the sun’ observation pricks the inflated balloon of pomp and self-importance of many.