Ecclesiastes 9:5

Verse 5

5. The living… the dead The idea is, that though the living know that they must die, yet this very consciousness, acting in other directions, enables them to enjoy some pleasures. “Under the shadow of death they can still be merry.” The dead, sunken in unconsciousness, have no longer any faculty for enjoyment.

A reward That is, advantage of any sort.

The memory of them Not that they are forgotten, which would be contrary to the grammar of the clause, and to that plain, palpable look of things now under discussion, but that they forget every thing which is the basis of the statement of the next verse. “After life’s fitful fever,” they lie down in oblivion of all things.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

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Daniel Whedon

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

Daniel Whedon was born in 1808 in Onondaga, N.Y. Dr. Whedon was well qualified as a commentator. He was professor of Ancient Languages in Wesleyan University, studied law and had some years of pastoral experience. He was editor of the Methodist Quarterly Review for more than twenty years. Besides many articles for religious papers he was also the author of the well-known and important work, Freedom of the Will. Dr. Whedon was noted for his incisive, vigorous style, both as preacher and writer. He died at Atlantic Highlands, N.J., June 8, 1885.Whedon was a pivotal figure in the struggle between Calvinism and Arminianism in the nineteenth-centry America. As a result of his efforts, some historians have concluded that he was responsible for a new doctrine of man that was more dependent upon philosophical principles than scripture.... Show more

Dr. Daniel D. Whedon was a central figure in the struggle between Calvinism and Arminianism. He devoted 25 years to writing the New Testament commentaries. Other authors wrote the Old Testament commentaries with Whedon serving as the editor. Study the bible online.... Show more

Verse 5

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

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