16 Furthermore , I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness . 17 I said to myself , " God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man ," for a time for every matter and for every deed is there . 18 I said to myself concerning e the sons of men , "God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts ." 19 For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same . As one dies so dies the other ; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast , for all is vanity . 20 All go to the same place . All came from the dust and all return to the dust . 21 Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth ? 22 I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities , for that is his lot . For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ecclesiastes 3:16-22
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 3:16-22
(Read Ecclesiastes 3:16-22)
Without the fear of the Lord, man is but vanity; set that aside, and judges will not use their power well. And there is another Judge that stands before the door. With God there is a time for the redressing of grievances, though as yet we see it not. Solomon seems to express his wish that men might perceive, that by choosing this world as their portion, they brought themselves to a level with the beasts, without being free, as they are, from present vexations and a future account. Both return to the dust from whence they were taken. What little reason have we to be proud of our bodies, or bodily accomplishments! But as none can fully comprehend, so few consider properly, the difference between the rational soul of man, and the spirit or life of the beast. The spirit of man goes upward, to be judged, and is then fixed in an unchangeable state of happiness or misery. It is as certain that the spirit of the beast goes downward to the earth; it perishes at death. Surely their case is lamentable, the height of whose hopes and wishes is, that they may die like beasts. Let our inquiry be, how an eternity of existence may be to us an eternity of enjoyment? To answer this, is the grand design of revelation. Jesus is revealed as the Son of God, and the Hope of sinners.