11 I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors , and neither e is bread to the wise nor e wealth to the discerning nor e favor to men of ability ; for time and chance overtake them all . 12 Moreover e , man does not know his time : like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare , so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
(Read Ecclesiastes 9:11-12)
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 the great concerns of their souls, are caught in Satan's net, which he baits with some worldly object, for which they reject or neglect the gospel, and go on in sin till they suddenly fall into destruction.