Spiritual kinship and the victory over the evil one

Gentleness, with patience, bearing one another in love (Eccl 4:4). And I praised with the dead, those already dead, for the sake of the living, as many as they themselves live until now (Eccl 4:2); and a good one for these two, who has not yet become, who has not seen with the creation the evil thing made under the sun (Eccl 1:2). And I praised those already having died with Christ and having been released from those slandering them, for the sake of those living in malice and persisting in it until now. But he is good, neither being required of such a death separating him from malice, nor being born in malice, who did not know the evil toil being done by those slandering under the sun.

And I saw with all the toil and with all the courage of the creation (Eccl 4:4), that it is the zeal of a man from his companion; and even this is vanity and a choice of the spirit. I saw, he says, all malice and the one acting manfully in it; for him also he says, acting manfully in impieties, slandering the poor, and again the creation as 'made to be played with by the angels' (Eccl 1:14) of God. I saw also all his zeal which he has toward men, being vain and making his heart confident; for it is necessary for God in all things to become all things and for Christ to be fulfilled, the prayer saying: 'Give them that they also may be in us one, just as we are one, Father' (John 17:21).

The fool took his hands and ate his flesh (Eccl 5:13). If the hands of practical work are a symbol, everyone not working righteousness takes his hands; therefore such a one, he says, devours his flesh, being consumed by evils that come from the flesh.

rather than the fullness of two dragons of toil and a choice of the spirit. the choice of the spirit appears to be a passionate psychological will;. Such is also 'better is a little with the righteous than much wealth of sinners' (Eccl 4:6) and 'better is a little having with righteousness than many generations with injustice' (Eccl 4:6). Similar.

With these passages also come 'I would rather be cast out of the house of my God than dwell in the habitations of sinners' (Ps 4:7) and 'it is better to dwell on a corner of a roof than with a contentious woman in a shared house' (Ps 4:7). Following these also comes 'better is a morsel of vegetables with love and grace than a fattened ox with hatred' (Ps 4:7), as someone said: it is better to learn one spiritual insight than a multitude of insights of foolish wisdom.

The man of Ps 4:8 is one and there is no second, and neither son nor brother is to him; and there is no end to all his toil, and indeed his eye is not filled by wealth (Ps 4:8). And for what do I toil and starve my soul from goodness? For this too is vanity and an evil distraction. If anyone does not have a brother, this one has not received the spirit of adoption, and if anyone is not a father, this one is evil; 'for he says, no offspring shall be born of the wicked' (Ps 4:8). Appropriately, such a person is not filled by evil, starving his own soul from the knowledge of God.

But I say father and brother here according to the meaning of the Scripture; for I do not ignore that the propositions set forth are placed as if they were not true concerning sensible brothers and fathers. If anyone would also take the plain meaning of these sayings, he will be fully known as one of the childless rich and those striving to provide themselves a multitude of wealth, even if they were distant from friends; for these words spoken concerning men are entirely true.

And even if the two sleep, they are warm (Ps 4:11); and how would one be warmed? Without the Lord, no one could become alive in the spirit; 'for the Lord is the spirit' (2 Cor 3:17). And if one is strengthened, the two will stand against him, and the third shoot will not quickly break through (Ps 4:12). I think the one being strengthened is the evil one, against whom the two stand, both the man and the angel of God, so that the man, having conquered the devil, might be made worthy of the knowledge of God and become a third shoot not quickly being broken. This is to be clearly learned also from the patriarch Jacob, who is said to bless the children of Joseph: 'my angel, who delivers me from all evils, shall bless... (Gen 48:16)'.