So banish sorrow from your heart, and cast off pain from your body, for youth and vigor are fleeting. So banish sorrow from your heartThe phrase "banish sorrow" suggests an active effort to remove or distance oneself from sadness or grief. The Hebrew word for "sorrow" here can also imply vexation or anger, indicating a broader range of emotional distress. In the context of Ecclesiastes, which often reflects on the transient nature of life, this directive encourages a focus on joy and contentment. The "heart" in Hebrew thought is the center of not just emotions but also will and intellect. Thus, the verse calls for a holistic approach to emotional well-being, urging believers to cultivate a heart free from unnecessary burdens, aligning with the biblical theme of trusting in God's providence and finding peace in His presence. and cast off pain from your body
The phrase "cast off pain" involves a deliberate action to rid oneself of physical discomfort or distress. The Hebrew term for "pain" can also mean evil or adversity, suggesting a broader interpretation that includes moral and spiritual struggles. The body, in biblical anthropology, is not separate from the soul but is an integral part of the human person. This exhortation reflects a holistic view of health, encouraging believers to care for their physical well-being as part of their spiritual life. It aligns with the biblical principle of the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), emphasizing the importance of maintaining physical health to serve God effectively. for youth and vigor are fleeting
The word "youth" refers to the early, energetic phase of life, characterized by strength and potential. "Vigor" denotes vitality and liveliness, attributes often associated with young age. The Hebrew root for "fleeting" conveys the idea of transience and impermanence, a central theme in Ecclesiastes. This phrase serves as a reminder of the brevity of life and the swift passage of time. In a conservative Christian perspective, it underscores the importance of using one's youthful energy and resources wisely, in service to God and others, before the inevitable decline of age. It echoes the biblical call to "remember your Creator in the days of your youth" (Ecclesiastes 12:1), encouraging a life lived with purpose and devotion, mindful of the eternal over the temporal. Persons / Places / Events 1. SolomonTraditionally considered the author of Ecclesiastes, Solomon was the son of King David and known for his wisdom. Ecclesiastes is often seen as a reflection on the meaning of life and the pursuit of fulfillment. 2. IsraelThe setting for Solomon's writings, Israel was a nation chosen by God, experiencing various periods of prosperity and decline during Solomon's reign. 3. YouthA central theme in this verse, representing a time of life characterized by energy, potential, and often, a lack of awareness of life's brevity. 4. Heart and BodyThese represent the inner and outer aspects of human existence, emphasizing the holistic approach to well-being. 5. Fleeting Nature of LifeA recurring theme in Ecclesiastes, highlighting the temporary and transient nature of human life and experiences. Teaching Points Recognize the Transience of LifeUnderstand that youth and vigor are temporary. This awareness should lead to a life lived with purpose and intentionality. Guard Your HeartProtect your heart from sorrow and negativity. This involves cultivating a mindset focused on gratitude and joy, even amidst life's challenges. Care for Your BodyAcknowledge the importance of physical well-being. This includes making healthy lifestyle choices that honor the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit. Live Wisely in YouthUse the energy and opportunities of youth to serve God and others. Avoid the pitfalls of youthful indiscretion by seeking wisdom and guidance from Scripture. Embrace ContentmentFind contentment in the present moment, recognizing that each stage of life has its own unique blessings and challenges. Bible Study Questions 1. How does understanding the fleeting nature of youth and vigor influence your daily decisions and priorities? 2. In what ways can you actively banish sorrow from your heart and cast off pain from your body, according to biblical principles? 3. How does the message of Ecclesiastes 11:10 relate to the teachings of Jesus about worry and anxiety? 4. What practical steps can you take to guard your heart and maintain a positive outlook in the face of life's challenges? 5. How can the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 11:10 be applied to your current stage of life, whether you are in your youth or beyond? Connections to Other Scriptures Psalm 90:12This verse encourages us to number our days to gain a heart of wisdom, connecting to the idea of recognizing the fleeting nature of youth and life. James 4:14James speaks about the brevity of life, likening it to a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes, reinforcing the message of Ecclesiastes 11:10. Proverbs 4:23This verse advises guarding the heart, as it is the wellspring of life, which aligns with the call to banish sorrow from the heart. People SolomonPlaces JerusalemTopics Age, Anger, Anxiety, Aside, Best, Body, Cast, Cause, Childhood, Dawn, Discontent, Early, Evil, Fleeting, Flesh, Grief, Heart, Meaningless, Mind, Pain, Pass, Prime, Purpose, Remove, Sorrow, Trouble, Troubles, Turn, Vanity, Vexation, Vigor, YouthDictionary of Bible Themes Ecclesiastes 11:10 5766 attitudes, to life Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 5746 youth Library A New Years Sermon to the Young
'Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.... Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.'--ECCLES. xi. 9; xii. 1. This strange, and in some places perplexing Book of Ecclesiastes, is intended to …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureSowing in the Wind, Reaping under Clouds
"He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap."--Ecclesiastes 11:4. SOW when the time comes, whatever wind blows. Reap when the times comes, whatever clouds are in the sky. There are, however, qualifying proverbs, which must influence our actions. We are not to discard prudence in the choice of the time for our work. "To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." It is well to sow when the weather is propitious. It is wise …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 38: 1892 Of Confession and Self-Examination
Of Confession and Self-examination Self-examination should always precede Confession, and in the nature and manner of it should be conformable to the state of the soul: the business of those that are advanced to the degree of which we now treat, is to lay their whole souls open before God, who will not fail to enlighten them, and enable them to see the peculiar nature of their faults. This examination, however, should be peaceful and tranquil, and we should depend on God for the discovery and knowledge …
Madame Guyon—A Short and Easy Method of Prayer Curiosity a Temptation to Sin.
"Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away."--Proverbs iv. 14, 15. The chief cause of the wickedness which is every where seen in the world, and in which, alas! each of us has more or less his share, is our curiosity to have some fellowship with darkness, some experience of sin, to know what the pleasures of sin are like. I believe it is even thought unmanly by many persons (though they may not like to say …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII 1872-1874. Letter from Rev. A. M. W. Christopher --Letter from Gulf of St. Lawrence-Mrs. Birt's Sheltering Home, Liverpool --Letter to Mrs. Merry --Letter from Canada --Miss
Letter from Rev. A. M. W. Christopher--Letter from Gulf of St. Lawrence-Mrs. Birt's Sheltering Home, Liverpool--Letter to Mrs. Merry--Letter from Canada--Miss Macpherson's return to England-- Letter of cheer for Dr. Barnardo--Removal to Hackney Home. Though human praise is not sought, we cannot but feel peculiar pleasure in giving the following testimony from a servant of the Lord so much revered as the Rev, A. M. W. Christopher of Oxford:-- "Of all the works of Christian benevolence which the great …
Clara M. S. Lowe—God's Answers How the Slothful and the Hasty are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 16.) Differently to be admonished are the slothful and the hasty. For the former are to be persuaded not to lose, by putting it off, the good they have to do; but the latter are to be admonished lest, while they forestall the time of good deeds by inconsiderate haste, they change their meritorious character. To the slothful therefore it is to be intimated, that often, when we will not do at the right time what we can, before long, when we will, we cannot. For the very indolence of …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
(Jerusalem, April 9, a.d. 27.) Subdivision A. Jesus Cleanses the Temple. ^D John II. 13-25. ^d 13 And the passover of the Jews was at hand [We get our information as to the length of our Lord's ministry from John's Gospel. He groups his narrative around six Jewish festivals: 1, He here mentions the first passover; 2, another feast, which we take to have been also a passover (v. 1); 3, another passover (vi. 4); 4, the feast of tabernacles (vii. 2); 5, dedication (x. 22); 6, passover (xi. 55). This …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel How those are to be Admonished who Decline the Office of Preaching Out of Too Great Humility, and those who Seize on it with Precipitate Haste.
(Admonition 26.) Differently to be admonished are those who, though able to preach worthily, are afraid by reason of excessive humility, and those whom imperfection or age forbids to preach, and yet precipitancy impells. For those who, though able to preach with profit, still shrink back through excessive humility are to be admonished to gather from consideration of a lesser matter how faulty they are in a greater one. For, if they were to hide from their indigent neighbours money which they possessed …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
"Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord."--Jeremiah i. 8. The Prophets were ever ungratefully treated by the Israelites, they were resisted, their warnings neglected, their good services forgotten. But there was this difference between the earlier and the later Prophets; the earlier lived and died in honour among their people,--in outward honour; though hated and thwarted by the wicked, they were exalted to high places, and ruled in the congregation. …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII The Wrath of God
What does every sin deserve? God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.' Matt 25: 41. Man having sinned, is like a favourite turned out of the king's favour, and deserves the wrath and curse of God. He deserves God's curse. Gal 3: 10. As when Christ cursed the fig-tree, it withered; so, when God curses any, he withers in his soul. Matt 21: 19. God's curse blasts wherever it comes. He deserves also God's wrath, which is …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Ecclesiastes
It is not surprising that the book of Ecclesiastes had a struggle to maintain its place in the canon, and it was probably only its reputed Solomonic authorship and the last two verses of the book that permanently secured its position at the synod of Jamnia in 90 A.D. The Jewish scholars of the first century A.D. were struck by the manner in which it contradicted itself: e.g., "I praised the dead more than the living," iv. 2, "A living dog is better than a dead lion," ix. 4; but they were still more …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Ecclesiastes 11:10 NIVEcclesiastes 11:10 NLTEcclesiastes 11:10 ESVEcclesiastes 11:10 NASBEcclesiastes 11:10 KJV
Ecclesiastes 11:10 Commentaries
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