Question from a reader:
What should we do with Ecclesiastes 4:3? It says: “But better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun” (NIV).
Answer from Stephanie Anderson, EPM staff:
The book of Ecclesiastes certainly can be tricky to interpret, and must be seen in light of the entirety of Scripture. Got Questions explains this about Ecclesiastes:
Ecclesiastes is written specifically from an earthly perspective. The key phrase, repeated throughout the book, is under the sun, used about thirty times. [The author] is commenting on an earth-bound life, “under the sun,” without God. His conclusion, also repeated throughout the book, is that everything from that perspective is “vanity” or emptiness (Ecclesiastes 1:2).
It helps to remember the genre of Ecclesiastes (wisdom literature) and the author’s purpose in writing (to show the futility of seeking happiness in worldly things, of living with a perspective limited to only this present life). That’s why understanding how this book fits in the overall biblical narrative is important.
If we only saw this life in light of potential present suffering, then it would make sense that it’s better for people to never be born than to ever experience the difficulties of life. But this utilitarian perspective leaves out God’s plans and purposes. He is the One who creates humans and gives us the gift of life, and He is working His eternal plan throughout history with the people He has made. (See Acts 17:24-27.)
Here is a helpful overview of the book of Ecclesiastes. They write, “Ecclesiastes offers the Christian an opportunity to understand the emptiness and despair that those who do not know God grapple with. Those who do not have a saving faith in Christ are faced with a life that will ultimately end and become irrelevant.”
We also recommend the book overview video from the Bible Project.
