Skip to main content

A Hand Full, A Fist Full


“One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.”  (Ecc 4:6)

That’s how the verse reads in the New American Standard Bible.  Other versions are slightly different.  I’m not going to try to suggest which version appears to have the best translation.  I simply want to look at some of the word pictures the verse creates.

A hand full can have positive connotations.  When we need something and we open our hand to receive it, and we receive what we need, a hand full is wonderful thing.  The contrast is being empty handed or having only enough to fit in the palm of our hands. 

Fists tend to suggest demand or even aggression.  But perhaps more so, a fist full can also present a picture that our fingers have tightly closed over what is in our hands.  That can portray selfishness.

So why mention the word pictures?  Allow me to paint a bit further…

We should look to the Lord to meet our needs.  God Himself opens His hand and satisfies the desires of every living thing (Psalm 145:16).  We should open our hands to gratefully receive what He provides.  His open hand is also a picture of how we should position our hands, not just open to receive but also open so that we can share with others.

If we do close our fingers over what we’ve received, it should not be out of selfishness but to protect what we’ve received.  We don’t want to drop it or have it snatched out of our hands.  Our fingers should open, when appropriate, to share with others or to invest well as wise stewards of what He has entrusted to us.

But, if you would prefer to view the verse as it appears to be presented to us, the notes in the NET Bible seem helpful.  Three approaches to labor:  (1) the competitive workaholic in 4:4, (2) the impoverished sluggard in 4:5, (3) the contented laborer in 4:6.  The balanced approach rebukes the two extremes.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Not Just Idle Words

I own a 25 year old car.  The body might be falling apart but the engine runs great and it idles smoothly.  Such idling is good. Idling can also have to do with spending too much time doing nothing or being without purpose or being engaged in that which is pointless.  Such idling is not good. What if I were to tell you that I know of something that is the about as far as being without purpose as you can get?  Would you want it? Here is that something:  “They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”  ( Deut 32:47) Other versions of the Bible use some different words for that first phrase in the verse and such can be helpful in assessing how important the words really are: “Not meaningless words…”   “These are not just useless words…”   “No empty word for you…”   “Not unimportant words…”   “Not useless words…”   ...

Strengthen Your Core

Supposedly, it’s all about your core! That is, in today’s world of physical fitness, it’s all about strengthening your core.  Your core refers to the group of muscles that support your spine and pelvis, providing stability and enabling movement. It's not just your abs; it includes your back muscles, pelvic floor, and even your diaphragm. When your core is strong, it helps you maintain balance and stability. It can help prevent back injuries and help you maintain better posture. It can also help with athletic performance by allowing for more efficient movement and power transfer. And there are, of course, appropriate exercises to strengthen your core. But there is another kind of core, one that is known as the inner self. The inner self, as described in the Bible, refers to the spiritual and moral part of a person, distinct from the physical body or outer man. And while our physical bodies are important and we certainly feel every ache and pain resulting from injury or even aging, o...

Don't Go Knocking or Crossing

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “knock on wood.”  You’ve probably also heard “keep your fingers crossed.”  “Knock on wood” is a common superstition or good luck charm for people to say in the hope of bringing good fortune or to ward off back luck.  Some will actually knock their knuckles on a piece of wood. “Keep your fingers crossed” is also a common superstition or good luck charm people say in the hope that something good will happen.  Some will physically cross their fingers and maybe even encourage you to do the same with them.   There’s sort of an equivalent in the Bible that predates both expressions: Jeremiah 7:4 says:  Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord , the temple of the Lord , the temple of the Lord !”  (Jer 7:4) At that time, people had evidently developed a false sense of security in the invincibility of Jerusalem because God dwelt in the temple in Jerusalem .  They used the expre...