There is also another vanity, which is done upon the earth. There are just men to whom evils happen, as though they had done the works of the wicked: and there are wicked men, who are as secure as though they had the deeds of the just: but this also I judge most vain.
יֶשׁ־הֶבֶל֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נַעֲשָׂ֣ה עַל־הָאָרֶץ֒ אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ יֵ֣שׁ צַדִּיקִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר מַגִּ֤יעַ אֲלֵהֶם֙ כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הָרְשָׁעִ֔ים וְיֵ֣שׁ רְשָׁעִ֔ים שֶׁמַּגִּ֥יעַ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הַצַּדִּיקִ֑ים אָמַ֕רְתִּי שֶׁגַּם־זֶ֖ה הָֽבֶל׃
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
In this world of fleeting pretense, to which the wise author has dedicated this entire work—so that we might set our hearts on a life devoid of the emptiness found beneath the sun, but instead rooted in the truth of Him who created the sun—it is evident, I propose, that through the righteous and just judgment of God, a man who has succumbed to this very vacuity is ultimately brought to naught.
Under the heavens, one observes a perplexing reality where the virtuous endure trials that seem fitting only for the wicked, while the wicked enjoy a life of ease that appears to reward righteousness. I concluded that this, too, is futility. Among various instances of emptiness in the world, I have seen the righteous experience what ideally should befall the wicked, and the wicked thrive to such an extent that one might assume they embody true virtue. The Gospel illustrates this in the contrasting lives of the rich man dressed in luxurious attire and the impoverished Lazarus (Luke 16). Furthermore, the seventy-second Psalm addresses the dilemma of why the just occasionally face misfortune, while the unjust see prosperity.
Instead of the translation we know as ‘there is vanity upon the earth,’ Simmachus expresses it more definitively as ‘it is hard to understand what is upon the earth.’ The Jewish tradition connects the plight of the righteous enduring hardships with that of the wicked receiving what is due to the righteous, citing the sons of Aaron, who perished after offering sacrifices, and Manasseh, who, despite grave wrongs and captivity, was restored to his throne.
Frequently, the most misguided and erroneous beliefs circulate among people, affecting both the virtuous and the sinful. They perceive the opposite of the truth regarding each: the just are viewed as unjust, whereas the wicked are deemed wise. This profound misconception stands out to me as the most severe of all.
In His boundless compassion, God has orchestrated circumstances where the just endure suffering so that they are not lifted up by their own merits, while the wicked often go through life unpunished, hastening toward eternal torment through their wrongdoing. The fact that the just sometimes experience afflictions well beyond their deeds is demonstrated by the narrative we are examining.
While the notion of wisdom may be somewhat constricted, it holds tremendous significance for humanity, guiding individuals to accept with composure the authorities that govern their lives (8:1). It instructs them to adhere faithfully and without question to the edicts of the ruler (2-4) and to the overarching law: despite possessing free will, humans are called to exercise it through wise compliance, which is the ultimate directive for mankind, rather than through irrational defiance of this law (5-7). Additionally, it fosters submission to the unavoidable domain of death, from which no one is able to flee (8).
It also brings forth an understanding of divine providence, which may mean that a person's circumstances do not always align with their actions (9-14), and it is often within this alignment that one finds the true joy of living (15). Thus, the wisest course is to relish the present, as every attempt to fully grasp the significance of worldly events often proves futile (16-17).
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS