Ecclesiastes 9:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Indeed, even the lowly and scorned can be deemed better than one who reveled in sin and corruption at the end of his days. This is so because the living, in their fear of death, can accomplish righteous acts, while the deceased can add nothing to what they have carried with them from this life, as expressed in the Psalm: 'forsaken as dead of heart’ (Psalm 30:13). Their capacity for love, hatred, jealousy, and any earthly pursuits ceases with death; they can neither commit further sins nor cultivate virtues.

However, some contest this viewpoint, suggesting that growth and decline may continue post-mortem. They interpret the statement 'and they shall have no more part in the world in all that is done under the sun’ to mean that the dead do not share in the earthly realm we see, but rather they hold a share in a different existence, as the Saviour noted: 'I am not of this world’ (John 8:23), existing under the sun of righteousness. Despite this, the notion remains that even after departing from this life, we, as sentient beings, can experience either downfall or perfection. The Hebrews provide an alternative reading of the verse ‘A living dog is better than a dead lion,’ suggesting that a humble yet living and teaching instructor is more beneficial than a flawless, deceased one. Here, the dog symbolically represents a teacher among many, whereas the lion symbolizes Moses or other prophets.

Nevertheless, preferring a loftier interpretation, we might consider that the dog, in the light of the Gospel, aligns with the Canaanite woman to whom it was proclaimed, ‘Thy faith shall save thee’ (Matt. 9:23), while the dead lion corresponds to the circumcised people, as noted by Balaam’s prophecy: ‘Behold, men shall rise like lions, and like lions shall ascend’ (Num. 23:24). Thus, the living dog represents the Gentiles, and the dead lion symbolizes the Jewish people abandoned by the Lord. In the eyes of the Lord, this living dog holds greater value than the dead lion. For we, who are alive, have knowledge of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, whereas the dead know nothing and harbor no expectation of promises or rewards; their memories are complete. They neither recall what they ought to know, nor does the Lord remember them. Their love for God has vanished, as has the hatred they professed, saying, ‘Hate not them that hate thee, O Lord, I will hate thee, and for Thy stripes I will stand’ (Ps. 138:21). Moreover, their jealousy, akin to that of Phinehas (Num. 25) or Mattathias (1 Mac. 2), has departed. Clearly, they hold no place in the world, for they cannot proclaim, ‘The Lord is my portion’ (Psalm 72:26).

This is the steadfast faith and confession of the entire Orthodox Church and its faithful members. This same belief is validated by Holy Scripture. The saints are aware of the prayers of those on earth: FIRST, as they exist in the state of blessedness and in the Divine Presence, the saints are akin to the angels. Christ Himself has said that those who attain to this age “are equal to the angels” (Luke 20:35-36). If the angels, who dwell in eternal joy, are aware of our prayers, then the saints, sharing in that same divine favor, must also receive knowledge of our prayers. This is evident in the Book of Revelation, where the twenty-four elders prostrated before the Lamb, each bearing a harp and golden bowls brimming with incense, identified as the prayers of the saints (Rev. 5:8). These elders represent the saints of both the Old and New Testaments, who at the time of John the Theologian's writing were in glory with Christ. An angel also approached the altar with a golden censer, given a great quantity of incense to offer upon the golden altar before the throne, alongside the prayers of all the saints, with the smoke of the incense rising up with their prayers from the hand of the angel before God (Rev. 8:3-4; Tob. 12). SECOND, even while still on earth, the saints demonstrated knowledge of events occurring far from them, as if present, clearly perceiving the future as if it were the present and revealing the secrets of human hearts. For example, the patriarch Jacob foresaw future events for his sons (Gen. 48; Gen. 49). Moses, on Mount Sinai, was aware of conditions within the camp (Ex. 32). Samuel discerned Saul's innermost thoughts (1 Sam. 9). Elisha was privy to his servant's hidden wrongdoing (2 Kings 5), and the covert plans of the king of Aram (2 Kings 6). Likewise, Daniel was informed of King Nebuchadnezzar's secret dream and its meaning (Dan. 2). Also, the Apostle Peter recognized the deceit of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5). The Apostle Paul anticipated the deliverance of those aboard a storm-tossed ship, and many other similar instances exist (Acts 27). If the saints exhibited such extraordinary insight while living on earth, their knowledge must be even more profound now as they reign with Christ. Does it not follow that what is possible on earth is also true in Heaven? Is it that existence in exile is comparable to life in the homeland? Is the humble abode of animals on par with royal chambers? Who would claim that mortals possess greater bliss and insight on earth than in Heaven or receive more revelation in separation from God's presence than in the fullness of His inexplicable glory? THIRD, friendship entails a sharing of knowledge, as Christ articulated: “I no longer call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have told you all that I have heard from My Father” (John 15:15). Given that the saints in Heaven are the friends of God, as expressed in the psalm, “And I honor thy friends highly, O God” (Ps. 138:17), and are more closely united with Him in Heaven than on earth, how could our prayers offered to them not be disclosed to their Divine Friend? FOURTH, the saints in Heaven possess a clear vision and understanding of God’s nature, who reflects all creation, much as one gazing into a physical mirror sees what is reflected. Those who behold the magnificence of God certainly perceive the ineffectualities, which are far lesser. Can it be that the saints, knowing the All-Knowing One, fail to recognize our prayers, when gazing upon the brilliance of their Creator? Having derived from Scripture how the saints comprehend our prayers, we must now consider the scriptural references cited by the adversaries which they misinterpret. During their earthly lives, individuals, aware of their mortality, may repent and seek their salvation to avoid spiritual demise. However, neglecting to repent while alive, upon death, they become ignorant of the purpose of repentance and lack understanding of how to attain salvation. For post-mortem, there is no opportunity for repentance, but those wishing to turn toward God should do so in the present earthly existence.