Digging Deeper Days
Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
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The Questions
1) Why are two better than one in this passage?
2) Why does this passage say, “two are better than one”, but then talk about a cord of three strands?
3) What is meant by the statement “a cord of three stands is not easily broken”?
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. 10 For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? 12 And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.
Original Intent
1) Why are two better than one in this passage?
From the time the first man, Adam, walked the earth, God emphasized the importance of relationships for humans. Author R.C. Sproul describes God in the book of Genesis when he writes, “Having made Adam, our Creator steps back and says that something about the first man and his situation is not good: ‘It is not good that the man should be alone’. (Genesis 2:18) God created Eve, and human relationships began outside of a relationship with God alone. God wanted His people to live in community so they could help and support one another. Author David Guzik says Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 teaches us how “living and working together is a great advantage to living and working alone, and adds these four things to life:
· Productivity (they have a good reward for their labor)
· Help in need (if they fall, one will lift up his companion)
· Comfort in life (they will keep warm)
· Safety and security (two can withstand.}”
Two people can do what one cannot do alone. God demonstrates this truth throughout Scripture. He tells us that one person sharpens another just as iron sharpens iron. (Proverbs 27:17) When Jesus sent the disciples to minister, he sent them out in pairs. (Mark 6:7) When Paul describes the body of Christ to the Corinthian believers, he emphasizes how each person has a different part to play for the body to function. (1 Corinthians 12:18-22) Jesus even says if at least two believers gather in His name, His presence is there. (Matthew 18:20) God does not mean for us to do life on our own in isolation. His plan is for us to live in community with one another and experience the benefits of helping others and receiving their support.
2) Why does this passage say, “two are better than one”, but then talk about a cord of three strands?
In Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, King Solomon argues that being alone is not as good as having someone to share your burdens with. He mentions that two people can get more done, two can help lift each other up, two can keep each other warm, and two can protect each other from harm. He extols all the virtues of having one companion, then finishes with “a cord of three strands is not easily broken.” (verse 12) So what is the third strand he references? Some people say the cord of three strands represents having two or more friends to help you. According to author John Gill, “as two are better than one, so three or more united together, it is the better still.” Author Kenneth Ian Macquarrie suggests other meanings for the three-stranded cord. He asserts, “this is a very well-known Biblical saying. In Israeli culture, three is the number of completeness and stability. Commentators have also referenced this verse as representing the Holy Trinity; Faith, Hope and Charity of the Christian life; as well as the marriage bond between Jesus, husband and wife. The three-strand cord was the strongest and most often used during the time of Christ.” According to author David Guzik, “It is commonly understood that the third cord is God Himself, and that a relationship intertwined with God is a threefold cord that is not quickly broken.” God’s Word tells us that having a friend to help us makes us strong, but inviting the Holy Spirit into that relationship makes that bond stronger still. The Lord encourages us to find Christian companions to serve alongside, enjoying the benefits of strength in numbers and strength in His presence.
3) What is meant by the statement “a cord of three stands is not easily broken”?
Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “a cord of three strands is not easily broken.” The Oxford Bible Church notes this claim is “scientifically accurate (3 intertwined strands, no more, no less, is the strongest kind of rope). Two strands alone are limited, and not stable for they can easily unravel under pressure, and slide over each other with friction, but the 3rd stand fixes the other two into place and adds its strength to them.” According to author William Barrick, “references to a three-strand or three-ply rope (cord) occur in ancient Sumerian and Akkadian texts” that are contemporary to the Bible. F.B. Meyer points out how the idea that a cord of three strands is not easily broken was a “proverbial way of saying ‘there is strength in numbers.’” The assertion that this phrasing was common, like a proverb, suggests that King Solomon was using familiar material to drive home the point that having God in our relationships makes them stronger. It is a metaphor that readers of the time would appreciate, and it is one current readers can also relate with. It is still widely agreed upon that there is strength in numbers, so adding the almighty God to the equation amplifies the strength.
Everyday Application
1) Why are two better than one in this passage?
When I was a pre-teen, there was a TV program called the ABC Afterschool Special. On various weekday afternoons, the program would air dramatic episodes on various topics interesting to children. I watched one about a group of high school kids who developed strong friendships during the ups and downs of teen life, and it made me very sad because it amplified the fact that I didn’t have those close relationships. I had some good friends, but no one who was a “kindred spirit.” I had always been kind of a loner, someone who enjoyed solitude and kept people at a safe distance, but I found I was missing what King Solomon describes in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 when he writes that “two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” Having a good friend by your side means you get more done, and you have help when you fall down. A friend will comfort you and has your back when trouble comes. I have gained several close friends since viewing that ABC Afterschool Special. Two are definitely better than one, especially when those two are united by their faith and love of God!
2) Why does this passage say, “two are better than one” but then talk about a cord of three strands?
If you are like me, you have friends from all different segments of your life. I always had the Homeschool Moms, the Book Club Gals, the Church Ladies, Neighbors, and the Couples Group. I even had some friends who made appearances in more than one group. It is great to have a variety of friends because it gives you a glimpse into different worlds and helps you see from varied perspectives. But the one common denominator in most of my closest friends, no matter how different they are from one another in personality and interests, is their faith in God. I count them closest, because they will pray for me at a moment’s notice. They will seek God on my behalf, lift me up when I fall to my knees in despair, and encourage me with God’s Word when I struggle in daily life. My Christian friends love me with God’s love and comfort me with compassion from the Holy Spirit. They strengthen me on a daily basis, and they invite me into their lives to do the same for them. As author Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth explains, “healthy relationships are God’s prescription for (. . .) the pain of injustice and the problem of isolation. God’s prescription is the power of intimacy.” When I gather together with my Christian friends, seeking God and agreeing in His name, He meets us there. That is a bond not easily broken!
3) What is meant by the statement “a cord of three stands is not easily broken”?
I love all thing wedding related. . . dresses, flowers, music, food, cake! I enjoy shows about choosing wedding dresses, planning weddings, surprise weddings, weddings on a budget, and weddings around the world. One thing I have discovered is how many different wedding ceremony traditions exist. Couples light unity candles signifying the new family created from two different families. Some brides and grooms refuse to see one another before the ceremony to ward off bad luck. Some brides toss their bouquet to expectant guests, hoping it signals they are next to marry. Every culture has its own interesting and beautiful traditions. There is one wedding ceremony element based on Ecclesiastes 4:12. It is the cord of three stands, also called the unity braid or God’s knot. It symbolizes that the newly formed union will be strong because it intertwines the man, the woman, and God. One wedding website, godsknot.com, describes it this way, “The Bible teaches us that God performs a miracle in our marriage, uniting us together in a covenant relationship with Him as one. The cord of three strands is a symbol of that sacred union created on your wedding day.” While this is not a tradition my husband and I observed during our wedding ceremony, it is definitely a truth we have come to rely on. We support each other daily, but it is the love and strength of God that holds us together in unity. Together we are strong, but God’s strength fortifies us and enables us to hold together when everything around us seems to fly apart. Sometimes we sag and bend under the weight of life’s pressures, but the strength of God keeps us from breaking.
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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!
1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!
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Why Dig Deeper?
Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.
In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!
Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.
Study Tools
We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
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