ä¼ é“ä¹¦ 4:12

Chinese NCV (Simplified)

有人能制伏孤身一人，如果有二人就擋得住他。三股合成的繩子，不容易扯斷。

Parallel Translations

Chinese Union (Simplified)
有 人 攻 胜 孤 身 一 人 ， 若 有 二 人 便 能 敌 挡 他 ； 三 股 合 成 的 绳 子 不 容 易 折 断 。

Contextual Overview

⁷ Again I saw something here on earth that was useless: ⁸ I saw a man who had no family, no son or brother. He always worked hard but was never satisfied with what he had. He never asked himself, "For whom am I working so hard? Why don't I let myself enjoy life?" This also is very sad and useless. ⁹ Two people are better than one, because they get more done by working together. ¹⁰ If one falls down, the other can help him up. But it is bad for the person who is alone and falls, because no one is there to help. ¹¹ If two lie down together, they will be warm, but a person alone will not be warm. ¹² An enemy might defeat one person, but two people together can defend themselves; a rope that is woven of three strings is hard to break.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

And if: This is well illustrated by the fable of the dying father, who, to shew his sons the advantages of union, gave them a bundle of twigs, which could not be broken when bound together, but were easily snapped asunder one by one.

and a: 2 Samuel 23:9, 2 Samuel 23:16, 2 Samuel 23:18, 2 Samuel 23:19, 2 Samuel 23:23, Daniel 3:16, Daniel 3:17, Ephesians 4:3

Cross-References

Genesis 4:3
Later, Cain brought some food from the ground as a gift to God.

Genesis 4:4
Abel brought the best parts from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift,

Genesis 4:14
Today you have forced me to stop working the ground, and now I must hide from you. I must wander around on the earth, and anyone who meets me can kill me."

Genesis 4:17
He had sexual relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. At that time Cain was building a city, which he named after his son Enoch.

Genesis 4:18
Enoch had a son named Irad, Irad had a son named Mehujael, Mehujael had a son named Methushael, and Methushael had a son named Lamech.

Genesis 4:23
Lamech said to his wives: "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice! You wives of Lamech, listen to what I say. I killed a man for wounding me, a young man for hitting me.

Genesis 4:24
If Cain's killer is punished seven times, then Lamech's killer will be punished seventy-seven times."

Leviticus 26:20
You will work hard, but it will not help. Your land will not grow any crops, and your trees will not give their fruit.

Leviticus 26:36
"‘Those of you who are left alive will lose their courage in the land of their enemies. They will be frightened by the sound of a leaf being blown by the wind. They will run as if someone were chasing them with a sword, and they will fall even when no one is chasing them.

Psalms 109:10
Make his children wander around, begging for food. Let them be forced out of the ruins in which they live.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him,.... If an enemy, or a thief, or a robber, attack anyone of them, in friendship and fellowship together, and is more than a match for him; both joined together will be able to resist him; so that he shall not succeed in his enterprise, and do the mischief he designed; see

2 Samuel 10:11; Thus, when Satan attacks a single believer, which he chooses to do when alone; so he tempted Eve in the garden, and Christ in the wilderness; and one or more fellow Christians know of it, they are capable of helping their tempted friend, by their advice and counsel, they not being ignorant of Satan's devices; and by striving together in their prayers to God for him: so when false teachers make their efforts, as they usually do, Satan like, upon the weaker sex, and, when alone, they too often succeed; but when saints stand fast in one spirit, and strive together for the faith of the Gospel, they stand their ground, withstand the enemy, and maintain truth;

and a threefold cord is not quickly broken; or "in haste" c; as two are better than one, so three or more united together, it is the better still; they are able to make head against an enemy; and to conquer him, "vis unita fortior est": if a family, community, city, or kingdom, are divided against themselves, they cannot stand; but, if united, in all probability nothing can hurt them. This doctrine is taught in the fable of the bundle of sticks the old man gave to his sons to break; which, while fastened together, could not be done; but, when art bound, and took out singly, were easily snapped asunder; teaching them thereby unity among themselves, as their greatest security against their common enemy. The same instruction is given by this threefold cord; while it remains twisted together, it is not easily broke, but if the threads are untwisted and unloosed, they are soon snapped asunder: so persons in religious fellowship, be they more or fewer, while they keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, they are terrible, as an army with banners, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against them. And if this is true of the united love and affections of saints, it must be much more so of the love of Father, Son, and Spirit; that threefold cord, with which the saints are drawn and held; and of which it may be said, that it not only is not quickly broken, but that it cannot be broken at all; and therefore those who are held by it are in the utmost safety. Some apply this to the three principal graces, faith, hope, and love, which are abiding ones; and, though they may sometimes be weak and low in their acts and exercise, can never be lost.

c במהרה "in festinatia", Montanus; "in celeritate", Vatablus; "in festinatione", Rambachius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The spectacle of a prosperous man whose condition is rendered vain by his brotherless, childless isolation.

Ecclesiastes 4:8

A second - Any one associated or connected with him.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Compare a saying from the Talmud: “A man without companions is like the left hand without the right.”