Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.
The preacher here, for a further proof of the vanity of the world, and to convince us that all our works are in the hand of God, and not in our own hand, shows the uncertainty and contingency of future events, and how often they contradict the prospects we have of them.
Commenting on Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
I returned, and saw under the sun,.... The wise man returned to his former subject, concerning the same events happening to all sorts of persons, righteous and wicked, wise and unwise, Ecc 10:1; and enlarged upon it in his mind; and took notice of various things done under the sun, and made the following remarks: and whereas he had exhorted men to use all their...
This verse qualifies the sentiment, Ecc 9:7-9. Earthly "enjoyments," however lawful in their place (Ecc 3:1), are to give way when any work to be done for God requires it. Reverting to the sentiment (Ecc 8:17), we ought, therefore, not only to work God's work "with might" (Ecc 9:10), but also with the feeling that the event is wholly "in God's hand" (Ecc 9:1). race . . .