This section and the following four deal with some of the hardships of human life: the oppression of the righteous through force and defeat (3:16-4:3), the passion for work (4:4-12), the fleeting nature of glory (4:13-16), the abuse of vows (4:17-5:6), and the tyranny of authorities (5:7ff). The starting point that leads to the following conclusions is “since there is injustice…”: 1. God will judge both the righteous and the wicked, because on earth iniquity favors the powerful—similar statements appear in Babylonian lamentations. 2. Men and animals share the same fate. He does not imply evil; he observes it—hence the similarity between humans and animals—and notes the impossibility of escaping death (“breath” and “death,” cf. Gn 2:7, 19). 3. The only good thing for humans is to enjoy what they do, aligning with the previous section’s conclusion. 4. It is better not to have existed, because then one would not witness the evil deeds done under the sun.
How can Qohelet have such a wide range of responses to observing injustice? Does the same situation provoke the same reaction in different people, or in different conditions that the same person experiences? But then, what doctrine can be drawn from what is expressed here? Rather than seeking a doctrine, we should let Ecclesiastes enlighten and correct our own personal conclusions about unjust situations.