Ecclesiastes 4:7

"Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun. There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with riches. For whom then, saith he, do I labor and deprive my soul of good? This also is vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and hath not another to lift him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one be warm alone? And if a man prevail against him that is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

Barton gave only one subject to this whole chapter, calling it, "Man's Inhumanity, namely, (1) man's inhumanity to men (Ecclesiastes 4:1-3), (2) the inhumanity caused by rivalry and envy (Ecclesiastes 4:4-6), and (3) man's inhumanity to himself."[8]

"No end of all his labor, neither is his eye satisfied with riches" (Ecclesiastes 4:8). This denounces avarice, especially that of the miser, who having neither partner nor heir, nevertheless pursues money as if he were starving to death. "The avaricious soul is never satisfied."[9] The picture here is that of the workaholic, the man with whom constant work has become a disease. It is strange indeed that. "A man without companion or family, will act as though there was someone to live for."[10]

"Two are better than one" (Ecclesiastes 4:9). This is evidently an old proverb, similar to the modern cliche that, "two heads are better than one."

"If two lie together, then they have warmth" (Ecclesiastes 4:11). "The reference here is not to husband and wife, but to travelers. Nights in Palestine are cold, especially in winter; and a lone traveler will sleep close to his donkey for warmth."[11] Here may be one of the secrets why Christ sent out his apostles in pairs. Nothing is any more pitiful than a completely isolated human being.

"A threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12). This paragraph stresses the value of companionship. "If companionship of two is valuable, much more then is the value if others are added."[12]