Jerome : "For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all; there is no more reward for them, their memory is forgotten. Their love, their hate, their jealousy have already perished- nor will they ever again have a share in whatever is done beneath the sun. "Since he has said above that the heart of man is filled with wickedness and impudence, and after all things, his life comes to an end in death, then now he completes this by saying that he has discovered that while men live, they are able to become righteous, but after death are given no opportunity to do good work. For the sinner who lives can be better than the dead and righteous man, if he wishes to convert to his virtues. Or indeed as for him, who threw himself into wickedness, power, and impudence, then died: any poorest beggar is better than him. Why? Because the living can carry out good work in the fear of death, but the dead can do nothing to add to that which they took away from their life when they died. And all things are forgotten, just as it is written in the Psalm: "I have been given to forget, though dead from my heart" [Ps. 30,13.]. But even their enjoyment, hatred and jealousy, and all that they were able to hold in their time, comes to an end with their death; nor can they do anything now in their righteousness or sin, or add to their virtues, or to their vices. Certain men though can argue against this explanation, asserting that we can even grow after death, and equally decrease, and quoting that verse which says, "and they will not share yet in all that is done under the sun", and they understand it in this way, so that they say that they have no communion in this world, and under this sun that we can see. But they say that they do have it in another world, about which the Saviour says, "I am not of this world" [Ioh. 8, 23.], and under the sun of justice, but I have not excluded this theory, which contends that after we leave this earth, we are able to offend reasoning creatures, and deserve what we get. My Hebrew tutor thought differently of the verse, which says, "a living dog is better than a dead lion". He explained it in this way according to the beliefs of his people: an unlearned man is more useful, he who still lives and can teach, than a trained teacher who is now dead. Because of the text he understands it to mean any one dog is better than many teachers, and the lion is Moses, or any other prophet. But because I don't like this explanation I prefer a better one; and Chananaea to whom it is said: "your faith saves you" [Matth. 9, 23.], we say he is a dog according to the Gospel. But a dead lion, for the people of circumcision is just the same as for Balaam, the prophet, who says, "behold the people shall rise up as a great lion, and shall lift up himself as a young lion" [Num. 23,24.]. Therefore we are a living dog amongst the other nations; but the Jewish people which has been left by God, is a dead lion. And that living dog is seen as better in God's eyes than a dead lion. For we who are living know the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The dead though can know nothing, or await any recompense and profit, since their memory is complete. They don't remember what they ought to know, and God does not remember them. Enjoyment too, for which they often loved God, will die, and hatred as well, about which they say boldly, "surely I hate those who hate You, O Lord, and am I not grieved with those that rise up against You?" [Ps. 138, 21.]. And there does not exist their jealousy, similar to the Phinees, and the knees of Matathia trembled. [Cfr. I Mach. 2, 24-6.54.] But it is very clear that a part of them is not in that world, for they are not able to say, "my part is the Lord". [Ps. 72, 26.] — Commentary on Ecclesiastes