Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Vanity of all Human Courses ECCLESIASTES II. in the Woi-ks of Pleasure.
lem," implies that he reigned over Israel and Judah combined ; vvliereas David, at Heljron, reigned only over Judah, and not, until he was settled in Jerusalem, over both Israel and Judah. 13. this sore travail viz., that of" searching out all things done under heaven." Not human wisdom in general, wliich comes afterwards (ch. 2. 12, &c.), but laborious inquiries into, and speculations about, the works of men, ex. gr., political science. As man is doomed to get his bread, bo his knowledge, by the sweat of his brow (Genesis 3. 19). [GiLii.] exercised i. e., disciplined ; lit., " Ihsit they may thereby chastise or humble themselves." 14. The reason is here given why investigation into man's " works" the first part of his discourse. "Vanity of vanities—Heliraisin for tlie most utter vanity. So "holy of liolies" (Exodus 26.); "servant of servants" (Genesis 9.25). The repetition increases the force, all Hebrew, "the all ;" all >vilhout exception, viz., earthly things, vanity—not in tlieniselves, for God raaketh nothing in vain (1 Timothy i. -I, 5), but vain when put in the place of God and made theeiid, instead of the mean* (Psalm 39.5,0; 62.9; Matthew
H. 3;i); vain, also, because of the "vanity" to which they are "subjected" by the fall (Romans 8.20). 3. What profit . . . labour i. e., "What profit" as to the chief good (Matthew 16.26). Labour Is profitable in its pi-oper place (Genesis 2. 15; 3.19; Proverbs 14. 23). under the siin i.e., is only "sore travail" {v. 13), viz., because all man's ways are vain (v. 18) and cannot be mended (v. 15). vexation of in this life, as opposed to the ffiture world. The phrase otten recurs, but only in Ecclesiastes. earth . . . for ever—(Psalm 104. 5.) While the earth remains the same, the generations of men are ever changing; what lasting
[a preying upon the] spirit Maurer translates, "tlie pursuit of wind," as ch. 5. 10; Hosea 12. 1, "Ephraim feedeth on wind." But old versions support the English Version. 15. Investigation (u. 13) into human ways is vain labour, for they are hopelessly "crooked " and " cannot be made straight" by it (ch. 7. 13). God, the chief good, alone can do th is (Isaiah 40. 4 ; 45. 2). wanting—(Daniel 5. 27). numprofit, then, can there be from the toils of one whose sojourn on earth, as an individual, is so brief? The "for ever" is comparative, not absolute (Psalm 102. 20). 5. (Psalm 19. 5, 6.) Panting is the Hebrew for " hasteth ;" metaphor, from a runner (Psalm 19.5, "a strong man") in a "race." It applies rather to the risinj? sun, which seems laboriously to mount up to the meridian, than to the setting sun; the accents too favour Maurer, "And (that bered—so as to make a complete number ; so equivalent to supplied. [Matjker.] Or, rather, man's state is iitterly wanting; and that which is wholly defective cannot be numbered or calculated. The investigator thinks he can draw up, in accurate numbers, statistics of man's wants; but these, including the defects in tlie investigator's labour, are not partial, but total. 16. communed with . . . heart—(Genesis 24. 45.) come to great estate—Rather, " I have magnified and gotten" {lit., added, increased), &c. all too, returning) to his place, where panting he riseth." G. according to his circuits i. e., it returns afresh to its former circuits, however many be its previous veerings about. The north and south winds are the two prevailing winds in Palestine and Egypt. 7. By subterraneous. . . before me In Jerusalem—viz., the priests, judges, and two kings that preceded Solomon. His wisdom exceeded that of all before Jesus Christ, the antitypical Koheletli, or "Gatherer of men," (Luke 13. 34), and "Wisdom" incarnate (Matthew 11. 19; 12. 42). had . . . experience— had seen (Jeremialr 2. 31). Contrast with this glorying iu worldly wisdom Jeremiah 9. 23, 24. 17. wisdom . . . madness— i. e., their effects, the works of human wisdom and folly respectively. " MadJiess," lit., vaunting extravagance ; ch. 2. 12; 7. 25, &c., support English Version rather than Dathe, "splendid matters." "Folly" is read by English Version with some MSS., instead of the present Hebrew eavitie.s, and by evaporation forming rain-clouds, tlie fountains and rivers are supplied from the sea, Into which they then flow back. The connection is: Individual men are cr,'.iiiiia?Uy changing, whilst the succession of the race continues ; just as the sun, wind, and rivers are ever shifting about, whilst the cycle in whicli they move is Invariable; they return to the point whence they set out. Hence in man, as in these objects of nature which are his analogue, witli all the seeming changes "there is no new tiling" (f. 9). 8. MAtJKER translates, "All words are wearied out," i. e., are inadequate, as also, "man cannot express" all the things in the world which undergo this ceaseless, changeless cycle of vicissitudes: "The eye is not satisfied with seeing them," etc. But it is plainly a return to the idea (v. 3) as to man's " labour," which is only wearisome and profitless ; " no new" good can accrue from it (v. 9); for as the sun, &q., so man's laborious works move in a changeless cycle. The "eye" and "ear" are two of the taskmasters for which man toils. But these are never "satisfied" (ch.0. 7; Proverbs 27.20). Nor can they be so hereafter, for there will be nothing "new." Not so the chief good, .lesus Christ (John 4. 13, 14; Revelation 21. 5). 9. Rather, " no new thing at all;" as Numbers 11. 6. This text, "prudence." If Hebrew be retained, understand " \)r\.u\ence," falsely so called {I Timothy 6. 20)," craft" (Daniel 8. 25). 18. wisdom . . . knowledge—not in general; for wisdom, &c., are most excellent In their place; but sjiecidative knowledge of man's ways (v. 13, 17), which, the farther it goes, gives one the more pain to And how " crooked " and " wanting" they are (v. 15; ch. 12. 12).
CHAPTER II.
Ver. 1-2G. He next tries pleasure and luxury, retaining however, his worldly "wisdom" (cli. 3. 9), but all proves " vanity" in respect to the chief good. 1. I said . . . heart —(Luke 12. 19.) thee—my heart, I will test whether thou canst find that solid good in pleasure which was not in "worldly wisdom." But this also proves to be "vanity" (Isaiah 50. 11). 3. laughter—including prosperij/, and joy is not meant in a general sense; but there is no new source of happiness (the subject In question) which can be devised; the same round of petty pleasures, cares, business, study, wars, Ac, being repeated over and over again. [Hoi.DEN.] 10. old time [Hebrew, ages], which was 'The Hebrew plural cannot be joined to the verb singular. Therefore translate, "It hath been in the ages before; certainly it hath been before us." [Holden.] Or, as Maurer, "That which has been (done) before us (in our presence, in general (Job 8. 21). mad i. e.,whcn made the chief good; it is harmless in its proper place. What doeth It I—Of what avail is it in giving solid good? (ch. 7. 6; Proverbs 14.
13). 3-11. Illustration more at large of v. 1, 2. 3. sought —I resolved, after search into many plans, give myself nnto—lit., to draw my flesh (body) to wine (including all banquetings). Image from a captive drawn aftera chariot in triumph (Romans 6. 16, 19; 1 Corinthians 12.2); or, one "allured" (2 Peter 2. 18, 19). yet acquainting . . . wUdom—ii7., "and my heart (still) was behaving, or guiding
1 Chronicles 16. 33), has been (done) already in the old times." 11. The reason why some things are thought "new," which are not really so, is the Imperfect record that exists of preceding ages among their successors, those that . . . come after—i. e., those th.at live still later than the " things, rather the persons or 'generations,' v. 4, with which this verse is connected, the six Intermediate verses being merely illustrations of v.4 [Weiss], that are to come" (cli.2. 16; 9.5). 13. Resumption of u. 1, the intermediate versos Ixdng the Introductory statement of his thesis. Therefore, " the Preacher" (Koheleth) is repeated, was king—instead of "am," because he is about to give the results of his past experience during his long reign. In Jerusnlcin — specified, as opposed to David, who reigneil Ijoth in Hebron and Jerusalem ; whereas Solomon reii(ned only in Jerusalem, "King of Israel lu Jerusa404 itself, with wisdom. [Gesenius.] Maurer translates, " teas weary of (worldly) wisdom." But the end of v. 9 confirms Englijih Version, folly—viz., pleasures of the flesh, termed " mad," v. 2. all the days, &c.—(.See Margin and ch. 6. 12; Job 15. 20.) 4. (1 Kings 7. 1-8; 9. 1, 19; 10. 18, Ac.) vineyards—(Song of Solomon 8. 11.) 5. gardens Hebrew, paradises, a foreign word ; Sanscrit, " a place enclosed with a wall ;" Armenian and Arabic, "a pleasure-ground wltlj flowers and shrubs near the king's house, or casiie." An