Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
The Vanity of Pleasure, ECCLESIASTES III. and of Human Laboui, earthly paradise can never make up for the want of the heavenly (Revelation 2. 7). 6. pools—artificial, for irrigating the soil (Genesis 2. 10; Nelieniiah 2. 14; Isaiah 1. 30). Tiivee such reservoirs are still found, called Solomon's cisterns, a mile and a half from .Jerusalem, wood tliat brtitgetU fortli—ratlier, "tlie grove that flouruheth with trees." [l.oWTH.j born in my house—these were esteo/aed more trustworthy servants than those bouKlJt (Genesis 11. 14; 15. 2, A ; 17. 12, 13, 27; Jeremiah 2. 14), called «o)iso/ one's handinald(K'S.oA\.\s 23. 12; cf. Genesis 12. 16; Job dered (ch. 11. 6). "prosper," though Margin gives "right." [HoLDEN and Maurek.] evil—not in itself, for this is thn ordinary course of things, but "evil," as regards the chief good, that one should have toiled so fruitlessly. 22. Same sentiment as v. 21, interrogatively. 2.3. The onl.y fruit he has is, not only sorrows in his days, but all his days are sorrows, and his travail (not only has griefs connected with it, but is itself) grief, 'il. English Version gives a seemingl.v Epicurean sense, contrary to tlie general scope. The Hebrew, lit., is, " It is not good for man that he should eat," &c., "and should make his soul see good" (or "s?iow his soul, i. e., liimsclf, happy"), <fcc. [Weiss.] According to Holden and Weiss, ch. 3. 12, 22 dif Ter from this verse in the text and meaning; liere he means, "It is not good that a man should feast himself, and falsel.v make as though his soul were h.appy;" he thus refers to a [also pretending of ha,\)Y>inest> acr/i()7-ed by and for one'sself; in ch. 3. 12, 22, and 5. 18, 19, to real seeing, or finding pleasure n'?ien Godgives it. There it is said to be good for a man to en joy with satisfaction and thankfulness the blessings which God gives; here it is said not to be good to take an unreal pleasure to one's self by feast-
1. 3). 8. (1 Kings 10. 27; 2 Chronicles 1. 15; 9. 20). pcci Ular treasure of kings and . . . provinces — contributed by them, as tributary to him (1 Kings 4.21,24); a poor substitute for the wisdom wliose "gain Is better than fine gold" (Proverl)s 3. 14, 15). singers—so David (2 Samuel 19. 35). musical instruments ... of all sorts— introduced at banquets (Isaiah 5. 12 ; Amos 6. 5, 6) ; rather, a princess and princesses, from an Arabic root. One regular wife, or queen (Esther 1.9); Pharaoh's daughter (1 Kings 3.1); oilier secondary wives, "princesses,"' distinct from the "concubines" (I Kings 11. 3; Psalm 45.10; Song of Solomon 6. 8). [Weiss; Gesknius.] Had these been omitted, the enumeration would be incomplete. 9. great— opnlent (Genesis 24. 35; Job 1.3; see 1 Kings 10. 23). remained—(u. 3). 10. my labour—in procuring pleasures, tbis—evanescent "joy" was my only "portion out of all my lal)our" (ch. 3. 22 ; 5. IS; 9. 9; 1 Kings 10. 5). 11. Butall these I felt were only "vanity," and of no "profit" as to the chief good. " Wisdom" (worldly common sense, sagacity), which still "remained with me" (j;.9), .showed me that these could not give solid happiness. 12. He had tried (worldly) wisdom (ch. 1. 12-18) and folly (foolish pleasing, <tc. This also I saw—I perceived by experience that good (real pleasure) is not to be taken at will, but comes only from the hand of God [Weiss] (Psalm 4. 0; Isaiah 57.
19-21). Or as Hoeden, "It is the appointment from the hand of God, that the sensualist has no solid satisfaction" (good). 25. hasten—after Indulgences (Proverbs 7. 23 ; 19.
2), eagerly pvrsue sucli enjoyments. None can compete with me in this. If I, then, with all m,y opportunities of enjo.vment, failed utterly to obtain solid pleasure of my own making, apart from God, who else can? God mercifully spares His children the sad experiment which Solomon made, b.y denying them the goods which they often desire. He gives them the fruits of Solomon's experience, without their paying the dear price at which Solomon bought it. 36. True, literally, in the Jewish theocr.acy; and in some measure in all ages (Job. 27. 16, 17; Proverbs ui'e) (v. 1-11) ; he now compares them (v. 12), and finds that Wliilst (worldly) wisdom excelleth folly (u. 13, 14), yet the one event, death, befalls both (i\ 14-16), and that thus the wealtli acquired by tliewise man's " labour" may descend to a "fool " that hath not laboured (v. 18, 19, 21); therefore all his labour is vanity (v. 22, 23). what can tlie man do. . . already done—(Ch. 1. 9.) Parenthetical. A future Investigator can strike nothing out "new," so as to draw a different conclusion from what I draw by comparing " wisdcm and madness." Holden, with less ellipsis, translates, " What, O man, shall come afterthe king?" d-c. Better, Grotius, "What man can come after (compete witli) the king in the things which are done?" None ever can have the same means of testing what all earthly things can do towards satisfying the soul ; namely, worldly wisdom, science, riches, power, longevity, all combined. 13, 14. (Proverbs 17. 24.) The worldly "wise" man has good sense in managing his affairs, skill and taste in building and planting, and keeps within safe and respectable bounds in pleasure, whilst the "fool " is wanting In these respects (" darkness," equivalent tofatal error, blind infatu aflon, yet one event, death, happeneth to both (Job 21. 26). 15. why was I—so anxious to become, &c. (2 Chronicles 1.
13. 22; 28. 8). Though the retribution be not so visible and immediate now as then, it is no less real. Happiness even here is more truly tlie portion of the godly (Psalm 84.11; M.atthewS. 5; Mark 10. 29, 30; Romans 8. 28; 1 Timet hj' 4. 8). that he [the sinner] may give—i. e., unconsciously and in spite of himself. The godly Solomon had satisfaction in his riches and wisdom, when God gave them (2 Chronicles 1). The backsliding Solomon had no happiness when besought it in them apart from God; and the riches which he heaped up became the prey of Shlshak (2 Chronicles 12).
CHAPTER III.
Ver. 1-22. Earthly pursuits are no doubt Lawful in their proper time and order (v. 1-8), but unprofitable when out of time and place, as for instance, when pursued as the solid and chief good (r. 9, 10); whereas God makes ever,vthing beautiful in its season, which man ob.scureLy comprehends (v. 11). God allows man to enjoy moder.ately and virtuously His earthly gifts (v. 12, 13). What consoles us amidst the instaliility of earthly blessings is, God's counsels are immutable {v. 14). 1. Man has his appointed cycle of seasons and vicissitudes, as the sun, wind, and water (ch. 1. 5-7). purpose—as there is a -fixed "season" in God's " purposes" {ex.gr.. He has fixed the"tiii)e" when man is "to be born," and " to die," v. 2), so there is a lawful "time" for man to carry out his "purposes" and inclinations. God does not condemn, but apiroves of, tlie "use" of earthly blessings {v. 12); it is the "abuse" that He condemns, the making them the chief end (1 Corinthians 7. 31). The earth, without human desires, love, taste, Joy, sorrow, would be a dreary waste, without water; but, on the other hand, the misplacing and excess of thein, as of a flood, need control. Reason and revelation are given to control them. 2. time to die—(Psalm 31.
10). Then—Since such is the case, this—viz., pursuit of (worldly) wisdom, it can never fill the place of the true wistlom (Job 28. 28; Jeremiah 8.9). 16. remembrance a great aim of the worldl.v (Genesis 11. 4). The righteous alone attain it (Psalm 112. 6 ; Proverbs 10. 7). for ever—no perpotiuil memorial, that which now is Maurer, " In the days to come .all things shall be now ?o«(7 (1170 forgotten." X7. Disappointed in one experiment after another, he is weary of life. The b.aekslider ought to have rather reasoned as tlie prodigal (Hosea 2. 6,7; Luke 15. 17, 18). grievous unto me—'Job 10. 1.) 18, 19. One hope alone was left to the disappointed worldling, the perpetuation of his name and riches, laboriously gathered, through his successor. For selfish uess is mostly at the root of worldl.v parents' alleged providence for their children. But now the remembrance of liow he himself, the piously-reared child of David, had disregarded his father's dying charge (1 Chronicles 28.9;, suggested the sad misgivings .as to what Rehob«im, his son b.y an idolatrous Ammonitess, N<aamah, should prove to be ; a foreboding too fully realized (1 Kings
15; Helirews 9.27). plant—A man. can no more reverse the times and order of "planting," and of "digging up," and transplanting, than he can alter the times fixed for his " birth" and " death." To try to " plant" onl. of seasoi*
12. ; 1 1. 21 -31). 20. I c/dve up as desperate all hope of solid fruit frori my labour. 21. Suppose " there is a man," &c. equity— rathfcc "witl succesis." as tne Hebrew Is ren-
A Se(i>-on Jbr Eceryihinrj. ECCLESIASTES III. God shall Judge MarCs Worhi.
Is vanity, however {jood in sea.ion : so to make earthly thiiiss llie chief end is vanity, however good they be in order ^viul season. Gill takes it, not so well, /ii., (Jerech. 5. 18). 'When received as God's gifts, and to God's glory, the good things of life are enjoyed in their due time and order (Acts 2. 46; 1 Corinthians 10. 31; 1 Timothy niiali IS. 7, 9; Aiuos 9. lo; Matthew 1.5. 13). 3. time to UiU — ri',:., juilicially, criminals; or, in wars of self-defence; not in malice. Out of this time and order, killing is
4. .3, 4). 14. (1 Samuel 3. 12; 2 Samuel 23. 5; Psalm SO. ;34 ; Matthew 24.35; James 1.17.) for ever—as opposed to man's perishing labours (ch. 2. 15-18). any thing taken from it—opposed toman's "crooked and wanting" works;:>virder. to Ueal—(iod has his times for "healing" (lit., Isaiah 8S. o, 21; fig., Deuteronomy 82. 39; Hosea C. 1 ; spiritually, Psalm It". 3; Isaiah 57. 19). To Ileal spiritually, before the sinner feels bis would be out of time, and so injurious, time to break down—cities, as Jerusalem, l.)y Nebucliadnezzur. Ijiilld up—as Jerusalem, in the time of Zeruljbabel ; spiritually (Amos 9. 11), " the set time" (Psalm 102. 13-l(i). 4. moiii-ii I'iz., for the dead (Genesis 23. 2). dance—as David before the ark (2 Samuel
1. 15; 7. 13). The event of man's labours depends wholly on God's immutable purpose. Man's part, therefore, is to do and enjoy every earthly thing in its ]>i-oper season (v. 12, 13), not setting aside God's order, but observing deep reverence toward.<5 God; for the mysteriousness and unchangeableness of God's purposes are designed to lead " man to fear before Him." Man knows not the event of each act, otherwise he would think himself independent of God. 15. Resumption of ch. 1. 9. Whatever changes there be, the succession of events is ordered by God's "everlasting" laws (v. 14), and returns in a fixed cycle, reqnireth that . . . past—after many changes, God's law requires the return of the same cycle of events, as in the past, lit., that which is driven on. LXX. and fiyriac translate, "God requireth (i. e., avengeth) the persecuted man ;" a transition to v. IG, 17. The parallel clauses of the verse support English Version. 16. Here a difficulty is suggested. If God "requires" events to move in their perpetual cycle, why are the wicked allowed to deal unrighteously in the place where injustice ought least of all to be, viz., " the place of judgment" (Jeremiah 12. 1)? 17. Solution of it. There is a coming judgment in which God will vindicate His righteous ways. The sinner's "time'' of his unrighteous "work" is short. God also has His "time" and "work" of judgment; and, meanwhile,
H. 12-1-1; Psalm 3U. 11); spiritually (Matthew 9. 15; Luke 6.
21 ; 15. 25). Tlie Pharisees, by requiring sadness out of lime, erred seriously. 5. east away stones—as out of a garden or vineyard (Isaiah 5.2). gatlier—for building, /(<;., the Gentiles, once cast-away stones, were m due tijne made parts of the spiritual building (Ephesians 2. 19, 20), and ciiildren of .\braliam (Matthew 3. 9); so the restored Jews hereafter I Psalm 102. 13, B; Zechariah 9. 16). refrain . . . embracing—(Joel2.lt); 1 Corinthians 7.5,6.) 6. time to get—cr. (/r., to gain honestly a livelihood (Ephesians 4.
2Si. lose—when God wills losses to us, then is our time to he content. Ueep—not to give to the idle beggar (2 Thes- .salonians 3. 10). cast away—in cliarity (Proverbs 11. 24); or to part with the dearest object, rather than the soul (Mark 9. 43). To be careful is right in its place, but not when it comes between us and Jesus Christ (Luke 10. 40-
421. 7. rend—garments, in mourning (Joel 2. 1.3). Iig., nations, as Israel from Judah, already foretold, in Solomon's time (1 Kings 11.30,31), to be "sewed" together hereafter (Ezekiel 37. 15, 22). silence—(Amos .5. 13), in a national calamity, or tliat of a friend (Job 2. 13); also not is overruling, for good at last, what seems now dark. Man cannot now "find out" the plan of God's ways (v. 11; Psalm 97. 2). If judgment Instantly followed every sin, there would be no scope for free-will, faith, and perseverance of saints in spite of difficulties. The previous darkness will make the light at last tlie more glorious, tliere —(Job 3. 17-19) in eternity, in the presence of the Divine Judge, opposed to the "there," in the human place of to nuirmur under God's visitation (Leviticus 10. 3; Psalm
39. 1, '2, 9). 8. hate—t'j:. r/r., sin, lusts (Luke 14. 26); i. e., to love God so much more as to seem in comparison to hate "father or mother," when coming between us and God. time of war . . . peace— (Luke 14. 31). 9. But these earthly pursuits, whilst lawful in their se.ason, are "unprofitable" when made by man, what God never intended them to be, the chief good. Solomon had tried to create an artificial forced joy, at limes when he ought rather to have been serious; the result, therefore, of his labour to be happy, out of God's order, was disappointment. "A time to plant" (i'. 2), refers to his planting (ch. 2. 5); "laugh" {v. 4), to ch. 2. 1, 2, "his mirth," "laughter;" "build up," "gather stones" (v. 3, 5), to his "building" judgment (v. 16); so " from thence" (Genesis 49. 21). 18. estate—the estate of fallen man is so ordered (these wrongs are permitted), that Cxod might "manifest," i. e., tliereby
them, and that they might themselves see their mortal frailty, like that of the beasts, sons of men rather, sons of Adam, a phrase used for fallen men. The toleration of injustice until the judgment is designed to "manifest" men's characters in their fallen state, to see whether the oppressed will bear themselves aright amidst their wrongs, knowing that the time is short, and there is a coming judgment. The oppressed share in death, but the comparison to "bea.sts" applies especially to the ungodly 0})presso7-s (Psalm 49. 12, 20); they too need to be "manifested" (proved), wliether, considering that they must soon die as the "beasts," and fearing the judgment to come, thej' will repent (Daniel 4. 27). 19. Lit., " For the sons of men (Adam) are a mere chance, as also the beast is a mere chance." These words can only be the sentiments of the skeptical oppressors. God's delay in judgment gives scope for the "manifestation" of their infidelity (ch. 8. 11; Psalm 55. 19; 2 Peter 3. 3, 4). They are "brute beasts," morally (v. 18; JudelO); and they end by maintaining that man, physically, has no pre-eminence over tlie beast, both alike being "fortuities." Probably this was the language of Solomon himself in his apostasy. He answers il in V. 21. If V. 19, 20, be his words, they express only that a» regards UabiUty to dentt, excluding the future judgment, as the skeptic oppressors do, man is on a level with the beast. Life is "vanity," if regarded independently of re-
(ch. 2. 4); "embrace," "love," to his "princess" (note, ch.
2. 8) ; "get" (perhaps also "gather," tj. 5, 6), to his "gathering" (ch. 2. 8). All these were of no " profit," because not in God's time and order of bestowing happiness. 10. (Ch.
I. 13.) 1.1. his Ume— i. e., in Us proper season (Psalm 1. 3), opposed to worldlings putting earthly pursuits out of tlit'ir proper time and place (note v. 9). set the world in (lieir Heart—given them capacities to understand tlie u'orUl of nature as reflecting God's wisdom in its beautiful order and times (Romans 1. 19,20). "Everything" answers to "world," in the parallelism, so tliat i.e., but in such a manner that man only sees a portion, not the whole "from beginning to end" (ch. 8.17; Job 26.14; Romans 11. 33; Revelation 15.4). Parkhukst, for " world," translates;'^ Yet lie hath put obscurity in the midst of them," lit., n secret ; so man's mental dimness of sight as to the full mystery of God's works. So Holden and Weiss. This incapacity for " finding out" (comprehending) God's work ischiefiy the fruit of tlie fall. The worldling ever since, Icnowing (Jod's time and order, labours in vain, because out of time and place. I'Z. in tliem—in God's works (v. 11), as far .as relates to man's duty. Man cannot fully comprehend them, but he ought joyfully to receive ("rejoice in") God's gilts, and "do good" with them to himself and to others. This is never out of season (GalatiansU. 9, 10). Not sensual joy and self-indulgence (Philil>pians 4.4; James 4. 16, 17). 13. Jyit., "And also as to every man who eats," &c.. " this is the gift of God" (i'. 22406 ligion. But V. 21 points out the vast difference between them in respect to the future destiny; also (v. 17) lieasts have no "judgment" to come, breatli— vitality. )?1. Wlio knoweth—Not doubt of the destination of man's spirit (ch. 1'2. 7); but " /loiy /pjc, by reason of the outward mortality to which man is as liable as the beast, and which is the ground of the skeptic's argument, comprehend the wide difference between man and the beast'
(Isiviah I). The Hebrew expresses thed'.ffcreucv stiousiy