Ecclesiastes 7:25-28

2. Through intensive study, one comes to see the potential within men and women to do evil. Ecclesiastes 7:25-28

TEXT 7:25-28

25

I directed my mind to know, to investigate, and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness.

26

And I discovered more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains. One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her.

27

Behold, I have discovered this, says the Preacher, adding one thing to another to find an explanation,

28

Which I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 7:25-28

217.

Who will escape from the evil woman?

218.

Identify the three figurative tools used by the evil woman.

219.

Solomon directed his mind to seek what?

220.

How many men out of a thousand did he find that had such wisdom as he desired?

221.

How many women did he discover who possessed wisdom to this degree?

PARAPHRASE 7:25-28

I said in my heart that I will seek out two things: on the one hand, I will study, investigate and find an explanation and wisdom; on the other hand, I will come to know and identify wickedness, stupidity, folly and madness. What did I discover? I discovered something more bitter than death itself! I found through my experience with woman that her thoughts are snares and traps, and her hands are chains. One who seeks God and pleases Him may escape her. However, one who is a sinner will be caught in her snares and traps. Look! says the Preacher, This is what I have discovered by adding one thought to another to find an explanation, which still calls forth my soul's energy and asks my strength. Yes, I am still searching but have not found a satisfactory answer. I have found that among a thousand men there is but one who can be numbered among the wise. However, I cannot say the same for women. I have not found one such women among all these.

COMMENT 7:25-28

These verses are among the most difficult verses in Ecclesiastes to interpret. The primary cause of difficulty stems from whether one should exegete the passage literally or figuratively. If the woman is figurative (false wisdom), it is one thing, but if she is a real woman then a different interpretation must be given. It is true, however, that regardless of the direction one takes, whether literal or figurative, there are similar passages in the Bible to support the principles involved.

An overview of the passage. Solomon is determined to discover wisdom in the fullest sense. This is not a new quest. (Cf. Ecclesiastes 1:13; Ecclesiastes 1:16-17; Ecclesiastes 7:23-24) However, he admits that he has not found the satisfactory answers. The one thing he has discovered is that not only is complete wisdom illusive, it is equally difficult to discover a wise person. His observation is that only one man in a thousand could be considered wise, but he failed to discover even one woman among this number. He further observes that there are some women who will catch and destroy you if it is in their power to do so. The one who pleases God and receives His favor will escape from the snare of such a woman. However, the one who acts foolishly will be caught by her.

The literal view. Solomon does not categorically label all women as evil. He identifies the evil woman as the woman whose heart is snares and nets. The implication suggests that there are women whose hearts are not snares and nets. It is from the writing of Solomon that we have the beautiful description of the virtuous woman so delineated in terms of praise and honor. (Cf. Proverbs 31:10-31)

There can be little question concerning the power women are capable of exerting over men. In the context of Solomon's discussion, that power is evil. There are numerous non-Biblical proverbs which speak to a consensus on this subject. Some of these are: It is better to follow a lion than a woman; Woe to the age whose leader is a woman; Who follows the counsel of his wife arrives at hell; and Women are snares of Satan. There is also the warning from Solomon: Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, and pay attention to the words of my mouth. Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, do not stray into her paths. For many are the victims she has cast down, and numerous are all her slain. Her house is on the way to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death (Proverbs 7:24-27).

In Solomon's investigation to discover the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness, he discovered how far both men and women are removed from their original design. There is little comfort for men, and less for women. He was unable to discover the degree of wisdom which he desired, but he discovered all too soon the depths of evil to which both men and women are capable of descending. As a male writer, he naturally turns to his counterpart in crime to impress the minds of his readers with the extent of his discovery of evil. He speaks of inescapable snares, nets and chains. However, he hastens to speak objectively and suggests that although God made men upright, they have bent low in the pursuit of devising new ways of committing sin.
His statement that he was unable to find one wise woman among a thousand should not be looked upon as saying there are no wise women. It is rather a relative comparison with men. He is saying that from his own observations, he has discovered that there are fewer wise women than men.

These verses should not be used to build a case for the superiority of men over women in the possession and use of wisdom. Many commentaries miss the point of Solomon's argument when they draw attention to the fact that only men were employed in writing the Bible, and in holding prominent positions of leadership in both the Jewish economy and the Christian church. The inference is that women were neither wise enough nor suited for such undertakings. It is true that woman was first in the fall (Cf. 1 Timothy 3:13-14), and that she is to be in subjection (Cf. Ephesians 5:22-24). But neither of these conclusions speak to the point at hand. It is simply that in Solomon's pursuit of wisdom and evil, he discovered mankind to be perverse and crooked. His conclusion is: wise, righteous people are scarce!

The literal interpretation of this passage satisfies the hermeneutical demands placed upon it.

The figurative view. The personification of false wisdom as the woman establishes a natural correspondence between sound doctrine which is pleasing to God, and its opposite, folly and madness which trap, ensnare, and destroy the sinner. It could be argued that the woman answers to philosophy and vain deceit. (Cf. Colossians 2:8; 1 Timothy 6:20) While it is true that both Israel and the church are personified as a woman (Cf. Ephesians 5:24-32; Revelation 21:2; Revelation 21:9; Revelation 22:17; Judges 8:27), it does not necessarily follow that such figurative language is used here. Solomon's literal wives (300 of them and 700 concubines) were responsible for turning his heart away after other gods. They were real, physical women who ensnared and captured Solomon's heart. So enslaved was he by their evil powers that he actually accepted the false wisdom of Ashtoreth and Milcom. He was led to false doctrine by his entanglement with real women. It is written of him, And Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord fully, as David his father had done (1 Kings 11:6). There is little justification in the light of Solomon's experiences and the context of Ecclesiastes for a figurative interpretation.

Christological thoughts. It is true that men and women are equally wise. It is also true that they are equally sinful. When one realizes that Solomon is marking all with the curse of sin and only a few with the blessing of wisdom, he has arrived at the intent of the passage. Some have not shared this interpretation of the passage and since they are reluctant to make a distinction between men and women in the area of wisdom, they ascribe the one man among a thousand to Jesus Christ. The one man they insist is a reference to Jesus who to Solomon was also the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valleys (Song of Solomon 2:1). There are a number of arguments that militate against such a conclusion. Jesus does stand in a class by Himself. He is wisdom. However, to find one among a thousand implies that he would find another if he continued his search. There is only one Jesus (God). To ascribe this passage to Jesus would be breaking from the under the sun context of Solomon's search. It is better to simply take him at his word: he did find one among a thousand. Finally, the context is not clarified or helped by such an interpretation.

Solomon is still reasoning under the sun. He has clearly expressed his desire to be wise, and he has confessed to his inability to achieve such wisdom. He states his purpose to discover folly and madness and it is in this area that he excels. His final conclusions are consistent with the total context. He says (1) there are few wise people, (2) there are many who are caught in the trap of wickedness, and (3) those who devise new ways of sinning!

FACT QUESTIONS 7:25-28

394.

What makes the interpretation of these verses difficult?

395.

Identify the two general areas Solomon is attempting to discover?

396.

Is Solomon declaring that all women are evil? Discuss.

397.

Was Solomon able to discover an explanation (Ecclesiastes 7:27-28) of the wisdom he sought?

398.

What did he find?

399.

Explain what Solomon means by his statement: I have not found a woman among all these.

400.

If this passage is interpreted figuratively, the evil woman is a personification of what?

401.

Were the women who turned Solomon's heart away from God real or figurative? Give proof of your answer.

402.

In what was Solomon entangled when he turned away from God?

403.

Give two reasons why a Christological interpretation of this passage is unwarranted.

404.

After a careful study of these verses, write your own summary statement of the passage.