_THE VANITY OF HUMAN COURSES IN THE WORKS OF PLEASURE. THOUGH THE WISE BE BETTER THAN THE FOOL, YET BOTH HAVE ONE EVENT. THE VANITY OF HUMAN LABOUR IN LEAVING IT THEY KNOW NOT TO WHOM. NOTHING BETTER THAN JOY IN OUR LABOUR; BUT THAT IS GOD'S GIFT._... [ Continue Reading ]
I SAID OF LAUGHTER, IT IS MAD— _I said to laughter, how dost thou shine? and to pleasure, what does that avail?_ See the note on the 17th verse of the foregoing chapter. The sum of these verses is, secondly; neither does the enjoyment of pleasure yield a solid happiness; for he who enjoys it must be... [ Continue Reading ]
I SOUGHT, &C.— _I sought in mine heart that I might force my senses into a habit of drinking wine,_ (_yet leading my heart into wisdom,_) _and that I might apprehend what is in folly, until I should see, where is that good for the children of men, which they pursue under heaven every day of their li... [ Continue Reading ]
TO WATER THEREWITH THE WOOD, &C.— _To water therewith the nursery of young trees._ Desvoeux. Hebrew, _the forest-budding trees._... [ Continue Reading ]
AS MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, &C.— _A captive woman, nay, several captive women._ It is doubted, whether the Hebrew words, rendered by us _musical instruments,_ &c. signify things or persons. Mr. Desvoeux is of opinion that they signify persons. Any one, says he, who will read the original with attention,... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO MY WISDOM REMAINED WITH ME— The meaning is, that Solomon's greatness had no way impaired his wisdom, as is too frequently the case.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS WAS MY PORTION OF ALL MY LABOUR— _But this was my portion from all my labour._ The word חלק _cheilek,_ rendered _portion,_ constantly implies something which is an advantage, or is considered as such by him who receives it. The Hebrew orator has taken care to give his own definition of what... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN I LOOKED ON ALL, &C.— _Then I turned myself on all,_ &c. See the next verse, where the same verb פנה _panah,_ in the original is so rendered. The author represents himself as a man who, being uneasy at his not finding the wished-for happiness, turns from one object to another towards all that i... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE I HATED LIFE— From the 12th to this verse, we have a review of the second _proof;_ first, with respect to wisdom. The more one compares together wisdom or knowledge, and ignorance, which no one can be better qualified to do than king Solomon was, or perform with more exactness; the more it... [ Continue Reading ]
YET SHALL HE HAVE RULE, &C.— _Yet shall he be master of all that I have acquired through both my labour and prudent management under the sun._ Desvoeux.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE I WENT ABOUT TO CAUSE MY HEART TO DESPAIR, &C.— _And I considered every way, so that my heart despaired of ever gaining any sort of advantage from all the trouble that I took under the sun;_ Ecclesiastes 2:21. _Since a man who labours wisely, knowingly, and successfully, must nevertheless... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS TRAVAIL, GRIEF— _And grief his employment._ The second observation (the subject of which is _riches,_ and which begins at the 18th verse), and the conclusion which flows from it, are so blended together that they cannot be easily disjoined. When a man dies, which, as was said before, must be... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS NOTHING BETTER FOR A MAN, &C.— This verse literally runs thus; _No good in man that he eateth and drinketh, and maketh his soul to see good in his labour; that itself I perceived, that it cometh from the hand of God._ That Solomon does not pretend to question the reality of pleasurable enjo... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHO CAN EAT, &C.— _For who shall eat, and who shall enjoy without him?_ It might also be rendered, _For who shall eat, and who shall reflect more than I?_ Ecclesiastes 2:26. _For he giveth wisdom and knowledge and pleasure to the man who is good in his sight; while he giveth the sinner a trouble... [ Continue Reading ]