Ecclesiastes 8:1-15

THIRD SECTION

The Quest Of The Chief Good In Wealth, And In The Golden Mean

Ecclesiastes 6:1; Ecclesiastes 7:1, and Ecclesiastes 8:1

IN the foregoing Section Coheleth has shown that the Chief Good is not to be found in that Devotion to the affairs of Business which was, and still is, characteristic of the Hebrew race. This devotion is commonly inspired either by the desire to amass great wealth, for the sake of the status, influence, and means of lavish enjoyment it is assumed to confer; or by the more modest desire to secure a competence, to stand in that golden mean of comfort which is darkened by no harassing fears of future penury or need. By a logical sequence of thought, therefore, he advances from his discussion on Devotion to Business, to consider the leading motives by which it is inspired. The questions he now asks and answers are, in effect,

(1) Will Wealth confer the good, the tranquil, and enduring satisfaction which men seek? And if not,

(2) Will that moderate provision for the present and for the future to which the more prudent restrict their aim?