INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 6 The wise man goes on to expose the vanity of riches, as possessed by a covetous man, who makes no use of them; an evil, and a common one under the sun, Ecclesiastes 6:1; Who is described by the good things he has; which he has not a power to enjoy, but a stranger enjo... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS AN EVIL WHICH I HAVE SEEN UNDER THE SUN,.... The Vulgate Latin version reads it, another evil; but wrongly, for the same is considered as before, the evil of covetousness; which is one of the evil things that come out of the heart of man; is abominable to the Lord, contrary to his nature an... [ Continue Reading ]
A MAN TO WHOM GOD HATH GIVEN RICHES, WEALTH, AND HONOUR,.... By "riches" may be meant gold and silver, things which a covetous man is never satisfied with; and by "wealth", cattle, with which farms and fields are stocked: the wealth of men, especially in former times, and in the eastern countries, l... [ Continue Reading ]
IF A MAN BEGET AN HUNDRED [CHILDREN],.... Sons and daughters, a certain number for an uncertain. Some have had many children, and almost this number; Rehoboam had twenty eight sons and threescore daughters; and Ahab had seventy sons, how many daughters is not said, 2 Chronicles 11:21; this was reck... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE COMETH IN WITH VANITY,.... The Targum adds, "into this world." Some understand this of the abortive, and render it, "though he cometh in with vanity" x, yet is to be preferred to the covetous man: others interpret it of the covetous man himself; and scrape of both: or, however, they may be co... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER, HE HATH NOT SEEN THE SUN,.... This must be spoken of the abortive, and seems to confirm the sense of the former text, as belonging to it; and whereas it has never seen the light of the sun, nor enjoyed the pleasure and comfort of it, it is no ways distressing to it to be without it. The Ta... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA, THOUGH HE LIVE A THOUSAND YEARS TWICE [TOLD],.... Or two thousand years, which no man ever did, nor even one thousand years; Methuselah, the oldest man, did not live so long as that; this is than twice the age of the oldest man: there is one sort of the Ethiopians, who are said a to live almost... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE LABOUR OF MAN [IS] FOR HIS MOUTH,.... For the food of his mouth, as the Targum; for the sustenance of his body, for food and clothing, part being put for the whole: all that a man labours for is to get this; and if he does not enjoy it, his labour is in vain; meats are for the belly, which a... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHAT HATH THE WISE MORE THAN THE FOOL,.... More delight and pleasure, in gratifying his senses, by eating and drinking: the wise man enjoys no more than the fool; the fool finds as much pleasure in the labour of his hands, which is for his mouth, as the wise man does; and the wise man can get no... [ Continue Reading ]
BETTER [IS] THE SIGHT OF THE EYES THAN THE WANDERING OF THE DESIRE,.... By "the sight of the eyes" is not meant the bare beholding outward riches, as in Ecclesiastes 5:11; but the enjoyment of present mercies; such things as a man is in the possession of, and with which he should be content, Hebrews... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WHICH HATH BEEN IS NAMED ALREADY, AND IT IS KNOWN THAT IT [IS] MAN,.... Which may be understood of the first man Adam, who has been, has existed, was produced by the immediate power of God, creating and forming him out of the dust of the earth; was made after the image, and in the likeness of G... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEING THERE BE MANY THINGS THAT INCREASE VANITY,.... As appears by all that has been said in this and the preceding Chapter s; such as wisdom and knowledge, wealth and riches, pleasure, power, and authority. Man is a poor vain creature himself, all he is and has is vanity; and these serve but to in... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHO KNOWETH WHAT [IS] GOOD FOR MAN IN [THIS] LIFE?.... To be in a higher or lower station of life, to live in grandeur or meanness, to be rich or poor, learned or unlearned; since that which seems most agreeable to human nature is at, ended with so much vanity, the occasion of so much sin, and o... [ Continue Reading ]