INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 7 The wise man having exposed the many vanities to which men are subject in this life, and showed that there is no real happiness in all outward enjoyments under the sun; proceeds to observe what are remedies against them, of which he had interspersed some few hints bef... [ Continue Reading ]
A GOOD NAME [IS] BETTER THAN PRECIOUS OINTMENT,.... The word "good" is not in the text, but is rightly supplied, as it is by Jarchi; for of no other name can this be said; that which is not good cannot be better. Some understand this of the name of God, which is God himself, who is the "summum bonum... [ Continue Reading ]
[IT IS] BETTER TO GO TO THE HOUSE OF MOURNING,.... For deceased relations or friends, who either lie unburied, or have been lately inferred; for the Jews kept their mourning for their dead several days afterwards, when their friends visited them in order to comfort them, as the Jews did Martha and M... [ Continue Reading ]
SORROW [IS] BETTER THAN LAUGHTER,.... Sorrow, expressed in the house of mourning, is better, more useful and commendable, than that foolish laughter, and those airs of levity, expressed in the house of feasting; or sorrow on account of affliction and troubles, even adversity itself, is oftentimes mu... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HEART OF THE WISE [IS] IN THE HOUSE OF MOURNING,.... When his body is not; when it does not suit him to go thither in person, his mind is there, and his thoughts are employed on the useful subjects of the frailty and mortality of human nature, of death, a future judgment, and a world to come; wh... [ Continue Reading ]
[IT IS] BETTER TO HEAR THE REBUKE OF THE WISE,.... To listen to it diligently, receive it cordially, and act according to it; though it may be disagreeable to the flesh, and give present pain, yet the effect and issue will be good, and show that man to be wise that hears it, as well as he that gives... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR AS THE CRACKLING OF THORNS UNDER A POT, SO [IS] THE LAUGHTER OF THE FOOL,.... As thorns are weak, useless, and unprofitable; yea, hurtful and pernicious, and only fit for burning; so are foolish and wicked men, 2 Samuel 23:6; and as the noise and sound of the one under a pot is very short, they... [ Continue Reading ]
SURELY OPPRESSION MAKETH A WISE MAN MAD,.... Which is to be understood either passively, when he is oppressed by others, or sees others oppressed; it raises indignation in him, disturbs his mind, and he is ready to pass a wrong judgment on the dispensations of Providence, and to say rash and unadvis... [ Continue Reading ]
BETTER [IS] THE END OF A THING THAN THE BEGINNING THEREOF,.... If the thing is good, other ways the end of it is worse; as the end of wickedness and wicked men, whose beginning is sweet, but the end bitter; yea, are the ways of death, Proverbs 5:4; and so the end of carnal professors and apostates,... [ Continue Reading ]
BE NOT HASTY IN THY SPIRIT TO BE ANGRY,.... With men, for every word that is said, or action done, that is not agreeable; encourage not, but repress, sudden angry emotions of the mind; be not quick of resentment, and at once express anger and displeasure; but be slow to wrath, for such a man is bett... [ Continue Reading ]
SAY NOT THOU, WHAT IS [THE CAUSE] THAT THE FORMER DAYS WERE BETTER THAN THESE?.... This is a common opinion, that in all ages prevails among men, that former times were better than present ones; that trade flourished more, and men got more wealth and riches, and lived in greater ease and plenty; and... [ Continue Reading ]
WISDOM [IS] GOOD WITH AN INHERITANCE,.... It is good of itself. Or, "is as good as an inheritance" n, as it may be rendered; it is a portion of itself, especially spiritual and divine wisdom. The Targum interprets it, the wisdom of the law, or the knowledge of that; but much more excellent is the wi... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WISDOM [IS] A DEFENCE, [AND] MONEY [IS] A DEFENCE,.... Or, a "shadow" of refreshment and protection, under which men sit with pleasure and safety; a man by his wisdom, and so by his money, is able to defend himself against the injuries and oppressions of others, and especially when both meet in... [ Continue Reading ]
CONSIDER THE WORK OF GOD,.... This is dressed to those who thought the former days better than the present, and were ready to quarrel with the providence of God, Ecclesiastes 7:10; and are therefore advised to consider the work of God; not the work of creation, but of providence; which is the effect... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE DAY OF PROSPERITY BE JOYFUL,.... Or, "in a good day" q. When things go well in the commonwealth, in a man's family, and with himself, health, peace, and plenty, are enjoyed, a man's circumstances are thriving and flourishing; it becomes him to be thankful to God, freely and cheerfully to enjo... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL [THINGS] HAVE I SEEN IN THE DAYS OF MY VANITY,.... Or, "all these things" u. What goes before and follows after, the various changes men are subject unto, both good and bad; these he had made his observations upon, throughout the course of his life, which had been a vain one, as every man's is,... [ Continue Reading ]
BE NOT RIGHTEOUS OVER MUCH,.... This is not meant of true and real righteousness, even moral righteousness, a man cannot be too holy or too righteous; but of a show and ostentation of righteousness, and of such who would be thought to be more righteous and holy than others, and therefore despise tho... [ Continue Reading ]
BE NOT OVER MUCH WICKED,.... Not that a man should be wicked at all; but some, observing that wicked men prolong their days in wickedness, are encouraged to go into greater lengths in sin than they have yet done, and give up themselves to all iniquity; and run into excess of not, into the grossest a... [ Continue Reading ]
[IT IS] GOOD THAT THOU SHOULDEST TAKE HOLD OF THIS,.... This advice, as the Arabic version, in the several branches of it; neither to be over much righteous or wicked, and over much wise or foolish; to avoid the one and the other, to keep clear of extremes, and pursue the path that is safest; such a... [ Continue Reading ]
WISDOM STRENGTHENETH THE WISE,.... Against such extremes as before mentioned; it is a guard about him, as well as a guide unto him; it is a defence unto him, as before observed, Ecclesiastes 7:12; and is better than strength of body, or weapons of war, Ecclesiastes 9:16; and a wise man does greater... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR [THERE IS] NOT A JUST MAN UPON EARTH,.... Or "although", or "notwithstanding" d, wisdom is so beneficial, and guards and strengthens a good man, yet no man has such a share of it as to live without sin; there was not then one on earth, there never had been, one, nor never would be, nor has been,... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO TAKE NO HEED UNTO ALL WORDS THAT ARE SPOKEN,.... Seeing so it is, that imperfection attends the best of men, no man is wise at all times, foolish words and unguarded expressions will sometimes drop from him, which it is better to take no notice of; they should not be strictly attended to, and c... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR OFTENTIMES ALSO THINE OWN HEART KNOWETH,.... Or "thy conscience", as the Vulgate Latin version, which is as a thousand witnesses; which, if a man attends to, he will be convinced of his own faults, failings, and infirmities, he is frequently in the commission of. Particularly, THAT THOU THYSELF... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THIS HAVE I PROVED BY WISDOM,.... Referring either to all that he had been discoursing of hitherto in this book, concerning the vanity of natural wisdom and knowledge, of pleasure, power, and riches; or to the several useful instructions given in this chapter, particularly concerning patiently b... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WHICH IS FAR OFF,.... Or, "far off [is] that which has been" g. That which has been done by God already, in creation and providence, is out of the reach of men, is far from their understandings wholly to comprehend or account for; and likewise that which is past with men, what has been done in... [ Continue Reading ]
I APPLIED MINE HEART TO KNOW, AND TO SEARCH, AND TO SEEK OUT WISDOM,.... Or, "I and my heart turned about" h; took a circuit, a tour throughout the whole compass of things; looked into every corner, and went through the circle of knowledge, in order to search and find out what true wisdom is; which... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I FIND MORE BITTER THAN DEATH THE WOMAN,.... This was the issue of his diligent studies and researches, and the observations he had made; this was what he found by sad and woeful experience, and which he chose to take particular notice of; that he might not only expose this vanity among others,... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THIS HAVE I FOUND,.... That a harlot is more bitter than death; and which he found by his own experience, and therefore would have it observed by others for their caution: or one man among a thousand, Ecclesiastes 7:28; (SAITH THE PREACHER); of which title and character see Ecclesiastes 1:1... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH YET MY SOUL SEEKETH, BUT I FIND NOT,.... He was very earnest and diligent in his inquiry; he took a great deal of pains, and was exceedingly solicitous; he sought with great intenseness of mind, and with an eager desire, to find out a chaste and virtuous woman among them all, but could not; O... [ Continue Reading ]
LO, THIS ONLY HAVE I FOUND, THAT GOD HATH MADE MAN UPRIGHT,.... The first man Adam, as the Targum and Jarchi interpret it; and not Adam only, but Eve also with him; for these were both made by the Lord, and on the same day, and in the same image, and had the same common name of Adam given them, Gene... [ Continue Reading ]