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I- 


^nr-: 


MAY    1     1958 

■X,  £ 

£514-76" 

H726 


AN 


ATTEMPT 


TO 

t 
ILLUSTRATE 


THE    BOOK 


OF 


ECCLESIASTES. 


BY  THE 

REV.  GEORGE*  HOLDEN,  M.A. 


SoXojLiwv  ^e,  CTTEt  ffO0tav  rjTrjffev,  aTre^e^drt'  icai  ttiq  co^tae  avrcm 
ra  ij^yrj  eotlv  ev  toiq  crvyypafxfiaat  Qewpriaaif  ixeyaXrjy  e^ovra  ev 
/Spa^Xoyia  Trepivoiav '  ev  oiq  av  evpoiQ  noXKa  eyKiOfjiia  ttiq  (TO(^taQ, 
Kai  TTpoTpeTrriKa,  Trepi  Tr]V  ero(f)Lav  Seiv  avaXajSetr. — Origen  contra 

CELSUM,  lib.  III.  CAP.  45. 


LONDON : 
PRINTED  FOR  F.  C.  AND   J.  RIVINGTON, 

No.  62,  ST.  PAUL'S  CHURCH-YARD,  AND  No.  3,  WATERLOO-PLACE,  PALL-MALL. 

1822. 


Printed  by  T.  Kaye,  45,  Castle-street,  Liverpool . 


^' 


PREFACE. 


When   the  Author  first  applied  to  theological 
studies,   he  felt,    in    common  with  most  other 
students,  much  perplexed  by  the  many  difficulties 
in  the  book  of  Ecclesiastes.     From  the  widely- 
diversified  opinions  of  critics  and  commentators 
he  derived  but  little  satisfaction.     In  the  pro- 
gress, however,  of  his  inquiries,  he  fancied  that 
he  had  discovered  the  right  clue  to  unravel  the 
intricacies  in  which  the  Ecclesiastes,  more,  per- 
haps, than  any  other  book  among  the  Hebrew 
Scriptures,  is  involved.     He  then  sketched  the 
draught  of  the  present  performance,  and,  after 
keeping  it  some  time  by  him,  was  emboldened, 


IV  PREFACE. 

in  the  beginning  of  the  year  1817,  to  submit  it  to 
the  Lord  Bishop  of  Chester,  who,  with  that 
friendly  attention  which  he  pays  to  all  the  Clergy 
of  his  Diocese,  took  the  trouble  of  perusing  it, 
and,  in  the  most  kind  and  condescending  manner, 
encouraged  the  Author  to  persevere  in  the  at- 
tempt. He  therefore  proceeded  to  fill  up  the 
outline:  the  more  he  reflected  upon  the  subject, 
the  more  he  was  convinced  that  the  view  which 
he  had  taken  of  the  book  was  correct;  and  such 
additions  have  been  made  as  naturally  result 
from  repeated  revisions,  and  from  continued 
application  to  Biblical  studies. 

The  work  was  transcribed,  and  ready  to  be 
put  into  the  hands  of  the  printer,  when  the 
Author  saw  announced,  as  already  in  the  press, 
**  Lectures  on  the  Book  of  Ecclesiastes,  by  Ralph 
Wardlaw,  D.D."  As  his  Attempt  might  thus  be 
superseded,  immediate  publication  would  have 
been  premature.  Dr.  Wardlaw's  Lectures,  how- 
ever, which  appeared  towards  the  end  of  1821,  in  2 
vols.  8vo,  are  wholly  of  a  practical  nature,  without 
aiming  at  "  critical  or  philological  disquisition." 


PREFACE.  V 

As  Dr.  Wardlaw's  plan  and  the  Author's  are 
totally  different,  and  as  he  could  not  but  hope 
that  somethmg  has  been  contributed  by  his 
labours  to  the  critical  illustration  of  the  Eccle- 
siastes,  he  finally  determined  upon  publication. 
But  though  he  had  no  view  to  emolument,  yet, 
from  the  small  circulation  of  such  works,  he 
found  that  he  had  no  mode  of  venturing  to  the 
press,  with  the  prospect  of  a  mere  indemnification, 
except  through  the  medium  of  a  subscription. 
He  resolved,  therefore,  to  appeal  to  the  public; 
and  for  this  purpose  he  drew  up  a  Prospectus, 
briefly  describing  the  design  and  object  of  the 
proposed  work.  In  this  appeal  he  has  been  suc- 
cessful beyond  his  anticipations.  His  list  of 
Subscribers  is  numerous  and  respectable;  and 
while  he  feels  himself  under  particular  obligations 
to  a  few  zealous  friends,  to  whose  kind  exertions 
his  success  is  principally  to  be  ascribed,  he 
gladly  takes  this  opportunity  of  expressing  his 
acknowledgments  to  all  who  have  supported 
his  undertaking. 

Such  has  been  the  origin  and  progress  of  this 
publication:  a  more   particular   account  of  its 


VI  PREFACE. 

nature  and  object  may  be  found  in  the  Preliminary 
Dissertation.  Whatever  may  be  its  merits  or 
defects,  he  cannot^  in  extenuation  of  the  latter, 
urge  that  it  has  been  a  hasty  publication;  it  has 
long  occupied  his  thoughts ;  he  has  diligently 
endeavoured  to  render  it  worthy  of  the  public 
eye,  for,  though  of  small  dimensions,  it  has  been 
a  work  of  much  labour ;  and  he  now  sends  it 
into  the  world,  being  fully  prepared  to  submit  to 
the  decision  of  that  tribunal  by  which  all  literary 
pretensions  must  be  judged. 


HALSALL,  LANCASHIRE, 

August,  1822. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

The  Preliminary  Dissertation 1 

Sect.  I.  The  Author  of  the  Ecclesiastes iii 

II.  Canonical  Authority  of  the  Ecclesiastes  xxviii 

III.  Of  the  Title  Koheleth xxxi 

IV.  The  Scope  and  Design  of  the  Ecclesi- 

astes    xlvii 

V.  The  Style  and  Language  of  the  Eccle- 
siastes   Ixxv 

VI.  The  Object  and   Design  of  this   Pub- 
lication  xcviii 

Analytical  Table  of  the  Contents  of  the  Ecclesi- 
astes     xcix 

The  Paraphrase  on  the  Ecclesiastes 3 

The  Explanatory  and  Critical  Notes 53 


ERRATA. 


IN  THE    PRELIMINARY  DISSERTATION. 

PAGE 

xxviii.  Note,  line  3,  for  aTTOKpvTTTev,  read  aTroKpvTCTEiv . 

Note,  line  2  from  the  bottom,  after  were  only  forbidden  to  he  read, 

add  by  young  persons, 
xxxiv.  Note,  line  2  from  the  bottom,  iovfastidat,  x&z.^  fastidit . 
lii.  line  2,  for  a  future  state  of  retributive  justice  could  not,  consistently,  be 

revealed  during, 'Sic,  read  could  not,  consistently,  be  enjoined  as  an 

article  of  faith  during,  &c. 
Ixi.  line  20,  for  Jewishs  age,  read  Jewish  sage. 
Ixiii.  line  2,  for  contributed,  read  contributes. 
Ixxxiv.  Note  *,  line  1,  >  _ 
Ixxxv.  Note  t,  line  2,  5^^*'  Guoguet,  read  Goguet. 

IN  THE  PARAPHRASE. 
10,  last  line,  for  This  [is']  labour  in  secular  works,  also  vanity,  read  This 

labour  in  secular  works  [is']  also  vanity. 
48,  line  20,  for  child,  read  childhood. 
50,  line  9,  for  wheels,  read  wheel. 

IN  THE  NOTES. 

74,  Critical  Note  *,  line  19,  for  derivate,  read  derivative. 

87, ,  line  2,  for  rolur,  read  robur. 

170, ,  line  7,  for  purchra  imago  est  homines,  read  pulchra 

imago  est  hominis. 
174,    line  12,  for  is  one  more,  read  is  the  more. 

,  line  15,  for  most  unfounded,  read  mostly  unfounded. 

In  a  few  places,  for  Bishop  Patric,  read  Bishop  Patrick. 


In  page  xcix  it  is  stated,  that  the  Critical  Notes  are  placed  at  the 
end,  in  an  Appendix;  but,  after  the  Preliminary  Dissertation  was  worked 
off,  it  was  judged  more  convenient  to  place  them  under  the  Explana- 
tory Notes,  on  the  same  page.  As  the  Critical  Notes  are  still  kept 
distinct  from  the  Explanatory  Notes,  it  was  thought  unnecessary 
to  cancel  page  xcix  of  the  Preliminary  Dissertation. 


LIST  OF  SUBSCRIBERS. 


Ainger,  Rev.  Dr.  St.  Bees,  Cumberland. 
Alison,  R.  Esq.  Moor-hall,  Lancashire. 
Allix,  Rev.  R.  W.  Warrington. 
Almond,  Rev.  G.  Bramham,  Yorkshire. 
Ashton,  Mr.  Michael,  Liverpool. 
Aspinall,  Jas.  Esq.  Liverpool. 
Aspinall,  Rev.  James,  Rochdale,  Lancashire. 
Aspinwall,  Mr.  T.  Lydiate,  Lancashire. 
Atkinson,  Rev.  J.  Gilling,  Yorkshire. 

Baines,  John,  Esq.  Liverpool. 

Baker,  Mr.  Benjamin,  Sculptor,  Liverpool. 

Balfour,  Rev.  J.  Liverpool. 

Banning,  W.  Esq.  Postofl&ce,  Liverpool. 

Barker,  J.  R.  Esq.  Liverpool. 

Barns,  Mr.  H.  Liverpool. 

Barns,  Rev.  Wm.  Threapwood,  Cheshire. 

Barnsdale,  Rev.  — .  Ringley,  Lancashire. 

Barton,  Rev.  H.  Rector  of  Eastchurch,  Kent. 

Barton,  Rev.  H.  J.  Warwick. 

Barton,  Mr.  W.  Liverpool. 

Barton,  Mr.  Miles,  Everton,  Liverpool. 

Beard,  Mr.  John,  Liverpool. 

Beckwith,  Wm.  Esq.  Liverpool. 

Beerbohm,  Herr  Wilhelm,  Memel. 

Bennett,  Edward,  Esq.  Backwood,  Cheshire. 

Berry,  Rev.  H.  Rector  of  Acton  Beauchamp,  Worcestershire. 

Bevan,  J.  Esq.  Springfield,  Lancashire. 

Bickerst^,  R.  Esq.  Chirk,  Denbighshire,  two  copies. 

Birkbeck,  Wm.  Esq.  Banker,  Settle. 

Blundell,  Rev.  Wm.  Liverpool. 

Boddington,  Rev.  J.  C.  Bradford,  Yorkshire. 

Boddington,  Rev.  T.  Thorp  Arch,  Yorkshire. 

Bold,  Rev.  T.  Bootle,  Lancashire. 

Borrowdale,  Rev.  Thos.  Horton,  Yorkshire. 

Bourne,  John,  Esq.  Stalmin-hall,  Lancashire, 

Bourne,  James,  Esq.  Heathfield,  Lancashire. 

Bowdon,  Joshua,  Esq.  Liverpool. 

Bowman,  Mr.  J.  Great  Crosby,  Lancathirc. 


LIST    OF    SUBSCRIBERS. 


Bownass,  Rev.  R.  Poulton-le-Fylde,  Lancashire. 

Bowstead,  Rev.  T.  S.  Liverpool. 

Boyer,  Mr.  R.  Lathom,  Lancashire. 

Boyer,  Mr.  E.  Lathom,  Lancashire. 

Boyer,  Mr.  H.  Lathom,  Lancashire. 

Brancker,  Mr.  James,  Anfield-lodge,  Lancashire. 

Briggs,  Jos.  Esq.  Barrister,  Gray's  Inn. 

Bromfield,  B.  Esq.  Wavertree,  Lancashire. 

Brooke,  Mr.  R.  Jun.  SoUcitor,  Liverpool. 

Brookes,  Rev.  Jon.  Everton,  Liverpool. 

Brown,  Geo.  Esq.  Liverpool. 

Browne,  Mr.  T.  Liverpool. 

Brythe,  Thomas,  Esq.  Magdalen-hall,  Oxford. 

Buddicom,  Rev.  R.  P.,  F.S.A.  Everton,  Liverpool. 

Bulmer,  Rev.  P.  Liverpool. 

Burchall,  Capt.  J.  Adjutant  L.  M.  Ormskirk. 

Bury,  John,  Esq.  Swinton,  Lancashire. 

Bury,  G.  F.  Esq.  Solicitor,  Manchester. 

Bury,  W.  Esq.  Magdalen-hall,  Oxford. 

Chester,  Right  Rev.  the  Lord  Bishop  of. 

Canning,  the  Right  Hon.  George,  M.P.  &c.  &c.  &c. 

Cameron,  G.  D.,  M.D.  Liverpool. 

Card,  Rev.  H.,  Vicar  of  Great  Malvern,  Worcestershire. 

Carr,  Rev.  C.  Peakirk,  Northamptonshire. 

Chaffers,  Mr.  T.  Marshfield,  Lancashire. 

Chubbard,  Mrs.  Kensington,  Liverpool. 

Clapham,  Richard,  Esq.  Feizar,  Yorkshire. 

Clay,  Mr.  R.  Chemist,  Liverpool. 

Cole,  T.  Butler,  Esq.  Kirkland-hall,  Lancashire. 

ColUson,  Mr.  T.  Surgeon,  Liverpool. 

Cooban,  Mr.  W.  Solicitor,  Liverpool. 

Corbett,  Rev.  Dr.  Wortley,  Lancashire. 

Corfield,  Rev.  R.  Rector  of  Pitchford,  Salop. 

Coventry,  Rev.  G.  Lathom,  Lancashire. 

Cross,  Mr.  John,  Lydiate,  Lancashire. 

Crosthwaite,  Mr.  John,  Liverpool. 

Crowther,  Mr.  G.  H.  Frodsham,  Cheshire. 

Cruickshank,  Mr.  G.  Bookseller,  Liverpool,  two  copies. 

Cnlshaw,  WilUam,  Esq.  Moss-end,  Lancashire. 

Culshaw,  James,  Esq.  Ormskirk. 

Durham,  the  Hon.  and  Right  Rev.  the  Lord  Bishop  of. 

Dakin,  Miss,  Warrington. 

Dale,  Rev.  P.  S.  HoUinsfare,  Lancashire. 

Davies,  Rev.  W.  W.  Broughton,  Cheshire. 

Davis,  T.  H.  Esq.  His  Majesty's  Customs,  London. 

Dixon,  Mr.  R.  Poulton-le-Fylde,  Lancashire, 

Docker,  Rev.  W.  Southport,  Lancashire. 

Dodson,  Mrs.  Liverpool. 

Eden,  John,  Esq;  Solicitor,  Liverpool. 
Elston,  Mr.  H.  Surgeon,  Ormskirk. 
Evans,  Mr.  W.  Liverpool. 
Eyes,  Mr.  E.  Surveyor,  Liverpool. 

Fairclough,  Mr.  C.  Liverpool. 

Fanshawe,  Rev,  J.  Vicar  of  Frodsham,  Cheshire. 


LIST    OF    SUBSCRIBERS. 

Fanshawe,  Rev.  T.  L.  Vicar  of  Dagenhain,  Essex. 
Fanington,  Mrs.  Shawe-hall,  Lancashire. 
Fisher,  John,  Esq.  Lytham,  Lancashire. 
Forde,  Rev.  A.  B.  Maghull,  Lancashire. 
Formby,  Rev.  R.  Formby-hall,  Lancashire. 
Formby,  Rev.  Miles,  Liverpool. 
Forrester,  C.  D.  Esq.  London. 
Forshaw,  Rev.  C.  Ormskirk 
Foster,  Thomas,  Esq.  Clapham,  Yorkshire. 
-Foster,  Mr.  James,  Liverpool. 
Fox,  William,  Esq.  Statham,  Cheshire. 
Fry,  Mr.  Joseph,  Liverpool. 

Gandy,  Mr.  W.  J.  Solicitor,  Liverpool. 
Garratt,  Rev.  Thomas,  Altcar,  Lancashire. 
Gibbon,  Edward,  Esq.  Liverpool. 
Gildard,  John,  Esq.  Cappleside-hall,  Yorkshire. 
Gildard,  Robert,  Esq.  Rathmell,  Yorkshire. 
Gore,  Mr.  J.  Bookseller,  Liverpool. 
Gouthwaite,  Mr.  F.  Liverpool. 
Graham,  Mr.  R.  Liverpool. 
Grapel,  Mr.  W.  Bookseller,  Liverpool,  six  copies. 
Greaves,  Mr.  Mill  Bank,  Warrington. 
Greenham,  Robert,  Esq.  Liverpool. 
Goodwill,  Rev.  George,  Wigan. 

.^. 

Hesketh,  Sir  Thomas  DalrymplCj  Bart.  Ruffbrd-hall,  Lancashire. 

Haliburton,  A.  Esq.  Douglas  Bank,  Lancashire. 

Hall,  Mr.  J.  Liverpool. 

Hallowes,  Mr.  John,  Liverpool. 

Halton,  Mr.  J.  P.  Surgeon,  Liverpool. 

Hamer,  Rev.  J.  Toxteth  Park,  Lancashire. 

Hancock,  Mr.  T.  Surgeon,  Ormskirk. 

Hanmer,  Latham,  Esq.  His  Majesty's  Customs,  Liverpool. 

Hanning,  Mr.  Joseph,  Surgeon,  Walton,  Lancashire. 

Harkness,  Mr.  Richard,  Ormskirk. 

Harrison,  Mr.  James,  Liverpool. 

Harrocks,  Jno.  Esq.  Liverpool. 

Hawkshead,  Thomas,  Esq.  Heskin,  Lancashire. 

Heap,  Rev.  Henry,  Vicar  of  Bradford,  Yorkshire. 

Heathcote,  Mr.  T.  Ormskirk. 

Heathcote,  Rev.  J.  Liverpool. 

Hesketh,  Robert,  Esq.  Rossall-hall,  Lancashire. 

Hill,  Rev.  Edward,  Wigan. 

Hodgson,  Rev.  J.  Great  Crosby,  Lancashire. 

Hodgson,  Mr.  J.  Solicitor,  Liverpool. 

Hoggins,  Rev.  Jas.  Sephton,  Lancashire. 

Holden,  Mrs.  Halsall,  Lancashire. 

Holden,  Mr.  Johnson,  Liverpool. 

Holmes,  Henry,  Jun.  Esq.  Liverpool. 

Hopwood,  William,  Esq.  Trinity  College,  Cambridge. 

Hornby,  Rev.  J.  Rector  of  Winwick,  Lancashire. 

Hornby,  Rev,  H.  Rector  of  St.  Michael's,  Lancashire. 

Home,  Rev.  T.  Hartwell,  London. 

Horton,  Rev.  Joshua  T.  Vicar  of  Ormskirk. 

Houghton,  Mr.  E.  Surgeon,  Ormskirk. 

Houghton,  Mr.  Thomas,  Solicitor,  Ormskirk. 

Howson,  Rev.  J.  Giggleswick,  Yorkshire,  two  copies. 


LIST    OF    SUBSCRIBERS. 

Huddleston,  John,  Esq.  Liverpool. 
Hull,  Rev.  Edward,  Liverpool. 
Hunter,  John,  Esq.  Liverpool. 
Hutton,  John,  Esq.  Liverpool. 

Ingram,  Rev.  R.  Free  Grammar  School,  Giggleswick,  Yorkshire. 
Irlam,  George,  Esq.  Bootle,  Lancashire. 

Jackson,  John,  Esq.  Liverpool. 

Jeffreys,  T.,  M.D.  Liverpool. 

Johnson,  Mr.  G.  Liverpool. 

Jones,  Rev.  R.  Great  Budworth,  Cheshire. 

Jones,  Terrick,  Esq.  Great  Crosby,  Lancashire. 

Jones,  Richard,  Esq.  Springwood,  Lancashire. 

Jones,  Mr.  R.  J.  Solicitor,  Liverpool. 

Knox,  the  Hon.  and  Rev.  E.  Dean  of  Down. 

Kaye,  Mr.  T.  Bookseller,  Liverpool,  six  copies. 

Kearsley,  J.  Hodson,  Esq.  Wigan. 

Kershaw,  Mr.  T.  Academy,  Ormskirk. 

Knapper,  Mr.  Ephraim,  Liverpool. 

Knowles,  John,  Esq.  Linacre-grove,  Lancashire,  six  copies, 

Liverpool,  the  Right  Hon.  the  Earl  of,  K.G.  &c.  &c.  &c. 

Laughton,  Captain  J.  Harrington,  Liverpool. 

Lawson,  Mr.  T.  Liverpool. 

Leather,  Mr.  P.  Solicitor,  Liverpool. 

Lightfoot,  Mr.  J.  Accountant,  Liverpool. 

Liptrot,  Mr.  W.  Aughton,  Lancashire. 

Lister,  Rev.  A.  Vicar  of  Gargrave,  Yorkshire. 

Literary  Society,  Settle,  Yorkshire. 

Locke,  Miss,  Liverpool. 

Loxham,  Rev.  Richard,  Rector  of  Halsall,  Lancashire. 

Loxham,  Rev.  Robert,  Rector  of  Stickney,  Lincolnshire. 

Luniley,  William,  Esq.  Leeds. 

MacBride,  Rev.  Dr.  Principal  of  Magdalen-hall,  Oxford. 

MacLean,  Herr  Lachlan,  Danzig. 

Magdalen-hall  Library,  Oxford. 

Manning,  Mrs.  Liverpool. 

Marshall,  Rev.  T.  Eccleston,  Lancashire. 

Martin,  Miss,  Liverpool. 

Master,  Rev.  R.  Croston,  Lancashire. 

Merian,  Herr  J.  J.  Basle. 

Molyneux,  Mr.  T.  C.  Liverpool. 

Monk,  Rev.  J.  B.  Liverpool. 

Moore,  Thos  Esq.  Long-Preston,  Yorkshire. 

Moore,  Mr.  John,  Surgeon,  Bolton-le-Moor. 

Moss,  Rev.  T.  Vicar  of  Walton-on-the-hill,  Lancashire. 

Muncaster,  Mr.  T,  Bookseller,  Liverpool. 

Naylor,  James,  Esq.  Liverpool. 

Newman,  William,  Esq.  Darley-hall,  Yorkshire. 

Ormandy,  Mr.  J.  Bookseller,  Liverpool. 

Peel,  Right  Hon.  Robert,  M.P.  &c.  &c.  &c. 
Palmer,  Mr.  Solicitor,  Ormskirk. 


LIST    OF    SUBSCRIBERS. 


Parke,  Mr.  J.  Chemist,  Liverpool. 

Pedder,  Rev.  J.  Vicar  of  Garstang,  Lancashire. 

Perry,  W.,  M.D.  Liverpool. 

Pickard,  Mr,  J.  Liverpool. 

Porter,  T.  C.  Esq.  West  Derby,  Lancashire 

Porter,  Rev.  Jackson,  Whitworth,  Lancashire. 

Prescot,  Miss,  Dalton,  Lancashire. 

Prince,  Rev.  J.  C.  Liverpool. 

Powell,  Rev.  Benjamin,  Wigan. 

RadclifFe,  Mr.  J.  His  Majesty's  Customs,  Liverpool. 

RadclifFe,  Mr.  R.  Solicitor,  Liverpool. 

Rawstorne,  Rev.  R.  A.  Rector  of  Warrington. 

Richards,  Rev.  G.  Wortley,  Yorkshire. 

Righy,  Miss,  Liverpool.  ' 

Rigby,  Mr.  T.  Marston,  Cheshire. 

Rimmer,  Mr.  T.  Liverpool. 

Ripley,  Mr.  G.  Solicitor,  Liverpool. 

Roach,  N.  Esq.  Barbados. 

Robinson,  N.  Esq.  Aigburgh,  Lancashire. 

Robinson,  R.  Esq.  Paisley-house,  Lancashire. 

Robinson,  G.  and  J.  Booksellers,  Liverpool,  three  copies. 

Rogers,  Mr.  Surgeon,  Settle,  Yorkshire. 

Rolandson,  A.  Esq.  Brasennose  College,  Oxford. 

Ruppel,  Herr  Carl,  Memel. 

St.  David's,  the  Right  Rev.  the  Lord  Bishop  of. 

Scarisbrick,  Mrs.  Scarisbrick-hall,  Lancashire, /our  copies. 

Scott,  R.  W.,  M.D.  Liverpool. 

Segar,  Mr.  H.  His  Majesty's  Customs,  Liverpool. 

Sephton,  Mr.  E.  Liverpool. 

Sharpies,  Mr.  H.  Solicitor,  Ormskirk. 

Sillar,  Z.,  M.D.  Liverpool. 

Slade,  Rev.  James,  Vicar  of  Bolton-le-Moors. 

Smalt,  Mrs.  Leyland  Grove,  Lancashire. 

Smith,  Bryan,  Esq.  Lydiate,  Lancashire. 

Smith,  Bryan,  Jun.  Esq.  Liverpool. 

Smith,  Mr.  Richard,  Liverpool,  six  copies. 

Smith,  Mr.  J.  Ormskirk. 

Smyth,  Rev.  J.  H.  Liverpool. 

Sorensen,  P.  Esq.  Danish  Consul,  Liverpool. 

Swainson,  Mr.  J.  G.  Liverpool. 

Tarleton,  Mr.  Jno.  Liverpool. 

Tatham,  R.  Esq.  Low-fields,  Lancashire. 

Taylor,  Rev.  J.  Heskin,  Lancashire. 

Tennant,  Rev.  W.  Castle  Bytham,  Lincolnshire. 

Thomas,  Mr.  P.  Latham,  Lancashire. 

Troutbeck,  J.  Esq.  Great  Crosby,  Lancashire. 

Tyrer,  Mr.  James,  Liverpool. 

Vanbrugh,  Rev.  G.  Rector  of  Aughton,  Lancashire. 

Wilbraham,  E.  Bootle,  Esq.  M.P.  Lathom-house,  Lancashire. 
Walkden,  T.  Esq.  Stanley-gate,  Lancashire. 
"Walker,  Thomas,  Esq.  Aughton,  Lancashire. 
Wareing,  W.  Esq.  Solicitor,  Ormskirk. 


LIST    OF    SUBSCRIBERS. 


Weickhmann,  Herr  C.  W.  von,  Danzig. 

Welsby,  Mr.  H.  Lydiate,  Lancashire. 

Whalley,  Mr.  R.  Lydiate,  Lancashire. 

Whitehead,  Rev.  T.  Hutton,  Lancashire. 

Wiguali,  Mr.  William,  Ormskirk. 

Willan,  Rev.  R.  Barnsley,  Yorkshire. 

Willan,  Rev.  Thomas,  Rector  of  Irnham,  Lincolnshire. 

Willan,  Mr.  E.  Bookseller,  Liverpool. 

Williamson,  Rev.  J.  Warrington. 

Wilson,  H.  Porter,  Esq.  Poulton-le-Fylde,  Lancashire. 

Wilson,  Thomas,  Esq,  Solicitor,  Poulton-le-Fylde,  Lancashire. 

Wilson,  Mr.  Thomas,  Jun.  Poulton-le-Fylde,  Lancashire. 

Wilson,  Mr.  W.  Liverpool. 

Withington,  Miss  A.  Heskin,  Lancashire. 

Wright,  Harvey,  Esq.  Solicitor,  Ormskirk. 

Woodcock,  T.  Esq.  Bank-house,  Lancashire. 


York,  his  Grace  the  Archbishop  of. 
Zwilchenbart,  Mr.  R.  Liverpool. 


PRELIMINARY  DISSERTATION. 


r 


THE. 

PRELIMINARY  DISSERTATION 


The  Old  Testament,  whether  we  consider  its 
inspiration  or  its  indispensable  importance  to  the 
elucidation  of  the  New,  ought  to  be  attentively 
studied  by  every  Christian  divine.  Yet  it  must 
be  confessed,  that  many  parts  of  it  are  very  diffi- 
cult to  interpret;  and,  though  the  most  acute 
critical  talents,  aided  by  profound  erudition, 
have  been  employed  in  its  illustration,  they  have 
not  entirely  removed  the  obscurities  which  anti- 
quity hath  spread  over  its  sacred  pages.  The 
idea  that  the  Bible  is  easily  understood,  flatters 
the  self-sufficiency  of  ignorance  and  fanaticism ; 
but  the  great  difficulty  attending  its  interpretation 
is  a  fact  too  palpable  to  be  denied,  except  by 
those  who  are  benighted  in  the  mists  of  prejudice, 
or  who  have  never  doubted,  only  because  they 
have  never  inquired.     It  can  be  no  easy  matter  to 

B 


n  PRELIMINARY 

explain  a  volume  by  much  the  most  ancient  in 
the  world,  including  compositions  on  various  sub- 
jects and  of  different  character,  Mstoric,  poetic, 
and  prophetic,  alluding  to  events  of  which  no 
contemporary  records  exist,  referring  to  manners 
and  customs  wholly  dissimilar  to  ours,  and  writ- 
ten in  a  language  remote  from  European  phrase 
and  idiom,  and  which,  moreover,  has  ceased  to  be 
vernacular  for  more  than  two  thousand  years. 

Of  all  the  Hebrew  writings,  none  present  greater 
obstacles  to  the  expositor  than  the  book  of  Eccle- 
siastes.     Together  with  the  obscurities  which  it 
has  in  common  with  the  other  Jewish  canonical 
Scriptures,  it  possesses  some  peculiar  to  itself; 
and,  with  respect  to  the  style  of  the  work,  the 
author's  design,  the  nature  of  his  argument,  and 
the  chain  of  his  reasoning,  the  opinions  of  critics 
and  commentators  have  diverged  to  an  incredible 
distance.     The  book,  however,  has  descended  to 
us  as  a  part  of  the  Volume  of  Inspiration,  which 
is  a  sufficient  guarantee,  that  it  contains  nothing 
unworthy  the  Source  from  which  it  springs,  and 
that  its  tendency  is,  when  properly  understood, 
to  cherish  the  sacred  principles  of  morality  and 
religion.      Some  passages,  it  must  be  acknow- 
ledged, seem,  at  the  first  glance,  to  recommend 
Epicurean     enjoyments,     and    to    countenance 
atheistic  folly ;  but,  we  may  rest  assured,  there  are 
none  such  in  reality,  and  that  whatever  appears 


SECT.  I.]  DISSERTATION.  iu 

contrary  to  piety  and  virtue,  arises  solely  from 
our  misapprehension.  Much  as  the  Ecclesiastes 
has  been  perverted  by  sensualists,  and  ridiculed 
by  profane  wits,  if  it  be  a  part  of  Holy  Scripture, 
it  must  admit  a  full  and  ample  vindication. 

A  critical  inquiry,  therefore,  into  its  scope  and 
meaning  is  highly  important,  in  order  to  silence 
the  cavils  of  the  scorner,  and  to  satisfy  the  scru- 
ples of  the  religiously  disposed.  There  has, 
indeed,  been  no  want  of  expositors;  but  their 
labours  have  not  been  altogether  successful,  as  is 
abundantly  proved  by  their  widely- different  views 
of  the  book,  which  serve  rather  to  perplex  than  to 
assist  the  inquirer.  Notwithstanding  what  has 
been  hitherto  done,  something  is  still  wanting  to 
its  complete  illustration :  to  this  conviction,  at 
least,  is  owing  the  present  performance,  in  the 
commencement  of  which  it  may  be  proper  to 
premise  some  general  observations. 


SECTION  I. 

The  Author  of  the  Book. 

The  author  is  expressly  styled,  in  the  initiatory 
verse,  ''  the  son  of  David,  king  in  Jerusalem," 
and  in  the  twelfth  verse  he  is  described  as  **  king 
over  Israel,  in  Jerusalem."     These  passages  are 


iv  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  I. 

found  in  every  known  manuscript,  and  in  all  the 
ancient  versions  ;  and  Solomon,  as  is  well  known, 
was  the  only  son  of  David  who  ever  reigned  in 
Jerusalem.     The  book  has  thus  been  admitted 
into  the  sacred  canon  of  the  Jews  as  the  produc- 
tion  of  Solomon,    to   whom    it    has    also    been 
ascribed  by  a  regular  and  concurrent  tradition. 
A  collateral  proof  arises  from  the  contents  of  the 
work  itself,  in  which  the  author  is  stated  to  have 
excelled  in  wisdom  beyond  all  who  were  before 
him  in  Jerusalem,  (chap.  i.  16,  ii.  15,  xii.  9,)  and 
to  have  composed  many  Proverbs;  (chap.  xii.  9;) 
circumstances  descriptive  of  Solomon,  and  of  no 
other  personage  whose  name  is  recorded  in  the 
Holy  Scriptures.     The  writer  is  likewise  repre- 
sented as  abounding  in  wealth  and  treasure,  in 
palaces,  gardens,  retinues,  and  other  articles  of 
elegant  and  royal  luxury,  extremely  applicable 
to  Solomon,  during  whose  reign  the  throne  of 
Israel    was    surrounded  with  all    the  pomp   of 
Asiatic  splendour  and  magnificence. 

Strong  as  this  evidence  is  for  ascribing  the 
work  to  Solomon,  it  has  been  questioned,  not 
only  by  the  infidel  Voltaire,  but  by  several  Chris- 
tian writers  of  great  learning  and  celebrity. 
Grotius,  Hermann  von  der  Hardt,  Dathe,  Jahn, 
Eichhorn,  and  Doederlein,  have  advocated  the 
opinion,  that  the  Ecclesiastes  is  not  the  pro- 
duction of  Solomon,  but  of  some  writer  in  a 


SECT.  I.]  DISSERTATION.  t 

subsequent  age ;  and,  if  we  may  believe  Professor 
Dathe,  tlie  two  latter  have  established  this  point, 
by  arguments  so  weighty,  that  none,  except  very 
stubborn  defenders  of  ancient  traditions,  can 
deny  it.*  The  sceptical  Semler  pronounces  it  a 
matter  of  doubt,  whether  it  be  the  production  of 
the  Hebrew  monarch,  or  of  some  writer  of  a 
later  age,  who  assumes  his  character.f  Without 
bowing  with  implicit  deference  to  the  authority 
of  these  learned  Germans,  let  us  collect  and 
review  the  principal  arguments  of  the  above- 
named  critics;  and,  should  they  be  found,  upon 
an  impartial  examination,  not  to  be  invincible,  we 
need  not  hesitate  to  acquiesce  in  the  generally 
received  opinion,  that  Solomon  was  the  author  of 
the  Ecclesiastes. 

I.  Objection,  "  Solomon  was  not  the  author, 
because  the  Rabbins  attribute  it  either  to  Heze- 
kiah,  or  Isaiah,  the  most  distinguished  contem- 
porary of  that  monarch." J  This  statement  is 
undoubtedly  agreeable  to  the  common  interpreta- 
tion of  the  Talmudical  language,  which  the  reader 
will  find  in  the  margin  ;^  but  nothing  more  may, 


*  Dathii  Versio  Lat.  not.  a.  in  Eccles. 

i  Semleri  A iiparatus  in  Vet.  Test.  p.  203. 

X  Voltaire,  Philosoph.  Diet.  art.  Solomon. 

%  The  words  of  the  Talraudists  are,  n'pnp  OH^U^n  Ttl?  'hmD 
n»yiy*  lariD  ini;»Dl  n'ptn,  Ezechias  et  coetus  ejus  scripsernnt  Esaiam, 
Proverbia,  Canticura,  et  Ecclesiasten. — Bava  Bathra.  c.  1,  fol.  15,  a. 
And  in  Shalsheleth  Hakkabalah,  fol.  66,  b.  we  read,  that  Isaiali  wrote 
^riD,  his  own  book,  Proverbs,  Canticles,  and  Ecclesiastes. 


Vi  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  I. 

perhaps,  be  meant,  than  that  the  Ecclesiastes  was 
inserted  into  the  canon  of  Scripture  by  Isaiah  or 
Hezekiah,  not  that  it  was  written  by  either  of 
them;  or,  it  may  only  intimate,  that,  though 
Solomon  was  the  author  of  the  book,  it  was  first 
committed  to  writing  by  them,  it  having  been 
previously  handed  down  by  oral  tradition;  or, 
the  meaning  may  only  be,  that  these  eminent 
men  copied  the  book,  and  disseminated  faithful 
transcripts  of  it  among  the  people.*  In  some 
such  way  the  words  of  the  Talmudists  here 
referred  to  must  be  explained ;  for  it  is  elsewhere 
expressly  asserted,  that  Solomon  was  the  author.f 
And  this  is  confirmed  by  its  being  placed  in  the 
canon  as  his  work,  which  is  indisputable  evidence, 
that  he  was  believed  to  be  the  author  by  the  an- 
cient Jews.  It  would  not  have  been  transmitted 
to  posterity  as  his  work,  in  so  sacred  a  manner, 
except  it  had  been  ascribed  to  him  by  an  uni- 
versal consent.  There  could  be  no  reason  for 
palming  a  spurious  book  upon  the  world  for 
Solomon's,  no  motive  for  attributing  it  to  him 
falsely ;  or,  if  this  had  been  attempted,  the 
deceit  would  have  been  immediately  detected,  as 
the  light  of  inspiration  and  prophecy  was  not 


*  Waehner,  Antiq.  Heh.  sect.  1 ,  cap.  80.  Simon,  Critique  de  la  Biblioth. 
du  Pin  J  vol.  iv.  p.  107.  Wolf,  Bibliotheca  Hebrcea^  vol.  ii.  p.  117. 
Carpzov,  Introductio  ad  Lib,  Bibl.  par.  ii.  cap.  4,  §  4.  Gray,  Key  to  ihe 
Old  Testament. 

t  Seethe  authorities  in  Wolf,  Biblioth.  Heb.  vol.  ii.  p.  121.  Carpzor, 
Introd,  ad  Lib.  Biblicos,  par.  ii.  cap.  4,  §  4. 


SECT.  I.]  DISSERTATION.  VU 

extinguished  till  after  the  return  from  the  Baby- 
lonian captivity  ;  and,  subsequently  to  that  event, 
the  veneration  of  the  Jews  for  their  Scriptures 
precludes  the  possibility  of  any  designed  altera- 
tion in  the  canon.  Its  reception  into  the  canon, 
therefore,  as  the  production  of  Solomon,  could 
only  have  proceeded  from  its  being  known  to  be 
his  work  by  those  who,  as  to  this  circumstance, 
were  incapable  either  of  deceiving,  or  of  being 
deceived. 

II.  Ohj.  **  The  Ecclesiastes  cannot  be  sup- 
posed to  be  the  production  of  Solomon,  because 
the  style  is  very  different  from  that  of  his  acknow- 
ledged writings."*  Without  alleging  that  argu- 
ments drawn  from  difference  of  style  rest  upon 
precarious  grounds,  we  may  admit  the  fact,  while 
we  deny  the  inference  attempted  to  be  deduced 
from  it.  By  comparing  the  book  with  the  Pro- 
verbs and  Canticles,  the  competent  scholar  must, 
I  think,  perceive  some  diversity  in  language  and 
phraseology ;  but  it  would  be  unfair  to  infer,  from 
this  circumstance,  that  they  have  not  emanated 
from  the  same  mind.  Intercourse  with  foreigners, 
new  studies,  advancing  years,  a  change  in  habits 
of  thinking,  in  inclinations  and  desires,  with  a 

*  Eichhorn,  Einleitung  in  das  Alte  Testament,  §  658.  In  referring  to 
Eichhorn,  I  am  indebted  to  the  kindness  of  a  friend,  who  has  favoured 
me  with  a  translation  of  such  parts  of  the  Einleitung  as  relate  to 
the  book  of  Ecclesiastes.  See  also  J.  H,  van  der  Palm,  Diss,  de  Lib* 
Eccles.  p.  44. 


via 


PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  f. 


multiplicity  of  other  circumstances,  contribute  to 
the  alteration  of  style ;  so  that  the  latest  productions 
of  the  same  person  are  not  unfrequently  wholly 
dissimilar,  in  the  external  dress  and  colouring,  to 
those  which  have  been  composed  in  early  life.  The 
diversity  of  style,  in  the  present  instance,  is  not  of 
such  a  kind  as  necessarily  leads  us  to  attribute 
them  to  different  authors.  It  may  be  accounted  for 
partly  from  the  different  nature  of  the  subjects ;  the 
Canticles  abounding  in  sentiments  of  love  and 
sensibility,  in  images  of  pastoral  poetry  replete 
with  mystic  significance  :  the  Proverbs  consisting 
of  short  sententious  maxims,  designed  to  impress 
the  memory  by  their  beauty  and  terseness ;  and 
the  Ecclesiastes  being  a  regular  philosophical 
disquisition ;  and  partly  from  the  two  first  having 
been  written  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  the  last  in 
the  vale  of  years. 

According  to  the  tradition  of  the  Jews,  the 
book  of  Ecclesiastes  was  written  by  Solomon  in 
his  old  age,  after  he  had  repented  of  his  former 
vicious  practices,  and  had  become,  by  sad  expe- 
rience, fully  convinced  of  the  vanity  of  every  thing 
terrestrial,  except  piety  and  wisdom.*  Many 
parts  of  the  work  itself  corroborate  this  tra- 
dition. The  acknowledgment  of  numerous  follies 
and   delusions   implies,    that  it  was   composed 

*  Jerom,  in  Ecdes.  i.  12.     Huet.  Demonst.  Evangel,  prop.  iv.  p.  246. 
Michaelis,  Notce  Uberiores,  Praef.  §  2. 


SECT.   I.]  DISSERTATION.  ix 

after  the  author  had  apostatized  from  Jehovah, 
and  had  subsequently  repented  of  his  past  mis- 
conduct. The  frequent  assertion  of  the  emptiness 
of  earthly  greatness  ;  the  declaration  that  human 
enjoyments  are  unsatisfactory;  the  enumeration 
of  gardens,  edifices,  and  possessions,  requiring  a 
long  life  for  their  completion ;  the  deep  condem- 
nation of  former  pursuits ;  the  expression  of  satiety 
and  disgust  at  past  pleasures ;  and  the  tone  of 
cool  and  philosophical  reflection  which  pervades 
the  whole,  are  strikingly  characteristic  of  an  ad- 
vanced period  of  life ;  and  the  production  of  a 
king,  bowed  with  the  infirmities  of  age,  wearied 
with  the  pomp  of  royalty,  sated  with  luxury, 
humbled  with  a  sense  of  past  guilt,  and  prostrate 
in  penitence,  can  scarcely  be  similar  in  style  to 
those  of  the  same  monarch  in  the  vigour  of  health 
and  manhood,  and  buoyant  on  the  full  tide  of 
popularity  and  glory. 

III.  Ohj.  "  The  proper  name  of  Solomon  is 
not  prefixed  to  the  book,  as  in  the  Proverbs  and 
Canticles."*  This  can  be  no  valid  objection,  so 
long  as  he  is  designated  to  be  the  author  by 
another  unequivocal  title;  and  there  may  have 
been  reasons  for  the  omission  with  which  we  are 
not    acquainted.     As  this    answer  is    perfectly 

*  Hermann  von  der  Hardt,  De  Lihro  Koheleth. 
C 


X  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  I. 

satisfactory,  it  cannot  be  necessary,  and  may  be 
presumptuous,  to  attempt  to  account  for  the 
author's  not  mentioning  his  proper  name;  butitis,at 
least,  no  improbable  conjecture,  that,  as  the  word 
Solomon  signifies  jomce,  the  omission  of  it  might  be 
intended  to  intimate,  that  he  had  forfeited  his  name 
of  peace,  since,  by  his  former  transgression,  he  had 
troubled  Israel;  (1  Kings  xi.  14,  23;)  and  as  the 
name  Koheleth,  or  Preacher,  is  derived  from  his 
custom  of  addressing  assembled  auditories,  he 
might  design,  by  the  assumption  of  this  title,  to 
declare  himself  a  true  penitent,  and  a  sincere  ad- 
vocate of  religion.  As,  notwithstanding  his  former 
vices,  he  was  now  become  a  real  convert,  and  a 
zealous  preacher  of  righteousness,  there  seems 
a  peculiar  propriety  in  selecting  an  appellation 
expressive  of  this  circumstance. 

IV.  Ohj,  "  Foreign,  and  particularly  Chaldaic, 
expressions  occur  in  the  book,  which  evince  its 
origin  in  an  age  later  than  that  of  Solomon."*  From 
the  great  importance  attached  to  this  objection  by 
the  advocates  of  the  late  composition  of  the  book, 
they  appear  to  consider  themselves  as  having  here 
occupied  unassailable  ground ;  it  is,  nevertheless, 
untenable,  as  must  be  evident  from  the  consider- 
ation, that  words  and  inflections  pronounced  by 

*  Grotius,  Prolegom,  in  Eccks.    ELchhorn,  Einleitungf  §  658. 


SECT.  I.]  DISSERTATION.  Xll 

some  critics  to  be  Aram8ean,  are  discovered  in 
books  decidedly  more  ancient  than  Solomon. 
Granting,  therefore,  the  existence  of  some  expres- 
sions bearing  the  impression  of  a  foreign  stamp, 
this  will  be  no  proof  of  its  being  a  production 
of  so  late  a  date  as  the  Babylonian  captivity ; 
especially  as  it  w^ould  be  so  easy,  in  the  present 
instance,  to  account  for  their  introduction,  since 
Solomon  might  have  acquired  them  by  conver- 
sation w^ith  the  many  foreign  women  whom  he 
loved;  (1  Kings  xi.  1,  2;)  or  they  might  have 
been  imported  in  the  intercourse  which  subsisted 
at  that  period  between  the  Israelites  and  the 
neighbouring  nations.* 

But  we  may  go  farther,  and  fairly  question  whe- 
ther the  objection  be  founded  in  fact.  Although 
a  few  words  used  by  the  author  of  the  Eccle- 
siastes  occur  nowhere  else,  except  in  the  Chaldee 
part  of  Daniel  and  in  the  Targums,  none  have 
been  produced  in  form  and  inflection  unequivocally 
Chaldaic  ;  and,  for  any  thing  that  appears  to  the 
contrary,  they  may  have  been  pure  Hebrew 
words,  in  familiar  circulation  while  that  language 
continued  to  be  vernacular.  That  words  em- 
ployed by  any  of  the  Old  Testament  writers  are 
found  in  the  sister  dialects,  is  no  argument  against 

*  1  Kings  iv.  24,  34,  x.  24,  25, 28.     2  Chion.  i.  16,  ix.  14,  23,  24»  26. 

Pococke,  Nota  in  Porta  Mosis,  p.  151,  ed.  Twells.     Hiiet,  Dein.  ErangeL 
prop.  iv.  p.  2ir. 


xii  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  I. 

their  purity,  for  this  is  very  often  the  case  with 
such  as  are  confessedly  genuine  Hebrew.  Neither 
are  the  aTra^  Xcyo/wem,  or  words  occurring*  only  once, 
any  evidence  of  a  foreign  origin ;  they  are  dis- 
coverable in  almost  every  book  of  the  Old 
Testament,  and  only  serve  to  demonstrate  the 
immense  wreck  which  the  Hebrew  language  has 
sustained  in  the  lapse  of  time. 

Chaldaisms,  in  fact,  supply  no  sure  criterion 
to  determine  the  late  origin  of  a  work  in  which 
they  are  found;  for  Hebrew,  Syriac,  Chaldee, 
and  Arabic,  having  emanated  from  one  common 
source,  the  higher  we  ascend,  the  greater  will  be 
the  resemblance.*  Hence  the  numerous  dialec- 
tical coincidences  which  have  been  observed  in 
the  book  of  Job,  the  most  ancient  of  all  the 
canonical  writings. 

In  short,  the  argument  I  have  been  combating 
is  completely  hollow  and  unsound.  It  can 
neither  be  proved,  that  the  author  of  the  Ecclesi- 
astes  has  used  words  or  phrases  which  are  not 
pure  Hebrew,  nor,  if  it  could,  would  it  be  con- 
clusive evidence  against  ascribing  it  to  the  royal 
son  of  David.  It  is  not  required,  therefore,  to 
enter  into  a  minute  examination  of  the  words 


*  Michaelis,  Not.  et  Ephn.  in  Lowth,  p.  200,  Oxon.  1810.    Bishop 
Magee,  On  Atonement^  No.  59. 


SECT.  I.]  DISSERTATION.  xiii 

which  have  been  pointed  out  as  indicative  of  an 
age  posterior  to  Solomon's ;  but  a  brief  review  of 
them  is  given  in  the  subjoined  note,  from  which 
it  will  further  appear,  that  the  objection  is  entirely 
groundless.* 

*  Of  the  four  words  pronounced  by  Grotius  to  be  foreign,  and  not 
pure  Hebrew,  namely,  "I'D,  nJVli^,  *ltt>D,  yi^Mt  only  two  can  at  all  be 
considered  as  belonging  to  his  argument ;  for  the  first  occurs  Exod.  xvi. 
3,  and  the  second  may  be  derived  from  a  genuine  Hebrew  root,  as  may 
be  seen  in  the  following  note  to  ch.  xii.  5.  The  two  last  only  occur  ch. 
viii.  1,  and  x.  8,  and,  though  they  are  found  in  Chaldee,  they  may  like- 
wise be  Hebrew. — (See  Calovius,  Proleg.  in  Eccles. ;  Bossuet,  Pref.  in 
Eccles.;  Huet,  ut  supra;  Findlay,  Vindication  of  the  Sacred  Books,  par.  iii. 
§  4,  p.  471  ;  Witsius,  Miscel.  Sac.  1.  i.  cap.  18,  §  36 ;  Carpzov,  Introd.  ad 
Lib.  Bill.  par.  ii.  cap.  5,  §  2.)  Eichhorn  has  been  more  copious  in  his 
appeals  than  Grotius,  and  notices  the  following  words  as  modern  or 
Aramaean.  1,  711^2.  in  ch.  viii.  17.  But  it  occurs  in  Jonas  i.  7, 12;  it 
is  a  compound  particle,  and  is  found  nearly  in  the  same  form  in  Canticles 
iii.  7.  2.  nin  ch.  ii.  22;  which  occurs,  however,  in  Job,  Proverbs,  and 
often  in  the  Psalms.  3.  pP  ch.  iv.  2,  3  ;  a  contraction  for  nJn  n]^, 
which  is  used  in  Genesis,  &c.  4.  "113,  a  particle  only  occurring  in  the 
Ecclesiastes,  yet  it  betrays  no  marks  of  a  Chaldaic  or  foreign  form. 
5.  P"ltt^3,  like  the  former,  only  occurs  in  the  Ecclesiastes,  at  the  same 
time  it  has  all  the  appearance  of  being  pure  Hebrew.  6.  TW\  mj^l 
and  mi  P'J^I,  which  occur  nowhere  else,  but  the  roots  are  of  frequent 
occurrence.  7.  "j/i^Dn,  a  priest,  ch.  v.  5,  and  in  this  sense  it  occurs 
Malachi  iii.  1.  It  is,  however,  often  applied  to  human  agents,  for  which 
reason  it  cannot  be  inferred  that  a  book,  where  it  is  found  in  the  sense  of 
a  priest,  is  of  later  origin  than  the  age  of  Solomon.  8.  DJDS  ch.  viii. 
11 ;  but,  though  it  occurs  Esther  i.  20,  and  in  the  Chaldee  of  Daniel,  why 
should  we  suppose  it  not  to  have  been  in  use  among  the  ancient  Hebrews, 
since  the  form  is  not  specifically  Chaldaic  ?  9.  D*DT1S  ch.  ii.  5 ;  yet 
this  occurs  also  in  Canticles  iv.  13.  Such  are  the  words  instanced  by 
Eichhorn  as  being  more  modern  than  Solomon ;  yet  of  these  it  may  justly 
be  said,  first,  that  not  one  of  them  is  indubitably,  or  even  probably,  of 
the  Chaldaic  form :  secondly,  some  are  airci^  Xey,  from  which  nothing 
can  be  concluded;  and,  thirdly,  others  are  found  either  in  Solomon's 
acknowledged  writings,  or  in  older  books ;  consequently,  none  of  them 
can  be  evidence  of  the  late  composition  of  the  Ecclesiastes. 

It  is  further  observed  by  Eichhorn,  that  the  genius  of  the  Chaldee 
language  appears  still  stronger  in  the  frequent  compounded  words  with 


xiv  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  I. 

V.  Obj,  ''  The   book   contains   some  of    the 
peculiar  notions  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees, 
against  which  it  appears  to   be  directed;   and 
since  these  sects  arose,  as  is  generally  supposed, 
about  the  time  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  it  cannot 
be  allowed  an  earlier  date."*     This  objection  is 
built  upon  the  assumption,  that  the  Pharisean  and 
Sadducean  notions  are  discoverable  in  it;    an 
assumption   resting   upon   no   substantial   basis. 
There  appears,  on  the  contrary,  the   strongest 
reason  for  believing,  that  it  could  not  receive  any 
colouring   from   the   peculiar  opinions  of  these 
sects ;  for,    if  it  were   adopted  into  the  canon 
previous  to  their  existence,  the  thing  is  impos- 
sible; or,  if  afterwards,  it  is  inconceivable  that 


the  prefix  M>,  which,  says  he,  coincides  with  the  Chaldee  T.  One  is 
surprised  at  such  an  observation  from  any  Hebrew  scholar,  since  it  is  as 
clear  as  the  day,  that  the  prefix  U^  is  very  common  in  the  Psalms,  and  in 
Solomon's  other  productions,  and  is  likewise  found  in  Judges  and  Genesis. 
It  certainly  occurs  frequently,  about  seventeen  or  eighteen  times,  in  the 
Ecclesiastes,  and  Desvoeux  thinks  it  is  employed  to  form  the  parallelism 
of  the  versification  ;  (Philol.  Obs.  1.  ii.  c.  1,  §  2  ;)  but,  whatever  may  be 
thought  of  this  conjecture,  it  would  be  uncritical  to  infer,  from  its  fre- 
quent occurrence,  that  the  book  was  not  written  by  Solomon.  There  are 
also,  says  Eichhorn,  other  Chaldaic-like  expressions ;  but  he  has  given  no 
examples,  and  other  Oriental  scholars  cannot  perceive  in  the  book  of 
Ecclesiastes  any  thing,  either  in  the  style  or  composition,  unsuitable  to 
the  age  of  Solomon. 

Zerkel,  in  his  Untersuchungen,  or  Researches  respecting  the  Preacher, 
pretends  to  discover  some  Greek  expressions  in  the  Ecclesiastes,  which, 
however,  is  a  palpable  mistake.     See  Jahn,  Introduct.  ad  Vet.  Test.  §  213. 

*  Jahn,  Introduct.  ad  Vet.  Test. §  213, 215.  Bauer,  Hermeneut.  Sac.  § 68. 
Home,  Introduction  to  the  Scriptures,  vol.  iv.  p.  130,  ed.  2da.  Le  Clerc 
apud  Witsii  Miscd.  Sac.  vol.  i.  p.  227. 


SECT.   I.]  DISSERTATION.  XV 

they  would  permit  a  work  directed  against  them- 
selves to  be  inserted  in  the  sacred  canon.  With 
as  much  reason  might  it  be  asserted^  that  the 
Pentateuch  was  levelled  against  the  opinions  of 
the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  as  the  book  of 
Ecclesiastes. 

VI.  Obj.  *'  The  name  of  Jehovah  does  not 
occur  throughout  the  work,  which  seems  to  refer 
its  origin  to  the  age  of  Alexander ;  about  which 
time  the  use  of  the  Tetragrammaton  was  forbid- 
den."* Whenever  the  superstitious  veneration 
for  the  name  of  Jehovah  arose  among  the  Jews, 
it  is  certain,  that  the  pronunciation  alone,  not  the 
writing  of  it,  was  forbidden,  for  it  is  found  in 
some  of  the  Chaldee  paraphrases  of  a  much  more 
recent  date. 

VII.  Obj.  "  Solomon  cannot  be  the  writer  of 
the  Ecclesiastes;  for,  if  he  were,  in  complaining 
as  he  does  of  oppressions,  of  unjust  judgment,  of 
the  elevation  of  foolish  servants  to  dignity  and 
office,  he  would  have  condemned  himself."'!'  P^i'" 
fection  is  unattainable  in  human  institutions :  in 
the  best  regulated  governments,  much  vice,  folly, 
and  misery  will  exist ;  and,  under  the  adminis- 
tration of  Solomon,  the  wisest  prince  that  ever 
swayed  a  sceptre,  the  great  and  powerful  were, 

*  Jdihn,  Introduct.  §215. 
f  Jahn,  Introduct,  ut  siipra. 


Xvi  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.   I. 

doubtless,  at  times  tyrannical,  judges  were  often 
partial,  and  men  were  sometimes  preferred  to 
offices  for  which  they  were  neither  fitted  by  their 
talents  nor  their  virtues.  These  evils,  which  the 
most  consummate  wisdom  cannot  entirely  pre- 
vent, the  king  himself  might  lament,  as  well  as 
any  of  his  subjects,  without  being  self-condemned. 
In  these  complaints,  moreover,  of  oppression  and 
injustice,  the  royal  philosopher  may  have  had  an 
eye  to  what  was  passing  in  surrounding  states. 
A  mind  of  such  sagacity  and  research  would  ar- 
dently inquire  into  the  manners  and  civil  polity  of 
other  nations ;  and  it  is  not  improbable,  that  his 
remarks  on  despotic  cruelty  and  perverted  justice 
may  have  referred  to  the  conduct  of  governors 
beyond  the  boundaries  of  his  empire. 

VIII.  Ohj.  **  Had  Solomon  been  the  author, 
he  would  not  have  said,  *  I  was,  or  I  am  king  in 
Jerusalem,'  as  it  would  have  been  idle  to  affirm  a 
fact  so  universally  known."*  As  well  might  it  be 
argued,  that  the  Proverbs  are  not  the  work  of 
Solomon,  because  he  calls  himself,  in  the  be- 
ginning, "  king  of  Israel."  The  mention  of  his 
exalted  rank  is,  in  both  cases,  probably  made, 
the  better  to  recommend  his  compositions  to  the 
attention  of  mankind  ;  for  it  has  ever  been  found 
by  experience,    that  the   world  is    inclined    to 

*  Jahn,  Introduct,  ad  V.  T.  ut  supra. 


SECT.   I.]  DISSERTATION.  XVU 

admire  the  productions  of  royal  and  noble  au- 
thors, more  particularly  while  the  influence  of 
their  wealth  and  dignity  remains  unimpaired. 
This  natural  deference  to  rank  and  title  would 
be  much  augmented  in  the  present  case,  by 
characterizing  the  book  as  the  work  of  that 
monarch,  who  was  so  renowned  for  knowledge, 
and  whose  wisdom  contributed  so  much  to  the 
glory  and  happiness  of  his  people.  It  is  usual, 
likewise,  with  the  sacred  writers  to  describe 
themselves  by  personal  titles  and  characters, 
which  must  have  been  well  known  to  their  con- 
temporaries. Thus  Isaiah  denominates  himself 
"  the  son  of  Amoz  ;"  Jeremiah,  **  the  son  of  Hil- 
kiah;"  Ezekiel,  "the  priest;"  Hosea,  '*the  son  of 
Beeri;"  Amos,  "  the  herdman  of  Tekoa;"  St.  Paul, 
"  the  servant  and  apostle  of  Christ."  As  the  ad- 
dition of  such  personal  designations,  though  not 
absolutely  necessary,  is  very  common,  Solomon 
might,  without  impropriety,  style  himself  "  the 
son  of  David,  king  in  Jerusalem."  The  assump- 
tion, then,  of  a  title,  which  not  only  might  be 
used  by  Solomon,  but  in  the  use  of  which  there  is 
a  peculiar  fitness,  cannot  form  even  a  colourable 
objection  against  his  being  the  author  of  the 
Ecclesiastes. 

IX.  Ohj.  "  The  writer  says,  *  I  was  king  over 
Israel  in  Jerusalem;'  (ch.  i.  12;)  but  why  is  it 
added    *  in   Jerusalem,'    unless    the    book   was 

D 


xviii  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  I. 

published  when  the  kings  of  the  Israelites  had 
another  royal  residence,  namely,  Samaria?''* 
David  reigned  both  in  Hebron  and  in  Jerusalem ; 
(2  Sam.  ii.  11,  v.  5 ;  1  Kings  ii.  11 ;)  but  Solomon, 
as  it  should  seem,  only  in  the  latter  city,  which 
may  possibly  account  for  the  place  of  residence 
being  specified.  Besides,  it  is  somewhat  absurd 
to  infer,  because  the  Preacher  is  said  to  be  king 
in  Jerusalem,  that  another  king  reigned  at  the 
same  time  in  Samaria :  with  as  much  truth  it  might 
be  concluded,  that  a  contemporary  king  reigned  in 
any  other  place  within  the  borders  of  Palestine. 
Solomon  was  king  in,  or  at,  Jerusalem ;  that  city 
was  the  metropolis  of  his  kingdom ;  there  he  kept 
his  court ;  there  was  the  seat  of  his  government ; 
and  he  might,  with  equal  propriety,  mention  the 
place  of  his  royal  residence,  as  the  fact  of  his  being 
king  over  Israel,  a  title,  as  above  shown,  perfectly 
compatible  with  his  being  the  author  of  the  book. 

X.  Obj,  **  In  chapter  iv.  15,  allusion  is  made 
to  Solomon's  successor,  and  ..to  his  inability  to 
govern  the  people.  Now,  supposing  the  work  to 
be  the  production  of  Solomon,  he  must  have 
foreseen,  that  his  son  would  be  unequal  to  the 
task  of  government ;  and,  in  that  case,  so  wise  a 
monarch,  instead  of  wishing  him  to  be  his  suc- 
cessor, would  have  taken  measures  to  ensure  the 

*  Doededein,  Scholia  in  Eccles.  p.  171.    Eichhorn,  Einhitung,  ^  658. 


SECT.   I.]  DISSERTATION.  xix 

succession  of  some  litter  person  to  the  throne  of 
Israel.  As  he  did  not  adopt  this  course,  the  only 
one  consistent  with  the  accounts  which  we  have  of 
his  wisdom,  it  is  concluded,  that  the  Ecclesiastes 
was  written  in  a  subsequent  period."*  But,  in 
the  passage  appealed  to,  there  is,  in  all  probability, 
no  allusion  to  the  successor  of  Solomon  in  the 
royal  power ;  it  appears  to  be  only  a  combination 
of  general  remarks  upon  the  vanity  of  empire  and 
dominion.  Or,  if  even  it  should  be  thought  to 
glance  at  Rehoboam,  yet  Solomon  may  be  the 
author,  as  he  might  have  wished  his  son  to  suc- 
ceed him  on  the  throne,  though  he  had  foreseen 
his  incapacity  for  government ;  for  how  often  is 
the  judgment  of  the  best  and  most  enlightened 
men  blinded  by  paternal  affection?  Solomon, 
notwithstanding  his  distinguished  wisdom,  was 
far  from  being  a  perfect  character.  Nor  would 
it  be  easy  to  prove,  what  the  objection  supposes, 
the  utter  incompetency  of  Rehoboam  to  sway  the 
sceptre  of  Israel.  Though  his  conduct,  imme- 
diately after  his  accession,  was  the  occasion  of 
an  extensive,  lasting,  and  ruinous  revolt,  it  was 
a  conduct  rather  to  be  ascribed  to  energy  and 
vigour  than  to  weakness  and  imbecility.  He 
took  time  to  deliberate,  he  asked  counsel  both 
from  the  old  and  youthful  senators;  and  de- 
liberate consultation  is  not  the  characteristic  of 

*  Doederleiu,  Scholia  ut  supra.     Eichhorn,  EinUitungj  §  658.. 


XX  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  I> 

a  weak  and  pusillanimous  mind.  That  his  first 
measures  were  disastrous  is  certain;  that  he  was 
ill  advised  is  not  improbable ;  but  such  has  been 
the  case  with  monarchs  who  cannot  justly  be 
charged  with  incompetency  to  hold  the  reins  of 
government. 

XI.  Obj,  "  The  author  says,  *  I  keep  the 
king's  commandment,'  (ch.  viii.  2,)  which  could 
not  come  from  Solomon,  who  was  a  king  himself, 
and  obeyed  no  monarch  upon  earth."*  This 
objection  scarcely  deserves  notice,  as  it  rests 
upon  a  translation  of  the  original  which  is  erro- 
neous, though  supported  by  the  Vulgate ;  the 
true  version  being,  "  I  counsel  thee  to  keep  the 
king's  commandment,"  where,  by  '*  the  king,"  is 
meant  Jehovah,  who  was,  in  a  peculiar  sense,  the 
king  of  the  Israelites;  consequently,  the  words 
contain  an  exhortation  to  reverence  and  obey 
God. 

XII.  Obj,  **  The  book  contains  assertions  in- 
consistent with  the  wisdom  of  Solomon ;  as,  for 
example,  that  death  is  better  than  life;  (ch.  iv.  2 ;) 
that  the  creatures  of  God  are  vain;  (ch.  i.  2,  &c. ;) 
that  nothing  is  preferable  to  eating,  and  drinking, 
and  enjoying  the  pleasures  of  this  world ;  (ch.  ii.  24, 
iii.  12,  13,  22,  v.  18,  viii.  15,  ix.  7,  xi.  9;)  that  man 

*  Huet,  Demonst.  Evangel,  prop.  iv.  p.  248.    See  the  following  note 
on  chap.  viii.  2. 


SECT.  I.]  DISSERTATION.  Xxi 

hath  no  advantage  over  the  beasts :  (ch.  iii.  18, 19 :) 
and  some  parts  are  contradictory  to  each  other, 
as  ch.  iii.  19,  compared  with  ch.  xii.  7,  which 
can  scarcely  be  accounted  for,  on  the  supposition 
of  its  being  the  work  of  one  man,  much  less  of 
so  wise  a  man  as  Solomon."*  This  objection  is 
built  upon  a  misconception  of  the  scope  and 
meaning  of  the  book ;  it  is  unnecessary,  how- 
ever, to  examine,  at  present,  the  particular  pas- 
sages referred  to,  as  the  following  paraphrase  and 
notes,  it  is  confidently  believed,  will  convince 
the  attentive  reader,  that  no  real  contradictions 
exist,  nor  a  single  sentence  which  militates  against 
its  divine  authority.  When  the  design  of  the 
author  is  considered,  and  the  chain  of  reasoning 
is  attended  to,  every  part  appears  consistent, 
harmonious,  and  admirable;  the  argument  is 
sound,  the  sentiments  pious,  the  observations 
highly  valuable,  the  subject  most  important,  and 
the  effect  of  the  whole  is  to  excite  frail  man  to 
the  love,  and  study,  and  practice  of  celestial 
wisdom. 

XIII.  Obj.  **  The  writer  describes  himself  as 
richer  than  all  those  who  were  before  him  in 
Jerusalem  (ch.  ii.  7.)  Now  a  king  can  only  com- 
pare himself  with  kings,  for  it  would  be  degrading 
to  draw  a  parallel  between  himself  and  private 

*  Jerom,  in  Ecctes.  12, 13.    Bauer,  Hermeneut.  Sacra,  ^  64.    Voltaire^^ 
Philoaoph,  Diet,  art.  Solomon  j  and  other  writers. 


Xxii  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  I. 

men ;  but  how  could  Solomon  speak  of  many, 
when  David  was  the  first  who  placed  in  Jerusa- 
lem the  throne  of  the  Hebrew  empire  ?  The  author 
of  the  Ecclesiastes,  therefore,  lived  inalater  age."* 
Solomon  however  might,  without  derogation,  com- 
pare himself  with  foreign  kings,  as  such  a  compa-, 
rison  is  made  by  the  sacred  historian;  (1  Kings 
X.23;)  and  there  are  grounds  for  believing,  that 
many  princes  actually  reigned  in  Jerusalem  previ- 
ous to  the  Israelitish  monarchs.  Jerusalem  is, 
probably,  the  same  city  which  is  called  Salem, 
where  Melchisedeck  was  king ;  and,  before  its 
subjugation  by  David,  it  was  in  the  possession  of 
the  Jebusites,  (Joshua  xv.  8,  63;  Judges  i.  21,) 
who  certainly  were  ruled  by  supreme  governors, 
or  kings,  for  express  mention  is  made  of  one  who 
was  both  a  Jebusite  and  a  king  (2  Sam.  xxiv.  18, 
22.)  Nor  is  it  easy  to  discover  what  indignity  it 
could  be,  supposing  Solomon  merely  wished  to 
draw  a  parallel  between  himself  and  persons  of 
inferior  rank.  Would  not  his  wealth  and  magni- 
ficence be  the  more  apparent  from  the  contrast  ? 
Nay,  is  there  not  a  peculiar  fitness  in  the  observa- 
tion, that  he  had  wealth  and  possessions  above  all 
before  him  in  Jerusalem,  when  we  consider  the 
superb  mansions  he  built,  the  magnitude  and 
splendour  of  the  temple  he  erected,  the  brilliancy 
of  his  court,  the  state  and  royal  luxury  which 

*  Eichhorn,  Einleilung,  §  658. 


SECT.  I.]  DISSERTATION.  XXiii 

surrounded  him  ?  With  equal  propriety  he  might 
describe  himself  as  having  gotten  more  wisdom 
than  all  who  had  been  before  him  in  Jerusalem, 
(ch.  i.  16,)  since  the  fame  of  his  knowledge  had 
spread  throughout  every  adjoining  realm.  Both 
.passages,  indeed,  are  so  evidently  in  character, 
and  so  suitable  to  the  circumstances  of  the  wise 
monarch,  that  they  in  no  small  degree  confirm 
the  opinion  which  attributes  this  production  to 
Solomon. 

XIV.  Obj,  "  The  expressions,  '  of  making 
many  books  there  is  no  end,'  and  '  much  study 
is  a  weariness  of  the  flesh,'  (ch.  xii.  12,)  are  incom- 
patible with  the  character  and  circumstances  of 
the  Solomonic  age,  in  which  the  existence  of  many 
books,  or  of  a  prevailing  inclination  to  study,  can- 
not be  supposed."*  Eichhorn,  by  whom  the  ob- 
jection is  advanced,  supplies  the  answer  himself, 
in  observing,  that,  *'  under  Solomon,  when  the 
Hebrews  arrived  at  a  period  to  enjoy  their  late 
victories,  such  wisdom  as  this  book  teaches  might 
have  gained  a  foundation;"  for,  in  that  case,  many 
would  addict  themselves  to  speculation,  the  result 
of  which  would  be  a  gradually  increasing  number 
of  publications.  It  is  consonant  with  reason  to 
suppose,  that  many  books  actually  existed  at  the 
period  of  which  we  are  speaking.     It  was  an  age 

*  Eichhorn,  ibid. 


XXiv  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.   I. 

of  internal  peace  and  tranquillity,  when  the  arts 
that  contribute  to  the  elegance  and  refinement  of 
society  were  greatly  improved ;  circumstances  ex- 
tremely favourable  to  the  cultivation  of  literature. 
The  monarch  himself  was,  for  these  times,  a  vo- 
luminous author ;  and  this  bright  example  of  royal 
ardour  in  the  cause  of  letters  would  be  eagerly 
followed  by  many  who  neither  possessed  his  wis- 
dom, nor  his  inspiration. 

Yet  it  is  very  doubtful,  whether  the  words  of  the 
preacher  above  quoted  really  imply  the  multipli- 
cation of  books  in  that  age.  It  is,  in  my  judgment, 
more  natural  to  interpret  them  of  the  possibility 
of  writing  innumerable  books  upon  the  topics  dis- 
coursed upon  in  this  treatise  of  the  royal  philoso- 
pher, and  yet  with  ^ttle  utility,  since  all  important 
truths  relating  to  them  may  be  comprehended 
within  narrow  limits.  Or  the  observation  may  be 
meant  comparatively,  namely,  read  and  meditate 
in  the  pages  of  inspiration  more  than  in  books  of 
mere  human  composition,  which  may  be  multiplied 
without  end,  and  of  which  an  over-anxious  study 
wearies  and  impairs  the  bodily  powers. 

Such  are  the  chief  reasons  which  have  been 
brought  forward  against  ascribing  the  Ecclesi- 
astes  to  Solomon;  and  they  are  manifestly  far 
from  overthrowing  the  evidence  adduced  for  its 
being  the  genuine  production  of  that  monarch. 


SECT  I.]  DISSERTATION.  XXV 

They  are  mere  plausibilities  ;  and,  however  mul- 
tiplied, would  still  be  outbalanced  by  a  single 
grain  of  historical  testimony.  So  weak,  indeed, 
and  futile  are  they,  that  it  might  be  sufficient  to 
reply  to  them  generally,  that  they  are  drawn  from 
internal  probabilities,  or  from  the  style  and  phra- 
seology, and  that  no  argument  of  this  description 
can  be  admitted  against  positive  evidence.  The 
work  is  expressly  ascribed  to  the  philosophic  son 
of  David,  in  the  first  and  twelfth  verses  of  the  first 
chapter;  it  has  been  admitted  into  the  Jewish 
canon  as  his  production,  which  would  not  have 
been  the  case,  unless  undeniable  grounds  had 
existed  for  ascribing  it  to  him ;  and  it  has  been 
handed  down  as  his  by  a  regular  tradition,  as 
appears  from  the  consent  of  manuscripts  and  ver- 
sions, and  from  the  concurrent  voice  of  antiquity. 
It  would,  therefore,  be  injudicious,  it  would  be 
dangerous,  it  would  be  irreligious  to  desert  this 
combined  testimony  for  bold  assertion  and 
ingenious  conjecture. 

To  disregard  or  reject  such  a  body  of  evidence 
would  be  attended  with  consequences  the  most 
detrimental  to  the  interests  of  revealed  religion. 
Were  any  book  enrolled  among  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures as  sacred,  while  it  was  only  a  mere  human 
production,  and  ascribed  to  an  author  by  whom 
it  was  not  written,  how  could  this  be  reconcile- 
able  with  the  infallibilitv  of  the   word   of  God, 

E 


XXVi  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  I. 

with  the  existence  of  divine  inspiration,  with  the 
spirit  of  prophecy,  which  continued  among  the 
Jews  till  the  completion  of  their  canon  ?  Such 
a  circumstance  is  so  inconsistent  with  the  idea  of 
a  divine  communication,  and  with  the  design  of 
selecting  the  Hebrews  to  be  the  depositories  of 
the  Oracles  of  God,  that,  were  it  indubitably 
proved,  the  whole  superstructure  of  revelation 
would  totter  to  its  fall.  The  authority  of  the 
canon  would  be  much  diminished,  were  it  to  carry 
upon  its  very  front  a  palpable  mistake ;  the  con- 
viction of  one  error  might  reasonably  excite  a  sus- 
picion of  the  existence  of  many  others  ;  and  that 
collection  of  writings  which  must  be  weeded  and 
curtailed,  before  its  universal  canonicity  can  be 
allowed,  would  be  entitled  to  little  reverence  or 
respect. 

There  is  gone  abroad,  at  the  present  day,  and 
particularly  in  modern  Germany,  a  spirit  of  rash, 
presumptuous  literature,  which  tends,  in  its  daring 
progress,  to  overthrow  every  thing  holy  and  vener- 
able. It  presumes  to  penetrate  the  veil  which 
separates  the  sanctuary  of  heaven  from  mortal 
vision,  and  subjects  to  its  polluted  touch  the 
hallowed  realities  of  our  religion.  Truths  hitherto 
deemed  sacred,  opinions  consecrated  by  time  and 
universal  reception,  and  doctrines  revered  as  the 
essence  of  celestial  revelation,  are  proudly  trampled 
upon  in  the  desolation  of  its  march.     Yet  our 


SECT.  I.]  DISSERTATION.  XXVU 

age  has  many  redeeming  virtues,  which  forbid  us 
to  look  at  the  state  of  religion  with  a  desponding 
eye.  If  the  pride  of  unchastised  literature  has 
borne  an  extensive  sway,  orthodoxy  has  to  boast 
of  champions  never  excelled  for  intellectual  ability 
and  profundity  of  erudition.  Their  efforts  have 
been  noble,  their  success  incalculable,  so  that  we 
may  anticipate  the  period  when  philosophy  shall 
be  no  longer  exalted  into  the  throne  of  revealed 
religion,  and  when  its  meteorous  rays  shall  be 
extinguished  by  the  effulgence  of  Scripture  truth. 
And,  to  hasten  this  happy  event,  let  all  who  are 
called  to  minister  the  word,  study  the  sacred 
writings  with  pious  and  reverent  attention, 
devoutly  praying  for  that  illumination  from  above, 
without  which,  learning  becomes  inert,  and  all 
human  efforts  are  ineffectual. 

As  ancient  institutions  are  not  only  venerable 
for  their  antiquity,  but  are  commonly  suited  to 
the  character  and  circumstances  of  the  people 
among  whom  they  exist ;  so  opinions  which  have 
been  generally  received,  for  a  series  of  ages,  are, 
for  the  most  part,  founded  in  eternal  and  immut- 
able truth.  It  is  but  little  consistent  with  wis- 
dom to  indulge  a  reforming  spirit,  in  regard  to 
ancient  establishments,  except  the  necessity  be 
urgent  and  the  improvement  evident ;  it  is  equally 
remote   from    sound   judgment    to   reject    long 


XXViii  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  II. 

prevailing  opinions  without  the  most  substantial 
reasons ;  and  as,  in  the  present  instance,  no  valid 
arguments  have  been  produced  to  the  contrary, 
we  may,  without  hesitation,  concur  in  the  almost 
universal  belief  that  Solomon  was  the  author  of 
the  Ecclesiastes. 


SECTION  11. 

Canonical  Authority  of  the  Ecclesiastes. 

It  is  related,  that  the  Rabbins  had  once  a 
design  to  degrade  the  book  of  Ecclesiastes,  as 
well  as  the  Proverbs  and  Canticles,  into  the  num- 
ber of  apocryphal  writings,  on  account  of  some 
contradictions  and  immoral  sentiments  which, 
they  imagined,  it  contained ;  but,  upon  more  ma- 
ture consideration,  they  admitted  it  as  canonical 
Scripture.*     Even  some   Christian  divines   and 


*  Maimonides,  More  Nevoch.  par.  ii.  cap.  28.  Wolf,  Biblioth.  Heh. 
vol.  ii.  p.  122.  Carpzov,  Introduct.  ad  Lib.  Bibl.  par.  ii.  cap.  5,  <^  7.  The 
word  used  by  the  Rabbins  is  TJJ,  abscondere,  aTroKpvTTTEVy  to  place  among 
the  apocryphal  books,  to  declare  apocryphal ;  but  Bishop  Marsh,  in  a  note 
to  Michaelis's  Introduction  to  the  N.  T.  cap.  iii.  §  1,  affirms,  that  UJ  does 
not  mean  "  apocryphal,  as  we  understand  the  word,  for  the  ancient  Jews 
never  doubted  the  divine  authority  of  the  Proverbs,  Solomon's  Song,  or 
Ecclesiastes;"  and  that  "  it  was  applied  to  books  divinely  inspired,  and 
included  in  the  sacred  canon."  The  word  11^,  it  is  true,  does  sometimes 
denote  those  parts  of  the  canonical  Scriptures  which  were  only  forbidden 
to  be  read ;  (Castel,  Lex.  Hept.  in  voc. ;)  but  the  reason  given  for  the  Jews 
wishing  Uy?  to  conceal  or  lay  aside  the  Ecclesiastes,  namely,  that  it 


SECT.  II.]  DISSERTATION.  Xxix 

critics  have  doubted  or  denied  its  divine  authority. 
Its  canonicity,  hov^^ever,  rests  upon  unimpeach- 
able grounds.  Solomon  had  twice  witnessed  the 
especial  presence  of  God;  (1  Kings  iii.  5,  ix.  1, 
xi.  11 ;)  he  was  endowed  by  the  Most  High  with 
inspired  wisdom  to  govern  the  people  over  whom 
he  reigned;  (1  Kings  iii.  5 — 14,  iv.  29;)  he  was 
furnished  with  all  outward  means  for  the  success- 
ful prosecution  of  his  natural  and  moral  inquiries  ; 
(2  Chron.  ix.  22 ;)  he  was  educated  from  his  ten- 
der years  by  his  pious  father  and  the  prophet 
Nathan ;  (Prov.  iv.  3,  4 ;  2  Sam.  xii.  25 ;  1  Kings 
i.  11 ;)  and  was  likewise  himself  gifted  with  the 
prophetical  spirit;  (1  Kings  iii.  5,  et  seq.  vi.  11, 
12,  ix.  1,  et.  seq.  xi.  9 — 11 ;)  and  can  it  be  sup- 
posed, that  the  illumination  of  the  Spirit  forsook 
him  in  the  composition  of  a  work  destined  to  be 
enrolled  among  the  Oracles  of  God,  and  intended 
to  afford  religious  instruction  to  every  succeeding 
age  ? 

That  the  divine  authors  of  the  New  Testament 
have  not  given  it  their  infallible  sanction  by  direct 
appeals  to  it,  as  an  inspired  writing,  must  be 
acknowledged ;  and  though,  perhaps,  no  instance 
can  be  produced  where  they  have  indisputably 
alluded  to  it,  there  are,  nevertheless,   passages 


contained  contradictions  and  immoralities,  seems  to  imply  rejection  from 
the  canon.  The  observations  in  my  Translation  of  Proverbs,  Prel,  Diss, 
p.  xxviii.  are  applicable  to  this  question. 


XXX  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  II. 

where  they  seem  to  have  had  it  in  view.*  It  was 
inserted,  however,  in  that  canon  which  received 
the  approval  and  ratification  of  our  blessed  Lord, 
(Luke  xxiv.  44,)  a  circumstance  completely  estab- 
lishing its  canonical  authority ;  and  formed  a  part 
of  that  Scripture  which,  St.  Paul  affirms,  was 
**  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and  is  profitable  for 
doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  instruction 
in  righteousness."  (2  Tim.  iii.  16.)  This  testimony 
is  completely  decisive ;  nor  will  it  make  any  dif- 
ference in  the  Apostle's  assertion,  if  the  passage 
be  rendered,  agreeably  to  the  opinion  of  several 
critics,  ''AH  inspired  Scripture  is  profitable,"  &c.; 
for  in  these  expressions  he  must  be  understood  to 
speak  of  the  Jewish  canonical  Scriptures,  the 
whole  of  which  are  thus  pronounced  to  be  in- 
spired. But  the  correctness  of  the  authorized 
version,  "  All  Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of 
God,"  may  be  abundantly  vindicated ;  and  thus 
we  have  apostolic  and  infallible  evidence  to  the 
divine  inspiration  of  the  whole  Old  Testament. f 

♦  The  following  table  of  references  is  given  by  Carpzov,  Introduct. 
ut  supra : 


Eccles.xi.6,  with  John  iii.  8. 

v.],xii.l4,Matt.  xii.  36. 
i.  2,  8,  Rom.  viii.  20. 
X.  20,  Rom.  xiii.  2. 

xi.  1, 2,      2  Cor.  ix.  9, 10. 
V.  14,  1  Tim.  vi.  7. 

xii.  11,        Matt,  xxiii.  34. 
John  X.  11,  14. 


Eccles.  vii.  16,  with  Matt.  vi.  34. 

xii.  14,       Rom.  ii.6,etseq. 
xi.  9,  lCor.iv.5,2Cor. 

V.  10. 
vii.  17,       Rom.  xii.  3. 
vii.  4,         2  Cor.  vii.  10, 11. 
xii.  13,       1  Tim.  i.  5. 
vii.  21,       1  Johni.  8. 


t  See  Dr.  Findlay,  Divine  Inspiration  of  the  Old  Testament  asserted  by 
St.  Paul,  2  Tim.  iii.  16.  Dr.  Blomfield,  Diss,  on  the  Traditional  Know- 
ledge of  a  Redeemer,  \).  124.  Bishop  Middleton's  Doctrine  of  the  Greek 
Article,  p.  566. 


SECT.  III.]  DISSERTATION.  XXXi 


SECTION  III. 

Of  the  Title  Koheleth. 

The  Hebrew  title  assumed  by  the  author  of 
the  book  is  nVnp,  Koheleth,  respecting  the  mean- 
ing of  which  various  opinions  have  prevailed 
among  the  learned.  Lud.  de  Dieu  explains  it 
by  the  assistance  of  the  Syriac  kuhcdtho,  which 
signifies  exclamation;  and  he  thus  makes  the  in- 
scription of  the  book  to  denote,  "  the  words  of 
the  voice  of  one  exclaiming,"  comparing  it  with 
the  title  assumed  by  John  the  Baptist  (John  i.  23.) 
But,  were  this  interpretation  of  the  Syriac  word 
correct,  which  is,  perhaps,  doubtful,  it  would  not 
confirm  the  notion  of  de  Dieu,  as  the  Hebrew 
root  Vnp,  kahaly  nowhere  conveys  a  meaning 
analogous  to  the  Syriac  kuhaltho, 

Grotius  renders  Koheleth  by  **  collector, " 
ovvaQpoiarriQ,  which,  he  supposcs,  was  intended  to 
denote,  that  the  various  opinions  concerning 
happiness  of  such  as  have  been  reputed  wise  are 
collected  together  in  this  book ;  an  interpretation 
completely  indefensible,  since  the  root  kahal 
never  signifies  to  collect  things,  but  to  assemble 
men  together  for  sacred,  civil,  or  military  purposes. 


XXxii  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  III. 

Nor  is  it  true,  that  the  dogmata  of  divers  wise  men 
are  collected  and  delivered  in  the  work,  as  the 
same  argument  is  pursued  throughout,  and  the 
several  parts  contribute  to  one  and  the  same 
object. 

Some,  preserving  the  radical  idea  of  the  term, 
understand  it  passively,  namely,  one  re-united  or 
gathered  to  the  people  of  God,  thereby  signifying 
Solomon's  readmission  to  the  church,  and  recon- 
ciliation with  it,  in  consequence  of  his  repentance.* 
This,  however,  though  according  with  the  mean- 
ing of  the  root,  is  inadmissable,  inasmuch  as 
Koheleth,  agreeably  to  its  grammatical  form, 
cannot  be  taken  in  a  passive  sense.  For  this 
reason,  namely,  the  active  form  of  the  word,  we 
must  reject  the  opinion  of  certain  Rabbins,  who 
affirm  that  Solomon  is  denominated  Koheleth^ 
on  account  of  the  wisdom  which  was  so  abund- 
antly collected  or  accumulated  in  him,  not  by  his 
own  talents  and  assiduity,  but  by  the  divine 
blessing.t 

-  :D.  Jo.  Hen.  Michaelis  maintains,  that  Solomon 
assumed  the  title  Koheleth,  because  he  wrote  the 
book  for  the  purpose  of  recalling  erring  mortals 
from  vain  and  unsatisfactory  pursuits  to  a  sacred 


*  Cocceius,  Comm.  in  loc.  and  Lex.  Heb.  in  voc.    Cartwright,  in  Eccles. 
Bishop  Reynolds,  Comm.  on  Eccles.  i.  1.     Leigh,  Critica  Sacra,  in  voc, 
t  Carpzov,  Introduct.  at  Lib.  Bibl.  par.  ii.  cap.  5,  §  1. 


SECT.  III.]  DISSERTATION.  XXxiu 

reverence  of  God.*  This  explanation  nearly 
agrees  with  that  formerly  proposed  by  the  pro- 
foundly-learned Lightfoot,  who  says,  *' After  his 
great  fall,  Solomon  recovereth  again  by  repent- 
ance, and  writeth  this  book  of  Ecclesiastes,  as 
his  peculiar  dirge  for  that  his  folly.  He  calleth 
himself  in  it  Koheleth,  or  the  Gathering-soul ^ 
either  recollecting  itself,  or  hy  admonition  gather- 
ing others  that  go  astray  after  vanity,  "f  In  a 
similar  manner  the  title  is  explained  by  Findlay, 
who  considers  it  well  accommodated  to  Solomon 
in  this  work,  *'  where  his  aim  is  to  unite  wander- 
ing souls  from  the  pursuit  of  vanities  to  the  pro- 
secution of  the  supreme  good,  and  where  he,  as 
it  were,  calls  a  multitude  together,  to  hear  and 
learn  from  him  the  path  to  true  felicity."!  This 
gives  a  pleasing  representation  of  the  title,  but  is 
rather  fanciful  than  just,  as  no  authority  is  pro- 
duced for  attributing  either  to  kahal,  or  its  de- 
rivatives, the  sense  of  reclaiming  from  sin,  and 
conducting  to  a  new  and  holy  life. 

The  title  Koheleth  is  considered  by  Desvoeux 
as  equivalent  to  Sophist,  according  to  its  primitive 

*  "  Ceterum  ideo  hoc  nomen  sumsisse  videtiir,  quia  homines  vagabun- 
dos  ad  Deuni  rursns  ejusque  timoiem  congregaturus  totnm  librum  con- 
scripsit,  insignis  hac  in  parte  Jesu  Christi  typus." — Michaelis,  Nota; 
Uberiores  in  Hagiographos  V.  T.  Libros,  3  vols.  4to,  Halae.  1720,  Pref. 
§  1.  In  the  portion  of  this  work  relating  to  Ecclesiastes,  Michaelis  was 
only  author  of  the  Preface,  the  Notce  being  written  by  Rambachius  ;  but 
I  always  cite  them  in  this  work  thus,  *'  Michaelis,  Not,  Uber." 

t  Lightfoot,  Workfy  vol.  i.  p.  76. 

i  Findlay,  Vindication  of  the  Sacred  Books,  p.  472. 
F 


XXxiv  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  III. 

signification;  but  as  the  term  Sophist,  from 
being  originally  an  honourable  denomination, 
became  at  length  an  appellation  of  reproach,  he 
prefers  rendering  it  by  the  word  "  Orator,"  as 
the  nearest  in  signification  to  the  original  meaning 
of  Sophist.*  The  conjecture,  though  certainly 
ingenious,  is  altogether  unsupported  by  scriptural 
evidence. 

Schultens,  Schroeder,  and  Storr,  having  re- 
course to  their  favourite  Arabic,  consider  Koheleth 
as  properly  signifying  repentance,  and  as  used,  by 
a  metonymy,  for  a  penitent  person;!  an  inter- 
pretation accurately  descriptive  of  the  state,  cha- 
racter, and  circumstances  of  Solomon,  when  he 
wrote  the  book ;  but  as  the  root  kahal,  though  of 
frequent  occurrence,  never  has  any  relation  to 
penitence,  this  explanation  of  the  derivative 
Koheleth  cannot  be  admitted. 

Simonis,    appealing  to  the   Arabic   language, 
conjectures  thdit  Koheleth  means  an  old  man,  senex. 


♦  Desvoeux,  Philosophical  and  Critical  Essay  on  Eccles.  Obs.  lib.  ii, 
cap.  8,  §  2—7. 

t  Schultens,  Diss,  de  Utilitate  Dialect.  Orient. ip.  6.  Schroeder,  Instit. 
Ling.  Heb.  Syntax,  xxii.  Storr,  Observat.  ad  Anal,  et  Syntax.  Heb.  p.  368, 
Compare  Cocceii  Lex.  Heb.  ed.  Schulz,  in  voc.  The  Arabic  word  ap- 
pealed to  is  ^45  exaruit  cutis.  Another  exposition  is  mentioned  by 
J.  H.  van  der  Palm,  {Diss,  de  Lib.  Eccles.  p.  48,)  "  quani  dedit  Scheidius, 
cujusque  mcntio  fit  a  cl.  Bonnet  ;  scil.  secundum  banc  Dbvip  marcidum 
et  velnti  exsiccntum  significat,  qui  omnia  fastidat  atque  aversatur."  I  have 
not  seen  the  authors  here  cited  by  van  der  Palm. 


SECT.  III.]  DISSERTATION.  XXXV 

Solomon  having  written  the  book  of  Ecclesiastes 
in  his  old  age ;  and  that  he  takes  to  himself  this 
name,  vv^ith  a  feminine  termination,  to  insinuate 
the  debilitated  state  of  his  mind,  when  he  suffered 
himself  to  be  drawn  into  idolatry  by  his  wives.* 
An  explanation  so  completely  foreign  from  the 
undoubted  signification  of  the  root  cannot  de- 
serve a  refutation. 

The  learned  Professor  Doederlein  understands 
the  term  as  denoting  an  academy  of  wise  men,  in 
which  Solomon,  probably,  often  discoursed;  and 
hence  the  book  may  be  so  called  by  reason  of  its 
containing  orations  delivered  in  this  academy. 
Learned  and  philosophical  assemblies,  we  know, 
have  been  frequent  among  the  Orientals,  and  it 
is  more  than  probable,  that  something  of  this 
kind  existed  at  the  court  of  Solomon;  for  if 
Eastern  monarchs,  as  far  as  history  carries  us 
back,  have  always  encouraged  societies  for  literary 
discussion,  we  must  suppose,  that  such  would 
be  patronised  by  a  king  who  excelled  all  the 
wisdom  of  Egypt  and  of  the  East.  When  it  is 
also  considered,  that  the  noun  hr\^  kahal  means 
an   assembly  or  congregation,  and  that   several 

♦  Simouis,  Lex.  Heb.  p.  1409,  ed.  Eichhom.    Though  the  Arabic 

words  i>4^^  ^^^  \^^  ^^  which  he  appeals,  possess  the  signification  of 
advanced  age^  as  may  be  seen  in  Castell,  Lex.  Hept.  p.  1689,  3310,  and 
Golius,  Lex.  Arab,  p.  1859,  2075;  yet  riTHp  cannot  be  referred  to  them, 
as  they  are  roots  of  different  radical  letters.  It  is  singular,  that  Simonis 
doei  not  take  notice  of  Koheleth  in  his  valuable  Onomasticon. 


XXXvi  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  Ill- 

parts  of  the  book  well  comport  with  this  inter- 
pretation, it  must  be  acknowledged  to  have  some 
semblance  of  truth.  Yet,  upon  a  nearer  inspec- 
tion, we  shall  be  compelled  to  renounce  it,  since 
some  passages  cannot  be  made  to  agree  with  this 
hypothesis,  as  the  initiatory  expressions,  '*  The 
words  of  the  Preacher,  the  son  of  David,  king  in 
Jerusalem,"  and,  '*  I,  the  Preacher,  am  king  over 
Israel,  in  Jerusalem,"  which  cannot  denote  the 
academy  of  Solomon,  but  plainly  designate  that 
royal  personage  himself.*  Nor  does  the  title 
Koheleth  properly  belong  to  the  treatise  itself,  as 
this  interpretation  supposes.  Though  the  great 
reformer,  Martin  Luther,  in  the  Preface  to  his 
Commentary  on  the  Ecclesiastes,  asserts  that  it 
is  rather  to  be  referred  to  the  name  of  the  book 
than  of  the  author,  it  must  be  evident,  upon  an 
examination  of  the  places  where  it  occurs,  that 
it  is  a  personal  designation  applied  to  the  author 
of  the  book;  and  this  is  an  insuperable  objection 
to  the  opinion  advanced  by  Doederlein. 

Another  interpretation  has  been  brought  for- 
ward by  Sir  John  David  Michaelis,  an  author 
of  vast  erudition  and  undoubted  genius,  but 
whose  learning  often  bewildered  his  judgment, 
and  whose  genius  frequently  blazed  with  wild 
eccentricity.     He  takes  Kolieleth  to  denote,  him 

*  See  Schiilz  et  Bduei,  Prokgom,  in  Eccks.  §  1. 


SECT.  III.]  DISSERTATION.  XXXVii 

who  presides  over  the  assembly  or  academy  of 
philosophers,  the  president  and  teacher.*  Schools 
or  colleges,  it  is  undeniable,  existed  among 
the  Jews  in  later  ages  ^f  but  that  fixed  and  en- 
dowed seminaries  were  established  in  the  time 
of  Solomon,  or,  indeed,  previous  to  the  Baby- 
lonian captivity,  is  a  conjecture  for  which  there 
is  no  foundation  in  the  sacred  wri tings. |  Aca- 
demies, with  a  president  and  teachers,  are  in- 
stitutions not  adapted  to  the  simplicity  of  pri- 
mitive times ;  and  if  they  had  existed  at  the 
period  alluded  to,  some  intimation  would,  pro- 
bably, have  been  given  of  them  in  the  circum- 
stantial history  of  the  Hebrew  monarchs.  As  to 
the  Schools  of  the  Prophets,  we  are  but  little 
acquainted  with  their  nature ;  yet,  from  the  few 
hints  given  of  them  in  Scripture,  they  do  not 
appear  to  have  been  regular  and  endowed  se- 
minaries.§  But,  whatever  might  be  the  nature 
of  these  institutions,  we  find  not  the  least  hint  of 
Solomon's  having  been  the  president  of  such  a 
school ;  and  some  circumstances  respecting  the 
author,  particularly  ch.  i.  1,  12,  and  ch.  ii.  4 — 10, 

*  "  Caeterum  eum  denotat,  qui  coetui  sen  acadeniiae  philosophorum 
praesit,  praesidem  ejus  et  doctorem." — Michaelis,  Supplem.  ad  Lex,  Heb.  in 

t  See  Ikenius,  Antiq.  Heb.  par.  i.  cap.  5 ;  Buxtorf,  Synag.  Judaica, 
cap.  X. ;  Jennings,  Jewish  Antiquities,  lib.  ii.  cap.  2. 

X  Campbell,  Translation  of  the  Gospels,  Prel.  Diss.  vii.  part  2,  §  2. 

§  An  excellent  account  of  the  Schools  of  the  Prophets  is  given  by 
Stillingfleet,  Origines  Sacred,  lib.  ii.  cap.  4.  See  also  Vitringa,  De  Synag. 
Vet.  par.  ii.  cap.  6;  Warburton,  Die.  Legal,  lib.  iv.  ^  6 ;  and  the  authors 
referred  to  in  the  two  former  notes. 


XXXviii  PRELIMINARY  [sECT.  Ill 

are  inconsistent  with  the  character  and  office  of 
a  superintendent  of  an  academy. 

Though  the  explanation  of  the  title  by  Michaelis, 
in  the  precise  form  in  which  he  has  stated  it, 
must,  for  these  reasons,  be  rejected,  I  am  per- 
suaded that  it  is  not  very  far  from  the  truth  ;  for 
I  accede  to  the  opinion  of  those  who  derive  it 
from  the  verb  hnp,  kahalj  to  assemble  together,  and 
who  suppose  that  vSolomon  adopted  this  appel- 
lation from  his  custom  of  assembling  the  principal 
persons  among  the  people,  and  communicating 
to  them  the  wisdom  of  his  divinely-illuminated 
mind.  According  to  this  view  of  the  term 
Kohelethj  it  means  one  who  convenes  the  people 
together,  and  imparts  to  them  the  lessons  of  wis- 
dom and  virtue.  Of  all  the  interpretations  of 
the  word  with  which  I  am  acquainted,  this  is  by 
much  the  best  supported.  It  results,  in  a  natural 
and  unforced  manner,  from  the  acknowledged 
meaning  of  the  root  of  which  it  is  a  derivative ; 
and  is  confirmed  by  the  LXX,  who  have  trans- 
lated it  by  the  word  £KK\r}(na(TrvQf  immediately  de- 
rived from  €»c»c\r/<rm(<u,  denoting  to  call  an  assembly , 
and  to  preach,  or  harangue,^  In  this  they  were 
followed  by  the  author  of  the  Latin  Vulgate,  from 
whence  it  was  adopted  by  our  translators  as  the 

•  See  Suicer,  Thesaurus,  vol.  i.  p.  1060,  and  Scapula,  Lex.  in  voc.  It 
is  observed  by  Bishop  Patric,  in  his  Preface  to  Ecclesiastes,  that  Koheleth, 
in  the  j^Lthiopic  language,  according  to  Ludolph,  signifies  "  a  circle,  or 
a  company  of  men  gathered  together  in  the  form  of  a  circle," 


SECT.  III.]  DISSERTATION.  XXxix 

title  of  the  book,  while  in  other  places,  where 
Koheleth  occurs,  they  render  it  by  the  word 
**  Preacher."  The  terms  **  gatherer"  or  "  as- 
sembler," adopted  by  Parkhurst,  may  indeed 
seem  more  agreeable  to  etymology ;  but  they  do 
not  so  well  convey  the  notion  of  communicating 
instruction,  which  is  included  in  the  appel- 
lation Koheleth;  ai^d,  upon  the  whole,  though 
'*  Preacher"  does  not  quite  express  the  full  force 
of  the  original,  the  English  language  does  not, 
I  think,  afford  a  more  appropriate  word. 

This  interpretation,  it  is  true,  depends  upon 
the  supposition,  that  Solomon  was  accustomed 
to  assemble  and  instruct  the  people;  and  that 
such  was  his  practice  may  be  gathered,  not  only 
from  the  import  of  the  term,  according  to  its 
Hebraical  derivation,  but  likewise  from  several 
other  considerations.  The  Orientals,  in  later 
ages,  have  always  been  fond  of  meeting  together 
in  companies,  to  entertain  themselves  with  hearing 
and  reciting  compositions  in  prose  and  verse. 
In  these  assemblies  they  were  sometimes  edified 
by  the  delivery  of  grave  discourses,  on  subjects 
of  a  moral  and  philosophical  nature;  though 
they  were  more  frequently  amused  with  the  re- 
cital of  tales  and  romantic  stories,  or  listened, 
with  Asiatic  rapture,  to  the  effusions  of  poetic 
imagination.  Several  productions,  delivered,  or 
supposed  to  be  delivered,  in  such  assemblies,  are 


Xl  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  III. 

still  extant,  of  which  we  have  examples  in  the 
Macametj  or  Academical  Discourses,  of  Hamadani 
and  Hariri.*  The  Arabian  tribes  had  anciently, 
once  a  year,  at  Ocadh,  a  general  assembly,  which 
lasted  a  whole  month,  during  which  time  they 
were  employed,  together  with  subjects  of  traffic, 
in  reciting  poetical  comj30sitions,  to  the  most 
excellent  of  which  a  prize  was  adjudged. f  A 
passion  for  these  recreations,  so  worthy  rational 
beings,  pervaded  all  classes ;  even  persons  of  the 
most  elevated  rank  honoured  these  assemblies 
with  their  presence  ;J  and  they  continue,  to  this 
day,  to  afford  amusement  and  instruction  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  East.§  This,  it  must  be  ac- 
knowledged, is  no  absolute  proof  of  similar  as- 
semblies in  the  age  of  Solomon;  but  it  forms  a 
strong  presumption  in  their  favour,  and  serves  to 
show,  that  a  prince's  convening  and  teaching 
the  people  comports  with  Oriental  manners  and 
customs. 

•  See  D'Herbelot,  Bibliotheque  Orientale,  in  voc.  "  Macamat,"  says 
this  great  Orientalist,  denotes  "  assemblees  et  conversations,  lieux 
communs  et  pieces  d'eloquence,  ou  discours  academiques,  qui  se  recitent 
dans  les  compagnies  de  gens  de  lettres.  Cette  maniere  de  reciter  dans 
les  assemblees  des  ouvrages  en  prose  et  en  vers  est  aussi  frequente  parniy 
Orientaux,  qu'elle  etoit  autrefois  chez  les  Romans,  et  qu'elle  est  encore 
aujourd'huy  dans  nos  academies.  Les  Arabs  ont  plusieurs  livres  qui 
contiennent  de  ces  sortes  de  discours,  qui  passent  parmy  eux  pour  des 
chef-d'ceuvres  d'eloquence." — Biblioth.  Orientale,  voc.  Macamat.  See 
Abnlfeda,  Annul.  Moslem,  vol.  iii.  p.  728. 

t  Pococke,  Specimen  Hist.  Arab.  p.  164,  Oxon.  1806.  Sale,  PreL 
Diss,  to  Koran  J  p.  36,  Lond.  1812. 

X  D'Herbelot,  Bibliotheque  Orientale,  voc.  Amak. 

§  Niebuhr,  Travels,  sect.  iv.  cap.  6,  and  sect,  xxvii.  cap.  S. 


SECT.  III.]  DISSERTATION.  xli 

The  sacred  writings,  however,  supply  some  par- 
ticulars, from  which  it  is  reasonable  to  infer,  that, 
even  so  early  as  the  time  of  Solomon,  auditories 
were  occasionally  collected,  in  which  moral  and 
literary  discourses  were  pronounced.  The  author 
of  the  Ecclesiastes  has  been  supposed  to  allude 
to  these  assemblies  in  ch.  xii.  11,  which  is  thus 
interpreted :  "The  words  of  the  wise  are  as  goads, 
and  as  nails  fastened  by  the  masters  of 
ASSEMBLIES,  wliich  are  given  from  one  shepherd." 
The  original  words  msiDt^  'Vjri  baali  asuphoth,  Mr. 
Harmer  thinks,  strictly  signify  Zor^5  of  assemblies, 
by  which  he  understands,  persons  who  distin- 
guished themselves  by  the  superiority  of  their 
compositions  in  those  assemblies  so  frequent; 
among  the  Orientals,  in  which  literary  produc- 
tions were  recited.*  But,  even  admitting  the  cor- 
rectness of  this  rendering,  and  it  is  not  destitute 
of  support,  as  observed  in  the  critical  notes  upon 
the  passage,  it  will  scarcely  establish  his  interpre- 
tation; for  ''the  masters,  or  lords  of  assemblies" 
may  rather  denote  those  who  were  appointed  to 
preside  over  and  instruct  the  congregations  of 
Israel.  Independent  of  this,  it  is  equally  agree- 
able to  the  literal  meaning  of  the  phrase  to  render 
it  *' lords,  or  masters  of  collections,"  a  Hebraism 
for  ''collectors;"  by  which  expression  the  author 
might  intend  to  designate  those  eminent  persons 

*  Haniicr,  ObservationSy  Sec.  vol,  iii.  p.  215,  ed.  Clarke. 
G 


Xlii  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.   III. 

who  collected  and  disposed  in  order  the  sayings 
of  men  divinely  inspired,  as  the  men  of  Hezekiah 
mentioned  in  Pro  v.  xxv.  1 ;  and  this  exposition  is 
adopted  in  the  following  paraphrase. 

Granting,  however,  that  the  passage  above- 
cited  does  not  make  for  our  present  purpose, 
another,  in  the  same  chapter  of  the  Ecclesiastes, 
may  be  appealed  to  with  more  confidence,  wherein 
Solomon  informs  us,  that  "because  the  Preacher 
was  wise  he  still  taught  the  people  knowledge ; 
yea,  he  gave  good  heed,  and  sought  out,  and  set 
in  order,  many  proverbs." — (Ch.  xii.  9.)  Here 
Solomon's  teaching  the  people  knowledge  is  con- 
tradistinguished to  his  composing  or  writing  pro- 
verbs :  this  teaching,  then,  must  have  been  a  viva 
voce  instruction,  which  could  only  be  imparted 
to  auditories  collected  for  the  purpose  of  hearing 
him  discourse  upon  topics  proper  for  edification. 

We  are  informed  by  the  sacred  historian,  that 
"  there  came  of  all  people  to  hear  the  wisdom  of 
Solomon,  from  all  kings  of  the  earth,  which  had 
heard  of  his  wisdom;"  (1  Kings  iv.  34;)  that  is, 
very  many  inhabitants  of  the  surrounding  states 
came  of  their  own  accord,  and  others  were  com- 
missioned by  foreign  princes,  to  hear  and  profit 
by  the  wisdom  of  the  Jewish  monarch.  In  1  Kings 
X.  24,  it  is  said,  that  **  all  the  earth  sought  to 
Solomon,  to  hear  his  wisdom,  which  God  had 


SECT.   III.]  DISSERTATION.  xliii 

put  in  his  heart ;"  and,  in  2  Chron,  ix,  23,  it  is 
stated,  that  "  all  kings  of  the  earth  sought  the 
presence  of  Solomon,  to  hear  his  wisdom  that  God 
had  put  in  his  heart;"  from  which,  compared 
with  the  passage  first  quoted  from  1  Kings,  we 
learn,  that  the  sovereigns  of  the  adjoining  coun- 
tries sometimes  came  personally,  and  sometimes 
by  deputy,  to  ascertain,  from  Solomon's  own  lips, 
the  reality  of  his  far-renowned  wisdom,  and  to 
profit  by  the  counsels  of  a  monarch  so  celebrated 
for  understanding  and  knowledge.  Now  it  is 
barely  possible,  that  all  these  might  hear  his 
wisdom  in  private  interviews ;  but  it  is  much 
more  probable,  that  they  were  collected  into  as- 
semblies, in  commodious  rooms,  where  the  royal 
sage  delivered  to  them  the  maxims  and  admo- 
nitions of  his  enlightened  mind. 

If  such  was  the  monarch's  practice,  we  may 
account  rationally  for  the  "  very  great  company" 
who  attended  the  queen  of  Sheba  when  she 
visited  Solomon,  ''  to  prove  him  with  hard 
questions." — (1  Kings  x.  2;  2  Chron.  ix.  1.)  They 
were,  doubtless,  not  merely  intended  for  state 
and  pomp,  but  to  be  present  at  the  interview  of 
these  exalted  personages,  and  to  witness  **  the 
keen  encounter  of  their  wits."  The  Jewish 
monarch,  also,  would  be  attended  with  his 
officers  and  courtiers,  and  in  this  splendid  divan 
the  king  returned  the  answers   of  experienced 


xliv  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.    III. 

wisdom  to  the  questions  propounded  by  the 
Arabian  queen.  Whatever  were  the  subjects 
discussed  in  this  conference,  or  in  whatever  man- 
ner it  was  conducted,  it  undoubtedly  formed  an 
assembly  expressly  convened  for  literary  dis- 
cussion and  the  exercise  of  intellectual  talent. 
Nor  can  any  other  conclusion  be  drawn  from 
what  the  queen  of  Sheba  says  to  the  king, 
**  Happy  are  thy  men,  happy  are  these  thy  ser- 
vants, which  stand  continually  before  thee,  and 
that  hear  thy  wisdom,"  (1  Kings  x.  8;  2  Chron. 
ix.  7,)  which  implies  that  Solomon  was  sur- 
rounded by  his  servants  and  ministers,  to  whom 
he  was  in  the  habit  of  communicating  the  sug- 
gestions of  inspired  wisdom. 

The  same  inference  may  be  fairly  drawn  from 
the  description  of  Solomon's  understanding  and 
knowledge,  in  the  first  book  of  Kings,  where  it 
is  affirmed,  that  *'  he  spake  three  thousand 
proverbs ;  and  his  songs  were  a  thousand  and  five. 
And  he  spake  of  trees,  from  the  cedar  tree  that 
is  in  Lebanon  even  unto  the  hyssop  that  springeth 
out  of  the  wall:  he  spake  also  of  beasts,  and  of 
fowl,  and  of  creeping  things,  and  of  fishes." — 
(Chapter  iv.  32,  33.)  It  is  not  said,  that  these 
were  ivritten  compositions,  but  that  he  spake 
them ;  and  it  is  most  consistent  with  the  manners 
of  the  age,  as  well  as  with  the  dignity  of  the 
monarch,  to  suppose  them  spoken  in  assemblies 


SECT.  III.]  DISSERTATION.  xlv 

collected  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  him  dis- 
course. These  circumstances,  put  together,  go 
to  prove,  that  this  philosophical  monarch  was 
wont  to  assemble  the  people  and  to  instruct 
them;  which  confirms  the  opinion  that,  in  the 
production  of  his  declining  years,  he  assumed 
the  appellation  Koheleth,  as  bemg  expressive  of 
this  custom. 

Such  appears  to  be  the  true  explication  of  the 
title;  but,  however  it  may  be  explained,  another 
question,  of  no  small  difficulty,  arises  respecting 
the  feminine  form  of  the  term.  Solomon  un- 
doubtedly styles  himself  Koheleth,  which,  not- 
withstanding what  has  been  advanced  to  the 
contrary,  is  evidently  in  the  form  of  the  feminine 
participle  Benoni ;  how,  then,  are  we  to  account 
for  this  circumstance?  In  reference  to  this 
question  it  has  been  asserted,  that  it  is  in  reality 
masculine,  though  the  termination  may  seem  to 
imply  the  contrary,  it  not  being  unusual  for 
proper  names  to  have  a  feminine  termination, 
and  yet  be  of  an  opposite  gender,  as  Lapidoth, 
Mephibosheth,  Zoheth,  Benzoheth,  Alamath, 
Mispereth,  and  others.*  It  may  likewise  be 
observed,  that,  out  of  seven  places  where  it 
occurs,  it  is  six  times  construed  with  nouns  or 

•  Judges  iv.  4.  2  Sam.  xxi.  8.  1  Chron.  iv.  20,  vii.  8.  Nehem,  vii.  7. 
Sophereth  and  Pochereth  have  been  adduced  as  instances ;  but  they  are 
more  probably  the  names  of  women. — See  Simonis,  Onomasticon,  p. 
414,  415. 


Xlvi  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  III. 

verbs  masculine,  while  it  is  only  once  joined  with 
a  feminine  verb,  and  even  this  single  instance 
may  admit  of  some  doubt.*  Yet,  supposing 
Koheleth  to  be  masculine,  it  certainly  has  a 
feminine  form ;  and  the  question  still  recurs,  why 
was  an  appellation  in  a  feminine  form  chosen, 
rather  than  a  noun  unequivocally  masculine  ?  If 
nothing  more  was  implied  in  the  term  than  the 
wise  monarch's  custom  of  convening  and  instruct-, 
ing  the  people,  a  masculine  termination  would 
have  more  aptly  suited  the  office,  and  better  re- 
presented the  dignity  of  the  Preacher.  A  word, 
however,  with  a  feminine  termination  was  se- 
lected ;  and,  since  it  would  be  derogatory  to  the 
authority  of  Holy  Scripture  to  suppose  this  pre- 
ference without  meaning,  particularly  when  the 
admirable  expressiveness  and  picturesque  energy 
of  the  Hebrew  language  are  considered,  we  must 
conclude,  that  there  was  some  further  view  in  its 
adoption.  And  what  could  this  be,  agreeably 
with  all  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  but  an 
intention  to  represent  wisdom,  7\ri:in,  divine  and 
heavenly  wisdom  inspired  by  the  Almighty, 
speaking  by  the  mouth  of  the   king  of  Israel  ? 


*  The  only  place  where  it  is  construed  with  a  feminine  verb  is  chapter 
vii.  27,  where  we  find  ri/np  HIDi^;  but  the  H  in  niOi^  may  be  para- 
gogic,  and  in  that  case  the  verb  will  be  masculine ;  (see  Wolf,  Bihlioth. 
Heb.  vol.  iv,  p.  32  ;)  or  the  true  reading  may  be  r\hTfpT\  IJDfc^,  as  we  find 
in  chapter  xii.  8,  which  is  the  conjecture  of  Michaelis,  (Supplem.  ad  Lex. 
No.  2236,)  and  Jahn  (Introduct.  ad  Lib.  Sac.  ^  209.)  It  is  clearly  joined 
with  masculine  nouns  or  verbs  chapter  i.  1,  2, 12,  xii.  8,  9,  10, 


SECT.  IV.]  DISSERTATION.  xlvii 

This  is  the  judicious  opinion  of  several  eminent 
critics  ;  and  it  not  only  accounts  for  the  feminine 
termination  of  Koheleth,  but  also  for  its  being 
sometimes  construed  with  a  feminine,  (supposing 
the  Masoretic  text  and  punctuation  of  chapter 
vii.  27  to  be  correct,)  and  sometimes  with  a  mas- 
culine word ;  for  nouns  used  metonymically  are 
construed  either  according  to  their  proper  or 
figurative  signification.* 

Thus  we  have  a  satisfactory  explanation,  both 
of  the  meaning  and  form  of  the  appellation ;  its 
etymology  being  designed  to  intimate  the  wise 
monarch's  custom  of  convening  and  teaching  the 
people;  and  its  feminine  form  to  imply,  that  the 
doctrines  which  he  inculcated  were  not  the  result 
of  his  own  reason,  but  the  suggestions  of  divine 
inspiration. 


SECTION  IV. 

The  Scope  and  Design  of  the  Ecclesiastes. 

The  opinions  of  expositors,  in  regard  to  the 
scope  and  design  of  the  book,  are  not  less  diver- 
sified than  concerning  the  origin  and  meaning  of 
the  title.     The  greater  part  of  them,  however,  are 

*  Schioeder,  Instil,  Ling.  Heh.  reg.  22. 


Xlviii  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  IV. 

SO  evidently  fanciful  and  erroneous,  as  scarcely 
to  require  a  serious  refutation,  which  would, 
indeed,  be  at  present  a  superfluous  labour,  as 
most  of  them  have  been  collected  and  discussed 
by  Desvoeux,  in  his  learned  and  ingenious  work 
on  the  Ecclesiastes.  A  scheme  different  from  all 
others  has  been  proposed  by  that  commentator ; 
and  as  it  has  been  lately  sanctioned  by  so  excel- 
lent a  writer  as  Dr.  Graves,  in  his  highly  valuable 
Lectures  on  the  Pentateuch,*  it  demands  a  par- 
ticular examination.  The  object  of  the  royal 
Preacher,  according  to  Desvoeux,  is  **  to  prove 
the  immortality  of  the  soul,  or  rather  the  necessity 
of  another  state  after  this  life,  from  such  argvi- 
ments  as  may  be  afforded  by  reason  and  expe- 
rience."f  Were  this,  however,  the  object  of  the 
Ecclesiastes,  it  is  strange  that  it  should  ever  be 
questioned,  as  it  has  been  by  critics  of  acknow- 
ledged learning  and  abilities,  whether  it  contains 
any  intimation  whatever  of  a  future  period  of 
retribution.  But,  admitting  these  writers  to  be 
mistaken,  and  that  the  work  actually  presents 
some  intimations  of  a  future  state,  as  will  be 
shown  in  a  subsequent  page ;  yet  we  may  clearly 
infer  from  the  observation,  that,  if  the  leading 
object  had  been  to  enforce  that  sublime  doc- 
trine, it  would  not  have  been  left  in  so  much 
darkness  and  obscurity.     It  would  rather  have 


•  Part  iii.  Lect.  4,  ^  2. 

f  Desvoeux,  Diss,  on  the  Ecdes-  p.  79. 


SECT.  IV.]  DISSERTATION.  xlix 

been  clearly  announced  as  the  head  and  front  of 
the  treatise,  exhibited  in  lively  colours,  and  ex- 
posed to  view  in  too  circumstantial  a  manner  to 
be  mistaken.  Of  each  part  of  the  work  it  would 
have  formed  the  prominent  feature  ;  and  it  would 
have  appeared,  as  well  from  the  mode  of  illus- 
tration as  the  tendency  of  the  argument,  to  be 
the  principal  object  of  the  disquisition.  But  the 
doctrine  of  a  future  life,  though  implied  in  a  few 
passages,  is  not  set  in  that  prominent  light,  nor 
so  frequently  mentioned,  nor  so  strongly  insisted 
upon  as  might  be  expected,  had  it  constituted 
the  basis  of  the  discourse.  And,  what  may  be 
regarded  as  decisive  of  the  question  is,  that, 
where  a  future  state  is  mentioned,  it  arises  inci- 
dentally in  the  course  of  the  argument ;  and,  so 
far  from  being  the  groundwork  of  the  reasoning, 
seems  intended  only  to  illustrate  and  confirm  it. 

Independently  of  this,  other  considerations 
evince,  that  the  scope  of  the  book  is  not  to  vindi- 
cate '*  the  necessity  of  another  state  after  this  life." 

It  has  been  proved  by  Bishop  Warburton,  and 
is  acknowledged  by  Dr.  Graves,  that  the  rewards 
and  punishments  of  a  future  life  were  not  incul- 
cated by  the  Jewish  Legislator  as  sanctions  of  his 
laws.  Temporal  sanctions  only  were  employed 
by  Moses,  because  they  were  necessary  to  con- 
fute idolatry,  adapted  to  the  moral  and  intellectual 

H 


1  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  IV. 

character    of    the    Hebrews,    and    suitable    to 
that  superintending  providence  which  God  exer- 
cised over  the  Jewish  people.     A  full  and  express 
revelation  of  the  doctrine  concerning  a  future 
state  would  have  been  inconsistent  with  the  divine 
economy  during  the  continuance  of  the  Theocracy ; 
for  the  rewards  and  punishments  of  another  stage 
of  being,  necessarily  implied   in  that   doctrine, 
would  have  nullified  the  temporal  threats  of  the 
law.      It  would  have  been  a  glaring  absurdity  to 
promulgate  spiritual  and  invisible  sanctions,  during 
the  existence  of  a  dispensation  supported  only  by 
those  of  a  temporal  nature.    Accordingly,  a  future 
state  is  nowhere  in  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  an- 
nounced as  a  fundamental   truth.       Neither  in 
the  Pentateuch,  nor  in  the  prophetical  writings, 
does  it  constitute  the  essence  and  leading  truth 
of  what  is  there  delivered ;    it  is  much  oftener 
glanced  at  than  mentioned  in  direct  terms ;  inci- 
dentally rather  than  as  the  principal  subject ;  it  is 
sometimes   implied  in   the  sacred  narrative,   or 
typically  shadowed  forth,   and  frequei^itly  indi- 
cated by  a  variety  of  allusions  ;  but  in  no  passage 
whatever  is  it  declared  to  be  a  necessary  article 
of  faith.     While  this  grand  doctrine  is  the  foun- 
dation of  Christianity,  pervading  every  part  of  the 
New  Testament,  without  which  Christ  died  in 
vain,  and  our  faith  is  vain,  it  is,  even  in  the  most 
explicit  declarations  of  the  Old  Testament,  in- 
volved in  no  small  degree  of  doubt  and  obscurity ; 


SECT.  IV.]  DISSERTATION.  U 

and  it  was  reserved  for  the  Apostles  of  our  Lord 
to  place  this  great  truth  in  the  full  effulgence  of 
Evangelic  light. 

The  ancient  Jews,  it  is  true,  grounded  their 
belief  of  a  future  state  upon  the  intimations  com- 
municated in  their  Sacred  Writings;  but  that 
this  momentous  doctrine  was,  previous  to  the 
promulgation  of  Christianity,  dark  and  obscure,, 
may  be  gathered  from  the  apostolic  affirmation 
of  Christ  having  '*  brought  life  and  immortality 
to  light  through  the  Gospel."*  This,  however, 
would  not  have  been  the  case,  it  is  presumed, 
had  Solomon  composed  a  work  for  the  express 
purpose  of  proving  that  important  tenet.  Is  it 
likely  that  he  should  have  an  object  in  view,  and 
yet  fail  in  the  attainment  of  it ;  that  he  should 
attempt  to  illustrate  a  subject,  and  yet  leave  it  in 
obscurity  ;  that  he  should  have  laboured  in  vain^ 
whose  **  wisdom  excelled  all  the  wisdom  of  the 
East  country,  and  all  the  wisdom  of  Egypt," 
(1  Kings  iv.  30,)  and  whose  understanding  was 
enlarged  and  enlightened  by  holy  inspiration  ? 


*  2  Tim.  i,  10.  Though  the  original  may,  perhaps,  be  better  rendered,, 
with  Macknight,  "hath  made  life  and  immortality  clear;"  yet  the  au- 
thorized version  equally  proves,  that  the  doctrine  was  obscurely  delivered 
before  the  Christian  era.  With  Macknight  agree  the  Vulgate,  which' 
renders  (pioriaavTOQ  by  "illuminavit,"  and  probably  the  Syriac,  which  has 
Q_jo  a  word  denoting  to  manifest,  &c.  Schleusner  renders  it  "  pate- 
fecit  et  manifestavit."  Rosenmiiller  explains  it,  '*per  doctrinam  suam  nos 
fecit  certos  de  felicitate  aeterna." — Scholia  in  loc.  See  Wolfius,  Curat 
Philol.  in  loc. 


lii  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.   IV, 

If  we  likewise  take  into  consideration,  that  a 
future  state  of  retributive  justice  could  not,  con- 
sistently, be  revealed  during  the  continuance  of 
a  dispensation  supported  by  temporal  sanctions 
only,  it  cannot  be  imagined,  that  this  doctrine 
would  form  the  basis  of  any  book  in  the  Hebrew 
Volume.  To  suppose  so,  would  be  to  attribute 
inconsistency  to  the  Divine  counsels,  and  mutabi- 
lity to  an  unchanged  and  unchangeable  Deity. 

In  another  point  of  view,  it  is  improbable  that 
Solomon  should  have  been  commissioned  by  the 
Almighty  to  promulgate,  in  a  particular  treatise, 
the  sublime  dogma  of  a  future  retribution.  By 
comparing  together  all  the  records  of  revelation, 
we  find  it  has  been  the  plan  of  Divine  Providence 
to  develop  gradually  the  grand  scheme  of  re- 
demption; to  reveal  it  in  successive  ages  with 
still  increasing  clearness  and  force,  till,  at  the 
advent  of  Christ,  the  world  was  illuminated  with 
the  splendour  of  celestial  truth.  The  Prophets, 
whose  works  have  reached  posterity,  were  all 
subsequent  to  the  age  of  Solomon ;  and  it  can- 
not be  credited,  that  the  royal  Preacher  had  a 
clearer  knowledge  of  the  scheme  of  redemption, 
and  of  a  future  state,  than  those  worthies  who 
were  raised  up  in  succession  by  Jehovah  to  un- 
fold the  sacred  truths  of  providence  and  grace. 
That  the  king  of  Israel  should  teach  expressly 
what  the  Prophets  have  scarcely  declared  openly 


SECT.   IV.]  DISSERTATION.  Hu 

and  without  reserve,  cannot  be  reconciled  with 
the  plan  pursued  by  Omnipotent  Wisdom,  of  the 
gradual  development  of  religious  truth. 

These  reasons  clearly  warrant  the  conclusion^ 
that  the  book  of  Ecclesiastes  was  not  designed, 
as  Desvoeux  affirms,  to  enforce  the  doctrine  of 
immortality,  and  of  a  future  state  of  rewards  and 
punishments.  Whatever  incidental  intimations  of 
these  doctrines  may  be  discovered  in  the  book, 
it  is  not  the  scope  and  leading  object  of  it  to  pro- 
mulgate them.  And  this  is  a  distinction  neces- 
sary to  be  urged  upon  the  reader.  Though  it 
appears  to  be  unanswerably  established,  by  the 
preceding  observations,  that  it  is  not  the  chief 
object  and  primary  design  of  the  work  to  incul- 
cate a  future  state  of  retribution,  it  appears 
equally  clear,  that  it  contains  some  strong  proofs 
of  this  article  of  religious  faith.  And  here  the 
writer  of  these  pages  may,  it  is  hoped,  be  per- 
mitted to  digress  a  little,  in  order  to  state  the 
grounds  of  this  conviction. 

The  strongest  testimonies  to  an  eternal  ex- 
istence hereafter  which  the  discourse  supplies 
are,  chapter  iii.  21,  xii.  7,  xii.  14.  In  the  two 
former  we  read,  ''  Who  knoweth  the  spirit  of 
man  that  goeth  upward,  and  the  spirit  of  the 
beast  that  goeth  downward  to  the  earth  V  and, 
*'  The  dust  shall  return  to  the  earth  as  it  was. 


liv  PRELIMINARY  [sECT.  IV, 

and  the  spirit  shall  return  unto  God  who  gave  it." 
These  passages,  according  to  Bishop  Warburton, 
only  express  the  survivorship  of  the  soul,  without 
implying  its  distinct  personality,  and  coincide 
with  the  sentiments  of  those  ancient  philosophers 
who  considered  the  soul  as  a  substance,  and 
held  the  refusion  of  it  into  the  universal  nature, 
or  TO  EN,  while  they  denied  it  all  personality, 
and  disbelieved  a  future  state  of  rewards  and 
punishments.*  Or  it  may  be  alleged,  that  the 
same  expressions  might  be  used  by  those  who 
maintained  the  metempsychosis,  without  believing 
a  proper  resurrection  and  an  eternal  state  of  re- 
tribution.! But,  ingenious  as  these  interpretations 
may  appear,  proof  is  still  wanting  of  their  ac- 
cordance with  the  opinions  of  the  learned  Jews 
in  the  age  of  Solomon;  and,  what  is  more,  they 
are  inconsistent  with  other  passages  of  the  work. 
We  meet  with  repeated  declarations  of  a  divine 
retribution  ;\  but  if  this  retribution  is  not  ab- 
solutely perfect  here  below ;  if  vice  often  pros- 
pers, while  virtue  is  depressed ;  if  oppression  and 
misery  await  the  good  equally  with  the  bad ;  if, 

*  Divine  Legation,  lib.  v.  §  6.     Compare  lib.  iii.  §  2. 

t  The  transmigration  of  souls  seems  to  have  been  the  doctrine  of  at 
least  some  of  the  Jews  in  our  Saviour's  time  ;  (Jolm  ix.  2;  see  Whitby;) 
but  others  deny  it.— (See  Kuinoel  in  loo.)  The  Pharisees,  according  to 
some,  held  the  metempsychosis,  but  others  aie  of  a  different  opinion. 
■ — See  Reland,  Antiquitates,  par.  ii.  cap.  9,  §  14  ;  Pritius,  Introductio  in 
Nov.  Test.  cap.  xxxiii.  §  11 ;  Lardner,  Works,  vol.  i.  p.  06,  ed.  4to. 

X  Chap.  iii.  17,  viii.  11,  xi.  9,  xii.  14.  See  Oxlee,  On  the  Trinity  and 
Incarnation,  vol.  i.  p.  47,  and  Witsius,  (Economia  Foederis,  lib.  iii.  cap. 
13,  §  15. 


SECT.   IV.J  DISSERTATION.  Iy 

in  short,  all  that  this  world  has  to  bestow  is  vain 
and  delusive,  the  divine  retribution,  so  frequently 
urged  by  the  Preacher,  must,  consequently,  take 
place  in  a  future  state.  Since,  then,  "  the  spirit 
of  man  goeth  upward,"  and  "  returns  to  God  who 
gave  it,"  it  is  most  reasonable  to  understand  these 
expressions  of  the  soul's  personal  existence  in 
another  stage  of  being,  where  every  one  will 
receive  rewards  or  punishments,  according  to  a 
righteous  retribution. 

From  several  observations  in  this  book  it  may 
be  inferred,  that  the  extraordinary  Providence 
under  the  Theocracy  was  not  so  equally  ad- 
ministered in  the  age  of  Solomon  as  invariably  to 
dispense  rewards  to  the  virtuous  and  punishments 
to  the  vicious.  The  Preacher  declares,  that 
one  event,  death,  happens  as  well  to  the  righteous 
as  the  unjust;  (ch.  ii.  16,  iii.  19,  ix.  2;)  that  he 
beheld  *'  the  tears  of  such  as  were  oppressed, 
and  they  had  no  comforter;  and  on  the  side  of 
their  oppressors  there  was  power,  but  they 
(^.  e.  the  oppressed)  had  no  comforter ;"  (ch. 
iv.  1 ;)  that  *'  the  race  is  not  to  the  swift,  nor  the 
battle  to  the  strong,  neither  yet  bread  to  the  wise, 
nor  yet  riches  to  men  of  understanding,  nor  yet 
favour  to  men  of  skill ;  but  time  and  chance 
happeneth  to  them  all;"  (ch.  ix.  11 ;)  that  "  the 
oppression  of  the  poor,  and  violent  perverting  of 
judgment  and  justice   in  a  province,"  was  not 


Ivi  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  IV. 

unusual. — (Ch.  v.  8.)  It  is  also  observed,  that 
"  there  is  a  just  man  that  perisheth  in  his  righteous- 
ness, and  there  is  a  wicked  man  that  prolongeth 
his  life  in  his  wickedness ;"  that  '*  there  be  just  men 
unto  whom  it  happeneth  according*  to  the  work 
of  the  wicked;"  again,  *'  there  be  wicked  men  to 
whom  it  happeneth  according  to  the  work  of  the 
righteous." — (Ch.  vii.  15,  viii.  14.)  These,  it  is 
true,  are  stated  by  the  author  of  the  book  as 
the  cavils  of  profane  scoffers  ;  but  they  must  have 
had  some  foundation  in  truth,  for  it  would  be 
irrational  to  build  an  objection  upon  a  circum- 
stance plainly  contrary  to  general  observation 
and  experience.  Now  such  declarations  could 
scarcely  have  been  made  unless  these  inequalities 
had  existed ;  yet  we  find  the  author  expressing 
a  conviction,  that  they  would  somewhere  be  rec- 
tified ;  and  therefore,  as  this  did  not  always  take 
place  in  the  present  life,  he  must  have  concluded, 
that  God  would  call  mankind  to  judgment  in 
another  world,  where  sentence  would  be  passed 
upon  them  according  to  their  merits.  All  man- 
kind, of  whatever  moral  character,  being  alike 
subject  to  calamity  and  death,  affords  the  surest 
grounds  for  believing  that  an  equitable  dis- 
tinction will  be  made  in  another  stage  of  ex- 
istence. The  royal  philosopher  himself  has  rea- 
soned in  the  same  manner,  in  the  Ninth  Section, 
according  to  the  division  in  the  annexed  Para- 
phrase,   when,    though    he    acknowledges    the 


SECT  IV.]  DISSERTATION.  IvU 

prevalence  of  iniquity,  he  at  the  same  time  asserts, 
that  "  God  will  judge  the  righteous  and  the 
wricked,  (for  there  is  a  season  for  every  purpose 
of  God,)  and  he  will  determine  concerning  every 
work."  And  this  equitable  judgment,  he  con- 
tinues to  argue  in  the  next  Section,  will  take 
effect,  though  men  as  well  as  beasts  must  die ; 
and  though  the  good  and  the  bad  seem  to  be 
treated  alike  in  this  world,  yet  it  will  not  ahvays 
be  so  ;  for  when  we  look  beyond  the  grave,  we 
discover  that  "  the  spirit  of  man  goeth  upward, 
and  the  spirit  of  the  beast  downward  to  the 
earth,"  where  the  opposition  shows,  that,  as  the 
spirit  of  the  beast  perishes,  the  spirit  of  man  lives 
for  ever ;  it  ascends  into  heaven,  unto  God  who 
gave  it,  to  receive  the  righteous  recompense  of 
reward. 

Hence,  ^  in  asserting  that  "  the  spirit  of  man 
goeth  upward,"  and  "■  returns  to  God  who  gave 
it,"  the  Preacher  must  have  meant  to  assert  its 
existence  in  a  future  state,  where  alone  it  can 
be  subjected  to  the  just  retribution  which,  he  con- 
stantly maintained,  would,  at  some  time  or  other, 
take  effect.  This  becomes  still  more  apparent 
from  the  remaining  passage  appealed  to  at  the 
outset,  wherein  it  is  affirmed,  that  *'  God  will 
bring  every  work  into  judgment,  with  every  se- 
cret thing,  whether  it  be  good,  or  whether  it  be 
evil." — (Ch.  xii.  14.)  The  terms  themselves,  in 
I 


Iviii  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.   IV. 

this  text,  so  obviously  imply  the  strict  immortality 
of  the  soul  and  a  future  retribution,  that  a  man 
must  be  strangely  biassed  by  an  hypothesis  who 
searches  for  any  other  exposition.  Yet  Le  Clerc 
and  others  suppose,  that  all  this  might  be  asserted 
by  one  who  expected  only  temporal  rewards 
and  punishments,  provided  he  believed,  as  every 
Jew  did,  in  a  superintending  and  extraordinary 
Providence. 

That  this  interpretation,  however,  is  erroneous, 
and  that  the  passage  cannot  relate  to  the  judg- 
'ment  of  God  exercised  in  this  world,  may  be 
inferred  from  the  universality  of  the  expressions. 
If  God  be  a  righteous  judge,  and  *'  will  bring 
every  ivork  into  judgment,  with  every  secret  tiling, ' 
it  is  utterly  impossible  to  understand  this  of  any 
other  than  a  future  day  of  judgment.  Every 
work,  it  is  manifest,  is  not  judged  in  this  world, 
nor  is  every  secret  thing  brought  to  light,  and  if  this 
be  done  at  all,  and  we  are  assured  of  the  fact,  it 
must  be  in  another  world.  It  will  not  avail  to 
reply,  that,  while  God  exercised  a  particular  and 
extraordinary  Providence  over  the  Israelites,  a 
just  retribution  might  invariably  take  effect ;  for, 
even  under  the  Theocracy,  there  were  always  some 
apparent  exceptions  to  the  temporal  administra- 
tion of  divine  justice,  an  undeviating  retribution 
being,  as  far  as  we  are  able  to  judge,  incompa- 
tible with  a  state  of  probation ;  and,  as  we  have 


SECT.   IV.]  DISSERTATION.  Hx 

just  seen,  such  an  extraordinary  Providence 
was  not  constantly  administered  in  the  age  of 
Solomon.  Hence,  as  the  Preacher  asserts  a 
righteous  and  universal  judgment  of  emry  work, 
and  of  every  secret  thing,  he  must  have  believed 
it  to  take  place,  not  on  earth,  but  in  a  future 
state. 

The  proposition  delivered  in  this  verse  forms 
the  reason  for  the  exhortation  immediately  pre- 
ceding. "  Litt  us  hear,  says  the  Preacher,  the 
conclusion  of  the  ivhole  matter  contained  in  the 
second  part  of  this  discourse ;  and  if,  as  has  been 
demonstrated.  Wisdom  is  the  only  substantial 
good,  then  fear  God  and  keep  his  commandments  ; 
for  this  is  the  ivhole  duty  of  man,  and  will  consti- 
tute his  supreme  good  :  for  God  will  bring  every 
work  into  judgment^  ivith  every  secret  things  whe- 
ther it  be  good,  or  whether  it  be  evil''  Supposing 
these  last  words  to  refer  only  to  God's  judgments 
in  the  earth,  they  supply  no  reason  whatever  for 
the  observation  of  the  precept ;  for  what  induce- 
ment could  there  be  to  fear  God,  and  to  keep 
his  commandments,  if  this  world  were  our  all,  a 
world  which,  with  all  its  pleasures  and  advan- 
tages, the  Preacher  had  decidedly  maintained  to 
be  only  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit  ?  Why  did 
he  paint,  in  such  glowing  colours,  the  emptiness 
of  all  terrestrial  things,  if  no  better  prospect 
awaited  us  beyond  the  grave  ?     And  why  did  he 


Ix  PRELIMINARY  [sECT.  IV. 

recommend  the  attainment  of  Wisdom  so  earn- 
estly, if  it  were  only  to  be  rewarded  with  the 
perishable  and  unsatisfactory  things  which  this 
world   has   to   bestow  ?     The   declaration,   that 
*'  God  will  bring  every  work  into  judgment,"  if 
it  merely  refers  to  his  dealings  with  mankind  on 
earth,  neither  agrees  with  the  scope  of  the  whole 
discourse,  nor  forms  a  reason  for  the  precept 
delivered  immediately  before.     Take  it,  however, 
in  its  true  light,  and  all  the  expressions  will  be 
found  correct,  and  the  argument  cogent.     Since 
every  thing  in  this  transitory  scene  is  unsubstan- 
tial ;  since  much  oppression,  pain,  misery,  and  vice 
prevail ;  and  since  the  righteous,  equally  with  the 
wicked,  are  subject  to  misfortune  and  death,  it 
follows  that,  if  God  be  just,  a  period  will  arrive 
when  every  thing  will  be  set  to  rights,  when  the 
inequalities  of  this  world  will  be  adjusted,  and 
men  be  punished  or  rewarded,  according  as  they 
have  obeyed  or  disobeyed  the  divine  commands. 
It  must,  therefore,  be  the  great  duty  and  princi- 
pal concern  of  every  man,  in  this  life,  to  fear  God 
in  a  filial  and  reverential  manner,  and  to  keep  his 
commandments,  because,  in  a  future  state,   God 
rvill  bring  every  work  into  judgment,  with  every 
secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good,  or  ivhether  it  be 
evil,^ 


*  The  objections  of  Le  Clerc  to  this  interpretation  of  Ecclesiastes 
xii.  14  are  solidly  refuted  by  Peters,  Critical  Dissertation  on  Job,  part  iii. 
M2. 


SECT.  IV.]  DISSERTATION.  Ixi 

The  result  of  the  foregoing  investigation  is,  that 
the  book  of  Ecclesiastes  is  not  designed  to  incul- 
cate the  immortality  of  the  sonl  and  a  future 
retribution,  though  it  supplies  some  very  clear 
intimations  of  that  important  doctrine. 

The  opinion  most  generally  received  respecting 
the  scope  and  design  of  the  Ecclesiastes  is,  that 
it  is  an  inquiry  into  the  Smmnum  Bonum,  or  Chief 
Good,  the  frequent  subject  of  speculation  among 
the  philosophers  of  Greece  and  Rome.  To  this 
opinion  the  Author  of  the  present  performance 
accedes,  and  upon  this  basis  the  following  Para- 
phrase is  constructed.  But,  in  characterizing  the 
discourse  as  a  discussion  of  this  interesting  topic, 
the  Chief  Good  is  not  understood  in  the  same 
sense  as  by  the  ancient  philosophers.  Much  con- 
fusion and  error  have  arisen  from  applying  to  the 
illustration  of  this  subject  notions  derived  from 
the  classical  schools  of  philosophy.  The  real 
good  of  man,  as  portrayed  by  the  Jewishs  age,  is 
essentially  different,  both  in  its  nature  and  object, 
from  that  which  was  sought  after  by  the  learned 
of  Pagan  antiquity. 

"The  Sovereign  Good,"  says  Mr.  Harris,  **is 
that,  the  possession  of  which  make  us  happy."* 


*  Harris,  Dialogue  on  Happiness,  part  i .  With  this  agree  the  various 
descriptions  of  the  Summum  Bonum  enumerated  by  Stobaeus,  Eclog.  Ethic. 
ib.  ii.  cap.  7,  ed.  Heeren  j  Aristotle,  Rhetorica,  lib.  i.  cap.  6 ;  Laciantius, 


Ixii  PRELIMINARY  [sECT.  IV. 

The  essence  of  the  philosophical  Sumnmm  Sonum, 
according  to  this  definition,  consists  in  its  power 
of  producing  happiness.  Amidst  all  the  diversity 
of  opinions  as  to  the  thing  itself,  in  this  the  phi- 
losophers are  universally  agreed.*  The  very 
characteristic  of  the  Chief  Good,  in  which  they 
are  all  unanimous,  is,  that  'it  is  desirable  for  its 
own  sake,  and  all  other  things  only  as  means 
conducing  to  it;  that  it  is  the  ultimate  end  to 
which  every  thing  is  to  be  referred,  and  itself  to 
nothing  farther,  which  shows  it  to  have  been,  in 
their  apprehension,  but  another  term  for  human 
felicity. t  But  it  is  manifestly  not  the  sole  object 
of  the  author  of  the  Ecclesiastes  to  investigate 

Instit.  lib.  iii.  The  Summum  Bonum  is  ably  discussed  in  Dr.  Ireland's 
Paganism  and  Christianity  compared,  chap.  viii.  See  also  Rutherforth's 
Essay  on  Virtue,  chap.  ix. 

*  OvofxaTi  (scil.  TO  ayadov)  fi£v  ovy  ayehov  vtto  Tioy  TrXeiffTwy 
ouoXoyeirai'  rrjv  yap  ev^ai^ovtav  Kai  ot  ttoWoi,  tcai  ol  '^apievTeg 
\eyovffi,  "  as  to  the  name  of  the  Chief  Good  it  is  universally  agreed,  for 
both  the  multitude  and  the  learned  call  it  happiness." — (Aristotle,  Ethic. 
Nichom.  lib.  i.  cap.  4.)  In  Plato's  Dialogue  on  the  Summum  Bonum,  en- 
titled Philebus,  it  is  described  to  be  that  habit  or  disposition  of  mind  which 
renders  human  life  happy,  s^iv  ^^X^^  "•'^^  ^Ladecriv,  rrjv  ^vfajjLEvrju 
avBpoiTTOLQ  iracn  tov  (3iov  ev^ai^ova  Trapt^eiv. — Opera,  vol.  iv.  p.  209, 
ed.  Bipont.  See  also  Augustine,  De  Civit.  Dei,  lib.  xix.  cap.  1,  2,  84 
Cicero,  De  Finibus,  passim.;  Stobaeus,  Eclog.  Ethic,  lib.  ii.  cap.  7,  p.  138, 
and  274  et  seq.  ed.  Heeren. 

■f  "  Quaerimus  quid  sit  extremum  et  ultimum  bonorum  ;  quod  omnium 
philosophorum  sententia  tale  debet  esse,  ut  ad  id  omnia  referri  oporteat, 
ipsum  autem  nusquam." — (Cicero,  De  Finibus,  lib.  i.  cap.  9.  See  also 
cap.  12;  Maximus  Tyrius,  Diss.  19.  sub.  Jin.;  Aristotle,  Ethic.  Nichom. 
lib.  i.  cap.  7  ;  Stobaeus,  Eclog.  Ethic,  vol.  iii.  p.  80  et  seq.)  Indeed,  the 
great  object  of  ancient  philosophy  was  the  promoting  the  happiness  of 
the  present  life  alone,  as  Cicero  observes,  in  his  fine  treatise  on  the 
Sovereign  Good,  "  omnis  snmma  philosophiae  ad  beate  vivendum  re- 
fertur." — De  Finibus,  lib.  ii.  cap.  27. 


SECT.   IV.]  DISSERTATION.  Ixiu 

what  may  enable  us  to  lead  happy  lives.  Though 
the  Wisdom  which  he  panegyrizes  contributed 
more  to  happiness  than  the  fleeting  pleasures  of 
a  fleeting  world,  it  is  not  on  this  account  that  he 
emblazons  it  with  unceasing  praise.  He  at- 
tributes effects  to  it  far  more  noble  and  sacred ; 
recopamending  it  to  our  esteem  and  cultivation, 
because  it  is  the  only  means  of  living  conformably 
to  the  will  of  Heaven,  and  of  obtaining  the  favour 
of  Omnipotence.  It  would  not  have  accorded 
with  Solomon's  reputation  for  piety  and  wisdom, 
to  propose  aught  as  the  Chief  Good  unconnected 
with  religion.  While  Pagan  philosophy  never 
taught  the  glory  and  service  which  are  due  to  the 
Supreme  Being,  he  could  never  cease  to  inculcate 
the  necessity  of  reverence  to  the  divine  law,  and 
the  unparalleled  importance  of  fearing  God  and 
keeping  his  commandments.  Educated  in  the 
strictest  principles  of  Judaism,  he  must  ever  have 
considered,  and  ever  have  represented,  these  as 
man's  highest  interest  and  supreme  good. 

The  Summum  JBonum,  as  understood  by  the 
ancient  philosophers,  was  that  which  constituted 
happiness  in  the  present  life.  That  none  of  the 
ancient  philosophers  believed  the  doctrine  of  a 
future  state  of  rewards  and  punishments,  though, 
on  account  of  its  great  utility,  all  the  theistical 
ones    sedulously   taught    it    to    the   people,    is 


Ixiv  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.   IV. 

strenuously  maintained  by  the  learned  Warbur- 
ton  ;*  but,  without  giving  entirely  into  this  opinion, 
he  who  impartially  examines  their  writings  will  be 
convinced,  that  their  ideas  were  confined  prin- 
cipally to  the  limits  of  terrestrial  existence ;  that 
their  reasonings  about  the  nature  of  the  soul  and 
immortality,  when  they  rose  the  highest,  were 
still  involved  in  uncertainty ;  and  that  whenever 
they  cast  a  glance  beyond  the  grave,  it  was  con- 
sidered as  a  subject  of  curiosity  and  amusing 
speculation,  rather  than  as  leading  to  any  useful 
and  practical  result.  But  the  Jewish  philosopher 
looks  beyond  the  narrow  bounds  of  this  world ; 
he  contemplates  the  time  when,  after  the  termi- 
nation of  life,  **  the  spirit  shall  return  to  God  who 
gave  it;"  and  elevates  his  thoughts  to  another 
stage  of  existence,  where  **  God  will  bring  every 
work  into  judgment."  His  intimations  of  these 
truths,  it  is  confessed,  are  indefinite  and  general ; 
and,  even  while  he  mounts  to  the  very  confines  of 
the  etherial  regions,  we  are  compelled  to  acknow- 
ledge, that  his  conceptions  of  a  future  state  were 
surrounded  with  shade  and  obscurity.  But,  con- 
fused as  his  notions  might  be,  he  was  too  well 
convinced  of  a  future  life  to  regard  aught  as  the 
Chief  Good  which  is  restricted  to  the  present, 


*  Divine  Legation,  lib.  iii.  See  Dr.  Ireland's  Paganism  and  Christi- 
anity compared,  chap,  v.,  and  Dr.  Leland's  Advantage  and  Necessity  of 
Revelation,  part  iii. 


SECT.  IV.]  DISSERTATION.  IxV 

and  which  affords  not  the  promise  of  advancing 
the  happiness  of  the  soul,  after  the  body  has 
crumbled  into  dust. 

The  Sovereign  Good,  as  understood  by  the 
author  of  the  Ecclesiastes,  is  that  which  is  ul- 
timately good,  that  which,  in  all  its  bearings  and 
relations,  is  conducive  to  the  best  interests  of 
man.  This  is  the  object  of  the  Preacher's  in- 
quiry; and,  after  discussing  various  erroneous 
opinions,  he  finally  determines  that  it  consists  in 
True  Wisdom.  The  scope  of  the  whole  argu- 
ment, therefore,  is  the  praise  and  recommendation 
of  Wisdom,  as  the  supreme  good  to  creatures  re- 
sponsible for  their  actions.  In  this  Wisdom  is  not 
included  a  single  particle  of  that  which  is  worldly 
and  carnal,  so  frequently  possessed  by  men  ad- 
dicted to  vice,  the  minions  of  avarice,  and  the 
slaves  of  their  passions  ;  but  that  which  is  from 
above,  that  which  is  holy,  spiritual,  undefiled, 
and  which,  in  the  writings  of  Solomon,  is  but 
another  word  for  Religion.  Guided  by  this  clue, 
we  can  easily  traverse  the  intricate  windings  and 
mazes  in  which  so  many  commentators  upon  the 
Ecclesiastes  have  been  lost  and  bewildered.  By 
keeping  steadily  in  view  the  Preacher's  object, 
to  eulogize  Heavenly  Wisdom,  the  whole  admits 
an  easy  and  natural  interpretation;  light  is 
diffused  around  its  obscurities ;  connexion  is  dis- 
covered in  that  which  was  before  disjointed ;  the 

K 


Ixvi  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  IV. 

argument  receives  additional  force,  the  sentiments 
new  beauty ;  and  every  part  of  the  discourse, 
w^hen  considered  in  reference  to  this  object,  tends 
to  develop  the  nature  of  True  Wisdom,  to  display 
its  excellence,  or  to  recommend  its  acquirement. 

In  a  work  intended  to  induce  mankind  to 
cultivate  Religion,  it  is  natural,  if  not  necessary,  to 
begin  with  pointing  out  the  insignificance  of  the 
things  which  the  multitude,  in  their  search  of 
happiness,  so  eagerly  covet  and  pursue.  If  once 
convinced  that  wealth,  the  idol  of  so  many,  can- 
not mitigate  a  single  pang  of  its  possessor ;  that 
the  splendours  of  rank  are  but  empty  pomp  and 
idle  pageantry ;  and  that  voluptuous  pleasures 
are  too  transitory  to  be  the  source  of  felicity,  and 
even  pall  in  the  enjoyment,  the  mind  is  pre- 
pared to  reject  what,  instead  of  producing  hap- 
piness, ends  only  in  weariness  and  disappoint- 
ment. When,  on  the  other  hand,  the  captivating 
aspect  of  Religion  is  portrayed  in  all  its  beauty; 
when  her  intrinsic  value  is  described  with  poetic 
warmth  and  imagery,  the  solid  comforts  she 
imparts  in  life,  the  sublime  prospect  she  opens 
beyond  the  grave,  the  heart  becomes  enraptured 
with  the  view,  and,  forsaking  the  gilded  objects  of 
sense,  seeks  enduring  joys  and  tranquillity  under 
her  banners.  The  emptiness  and  insufficiency 
of  all  human  pursuits  and  enjoyments,  contrasted 
with   the   native   charms    and  real    blessings  of 


SECT.  IV.]  DISSERTATION.  Ixvii 

Religion,  evince  that  nothing  in  this  world,  how- 
ever loved  and  admired,  can  be  put  in  com- 
petition with  Religious  Wisdom. 

V 

After  this  manner  Aristotle,  the  most  profound 
and  universal  genius  of  antiquity,  discusses  the 
Sovereign  Good,  in  his  Nichomachaean  Ethics ; 
first  proving,  that  it  does  not  consist  in  pleasure 
and  leading  a  sensual  life,  nor  in  the  pursuit  of 
honour,  nor  in  a  life  of  contemplation,  nor  in 
amassing  wealth ;  and  thence  concluding,  that  it 
must  be  what  is  perfect  and  complete  in  itself, 
what  is  desirable,  not  as  the  means,  but  the  end, 
desirable  for  its  own  sake  alone,  and  the  ultimate 
object  of  all  our  actions :  he,  therefore,  places  it 
in  the  virtuous  exercise  of  the  energies  of  the  soul 
continued  through  life.*  The  mighty  Stagirite 
saw  clearly,  that  external  things  cannot  constitute 
man's  Chief  Good ;  that  it  must  refer  to  his  moral 
and  intellectual  nature;  and  he  only  fails  in  a 
true  conception  of  it  for  want  of  juster  notions  of 
a  Providence  and  a  future  state. t  His  method, 
however,  of  treating  the  subject  is  the  same  which 
the  equally  penetrating  and  enlarged  under- 
standing of  the  , Jewish   philosopher  adopts  in 

*  To  avdpioiripov  ctyaOoi'  "^^X^^  evepyeia  yivEruL  Kar  apeTr)V  u 
^e  ttXelovq  ai  aperai,  Kara  rrjv  apiarrjv  Kat  TeXeiorarrjv '  en  ^e  ey 
(duo  TfXeioi). — Ethic.  Nichom.  lib.  i.  cap.  7. 

t  "  Snmmiim  Bonum,  quod  beatuni  facit,  noii  potest  esse,  nisi  in  ea 
religione  atque  doctrina,  cui  spes  iinmortalitatis  adjimcta  est."~Laoi. 
tantiiis,  Institut,  lib.  iii.  cap.  12. 


Ixviii  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  IV. 

promulgating  the  true  Sovereign  Good.  He  first 
delineates  the  fleeting  and  unsubstantial  nature 
of  whatever  is  most  prized  by  those  whose  minds 
are  grovelling  upon  earth.  By  a  rapid,  but 
scrutinizing  view  of  the  circumstances  attending 
human  life,  he  demonstrates  the  vanity  of  worldly 
pursuits,  and  the  insufficiency  of  worldly  plea- 
sures. Neither  the  soft  smiles  of  prosperity,  nor 
the  magnificence  of  pomp  and  greatness,  can 
satisfy  the  desires  of  the  soul ;  every  gratification 
that  wealth  and  power  can  procure  is  empty, 
momentary,  and  delusive:  in  whatever  condition 
he  is  placed,  man  is  still  the  heir  of  disappoint- 
ment and  anxiety ;  and,  whether  struggling  under 
the  pressure  of  poverty  and  toil,  or  cradled  in  the 
lap  of  luxurious  indulgence,  highly-purchased 
experience  will  convince  him,  that  secular  things 
oftener  produce  vexation  of  spirit  than  substantial 
happiness.  After  this  mournful,  but  too  faithful 
picture  of  human  life,  the  royal  Preacher  pro- 
ceeds to  unfold,  in  language  the  most  impressive, 
the  immense  worth  and  advantage  of  Religious 
Wisdom. 

Hence  he  commences  with  the  declaration, 
that  **  all  is  vanity;"  which  is  not  to  be  under- 
stood as  implying  any  censure  upon  the  works 
of  creation,  for  God  does  nothing  in  vain,  every 
thing  being  properly  adapted  to  its  end,  and 
excellently  fitted  to  display  the  power,  wisdom, 


SECT.  IV.]  DISSERTATION.  Ixix 

and  goodness  of  the  Almighty.  Yet  when  the 
things  of  this  world  are  applied  to  improper  pur- 
poses; when  they  are  considered  as  the  end, 
while  they  are  only  intended  to  be  the  means ; 
and  are  rested  in  as  the  source  of  happiness 
which  they  were  not  designed  to  afford,  vanity  is 
discovered  to  be  their  character.  That  which  is 
most  excellent  becomes  useless,  if  not  injurious, 
by  the  abuse ;  and  the  works  of  Omnipotence, 
however  wise  and  good  in  themselves,  are  unpro- 
fitable to  those  who  misuse  and  pervert  them.  It 
were  a  kind  of  blasphemy  to  vilify  whatever  has 
proceeded  from  Omniscient  Power;  and  Solomon 
can  only  be  supposed  to  pronounce  all  things 
here  below  vain,  when  they  are  applied  to  a 
wrong  use,  by  the  ignorance  and  wickedness  of 
man.  Nor  does  he  so  denominate  all  things 
universally  and  without  any  exception,  but  only 
all  earthly  things,  as  wealth,  pleasure,  pomp, 
luxury,  power,  and  whatever  is  merely  human 
and  terrestrial.  If  these  are  placed  in  com- 
petition with  divine  and  heavenly  things,  or  are 
foolishly  regarded  as  the  means  of  real  happiness, 
they  become  useless  and  unprofitable,  because 
they  are  uncertain  and  transitory,  never  fully 
satisfying  the  desires  of  the  soul,  nor  producing 
permanent  felicity.* 

•  "  It  is  true,  the  works  of  the  Lord  are  all  great  and  excellent, 
sought  out  of  all  them  that  have  pleasure  therein,  good  in  their  kind  and 
order,  of  excellent  use  to  set  forth  the  divine  wisdom,  power,  goodness, 


IXX  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  IV. 

If  worldly  things  are  vain  in  these  respects,  it 
vv^ould,  nevertheless,  be  presumption  and  impiety 
to  represent  them  as  actually  bad.  They  are 
good  in  themselves,  and,  when  rightly  used,  tend 
only  to  good,  since  they  contribute  to  the  enjoy- 
ment of  life,  and,  in  an  eminent  degree,  to  the 
ultimate  and  real  interest  of  man.  But  if  they 
are  pursued  as  the  only  **  portion  in  this  life,"  as 
constituting  the  happiness  of  beings  formed  for 
immortality,  they  are  not  estimated  on  right  prin- 
ciples, and  the  result  will  be  vexation  and  dis- 
appointment. Their  vanity,  then,  arises  from  the 
folly  and  baseness  of  men,  who,  in  forgetfulness 
of  eternity,  are  too  apt  to  regard  this  world  as 
their  sole  and  final  abode,  and  to  expect  that 
satisfaction  from  them  which  they  cannot  give. 
Nor  are  they  to  be  condemned  on  this  account. 
That  they  are  insufficient  to  render  man  happy 
is  itself  the  ordination  of  Infinite  Wisdom,  and, 
consequently,  best  suited  to  a  probationary  state ; 
wisely  calculated  for  the  trial  of  man's  virtue, 
and,  by  weaning  him  from  too  fond  attachment 


and  glory ;  and  necessary  to  the  use  and  service  of  man ;  (1  Tim,  iv.  4,  5  ;) 
yet  vain  in  other  respects :  first,  comparatively  vain,  vi'hen  put  in  the 
balance  with  God  and  heavenly  things. — (Job  xv.  15 ;  Isaiah  xl.  15, 16, 17.) 
Secondly,  vain  by  that  superinduced  vanity  to  which  they  are  subjected 
by  man's  transgression. — (Rom,  viii.  20.)  Thirdly,  vain  in  order  to  hap- 
piness, the  full  possession  and  the  most  vigorous  fruition  of  them  not 
being  capable  of  affording  real  satisfaction  to  the  immortal  soul ;  man 
himself,  the  noblest  of  them  all,  being,  *  at  his  best  estate,  altogether 
vanity.'— (Ps.  xxxix.  5,  6,  11,  Ixii.  9,  cxliv.  3,  4.)" — Bishop  Reynolds, 
Commentary  on  Ecclesiastes  i.  2. 


SECT.  IV.]  DISSERTATION.  Ixxi 

to  things  on  earth,  to  sthnulate  his  desires  and 
exertions  after  the  blessedness  of  another  life. 

In  prosecuting  his  inquiry  into  the  Chief  Good, 
Solomon  has  divided  his  work  into  two  parts. 
The  first,  which  extends  to  the  tenth  verse  of  the 
sixth  chapter,  is  taken  up  in  demonstrating  the 
vanity  of  all  earthly  conditions,  occupations,  and 
pleasures ;  the  second  part,  which  includes  the 
remainder  of  the  book,  is  occupied  in  eulogizing 
Wisdom,  and  in  describing  its  nature,  its  ex- 
cellence, its  beneficial  effects.*  This  division, 
indeed,  is  not  adhered  to  throughout  with  logical 
accuracy;  some  deviations  from  strict  method 
are  allowable  in  a  popular  discourse;  and  the 
author  occasionally  diverges  to  topics  incidentally 
suggested;  but,  amidst  these  digressions,  the 
distinctions  of  the  two  parts  cannot  escape  the 
attentive  reader.  It  is  not  the  manner  of  the 
sacred  writers  to  form  their  discourses  in  a 
regular  series  of  deductions  and  concatenated 
arguments  :  they  adopt  a  species  of  composition, 
less  logical  indeed,  but  better  adapted  to  com- 
mon capacities,  in  which  the  subject  is  still  kept 
in  view,  though  not  handled  according  to  the 
rules  of  dialectics.  Even  St.  Paul,  whose  rea- 
soning  powers   are   unquestionable,    frequently 

*  That  the  book  consists  of  two  parts,  or  divisions,  has  been  observed 
by  several  commentators,  and  especially  by  Dr.  Wells,  Help  for  under- 
standing the  Scriptures f  Preface  to  Ecclesiastes. 


Ixxii  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  IV. 

digresses  from  his  subject,  breaks  off  abruptly 
in  the  middle  of  his  argument,  and  departs  from 
the  strictness  of  order  and  arrangement.  In  the 
same  way  has  the  royal  Preacher  treated  his 
subject;  not  with  exact,  philosophical  method, 
but  in  a  free  and  popular  manner,  giving  an  un- 
controlled range  to  his  capacious  intellect,  and 
suffering  himself  to  be  borne  along  by  the  ex- 
uberance of  his  thoughts  and  the  vehemence  of 
his  feelings.  But,  though  the  methodical  dis- 
position of  his  ideas  is  occasionally  interrupted, 
his  plan  is  still  discernible ;  and  perhaps  he 
never  wanders  more  from  his  principal  object 
than  most  of  the  other  writers  in  the  Sacred 
Volume. 

This  account  of  the  scope  and  design  of  the 
Ecclesiastes  might  be  further  confirmed  by  an 
analysis  of  the  work,  which,  however,  it  is  un- 
necessary to  attempt  at  present,  as  the  subjoined 
Paraphrase  and  Notes  will  sufficiently  show  the 
author's  design  and  his  chain  of  argument ;  and  a 
general  idea  may  be  obtained  with  facility  from  the 
prefixed  Table  of  Contents.  We  may  therefore 
conclude,  without  further  enlargement,  that  the 
leading  object  of  the  Ecclesiastes  is  an  inquiry 
into  the  Sovereign  Good,  which  the  author  con- 
ducts upon  the  plan  of  first  proving  what  does 
not  constitute  it,  though  too  often  regarded  in 
that  light  by  the  folly  of  mankind;  and,  in  the 


SECT.   IV.]  DISSERTATION.  Ixxiu 

next  place,  showing  that  it  consists  in  Wisdom, 
or  Religion,  which,  for  that  reason,  is  highly- 
extolled.  The  book,  in  fact,  may  be  considered 
as  designed  to  praise  and  recommend  True  Wis- 
dom to  the  observance  of  men,  as  the  only  real 
and  permanent  good. 

How  greatly  does  this  view  of  the  work  exalt 
the  character  of  Solomon !  At  an  early  period 
of  life,  when  the  Almighty  granted  him  tlie 
option,  his  innate  sagacity  prompted  him  to  pre- 
fer Wisdom  to  every  other  possession ;  in  conse- 
quence of  which  he  was  enabled,  by  the  Divine  fa- 
vour, to  attain  unparalleled  knowledge.^ — (1  Kings 
iii.  5,  et  seq, ;  2  Chron.  i.  7,  et  seq.)  But,  not  con- 
tent with  its  silent  acquisition,  or  with  the  renown 
which  it  procured  him  throughout  the  then  known 
world,  he  laboured  diligently  to  impart  the  fruits 
of  it  to  others,  and  composed  several  imperish- 
able works  for  the  benefit  of  his  subjects  and  of 
posterity.  Some  of  his  works  are  unfortunately 
lost;  but  the  most  valuable  of  them,  those  relating 
to  morality  and  religion,  are  still  extant,  and 
serve  to  demonstrate  as  well  the  piety  and  bene- 
volence of  his  heart  as  the  depth  of  his  under- 
standing. In  the  Proverbs  he  gives  advice  and 
directions  to  sucli  as  desire  to  become  practically 
wise :  in  the  Ecclesiastes,  by  delineating  the 
excellence,  he  recommends  the  love  and  acquire- 
ment of  Wisdom;  and,  in  the  Canticles,  he  refines 

L 


Ixxiv  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.    IV. 

and  spiritualizes  the  same  subject,  under  the  veil 
of  allegorical  and  pastoral  poetry.     A  life  thus 
employed  in  the  inculcation  of  Religion,  as  well 
as  in  extending  the  prosperity  of  his  country, 
while  it  dignified  the  monarch,  ennobled  the  man. 
He  who,  amid  the  pomp  and  pleasures  of  royalty, 
entertains   the    desire,    and,    amid   the   toils    of 
government,  finds  the  leisure,  to  instruct  the  world 
in  religious  truth,  must  be  pronounced  an  orna- 
ment to  humanity.    Yet  the  character  of  Solomon 
is    not   without  its^  ^ots ;    the   impartiality   of 
ScrijDture  narrative  records  that  his  heart,  though 
it  owned  the  generous  pulsations  of  virtue,  was, 
notwithstanding,  betrayed  into  sin ;  and,  ensnared 
by  the  soft  seduction  of  female  charms,   he  fell 
into  great  and  lamentable  errors.     But  when,  by 
the  grace  of  that  Almighty  Being  whom  he  had 
offended,    he  was   made   sensible   of  his   trans- 
gression, he  became  a  sincere  penitent ;  and  pub- 
lished to  the  world  the  evidence  of  a  broken  and 
contrite  heart  in  the  book  of  Ecclesiastes ;  a  work 
designed  to  withdraw  the  affections  of  mankind 
from  all  subhuiary  things,  and  to  attach  them  to 
wisdom  and  virtue,  which  can  alone  secure  their 
real  and  lasting  happiness.     Thus,  if  benevolence 
pities,   and  stern  justice  condemns,   the  fall  of 
the  monarch,  piety  exults  at  his  recovery;  and 
though  his  criminality  was  confessedly  great,  yet 
his  heart-felt  sorrow,  his  sincere  repentance,  and 
his  complete  reformation,  exalt  his  character  to 


SECT,    v.]  DISSERTATION.  IxXV 

the  deorree  of  excellence  which  we  have  been 
accustomed  to  associate  with  and  admire  in  the 
name  of  Solomon. 


SECTION  V. 
The  Style   and  Language   of    the   Eccle- 

SIASTES. 

The  obscurities  of  the  Ecclesiastes  have  fur- 
nished matter  of  complaint  to  almost  every  com- 
mentator ;  and  that  they  are  not  without  founda- 
tion is  the  opinion  of  a  distinguished  prelate, 
whose  literary  labours  have  done  more  towards 
illustrating  the  nature  and  beauties  of  Hebrew 
poetry  than  those  of  all  his  predecessors  in  the 
department  of  sacred  criticism.  "  The  style  of 
this  book,"  says  Bishop  Lowth,  ^'  is  peculiar;  the 
diction  is,  for  the  most  part,  low,  but  exceedingly 
obscure;  often  loose,  unconnected,  and  resem- 
bling conversation ;  neither  is  the  poetical  cha- 
racter very  apparent  in  the  composition  and  struc- 
ture, which  may,  perhaps,  in  some  measure,  be 
attributed  to  the  nature  of  the  argument."*     The 

*  "  Stylus  hiijiisce  oneiis  est  plane  singularis  ;  dictio  est  humilis  ple- 
lumque  et  submissa,  sed  imprimis  obscura ;  saepe  laxa  et  dissoluta,  et 
sermoni  proprior;  nee  in  compositione  etstructura  multum  viget  poeticus 
character;  quae  forsan  videri  possunt  argumenti  naturae  aliquatenus 
tribuenda." — {Prcelect.  24.)  "  Stylus  est  humilis  et  ad  prosain  accedit." 
— Jahn,  Introductio.  ad  V.  T.  §  213. 


IxXVi  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.    V. 

style,  moreover,  abounds  with  inversions,  with 
abrupt  transitions,  with  bold  ellipses,  and  with  a 
few  words  and  idioms  by  some  denominated 
Chaldaic,  but  which  may  rather  be  numbered 
among  the  writer's  peculiarities,  as  they  have  not 
any  indisputable  marks  of  an  Aramsean  origin, 
and,  though  uncommon,  seem  agreeable  to  the 
analogy  of  the  Hebrew  tongue. 

The   book   has   been   pronounced,    by   some 
critics,  to  be   written  in  the   way  of  dialogue, 
between  a  religious  man  on  one  side,   and  an 
Epicurean  worldling  on  the  other ;  while  others, 
as  Herder  and    Eichhorn,   though  they  do  not 
regard  it  as  a  regular  dialogue,  characterize  it  as 
a  singular  and  artificial  composition,   in  which 
two   speakers,  a  rash  Investigator  and   a  con- 
siderate Instructor,  are  introduced,  whose  oppo- 
site  character    and   sentiments    are    discernible 
throughout.     However  these  writers  may  differ 
in  their  particular  views,  they  all  agree  in  prin- 
ciple ;    and  Dean  Yeard,  in  his  Paraphrase  upon 
the  Ecclesiastes,  has  endeavoured  to  reduce  it  to 
a  consistent  form.     But  all  such  attempts  must 
be  unsuccessful,  as  there  is  not  the  most  distant 
hint,  in  any  part  of  the  work,  of  its  being  a  dis- 
cussion between  two  or  more  persons.     It  has 
none   of    those   breaks,    nor   of   those   glances 
upon  incidental  topics,  and  rejoinders,   by  which 


SECT,    v.]  DISSERTATION.  Ixxvii 

dialogistic  compositions  are  distinguished.  The 
subject  matter  and  the  chain  of  the  argument 
prove,  in  the  most  convincing  manner,  that  it  is 
an  investigation  conducted  by  the  author  in  his 
own  person  and  character. 

Still,  though  it  is  not  a  regular  dialogue,  the 
author  sometimes  starts  objections  against  his 
reasoning,  to  which  he  afterwards  replies.  It  is 
not  material  whether  these  be  considered  to 
proceed  from  Solomon  himself,  or  to  be  stated 
as  the  objections  of  the  sensualist;  but  that 
he  actually  does,  in  some  instances,  introduce 
Epicurean  cavils,  for  the  purpose  of  refuting 
them,  cannot  in  reason  be  denied.  Some  pas- 
sages occur  of  such  a  character  as  no  ingenuity 
of  exposition  can  reconcile  with  the  known  sen- 
timents of  Solomon ;  while  they  are  perfectly 
suitable  to  men  of  dissolute  habits,  and  may  be 
regarded  as  the  popular  sophistry  prevalent  in 
that  age  among  the  profane  and  licentious. 
Passages  again,  in  their  obvious  sense  expressing 
the  principles  of  atheistic  folly,  must  be  under- 
stood to  be  introduced  by  the  author  with  a  view 
to  their  refutation ;  otherwise  they  would  be  in- 
consistent with  many  other  positions  in  the  same 
treatise,  wherein  he  exhorts  the  sons  of  men  to 
the  practice  of  the  moral  virtues,  to  fear  God, 
and  to  keep  his  commandments. 


Ixxviii  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.    V. 

Nor  is  it  any  impediment  to  this  mode  of  in- 
terpreting such  like  passages,  that  they  are  not 
expressly  proposed  as  the  false  reasonings  of 
sensualists.  The  inspired  writers  are  not  accus- 
tomed to  deliver  their  doctrines,  and  to  refute 
opponents,  in  the  logical  manner  of  Grecian 
philosophers;  but,  though  objections  are  not 
formally  stated,  they  may  be  discovered  w^ithout 
difficulty.  Sentiments  of  a  sensual  and  irre- 
ligious nature,  of  vrhich  there  are  some,  cannot 
be  attributed  to  the  royal  Preacher  as  the  dictates 
of  his  own  mind ;  and  if,  in  what  immediately 
follows,  they  are  condemned  or  rebutted,  we 
may  safely  consider  them  as  the  objections  of 
the  profane,  which  he  introduces  in  order  to 
refute.  In  the  same  manner  St.  Paul  raises  and 
combats  objections,  without  any  precise  and 
formal  statement,  leaving  them  to  be  discovered 
by  the  sagacity  of  the  reader.* 

The  language  of  this  book  has  sometimes  ap- 
peared exceptionable,  from  taking,  in  their  utmost 
extent,  expressions  designed  to  convey  a  qualified 
and  limited  signification.  General  propositions 
are  not  always  to  be  received  in  the  strictest 
sense  of  the  words ;  and  particvdar  observations 
must  not  be  stretched  beyond  the  intention  of  the 

•  See  Macknight  on  Romans,  and  Prelim.  Essay,  3. 


SECT,    v.]  DISSERTATION.  Ixxix 

writer.  Let  an  author's  ideas  be  ever  so  accu- 
rate and  definite,  it  is  next  to  impossible,  at  all 
times,  to  select  words  which  convey  to  the  minds 
of  others  neither  more  nor  less  than  his  real 
meaning.  This  results  from  the  inherent  imper- 
fection of  language ;  for  which  reason,  his  expres- 
sions ought  to  be  interpreted  with  such  restric- 
tions as  are  necessarily  required  by  common  sense 
and  the  scope  of  the  context.  Many  of  the  Pro- 
verbs of  Solomon,  according  to  the  most  general 
signification  of  the  terms,  convey  sentiments  un- 
reasonable and  unjust;  and  hence  the  commen- 
tator is  compelled  to  explain  them  with  the 
limitation  so  evidently  required  by  common 
sense  and  the  nature  of  things.  If  several  of 
the  passages  in  the  Ecclesiastes  which  have  been 
condemned  as  absurd,  or  immoral  and  profane, 
be  understood  in  a  qualified  sense,  a  sense  clearly 
suggested  by  truth  and  reason,  they  will  be  vin- 
dicated from  so  heavy  a  charge,  dJid  will  be  found 
in  every  respect  worthy  the  inspired  author  from 
whom  they  proceed. 

Though  the  general  tenor  of  the  language 
approaches  to  the  plainness  and  simplicity  of 
prose  compositions,  it  is  occasionally  highly  orna- 
mented and  figurative.  In  the  beginning  of  the 
twelfth  chapter  is  a  specimen  of  boldness  of  me- 
taphor, and  of  combination  of  imagery,  scarcely 
equalled,  certainly  not   exceeded,  in  the  most 


IXXX  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.    V. 

poetical  parts  of  the  Old  Testament.  As  the 
passage  alluded  to  is  singular,  a  more  particular 
examination  may  not  be  improper. 

Ecclesiastes  xii.  1 — 6,  is  generally  considered, 
though,  in  my  opinion,  erroneously,  as  an  allegory 
descriptive  of  old  age,  and  its  final  close  in  death.* 
An  allegory  is  *'  a  representation  of  one  thing 
which  is  intended  to  excite  the  representation  of 
another  thing,"  according  to  the  definition  of 
Bishop  Marsh,  who  has  treated  this  subject  with 
that  depth  of  thought  and  acuteness  of  discrimi- 
nation which  distinguish  all  his  writings.!  The 
object  selected  to  represent  some  other  thing 
must  be  consistent  in  its  several  parts,  and  must 
be  kept  constantly  in  view.  If  a  vine  is  chosen, 
as  by  the  Psalmist,  to  depicture  the  situation  of 
the  Jews ;  or  if  a  ship,  tossed  by  tempests,  be 
selected,  as  it  is  by  the  sweetest  of  lyric  bards, 
to  represent  the  Roman  State  agitated  with  civil 
broils  :\  these  objects  must  be  uniformly  adhered 
to,    or   the   allegory   becomes   inconsistent  and 


♦  Besides  the  commentators,  see  Glass,  Phil.  Sac.  p.  1297,  cd.Dathe; 
Bauer,  Hermencut  Sue.  ^54;  Lowth,  Pralect.  10,  p.  119;  Home,  Intro- 
duction to  the  Scrii)tures,  vol  ii.  p.  675.  Some  have  explained  this  passage 
in  lefeience  to  the  llabylouian  and  Roman  Captivities, and  other  fanciful 
expositions  have  been  oiTered ;  (see  Jerome,  Comment,  in  loc.  and  Gen- 
tleman's Magazine  for  July  and  August,  1752;)  but,  whatever  doubts  may 
exist  as  to  the  mode  of  interpreting  it,  it  has  evidently  reference  to 
old  age  and  its  close. 

+  Divinity  Lectures.,  xvii.  Van  Mildcrt,  Bampt.  Led.  vii.  p.  239. 
Home,  Introduction,  part  ii.  chap.  5,  ^  4,  ed.  2da. 

X  Psalm  Ixxx.     Horace,  Carm.  lib.  i.  14. 


SECT,    v.]  DISSERTATION.  IxXXl 

obscure.  With  respect  to  the  passage  in  ques- 
tion, however,  there  is  no  one  ruling  and  predo- 
minant object  selected  for  the  comparison ;  the 
heavenly  luminaries,  the  almond-tree,  the  grass- 
hopper, a  palace,  a  bird,  &c.  are  mingled  together 
in  one  vivid  description  of  venerable,  but  com- 
plaining age.  It  is  not,  therefore,  strictly  speak- 
ing, an  allegory ;  and  cannot,  without  great  cau- 
tion, be  subjected  to  the  rules  of  allegorical 
interpretation.  It  is  to  be  considered  only  as  a 
highly  figurative  and  poetical  representation  of 
old  age,  in  which  the  various  infirmities  and 
imbecilities  of  that  period  of  life  are  portrayed  by 
a  great  variety  of  images,  in  themselves  uncon- 
nected, yet  mutually  tending  to  identify  the 
prototype. 

The  picture,  then,  consists  of  an  accumulation 
of  images,  drawn  from  various  objects,  yet  con- 
tributing, in  their  combination,  to  the  truth  and 
accuracy  of  the  likeness.  Being  in  themselves 
unconnected,  the  only  relationship  they  have 
consists  in  their  mutually  identifying  the  portrait 
with  the  original;  and,  consequently,  while  each 
is  to  be  explained  by  itself,  all  must  be  explained 
in  reference  to  the  symptoms  of  age.  But  as,  in 
every  metaphorical  expression,  there  is  a  literal 
and  tropical  sense,  it  becomes  a  question  of  great 
importance  how  far  the  figurative  sense  is  to  be 
carried.     Is  every  minute  point  of  resemblance 

M 


Ixxxii  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.  V. 

to  be  investigated  and  applied  ?  Are  the  images 
intended  to  depicture  the  effects  of  age  with 
philosophical  exactness  and  anatomical  preci- 
sion? Or  is  it  only  an  outline  delineation  of  life's 
last  stage,  sketched,  indeed,  with  a  bold  and 
vigorous  hand,  but  designed  only  to  convey  a 
general  idea? 

Some  expositors,  fond  of  refining  upon  what 
is  plain,  and  of  extracting  recondite  meanings 
from  what  is  simple,  have  endeavoured  to  ascer- 
tain the  accuracy  of  the  portrait  by  a  scientific 
and  medical  investigation.  Among  these  must 
be  classed  the  justly- deserving  names  of  Smith 
and  Mead,  who  have  displayed  great  erudition 
and  talent  in  the  attempt  to  establish  their  system ; 
but  their  learned  labours,  as  may  be  inferred 
from  several  considerations,  have  only  raised  a 
visionary,  though  elegant  structure.* 

The  nature  of  figurative  diction  almost  pro- 
hibits logical  accuracy.  It  is  the  language  of 
imagination,  not  of  reason  and  judgment;  and, 
therefore,  it  obtains  to  a  greater  extent  in  the 
early  periods  of  society  than  in  times  of  civilization 
and  refinement.  This  airy,  but  pleasing  creation 
of  the  fancy,  disappears  before  the  sober  march 
of  reason  and  philosophy.     In  poetry  and  fiction 

♦  See  Dr.  Smith's  Solomon's  Portraiture  of  Old  Age,  and  Dr.  Mead's 
Medica  Sacra. 


SECT,    v.]  DISSERTATION.  Ixxxiil 

it  still  retains  a  place,  and  a  much  more  con- 
spicuous one  in  Eastern  works  of  imagination 
than  European.  "  We  are  sparing  in  the  use  of 
figurative  language ;  the  Asiatics  indulge  in  it 
with  a  daring  prodigality :  we  are  studious  of 
propriety  in  metaphors,  and  that  they  may  arise 
easily  and  naturally  from  the  subject;  they  are 
delighted  with  a  rapid  accumulation  of  them : 
we  endeavour  to  render  them  neat  and  elegant 
with  simplicity;  they,  rejecting  things  common 
and  trite,  are  captivated  with  far-fetched  images, 
which  they  multiply  even  to  satiety:  the  poets 
of  Europe  chiefly  design  to  write  with  agreeable- 
ness  and  perspicuity ;  those  of  Asia  with  a  vast 
and  unrestrained  luxuriousness."*  The  nature 
of  figurative  language,  therefore,  especially  as 
employed  by  Oriental  bards,  renders  it  probable, 
that  nothing  more  was  intended,  in  this  portrait 
of  old  age,  than  to  exhibit  a  general  view  of  its 
character  and  infirmities. t 

*  "  Nos  translationes  mitigare  solemns,  ac  lenire  -^  Asiatici  vera, 
temere  et  incitatius  exaggerare  :  nos  studemus  ut  verecnndae  sint,  et 
quodammodo  se  facile  insinuent  nietaphovas;  illi,  ut  violente  irruant;  nos, 
ut  sint  politae,  nitidae,  venustae,  nee  longe  ductte;  illi  res  pervagatas  et 
in  medio  positas  transvolant,  et  interdum  longissime  repetitas  captant 
imagines,  quas  ad  satietatem  usqne  cumulant :  Europagi  denique  poetae  in 
eo  potissimum  laborant  nt  jucunde,  ut  delucide  scribant ;  Asiatici,  ut 
vaste,  ut  luxuriose,  ut  dissolute." — (Sir  Wm.  Jones,  Poes.  Asiat.  Comment. 
cap.  i.)  The  terseness  of  this  cannot  be  translated  into  the  English 
language,  but  it  is  imitated  above. 

f  "  Omnis  sevi  poesis,  praesertim  rudioris,  tantam  imaginum  prae  se 
fert  copiam,  ut  exquisitam  ubique  ne  poscanius  diligentiam  aut  ingenii 
subtilitatem  prorsus  vetat." — Coplcston,  Prcelect,  Academ,  xxxv.  p.  453, 


Ixxxiv  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.    V, 

Besides,  medical  knowledge,  in  all  probability, 
had  not  made  sufficient  progress  in  Solomon's 
era  to   enable  a  writer  of  that  age  to  describe, 
with  anatomical  accuracy,  the  effects  of  age  upon 
the  human  constitution.*     It  is  well  known,  that 
the  ancient  Greeks  did  not  practise  dissection, 
which  is  absolutely  necessary  in  order  to  obtain 
a  correct  knowledge  of  the  internal  structure  of 
the  human  frame;    and  there  is  no  reason   for 
supposing  that  the  science  of  anatomy  had  made 
greater   progress    among   the   Asiatics. t       The 
rapidity    with   which    dead    animal    bodies   are 
reduced  to  a  state  of  putrescence,  in   the   hot 
climates   of  the   East,    presents   an    almost  in- 
superable impediment  to  its  cultivation.   Though 
physicians   and   the  art  of  medicine  are   often 
mentioned  in  the  Sacr©d  Writings,   (Gen.  1.  2; 
2  Chron.  xvi.  12;   Isaiah  i.  6;  Jer.  viii.  22,  xlvi. 
11;    Ezekiel  xxx.    21,)  we  find   no   allusion  to 
anatomical  knowledge.     It  has  been   asserted, 
I  am  aware,  that  they  contain  many  testimonies 
proving  the  Hebrews  to  have   been  acquainted 
with  several  of  the  internal  parts  of  the  human 
body ;  but,  setting  aside  the  passage  in  question, 
where  is  there  either  mention  of,  or  allusion  to, 


*  Guogiiet,  Origin  of  Laws,  par.  i.  lib.  3,  cap.  1.  Encyclopced.  Britan. 
art.  Anatomy. 

f  Daniel  Le  Clerc  supposes  they  might  investigate  the  anatomy  of  the 
body  by  inspecting  wounds,  dead  animals,  Sec.  without  the  practice  of 
dissection. — Histoire  de  la  MedicinCy  par.  i.  lib.  2. 


SECT,    v.]  DISSERTATION.  IxXXV 

any  part  of  the  human  organization,  which  might 
not  be  made  by  a  person  entirely  unacquainted 
with  physical  science.*  The  practice  of  dis- 
section must  have  been  impossible  among  the 
Hebrews,  with  whom  the  touch  of  a  dead  body 
occasioned  a  legal  defilement. — ^(Numb.  xix.  11, 
et  seq.)  Neither  could  they  derive  a  knowledge 
of  the  physiology  of  man  from  other  nations,  all 
of  whom  were  far  behind  the  Israelites  in  the  arts 
and  sciences,  excepting,  perhaps,  the  Egyptians; 
and  even  among  them  the  science  of  medicine 
was  in  its  rudiments  at  the  time  of  which  we  are 
speaking. t  It  was,  therefore,  morally  impossible 
for  an  ancient  Jew  to  describe,  with  anatomical 
correctness,  the  ravages  of  disease,  or  the 
maladies  of  age. 

If  we  could  even  suppose,  that  the  king  of 
Israel,  whose  knowledge  of  the  works  of  nature 
was  preeminently  great,  was  acquainted  with  the 
anatomical  structure    of   the  human  body ;  yet 


*  That  the  Hebrews  were  acquainted  with  anatomy  to  a  considerable 
extent  has  been  asserted,  among  others,  by  Jahn,  Archaologia  Hehrcea, 
p.  165.  Bishop  Horsley  thought  that  the  circulation  of  tlte  blood  was 
known  by  the  author  of  the  Ecclesiastes ;  (Horsley,  Sermons,  vol.  iii. 
p.  190,  Lond.  1813;)  but  it  is  an  opinion  without  adequate  support.  In  a 
question  as  to  the  mode  of  interpreting  Ecclesiastes  xii.  1^0,  that  passage 
must  be  set  aside ;  for  any  appeal  to  it  is  a  mere  begging  of  the  question. 

I  Brucker,  Hist.  Philosoph.  lib.  i.  cap.  8.  Shnckford,  Connect,  lib.  ix. 
vol.  2,  p.  424.  Guoguet,  Origin  of  Laws,  par.  i.  lib.  3,  cap.  1,  art.  2. 
The  learned  Warburton,  who  is  inclined  to  exalt  the  antiquity  and  arts  of 
Egypt,  thinks  anatomy  was,  in  very  ancient  times,  known  and  studied  by 
the  Egyptians. — J)iv,  Legat.  lib.  iv.  §  3. 


IxXXvi  PRELIMINARY  [sECT.    V. 

why  should  he  communicate  this  knowledge  in 
metaphor  and  figure,  rather  than  in  the  simple 
diction   of  philosophy    and   truth?     If  he   had 
designed  to  describe,  as  a  physician,  the  effects 
of  age,  why  did  he  choose  the  language  of  poetry, 
which  is  so  liable  to  be  mistaken  ?     It  is  true, 
it  has   been  asserted,    that   the  appellations   in 
Ecclesiastes  xii.  1 — 6  may  possibly  have   been 
the  names  current  among  the  learned,  by  which 
certain  parts  of  the   human  body  were  distin- 
guished.    It  would  require  very  strong  evidence, 
indeed,   to  give  a  colour   of  credibility  to  this 
opinion;  but   none  has   been  produced,   and  it 
remains  a  mere  supposition,  altogether  destitute 
of  support  from  any  other  part  of  the   Sacred 
Writings.     The  whole  passage  is  evidently  figu- 
rative, and  it   is  unreasonable   to   suppose  that 
Solomon  would  convey  anatomical  information 
in  such  language.* 

Again,  for  what  purpose  should  he  insert  a 
medical  disquisition  in  a  moral  discourse,  adapted 
to  readers  of  every  class,  and  intended  for  general 
edification?  An  account  of  the  evils  attendant 
upon  declining  years  may  be  very  suitably  intro- 
duced into  a  treatise  in  praise  of  Wisdom ;  but  it 

*  "  Egregie  observatum  est  ab  Michaele,  banc  senectutis  descriptionem 
poeticam  esse,  poeseos  autem  rationem  non  ferie,  ut  res  accurate  ac 
secundum  veritatem  delineentur,  sed  ut  depingantur  secundum  rationem 
externi  eiirum  babitus,  quo  sensibus  nostris  raaxime  obversantur,  &c/' — 
J.  H,  van  dcr  Pabn,  Atmot.  in  Ecdes,  xii.  1. 


SECT,    v.]  DISSERTATION.  IxXXvii 

is  surely  unnecessary  for  it  to  be  drawn  up  with 
anatomical  skill.  Scientific  details,  which  would 
interest  but  few,  even  of  those  who  were  capable 
of  understanding  them,  would  be  misplaced  and 
absurd  in  a  work  adapted  for  popular  instruction. 
In  short,  it  is  every  way  unlikely  that  the  royal 
sage  intended  to  convey  any  recondite  mean- 
ing under  the  veil  of  figurative  language,  and 
certainly  it  never  was  the  intent  of  Inspiration 
to  instruct  mankind  in  the  results  of  natural 
philosophy. 

For  these  reasons  it  is  right  to  reject  the 
opinion  of  those  who  assert  the  scientific  ac- 
curacy of  Solomon's  portraiture  of  age.  It  is 
more  just  to  consider  it  as  a  highly- finished  pic- 
ture of  the  pains  and  debilities  consequent  upon 
decaying  nature,  delineated,  indeed,  by  a  skilful 
hand  and  glowing  imagination,  but  only  intended 
to  exhibit  such  effects  of  age  as  naturally  suggest 
themselves  to  a  sagacious  and  observing  mind. 
It  is,  therefore,  improper  to  explain,  by  the  aid 
of  medical  science,  a  poetical  description  which 
requires  a  popular  illustration,  founded  on  Asiatic 
customs  and  the  nature  of  figurative  language. 
It  is  not  consistent  with  the  rules  of  critical 
interpretation  to  seek  for  hidden  meanings  in 
particular  words,  or  for  anatomical  knowledge 
under  figurative  expressions.  In  a  poem,  ex- 
quisite for  the  beauty  and  variety  of  the  images, 


IxXXViii  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.    V 

it  is  sufficient  if  we  obtain  a  more  general  idea 
conveyed  by  the  imagery ;  and  upon  these  prin- 
ciples the  subjoined  interpretation  of  Ecclesiastes 
xii.  1^ — 6  is  conducted. 


After  having  ascertained  the  true  exposition, 
we  are  naturally  led  to  inquire  into  the  fidelity 
of  the  description.  Does  it  accord  with  truth 
and  nature  ?  Are  the  dark  and  sombre  colours 
of  the  picture  agreeable  to  the  reality  ?  And  is 
the  closing  scene  of  human  existence  not  only 
deprived  of  positive  enjoyment,  but,  moreover, 
subjected  to  a  burden  of  actual  suffering? 

Though  the  passage,  if  taken  in  an  isolated 
view,  may  seem  to  imply  the  affirmative,  we  may 
rest  assured,  that  it  cannot  be  the  design  of  the 
Preacher  to  characterize  old  age  as  itself  an  evil. 
Gray  hairs,  fulness  of  years,  and  a  good  old 
age  are  frequently  represented,  in  the  Sacred 
Writings,  as  peculiar  blessings.  It  was  promised 
to  Abraham,  for  his  comfort,  that  he  should  be 
*'  buried  in  a  good  old  age ;"  which  accordingly 
was  accomplished. — (Gen.  xv.  15,  xxv.  8.)  It  is 
mentioned  as  a  blessing  enjoyed  both  by  Gideon 
and  David,  that  they  died  in  an  advanced  period 
of  life. — (Judges  viii.  32;  1  Chron.  xxix.  28.)  It 
is  said  by  holy  Job,  of  the  man  whom  the  Lord 
correcteth,  that  he  shall  "  come  to  his  grave  in 
a  full  a2:e,  like  as  a  shock  of  corn  cometh  in  his 


SECt  v.]  DISSERTATION.  Ixxxix 

season." — (Job  v.  26.)  Even  Solomon  himself 
declares,  that  "  the  hoary  head  is  a  crown  of 
glory,  if  it  be  found  in  the  way  of  righteousness,'* 
and  that  **  the  beauty  of  old  men  is  their  gray 
head." — Prov.  xvi.  31,  xx.  29. 

Old  age,  as  is  apparent  from  daily  observation, 
is  not  unfrequently  a  season  of  serenity  and  cheer- 
fulness. The  diminution  of  animal  vigour  is  com- 
pensated by  the  improvement  of  the  mind  through 
knowledge  and  experience.  The  acuteness  of 
the  senses,  the  elasticity  of  the  imagination,  and 
the  ardent  relish  and  pursuit  of  pleasure,  which 
predominate  in  youth,  are  no  more;  but  they  are 
exchanged  for  otlier  sources  of  happiness  more 
pure  and  sedate,  more  enduring,  and  more  agree- 
able to  a  rational  and  intellectual  nature.  With 
all  its  bodily  weaknesses,  age  is  not  only  vener- 
able, but  is  often  the  period  of  extensive  useful- 
ness, of  active  benevolence,  and  of  mental  tran- 
quillity and  enjoyment,  as  is  exhibited  by  Sir 
Thomas  Bernard,  in  his  pleasing  work  on  the 
Comforts  of  Old  Age,  and  as  is  elegantly  de- 
scribed by  Cicero,  in  his  treatise  De  Senectute^ 
which  most  scholars  have  read  in  their  youth, 
and  which  no  one  can  peruse  without  unmixed 
admiration  and  delight. 

But  though  age  is  often  thus  serene,  contented, 
and  composed,  and,  under  any  circumstances, 

N 


XC  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.    V. 

may  always  be  cheered  by  the  hope  of  immor- 
tality, yet  it  is  manifestly  often  accompanied  by 
such  maladies  of  the  body,  and  such  decay  of 
the  mental  powers,  as  to  render  existence  a  pro- 
tracted suffering.  And  this  is  sufficient  to  justify 
the  description.  Throughout  the  whole  picture 
the  royal  philosopher  must  be  understood  as 
delineating,  not  that  which  universally  happens, 
but  that  which  is  the  frequent,  perhaps  usual, 
effect  of  advancing  years.  Since  a  painful  de- 
crepitude is  a  common,  though  not  invariable, 
consequence  of  old  age,  he  mentions  it  hypo- 
thetic ally,  and  exhorts  the  sons  of  men  to  begin 
a  course  of  piety  in  their  early  years,  before  that 
season  of  life  arrives  in  which  weakness,  pain, 
and  infirmity  may  naturally  be  expected. 

The  description  must,  likewise,  be  taken  in 
connexion  with  the  Preacher's  argument,  which 
is  to  exhort  mankind  to  the  early  cultivation  of 
religious  habits.  "  Remember  now  thy  Creator 
in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  before  the  evil  days 
come,  and  the  years  draw  nigh,  when  thou  shalt 
say,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  them."  If  the  attain- 
ment of  wisdom  be  neglected  in  early  years,  the 
various  infirmities  of  age  may  arrive,  and  press 
so  heavy  upon  decaying  nature,  as  to  prevent  so 
necessary  an  acquisition.  Little  can  be  expected 
from  applying  to  the  cultivation  of  religion  at  a 
time  when  the  outward  frame  is  bowed  down 


SECT,    v.]  DISSERTATION.  Xci 

with  disease,  and  the  understanding  is  fast  re- 
lapsing into  imbecility  and  dotage ;  it  is,  therefore, 
the  part  of  prudence  to  use  every  exertion  to 
acquire  wisdom  before  the  period  of  life  when 
such  maladies  are  not  uncommon,  and  are,  con- 
sequently, always  to  be  apprehended. 

Moreover,  according  to  the  reasoning  of  a 
pious  Jew,  who  believed  the  temporal  sanctions 
of  the  Law,  religious  habits  and  dispositions 
could  alone  secure  the  comforts  of  a  green  old 
age.  Length  of  days  and  earthly  happiness  being 
the  Mosaic  promise  to  obedience,  Solomon's 
argument  may  be  understood  to  go  to  this  extent, 
that,  if  Wisdom  be  despised  and  neglected  in 
youth,  the  threat  of  the  Law  will  take  effect,  and 
the  old  age  of  the  scoffer  will  be  a  period  of 
suffering  and  misery.  To  be  religious,  a  Jew 
would  argue,  is  the  only  way  to  escape  the  aches, 
and  pains,  and  tortures  with  which  age  is  often 
visited  as  the  punishment  of  precedent  folly; 
therefore,  "  remember  thy  Creator  in  the  days 
of  thy  youth,  before  the  evil  days  come,"  for 
come  they  will,  if  thou  rejectest  Wisdom,  "  whea 
thou  shalt  say,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  them," 

The  devout  Christian  may  be  so  far  a  believer 
in  a  temporal  retribution,  as  to  maintain  that 
piety  and  virtue  can  alone  secure  the  repose,  and 
serenity,   and    enjoyment  which  are   sometimes 


Xcii  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.    V. 

the  favoured  privilege  of  the  aged.  It  is  impos- 
sible to  conceive,  that  the  last  scene  of  a  life 
spent  in  vice,  and  sensuality,  and  alienation  from 
God  can  be  happy.  But  to  the  man  of  piety, 
who  can  look  back  to  years  of  usefulness  and 
honour,  old  age  presents  a  peaceful  retreat  from 
the  bustle  and  business  of  the  world,  where  he 
floats  upon  the  tide  of  life,  pleased  with  the 
remembrance  of  the  past,  and  exulting  in  the 
prospect  of  a  haven  of  eternal  blessedness.  ''  To 
the  intelligent  and  virtuous,  old  age  presents  a 
scene  of  tranquil  enjoyments,  of  obedient  ap- 
petite, of  well-regulated  affections,  of  maturity 
in  knowledge,  and  of  calm  preparation  for  im- 
mortality. In  this  serene  and  dignified  state, 
placed,  as  it  were,  on  the  confines  of  two  worlds, 
the  mind  of  a  good  man  reviews  what  is  past 
with  the  complacency  of  an  approving  con- 
science; and  looks  forward,  with  humble  con- 
fidence in  the  mercy  of  God,  and  with  devout 
aspirations,  towards  his  eternal  and  ever-increas- 
ing favour."* 

These  remarks  may  suffice  for  the  vindication 
of  Solomon's  portrait  of  old  age  from  the  charge 
of  being  inconsistent  with  truth  and  reality.  Let 
us,  therefore,  revert  to  the  more  immediate  sub- 
ject of  this  section. 

*  Dr.  Percival,  quoted  by  Dr.  Paley,  in  his  Natural  Theology,  chap. 
xxvi.  where  are  some  acute  observations  on  old  age. 


SECT,    v.]  DISSERTATION.  Xciii 

That  the  book  of  Ecclesiastes  affords  examples 
of  highly  figurative  language  and  poetical  com- 
position is  unquestionable;  but  whether  it  was 
originally  written  in  metrical  numbers  is  a  ques- 
tion not  so  easily  determined.  The  Rabbinical 
writers  are  stated  to  be  unanimous  in  regarding 
it  as  a  prose  composition;  while  the  ancient 
Fathers  of  the  Christian  Church,  on  the  con- 
trary, numbered  it  among  the  metrical  books.* 
Biblical  scholars,  of  modern  times,  are  not  more 
unanimous,  eminent  names  being  ranged  on 
each  side.  Desvoeux  pronounces  it  a  philo- 
sophical discourse,  written  in  prose,  though  in  a 
rhetorical  style^  and  interspersed  with  verses. 
Bishop  Lowth,  Dr.  Bernard  Hodgson,  van  der 
Palm,  Bauer,  and  Jebb  accede  to  this  opinion,t 
which  may  derive  some  confirmation  from  the 
circumstance,  that  such  a  mode  of  composition 
seems  anciently  to  have  obtained  among  the 
Orientals.  Some  of  the  Hebrew  canonical  books 
contain  an  intermixture  of  prose  and  verse; 
and  we  have  a  similar  example  in  the  Makamet 
of  Hariri,  of  which  a  portion  has  been  published 
by  Reiske    and    Schultens,    and   translated   by 

*  See  the  authorities  in  Wolf,  Biblioth.  Heb.  vol.  ii.  p.  92,  and 
Carpzov,  Introd.  ad  Lib.  Bib.  par.  ii.  cap.  1,  §  1. 

t  Desvoeux,  Diss.  cap.  iii.  p.  79,  and  Philol.  Observat.  p.  341.  Lowth, 
Prcelect.  24.  Hodgson,  Transl.  of  Eccles.  J.  H.  van  der  Palm,  Diss,  de 
Lib.  Eccles.  cap.  3.  Schulz  et  Bauer,  Prolegom.  in  Eccles.  §  5.  Jebb, 
Sacred  Literature ^  §  5. 


Xciv  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.    V. 

Chapellow.*  Nevertheless  this  notion  is  op- 
posed both  by  the  style  and  the  circumscribed 
limits  of  the  Ecclesiastes.  Productions  of  greater 
extent,  as  the  Prophecies  of  Jeremiah,  for  in- 
stance, which  contain  a  variety  of  matters,  some 
historical,  and  some  prophetical,  some  of  such 
a  nature  as  almost  to  reject  poetry,  and  others 
naturally  inviting  the  highest  decorations  of 
imagination,  may  easily  be  conceived  to  be 
vi^ritten  partly  in  prose  and  partly  in  verse;  but 
that  this  should  be  the  case  in  a  work  of  twelve 
short  chapters,  treating  of  one  subject,  which  is 
never  lost  sight  of  by  the  author,  and  having  the 
same  turn  of  thought  and  the  same  character  of 
diction  from  beginning  to  end,  is  an  idea  destitute 
of  all  probability.  It  is  not  meant  by  this  to 
assert  a  perfect  uniformity  of  style  throughout ; 
some  diversity  necessarily  arises  from  the  dif- 
ference of  the  topics :  a  moral  precept,  and  the 
refutation  of  a  sophistical  cavil,  cannot  be  equally 
poetical  with  a  description  of  human  vanity,  or 
of  the  maladies  of  age;  there  is,  however,  such 
a  sameness  of  phraseology  and   idiom,  such   a 


*  At  that  period  when  the  proud  structure  of  the  Roman  empire  was 
hastening  to  decay,  and  learning  was  in  its  wane,  Boethius  wrote,  in 
mixed  verse  and  prose,  his  pleasing  work,  The  Consolation  of  Philosophy  ; 
but  no  instance  occurs  to  me  of  a  similar  production  in  the  early  ages  of 
Greece  and  Rome.  But  in  the  East  such  a  mixture  of  prose  and  verse 
was  extremely  common.— See  Carlyle's  Specimens  of  Arabian  Poetry, 
Preface. 


SECT,    v.]  DISSERTATION.  XCV 

general  similarity  of  manner,  as  prove  it  to  be 
wholly  prosaic,  or  wholly  metrical. 

To  which  class,  then,  ought  the  Ecclesiastes 
to  be  attributed?  Several  reason? .  establish  the 
opinion,  that  it  is  written  in  metre.  The  qualities 
of  the  poetical  style,  which  exist  in  the  acknow- 
ledged metrical  books,  may,  in  some  degree,  be 
discovered  in  it ;  a  choice  of  epithets,  a  combin- 
ation of  images,  an  inverted  order  of  the  words, 
a  frequency  of  ellipses,  an  accumulation  of  rheto- 
rical figures,  and,  above  all,  that  parallelism  which 
is  the  great  principle  of  Hebrew  verse.  These 
circumstances,  occurring  throughout  the  whole 
book,  clearly  determine  its  poetical  character. 
Nor  need  it  surprise  us  to  find  a  grave  and  philo- 
sophical discourse  in  measured  lines ;  for  some 
of  the  didactic  pieces  in  the  Sacred  Volume  are 
written  in  the  same  manner;  as,  for  instance,  the 
argumentative  parts  of  the  book  of  Job  and  the 
book  of  Proverbs.  The  Orientals  have  always  had 
a  wonderful  predilection  for  metre  :  they  not  only 
employ  it  on  subjects  of  religion  and  morality, 
but  introduce  it  occasionally,  where  we  should 
least  expect  it,  in  an  historical  record,  and  a  dry 
treatise  on  law.  The  Persian  Sadder  and  the 
Hindu  Vedas  exhibit,  in  their  outward  dress,  a 
species  of  versification  ;  and  the  Koran,  the  great 
source  of  Mohammedan  religion  and  law,  is,  as 


XCVi  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.    V. 

Sir  William  Jones  observes,  '*  composed  in  sen- 
tences not  only  modulated  with  art,  but  often 
exactly  rhymed."* 

The  hemistichal  division,  it  is  confessed,  is  not 
every  where  equally  distinguishable  :  though,  in 
a  majority  of  instances,  it  is  extremely  evident, 
in  others  it  is  exceedingly  obscure,  perhaps  im- 
possible to  be  made  out  satisfactorily;  but  this 
is  only  what  occurs  in  most  of  the  metrical  parts 
of  the  Sacred  Volume.  Bishop  Lowth  confesses 
he  had  frequent  doubts  in  settling  the  distribution 
of  the  lines  or  verses,  in  his  admirable  translation 
of  Isaiah ;  and  Dr.  Blaney  acknowledges  the 
same  difficulty  in  his  version  of  Jeremiah.  "  In 
the  metrical  division  of  the  lines,"  says  he,  *'  I  fear 
I  cannot  always  claim  the  merit  of  being  exactly 
right.  In  some  instances  the  case  is  clear,  and  ca- 
pable of  being  ascertained  with  the  greatest  preci- 
sion :  as  in  the  acrostic,  or  alphabetical  poems,  and 
wherever  there  is  a  plain  and  evident  parallelism 
in  the  construction  of  the  sentences.  But  where 
there  is  neither  acrostic  nor  parallelism,  there  may 
be,  and  assuredly  often  is,  versification,  if  we  may 
credit  the  similarity  of  diction,  and  other  marks 
of  discrimination."  Archbishop  Newcome  also 
observes,  that  **  doubts  must  always  remain,  not 

•  Works,  vol.  viii,  p.  164, 8vo  ed.    See  also  Sale,  Prelim.  Disc.  ^  iii.  p.  81. 


SECT,    v.]  DISSERTATION.  XCvii 

only  as  to  the  division  of  particular  lines  which 
appear  to  have  a  poetical  cast,  but  as  to  passages 
of  some  length  whether  they  resolve  themselves 
into  metre  or  not."* 

The  difficulty  sometimes  of  ascertaining  the 
hemistichal  division  need  not  be  matter  of  sur- 
prise, when  it  is  considered  that  the  true  pro- 
nunciation of  the  Hebrew  is  irrecoverably  lost, 
and  the  nature  of  Hebrew  metre  entirely  un- 
known. It  would,  indeed,  be  astonishing  if, 
under  these  circumstances,  we  met  with  no  per- 
plexity in  tracing  the  versification  of  the  Hebrew 
poets ;  but,  however  intricate  the  subject  may  be, 
it  would  be  uncritical,  on  that  account,  to  regard 
any  passage,  or  any  book,  as  a  prose  composition. 
If  the  metrical  division  is  found  to  exist  clearly 
and  unequivocally  in  a  large  proportion  of  the 
book,  it  is  rational  to  infer  that  the  whole  is 
poetical,  and  that  the  parallelism  is  only  obscure, 
in  any  particular  instance,  in  consequence  of  our 
ignorance.  Applying  these  observations  to  the 
Ecclesiastes,  we  observe  the  hemistichal  arrange- 
ment so  evidently  to  predominate,  as  to  leave  no 
doubt  that  the  whole  book  is  written  in  poetical 
numbers. 


♦  Newcome,  Vers,  of  the  Minor  ProphetSj  Pref.  p.  15.  Blaney,  Prel. 
Diss,  to  Jeremiah,  p.  9.  Lowth,  Prel.  Diss,  to  Isaiah,  p.  42.  See  also 
Prcelect.  19.  It  is  observed  by  Jahn,  "  Membra  parallela,  poesi  Hebraeae 
propria,  non  raro  neglecta  sunt." — Introd.  ad  Lib,  Sac.  §  213. 

O 


XCviii  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.    VI. 

It  may  be  observed,  that  the  result  of  what  has 
been  advanced  in  this  Dissertation  is,  that  the 
book  of  Ecclesiastes  is  the  genuine  production 
of  Solomon;  that  it  is  of  canonical  authority; 
that  it  is  an  inquiry  into  the  Summum  Sonuniy 
which  is  determined  to  consist  in  Wisdom,  or 
Religion,  which  Wisdom,  or  Religion,  therefore, 
it  is  designed  to  recommend  and  inculcate ;  and 
lastly,  that  it  is  written  in  a  poetical  style  and 
in  metre.  It  may,  consequently,  be  characterized 
as  a  Didactic  Poem  in  recommendation  of  Wis- 
dom.— ^It  is  now  time  to  advert  to  the  nature  and 
object  of  the  present  publication. 


SECTION   VI. 

The  Object  and  Design  of  this  Publication. 

A  Paraphrase,  strictly  speaking,  is  an  expo- 
sition of  the  author's  sense  in  different  words; 
but  it  is  sometimes  used  to  denote  that  species 
of  explanatory  illustration  in  which  the  avithor's 
expressions  are  interwoven  with  a  commentary, 
as  in  Doddridge's  Family  Expositor.  This  latter 
mode  of  paraphrase  is  here  adopted,  as  best  cal- 
culated to  explain  and  illustrate  the  reasoning  of 
the  royal  philosopher.  It  is  formed  upon  the 
basis  of  the  authorized  translation,  from  which, 
however,  I  have  sometimes  taken  the  liberty  to 


SECT.  VI.]  DISSERTATION.  Xcix 

depart;  but  in  no  instance  without  what  appears 
to  me  the  most  urgent  necessity,  or  without  being 
supported  by  the  soundest  principles  of  criticism. 
These  departures  from  the  standard  version  are 
not  many;  and  wherever  a  different  rendering  is 
adopted,  it  is  indicated  by  the  annexation  of  an 
asterisk  in  the  margin. 

The  accompanying  Notes  are  intended  to 
establish  the  scope  and  design  of  the  work,  to 
point  out  the  chain  of  argument,  and  to  embody 
such  observations  as  seem  proper  to  enforce  and 
elucidate  the  whole.  I  have  also  added  some 
Critical  Notes,  designed  either  to  show  the  cor- 
rectness of  the  received  version,  or  to  confirm, 
by  critical  reasons,  some  other  rendering  here 
adopted,  or  to  discuss  briefly  some  grammatical 
and  philological  question.  As  such  remarks  are 
only  intelligible  to  the  learned  reader,  they  are 
placed  at  the  end,  as  an  Appendix,  with  proper 
references. 

The  general  principles  by  which  I  have  been 
guided  in  this  Illustration  of  Ecclesiastes  being 
precisely  the  same  as  in  my  Attempt  towards  an 
Improved  Translation  of  the  Proverbs,  in  the 
Preliminary  Dissertation  to  which  they  are  fully 
detailed,  it  is  unnecessary  to  repeat  them  here; 
I  shall,  therefore,  conclude  these  remarks  with  a 


C  PRELIMINARY  [sECT.    VT, 

few  observations  relative  to  attempts  like  the  one 
w^hich  is  now  submitted  to  the  public. 

Mr.  Bellamy's  projected  translation  of  the 
Bible,  ushered  into  the  world  with  the  most 
presumptuous  claims,  and  with  a  declared  con- 
tempt for  all  former  translators,  has  naturally 
awakened  the  attention  of  the  learned  to  the 
merits  of  our  authorized  version.  He  openly 
avers,  that  "  the  common  translations,  in  all  the 
European  languages,  were  made  from  the  modern 
Septuagint  and  the  Vulgate  ;"  that  '*  the  present 
authorized  version,  and  all  the  national  versions 
of  Europe,  were  translated  from  the  Vulgate;" 
that  our  translators  ''  confined  themselves  to  the 
Septuagint  and  the  Vulgate ;  so  that  this  was 
only  working  in  the  harness  of  the  first  translators ; 
no  translation  having  then  been  made,  from  the 
original  Hebrew  only,  for  1400  years."*  The 
gross  absurdity  of  these  assertions  scarcely  re- 
quires the  refutation,  though  their  pernicious 
tendency  deserves  the  severe  castigation,  they 
have  received  from  Todd,  Whittaker,  Hyman 
Hurwitz,  and  the  Quarterly  Reviewer;  by  whom 
the  general  excellence  of  the  English  Bible  has 
been  unanswerably  demonstrated. 

*  Bellamy's  General  Preface^  p.  1, 2,  and  Introduction,  p.  40.  In  these 
assertions  he  is  followed  by  Sir  James  Bland  Biirges,  Reasons  in  favour  of 
a  new  Translation,  p.  124. 


SECT.  VI.]  DISSERTATION.  Clr 

It  remains  a  question,  however,  whether  the 
laudable  zeal  of  these  writers,  in  defence  of  the 
English  version,  has  not  carried  them  too  far. 
Neither  the  critical  learning  of  our  Translators 
was,  perhaps,  so  great,  nor  the  execution  of  their 
task  so  perfect  as  these  authors  lead  us  to  sup- 
pose; and  the  impression  upon  my  own  mind, 
from  a  perusal  of  their  performances,  is,  that  they 
tend  to  exalt  the  merits  of  the  English  Bible 
somewhat  beyond  what  any  translation  can  justly 
claim.  I  would  go  a  great  way,  though  not  the 
whole  length,  with  these  able  advocates ;  and 
yield  to  none  in  sincere  respect  for  the  general 
fidelity  and  excellence  of  the  standard  version. 
Still  I  am  convinced  that  it  has  numerous  defects, 
that  it  is  in  some  places  unintelligible,  in  many 
erroneous,  and  in  more  might  be  improved. 
Even  one  of  the  learned  antagonists  of  Mr. 
Bellamy  acknowledges,  that  '*  the  English  trans- 
lation contains  blemishes  which  call  for  cor- 
rection, and  they  who  are  most  attached  to  it  are 
the  most  anxious  to  see  them  removed."* 

These  faults,  it  is  readily  granted,  are  not  of 
such  a  nature  as  to  affect  essentially  any  article 
of  faith,  or  any  rule  of  duty ;  but  they  are,  never- 
theless, faults,  and  surely  it  must  be  owned,  that 

*  Whittaker's  Historical  and  Critical  Inquiry,  &c.  p.  40. ;  see  also  p.  110. 


Cii  PRELIMINARY  [sECT.  VI. 

it  would  be  better,  were  it  possible,  to  have  them 
rectified.  For  this  reason  many  sound  and 
eminent  divines  have  recommended  a  revision  by 
public  authority ;  but,  with  deference  to  their 
judgment,  it  may  well  be  doubted  whether  the 
period  has  yet  arrived  for  the  due  execution  of 
an  undertaking  so  momentous.* 

Questions  of  Scriptural  criticism  remain  un- 
decided sufficiently  numerous  to  preclude  the 
hope  of  giving  universal,  or  even  general  satis- 
faction, by  a  new  revision  of  the  public  translation. 
It  is  yet  in  dispute  what  text  should  be  estab- 
lished for  the  basis  of  an  improved  version, 
whether  the  received  text,  as  I  am  inclined  to 
believe,  should  be  followed,  or  it  should  be  in- 
novated upon  by  bold  and  (shall  I  say?)  pre- 
sumptuous critics.  It  is  not  agreed  what  credit 
may  be  due  to  the  kindred  dialects,  nor  how  far 
the  ancient  versions  should  prevail.  We  are  still 
destitute  of  the  critical  editions  of  the  Syriac 
version  and  the  Targums ;  nor  have  the  stu- 
pendous efforts  of  modern  intellect  removed  all 
the  obscurities  in  which  many  passages  of  the 
Inspired  Writings  are  involved. 

•  See  Remarks  on  the  Critical  Principles  adopted  by  Writers  who  have 
recommended  a  New  Translation  of  the  BihlCy  8vo,  Oxford,  1220,  and  the 
same  anonymous  Author's  Reply  to  Professor  Lee,  8vo,  Oxford,  1821,  in 
both  of  which  Pamphlets  there  are  some  excellent  observations  on  this 
subject. 


SECT.  VI.]  DISSERTATION.  ciu 

Under  these  circumstances,  an  authorized  re- 
vision of  the  English  Bible,  instead  of  producing 
any  substantial  good,  is  more  likely  to  create 
division  and  dissension,  to  augment  the  bitterness 
of  controversy,  and  to  animate  the  fury  of  con- 
tending zeal.  Whatever  alterations  are  made, 
they  will  be  considered,  by  different  sects  and 
parties,  as  more  or  less  affecting  their  respective 
tenets;  and  there  can  be  no  tame  spectator  of 
an  attempt,  in  which  all  will  believe  their  vital 
interests  are  concerned.  In  the  present  dis- 
tempered state  of  the  public  mind,  the  most 
disastrous  consequences  might  be  apprehended 
from  an  undertaking  which  would  almost  in- 
evitably plunge  it  into  the  turbulent  ocean  of 
polemical  theology.  While  rival  scholars  would 
support  their  several  systems  with  the  stubborn- 
ness of  preconceived  opinion,  the  belief  of  well- 
meaning,  but  illiterate,  minds  would  be  liable  to 
be  shaken  by  a  change  in  what  they  have  been 
accustomed  to  revere  as  the  standard  of  their 
faith.  The  style  and  phraseology  of  the  au- 
thorized version  have  become  venerable;  it  has 
acquired  a  sacredness  of  character  by  being 
handed  down,  for  two  centuries,  from  father  to 
son,  as  the  Word  of  God ;  its  very  errors  are, 
in  a  manner,  consecrated  by  the  reverential  re- 
spect of  the  people ;  and  it  is  not  likely  that  any 
superior  accuracy  would,   in  the  present  feverish 


civ  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.    VI. 

state    of   public    opinion,    compensate   for   the 
dangers  of  innovation. 

Nor  would  the  danger  be  altogether  avoided 
by  commencing  the  design  with  a  few  alterations, 
such  as  the  generality  of  Biblical  scholars  would 
approve ;  for,  be  the  alterations  greater  or  less, 
some  would,  probably,  consider  them  as  levelled 
against  their  peculiar  opinions,  while  the  ignorant 
and  prejudiced  would,  most  likely,  be  shocked 
by  any  change  in  what  they  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  revere.  It  is,  in  all  cases,  a  hazardous 
attempt  to  alarm  the  religious  feelings  of  the 
people.  With  whatever  specious  pretences  re- 
form may  be  recommended,  it  is  always  a  mea- 
sure of  peril,  unless  the  necessity  be  evident,  and 
most  of  all  in  the  article  of  religion ;  a  subject  so 
identified  with  the  most  exalted  hopes,  so  inter- 
woven with  the  noblest  sentiments  and  most 
generous  feelings  of  the  soul,  that  it  is  neither 
politic  nor  wise  to  tamper  with  that,  around 
which  she  throws  the  veil  of  her  consecration. 

Were  an  improved  version  substituted,  it  may 
reasonably  be  feared  that  it  would  excite,  in  the 
minds  of  many,  a  desire  of  further  change,  to  the 
progress  of  which  it  would  not  be  easy  to  set 
bounds.  At  present  all  sects  and  parties  have 
one  common  standard,  to  which  they  appeal  in 


SECT.    VI.]  DISSERTATION.  CT 

their  interminable  controversies ;  but  if  a  revised 
translation  were  substituted  by  public  authority, 
the  half-learned  would  plume  themselves  by  ad- 
vancing their  crude  conceptions  in  opposition  to 
it ;  the  pride  and  independence  of  sectarianism, 
it  is  reasonable  to  suppose,  would  reject  it  as  the 
mandate  of  spiritual  tyranny ;  different  sects  might 
possibly  claim  a  right  of  representing  their  sense 
of  the  original  in  a  version  for  their  own  use ;  and 
when  it  is  further  considered,  that  every  version, 
in  some  degree,  receives  a  tincture  from  the  pe- 
culiar bias  of  the  translator ;  that  all  men  are 
prone  to  believe,  upon  slender  evidence,  what- 
ever favours  their  own  dogmas ;  and  that,  in  this 
age,  every  means  which  ingenuity  can  devise  are 
eagerly  pursued  to  inculcate  the  prejudices  of 
dissent,  we  might  expect  to  see  Calvinistic  and 
Arminian,  Swedenborgian  and  Socinian  Bibles. 
A  manifest  tendency  to  such  a  state  of  things 
appears  in  the  attempts  of  the  Unitarian  Society 
for  Promoting  the  Knowledge  of  the  Scriptures, 
under  whose  auspices  have  been  published  Dod- 
son's  New  Translation  of  Isaiah,  formed  in  sup- 
port of  their  tenets,  and  what  is  called  unimproved 
Version  of  the  New  Testament,  which,  for  ab- 
surdity of  exposition,  prostitution  of  criticism, 
and  perversion  of  the  Apostolic  meaning,  is  un- 
equalled in  the  annals  of  sacred  literature,  and, 
it  is  to  be  hoped,  will  ever  remain  without  a  rival, 
p 


Cvi  PRELIMINARY  [SECT.   VI. 

Considering  the  temper  of  the  age,  the  benefit 
to  be  expected  from  a  revivsion  of  the  English 
translation  bears  no  proportion  to  the  evil.  Its 
general  fidelity  and  truth  are  attested  by  all  who 
are  competent  to  form  a  sound  judgment  of  it; 
and  it  would  surely  be  unwise  to  encounter  the 
real  danger  of  alteration  for  problematical  good. 
Give  to  translation  all  the  perfection  which  is 
possible  to  human  ability,  it  is  still  of  less  au- 
thority than  the  original ;  it  is  only  a  transfusion 
of  the  truth ;  and  the  derivative  stream  can  never 
rival  the  freshness  and  limpid  purity  of  the  foun- 
tain from  which  it  flows.  Whatever  version  be 
enjoined  for  public  use,  it  will  still  remain  the 
duty,  of  such  as  have  the  ability,  to  investigate 
Divine  truth  at  its  source,  in  the  Hebrew,  Chaldee, 
and  Greek  originals.  To  this  source  the  learned 
ought  and  will  apply  for  the  establishment  of 
their  faith ;  and  the  unlearned  may  be  abundantly 
satisfied  with  the  authorized  translation,  which 
is  doctrinally  correct,  inimitable  for  its  dignified 
simplicity,  and  fully  adequate  to  all  the  pur- 
poses of  reproof,  of  correction,  of  instruction  in 
righteousness. 

It  is  not  intended  to  assert  the  absolute  per- 
fection of  the  English  version,  or  the  inexpe- 
diency of  ever  attempting  its  improvement;  but 
only,  that  neither  the  state  of  theological  learning, 


SfiCT.    VI.]  DISSERTATION.  CVii 

nor  the  spirit  of  the  times,  are  such  as  to  ren- 
der a  revision,  at  present,  either  wise  or  expe- 
dient. To  free  it  from  the  imperfections  which 
it  confessedly  has,  is  a  design  truly  excellent, 
were  it  practicable ;  and  the  time  will,  doubtless, 
come  when  it  may  be  executed  with  safety ;  but, 
if  there  is  any  force  in  the  preceding  observations, 
it  has  not  yet  arrived.  The  most  efficacious 
means  of  hastening  the  accomplishment  of  an 
object  so  desirable  is,  to  promote  the  diffusion  of 
religious  knowledge,  for  the  projected  improve- 
ment must  follow,  not  precede,  public  opinion. 
A  change  in  matters  relating  to  religion,  except 
the  public  are  prepared  for  it,  can  seldom,  if  ever, 
be  attempted  with  success.  They  must,  in  some 
measure,  invite  it,  or  they  will  take  the  alarm ; 
and  no  people  ever  suffered  the  invasion  of  what 
they  deem  their  religious  interests,  without  op- 
position and  without  a  struggle. 

Let  those  scholars,  therefore,  whose  duty  it 
more  especially  is  to  be  mighty  in  the  Scriptures, 
apply,  with  unabating  ardour,  to  their  critical 
illustration.  Let  them  communicate  the  result 
of  their  inquiries  in  works  intended,  like  the 
present  performance,  for  the  closet  and  for  the 
edification  of  the  private  reader.  In  short,  let 
every  aspirant  at  the  shrine  of  theology  throw 
his  mite  into  the  treasury  of  sacred  criticism,  in 


'      Cviii  PRELIMINARY,    &C.  [SECT.    VI, 

the  pleasing  hope  that  the  period  will  arrive, 
when,  through  the  progress  of  Biblical  learning, 
and  the  influence  of  Christian  dispositions,  una- 
nimity in  articles  of  faith  will  more  prevail ;  when 
the  perturbed  spirit  of  party,  if  it  will  not  entirely 
vanish,  will,  at  least,  be  deprived  of  its  virulence; 
and  when  the  combined  labours  of  theologians 
may  produce  a  more  perfect  representation  of 
the  sacred  original  than  the  world  has  yet  seen. 


ANALYTICAL  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 

SECT. 

1.  The  vanity  of  all  earthly  things.— Ch.  i.  2. 

2.  The  unprofitableness  of  human  labour,  and  the  transitoriness 

of  human  life. — Ch.  i.  3 — 11. 

3.  The  vanity  of  laborious  inquiries  into  the  ways  and  works 

of  man.— Ch.  i.  12 — 18. 

4.  Luxury  and  pleasure  are  only  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit. 

— Ch.  ii.  1—11. 

5.  Though  the  wise  excel  fools,  yet,  as  death  happens  to  them 

both,  human  learning  is  but  vanity. — Ch.  ii.  12 — 17. 

6.  The  vanity  of  human  labour,  in  leaving  it  they  know  not  to 

whom. — Ch.  ii.  18 — 23. 

7.  The  emptiness  of  sensual  enjoyments. — Ch.  ii.  24 — 26. 

8.  Though  there  is  a  proper  time  for  the  execution  of  all  human 

purposes,  yet  are  they  useless  and  vain;  the  Divine 
counsels,  however,  are  immutable. — Ch.  iii.  1 — 14. 

9.  The  vanity  of  human  pursuits  proved  from  the  wickedness 

prevailing  in  courts  of  justice,  contrasted  with  the 
righteous  judgment  of  God. — Ch.  iii.  15 — 17. 

10.  Though  life,  considered  in  itself,  is  vanity,  for  men  die  as 

well  as  beasts,  yet,  in  the  end,  it  will  be  very  different 
with  the  spirit  of  man  and  that  of  beasts. — Ch.  iii. 
18—  22. 

11.  Vanity  is  increased  unto  men  by  oppression. — Ch.  iv.  1 — 3. 

12.  The  vanity  of  prosperity. — Ch.  iv.  4. 

13.  The  vanity  of  folly,  or  of  preferring  the  world  to  True 

Wisdom.— Ch.  iv.  5 — 6. 

14.  The  vanity  of  covetousness. — Ch.  iv.  7 — 8, 


ex  TABLE    OF    CONTENTS. 

SECT. 

16.     Though   society   has  its   advantages,    yet  dominion   and 
empire  are  but  vanity. — Ch.  iv.  9 — 16. 

16.  Errors  in  the  performance  of  Divine  worship,  which  render 

it  vain  and  unprotitable. — Ch.  v,  1 — 7. 

1 7.  The  vanity  of  murmuring  at  injustice ;  for  though  the  oppres- 

sion of  the  poor  and  the  perversion  of  judgment  greatly 
prevail,  they  do  not  escape  the  notice  of  the  Almighty. 
— Ch.  V.  8—9. 

18.  The  vanity  of  riches;  with  an  admonition  as  to  the  moderate 

enjoyment  of  them. — Ch.  v.  10 — 20. 

19.  The  vanity  of  avarice. — Ch.  vi,  1 — 9. 

PART  II. 

20.  Since  all  human  designs,  labours,  and  enjoyments  are  vain, 

it  is  natural  to  inquire,  What  is  good  for  man  ?  What  is 
his  Supreme  Good  ?  (Ch.  vi.  10 — 12.)  The  answer  is 
contained  in  the  remainder  of  the  book. 

21.  The  praise  of  character  and  reputation. — Ch.  vii.  1. 

22.  Affliction  improves  the  heart,  and  exalts  the  character  of 

the  wise. — Ch.  vii.  2 — 10. 

23.  The  excellence  of  Wisdom. — Ch.  vii.  11 — 14. 

24.  An  objection,  with  the  answer. — Ch.  vii.  15,  viii.  7. 

25.  The   evil   of   wickedness   shows  the   advantage   of  True 

Wisdom.— Ch.  viii.  8—13. 

26.  An  objection,  with  the  answer. — Ch.  viii.  14,  ix.  1. 

27.  An  objection,  with  the  answer. — Ch.  ix.  2,  x.  17. 

28.  The  banefulness  of  sloth. — Ch.  x.  18. 

29.  The  power  of  wealth.— Ch.  x.  19. 

30.  An  exhortation  against  speaking  evil  of  dignities. — Ch.  x. 

20. 

31.  Exhortation  to  charity  and  benevolence. — Ch,  xi.  1 — 10. 

32.  An  exhortation  to  the  early  cultivation  of  religious  habits. 

— Ch.  xii.  1—7. 

33.  The  conclusion. —  Ch.  xii.  8 — 14. 


A  PARAPHRASE 


UPON   THE 


BOOK  OF  ECCLESIASTES, 


Those  words  which,  in  the  authorized  version,  are  printed 
in  ItaUcs,  are  included  within  Brackets  in  the  following  Para- 
phrase. 

The  Asterisk  (*)  in  the  margin  denotes  that  some  alteration 
is  made  in  the  authorized  translation  of  the  verse  to  which  it  is 
annexed. 


A  PARAPHRASE 


UPON   THE 


BOOK  OF  ECCLESIASTES. 


PART  I. 


TITLE  OF  THE  BOOK. 


Chapter  I. 


1*The  words  oi  Solomon,  the  Preacher,  the  son 
of  David,  kmg  in  Jerusalem. 

Sect.  I. — The    Vanity  of    all   earthly 

Things. 

2  With  respect  to  the  Chief  Good  of  man,  the 
things  of  this  world  are  vanity  of  vanities, 
saith  the  Preacher ;  they  are  indeed  vanity  of 
vanities  ;  yes,  all  [is]  vanity,  being  incapable  of 
re7idering  him  happy,  and  of  securing  his  highest 
interests, 
Q 


ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    I. 


Sect.  II. — The  Unprofitableness  of  Hu- 
man Labour,  and  the  Transitoriness 
OF  Human  Life. 

3  In  proof  of  this  vanity  of  all  things^  what 
profit  hath  a  man,  as  far  as  regards  his  Chief 
Good,  of  all  his  labour  which  he  taketh  under 
the    sun?        Humafi  labours  cannot  produce 

4  happiness;  they  are  too  transitory,  for  [one] 
generation  passeth  away,  and  [another]  gener- 
ation Cometh;  but  the  earth,  nevertheless, 
abideth  for  ever,  as  the  abode  of  successive  and 

6  fleeting  generations  of  men.  The  sun  also 
ariseth,  and  the  sun  goeth  down,  and  hasteth 

6  to  his  place  where  he  arose.  The  wind  goeth 
toward  the  south,  and  turneth  about  unto  the 
north ;  it  whirleth  about  continually ;  and  the 
wind  returneth  again  according  to  his  circuits. 

7  All  the  rivers  run  into  the  sea ;  yet  the  sea  [is] 
not  full :  unto  the  place  from  whence  the 
rivers  come,  thither  they  return  again.  Thus 
terrestrial  nature  performs  its  stated  courses 
and  revolutions  perpetually ;  but  ivhen  man  dies 
he  appears  no  more  on  the  earth:  what  solid 
good,  then,  can  be  expected  from  the  labours  of 

S*so  transitory  a  being  !  Besides,  all  things  in 
which  man  so  anxiously  toils  are  wearisome ; 
man  cannot  utter  [it :]  the  eye  is  not  satisfied 
with  seeing,  nor  the  ear  filled  and  satiated 
with  hearing.     And  this  must  he  the  case,  since 


CHAP.    I.]  ECCLESIASTES.  5 

life  is  subjected  to  a  continual  round  of  the 

9  same  things ;  for  the  thing  that  hath  been,   it 

[is  that]  which  shall  be;  and  that  which  is 

done,   [is]  that   which    shall  be   done:    and 

10  [there  is]  no  new  [thing]  under  the  sun.  Is 
there  [any]  thing  whereof  it  may  be  said.  See, 
this  [is]  new?  It  hath  been  already  of  old 
time,  which  was  before  us.  This  is  certain; 
yet  ive  need  not  he  surprised  if  it  should  not 
appear  so  to  us,  considering  the  defects  of  all 

11  historical  records,  since  [there  is]  no  perfect 
remembrance  of  former  [things;]  neither  shall 
there  be  [any]  perfect  remembrance  of  [things] 
that  are  to  come  with  [those]  that  shall  come 
?iiieYivards. 

Sect.    III.^ — The    Vanity    of    laborious 
Inquiries  into  the  Ways  and  Works 

OF  Man. 

12*     I,  Solomon,    the   Preacher,    am  king  over 

13  Israel,  in  Jerusalem.  And  I  gave  my  heart  to 
seek  and  search  out  by  wisdom  concerning  all 
human  [things]  that  are  done  under  heaven : 
this  sore  travail  hath  God  given  to  the  sons 
of  man,  to  be  exercised  therewith,  i,  e.  as  a 
trial  of  their  patience,  humility,  and  resigjiaiion. 

14  I  have  seen  and  diligently  investigated  all  the 
works  that  are  done  by  men  under  the  sun : 
and,  behold,  all  such  study  and  inquiry  [is] 
vanity  in  regard  to  the  Chief  Good  of  man, 


6  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    I. 

and  rather  produces  vexation   of  spirit  than 

15  substantial  happiness.  [That  which  is]  crooked 
cannot  be  made  straight  by  such  knowledge; 
and  it  is  at  best  so  imperfect,  that  that  which 
is  wanting  and  defective  in  it  cannot  be  num- 

16  bered.  This  conclusion  is  confirmed  by  my 
oivn  experience,  for  I  communed  with  mine 
own  heart,  saying,  Lo,  I  am  come  to  great 
estate,  and  have  gotten  more  wisdom,  respect- 
ing the  pursuits  and  ivorks  of  man,  than  all 
[they]  that  have  been  before  me  in  Jerusalem'; 
yea,   my  heart  had  great  experience  of  this 

17  hind  of  wisdom  and  knowledge.  And  I  gave 
my  heart,  laboured  diligently  to  know  the 
tvorks  and  pursuits  of  human  wisdom,  and  also 
to  know  the  ivorks  and  pursuits  of  human 
madness  and  folly ;  but  I  perceived  that  the 
ardent  thirst  after  this  knowledge  also  is  pro- 

18  ductive  of  vexation  of  spirit.  For  in  much 
wisdom,  of  this  description,  [is]  much  grief; 
and  he  that  increaseth  knowledge  of  the  la- 
bours, either  of  human  wisdom  or  human  folly, 
increaseth  sorrow,  since  he  perceives  the  more 
clearly,  and  thereby  laments  the  more  deeply, 
the  vanity  of  all  human  pursuits. 

Sect.  IV. — Luxury  and  Pleasure  are 

ONLY  VANITY  AND  VEXATION  OF  SpIRIT. 

Chap.  II.  1.     Beiisig   disappointed  in  my 
expectations    of  happiness  from    curious   and 


CHAP.   II.]  ECCLESIASTES.  7 

philosophical  speculations^  I  said  in  mine  heart, 
Go  to  now,  I  will  prove  thee  with  mirth; 
therefore  enjoy  pleasure,  andtiy  whether  luxury 
and  merriment  afford  more  solid  satisfaction ; 
and,  behold,  this  also  [is]  vanity,  as  I  found 

2  from  experience.     I  said  of  loud  and  excessive 

laughter,  [it  is]  mad ;  it  is  a  mere  phrensy  of 
the  mind;   and   of  extravagant   mirth,    what 

3  doeth  [it]  as  to  rational  satisfaction  ?  I  also 
made  trial  of  another  kind  of  luxury  and  plea- 
sure^ and  sought  in  mine  heart  to  give  myself 
unto  wine,  (yet,  at  the  same  time,  acquainting 
mine  heart  with  wisdom,  and  conducting  my- 
self with  discretion,)  and  to  lay  hold  on  other 
pleasures  which,  in  the  end,  are  found  to  be 
foUy^  till,  by  these  experiments,  I  might  see 
what  [was]  that  real  good  for  the  sons  of  men, 
which  they  should  do  and  pursue  under  the 

4  heaven  all  the  days  of  their  life.  In  further- 
ance ^of  this  object,  I  made  me  great  and 
magnificent  works ;   I  builded  me  houses ;  I 

5  planted  me  vineyards ;  I  made  me  gardens 
and  orchards  ;  and  I  planted  trees  in  them  of 

6  all  [kind  of]  fruits ;  I  made  me  pools  of 
water,  to  water  therewith  the  wood  or  nursery 

7  that  bringeth  forth  trees ;  I  got  [me]  servants 
and  maidens,  and  had  servants  born  in  my 
house;  also  I  had  great  possessions  of  great 
and   small  cattle,  of  herds  and  flocks,  above 


8  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    I. 

8*all  that  were  in  Jerusalem  before  me :  I 
gathered  me  also  silver  and  gold,  and  the 
peculiar  treasure  of  kings  and  of  the  pro- 
vinces ;  I  gat  me  men-singers  and  women- 
singers  ;  and,  in  short,  I  procured  all  the  de- 

9  lights  of  human  luxury.  So  I  was  great, 
and  increased  in  wealth  and  splendour  more 
than  all  that  were  before  me  in  Jerusalem; 
also  amid  these  scenes  of  royal  luxury  and  mag- 
nificence my  wisdom,  which  ivas  the  gift  of 
God,  remained  with  me  unimpaired;  {ver.  3.) 
10  And  thus,  preserving  the  empire  of  reason,  I 
proved  my  heart  with  pleasure,  and  whatsoever 
mine  eyes  desired  I  kept  not  from  them ;  I 
withheld  not  my  heart  from  any  joy  it  desired; 
and  I  enjoyed  all  the  delights  this  could  afford, 
for  my  heart  rejoiced  for  a  season  in  all  my 
labour  tvhich  I  took  in  the  pu7  suit  of  pleasure; 
and,  after  all,  this  was  my  portion,  the  only 
thing  that  accrued  to  me,  of  all   my  labour, 

ll*that  I  looked  and  mused  on  all  the  works  that 
my  hands  had  wrought,  and  on  the  labour 
that  I  had  laboured  to  do  in  expectation  of 
obtaining  happiness  from  luxury  and  self- 
indulgence;  and,  behold,  all  [was]  vanity  in 
respect  to  the  Supreme  Good,  and  produced 
vexation  of  spirit,  instead  of  substantial  hap- 
piness: and,  as  far  as  regards  the  real  end  of 
life,  [there  was]  no  profit  in  them  under  the  sun. 


CHAP.  II.]  ECCLESIASTES.  9 


Sect.  V. — Though  the  Wise  excel  Fools, 
YET,  AS  Death  happens  to  them  both, 
Human  Learning  is  but  Vanity. 

12  And  I  turned  myself  to  behold  and  to 
contemplate  the  wisdom,  and  madness,  and  folly 
q/*  mankind;  {and  the  result  7nerits  attention, 
for  what  more  in  this  research  [can]  the  man 
[do,]  whoever  he  may  he,  that  cometh  after  the 
king  ?  He  can  only  do  [even]  that  which  hath 
been  already  done  hy  me ;  he  can  form  no  other 

13  judgment  than  I  have  done.)  Then  I  saw,  iii- 
deed,from  such  an  inquiry,  that  human  wisdom 
excelleth  human  folly,  as  far  as  light,  which 
discloses  the  beauties  of  creation,  excelleth  dark- 
ness, which  conceals  them  in  obscurity:  because 

14  the  wise  man's  eyes  [are]  in  his  head,  in  con- 
sequence of  ivhich  he  sees  and  avoids  dangers ; 
but  the  fool  walketh  in  darkness,  arid  stumbles 
into  fatal  errors:  diii&yet,  notwithstanding  this 
superiority  of  worldly  wisdom^,  I,  myself,  per- 
ceived also  that  one  events  deaths  happeneth 

15  to  them  all.  Then  said  I  in  my  heart.  This 
is  the  case  that  as  it  happeneth  to  the  fool,  so 
it  happeneth  even  to  me  who  excel  in  wisdom, 
both  being  subject  to  misery  and  death;  and 
why  was  I  then  solicitous  to  become  more  wise 
than  others,  since  I  am  not  thereby  exempted 

from  the  stroke  of  fate  ?     Then  I  said  in  my 
heart,  that  this  earthly  ivisdom  also  [is]  vanitj 


10  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    I. 

10  and  inadequate  to  ensure  complete  satisfaction, 
besides,  as  the  ivise  and  foolish  are  subject  to  the 
same  calamities  in  life,  so  are  they  to  the  same 
oblivion  ivhen  dead;  for  [there  is]  no  perfect 
remembrance  of  the  wise  after  deaths  more 
than  of  the  fool  for  ever ;  seeing  that  which  now 
[is,]  in  the  days  to  come  shall  all  be  forgotten : 
and  how  dieth  the  wise  [man?]  as  the  fool. 
As  far  as  human  wisdom  is  concerned^  there  is 

17*no  difference.  Therefore  1  was  weary  of  the 
life  I IV as  leading;  because  the  work  that  is 
wrought  under  the  sun  ivith  a  view  to  procure 
real  happiness  [is]  found  by  trial  to  be  griev- 
ous unto  me :  for  all  of  it  [is]  vanity  in  regard 
to  mans  Sovereign  Good,  and  rather  produces 
vexation  of  spirit  than  substantial  happiness. 

Sect.  VI. — The  Vanity  of  Human  Labour, 

IN  LEAVING  IT  THEY  KNOW  NOT  TO  WHOM. 

18*  Yea,  I  was  weary  of  all  my  labour  which  I 
had  taken  under  the  sun  in  search  of  perma- 
nent satisfaction ;  because  I  cannot  long  enjoy 
the  fruits  of  it,  and  must  leave  it  unto  the  man 

19  that  shall  be  after  me.  And  who  knoweth 
whether  he  shall  be  a  wise  [man,]  and  use  it 
well,  or  a  fool  and  abuse  it  ?  Yet,  whatever 
may  he  his  character,  shall  he  have  rule  over 
all  the  fruit  of  my  labour  wherein  I  have  la- 
boured, and  wherein  I  have  showed  myself 
worldly  wise  under  the  sun.     This  [is]  labour 


CHAP.    II.]  ECCLESIASTES.  1! 

in  secular  works,  also  vanity,  and  disappoints 
20  expectation.  Therefore,  being  convinced  of  the 
emptiness  of  those  acquisitions  which  are  both 
u7isatisfa£tory  in  themselves,  and  may  fall  into 
the  hands  of  fools,  I  went  about  to  cause  my 
heart  to  despair  of  reaping  any  substantial 
good  from  all  the  labour  which  I  took  under 
21*the  sun.  For,  granting  that  there  is  a  man 
whose  labour  in  the  things  of  this  world  hath 
been  conducted  with  wisdom,  and  with  know- 
ledge, and  with  success ;  yet  to  a  man  that 
hath  not  laboured  therein  shall  he  leave  it  [for] 
his  portion.  This  labour  also  [is]  vanity  in 
regard  to  man's  Chief  Good,  and  a  great  evil. 

22  For  what  real  advantage  hath  man  of  [fom] 
all  hisldhour  in  worldly  pursuits,  and  of  [from] 
the  vexation  of  his  heart  ivhich  such  labour 
creates,  and  wherein  he  hath  laboured  under 

23  the  sun?  Norie  that  is  really  satisfactory;  for 
all  his  days  passed  in  such  ivorks  [are]  attended 
with  sorrows,  and  his  travail  in  them  is  pro- 
ductive of  grief:  yea,  through  anxiety  about 
them,  his  heart  taketh  no  rest  in  the  night. 
This  labour  is  also  vanity  in  regard  to  man's 
Sovereign  Good. 

Sect.  VII. — The  Emptiness  of  Sensual 
Enjoyments. 

24*  The  Chief  Good  ofnfien  consists  not  in  sensual 
enjoyments,   for    the    man   enjoys    not    true 

R 


12  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    I. 

happiness  that  eats  and  drinks,  and  lives 
luxuriously,  and  indulges  himself  with  the 
fruit  of  all  his  labour.  This  ordination  also  I 
perceive  is  from  the  hand  of  God  ;  and  I  have 

25^^  proved  the  truth  of  it  from  experience  ^  for  who 
can   eat,    or   who    can    hasten    to   luxurious 

26  ENJOYMENTS  morc  than  I  ?  Yet  1  have  only 
reaped  from  them  mortification  and  disgust. 
Such  indulgences,  being  criminal,  are  delusive, 
for  [God]  giveth  to  a  man  that  [is]  good  in 
his  sight,  wisdom,  and  knowledge,  and  joy ; 
but  to  the  sinner  he  giveth  travail,  to  gather, 
and  to  heap  up,  that  he  may  give  to  [him  that 
is]  good  before  God.  This  gratification  of 
sense  also  [is]  vanity  ^w  regard  to  the  Chief 
Good,  and  rather  produces  vexation  of  spirit 
than  true  happiness. 

Sect.  VIII. — Though  there  is  a  proper 
Time  for  the  execution  of  all  Human 
Purposes,  yet  are  they  useless  and 
vain;  the  Divine  Counsels,  however, 
are  immutable. 

Chap.  III.  1.  Though  all  secidar  works 
and  pursuits  are  insufficient  to  ensure  complete 
satisfaction,  it  is  not  intended  to  pronounce 
them  criminal;  they  not  only  may,  hut  ought  to 
he  performed;  for  to  every  [thing  there  is]  a 
fit  and  appropriate  season^  and  a  proper  time 
to  execute  every  purpose  under  heaven :  there 


CHAP.  III.]  ECCLESIASTES.  13 

2  is  a  predetenninate  time  to  be  born,  and  a 
predeterminate  time  to  die;  a  proper  time  to 
plant,  and  a  time  to  pluck  up  [that  which  is] 

3  planted  ;  a  time  to  kill  judicially/,  and  a  time 
proper  for  attempting  to  heal  and  recover 
health;  a  time  to  break  down  a  building,  and 

4  a  time  to  build  up  another;  a  time  to  weep, 
and  a  time  to  laugh  ;  a  time  to  mourn,  and  a 

5  time  to  dance ;  a  time  to  cast  away  stones, 
and  a  time  to  gather  stones  together ;  a  time 
to  embrace,  and  a  time  to  refrain  from  em- 

6  bracing  ;  a  time  to  get,  and  a  time  to  lose ;  a 

7  time  to  keep,  and  a  time  to  cast  away ;  a  time 
to  rend,   and  a  time  to  sew;  a  time  to  keep 

8  silence,  and  a  time  to  speak ;  a  time  to  love, 
and  a  time  to  hate;  a  time  of  war,  and  a 
time  of  peace.  JBut,  though  there  is  a  Jit 
season  tvhen  every  purpose  of  man  may  he  ex- 
ecuted ivithout  hlame,  yet,  ivith  respect  to  the 

9  true  end  of  being,  what  profit  hath  he  that 
worketh  in  that  wherein  he  laboureth?  No7ie; 

for  he  is  still  as  far  from  happiness  as  before. 

10  This  is  the  result  of  my  researches,  and  I  have 
seen  and  considered  the  travail  which  God 
hath  given  to  the  sons  of  men,  to  be  exercised 
by  it  and  in  it.     And  I  find  that,   although 

ll*he  hath  made  every  thing  beautiful  in  its 
season,  and  established  the  course  of  nature 
with  transcendent  ivisdom ;  yet  he  hath  also 
put  obscurity  in  the  mid^st  of  them,  his  ivork^ 


14  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    I, 

being  intricate  and  mysterious^  so  that  man, 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  cannot  find 
out  and  perfectly  comprehend  the  work  that 

12  God  doeth.  Yet,  notwithstanding  this  in- 
scrutability of  Gods  ivorks^  I  know  that  [there 
is]  no  good  in  them,  but  for  [a  man]  to  rejoice^ 
to  be  content  with,  and  grateful  for  them,  and 
to  do  good  in  his  life,  to  himself  by  such  a 
becoming  enjoyment  of  terrestrial  things,  and 

13  to  others,  by  a  liberal  and  charitable  use.  And 
also  that  every  man  should  be  permitted  to  eat 
and  drink,  and  enjoy  the  good  of  all  his 
labour,  it  [is]  the  gift  of  God,   arising  from 

14  his  benevolent  ordination;  and  I  know  that 
whatsoever  God  doeth,  it  shall  be  for  ever, 
it  shall  be  immutable;  nothing  can  be  put  to 
it,  nor  anything  taken  from  it;  and  God  doeth 
[it]ybr  this  end  and  purpose ^  that  [men]  should 
fear  before  him;  all  his  works  being  ordered 
in  the  manner  best  calctdated  to  inspire  religious 
reverence  and  veneration. 

Sect.  IX. — ^The  Vanity  of  Human  Pur- 
suits PROVED  FROM  THE  WiCKEDNESS 
PREVAILING  IN  CoURTS  OF  JuSTICE,  CON- 
TRASTED WITH  THE  RIGHTEOUS  JUDG- 
MENT OF  God. 

15*  As  before  assertedy  (ch.  i.  9,)  that  which  hath 
been  is  now ;  and  that  which  is  to  be  hath 


CHAP.   III.]  ECCLESIASTES.  16 

already  been;  there  is  a  continual  round  of 
the  same  pains,  disappointments,  trials,  afflic- 
tions, persecutions,  Sgc;  and  yet  God  will  re- 
quire (i,  e.  ivill  revenge)  the  persecuted  man. 

16  And,  moreover,  notwithstanding  the  certainty 
of  this,  I  saw  under  the  sun  the  place  of 
judgment,  [that]  wickedness  [was]  there;  and 
the  place  of  righteousness,  [that]  iniquity  [was] 

17* there.  I  said,  however,  in  mine  heart,  and 
reflected  ivithin  myself,  that  God  will  finally 
judge  the  righteous  and  the  wicked;  (for  there 
is  a  season  for  every  purpose  of  God  to  take 
effect ;)  and  he  will,  either  here  or  hereafter, 
determine  concerning  every  work,  whether  it 
he  good  or  had. — Ch.  xii.  14. 

Sect.  X. — Though  Life,    considered  in 

ITSELF,      is     vanity,     FOR     MeN     DIE     AS 

WELL  AS  Beasts;  yet,  in  the  end,  it 
will  be  very  different  with  the 
Spirit  of  Man   and  that  of  Beasts. 

18  I  said  in  mine  heart,  I  reflected  within  my- 
self concerning  the  estate  of  the  sons  of  men, 
and  I  find  it  is  so  ordered,  that  God  might 
manifest  or  prove  them,  and  that  they  might  see 
that  they  themselves  are  subject  to  death  like 

19  beasts.  For  that  which  befalleth  the  sons  of 
men  befalleth  beasts ;  even  one  thing,  namely, 
death,  befalleth  them ;  as  the  one  dieth,  so 
dieth  the  other;  yea,  they  have  all  one  breath; 


16  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    I. 

SO  that,  ill  this  respect^  a  man  hath  no  pre- 
eminence above  a  beast :  for  all  mmnated 
nature  [is]  vanity,    equally  frail  and  mortal. 

20  The  bodies  of  all,  whether  7nen  or  beasts,  go 
unto  one  place,  the  earth;  for  all  their  bodies 
are  of  the  dust,  and  all  turn  to  dust  again. 
Sut,  ivith  respect  to  the  living,  or  vital  principle 

21  ivithin  them,  who  knoweth,  or  can  comprehend 
the  immense  difference  between  the  spirit  of  man 
that  goeth  upward,  and  the  spirit  of  the  beast 

22  that  goeth  downward  to  the  earth?  Where- 
fore, though  men  as  well  as  beasts  die,  yet,  since 
their  spirits  return  to  God  loho  gave  them,  I 
perceive  that  [there  is]  nothing  better  than 
that  a  man  should  rejoice  in  his  own  works, 
and  be  contented;  for  that  necessity  of  labouring 
[is]  his  portion  appointed  by  the  Almighty  to 
prove  him;  (compare  ver.  18;)  for  who  shall 
bring  him  to  see  what  shall  be  after  him? 
Who  shall  lead  him  to  discover  ivhat  shall 
happen  in  this  ivorld  after  his  death  ? 

Sect.  XL — Vanity    is    increased    unto 
Men  by  Oppression. 

Chap.  IV.  1.  So  I  returned,  and  consi- 
dered all  the  oppressions  of  mankind  that  are 
done  under  the  sun:  and,  behold,  the  tears 
of  [such  as  were]  oppressed,  and  they  had  no  , 
comforter;  and  on  the  side  of  their  oppres- 
sors [there  was]  power;   but   they  (i.e.  the 


CHAP.    IV.]  ECCLESIASTES.  17 

2  oppressed)  had  no  comforter.  Wherefore,  if 
this  ivorld  and  human  pursuits  are  to  he  re- 
garded as  the  things  of  highest  value,  I  praised 
the  dead  which  are  ah'eady  dead  more  than 
the  living  which  are  yet  alive,  inasmuch  as  it 
ivould  he  hetter  to  die  than  to  endure  the  per- 
secutions  ivhich  are  iiiflicted  hy  tyranny  and 

3  vice.  Yea,  if  this  Life  and  its  pleasures  were 
our  all,  better  [is  he]  than  both  they  which  hath 
not  yet  been,  who  hath  not  seen  or  experi- 
enced  the  evil  work  that  is  done  under  the  sun. 

Sect.  XII. — -The  Vanity  of  Prosperity. 

4*  Again,  I  considered  all  travail,  and  every 
prosperous  work,  and  I  perceive  that  for  this 
a  man  is  envied  of  his  neighbour,  from  which 
arise  many  evils.  Hence  this  prosperity,  much 
as  it  is  sought  after  hy  the  world,  [is]  also 
vanity,  hi  respect  to  man's  Chief  Good,  and 
rather  produces  vexation  of  spirit  than  real 
happiness. 

Sect.  XIII.^ — ^The  Vanity  of  Folly,   or 

OF     PREFERRING     THE     WoRLD    TO     TrUE 

Wisdom. 

5  Again,  I  considered  that  the  fool,  who  hath 
made  this  world  his  all,  foldeth  his  hands 
together  in  an  agony  of  grief  ivhen  he  finds 
earthly  things  to  he  only  vanity;  and  eateth  his 


18  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    I. 

own  flesh,  that  is,  destroys  hwiself  by  unavail- 
ing sorrow  a?id  regret.    Such  is  the  worldling's 

6  portion.  It  is  clear,  then,  that  better  [is]  an 
handful  [with]  quietness,  even  the  bare  neces- 
saries of  life,  with  the  peace  and  tranquillity 
which  religion  bestows,  than  both  the  hands 
full  [with]  travail  and  vexation  of  spirit,  that 
is,  than  the  largest  possessions  gained  ivith 
trouble,  and  accompanied  with  disgust  and 
anxiety. 

Sect.  XIV. — The  Vanity  of  Covetousness. 

7  Then  again  I  returned,  and  I  saw  a  vanity 

8  under  the  sun,  namely^  that  there  is  one  cer- 
tain individual  who  lives  single  and  [alone,] 
and  [there  is]  not  a  second,  no  heir  to  succeed 
him;  yea,  he  hath  neither  child  nor  brother: 
yet  [is  there]  no  end  of  all  his  labour  to  amass 
wealth ;  neither  is  his  eye  satisfied  with  riches ; 
neither  [saith  he,]  For  whom  do  I  labour  and 
bereave  my  soul  of  good  ?  This  penuriousness 
[is]  also  vanity,  in  regard  to  man*s  Chief  Good; 
yea,  it  [is]  a  sore  travail,  an  irksome  and 
painful  occupation. 

Sect.  XV. — Though  Society  has  its 
Advantages,  yet  Dominion  and  Em- 
pire ARE  BUT  Vanity. 

9  Again,  two  [are]  better  than  one,  or,  in  other 
words,  it  is  better  to  live  in  society  than  in 


CHAP.    IV.]  Er.CLESIASTES.  19 

solitude :  because  they  who  live  in  that  social 
state  have  a  good  reward  for  their  labour 
which  they  are  destined  to  undergo  in  lifcy 
reaping  many  advantages  from  their  union ;  as, 

10  for  instance,  if  they  fall,  the  one  will  lift  up 
his  fellow ;  but  wo  to  him  [that  is]  alone  when 
he  falleth ;  for  [he  hath]  not  another  to  help 

11  him  up.  Again,  if  two  lie  together,  then  they 
have  heat:  but  how  can  one  be  warm  [alone?] 

12  And  if,  m  any  contest^  one  prevail  against  him 
that  is  alone,  two  shall  be  able  to  withstand 
him:  and,  i7i  proof  of  the  utility  of  society,  tve 
may  apply  the  old  adage,  that  a  threefold  cord 
is  not  quickly  broken.  But,  without  wisdom, 
small  are  the  advantages  of  society.     Even  in 

13  regard  to  the  highest  rank,  better  and  happier 
[is]  a  poor  and  a  wise  child  than  an  old  and 
foolish  king,  who  will  no  more  be  admonished : 

14*  for  from  the  company  of  apostates  he  (i.  e.  the 
foolish  king  spoken  of  in  ver,  13)  comes  to 
reign ;  although,  even  born  to  empire,  he  is 
destitute  of  the  habits,  the  experience,  and  the 
prtidence  requisite  for  the  administration  of 
government.     And  in  general,  as  to  the  con- 

l5*dition  of  kings,  I  considered  the  sentiments 
and  conduct  of  ^11  the  living  which  walk  under 
the  sun,  and  I  see  clearly,  that  commonly  they 
favour  the  second  child,  who  is  heir  to  the 
throne,  and  who  shall  stand  up  in  his  stead, 


20  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    I. 

as  successor  to  the  reiscnino;  monarch.  Even 
if,  through  the  tvisdom  of  the  king's  govern- 
W^ment,  [there  is]  no  end  of  all  the  people, 
[even]  of  all  over  vv^hom  he  reigns,  so  that 
they  increase  yearly  in  prosperity  and  numbers : 
nevertheless,  they  that  come  after  him  shall 
not  delight  in  him ;  the  rising  generation  ivill 
become  weary  of  him,  and  desire  a  change. 
Surely  this  kingly  honour  and  dignity  also  [is] 
vanity  tvith  inspect  to  raans  Chief  Good,  and 
rather  produces  vexation  of  spirit  than  real 
happiness. 


Sect.  XVI. — Errors  in  the  performance 
OF  Divine  Worship,  which  render  it 

VAIN    AND    unprofitable. 

Chap.  V.  1.*  Nay,  ivithout circumspection, 
the  service  of  the  King  of  kings  is  rendered 
vain;  therefore  keep  thy  foot  (i.  e.  be  guarded) 
when  thou  goest  to  the  house  of  God,  ^br  the 
purpose  of  worship;  for  to  be  ready  to  obey 
the  Divine  will  is  a  better  sacrifice  than  the 
offering  of  fools ;  for  they  consider  not  that 
they  do  evil,  inasmuch  as  their  offering  is  not 
accompanied  with  suitable  dispositions.  In 
2  particular,  be  not  rash  v^ith  thy  mouth,  ivhen 
engaged  in  devotion ;  and  let  not  thine  heart 


GHAP.   v.]  ECCLESIASTES.  21 

be  hasty  to  utter  [any]  thins;  before  God,  in 
the  solemn  assemblies  for  public  ivorship ;  for 
God  [is]  in  heaven,  omnipotent  and  omniscient j 
and  thou  a  weak,  erring  mortal  upon  earth : 
3* therefore  let  thy  words  be  few.  For  as  a 
dream  of  the  night  cometh  through  the  mul- 
titude of  business  in  the  day;  so,  m  the  worship 
of  God,  does  a  fool's  voice  through  a  mul- 

4  titude  of  words.  A7id  likeivise,  when  thou 
vowest  a  vow  unto  God,  defer  not  to  pay  it; 
for  [he  hath]  no  pleasure  in  fools  ivho  promise 
ivithout  performing ;  therefore  pay  that  which 

5  thou  hast  vowed.  Better  [is  it]  that  thou 
shouldest  not  vow,  than  that  thou  shouldest 
vow  and  not  pay,  or  perform  the  conditions  of 
it.     And  when    thou  hast  violated  any  vow, 

6  suffer  not  thy  mouth  to  cause  thy  flesh  to  sin, 
by  alleging  frivolous  excuses;  neither  say  thou 
before  the  angel,  that  is,,  before  the  priest,  when 
confessing  the  breach  of  a  vow,  that  it  [was] 
an  error,  a  mere  involuntary  slip ;  wherefore, 
then,  should  God  be  angry  at  thy  voice  in 
havifig  uttered  a  vow  ivhich  thou  hast  broken, 
and  destroy  the  work  of  thine  hands ;  punish 
thee  by  frustrating  thy  temporal  designs  and 
undertakings  for  so  small  an  offence?     Avoid 

7  such  rash  language,  for  in  the  multitude  of 
dreams,  and  in  many  words  in  eMenuation  of 
offences,  [there  are]  also  [diverse]  vanities:  but 


22  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    I. 

fear  thou  God,  and  incur  not  his  displeasure 
by  precipitate  and  foolish  expressions^ 


Sect.  XVII. — The  Vanity  of  murmuring 
AT  Injustice  ;  for,  though  the  oppres- 
sion OF  THE  Poor  and  perversion 
of  Judgment  greatly   prevail,  they 

DO  NOT  escape  THE  NOTICE  OF   THE 

Almighty. 

8  And  again y  if  thou  seest  the  oppression  of 
the  poor,  and  violent  perverting  of  judgment 
and  justice  in  a  province,  marvel  not  at  the 
matter ;  for  [he  that  is]  higher  than  the  highest 
angel  in  heaven  and  most  powerful  potentate  in 
the  ivorld  regardeth  ;  so  that  nothing  happens 
without  his  permission  ;  and  [there  be]  higher 
than  they ;  i.e.  there  are  the  High  Ones  of  the 
Holy  Trinity,  above  the  princes  of  the  earth 
and  the  hierarchy  of  heaven.  And,  as  a  proof 
of  the  absolute  supremacy  of  the  Tri-une  Seing, 

9  moreover,  the  profit  of  the  earth,  its  fruits  and 
productions,  is  ordained  by  him  for  the  com- 
mon good  of  all ;  nay,  even  the  king  [himself] 
is  served  by  the  fields  is  dependent  upon  the 
land  for  the  suppo7^t  of  life,  and,  therefore, 
dependent  upon,  and  under  the  disposal  of,  the 
Lord  of  the  universe,  who  will  finally  punish 
the  unjust. 


CHAP,    v.]  ECCLESIASTES.  23 


Sect.  XVIII. — The  Vanity  of  Riches  ; 
WITH  AN  Admonition  as  to  the  mo- 
derate Enjoyment  of  them. 

10  With  respect  to  riches,  he  that  loveth  silver 
shall  not  be  satisfied  with  silver ;  nor  he  that 
loveth  abundance  of  ivealth  with  a  continual 
increase  of  it.  This  desire  of  ivealth  [is]  also 
vanity,  incompetent  to  produce  complete  satis- 

\\  faction.  JSesides,  when  goods  increase,  they 
are  increased  that  eat  them ;  and  what  good 
[is  there]  to  the  owners  thereof,  saving  the 
empty  pleasure  of  beholding  [of  them]  with 
their  eyes?     They  never  cause  peace  and  con- 

12  tent:  these  often  attach  to  poverty.  The  sleep 
of  a  labouring  man  [is]  sweet,  whether  he  eat 
little  or  much ;  but  the  abundance  of  the  rich 
will  not  suffer  him  to  sleep,  either  through 

13  satiety,  or  perpetual  anxiety  and  care.  More- 
over, there  is  a  sore  evil  accompanying  wealth, 
[which]  I  have  seen  under  the  sun,  [namely,] 
riches  kept  for  the  owners  thereof  to  their 

14  hurt.  But  those  riches  ivhich  are  avariciously 
hoarded  up  often  perish  by  evil  travail  of  some 
kind  or  other;  and  he  begetteth  a  son,  to 
whom  he  indidged  the  proud  hope  of  leaving 
abundance  of  ivealth.,  and  yet  [there  is]  nothing 
in  his  hand  remaining  to  bequeath  to  him.    This 

15  often  happens;  and,  at  any  rate,   as  he  came 


24  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    I. 

forth  of  his  mother's  womb,  naked  shall  he 
return  to  go  as  he  came,  and  shall  take 
nothing  of  his  labour,  which  he  may  carry 

16  away  in  his  hand.  And,  /  again  repeat  it, 
this  also  [is]  a  sore  evil,  [that]  in  all  points  as 
he  came  into  the  world,  so  shall  he  go  from  it; 
and  what  profit,  then,  hath  he  that  hath  thus 
laboured  for  the  wind?  for  that  ivhich  is 
fleeting,  a7id  cannot  he  retained !  Nor  is  this 
the  only  evil  attending  the  griping  acquisition 

ll^of  ivealth.  All  his  days,  also,  he  liveth  in 
darkness,  care,  and  perplexity:  and^  by  un- 
ceasing eagerness  for  gain,  his  sorrow  in- 
creaseth,  and  his  infirmity  of  body,  and  his 
wrath  and  fretfid  disposition j  insomuch  that 
life  becomes  a  misery.  It  is  not,  however,  to  be 
supposed  that  riches  are  in  themselves  really 
had,  or  that  all  enjoyment  of  them  is  criminal. 

18*  Behold  a  good  attending  them  which  I  have 
seen,  and  which  is  honourable;  namely,  for 
A  MAN  to  eat,  and  to  drink,  and  to  enjoy 
the  good  of  all  his  labour  that  he  taketh  under 
the  sun  all  the  days  of  his  life.  The  mode?  ate 
use  of  the  good  things  of  this  ivorld  is  allowed, 
for  this  is  his  portion  that  God  hath  given 
him ;  this  is  the  use  the  Almighty  hath  per- 
mitted man  to  make  of  his  possessions.     And  I 

19  again  repeat  it,  that  tvith  respect  to  every  man 
also  to  whom  God  hath  given  riches  and 
wealth,    and   hath    given  him  power   to  eat 


CHAP.   VI.]  ECCLESIASTES.  25 

thereof,  (i.  e.  to  enjoy  them,)  and  to  take  his 
portion,  and  to  rejoice  in  his  labour;  this  [is] 
the  gift  of  God  :  it  proceeds  Jrom  the  sovereign 
bounty  and  goodness  of  God,  that  a  man  can 
derive  a  lawful  and  virtuous  enjoyment  from 
^(f' his  wealth.  Although,  as  to  real  enjoyment, 
it  be  not  much,  yet,  having  made  a  proper  use 
of  riches,  he  will  remember  the  days  of  his 
life,'  looking  back  to  the  days  that  are  past  ivith 
pleasure,  for  he  well  knows  that  God  exerciseth 
him  by  the  joy  of  his  heart,  that  is,  makes  trial 
of  him  by  pleasure  and  prosperity . 

Sect.  XIX. — The  Vanity  of  Avarice. 

Chap.   VI.    1.     Again,  there    is    an  evil 
which  I  have  seen  under  the  sun,  and  it  is  com- 

2  mon  among  men;  namely^  a  man  to  whom 
God,  in  his  good  providence,  hath  given  riches, 
wealth,  and  honour,  so  that  he  wanteth 
nothing  for  his  soul  of  all  that  he  desireth, 
having  every  thing  he  could  wish  for  his  accom- 
modation and  pleasure;  yet  God  giveth  him 
not  power  to  eat  thereof,  (i.  e,  to  enjoy  it,)  but 
a  stranger,  who  is  often  neither  friend  nor  re- 
lation, eateth  it,  and  enjoyeth  it.  This  covet- 
ousness  [is]  vanity  in  regard  to  man's  Chief 
Good,  and  it  [is]  an  evil  disease,  or  the  cause 

3  of  pain  and  disquietude.     If  a  man   of  this 
character  beget  an  hundred  [children]  and  live 


26  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    I. 

many  years,  so  that  the  days  of  his  years  be 
many,  and  yet,  at  the  same  time,  his  soul  be 
not  filled  with  good,  of  vjJiich  he  possesses 
abundance,  and  also  if  it  he  [that]  he  have  no 
burial;  I   say,  [that]   an  untimely  birth  [is] 

4  in  some  respects  better  than  he;  for  he  (i.e.  the 
abortive)  cometh  in^o  the  world  with  vanity,  to 
no  purpose,  and  departeth  in  darkness,  without 
any  notice,  and  his  name  shall  be   covered 

5  with  darkness,  and  utterly  forgotten.  More- 
over, he  hath  not  seen  the  sun,  nor  known 
[any  thing ;]  yet  this  abortive  hath  more  rest 
than  the  other,  i.  e.  than  the  miser;  for  it  is 
exempt  from  the  incessant  toils  and  disquietudes 

6  which  agitate  the  avaricious.  Yea,  though 
he  (i.  e.  the  miser)  live  a  thousand  years  twice 
[told,]  yet  hath  he  seen  and  enjoyed  no  good  ; 
and  what  at  death  do  his  riches  profit  him  ? 
Do  not   all,  rich  as  well  as  poor,  go  to  one 

7  place?  All  the  labour  of  the  covetous  man 
[is]  for  his  mouth,  for  his  own  interest  and 
gratification,  and  yet  the  appetite  for  accu- 
mulation is  not  filled,  and,  amidst  abundance, 

S*is  still  craving  for  more.  Therefore,  what 
advantage  hath  the  reputed  wise  man,  the 
miser,  more  than  the  fool?  and  what  ad- 
vantage hath  the  poor  man,  that  knoweth  to 
walk  before  the  living  ?  To  this  question  the 
answer  is,  that,  com^paring  their  respective  ad- 
vantages, the  former  is  tortured  with  desire. 


CHAP.    VI.]  ECCLESIASTES.  27; 

9  and  the  latter  is  contented;  for  better  [is]  the 
sight  of  the  eyes,  that  is,  contentment  and  satis- 
faction with  present  things^  than  the  wander- 
ing of  the  desire,  than  the  indulgence  of  wishes 
which  can  never  he  gratified.  This  insatiable 
thirst  of  gain,  therefore,  [is]  also  vanity  in 
regard  to  man*s  Chief  Good,  and  rather 
produces  vexation  of  spirit  than  substantial 
happiness. 


PART  II. 

Sect.  XX. — Since  all  Human  Designs, 
Labours,  and  Enjoyments  are  vain, 
IT  IS  natural  to  inquire,  What  is 
GOOD  FOR  Man?  What  is  his  Supreme 
Good?  The  Answer  is  contained  in 
the  remainder  of  the  Book. 

10  That  which  hath  been  is  named  already, 
the  various  conditions  and  circumstances  of  life 
having  now  been  examined,  it  appears  that  they 
justly  deserve  the  name  of  "  vanities,'*  being 
utterly  insufficient  to  form  the  Chief  Good; 
and  thus  it  is  known  that  it  [is]  man,  that 
vanity  is  his  character,  that  he  is  a  weak,  frail, 
fallible  creature,  and  that  all  his  secular  pur- 
suits are  only  vanity;  neither  may  he  contend 

T 


28  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    II. 

with  him  that  is  mightier  than  he.  Though 
every  thing  here  beloiv  is  empty  and  vain,  he 
cannot  contend  ivith  God^  because  the  creature 
has  no  right  to  call  in  question  the  justice  and 

11  wisdom  of  the  Creator's  dispensations.  Seeing 
there  be  many  things  that  increase  vanity,  as 
we  have  seen  from  an  examination  of  them, 
what  [is]  man  the  better?  What  is  he  pro- 
fited hy  them  iji  regard  to  the  Supreme  Good, 
which  is  the  object  of  his  constant  pursuit? 

12^^  Truly  7iot  in  the  least;  and  therefore^  since 
these  thincrs  are  so,  it  is  natural  to  ask,  and  the 
inquiry  is  important,  who  knoweth  what  [is] 
the  Chief  Good  for  man  in  [this]  life,  all  the 
days  of  his  vain  life  which  he  spendeth  as  a 
shadow  ?  for  who  can  tell  a  man  what  shall  be 
after  him  under  the  sun?  Who  can  say  what 
will  be  the  event  of  mans  undertakings ? 


Sect.  XXL — ^The  Praise  of  Character 
AND   Reputation. 

Chap.  VII.  1.  In  answer  to  the  inquiry, 
***  What  is  good  for  man  in  this  life?*'  I 
observe,  in  the  first  place,  that  a  [good]  name, 
or  fair  reputation,  [is]  better  than  precious 
ointment ;  and  the  day  of  death  than  the  day 
of  one's  birth,  if  we  deserve  this  virtuous 
character. 


CHAP.    VII.]  ECCLESIASTES.  29 


Sect.  XXII. — Affliction  improves  the 
Heart   and    exalts    the     Character 

OF  the  Wise. 


2  Again^  I  observe  in  reference  to  True  Wis- 
dom, thai  [it  is]  better  to  go  to  the  house  of 
mourning  than  to  go  to  the  house  of  feasting ; 
for  that  visitation  of  the  afflicted  [is]  what 
admonishes  us  OF  the  end  of  all  men;  and 
the  living  will  lay  [it]  to  his  heart,  and  he  deeply 

3  affected  hy  it.  Moreover,  sorrow  is  better 
than  excessive  and  unmeaning  laughter ;  for  by 
the  sadness  of  the  countenance,  arising  from 
inward  grief  the  heart  is  made  better.    Hence 

4  it  is  that  the  heart  (i,  e.  the  mind)  of  the  wise 
[is]  in  the   house   of  mourning;    they  often 

frequent  scenes  of  ivo,  and  meditate  upon  them 
ivhen  absent ;  but  the  heart  of  fools  [is]  in  the 
house  of  mirth;  they  are  wholly  devoted  to 
merriment  and  pleasure.     A  gain  j  in  reference 

5  to  True  Wisdom,  [it  is]  better  to  hear  the 
rebuke  of  the  wise,  however  painful,  than  for 
a  man  to  hear  the  song  and  noisy  revelry  of 
fools,  since  by  the  one  our  follies  are  corrected^ 
but  by  the  other  they  are  encouraged  and  con-- 

6  firmed.     For  as  the  crackling  blaze  of  thorns 

under  a  pot  is  of  little  use,  and  is  soon  over^ 


30  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    II. 

SO  [is]  the  loud  laughter  of  the  fool,  a  mere 
empty,  useless,  transient  burst.  This  foolish 
merriment  also  [is]  vanity,  nothing  better  than 
a  bubble  or  passing  vapour.  The  advantages 
of  (vffliction  are  likewise  seen  in  the  virtuous 
'7* who  are  persecuted;  for  surely  oppression  gives 
lustre  to  a  wise  man;  and  a  gift  of  fortunes 
goods  destroyeth  the   heart  by  corrupting  it. 

8  Better  also  [is]  the  end  of  a  thing  by  which  a 
man  is  persecuted  arid  oppressed  than  might  be 
supposed  from  the  beginning  thereof,  [and]  the 
reason  is,  that  the  patient  in  spirit,  ivho  be- 
comes  so  through  suffering,  [is]  better  than  the 
proud  in  spirit.     If  oppression,  therefore,  have 

9  such  beneficial  effects  upon  a  wise  man,  be  not 
hasty  in  thy  spirit  to  be  angry  when  thou  art 
smarting  under  the  rod  of  tyranny;  for  anger 
resteth  in  the  bosom  of  fools,  who  give  ivay 
to  it  when  oppressed,  while  wise  men  regard 
oppression  ivith  disdain,  or  contend  against  it 

10  with  undaunted  spirit.  And  say  not  thou, 
what  is  [the  cause]  that  the  former  days  were 
better  than  these  ?  Do  not  repine  at  tlie  pre- 
valence of  persecution,  nor  look  back  at  former 
times,  fancying  them  better  than  the  present; 
for  thou  dost  not  inquire  wisely  concerning 
this ;  such  fond  inquiries  and  useless  murmurs 
not  being  the  part  of  a  ivise  and  virtuous 
man. 


CHAP.   VII.]  ECCLESIASTES.  31 

Sect.  XXIII. — ^The  Excellence  of  Wisdom, 

11*  And  now  to  advert  to  the  true  and  Sovereign 
Good  of  man,  Wisdom  [is]  as  good  as  an 
inheritance ;  yea,  better  to  them  that  see  the 

12  sun,  that  is,  to  all  mankind.  For  Wisdom  [is] 
a  defence,  [and]  money  [is]  a  defence;  both 
agree  in  this  that  they  afford  protection;  but 
the  excellency  of  knowledge  [is,  that]  Wisdom 
giveth  life   to   them  that  have   it.      And  as 

13  this  is  the  ordination  of  Providence,  con- 
sider the  work  of  God  in  his  righteous  go- 
vernment of  the  tvorld ;  it  is  impossible  to  alter 
his  dispensations;  for  who  can  make  [that] 
straight  which  he  hath  made  crooked  ?  There- 

14:  fore,  in  the  day  of  prosperity  be  joyful,  and 
grateful  for  the  blessings  of  Heaven;  but  in  the 
day  of  adversity  consider  thy  circumstances 
and  the  duties  incumbent  upon  thee;  for  God 
also  hath  set  the  one  over  against  the  other, 
hath  balanced  the  days  of  prosperity  and  ad- 
versity, to  the  end  that  man  should  find 
nothing  after  him,  nor  have  cause  to  blame 
his  wisdom,  his  justice,  or  his  goodness. 

Sect.  XXIV. — An  Objection,   with  the 

Answer. 

15  Notwithstanding  the  excellency  of  Wisdom, 
the  ivorldling  objects,  ''  All  these  [things]  have 


32  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    II. 

**  I  seen  in  the  days  of  my  vanity,  namely ,  that 
*'  there  is  a  just  [man]  that  perisheth  in  his 
"  righteousness,  and  there  is  a  wicked  [man] 
**  that  prolongeth  [his  life]  in  his  wickedness 
**  with  perfect  impunity.  Now,  if  such  he  the 
16*"  case,  be  not  exceedingly  righteous  ;  neither 
**  be  exceedingly  wise;  strive  not  after  great 
**  attainments  in  wisdom  and  virtue;  for  why 
**  shouldest  thou  waste  thyself  away  in  the 
''pursuit  of' that  which  does  not  profit?'' 

The  Answer. 

17*  Nay^  rather  be  not  exceedingly  wicked, 
neither  be  thou  foolish;  ybr  why  shouldest 
thou  die  before  thy  time,  prematurely  hy  public 

l^'^ justice  or  the  Divine  vengeance?  Also,  [it  is] 
good  that  thovi  shouldest  take  hold  of  and 
observe  this  jjrecept  in  verse  17,  **  Se  not  ex- 
**  ceedingly  ivicked,  neither  be  thou  foolish;''  yea, 
also  from  this  truth  withdraw  not  thine  hand, 
but  keep  it  steadily  in  vieiv,  that  he  that  feareth 
God  shall  come  forth  of  them  all ;  shall  escape 
all  the  evils  to  which  the  ungodly  are  exposed, 

19  Wisdom  likewise  strength eneth  the  wise, 
guards  and  protects  them,  more  than  ten  mighty 

20*[men]  which  are  in  the  city ;  although  there  is 
not  a  perfectly  ivise  and  just  man  upon  the 
earth,    that    doeth    good,    and   sinneth  not. 

21  Also,  since  men  are  so  imperfect ^  take  no  heed 


CHAP.    VII.]  ECCLESIASTES.  33 

unto  all  words  that  are  spoken ;  lest,  through 
the  rashness^  levity ,  and  scandal  prevailing  in  com- 
versation^  thou  hear  thy  servant  curse  (revile ) 
thee,   and  so  thou  give  way  to   unjustijtahle 

22  anger;  for  oftentimes,  also,  thine  own  heart 
knoweth  that  thou  thyself  likewise  hast  cursed 
(reviled)  others ;  and  the  consciousness  of 
having  sometimes  spoken  unadvisedly  with  thy 
lips  should  make  thee  patiently  endure,  and 
readily  pardon^  the  same  error  in  servants  and 

23  persons  of  mean  condition.  All  this  respecting 
the  value  of  Wisdom  have  I  proved  by  wis- 
dom, and  diligently  investigated;  and  then  I 
said,  I  will  be  wise,  /  determined  to  acquire 
Wisdom;  but  it  [was]  far  from  me^  so  that  I 
could  not  perfectly  attain  it;  and  no  wonder, 

24  for  that  which  is  far  off,  and  exceeding  deep 

and  profound  in  itself  who  can  find  it  out 

25  to  perfection?  Nevei^theless,  I  applied  mine 
heart  to  know^  and  to  search,  and  to  seek  out 
Wisdom,  and  the  reason  [of  things,]  and  to 
know  the  wickedness  of  folly,  or  irreligion, 
even  of  foolishness  [and]  madness,  of  those 
pleasures  and  occupations  in  which  the  wild 
extravagance  and  giddy  madness  of  ^nen  place 
their  hopes  of  happiness;  and  the  result  of  this 
search,  with  respect  to  one  particular,  is,  that 

26  I  find  more  bitter  and  more  painful  th^^n  death 
is  the  woman  whose  heart  [is]  snares  and  nets, 
inveigling  souls  to  ruin  ivith  all  the  art  a7id 


34  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    II. 

cunning  of  fowlers  to  catch  birds,  [and]  her 
hands  [as]  bands,  embracing  arid  holding  fast 
those  ivhom  she  has  allured  into  her  snares; 
whoso  pleaseth  God  shall,  through  Divine 
grace y  escape  from  her,  and  be  'preserved;  but 
the  sinner  shall  be  suffered  to  be  taken  by  her, 

ll^and  brought  to  destruction.  Behold,  this  truth 
concerning  the  iviles  of  harlots  have  I  found 
in  my  search  of  Wisdom,  saith  the  Preacher, 
BY  COMPARING    One   thing  with  another   to 

28*form  a  judgment.  What  yet  further  my  soul 
seeketh,  but  nevertheless  I  find  not,  is  a  maji 
or  woman  thoroughly  wise  and  virtuous;  yet  I 
confess,  one  man,  comparatively  such,  among 
a  thousand  have  I  found,  but  such  a  woman 

29  among  all  these  have  I  not  found.  Lo,  in- 
stead of  perfect  characters,  this  only  have  I 
found,  that  God  hath  made  man  upright  at 
his  first  creation;  but  they  have  fallen  from 
their  state  of  innocence,  and  have  sought  out 
many  inventions  and  wicked  devices.  But 
stilly  notwithstanding  the  frailty  and  imper- 
\ III. fection  of  human  nature,   who  [is]  as  the  wise 

1  [man?]  and  who,  like  him,  knoweth  the 
interpretation  of  a  thing  ?  A  man's  wisdom 
maketh  his  face  to  shine,  and  renders  it 
agreeable^  and  the  boldness  of  his  face,  his 
stern,  forbidding  looks,  shall  be  changed,  so  as 
to   become  serene  arid  amiable*     And,    as  the 

2  dictate  of  Wisdom,  1  [counsel  thee]  to  keep 


CHAP.   VIII.]  ECCLESIASTES.  35 

th*e  king's  (Jehovalis)  commandment,  and 
[that]  in  regard  of  the  oath  of  God,  hy  which 
he  conjirmed  the  promises  made  unto  Abraham. 
And  when  performing  any  religious  service  to 

3  God,  be  not  hasty  to  go  out  of  his  sight;  do 
not  perform  it  in  a  hurried  manner,  as  if  it  ivere 
a  disagreeable  task ;  and  stand  not  in  an  evil 
thing  tvhen  thou  art  sensible  of  thy  error ;  for 
he  (i.  e.  God)  doeth  whatsoever  pleaseth  him, 
and  will  certainly  punish  obstinate  'persistence 

4  in  evil.  Where  the  word  of  a  king  [is,]  like 
Jehovah^  [there  is]  power  to  take  vengeance  on 
those  who  despise  it,  and  who  may  say  unto 
him,   in  the  exercise  of  his  sovereignty ,  What 

5  doest  thou  ?  Whoso  keepeth  the  command- 
ment of  God  shall  feel,  or  experience,  no  evil 
thing;  and  a  wise  man's  heart  discerneth 
both  the  time,  or  jjroper  season,  and  judgment, 
or  the  proper  manner  of  performing  every  duty 

Q'^to  the  Almighty.  Because  to  every  purpose 
of  man,  whether  civil  or  religious,  there  is  a 
proper  time  and  judgment,  or  a  proper  manner 
of  carrying  it  into  effect,  though  the  misery 
of  man  is  great  upon  him,  there  being  many 
things  to  oppose  and  distress  him,  and  though 
7*  he  knoweth  not  that  which  shall  be ;  for  who 
.  can  tell  him  when  it  shall  be?  that  is,  there  is 
a  proper  time  for  man's  purposes,  though  he 
knows  not  the  result. 

V 


3(3  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    II. 

Sect.  XXV. — ^The    Evil  of  Wickedness 
SHOWS  the  Advantage  of  True  Wisdom. 

S  [There  is]  no  man  that  hath  power  over  the 
spirit,  or  vital  sparky  to  retain  the  spirit  within 
its  earthly  frmne ;  neither  [hath  he]  power  in 
the  day  of  death  to  2^7 event  its  departure; 
and  [there  is]  no  discharge  in  [that]  war  with 
death;  neither  shall  wickedness  deliver  those 
that  are  given  to  it,  for  all  must  encounter 
death,  and  be  vanquished  by  it.  Even  ivicked 
governors,  with  all  their  poiver,  must  submit  to 

9  the  stroke,  for  all  this  also  which  follows  have 
I  seen,  (and,  as  before  observed,  I  have  ap- 
plied my  heart  unto  every  work  that  is  done 
under  the  sun,)  that  [there  is]  a  time,  a  certain 
season,  wherein  one  man  ruleth  over  another 
to  his  own  hurt,  and  to  the  hurt  of  him  who 
\0  is  ruled.  And  so^,  notivithstanding  their  rank 
and  poiver,  I  saw  the  wicked  rulers  buried, 
even  those  who  had  come  and  gone  from  the 
place  of  the  holy,  ivho  had  proceeded  to  and 
from  the  place  of  judicature  with  great  pomp, 
and  they  were  soon  forgotten  in  the  city  where 
they  had  so  done;  so  transitory  is  earthly 
greatness!  This  poiver  and  magnificence  of 
earthly  rulers  [is]  also  vanity,  nothing  better 
than  a  passing  vapour.     Vice,  indeed,  in  all 


eHAP.   VIII.]  ECCLESIASTES.  37 

ranks,  ivill  receive  merited  punishment;   yet, 

1 1  because  sentence  against  an  evil  work  is  not 
executed  speedily^  therefore  the  heart  of  the 
sons  of  men  is  fully  set  in  them  to  do  evil, 
vainly  trusting  that  they  may  continue  to  sin 

12  ivith  impunity;  nevertheless,  though  a  sinner 

do  evil  an  hundred  times,  and  his  [days]  be 

prolonged  without  experiencing  the  threatened 

punishment;  yet  surely  I  know,  that  it  shall 

be  well  with  them  that  fear  God^  which  fear 

13*before  him.  But,  in  the  end,  it  shall  not  be 
well  with  the  wicked,  neither  shall  he,  loith 
impunity y  prolong  [his]  days,  which  shall 
BE  as  a  shadow,  because  he  feareth  not  before 
God. 

Sect.  XXVI. — An  Objection,  with  the 

Answer. 

14*  But  to  this  belief  of  the  ultimate  reivard  of 
wisdom  and  punishment  of  folly,  the  worldling 
objects,  that  "  there  is  a  vanity  which  is  done 
*'  (i.  e.  takes  place)  upon  the  earth,  namely,  that 
"  there  be  just  [men]  unto  whom  it  happeneth 
*'  according  to  the  work  of  the  wicked,  being 
"  persecuted  and  depressed;  that,  again,  there  be 
**  wicked  [men]  to  whom  it  happeneth  accord- 
"  ing  to  the  work  of  the  righteous,  continuing 
"  to  flourish  in  prosperity.  I  say,  that  this 
''  distinction,  then,  between  wisdom  and  folly 


38  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    II. 

*'  also  [is]  vanity,  a  mere  delusive  suggestion  of 
15***  the  fancy.  Then  1  commend  mirth  ivitJi 
"  the  just  est  reason,  because  a  man  hath  no 
**  better  thing  under  the  sun  than  to  eat,  and 
*'  to  drinks  and  to  be  merry;  for  that  shall 
'*  abide  with  him  of,  and  that  only  can  he  gain 
**  by,  his  labour  all  the  days  of  his  life,  which 
*'  God  giveth  him  under  the  sun." 

The  Answer, 

16  Inhere  are,  it  is  true,  apparent  exceptions  ta 
retributive  justice,  but  they  ought  not  to  perplex 
or  disquiet  us,  for  when  I  applied  mine  heart 
to  know  wisdom,  and  to  see  the  business  that 
is  done  upon  the  earth ;  (for  also  [there  is 
that]  neither  day  nor  night  seeth  sleep  with 

17  his  eyes  in  pursuit  of  fancied  happiness;)  then 
I  also  carried  my  inquiries  farther,  and  beheld 
(considered)  all  the  work  of  God,  and  1  clearly 
saw,  that  a  man  cannot  find  out  the  work  of 
God  that  is  done  under  the  sun :  the  plan  of 
Divine  Providence  is  inscrutable,  because, 
though  a  man  labour  to  seek  [it]  out,  yet  he  shall 
not  find  [it;]  yea,  further,  though  a  wise  [man] 
think  to  know  [it,]  yet  shall  he  not  be  able  to 

IX.  find  [it.]     For  all  this  unsearchableness  of  God's 

I* Providence  I  considered  in  my  heart,  even  till 

I  was  enabled  to  declare  all  this,  namely ,  that 

the  righteous,  and  the  wise^  and  their  works, 


CHAP.    IX.]  ECCLESIASTES.  39 

[are]  in  the  hand  of  God ;  entirely  in  his  power, 
,  and  alivays  under  his  care.  Love,  also,  and 
hatred  are  in  his  hand,  and  at  his  free 
disposal;  but  man  knoweth  nothing  of  the 
future ;  from  ivhich  ive  ought  to  conclude,  that^ 
as  God  is  iiifinitely  wise  and  good,  love  tvill 
finally  he  shown  to  the  virtuous,  and  hatred  to 
the  vicious,  whatever  inequalities  may  at  present 
exist. 


Sect.  XXVII. — An  Objection,  with  the 

Answer. 

2*  Sut  the  ivorldling  still  objects,  ''  All  are 
"  alike,  at  least  in  this,  that  there  is  one  event 
''  (i.  e.  death)  to  the  righteous  and  to  the 
**  wicked;  to  the  good  and  the  had;  to  the 
**  clean,  and  to  the  unclean;  to  him  that  sacri- 
**  ficeth,  and  to  him  that  sacrificeth  not;  as 
**  [is]  the  good,  so  [is]  the  sinner;  [and]  he 
*^'  that  sweareth  rashly,  as  [he]  that  feareth 
**  an  oath,  heing  scriqjulous  hoth  in  taking  and 

3  **  observing  one.  This  [is]  an  evil,  then, 
"  among  all  [things]  that  are  done  (take  place) 
''  under  the  sun,  that  [there  is]  one  event  unto 
**  all;  yea  also,  in  addition  to  this,  the  heart 
"  of  the  sons  of  men  is  full  of  evil,  and  sorrow, 
**  and  madness  (maddening  anguish)  is  in  their 
**  heart,  while  they  live,  and  after  that  [they 

4***  go]  to  the  dead.     But  still  to  him  that  is 


40  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    II. 

''  joined  to  all  the  living  tliere  is  hope,  the 
**  sweetner   of  existence ;  for   a   living   dog  is 

5  **  better  than  a  dead  lion.  For  the  living 
**  know  that  they  shall  die,  and  therefore 
*'  eagerly  grasp  at  the  present  enjoyments  of 
'*  life;  but  the  dead  know  not  any  thing,  being 
'^  in  a  state  of  insensibility,  neither  have  they 
"  any  more  a  reward,  however  pious  they  may 
^'  have  been;  for  the  memory  of  them  is  for- 

6  **  gotten.  Also,  their  love,  and  their  hatred, 
**  and  their  envy  is  now  perished,  all  their 
'^  passions y  affections,  and  powers  being  an- 
**  nihilated;  neither  have  they  any  more  a 
**  portion  for  ever  in  any  [thing]  that  is  done 
"  under  the  sun.     If  such  be  the  condition  of 

7  **  man,  take  this  advice;  Go  thy  way,  eat  thy 
**  bread  with  joy,  and  drink  thy  wine  with  a 
"  merry  heart;  catch  at  all  the  fruitions  of 
'*  sense;  for  God  now  accepteth  thy  works, 
**  it  being  manifest  that  God,  as  he  has  sub- 
"  jected  all  men  alike  to  death,  will  not  punish 

8  ^'  thy  setisual  indulgences.  Let  thy  garments 
*'  be  always  white,  as  becomes  one  who  always 
''  lives  in  joy  and  festivity;  and  let  thy  head 

9  ^^  \dLc\iXio  omivneni,  or siveet perfume.  Livejoy- 
"  fully,  or,  in  other  words,  enjoy  the  pleasures  of 
**  life 3  with  the  wife  whom  thou  lovest  all  the 
''  days  of  the  life  of  thy  vanity,  which  he  hath 
*'  given  thee  under  the  sun,  (all  the  days  of 
"  thy  vanity ;)  for  that  joyous  living  [is]  thy 


CHAP.    IX.]  ECCLESIASTES.  41 

'*  portion,  that  is,  is  the  only  fruit  thou  canst 
''  reap  in  [this]  life,  and  in  thy  labour  which 

10  *'  thou  takest  under  the  sun.  Therefore,  what- 
*'  soever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  in  the  way 
"•  of  pleasure,  do  [it]  with  thy  might,  indulge 
'"'  in  it  without  restraint ;  for  [there  is]  no 
*'  work,  nor  device,  nor  knowledge,  nor  wis- 
**  dom  in  the  grave,  or  Hades,  whither  thou 
**  goest.  This  life  being  thy  all,  eat,  drink, 
"  and  he  merry  T 

The  Answer. 

1 1  To  answer  this  objection,  I  returned  to  my 
inquiries,  and  saw  under  the  sun  many  ap- 
parent inequalities  in  the  distribution  of  tem- 
poral rewards;  as,  for  instance,  that  the  race 
[is]  not  to  the  swift,  ivho  do  not  always  ivin  the 
prize;  nor  the  battle  (victory)  always  to  the 
strong,  neither  yet  bread,  or  subsistence,  always 
to  the  wise,  nor  yet  riches  alvjays  to  men  of 
understanding,  nor  yet  favour  always  to  men 
of  skill ;  but  time  and  chance,  the  same  ap- 
parent accidents  and  casualities,  happeneth 
to  them  all.     And  they  likewise  happen  when 

12  least  expected,  for  man  also  knoweth  not  his 
time,  that  is,  cannot  foresee  the  time  when  any 
event  shall  befall  him;  but  just  as  the  fishes 
that  are  taken  in  an  evil  net,  a  net  destructive 
to  them,  and  as  the  birds  [that  are]  caught  in 


42  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    II. 

the  snare,  aie  captured  without  foreseeing  it; 
so  [are]  the  sons  of  men  snared  in  an  evil 
time,  when  it  falleth  suddenly  upon  them ; 
that  is,  they  are  entangled  in  calamities  at  a 
time  they  never  dreamt  of.     Sut,  notivithstand- 

13  ing  these  things,  this  Wisdom,  so  much  vilified 
by  the  sensual,  have  I  seen  also  (co7itemplated) 
under  the  sun,  and  it  [seemed]  great  unto  me. 
To  give  one  instance  of  the  value  of  Wisdom, 

14  [there  was]  a  little  city,  and  a  few  men  within 
it ;  and  there  came  a  great  king  against  it,  and 
besieged  it,  and  built  great  bulwarks  against 

15  it.  Now  there  was  found  in  it  a  poor  wise 
man,  and  he,  by  his  wisdom,  delivered  the 
city ;  yet,  such  ivas  the  ingratitude  of  the  i^i- 
habitants,  that  no  man  remembered  that  same 
poor  man,    to  make  him  a  suitable  recompense. 

16  Then  said  I,  Wisdom  [is]  better  than  strength: 
nevertheless,  the  poor  man's  wisdom  [is]  often 
despised  by  reason  of  his  poverty,  and  his 
words  are  not  heard  ivith  the  attention  they 

17  deserve.  JBut  still  the  words  of  wise  [men,] 
uttered  with  calmness,  [are]  heard  and  attended 
to  in  quiet  and  peaceable  companies,  more  than 
the  cry  of  him  that  is  a  fool,  and  ruleth  among 

18  fools.  In  short.  Wisdom  [is]  better,  both  for 
individuals  and  states,  than  weapons  of  war; 
but  one  sinner  destroyeth  much  good,  both 

X.   as  to  himself  and  others.     In  the  same  man- 
1  ner  as  dead  flies  cause  the  ointment  of  the 


CHAP.   X.]  ECCLESIASTES.  43 

apothecary  to  send  forth  a  stinking  savour ; 
[so  doth]  a  little  folly  him  that  is  in  reputation 
for  wisdom  [and]  honour.  So  pernicious  is 
the  folly  of  sin,  and  so  necessary  is  circum- 

2  spection.  A  wise  man's  heart,  hoivever,  [is] 
at  his  right  hand,  iiever  off  its  guard;  but  a 
fool's  heart  at  his  left,   always  unprepared  and 

3  ill-directed.     Yea  also,  when  he  that  is  a  fool 
walketh  by  the  way,   even  in  the  most  simple 
actions,  his  wisdom  faileth  [him,]  and  he  saith 
to  every  one  [that]  he  is  a  fool,     histances  of 
this  are   common,    both    among  subjects  and 

4  governors.  With  respect  to  theformet\  if  the 
spirit,  or  anger,  of  the  ruler  rise  up  against 
thee,  leave  not  thy  place,  and  rebel  as  fools  do, 
but  continue  to  practise  the  duties  of  thy  station; 

5*for  yielding  pacifieth  great  offences.  There 
is  also  an  evil  [which]  I  have  seen  under  the 
sun,  and  it  arises  because  of  an  error  [which] 

6  proceedeth  from  the  ruler ;  namely,  that  folly 
is  set  in  great  dignity,  that  is,  fools  are  ad- 
vanced to  places  of  honour  and  authority,  and 
the  rich  and  noble  sit  in  low  place,  buried  in 
obscurity.     Through  the  same  error  of  rulers 

7  I  have  seen  menofloiv  condition,  even  servants, 
upon  horses,  and  raised  to  honour,  and  men  of 

family  and  ivorth,  even  princes,  walking  as 
servants  upon  the  earth,  depressed  and  de- 
graded. Such  unwise  conduct,  however,  com- 
monly brings  its  own  punishment,  according  to 


M  ECCLESIASTES.  [pART    H. 

8  the  proverbs,  he  tliat  diggeth  a  pit  shall  fall 
into  it ;  and  whoso  breaketh  an  hedge  a  ser- 

9  pent  shall  bite  him.  Whoso  removeth  stones 
shall  be  hurt  therewith  ;  [and]  he  that  cleaveth 
wood  shall  be  endangered  thereby.  Wisdom, 
indeed,   is  as  needful   to   all  men  as  common 

\0* prudence  to  the  ai^tisan;  for  if  the  iron  of  his 
tools  be  blunt,  and  he  do  not  whet  the  edge, 
as  common  sense  directs,  then  must  he  put  to 
more  strength,  and  yet,  with  all  this  labour, 
his  work  ivill  not  be  performed  ivith  neatness 
and  despatch ;  but  Wisdom  is  excellent  to 
cause  success  in  all  our  undertakings.  It  is 
particidarly  necessary  to  direct  us  in  the  use  of 

1 1  speech ;  for  surely  the  serpent  will  bite  with- 
out enchantment  is  used;  and  a  babbler  is  no 
better,  since  he   stings   and  poisotis  ivith  his 

12  vjords.  The  words  of  a  wise  man's  mouth 
[are]  gracious,  usefid  and  pleasing  to  those  who 
hear  them :  but  the  lips  of  a  fool  will  swallow 

13  up  himself,  and  often  injure  others.  The  be- 
ginning of  the  words  of  his  mouth  [is]  foolish- 
ness ;  and  the  end  of  his  talk  [is]  mischievous 

14  madness.  A  fool  also  is  full  of  words,  yet  are 
we  no  iviser;  notwithstanding  his  much  speak- 
ing, a  man  cannot  tell  what  shall  be  here- 
after;  and  what  shall  be  after  him  (that  is, 
after  the  man  mentioned  just  before)  who  can 
tell  him?     Certainly  not  the  fool,  whatever  he 

15  may  pretend  to  the  contrary.     The  labour  of 


CHAP.    X.]  ECCLESIASTES.  45 

the  foolish,  to  ivhatever  it  is  directed,  wearieth 
every  one  of  them,  because,  so  ignorant  is  he 
of  the  plainest  matters,  that  he  knoweth  not 
even  how  to  go  to  the  city  without  deviating 

16  from  the  right  path.     Wo  to  thee,   O   land, 

when  thy  king  [is]  a  child,  in  kiioivledge  and 
understanding,  and  thy  princes  are  so  luxurious 

17  that  they  eat  in  the  morning!  Blessed  [art] 
thou,  O  land,  when  thy  king  [is]  the  son 
of  nobles,  as  noble  in  mind  as  in  rank,  and 
thy  princes  eat  in  due  season,  temperately  at 
the  stated  timeSy  for  strength,  and  not  for 
drunkenness ! 

Sect.  XXVIIT. — ^The  Banefulness  of  Sloth. 

18  By  much  slothfidness  the  building  de- 
cay eth,  for  want  of  necessary  repairs;  and 
through  idleness  of  the  hands  the  house 
droppeth  through  ivith  rain. 

Sect.  XXIX. — The  Power   of   Wealth. 

19  While  other  secular  things  are  of  limited 
use,  and  only  serve  a  particular  purpose,  as, 

for  instance,  a  feast  is  made  for  laughter,  or 
occasional  gratification,  and  wine  maketh 
merry,  ivhile  its  exhiliration  lasts;  but  money 
answereth  all  [things,]  and  extends  its  empire 
over  all. 


46  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    II. 

Sect.  XXX. — ^An  Exhortation  against 

SPEAKING  '  EVIL    OF    DIGNITIES. 

20  Curse  (revile)  not  the  king,  no,  not  in  thy 
thought;  and  curse  (revile)  not  the  rich  in 
thy  bed-chamber ;  for  informers,  sivift  as  a 
bird  of  the  air,  shall  carry  the  voice,  and, 
ivith  a  velocity  like  that  which  hath  wings, 
shall  tell  the  matter. 

Sect.  XXXI. — Exhortation  to  Charity 
AND  Benevolence. 

Chap.  XI.  1,  With  respect  to  Charity^ 
that  essential  branch  of  True  Wisdom,  cast 
thy  bread  upon  the  waters,  that  is,  com- 
municate to  the  necessities  of  others,  ivithout 
expecting  an  immediate  return ;  for  thou  shalt 
find  it  after  many  days.  Though  thy  liberality 
may  seem,  for  the  present,  to  be  throivn  away, 

2  thou  shalt,  in  the  end,  be  recompensed.  Give 
a  portion  to  seven,  and  also  to  eight;  be 
liberal  and  enla7ged  in  thy  charities ;  for  thou 
knowest  not  what  evil  shall  be  to  thee  and 

3  others  upon  the  earth.  Like  as  if  the  clouds 
be  full  of  rain,  they  empty  [themselves] 
upon  the  earth,  and  increase  the  fertility 
thereof;  so  when  treasures  are  hoarded  up 
they  are  useless,  but  ivhen  diffused,  in  acts  of 


CHAP.    XI.]  ECCLESIASTES.  47 

charity,  they  increase  the  happiness  of  mankind. 
And  also  J  like  as  if  the  tree  fall  toward  the 
south,  or  toward  the  north,  in  the  place  where 
the  tree  falleth^  there  it  shall  be,  an  useless 
cumbrance  to  the  ground,  no  longer  supplying 
fruit  to  the  hungry,  and  shade  to  the  weary;  so 
he  who  does  not  in  life  benefit  Jds fellow -creatures 
has  lived  in  vain,  for  when  he  dies  he  can  he  of 

4  no  service  to  them.  Again,  like  as  he  that 
observeth  the  wind  shall  not  sow ;  and  he 
that  regardeth  the  clouds  shall  not  reap ;  so 
he  that  looketh  only  for  fit  objects  and  seasons 
of  charity  will  never   be  actively  benevolent. 

5  As  thou  knowest  not  what  [is]  the  way  of  the 
spirit  coming  into  the  body,  [nor]  how  the 
bones  of  a  child  [do  grow]  in  the  womb  of 
her  that  is  with  child ;  even  so  thou  knowest 
not  the  ways  and  works  of  God  who  maketh 
all;  which  should  induce  thee  to  embrace  the 
present  opportunity  of  doing  good,  without 
being  solicitous  about  the  future;  knowing  that 
God  will  order  all  things  for  the  best.     There- 

6  fore,  like  the  diligent  husbandman,  in  the 
morning  sow  thy  seed,  and  in  the  evening 
withhold  not  thine  hand,  but  use  all  methods 
of  spreading  thy  bounties;  for  thou  knowest 
not  whether  shall  prosper,  either  this  or  that 
act  of  beneficence,  or  whether  they  both  [shall 

7  be]  alike  good.  Truly  the  light  of  life  arid 
prosperity  [is]  sweety  and  a  pleasant  [thing  it  is] 


48  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    II. 

for  the  eyes  to  behold  the  sun,   and  to  live  in 

8  the  sunshine  of  delight  and  abundance.  But 
nevertheless,  if  a  man  live  many  years,  [and] 
rejoice  in  them  all,  having  the  fullest  enjoy- 
ment of  a  lo7ig  life;  yet  let  him  remember  the 
days  of  darkness  and  ajfflictiony  for  they  shall 
be  many,  even  with  the  most  prosperous.  All 
that  Cometh  from  worldly  pleasures,  therefore, 
[is]  vanity^  with  respect  to  securing  substantial 

9  happiness.  Go,  then,  and  rejoice,  O  young 
man,  in  thy  youth,  and  let  thy  heart  cheer 
thee  in  the  days  of  thy  youth;,  and  walk  in 
the  ways  and  sensual  inclinations  of  thine 
heart,  and  in  the  sight  of  thine  eyes^  enjoying 
whatever  thou  desirest:  but  know  thou,  that 
for  all  these  [things,]  all  these  criminal  in- 
dulgences, God  will  bring  thee  into  judgment. 

10*Therefore,  remove  obduracy  from  thy  heart, 
and  put  away  evil  from  thy  flesh,  that  is, 
mortify  thy  carnal  desires:  for  child  and  youth, 
with  all  their  pleasures,  [are]  vanity,  and  as 
transient  as  a  bubble  or  vapour. 

Sect.  XXXII. — An  Exhortation  to  the 
EARLY  Cultivation  of  Religious  Habits. 

Chap.  XII.  1,*  Remember  now  thy 
Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  before  the 
evil  days  of  pain  and  infirmity  come,  and  the 
years  draw  nigh,  when,  probably^  thou  wilt 


CHAP.    XII.]  ECCLESIASTES.  49 

2*say,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  them ;  before  the 
sun,  and  the  light,  and  the  moon,  and  the 
stars  are  darkened,  that  is,  before  becoming 
insensible  to  pleasure  and  prospei^ity,  and  the 
clouds  return  after  the  rain,  or,  in  other  words, 
before  there  is  a  constant  succession  of  pains 

3  and  griefs;  in  the  day  when  the  hands  and 
arms,  which  may  be  justly  called  the  keepers 
of  the  house,  shall  tremble,  and  the  knees  and 
legs,  which  may  be  justly  called  the  strong 
men,  shall  bow  themselves,  and  the  grinders 
cease  and  be  idle,  because  they  are  few,  and 
those  that  look  out  of  the  windows,  or,  in 
plain  terms,   the  eyes,  be  darkened ;  and  the 

4  lips,  which  may  be  compared  to  the  doors  of  a 
house,  shall  be  shut  in  the  streets,  shall  press 
close  together  by  reason  of  the  loss  of  the  teeth, 
when  the  sound  of  the  grinding,  or  mastication 
of  food,  is  low ;  and  he  (i.  e.  the  old  man) 
shall  rise  up  at  the  voice  of  the  bird,  in  the 
early  morning;  and  all  the  daughters  of  music, 
all  the  organs  employed  in  the  production  and 
enjoyment  of  music,  shall  be  brought  low,  and 

^'^  rendered  powerless  to  afford  amusement.  Also, 
[when]  they  {i.  e.  the  aged)  shall  be  afraid 
of  that  which  is  high,  and  fears  [shall  be]  in 
the  way,  and  the  almond  tree  shall  flourish, 
that  is,  the  head  shall  become  hoary,  and  the  old 
man,  who  may  be  compared  to  a  grasshopper, 
shall  be  a  burden  to  himself,   and  satisfaction 


50  ECCLESIASTES.  [PART    II. 

shall  be  abolished  ;  because  man  goeth  to 
the  grave,  his  long  home,  and  the  mourners 
6*go  about  the  streets  :  before  the  silver  cord, 
or  spinal  marrow,  be  loosed,  deprived  of 
feeling  and  motion,  and  the  golden  bowl  be 
broken,  that  is,  before  the  head,  with  its  organs, 
ceases  to  perform  its  functions,  and  the  pitcher, 
or  heart,  be  shattered  at  the  fountain,  and  the 
wheels,    or  lungs,   the  organs   of  respiration, 

7  broken  at  the  cistern.  Then  shall  the  dust 
return  to  the  earth  as  it  was,  and  the  spirit 
shall  return  unto  God  who  gave  it. 

Sect.  XXXIII. — The  Conclusion. 

8  The  residt  of  the  ivhole  disquisition  is 
briefly  as  follows :  With  respect  to  the  Chief 
Good  of  mayi,  the  things  of  this  world  are 
vanity  of  vanities,  saith  the  Preacher ;  all  [is] 
vanity,  being  incapable  of  rendering  him  happy, 
and  of  securing  his  highest  interest.  This  was 
demonstrated  in  the  first  part  of  this  discourse, 
arid  it  deserves  serious  attention,  because  it  is 
the  conclusion  of  one  who  was   endued  ivith 

9  wisdom  from  above.  And  moreover,  because 
the  Preacher^  ivho  came  to  this  conclusion,  was 
wise,  he  still  taught  the  people  knowledge, 
both  by  speech  and  ivriting;  yea  he  gave  good 
heed,  and  sought  out,  [and]  set  in  order  many 

10*pro verbs.     The  Preacher,  iri  these  endeavours 


CHAP.    XII.]  .    ECCLESIASTES.  51 

to  instruct  his  subjects,  sought  to  find  out 
acceptable  words,  and  to  write  down  properly 
the  words  of  truth.  Such  sayings  form  the 
ll^tnind  to  virtue,  for  the  words  of  the  wise,  men 
i?ispired  of  God,  [are]  as  stimulating  and 
quickening  to  the  mind  as  goads  are  to  sluggish 
oxen,  and,  like  nails,  are  deeply  infixed  in  the 
heart  that  receives  them:  the  collectors,  ivho 
arranged  the  ivords  of  the  inspired  ivriters  in 
the  sacred  canon,  have  published  them  as  pro- 
ceeding  from  the  inspiratioii  of  one  Shepherd, 

12  namely,  God.  And  further,  by  these,  my  son, 
be  admonished :  of  making  many  books,  on 
the  subjects  of  this  discourse,  [there  is]  no  end  : 
and  too  much  study,  of  human  compositions, 
[is]  a  weariness  of  the  flesh,  a7id  impairs  the 
health. 

13  Let  us  hear,  also,  the  conclusion  of  the 
whole  matter  contained  in  the  second  part  of 
this  discourse;  and  if,  as  has  been  demonstrated, 
Wisdom  is  the  only  substantial  good,  then  fear 
God,  and  keep  his  commandments  ;  for  this 
[is]  the  whole  [duty]  of  man,   and  will  con- 

14  stitute  his  Supreme  Good.  For  God  shall 
bring  every  work  into  judgment,  with  every 
secret  things  whether  [it  be]  good,  or  whether 
[it  be]  evil. 

END   OF    THE    PARAPHRASE. 


EXPLANATORY  NOTES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Verse  l.  king  in  Jerusalem]  —  The  authorized  version  is 
**  king  of  Jerusalem ;"  but,  as  Dr.  Bernard  Hodgson  observes, 
*•  it  is  as  improper  to  call  Solomon,  king  of  Jerusalem,  as  it  would 
be  to  call  the  king  of  Great  Britain,  king  of  London,  Jerusalem 
being  only  the  metropolis  of  Israel,  where  Solomon  resided." — 
(New  Translation  of  Ecclesiastes,  note  in  loc.)  Though  this  re- 
mark is  correct,  I  cannot  agree  with  Boothroyd  in  approving  the 
same  writer's  rendering  '*  who  reigned  at  Jerusalem,"  taking  "^Vd 
for  the  Part.  Ben.  The  original  literally  signifies  "  king  in,  or  at 
Jerusalem." 

2.  vaniti/  of  vanities] — A  well-known  Hebrew  superlative, 
2.  e.  the  greatest  vanity.  Some  commentators  understand  it  as 
an  exclamation,  *'  O,  utter  emptiness  and  vanity  of  all  earthly 
things ! "  but  the  Preacher  can  scarcely  be  supposed  to  com- 
mence his  disquisition  in  a  manner  so  abrupt.  The  verse  is  to  be 
considered  as  the  proposition  which  the  first  part  of  the  discourse 
is  intended  to  illustrate ;  and,  as  it  forms  the  basis  of  his  argu- 
ment, he  not  only  states  it  once,  in  short  and  emphatic  language. 


54  NOTES.  [chap.  I. 

but  doubles  and  repeats  it,  in  order  to  impress  it  upon  the  mind 
with  greater  force  and  energy.  —  See  Prel.  Diss.  §  iv.  p.  68,  and 
Critical  Note  (*.) 

3.  what  profit,  &c.] — Since  we  are  placed  in  the  world  by  a 
kind  Providence,  there  is  surely  a  profit  in  diligently  exerting 
ourselves  in  the  various  occupations  of  life.  Labour  was  enjoined 
upon  man  after  the  fall,  (Gen.  iii.  17,)  and  Solomon  himself 
observes,  that  *'  in  all  labour  there  is  profit,"  (Prov.  xiv.  23;) 
consequently,  since  it  is  both  necessary  and  a  duty,  it  must,  in 
some  sense,  be  profitable.  The  observation,  therefore,  must  be 
limited  to  the  unprofitableness  of  all  the  worldly  labour  of  man 
with  respect  to  his  Chief  Good.  It  must  be  understood  as  assert- 
ing, not  that  the  labours  of  man  in  the  world  are,  in  every  respect, 
unprofitable,  but  only  in  this  one  respect,  that  they  cannot  form 
his  Supreme  Good.  In  this  view  they  are  unprofitable,  because 
all  the  advantage  they  bring  extends  not  beyond  the  grave,  and 
because  they  have  no  tendency  to  advance  a  man  in  True  Wisdom, 
which  is  the  only  substantial  good.  Propositions,  though  ex- 
pressed in  general  terms,  are  often  to  be  understood  with  certain 
restrictions. — See  Prel.  Diss.  §  v.  p.  78. 

—  under  the  sun] — An  expression  often  occurring  in  the  Eccle- 
siastes,  and  denoting  in  this  life,  in  this  world.  Some,  refining 
upon  it,  without  reason,  consider  it  as  denoting  the  state  and  con- 
dition of  man  on  earth,  opposed  to  his  future  and  celestial  state. — 
(Michaelis,  Not.  Uber.  in  loc.)     There  is  a  paranomasia  in  the 


*  The  n  in  Vdh  is  emphatical,  denoting  the  universality  of  the 
proposition.  It  is  applied  in  the  same  manner  in  other  places  of 
this  book,  (ch.  ii.  11,  17,  iii.  19,  xii.  8.)  Vin  means  any  thing 
light  and  empty,  "  a  thing  quite  insufficient  and  worthless,  that 
soon  vanishes  away,  like  vapour  or  a  bubble,"  as  Taylor  observes 
in  his  Concordance ;  and  it  cannot  be  better  rendered  than  by  the 
word  "  vanity." 


CHAP.    I.]  NOTES.  55 

original,  preserved  in  the  ancient  versions,  though  not  expressed 
in  our  own. 

4.  one  generation,  &c.] — The  proposition  contained  in  the  pre- 
ceding verse  is  illustrated,  from  this  to  the  eleventh  verse,  by  the 
following  reasoning :  With  respect  to  his  Chief  Good,  what  profit 
hath  a  man  in  all  his  labour  ?  (verse  3.)  None ;  for  what  real  good 
can  be  derived  from  the  labours  of  so  frail  a  being  ?  While  the 
coTHse  and  constitution  of  nature  abide  the  same,  man,  from  the 
transitoriness  of  human  life,  cannot  long  enjoy  the  fruit  of  his 
anxious  cares,  (verse  4 — 7.)  His  toils,  also,  produce  weariness 
and  disgust;  (verse  8;)  they  have  never  conferred  happiness  on 
man,  and  no  one  need  expect  they  ever  can,  since  there  is  no  new 
thing  by  which  it  can  be  produced,  (verses  9,  10,)  and  they  are 
seldom  worthy  to  be  held  in  remembrance  by  posterity,  (ver.  11.) 

5.  and  hastetit] — The  Hebrew  denotes  to  pant,  put  meta- 
phorically for  hastening,  the  figure  being  taken  from  the  panting 
of  those  who  hasten  along.  Compare  Psalm  xix.  5,  6.  The 
admirers  of  Hutchinsonianism  may  consult  Parkhurst  on  f\^]2f, 
and  Desvoeux,  p.  298. 

6.  The  wind  goeth,  &c.]  — The  LXX,  Vulgate,  Syriac,  Arabic, 
and  several  moderns  join  the  first  part  of  this  verse  with  the 
former,  and  explain  it  of  the  sun,  which  the  Hebrew,  by  an 
alteration  of  the  pointing,  will  certainly  bear ;  but  the  wind,  nnn, 
seems  rather  to  be  the  subject  of  the  whole  verse. 

7.  All  the  rivers,  &c.] — Some  have  appealed  to  this  verse  in 
proof  of  a  philosophical  hypothesis,  which  accounts  for  the  origin 
of  rivers  and  fountains  by  absorption  from  the  sea,  through  means 
of  the  subterraneous  veins  and  cavities  of  the  earth ;  but  the 
whole  of  this  passage  seems  only  intended  to  express,  in  a  popular 
manner,  the  stated  revolutions  of  the  visible  creation. — See 
Deylingii  Observationes  Sacrce,  par.  iii.  Obs.  15,  and  Calmet, 
Commentaire  Litteral,  in  loc. 


56  NOTES.  [chap.  I. 

8.  all  things  are  wearisome] — This  observation,  as  appears 
from  the  context,  must  be  limited  to  man's  worldly  labours  and 
pursuits,  all  of  which  are  fatiguing,  without  producing  any  real 
satisfaction  and  content.  Man  can  hardly  describe  how  little 
satisfactory  are  all  the  things  of  this  world ;  **  the  eye  is  not 
satisfied  with  seeing,  nor  the  ear  filled  with  hearing;"  something 
is  ever  wanting  to  render  our  enjoyments  full  and  complete. — See 
Critical  Note  (*.) 

9.  the  thing  that  hath  been,  &c.] — This  verse  might,  with  equal 
propriety,  be  rendered  interrogatively,  with  the  LXX,  Vulgate, 
Dathe,  &c.  **  What  is  that  which  hath  been  ?  The  same  that 
shall  be.  What  is  that  which  hath  been  done  ?  The  same  that 
shall  be  done."  As  the  last  clause,  '*  there  is  nothing  new  under 
the  sun,"  in  its  most  general  acceptation,  is  evidently  false,  it 
must  necessarily  be  restricted  to  the  common  occurrences  of  life 
and  the  revolutions  of  human  affairs,  which  are,  at  all  times,  much 
the  same,  there  being  nearly  the  same  round  of  disappointments 
and  advancements,  of  business  and  indolence,  of  war  and  peace, 
of  pleasure  and  vexation.  Or,  it  may  be  limited  to  the  principles 
upon  which  the  natural  and  moral  world  are  constituted,  and  to 
the  laws  by  which  they  are  governed.  Tliough  many  things  fre- 
quently occur  which,  in  one  point  of  view,  may  be  called  new ; 
yet  they  have  been  produced  by  the  same  causes,  and  regulated 
by  the  same  laws,  which  have  existed  from  the  first  origin  of  the 
world.  Or  rather,  the  observation  means  no  more  than  that  there 
are  no  new  sources  of  human  enjoyment,  every  plan  devised 


*  "  Omnes  res  defatigarent,"  Bauer.  The  verb  rj*  in  Pih. 
and  Hiph.  means  to  create  disgust;  hence  wearisome^  causing 
fatigue  and  distaste,  Desvoeux ;  (p.  544;)  but  this  learned  critic, 
adopting  a  different  interpretation  of  annn,  renders  the  clause 
**  all  these  considerations  are  tiresome ;"  and,  before  him,  Gousset 
explained  it  by  *'  omnes  sermones  labore  constant." — Commen- 
tarii  Ling.  Heh.  jrj\  A. 


CHAP.    I.]  NOTES.  57 

for  the  attainment  of  felicity  being  equally  ineffectual,  with  all 
former  things,  to  secure  the  happiness  of  man. 

10.  it  hath  been  already  of  old  time,  &c.] — See  Critical 
Note  (*.) 

11.  thei'e  is  no  remembrance,  Sic] — This  must  be  taken  with 
some  limitation,  as  implying  no  more  than  this,  that  in  like  man- 
ner as  the  memory  or  record  of  former  things  is  imperfect,  so 
existing  transactions  shall  be  imperfectly  recorded,  and  little  re- 
garded by  posterity. 

12.  /,  the  Preacher,  &c.]— It  does  not  appear  to  be  the 
Preacher's  design,  in  this  section,  to  prove  the  vanity  of  human 
wisdom  in  general;  (that  is  the  subject  of  a  subsequent  section, 
ch.  ii.  12 — 17 ;)  but  to  demonstrate  the  vanity  of  that  knowledge 
in  particular  which  results  from  laborious  inquiries  into  the  ways 
and  works,  the  occupations  and  pursuits  of  man.  Of  this  know- 
ledge political  science  forms  a  considerable,  though  not  the  only 
part;  it  includes  curious  researches  into  every  thing  that  relates 
to  man ;  and,  by  an  express  reference  to  his  own  experience,  he 
concludes  that  such  philosophical  speculations  cannot  confer 
lasting  happiness. 

13.  /  gave  my  heart  to  seek] — The  Hebrews  attributed  the  in- 
tellectual operations  to  the  heart;   (Michaelis,  Supplem.  ad  Lex. 


*  The  ancient  versions  render  IJ'JS^D  n'n  iir^«  cd'd^ItV  rr^ri 
niD  «in  *'  yet  it  hath  been  before  in  the  ages  that  have  preceded 
us;"  but,  as  it  is  very  unusual  for  verbs  singular  to  concord  with 
nominatives  plural,  unless  they  are  meant  distributively,  I  would 
render  the  clause  in  the  following  manner :  "  It  hath  been  in  the 
ages  before;  certainly  it  hath  been  before  us."  This,  though 
coinciding  with  E.  T.  in  sense,  is  a  more  literal  version.— See 
Noldius,  Concordantice  ParticuL  Heb.  in  *iiD.  2. 


58  NOTES.  [chap.  I. 

Heb.  No.  1257 ;)  and  hence,  where  inteUigence  is  imphed,  iV 
might  be  better  rendered  by  "  mind"  than  *'  heart." 

—  search  out  hyioisdoni] — That  is,  sagaciously  and  diligently. 

—  this  sore  travail] — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

—  to  he  exercised  thereicitli] — See  Critical  Note  (f.) 

14.  all  is  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit] — This  clause  is  taken, 
by  many  expositors,  in  its  most  extensive  acceptation,  and  it  is, 

*  The  word  ]^iv,  from  rrij^,  which  sometimes  means  to  act  upon 
in  a  bad  sense,  to  affiict,  is  only  found  in  the  Ecclesiastes,  where 
it  occurs  eight  times,  and  uniformly  means  occupatio,  negotium 
molestum,  quod  arffiigit, — (Castell,  Lex.  Hept.)  To  this  effect  it 
is  rendered  in  all  the  ancient  versions. — See  Le  Clerc  in  loc.  and 
the  Lex.  at  the  end  of  the  Hexapla,  ed.  Moiitfaucon. 

t  The  expression  n  r\MV^  is  variously  rendered :  "  to  give 
evidence  of  himself,"  Desvoeux ;  "  for  their  humiliation  therein," 
Hodgson;  "that  they  may  weary  themselves  therein,"  Booth- 
royd;  '*  Deus  concedit  homines  sese  ipsos  fatigare,"  Dathe; 
*'  qua  eos  premeret,"  Le  Clerc;  **'  ut  occuparentur  in  ea," 
Vulgate;  so  Syriac;  rov  TrepKnraa^at  ev  avriOj  LXX,  It  is 
obvious  that  mir  cannot  here  mean  to  afflict,  to  oppress,  though 
it  sometimes  has  this  meaning ;  for  pain  and  affliction  do  not  seem 
to  be  the  end  and  object  of  any  of  God's  gifts  and  dispensations. 
Parkhurst,  and  Tympius  in  Nold.  Partic.  Heb.  \V''  note  n,  are, 
probably,  right  in  thinking  that  the  radical  meaning  of  ni^  is  to 
act,  or  operate  upon  some  person  or  thing.  Thus,  the  painful 
labour  of  inquiring  concerning  every  work  under  heaven  God  has 
imposed  upon  mankind,  to  act  or  operate  upon  them  by  it;  that 
is  to  say,  it  is  one  of  the  means  of  exercising  them,  and  of  making- 
trial  of  their  patience,  humility,  and  resignation.  The  English 
translation,  therefore,  exhibits  the  sense  correctly. 


CHAP.    I.]  NOTES.  59 

t 

no  doubt,  in  this  view  sufficiently  apposite  to  the  Preacher's 
argument ;  but  the  context  seems  to  limit  it  to  the  study  of  the 
actions  and  works  of  man.  Having  stated,  just  before,  the  pain- 
ful labour  he  had  endured  in  inquiring  diligently  into  "all  things 
that  are  done  under  heaven,"  Solomon  now  pronounces  these 
inquiries  to  be  "  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit."  All  such  studies, 
pursuits,  and  speculations  are  ineffectual  to  confer  happiness; 
they  create  much  trouble  and  affliction,  and  cannot,  therefore,  be 
the  principal  good  of  man.— See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  The  clause  nn  nirm  Vin  f?3n  is  variously  rendered :  **  all 
this  is  a  vapour  and  company  for  the  wind,"  Desvoeux ;  "  all  is 
vanity,  and  a  feeding  on  the  wind,"  Boothroyd ;  **  omnia  vana 
sunt  et  voluptatem  ofterunt  cito  praetereuntem,"  Dathe  ;  "  nutri- 
menta  ventosa,  studia  iuauia,"  Doederlein.  My  reasons  for 
adopting  the  standard  version  are,  first,  The  phrase  mn  mi^n  only 
occurs  in  the  following  texts :  Ecclesiastes  i.  14,  ii.  11,  17,  26, 
iv.  4,  6,  vi.  9,  in  each  of  wliich  the  authorized  version  suits  the 
context.  Secondly,  Whether  mri  be  derived  from  rn  con- 
fringere,  or  more  analogically,  as  it  should  seem,  from  T]V\  pascere, 
it  will  equally  denote  the  affliction  which  breaks  down  the  spirits, 
the  anxiety  which  preys  upon  the  mind,  and  wears  it  away  by 
care  and  vexation.  Van  der  Palm,  though  he  adopts  the  ren- 
dering "  vana  esse  omnia  et  vento  inaniora,"  confesses  "  potest 
tamen  secundum  Grammaticam  suam  formam  duci  a  TlV^,  quoad 
depascendi  notio  non  inconmaode  transfertur  ad  vexationes  et 
discruciones  animi." — (Diss  de  Lib.  Eccles.  p.  69.)  Thirdly,  It  is 
supported  by  the  ancient  versions  :  "  vanitas  et  afflictio  spiritus," 
Vulgate;  Knn  mTin,  the  breaking  or  wounding  of  the  spirit, 
Targum ;  |.jObQ.)^  |-2i^<^  the  perturbation  of  the  spirit, 
Syriac;  TrpoaipecrtQ  izvevyiaTOQy  LXX.  By  this  expression  the 
Greek  translators  probably  meant  to  denote  distraction  of  the 
mind,  such  as  is  occasioned  when,  several  objects  being  pre- 
sented, it  deliberates,  doubts,  and  hesitates  which  to  choose. 
z 


60  NOTES.  [chap.    I. 

.  15.  That  which  is  crooked,  &c.] — The  sense  is,  the  knowledge 
of  •*  the  things  that  are  done  under  heaven,"  (verse  13,)  cannot 
constitute  the  Chief  Good,  since  "  that  which  is  crooked  cannot 
be  made  straight"  by  it;  it  can  neither  prevent  the  misfortunes 
and  injuries  which  prevail  in  the  world,  nor  rectify  what  is  amiss, 
and  it  is,  moreover,  very  defective  and  inetBcacious.  Those  who 
take  the  preceding  verse  in  its  most  general  sense,  explain  this, 
as  connected  with  it,  in  the  following  manner :  namely,  all  the 
works  of  man  are  "vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit,"  (verse  14,) 
and  it  is  impossible  it  should  be  otherwise,  since  it  is  the  ordina- 
tion of  Providence,  which  cannot  be  altered,  any  more  than  that 
which  is  crooked  can  be  made  straight,  or  that  which  is  wanting 
or  deficient  in  the  labours  of  man  can  be  suppHed. — See  Critical 
Note  (*.) 


UpoaipEffiQ  yap  ttrri,  3vo  TrpoKeifxeviov^  ro  EKXeyeffdaL  /cat  aipsKrOai  rovro 
vrpo  Tov  ETipov,  as  Suidas  observes.  Aquila  has  vofir}  avEfiov,  and 
Symmachus  (jocrKrjang  avtjiovy  both  of  which  were,  doubtless, 
intended  to  signify  vain,  unprofitable,  wearisome  labour,  a  mere 
**  feeding  upon  wind,"  (ch.  v.  16;  Hosea  xii.  1,)  which  disap- 
points desire  and  expectation. — These  observations  are,  in  a 
great  measure,  applicable  to  \vvi,  found  in  ch.  i.  17,  ii.  22,  iv.  16, 
as  it  is  obviously  derived  from  the  same  root  as  the  former  ex- 
pression. The  context,  etymology,  versions,  and  the  traditionary 
interpretation  conspire  in  supporting  the  received  rendering 
**  vexation  of  spirit." 

*  The  authorized  version,  as  explained  in  the  note,  admits  a 
good  sense ;  I  am,  nevertheless,  inclined  to  render  it  rather 
differently : 

That  which  is  perverse  is  with  difficulty  corrected ; 

And  that  which  is  defective  is  with  difficulty  supplied. 
In  support  of  this  version  it  may  be  alleged,  that  f?31»  Vth  fre- 
quently means  a  great  difficulty  only,   not  an   absolute  impossi- 
bility; as,  Gen.  xix.  19,  22,  xxxi.  35,  xhv.  22. — niro,  Part.  Pyh. 


CHAP.    I.]  NOTES.  61 

16.  in  Jerusalem] — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

17.  to  know  wisdom,  and  to  know  madtiess  and  folly] — Meto- 
nymically  the  cause  for  the  effect;  that  is,  the  works  and  labours 
of  human  wisdom,  madness,  and  folly. — See  Critical  Note  (f.) 


from  mr,  may  be  rendered  "  perverse"  as  well  as  "  crooked." — 
(Simonis,  Lex.  Heh.  in  voc.)  The  verb  nJD  means  not  only  to 
reckon,  number,  or  compute,h\kt  also  to  assign  a  share  or  portion; 
and  in  this  sense  it  may  be  taken  here,  that  is,  the  assigning  or 
appointing  the  full  share  or  portion  of  that  which  is  defective, 
which  is  a  matter  of  great  difficulty.  In  this  view  the  meaning 
is,  that  the  perverseness  of  men  is,  after  all  our  study,  corrected 
with  such  difficulty,  and  their  m|inifold  defects  are  so  hard  to  be 
supphed,  that  the  knowledge  above  described  necessarily  creates 
"  vexation  of  spirit."  This  exposition  is  submitted  with  deference 
to  the  reader's  judgment.  The  ancient  versions  are  very  dis- 
cordant. 

*  Some  translate  czsVu^n*  Vr  "  who  ruled  over  Jerusalem,"  re- 
ferring to  the  kings,  priests,  and  judges  who  had  preceded 
Solomon ;  but  as  Vr  frequently  signifies  in,  (Noldius  in  voc.  14,) 
and  only  two  had  preceded  the  royal  sage  in  the  character  of 
king,  of  whom  one  did  not  reign  at  Jerusalem,  I  prefer  adhering 
to  the  received  version,  "  in  Jerusalem," — See  Goussett,  Comm. 
Ling.  Heh.  n^r,  S.  2. 

t  The  primary  meaning  oiVpn  undoubtedly  is  to  shine;  hence, 
secondly,  in  Pih.  and  Hiph.,  to  shine  upon,  to  illustrate,  to 
praise;  thirdly,  in  Hith.,  to  praise  oneself,  to  vaunt,  to  boast; 
fourthly,  as  self-praise,  pride,  and  boasting  produce  insolence 
and  extravagance,  the  root  came  to  signify  to  be  mad,  tumultuous, 
and  extravagant.  Now,  according  to  the  primary  meaning  of 
the  root,  the  derivative  ni^^n,  here  made  use  of  by  the  Preacher, 
may  be  rendered  **  splendid  matters;"  thus — 


KOTES,  [chap.    I. 

18.  For  in  much  wisdom,  &c.] — ^This  verse  may,  no  doubt,  be 
so  paraphrased  as  to  yield  a  consistent  sense  in  the  most  general 
acceptation;   but,   in   my   opinion,    the   pleasures   arising  from 
literary  pursuits  are  among  the  most  delightful  and  the  most  per- 
manent which  Providence  hath  benignantly  granted  for  the  com- 
fort and  solace  of  human  life.     Neither  can  the  wisdom  here 
described  be  the  Wisdom  eulogized    in  the  third  chapter  of 
Proverbs,  all  **  whose  ways  are  ways  of  pleasantness,"  and  to 
which  so  many  commendations  are  given   in  the  writings   of 
Solomon,     It  must,  therefore,  refer  to  the  knowledge  mentioned 
in  the  foregoing  verse,  a  knowledge  of  the  works  as  well  of  what 
is  reputed  human  wisdom,  as  of  human  folly  and  extravagance, 
of  which  the  more  is  known,  the  more  reason  appears  to  lament 
their  emptiness,  their  imperfection,  and  their  baseness. 


I  have  also  applied  my  mind  to  the  knowledge  of  wisdom. 
Even  the  knowledge  of  matters  splendid  and  profound. 
So  Dathe's  version,  **  rerum  splendidarum,"   and   Desvoeux*s, 
*'  whatever  is  shining;"  but  1  prefer  the  received  translation,  "  to 
know  madness,"  because,  first,  This  sense  suits  the  context.     In 
the  preceding  verse  the  Preacher  asserted  his  attainments  in 
wisdom ;  he  here  repeats  the  same,  with  this  addition,  that  he 
applied  his  mind  also  to  know  the  labours  and  works  produced 
by  the  madness  and  folly  of  mankind.     Secondly,  mV^in  most 
probably  signifies  madness  and  extravagance  in  other  places  of 
this  book,  ch.  ii.  12,  vii.  25,  ix.  3,  x.  13,  and  not  splendid  ox 
shining ;  though  I  am  aware  Dathe  and  Desvoeux  do  sometimes 
so  translate  it.     Thirdly,  If  any  thing  can  be  collected  from  the 
discordancy  of  the  ancient  versions,  it  is  in  favour  of  the  authorized 
translation ;  certainly  they  do  not  oppose  it.    Michaelis  (Supplem, 
No.  559)  deduces  the  sense  of  madness  from  the  cognate  root 
in  Arabic,  which  is  applied  to  the  appearing  of  the  new  moon, 
and  from  which  come  words  denoting  luna  nova   and  initium 
mensis, — (See  Golius,  Lex.  Arab,  in  ^^J"    In  this  he  is  followed 
by  Simonis  in  his  Lex,  Heb.^  by  Schulz,  in  Cocceii  Lex,  Heb,,  and 


CHAP.    II.]  NOTES.  63 


CHAPTER   II. 

1.  /  said  in  my  heart,  <fec.]— 'Matthew  Henry  very  truly, 
though  rather  quaintly,  observes,  '*  Solomon  here,  in  pursuit  of 
the  Summum  Bonuniy  the  felicity  of  man,  adjourns  out  of  his 
study,  his  library,  his  elaboratory,  his  council-chamber,  where 
he  had  in  vain  sought  for  it,  into  the  park  and  the  playhouse,  his 
garden  and  his  summer-house;  exchangeth  the  company  of 
philosophers  and  grave  senators  for  that  of  the  wits  and  gallants^ 
and  the  beaux-esprits  of  his  court,  to  try  if  he  could  tind  true 
satisfaction  and  happiness  among  them :  here  he  takes  a  great 
step  downward,  from  the  noble  pleasures  of  intellect  to  the  brutal 
ones  of  sense ;  yet,  if  he  resolve  to  make  a  thorough  trial,  he  must 
knock  at  this  door,  because  here  a  great  part  of  mankind  imagine 
they  have  found  that  which  he  was  in  quest  of." — ^The  expression 
"  I  said  in  my  heart,"  denotes  I  said  within  myself,  I  purposed 
in  my  mind. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


by  Storr,  Observat.  ad  Analog,  et  Syntax.  Heb.  p.  40 ;  but  surely 
nothing  can  be  more  fanciful. — See  Dindorf,  Lex.  Heb.  in  hbn. 

The  present  Hebrew  text  is  ni^Dirr  prudence ;  but  as  many  MSS. 
have  ni^DD,  and  as  this  latter  occurs  in  six  other  places  of  the 
Ecclesiastes,  ch.  ii.  3,  12,  13,  vii.  26,  x.  1,  13,  it  may  be  con- 
sidered as  the  true  reading.  Or  perhaps  they  are  one  and  the 
same  word,  as  Sin  and  Samech  are  one  and  the  same  letter. — 
See  Buxtorf,  Anticritica^  p.  772,  and  Capellus,  Crit.  Sac.  p.  880, 
ed.  Charfen. 

*  Some  derive  nDDJ«  from  *]Di  to  pour  out,  namely,  I  will 
pour  out  myself  in  pleasure,  I  will  indulge  in  it,  I  will  abound  in 
delights ;  but  it  seems  to  come  from  riDJ  to  prove,  with  the  affix 
and  a  paragogic  n,  as  it  is  understood  by  the  Greek  and  Syriac 
translators. — nt^Ti  is  the  infinitive,  put  either  for  the  imperative, 
**  therefore  enjoy  pleasure,"  as  E.  T.,  or  for  the  future,  "  and 
thou  shalt  enjoy  pleasure." 


64  NOTES.  [chap.  n. 

2.  /  said  of  laughter ^  &c.]— Mirth  is  the  usual  attendant  of 
innocence,  and,  when  seasonably  indulged,  is  a  sweet  refresh- 
ment of  the  spirits,  and  alleviates  the  toils  and  cares  of  life.  By 
"  laughter,"  therefore,  must  be  understood  loud,  excessive,  wan- 
ton laughter,  which  generally  produces  a  kind  of  mental  dehrium, 
far  removed  from  True  Wisdom,  and  commonly  ends  in  sadness 
and  disappointment.  Man's  Chief  Good  cannot  arise  from 
revelry  and  merriment,  which  are  too  empty  and  short-lived  to 
make  us  either  wise  or  happy.  By  "  laughter,"  according  to 
some,  is  meant  a  state  of  continued  prosperity  and  enjoyment,  as 
it  signifies  Job  viii.  21,  Gen.  xxi.  6,  Psalm  cxxvi.  2. 

—  it  is  mad] — Excessive  laughter  is  said  to  be  mad,  either 
because  it  creates  a  species  of  momentary  distraction,  or  because 
it  is  too  unmeaning  and  ridiculous  to  be  indulged  in  by  any  but 
madmen. 

3.  I  sought,  &:c.] — Of  this  difficult  verse,  in  rendering  which 
ancient  and  modern  translators  differ  exceedingly,  I  have  retained 
the  received  version ;  but  perhaps  it  may  be  better  rendered  in 
the  following  manner:  *'  I  proposed  in  my  mind  to  gratify  my 
appetite  with  wine,  (yet  guiding  my  mind  with  wisdom,)  and  to 
lay  hold  on  folly,  till  I  could  find  where  that  good  for  the  sons  of 
men  was,  which  they  should  do  under  heaven  all  the  days  of  their 
life."— See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  Dr.  Roberts,  in  his  Corrections  of  various  Passages  in  the 
English  Translation,  p.  164,  proposes  to  read  p'D  for  p»n,  and 
niVatr^l  for  m^SDl,  and  to  render  it,  **  I  determined  in  my  heart 
to  withdraw  myself  from  wine,  and  to  lead  my  heart  to  wisdom, 
and  to  lay  hold  on  knowledge,  that  I  might  see,"  &c. ;  but  this 
emendation  is  unwarranted,  and,  if  it  were  not,  this  rendering 
would  be  inaccurate. — The  clause  noDna  jnJ  oV  is  rendered 
by  van  der  Palm,  *'delassato  per  sapientise  studium  ai™o,"  for 


CHAP.    II.]  NOTES.  66 

—  with  wine] — Under  this  term  are  comprehended  all  the 
delicacies  used  in  banquetings  and  feastings;  (Prov.  ix.  2;  Cant, 
viii.  2;)  just  as,  by  the  same  synecdoche,  **  bread"  signifies  in 
Scriptuie  all  the  necessaries  of  life. 

—  lay  hold  on  folly] — By  "  folly"  is  meant  either  that  enjoy- 
ment of  wine  which  is  in  reality  folly,  or  generally  whatever 
pleasures  the  folly  of  man  pursues,  and  which  are,  by  the  event, 
found  to  be  nothing  but  folly. 

5.  trees  of  all  kind  of  fruits] — Namely,  all  kinds  of  fruit-trees. 

6.  pools  of  water] — In  Eastern  gardens  were  artificial  ponds, 
or  receptacles  of  water,  which  was  conveyed  from  thence  by 
little  channels  to  every  part,  in  order  to  irrigate  the  soil. — Nehera. 
ii.  14;  Gen.  ii.  10,  xiii.  10;  Isaiah  i.  30,  where  see  Bishop 
Lowth,  and  Burder's  Oriental  Customs,  No.  664. 

—  the  wood  that  bringeth  forth  trees] — A  more  correct 
rendering  is  given  by  Bishop  Lowth,  on  Isaiah  i.  30,  namely 
**  the  grove  flourishing  with  trees."  Hodgson's  version  is,  "  the 
flourishing  plantations."  The  Hebrew  literally  is,  **  sylva  ger- 
minans  arboribus,"  as  Cocceius  translates  it. 

7.  servants  born  in  my  house] — Among  the  Hebrews  a  kind 
of  marriage  was  permitted  between  slaves,  which  the  Romans 
termed  contubemia,  and  the  children  produced  from  these  con- 
nexions were  also  slaves.  "  Such  slaves  by  birth  were  said  to 
be  bom  in  the  house,  (Gen.  xiv.  14,  xvii.  23,)  and  termed  sons  of 
the  house,  (Gen.  xv.  3,)  or  sons  of  the  handmaid,  (Exod.  xxiii.  12 ; 
Psalm  Ixxxvi.  16,  cxvi.  16.)     Abraham  had  three  hundred  and 


which  sense  of  Jn^  he  appeals  to  the  Arabic  and  Syriac;  but 
there  is  no  Hebrew  authority  for  it,  and,  as  Bauer  observes  in  his 
Scholia  in  loc,  it  is  plainly  contrary  to  verse  9. 


66  NOTES.  [chap.    II. 

eighteen  of  them." — MichaeHs,  Commentaries  on  the  Laws  of 
Moses,  art.  123. 

8.  the  peculiar  treasure  of  kings] — Either  abundant  treasures, 
such  as  actually  belong  to  kings  and  whole  provinces ;  or,  the 
most  precious  articles  which  kings  and  the  provinces  could 
supply.  Some  suppose,  but  I  think  erroneously,  that  there  is  a 
reference  to  the  presents  made  to  Solomon  by  princes  and  pro- 
vinces.— (1  Kings  iv.  21,  ix.  11,  x.  10;  2  Chron.  ix.  9,  10.  See 
Bishop  Reynolds  in  loc.)  How  applicable  the  whole  of  this 
description  is  to  Solomon  must  be  so  apparent,  from  his  history  in 
1  Kings  and  2  Chronicles,  that  I  consider  it  perfectly  unnecessary 
to  offer  any  thing  in  illustration  of  it. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  Critics  have  formed  a  variety  of  conjectures  respecting  the 
meaning  of  rrntr^l  r\i'\i},  found  only  in  this  place.  Durell,  in  his 
Critical  Remarks  in  loc,  supposes  some  corruption  of  the  text, 
of  which,  however,  there  appears  no  suflScient  evidence;  we 
must,  therefore,  endeavour  to  discover  some  probable  inter- 
pretation, for  probabihty  is  all  that  can  be  obtained.  The  Jewish 
Doctors  advocate  very  different  opinions  respecting  the  meaning 
of  the  phrase,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  Critici  Sacri^  Pfeiffer, 
(Dub.  Vex.  in  loc.,)  Buxtorf,  (Lex.  Talm.  Chald.  Rab.p.  1796,) 
Gill's  Bible,  &c.  Most  of  these  opinions  have  found  supporters 
in  different  Christian  expositors ;  it  may,  therefore,  be  proper  to 
collect  and  review  the  sentiments  of  some  of  the  most  eminent. 
Bochart,  (Hieroz,  par.  ii.  lib.  6,  cap.  13,)  Pfeiffer,  (Dub.  Vex. 
in  loc.,)  Le  Clerc,  and  others,  deriving  the  words  from  the  Arabic 
^(N^  cecinit,  or  from  the  name  of  a  Phoenician  poet,  expound 
them  of  various  kinds  of  symphony  and  song.  Vatablus,  Des- 
voeux,  and  several  others  derive  them  from  mu;  vastavit,  and 
take  them  to  refer  to  women  who  are  the  subject  of  warlike 
devastation,  that  is,  captive  women ;  but,  after  attentively  pe- 
rusing Desvoeux's  laboured  defence  of  this  interpretation,  it 
still  appears  to   me  altogether  erroneous ;  for,  as  Bishop  Patric 


CHAP.    II.]  NOTES.  (37 

9.  /  was  great,  and  increased] — If  the  first  verb  in  the  original 
is  put  adverbially,  as  is  often  the  case  with  verbs  so  conjoined, 
(Robertson,  p.  327 ;  Schroeder,  Reg.  63,)  they  may  be  rendered 
**  I  increased  in  magnificence ;"  ixeyedei  virepQaXou,  Symmachus. 


observes,  "  there  were  no  wars  in  Solomon's  time,  till  the  latter 
end  of  his  reign,  and  then  he  was  rather  worsted  than  victorious;" 
how,  then,  could  he  speak  of  acquiring  females  captured  in  war? 
Some  derive  the  words  from  im  a  breast  or  pap,  and,  as  the 
breasts  constitute  a  principal  part  of  the  beauty  of  women,  they 
think  that  nnu^l  ni\if  denote  damsels  of  pleasure,  pellices ;  but 
this  is  surely  far-fetched  and  chimerical.     Analogous  to  this,  how- 
ever, is  the  interpretation  of  Michaehs,  Doederlein,  and  Bauer, 
who,  from  a  fanciful  Arabic  etymology,  suppose  that  the  words 
mean  "  a  numerous  haram."    Lud.  De  Dieu,  taking  the  sense  from 
the  Syriac  I  i.J  JL  via  sive  propositum,  explains  it  *'  delicias  viae  et 
viarum,  sive  propositi  et  propositorum,  i.  e.  omnis  generis,"  and 
this  exposition  is  adopted  by  Dathe,  both  in  his  edition  of  Glassii 
Phil.  Sac.  p.  52,  and  in  the  note  to  his  Latin  translation  of 
Ecclesiastes.     Calmet's  gloss  is,  "  des  champs  cultivez,  et  non 
cultives ;  ou  des  champs  de  toutes  sortes ;  a  la  lettre,  un  champ, 
et  des  champs.     Tout  le  monde  convient  de  la  signification  de 
sadeh,  et  de  sadoth  en  ce  sens.     Et  pourquoi,  dans  le  denom- 
brement  des  plaisirs  qu'il  s'etoit  procurez,  n'auroit-il  pas   dit 
qu'il  avoit  acquis  une  infinite  de  terres  et  des  champs?"     But 
this  does  not  appear  very  probable.     Jerom  says,  "  non  enim 
homines,  viros   videlicet  et  feminas;   sed  vasculorum   species 
nominavit,    kvKlklov   et  KvXiKta   vocans,   quod  Hebraice   dicitur 
Sadda  et  Saddoth."     Boothroyd,   after  Piscator,   renders   the 
words  by  "  the  sweetest  instruments  of  music,"  thinking  that  this 
sense  naturally  springs  from  niti^  to  pour  forth,  and  that  the 
feminine  nouns  may  be  used  to   denote  those  which  give  the 
softest  sounds,  and  most  like  the  female  voice.     Parkliurst,  in  his 
Lexicon,  says,  "  mtt^  is  a  noun  masculine,  and  nMm  a  noun 
A  A 


68  NOTES.  [chap.   II. 

10.  and  this  was  my  j^ortioji,  &c.] — Most  commentators  con- 
nect this  with  the  preceding  clause,  thus:  "  my  heart  rejoiced  in 
all  my  labour,  and  this  was  my  portion;"  that  is,  this  rejoicing 
was  the  good  that  I  enjoyed,  was  the  happiness  I  derived  from 
all  my  labour.  But  this  is  contrary  to  the  scope  of  the  passage, 
which  is  to  show,  that  all  the  Preacher's  luxuries  and  worldly 
toils  were  empty  and  vain:  hence  the  pronoun  "  this,"  nt,  must 


plural  feminine,  a  cupbearer,  who  pours  out  wine  at  feasts.     So 

the  LXX,  preserving  the  idea,  oivoyoov  icai  oivo-^oagy  from  olvoq, 

wine,  and  ^^tw,  to  pour  out.    It  appears,  from  Gen.  xl.  9,  11,  that 

the  kings  of  Egypt,  and,  from  Neheni.  i.  11,  that  the  kings  of 

Persia  had  one  chief  male  cupbearer,   and  so  likewise  might 

Solomon,  with  a  number  of  females  under  him."     In  this  way  it 

is  understood  by   Houbigant   and   others.      My  own   opinion 

coincides  so  far  with  De  Dieu,  that  the  expression  was  intended 

to  describe  delights  of  all  sorts,  "  omnis  generis ;"  for,  first,  this 

clause   ends  the  Preacher's  enumeration  of  particular  luxuries, 

and  should,  therefore,  seem  designed  to  express  generally  that  he 

enjoyed  a  variety  of  delights  besides  those  mentioned  before. — 

{See  Gousset,  Comm.  Ling.  Htb.  mii^,  K.)   Secondly,  a  repetition 

of  the  same  noun  in  different  genders  denotes  universality,  of 

which    examples  may  be  seen  in  tilass,  Phil.  Sac.  p.  62,  ed. 

Dathe,  and  in  Storr,  Obs.  ad  Anal,  et  Syntax.  Heh.  p.  189.     The 

same  construction  obtains  in  Arabic. — (See  Scheidius,  Ad  Cantic. 

Hisk.  p.  135.)     It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  observe,  that  I  take 

mm  for  a  noun  masculine;  but  if  it  be  feminine,  the  meaning  will 

be  the  same,  as  a  repetition  of  a  word  in  the  same  gender  equally 

denotes   universality. — (Glass,   p.  14;    Schroeder,   Gram.  Heb. 

Reg,  5 ;  Robertson,   Gram.   Heb.   p.  295.)     Lastly,   the  words 

seem  properly  derived  from   mm  to  shed,  to  pour  out;  hence 

nnil^l  mm  whatever  most  universally  pours  forth,    or   diffuses 

pleasure  ;  and  therefore  the  sense  is,  *'  all  the  delights  of  human 

luxury,"  as  expressed  in  the  version. 


CHAP.    II.]  NOTES.  69 

refer  to  the  following  verse,  and  the  sense  will  be  as  exhibited  in 
the  Paraphrase. 

11.  there  teas  no  profit] — Namely,  as  Diodati  remarks,  there 
was  no  sound  nor  permanent  good  after  the  transitory  pleasure 
derived  from  such  labours. 

12.  /  turned  myself  to  behold  wisdom y  &c.]  —  '^This  section, 
including  verses  12 — 17,  does  not  relate  to  True  Wisdom,  or 
Religion,  but  to  mere  human,  or  worldly  wisdom,  as  appears  from 
the  manner  in  which  it  is  joined  and  compared  with  madness  and 
folly.  This  is  still  more  evident  from  what  is  said  against  it  in 
verses  15  and  16,  which  show  that  the  royal  philosopher  is  speaking 
of  secular  wisdom  or  knowledge,  which  excels  folly,  because  it 
renders  a  man's  conduct  more  circumspect  and  prudent,  (ver.  14;) 
but  if  unaccompanied  with  Religion,  the  True  Wisdom,  it  profits 
little,  inasmuch  as  it  contributes  little  to  lasting  contentment. 
The  wisdom  here  spoken  of  is  undoubtedly  a  valuable  possession, 
and  the  Preacher  only  means  to  demonstrate  its  vanity  in  this 
respect,  that  it  cannot  ward  off  calamity  and  death,  nor  com^ 
pletely  satisfy  the  heart  of  man. — See  Diodati. 

—  for  what  can  the  man  do,  &c.] — Though  the  critics  and 
translators  are  greatly  divided  about  this  clausCj  there  are  three 
interpretations  chiefly  deserving  of  notice.  First,  that  of  the 
authorized  version  and  Dathe,  "  what  ca7t  the  man  do  that 
cometh  after  the  king?"  which  is,  indeed,  supposing  an  ellipsis 
scarcely  exampled ;  but,  included  within  a  parenthesis,  yields  a 
sense  perfectly  in  connexion  with  the  context,  as  may  be  seen  in 
the  Paraphrase ;  and  after  this  manner  it  is  explained  by  Rey- 
nolds, Holden,  Patric,  and  other  commentators.  Secondly,  that 
of  Vatablus  and  Grotius,  *'  what  man  can  follow  the  king  in  the 
things  which  are  done  ?"  that  is,  in  knowing  them  ;  who  can  pre- 
tend to  equal  the  king  in  a  knowledge  of  these  matters?  An  in- 
terpretation agreeing  well  with  the  former  clauses,  but  not  with 
the  following  one.     Thirdly,  that  of  Geier  and  others,  '*  who  is 


70  NOTES.  [chap.    II* 

the  man  that  shall  come  after  the  king  whom  they  have  already 
made?"  which  suits  verses  18,  19,  but  bears  no  relation  to  the 
immediate  context. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

14.  The  wise  man's  eyes  are  in  his  head] — That  is,  he  sees  his 
way  before  him,  is  cautious  in  his  undertakings,  and  judicious  in 
the  execution  of  them. 

1 5.  Then  said  I  in  my  heart,  &c.] — See  Critical  Note  (f.) 


*  Van  der  Palm  declares  the  text  in  this  verse  to  be  manifestly 
corrupted,  but  I  would  say,  with  Bauer,  "  Ego  nollem  cultrum 
criticum  adhibere,  eoque  omnibus  testibus  destitutus  resecare  quae 
intricata  sunt."  As  the  expositions,  however,  mentioned  in  the 
explanatory  note  are  not  quite  satisfactory,  I  may  be  permitted 
to  propose  anotlier.  Now,  may  not  aij^n  be  taken  in  the 
vocative  case,  and  thus  rendered  and  paraphrased:  ^*  I  turned 
to  contemplate  the  wisdom,  and  madness,  and  folly  of  mankind; 
and  of  these  I  have  a  perfect  knowledge,  ^br  what,  O  man,  shall 
come  after  the  king  ?  Any  thing  perfectly  new  ?  No  :  only  that 
which  hath  been  already  done,  and  therefore  I  am  well  qualified 
to  form  a  correct  judgment  respecting  them."  Several  MSS., 
instead  of  initr^:;,  have  inirr  in  the  singular,  and  so  Syriac  and 
Vulgate ;  but  1  see  no  sufficient  reason  for  departing  from  the 
received  text,  "  they  have  done,"  namely,  impersonally,  "  which 
hath  been  done." 

t  This  verse  may  be  literally  rendered,  *'  Then  said  I  in  my 
heart,  with  respect  to  myself  it  happeneth  according  to  the  event 
of  the  fool ;  to  what  purpose,  therefore,  do  I  excel  in  wisdom  ? 
Then  I  said  in  my  heart  that  this  also  is  vanity."  'J«  cdj  is  the 
nominative  absolute;  i,  e.  "  quod  attinet  ad  me." — (Glass,  Phil. 
Sac.  p.  67;  Robertson,  Gram.  p.  311;  Schroeder,  Reg.  33; 
Bishop  Horsley,  Pref.  to  Hosea,  p.  31.)  The  little  word  T«  is 
not  without  its  difficulty.     Schmidt  renders  it  "jam  pridem," 


CHAP.    II.]  NOTES.  71 

16.  For  there  is  no  remembrance,  &c.] — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

17.  Therefore  I  was  weary  of  life] — Existence  is  the  greatest 
of  external  blessings  bestowed  upon  man  by  his  Maker,  and 
though  we  ought  to  resign  it  willingly  at  the  command  of  God, 
and  esteem  it  as  nothing  in  comparison  with  a  future  and  a  better 
life,  it  is  deeply  criminal  to  despise  so  great  a  blessing,  or  to 
become  weary  of  it  through  momentary  troubles  and  afflictions. 
The  expressions  in  this  verse  must,  therefore,  be  restricted  to  that 
kind  of  life  which  Solomon  has  been  describing,  a  hfe  spent  in 


"jamolim,"  a  sense  probably  without  example.  Noldius,  in 
his  Concordant,  in  voc,  considers  it  redundant;  but  Tympius,  in 
his  note  to  Noldius,  and  Geier  take  it  to  mean  the  hour  of  death ; 
namely,  what  will  human  wisdom  then  avail  ?  It  may,  perhaps, 
signify  ideo,  therefore,  a  sense  which  it  undoubtedly  sometimes 
has.  Few,  I  suppose,  will  agree  with  Doederlein,  who  says, 
**  m  videtur  nominascere.  Sensus;  cur  equidem  tanto  fervore 
animum  applicui  ad  sapientiam.'' — Scholia  in  loc. 

*  As  the  authorized  version  gives  the  sense,  it  is  needless  to 
depart  from  it,  but  the  verse  may  be  more  closely  rendered : 
"  For  there  is  no  memorial  of  the  wise  man  nor  of  the  fool  for 
ever;"  (i.  e.  there  is  no  perpetual  memorial ;  see  Bauer,  Booth- 
royd,  &c. ;)  "  seeing  that  now  the  days  ^vill  come  when  all  shall 
be  forgotten  ;  and  the  wise  man  dies  in  like  manner  as  the  fool," 
The  meaning,  it  is  clear,  must  be  limited ;  that  is,  there  is  no 
adequate  or  perfect  remembrance  of  men  after  death.  The  par- 
ticle oi?  in  this  verse  certainly  means  like  as,  in  like  manner  as, 
ceque  ac, — (Noldius,  in  voc.  8.)  laDir^a  may  undoubtedly  mean, 
**  seeing  that  which  now  is,"  as  in  E.  T.,  or  "  seeing  that  now:" 
it  is  compounded  of  2  and  m  and  niD,  a  particle  only  found  in 
Ecclesiastes,  and  denoting  time  past  or  present. — See  Durell, 
Critical  Remarks  in  loc. 


72  '    NOTES.  [chap.  II. 

the  pursuit  of  pleasure  and  enjoyment.  In  the  third  section  he 
says  he  determined  "  to  give  himself  unto  wine,  and  to  lay  hold 
on  folly;"  that  is,  to  indulge  in  the  pleasures  of  sense,  and  to 
seize  those  things  which,  however  prized  by  man,  are  only  folly ; 
and,  after  giving  an  account  of  his  splendid  luxury,  and  "  the 
vexation  of  spirit"  it  occasioned,  he  proceeds,  in  this  section,  to 
state  the  vanity  of  merely  human  learning;  and  he  concludes  with 
observing,  that  neither  his  pursuit  of  earthly  pleasure  nor  of 
earthly  wisdom  could  preserve  him  from  being  wearied  of  such 
a  life.  The  Preacher,  then,  gives  utterance  to  no  unholy  disgust 
of  human  existence ;  it  is  only  an  assertion  of  the  taedium  which 
invariably  attends  a  life  unsanctified  by  religion,  though  it  be 
spent  in  the  midst  of  those  circumstances  of  luxury  and  splendour 
most  admired  by  the  world. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

18.  Yea  J  I  was  weary  of  all  my  labour,  &c.] — Solomon,  at 
the  conclusion  of  the  preceding  section,  which  treats  of  secular 
wisdom,  having  stated  that  all  secular  works  are  unavailing  as  to 
complete  contentment,  again  adverts  to  the  same  topic  in  this 
section,  and  adduces  another  reason  for  the  ennui  and  weariness 
experienced  from  such  works,  namely,  that  the  fruit  of  our  labour 
must  be  left  to  others.  This  sentiment,  like  that  in  the  foregoing 
verse,  has  been  considered  as  a  selfish  and  narrow  principle, 
but  without  reason.     The  wise  monarch,  in  effect,  only  says. 


*  The  verb  «Jtr^,  used  here  and  in  the  following  verse,  means 
not  only  to  hate,  in  fche  strict  sense  of  the  word,  but  sometimes  to 
have  little  regard  for,  to  he  indifferent  to,  Gen.  xxix.  30,  xxxi. 
33,  &c.  (Taylor's  Concordance;)  and  the  verb  fuLiareo),  employed  by 
the  LXX  in  this  place,  has  occasionally  the  same  meaning. — 
(Schleusner,  Lex.  in  voc.)  It  is,  therefore,  better  to  render  it  here, 
"  I  was  weary  of  life,"  than  as  E.  T.  "  I  hated  life;"  that  is,  as 
Geier  observes,  **  minus  dilexi,  non  curavi,  non  magnifeci." 
Luther's  version  is,  "  therefore  I  repented  that  I  lived,"  &c. 


CHAP.    II.]  NOTES.  73 

**  Besides  being  disgusted  with  the  luxurious  hfe  I  was  leading, 
I  was  likewise  weary  of  all  my  labours,  (enumerated  ch.  ii.  4 — 8,) 
for  what  does  it  profit  to  amass  wealth,  and  to  acquire  large 
possessions,  since  they  must  be  left  to  thankless  heirs  ?"  He 
therefore  expresses  no  querulous  discontent,  no  base  and  selfish 
sentiment,  no  unbecoming  murmurs  at  life  and  the  dispensations 
of  Providence ;  but  merely  asserts  that  he  felt  a  distaste  for  all 
his  splendid  works,  arising  from  the  consideration  that  he  must 
leave  them  to  those  who  might  make  an  improper  use  of  them. 
Whether  Solomon  glanced  at  his  son  Rehoboam,  as  has  been 
supposed,  cannot  now  be  known. 

20.  Therefore  I  went  about,  &c.] — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

21.  a  great  eviV\ — The  meaning  is  not  that  leaving  our  pos- 
sessions to  those  who  have  not  laboured  in  acquiring  them  is  in 
itself  an  evil,  for  this,  according  to  the  law  of  nature,  must  fre- 
quently happen;  but  that  the  thought  of  being  obhged  thus  to 
leave  them  is  afilictive  and  vexatious,  and  evinces  how  little  is  the 


*  Parkhurst  renders  this  verse,  *'  I  went  about  that  my  heart 
might  renounce  (or  cause  my  heart  to  renounce)  all  the  labour, 
&c.  'y*  but  ii^«»  means  to  despair,  to  he  destitute  of  hope  in  all 
other  places  where  it  occurs,  namely.  Job  vi.  26;  Isaiah  Ivii.  10 ; 
Jer.  ii.  25,  xviii.  12 ;  1  Sam.  xxvii.  1 ,  and  it  has  the  same  meaning 
in  Arabic,  (Golius  et  Willmet,  Lex,  Arab,  in  ^jh\^  )  and  in  Rab- 
binical writings,  (Buxtorf,  Lex.  Chald.  Talm.  et  Rab.  p.  926.) 
The  words  anoralfiaQaL  of  the  LXX,  and  "  renunciavit"  of  the 
Vulgate,  may  seem  to  favour  Parkhurst's  interpretation  ;  but  these 
translators  7n«i/have  meant  to  express  the  same  idea  as  the  E.  T., 
to  abandon  as  desperate,  to  renounce  as  hopeless.  In  other  places 
the  ancient  versions  give  the  sense  of  despairing,  though  not 
uniformly.  For  these  reasons  1  give  the  preference  to  the  re- 
ceived translation. 


74  NOTESi  [chap.  II. 

good  to  be  derived  from  our  anxious  toil  in  their  acquisition. — 
See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

24.  The  man  enjoys  not  happiness] — Literally,  "  There  is  no 
good  in  the  man  who  eats  and  drinks,"  &c. ;  that  is,  he  has  no 
perfect  enjoyment. — See  Critical  Note  (f.) 


*  The  primary  meaning  of  iti^D  is,  I  think,  to  prosper ^  to  suc- 
ceed.    This  verb  only  occurs  Esther  viii.  5,  Eccles.  x.  10,  xi.  6, 
in  the  first  of  which  passages  Esther  says  to  the  king,  according 
to  the  standard  version,  "  if  I  have  found  favour  in  his  sight,  and 
the  thing  seem  right,  nnn  nn^D,  before  the  king,"  &c. :  better 
thus,  "  and  the  thing,  that  is,  my  intercession  for  the  Jews,  suc- 
ceed before  the  king,  then  let  it  be  ivritten  to  reverse  the  letters" 
&c.     Ecclesiastes  x.  10  is  rendered  in  E.  T.  **  wisdom  is  profit- 
able to  direct,"  but  the  context  proves  that  the  verb  signifies  to 
succeed;  "  if  the  iron  be  blunt,  and  he  do  not  whet  the  edge,  then 
must  he  put  to  more  strength;  but  wisdom  is  excellent  to  cause 
success,"  Ta^Dn.     The  remaining  passage,  ch.  xi.  8,  cannot  be 
any  way  so  well  rendered  as  in  IE.  T.,  "  for  thou  knowest  not 
whether  shall  prosper."     The  ancient  versions  do  not  afford  much 
light,  but  the  little  they  supply  is  in  favour  of  the  above  ex- 
planation ;  (see  the  Lex.  in  Montfaucon's  Hexapla ;)  and  in  Syriac 
^JLS  means  prosperatus  est,  fortunavit.     Having  ascertained 
the  meaning  of  lii^D,  it  will  not  be  difficult  to  discover  that  of  the 
derivate,  \^l'^'2  only  occurring  ch.  ii.  21,  v.  10,  iv.  4,  the  last  of 
which  proves  that  it  denotes  success,  or  prosperity. — See  Note  to 
ch.  iv.  4,  and  Dindorf,  Lex.  Heb.  in  voc. 

t  Some  suppose  an  ellipsis  of  ot^  o,  nisi,  as  E.  T.,  Le  Clerc, 
van  der  Palm,  Syriac,  Walther,  (Ellips.  Heb.  p.  142,  ed.  Schulz,) 
and  some  in  Poli  Synop.,  namely,  "  there  is  nothing  better  for  a 
man  than  that  he  should  eat,"&c.;  or,  "  there  is  nothing  good  for 
a  man  except  to  eat,"  &c. ;  but  this  produces  a  sense  contrary  to 


CHAP.    II.]  NOTES.  75 

—  This  also] — The  pronoun  *'  this"  refers  to  the  foregoing 
proposition,  namely,  with  respect  to  this  also,  that  the  man  enjoys 
not  happiness  who  indulges  himself  in  eating,  drinking,  and  luxury, 
I  perceive  it  is  from  the  hand  of  God,  it  is  his  appointment.  Ac- 
cording to  the  ordination  of  Providence,  true  happiness  is  not 
to  be  derived  from  sensual  indulgences. 

»  25.  For  who  can,  &c.] — This  verse  contains  a  proof,  from 
Solomon's  personal  experience,  of  the  assertion  in  the  preceding 
one;  thus,  "  Man  cannot  obtain  real  happiness  from  sensual 
pleasures;  it  is  so  ordained  by  Providence;  and  my  opinion  on 
this  point  is  entitled  to  regard,  since  I  have  learnt  by  experience 
how  vain  and  unsatisfactory  they  are,  for  no  one  has  had  a 
greater  share  of  these  enjoyments  than  myself." — See  Critical 
Note  (*.) 


the  scope  of  the  whole  discourse,  and  of  an  immoral  and  dan- 
gerous tendency.     The  same  objections  apply  to  the  rendering  it 
interrogatively,  with  the  Vulgate,  Hodgson,  and  others.    There 
is,  moreover,  no  occasion  for  taking  the  words  either  eUiptically 
or  interrogatively;  their  plain  and  literal  meaning  is  as  expressed 
above,  and  is  sanctioned  by  Juu.  and  Tremel.,  De  Dieu,  Geier, 
Houbigant,  Desvoeux,  Boothroyd,  Dathe,  Gousset  in  pp"),  5. 
Though  in  the  version  I  have  given  it  is  "  indulges  himself  with 
the  fruit,"  &c.,  the  original  is  literally,   "  his  soul;"  but  the 
Hebrew  often  expressed  the  reciprocal  pronoun  by  wm  anima. — 
Robertson,  Gram.  Heb.  p.  317;  Cocceii  Lex,  Heh.  ed.  Sculz,  in 
voc.  12;  Michaelis,  Supplem.  No.  1622;  but  see  Dr.  Lawrence, 
Dissertation  on  the  Logos,  p.  7,  et  seq. 

*  Though  some  assign  a  different  meaning  to  tt^in,  (Desvoeux, 
Bauer,  Scholia  in  loc,  Dindorf,  Lex,  Heb.  in  voc.)  nothing,  in 
my  opinion,  can  be  plainer  than  that  it  retains,  in  this  place,  its 
usual  meaning,  to  hasten;  namely,  who  can  partake  of  these 
enjoyments  with  such  haste  and  promptitude  as  I  have  done  ? 
B   B 


76  NOTES.  [chap.  III. 

26.  For  God  givethy  &:c.] — Solomon  concludes  his  observations 
on  sensual  indulgences  with  a  sentiment  of  piety  worthy  a  religious 
philosopher.  True  happiness  cannot  be  found  in  such  enjoy- 
ments, because  they  are  criminal,  and  contentment  was  never 
yet  the  product  of  vice.  God  gives  to  the  pure  in  heart  alone 
that  serenity,  and  cheerfulness,  and  conscious  satisfaction,  which 
are  the  chief  ingredients  in  human  felicity. 

—  that  he  may  give  to  him  that  is  good  before  God} — Either 
that  God  may  give,  or  the  possessor  may  bequeath  to  some  more 
worthy  occupant.  Either  way  the  sense  is,  that  wealth,  amassed 
with  care  and  toil,  not  uncommonly,  through  Divine  Providence, 
falls  into  the  hands  of  some  one  more  worthy  to  possess  it.  — (Le 
Clerc  in  loc.)  This  is  to  be  understood  in  reference  to  the  Jewish 
Theocracy ;  we  must  not  noiv  expect  the  same  immediate  retri- 
butive justice. — See  Prov,  xiii.  22,  xxviii.  8,  and  my  note  there. 


CHAPTER  III. 

1.   To  every  f/tiw^r,  &c.]— This  section  contains  another  proof  of 
the  position  which  forms  the  groundwork  of  the  discourse,  that 


**  quis  me  est  in  fruendo  promptior,  et  in  acquirendo  diligentior," 
Drusius;  "for  who  hath  more  cheerfully  eaten,  and  delighted 
himself  more  than  I?"  Luther's  version. — As  'Jdd  expresses 
the  sense  given  in  the  version,  yin  is  either  redundant,  or  »  yin 
is  a  singular  idiom,  denoting  magis  quam. — (Noldius,  in  voc,  et 
Annot.  1270.)  Instead  of  the  textual  reading  'Jjdd,  many  MSS., 
together  with  the  LXX,  Syriac,  and  Arabic  exhibit  Udd.  If 
this  reading  be  adopted,  and  it  is  approved  by  the  author  of 
Choeleth,  a  Poem,  by  Dr.  Wall,  and  Dr.  Roberts,  the  affix  1 
must  refer  to  God,  mentioned  verse  24,  and  the  sense  will  be, 
"  That  sensual  delights  cannot  confer  permanent  felicity  is  the 
appointment  of  God,  (verse  24,)  for  no  man  can  eat,  or  hasten  to 
indulge  in  them  without  him ;"  that  is,  without  God's  permission. 


CHAP.    III.]  NOTES.  77 

true  contentment  cannot  be  derived  from  the  sources  of  mere 
worldly  enjoyment.  But,  though  the  Preacher  affirms  that  human 
labours  and  pursuits,  of  whatever  description,  are  insufficient  to 
ensure  permanent  satisfaction,  he  is  so  far  from  condemning  them 
as  sinful,  that  he  is  careful  to  impress  upon  his  readers,  that  there 
is  a  determinate  season  for  all  the  counsels  of  God,  and  a  proper 
time  for  the  execution  of  all  human  purposes,  a  time  when  they 
maybe  lawfully  and  honourably  carried  into  effect,  (verse  1 — 8;) 
yet  are  they,  as  he  argues,  vain  and  unprofitable,  because  all 
things  here  below  are  subject  to  continual  vicissitude,  (verse  9, 10.) 
The  best  and  most  perfect  of  them  endure  only  for  a  time,  and, 
when  it  is  expired,  are  succeeded  by  others  equally  vain  and 
useless.  God,  indeed,  hath  made  every  thing  beautiful  in  its 
season,  though  it  is  obscurely  comprehended  by  man,  (verse  11;) 
and  he  allows  his  rational  creatures  to  partake  of  present  blessings 
in  a  moderate  and  virtuous  way,  (verses  12, 13;)  and  what  is  most 
consoling,  amidst  all  this  emptiness  and  instability  of  terrestrial 
things,  is,  that  the  counsels  of  God  are  wise  and  immutable, 
(verse  14.) 

—  every  purpose] — This  expression  cannot  be  restrained  to 
the  designs,  inclinations,  and  purposes  of  man,  but  must  include 
the  counsels  and  designs  of  God,  as  is  plain  from  what  follows 
concerning  a  time  to  be  born  and  a  time  to  die,  which  alone 
belong  to  the  ordination  of  Providence.  The  sense,  therefore,  is, 
that  there  is  a  proper  season  for  the  exercise  of  all  human  designs 
and  inclinations,  and  a  predeterminate  and  appointed  time  for  all 
the  purposes  of  God  to  take  effect.  It  comes  to  the  same  thing 
if  the  word  "  purpose'^  be  taken,  by  a  metonymy,  for  the  thing 
purposed,  that  is,  the  object  of  desire  and  inclination;  (Simonis, 
Lex.  Heh.  and  Gousset,  Comm.  Ling.  Heb.  in  ysn ;)  but  Des- 
voeux  argues  against  this  sense,  p.  539. 

2.  a  time  to  plant,  &c.] — Several  commentators  understand 
this  hemistich  metaphorically  of  God's  raising  up  or  destroying 
families  and  nations. — Jer.  xviii.  6,  et  seq. 


78  NOTES.  [chap.  hi. 

3.  A  time  to  kill] — If  this  be  understood  of  human  actions, 
common  sense  requires  us  to  restrict  it  to  a  time  of  putting  to 
death  judicially,  in  the  ordinary  course  of  distributive  justice.  It 
may  however  mean,  that  the  deaths  of  men  are  not  fortuitous, 
but  happen  according  to  God's  providence  and  appointment,  by 
whom  alone  the  time  is  determined  to  heal,  that  is,  to  enjoy 
health  or  to  suffer  pain. 

5.  A  time  to  cast  away  stones,  &c.] — This,  I  am  of  opinion, 
should  be  taken  in  a  general  sense,  signifying  that  there  is  a 
proper  time  for  gathering  stones,  and  a  proper  time  to  cast  them 
away,  for  any  purpose  whatsoever.  But  some  think  it  refers  to 
the  rearing  of  memorials  for  the  purpose  of  perpetuating  the 
memory  of  remarkable  transactions  and  events,  as  the  pillar  set 
up  by  Jacob,  (Gen.  xxxi.  44,  et  seq. ;)  and  the  twelve  stones 
erected  by  Joshua,  (Josh.  iv.  1,  et  seq. ;)  and  more  especially  to 
the  erection  of  trophies  over  vanquished  enemies;  as,  Josh.  viii.  29; 
2  Sam.  xviii.  17,  18;  Zech.  ix.  16.  Others  explain  it  of  the 
proper  time  to  neglect  and  despise  the  collection  of  gems  and 
precious  stones,  and  of  the  proper  time  to  collect  them  with 
diligence :  but  the  Hebrew  p«,  in  the  sense  of  precious  stone, 
is  generally  accompanied  with  some  explanatory  word. — (See 
Simonis,  Zex.  in  voc.  ed.  Eichhorn.)  Another,  though  still  less 
probable,  interpretation  is  given  by  Harmer,  Observations  on 
various  Passages  of  Scripture,  vol.  iv.  p.  402,  ed.  Clarke. 

—  «  time  to  embrace] — Compare  1  Cor.  vii.  3 — 5;  Joel  ii.  16. 

6.  A  time  to  get,  &c.] — It  is  best  to  understand  this  generally, 
that  is,  there  is  a  time  proper  for  endeavouring  to  get  knowledge, 
wealth,  honour,  preferment,  &c.,  and  a  proper  time  when  we 
should  be  content  to  lose  them.  There  is  even  a  proper  time 
"  to  cast  away''  our  possessions,  when  we  do  it  in  obedience  to 
the  demands  of  charity  and  benevolence,  or  rather  than  renounce 
ones  duty  to  God  and  man.  But  some  explain  it  in  reference  to 
the  event.     "  Favourable  opportunities  there  are  for  improving 


CHAP.    III.]  NOTES.  79 

people's  fortunes,  and  unsuccessful  times  when  they  are  the 
greatest  sufferers :  seasons  when  men  are  provident,  and  solicitous 
to  secure  the  goods  of  fortune  for  many  years,  and  future  service; 
and  when  they  dissipate  with  the  utmost  profusion  of  an  un- 
thinking extravagance." — Laurence  Holden's  Paraphrase. 

7.  A  time  to  rend,  &c.] —  Some,  after  Jerom,  apply  this  to 
the  rent  or  schism  which  Solomon  foresaw  was  near  at  hand, 
both  in  church  and  state;  (see  Choeletk,  a  Poem;)  others  to  the 
rending  of  garments  on  any  individual  or  national  calamity. — See 
Hewlett's  Bible  in  loc. 

8.  a  time  to  hate] — Hatred  and  anger,  being  implanted  in  the 
human  heart  by  our  Creator,  may,  under  proper  restrictions,  be 
lawfully  indulged.  And  as  there  are  just  causes  both  for  love 
and  hatred,  so  there  are  for  war  and  peaccr 

11.  He  hath  also  put  obscurity] — See  Critical  Note  (*) 


*  Some  are  of  opinion,  that  oVirn  must,  in  this  place,  signify 
the  world,  a  sense  which  it  has  among  Rabbinical  writers,  and 
which  is  supported  by  the  Vulgate ;  but,  probably,  unexampled 
in  any  other  passage  of  the  O.  T.  I  say  probably,  because  I 
am  aware  some  critics  ascribe  this  signification  to  the  term  in 
Micah  V.  ii. — (See  Oxlee,  Christian  Doctrine  of  the  Trinity  and 
Incarnation,  vol.  ii.  p.  282  and  309.)  Besides,  the  preceding 
Van  n«  in  this  verse  denotes  the  universe,  or,  at  least,  all  things 
in  the  world,  as  is  observed  in  the  Notce  Uberiores  of  Michaelis 
in  loc;  and  |ni  cz)Vrn  r)«  oj,  "  he  hath  also  set  tiD^i^n,"  must 
certainly  denote  something  else :  the  very  form  of  the  expression 
shows  that  h^n  and  chj^n  mean  two  different  things.  I  have, 
therefore,  in  the  main  adopted  Parkhurst's  explanation,  as  most 
easy  and  beautiful,  in  which  caV];  is  taken  for  a  secret,  hidden 
thing,  as  Psalm  xc.  8.  Compare  Job  xi.  6,  xxviii.  11;  Psalm 
xliv.  22.     This  appears  to  me  far  preferable  to  any  explanation 


80  NOTES.  [chap.   III. 

12.  no  good  in  thejn] — Several  expositors,  referring  the  pronoun 
**  in  them"  to  men,  understand  it  thus:  There  is  no  good  in  men, 
or  for  them,  except  to  enjoy  God's  blessings  with  contented 
moderation,  and  to  do  what  is  good  to  themselves  and  others;  a 
valuable  sense,  it  is  true,  but  it  seems  more  natural  to  refer  it  to 
the  works  of  God,  mentioned  in  the  former  verse. 

13.  And  also  that  every  man,  &c.] — Though  the  received 
version  gives  the  sense,  this  verse  may  be  more  clearly  rendered, 


I  have  seen,  some  of  which  I  will  quote.  "  He  hath  given,  or 
placed,  an  hidden  duration  in  the  midst  of  them,"  Note  to 
Choeleth,  a  Poem ;  "  he  lets  their  hearts  be  tormented  (or 
anxious)  how  it  shall  go  in  the  world,"  Luther;  *' he  hath 
even  set  that  eternity  in  their  hearts,  without  which,"  &c.  Des- 
voeux;  "  he  hath  set  their  yoke  on  their  heart,  so  that,"  &c. 
Durell;  "  God  hath  also  set  futurity  in  their  heart,  inasmuch 
as,"  &c.  Hales,  New  Analysis,  vol.  ii.  p.  403;  "  I  viewed  the 
darkness  which  he  spreadeth  over  men's  hearts,"  Hodgson; 
*'  hath  put  it  in  their  hearts  to  survey  the  world,"  Boothroyd; 
"  animis  hominum  impressit  sigillum,"  van  der  Palm;  *'  efficit 
lit  homines  quoque  tempus  futurum  praecognoscere  cupiant," 
Bauer;  **  universitatem  quoque  menti  eorum  proponit," 
Doederlein;  "  quin  et  mundi  hujus  pulchritudinem  homines 
mentibus  suis  intueri  possunt,"  Dathe.  Le  Clerc  also,  and 
some  in  Poli  Synop.  take  czi'^rn  to  denote  the  world,  mundus. 
So  does  Dr.  Wells,  who  explains  the  clause  "  he  has  set  the 
world  in  their  heart,"  to  mean,  that  *'  God  has  given  man  ability 
to  discern  or  judge  of  events  in  part,  and  to  conclude  that  there 
is  a  like  beauty  in  all  events,  though  never  so  opposite." — I  have 
followed  Parkhurst  in  rendering  CDa*?!  by  "  in  the  midst  of 
them;"  and  as  the  clause  "  from  the  beginning  to  the  end"  may 
refer  either  to  man  or  God,  I  have  endeavoured  to  preserve  the 
ambiguity. — For  the  meaning  of  the  aTra^  Xeyajjuvov,  «V  l\Lfi^  »VirD> 
see  Noldius,  Concord,  in  voc,  et  Annot. 


CHAP.    III.]  NOTES.  81 

"And  also  with  respect  to  every  man  who  eats,  and  drinks,  and 
enjoys  the  good  of  all  his  labour;  this  is  the  gift  of  God." 

14.  shall  he  for  ever] — Namely,  it  is  immutable;  his  purposes 
cannot  be  changed. 

15.  That  which  hath  been,  &c.] — This  reflection  naturally 
springs  from  the  observation  in  the  former  verse,  that  what  God 
doeth  is  for  ever,  is  immutable.  Hence,  whatever  seeming 
changes  there  may  be,  the  course  of  nature  remains  unaltered, 
and  the  succession  of  events  is  regulated  by  fixed  and  unde- 
viating  laws.  The  royal  Preacher,  in  the  present  section,  ex- 
emplifies the  truth  of  this  remark  in  the  wickedness  prevailing  in 
the  courts  of  justice  contrasted  with  the  righteous  judgment  of 
God*  If  the  base  passions  operate  even  in  the  seats  of  justice, 
what  but  vanity  can  be  expected  from  human  pursuits  ! 

—  the  persecuted  man] — The  Hebrew  word,  here  rendered 
**  the  persecuted  man,"  is  the  Part.  Niph.  fimi,  and  may  admit 
two  meanings  :  first,  that  which  is  past;  that  is,  God  will  require 
that  which  is  past,  will  cause  it  again  to  be  exhibited,  for  the 
course  of  nature  remains  unaltered.     This  coheres  well  with  the 
preceding  part  of  the  verse,  and  is  supported  by  the  Vulgate, 
Cocceius,  Geier,  Dathe,  Reynolds,  Patric,  van  der  Palm,  Bauer, 
Boothroyd,  Parkhurst,  and  others  in  Poli  Synop.     Secondly,  it 
may  mean  him  who  is  pursued^  that  is,  persecuted ;  and,  if  con- 
nected with  the  next  verse,  will  yield  a  good  sense,  as  given  in 
the  Paraphrase.     This  explanation  appears  to  me  to  agree  with 
the  scope  of  the  context  better  than  the  other ;  and  the  LXX, 
whose  version  of  Ecclesiastes  is  extremely  literal,  and,  perhaps, 
our  best  guide,  understood  it  this  way ;  and  with  them  agree 
the  Syriac,  Targum,  and  Symmachus,  with  Grotius,   Schmidt, 
Simonis,  &c. 

16.  And  moreover  I  saw,  &c.] — Reference  is  here  made  to  the 
places  where  justice  and  equity  should  be  administered  by  the 
judges  and  rulers  of  the  people;  "  the  place  of  righteousness" 


82  NOTES.  [chap.    III. 

corresponding,  as  Geier  and  Schmidt  observe,  to  "  the  place  of 
judgment."  Such  repetitions  are  frequent  with  the  sacred  writers, 
and  are  very  emphatical. 

17.  God  will  judge,  &c.] — ^Though  the  poor  and  innocent  are 
for  a  while  persecuted  and  oppressed  by  lawless  power,  yet,  in 
the  end.  this  seeming  disorder  will  be  rectified,  and  God  will  pass 
a  righteous  sentence  upon  those  who  are  guilty  of  tyrannical 
cruelty.  What  comfort  ought  it  to  administer  to  the  oppressed, 
to  reflect  that  there  is  a  fixed  time,  beyond  which  God  will  not 
suffer  innocency  to  be  injured,  nor  tyranny  to  prevail! — See 
Critical  Note  (*.) 

18.  I  said  in  mine  heart,  &c.] — The  Preacher,  after  reflecting 
that  God  will  judge  mankind,  and  determine  concerning  every 
work,  (verse  17,)  turns  his  thoughts  to  the  condition  of  men,  and 


*  The  word  am,  in  the  latter  part  of  this  verse,  has  given  the 
commentators  considerable  difliculty.     Most  of  them  take  it  for 
an  adverb,  there,  ibi;  yet  they  are  not  agreed  as  to  what  it  ought 
to  be  referred.     Others  translate  it  by  then,  tunc.     Hodgson, 
Doederlein,  Bauer,  Boothroyd,  van  der  Palm,  and  Dathe,  read- 
ing the  word  with  a  Sin,  take  it  for  a  verb,  decernit,  disponit,  as 
in  Exod.  xv.  15;  2  Sam.  xiii.  32,  which,  in  my  judgment,  is  by 
much  the  most  easy  and  natural  interpretation.     If  cnm  is  not  a 
verb,  some  verb  must  be  supplied,  as  nrnvim,  which  is  done, 
that  is,  God  will  judge  concerning  every  work  which  is  done 
there,  namely,  in  the  place  of  judgment ;  but  it  is  surely  uncritical 
to  suppose  an  ellipsis  without  necessity.     Besides,  if  this  clause 
had  been  intended  to  be  construed  with  the  former  to3ti^%  the 
preposition  hv  would,  probably,  not  have  been  inserted.    Neither 
does  it  depend  upon  the  preceding  clause  ysn  h'^h  r\v  o,  for  if 
it  had,  instead  of  CDir^  nir^rDn  ^D  hxl^,  it  would  have  been  simply 
hiih,  or  ^D^  nri.     Upon  the  whole,  it  appears  every  way  prefer- 
able to  take  tDttr  for  a  verb,  and  to  render  it,  "  he  will  determine 
concerning  every  work.'' 


CHAP.    III.]  NOTES.  83 

infers  that  it  is  so  ordered,  or  their  condition  is  particularly 
adapted  for  this  purpose,  that  God  may  prove  them,  and  that 
they  themselves  may  see  how  little,  with  respect  to  earthly  things, 
they  differ  from  the  beasts. 

—  they  themselves  are  beastsi — ^That  is,  like  beasts ;  not  in  all 
respects,  but  only  so  far  as  is  declared  in  the  following  verse, 
namely,  in  being  subject  to  death,  (Psalm  xlix.  12,  20.) — See 
Critical  Note  (*.) 

19.  For  that  which  befalleth,  &c.] — This  is  commonly  ex- 
plained of  man's  being  subject  to  various  chances  and  accidents, 
like  beasts ;  but  the  clause,  "  as  one  dieth,  so  dieth  the  other," 
clearly  determines  that  the  author  is  speaking  of  death  alone, 
which  is  the  "  one  thing"  common  to  them  both.  Though  the 
sense  of  the  original  is  exhibited  in  the  English  version,  it  may 
be  more  literally  and  more  perspicuously  expressed  as  follows : 
"  Por  as  to  the  event  of  the  sons  of  men,  and  the  event  of  beasts, 
even  one  event  happens  to  them  both :  as  the  one  dies,  so  dies 
the  other;  yea,  the  like  breath  have  they  both;  and,  in  this 
respect f  what  preeminence  hath  man  above  the  beasts?" 


*  The  author  of  Choeleth^  a  Poem,  translates  the  latter  part  of 
this  verse  as  a  wish,  "  Oh!  that  God  would  enhghten  them,  and 
make  them  see,  that  even  they  themselves  are  like  beasts,"  which 
cannot  be  admitted ;  for  the  verb  oniV  cannot,  I  think,  be  pro- 
perly derived  from  any  other  root  than  Til,  to  discern,  to  explore; 
(see  ch.  ix.  1,  and  Gousset,  Comm.  Ling.  Heb.  b^*in,  P.  2;)  but 
Houbigant,  (in  loc.)  Roberts,  (Corrections,  Szc.  p.  166,)  and 
Hales,  (New  Analysis,  vol.  ii.  p.  404,)  adopt  the  reading  CD«ni 
after  the  Syriac;  that  is,  "  in  which  God  created  them." — In  the 
construction  of  the  latter  part  of  the  verse,  xz^nh  is  redundant,  as 
is  often  the  case  with  pronouns  having  ^  prefixed. — See  Robert- 
son, Gram.  Heb.  p.  314 ;  Schroeder,  Gram.  Heb*  Reg.  37. 
C  C 


84  NOTES.  [chap   III. 

—  they  have  all  one  breath] — Namely,  they  are  alike  with 
Tespect  to  breath  or  life.  That  "  breath,"  nn,  here  denotes  lifcy 
or  vitality,  is  perfectly  evident,  both  from  the  context  and  the 
nature  of  the  thing,  since  in  no  other  sense  have  they  the  same 
mn,  ruach.  But  in  verse  21  the  same  word,  ruach,  means  the 
spirit,  or  living  principle, 

—  hath  no  preeminence'] — ^This  expression  must  be  limited,  as 
in  the  Paraphrase ;  for  in  verse  17  Solomon  observes,  that  there 
is  this  preeminence  of  man  above  the  beast,  that  he  is  amenable 
to  the  righteous  judgment  of  God,  and,  of  course,  is  a  rational, 
responsible  agent ;  and  in  verse  21  he  remarks  the  superiority  of 
human  nature  in  the  different  events  which  await  "  the  spirit  of 
man"  and  "  the  spirit  of  the  beast."  Both,  however,  are  equally 
liable  to  death,  and  in  this  respect  man  has  no  preeminence. 
This  exposition  is  confirmed  by  the  following  verse. 

—  all  is  vanity] — ^These  expressions  may  undoubtedly  be 
taken  in  an  enlarged  sense,  as  in  several  other  places  of  this  book, 
to  denote  the  emptiness  and  insufl&ciency  of  all  earthly  things  to 
effect  permanent  felicity:  but  the  context  seems  here  to  limit 
them  to  the  circumstance  of  men  and  beasts  being  alike  subject 
to  mortality.  In  the  next  verse  "  all"  is,  in  like  manner,  restricted 
to  the  corporeal  frames  of  men  and  beasts. 

20.  all  go  unto  one  place] — As  in  the  next  verse  the  spirit  of 
man  and  of  the  beast  are  affirmed  to  go  to  different  places,  this 
must  be  restricted  to  their  bodies.  The  animal  part  of  both 
returns  to  its  kindred  earth :  an  evident  allusion  to  Gen.  iii.  19. 
Compare  Ecclesiastes  xii.  7. 

21.  who  knowethf  &c.] — ^The  Polyglott  versions,  and  some 
modem  critics,  interpret  this  as  a  question  expressive  of  doubt, 
namely,  "  Who  knoweth  the  spirit  of  man,  whether  it  goeth 
upward ;  and  the  spirit  of  the  beast,  whether  it  goeth  downward 


CHAP.    III.]  NOTES.  85 

to  the  earth?"  But  this  would  be  a  contradiction  to  chap.  xii.  17, 
where  Solomon  expressly  declares,  that  the  human  spirit  returns 
to  God  who  gave  it;  and  the  drift  of  the  reasoning  is,  not  that  it 
may  be  doubted  whether  the  spirit  of  man  goeth  upwards,  and 
the  spirit  of  the  beast  downwards,  but  that,  although  one  event,^ 
death,  awaits  both  man  and  beasts,  and  the  animal  part  of  each 
returns  to  dust  again,  yet  different  events  await  "  the  spirit  of 
man"  and  "  the  spirit  of  the  beast :"  while  the  former  ascends 
into  the  heavens  •*  unto  God  who  gave  it,"  the  latter  descends  to 
the  earth,  and  perishes  for  ever.  The  n,  therefore,  prefixed  to 
nVj^rr  and  mmn  is  not  interrogative,  but  is  the  prepos.  article. 

—  the  spirit  of  man — the  spirit  of  the  beasti — It  is  plain,  that 
mi,  ruach,  must  here  mean  the  living  principle,  that  ivhich  wills 
and  acts ;  but  which  is  different  in  man  and  in  beasts,  forasmuch 
as  that  of  the  former  goeth  upwards,  lives  for  ever,  and  that  of  the 
latter  goeth  downwards,  perishes  for  ever. — See  Le  Clerc,  in  loc» 
and  Oxlee,  On  the  Trinity  and  Incarnation,  vol.  i.  p.  47. 

22,  should  rejoice  in  his  works'] — Though  Solomon  pronounces 
decidedly,  that  secular  labours  and  enjoyments  cannot  confer 
lasting  happiness,  he  by  no  means  absolutely  condemns  them. 
He  had  before  stated,  that  there  were  proper  times  when  they 
might  be  executed  with  propriety,  (sect.  8,)  and  he  here  further 
argues,  that  we  should  enter  into  the  occupations  of  life  with 
cheerfulness  and  contentment,  since  they  are  imposed  upon  us  by 
Divine  Providence,  as  our  "  portion." 

Some  commentators  consider  verses  18 — 22  to  be  spoken  in 
the  character  of  an  Epicurean,  and  the  words,  at  first  sight,  may 
seem  to  favour  this  opinion.  But,  according  to  this  view,  the 
passage  has  no  bearing  upon  the  subject  of  the  first  part  of  the 
book,  which  is  to  prove  the  vanity  of  all  earthly  things,  and, 
among  the  rest,  the  vanity  of  Epicurean  enjoyments,  as  is  done 
eh.  ii.  1 — 11,  and  ii.  24 — 26;  and  it  would,  therefore,  contravene 
the  design  of  the  discourse,  to  state  an  Epicurean  opinion  con- 
cerning the  value  of  worldly  gratifications  without  refuting  it,  as 


86  NOTES.  [chap.    IV. 

would  be  the  case,  if  the  notion  of  these  commentators  be  ad- 
mitted.    Throughout  the  first  part,  Solomon  never  proposes  an 
objection  for  the  purpose  of  overthrowing  it,  as  he  does  in  the 
second ;  but  he  proceeds  to  prove  his  main  position  by  reviewing 
the  various  concerns  of  this  world,  without  ever  losing  sight  of 
his  object.    The  expressions,  also,  in  verse  19,  "  for  all  is  vanity," 
are  so  clearly  in  character,  and  so  expressive  of  the  lesson  which 
this  part  was  designed  to  inculcate,  that  it  seems  unreasonable  to 
consider  this  passage  in  any  other  light  than  as  a  statement  of  the 
wise  monarch's  real  sentiments.     The  scope  of  the  whole  section 
is  to  point  out  the  vanity,  even  of  life  itself,  if  regarded  inde- 
pendently of  rehgion,  insomuch  that  man,  in  respect  to  life  and 
death,  has  no  superiority  over  the  brutes ;  and  it  is  only  when  we 
connect  his  existence  with  the  religious  doctrine  of  a  future  state, 
when  we  view  him  in  relation  to  another  life,  that  he  appears  to 
possess  any  preeminence.     When,  however,  we  look  beyond  the 
grave  there  is  a  wide  distinction,  since  the  spirit  of  the  one  goeth 
upwards,  and  the  spirit  of  the  other  downwards  to  the  earth. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

1.  So  I  returned,  and  considered] — That  is,  I  considered 
again,  I  took  another  view  of  the  subject,  the  first  verb  being,  as 
usual,  used  adverbially :  or,  the  meaning  may  be,  I  returned  from 
the  contemplation  of  this  subject,  namely,  the  subject  of  the  pre- 
ceding section,  and  considered,  &c. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  Instead  of  the  received  version,  "  on  the  side  of  their  op- 
pressors," Dr.  Durell  renders  this  part  of  the  verse,  "  they  had  no 
comforter,  nor  strength  against  the  hand  (or,  power)  of  their  op- 
pressors, for  they  had  no  comforter :"  (see  Noldius,  Concord,  in 
TO :)  but  it  may  well  be  doubted  whether  this  sense  of  the  particle 
TD  can  be  established  by  any  satisfactory  example.  Some  think 
»  is  put  for  3 ;  while  others  understand  it  according  to  its  common 


CHAP.    IV.]  NOTES.  87 

2.  I  praised  the  dead,  &c.] — If  this  and  the  following  verse  be 
considered  by  themselves,  they  convey,  it  must  be  admitted,  a 
sentiment  of  murmuring  discontent,  and  of  profane  complaining 
at  the  dispensations  of  Heaven,  which  a  religious  mind  would 
shudder  to  avow;  but  if  they  be  understood,  as  they  ought,  in 
reference  to  the  royal  Preacher's  design,  they  will  be  found  per- 
fectly accordant  with  the  most  refined  and  contented  piety.  The 
subject  of  this  part  of  the  discourse  is  the  vanity  of  every  thing 
merely  human  and  terrestrial,  in  proof  of  which  the  argument  in 
this  section  is,  that  vanity  is  increased  unto  man  by  oppression. 
And  when  the  Preacher,  in  reference  to  the  present  life,  con- 
sidered the  many  and  cruel  oppressions  of  mankind,  the  help- 
lessness of  the  afflicted,  and  the  power  of  the  persecutors,  he 
thought  it  would  be  better  to  die,  and  still  more  so  not  to  have 
been  born,  than  to  be  subject  to  the  oppressions  which  are  in- 
flicted by  tyranny  and  vice.  But  if  Religion,  the  True  Wisdom, 
be  taken  into  consideration,  it  will  present  a  very  different  view 
of  the  subject,  teaching  that  all  the  dispensations  of  God  are  wise 
and  good,  and  that  it  is  our  duty  to  be  content  with  whatever 
Providence  may  order.  The  present  section,  then,  strictly  con- 
duces to  the  author's  design;  and  amounts  to  this,  that,  if  human 
and  worldly  things  were  our  Chief  Good,  non-existence,  consi- 
dering the  various  oppressions  here  below,  would  be  preferable  to 
life.— See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


signification,  **  a  manu,  i.  e.  a  parte,  h.  e.  penes  opprimentes, 
est  rolur,"  Poli  Synop,  In  all  these  varieties  the  sense  of  the 
verse  is  not  materially  altered ;  for  which  reason  it  is  a  matter  of 
little  moment  to  determine  on  what  side  the  evidence  prepon- 
derates ;  and,  in  truth,  this  would  be  most  difficult,  since  d  has 
several  meanings  applicable  to  the  place  before  us,  and  n»,  as  is 
well  known,  is  often  put  pleonastically  after  prepositions. 

*  "  Who  are  yet;"  nnj;  and,  by  apocope,  pj;  in  verse  3,  put 
for  run  njr. — See  Altingii  Fundam,  Punct.  Ling.  Sanct.  p.  206. 


88  NOTES.  [chap.  IV. 

3.  Yea,  better  is  he,  &c.] — If  we  look  no  farther  than  to  the 
things  of  this  world,  **  he  which  hath  not  yet  been"  would  be 
preferable  either  to  the  dead  or  the  living.  "  To  see,"  in  this 
verse,  denotes  to  suffer,  or  to  experience. 

4.  Again  I  considered,  &c.] — Prosperity  is  often  regarded  by 
mankind  as  the  great  and  supreme  good  of  life;  but  it  exposes  a 
man  to  the  envy  and  jealousy  of  his  neighbours,  whence  proceed 
many  evils,  anxieties,  and  troubles,  by  reason  of  which  prosperity 
is  rather  the  source  of  uneasiness  than  of  contentment.  The 
Hebrew  should  be  rendered  "  every  prosperous  work,"  and  not, 
as  in  the  standard  version,  "  every  right  work,"  because  it  is 
added,  '*  that  for  this  a  man  is  envied  of  his  neighbour;"  and 
prosperous  works,  not  those  which  are  right  and  equitable,  are 
the  cause  of  envy. — See  Critical  Note  to  ch.  ii.  21. 

5.  the  fool,  &c.] — As  some  place  the  Sovereign  Good  in  a  gay, 
and  idle,  and  dissolute  course  of  life,  which,  in  Scripture,  is 
called  folly,  the  Preacher,  in  this  section,  reviews  their  opinion, 
and  pronounces  such  a  life  to  be  "  full  of  travail  and  vexation  of 
spirit." 

—  foldeth  his  hands] — That  is,  in  an  agony  of  grief,  when  he 
perceives  the  lamentable  consequences  of  his  folly. — See  Critical 
Note  (*.) 


Durell,  however,  thinks  it  may,  in  verse  3,  be  a  noun,  signifying 
delight,  or  pleasure,  that  is,  "  with  whom  pleasure  hath  not  been." 

*  All  the  ancient  versions  support  the  received  rendering  of 
^♦DD,  "  the  fool;"  but  Dathe  renders  it  by  "  ignavus,"  and 
Durell  by  **  the  inactive,"  which  is  certainly  not  opposed  by  the 
context,  and  is,  in  some  degree,  favoured  by  Prov.  vi.  10,  xxiv. 
33.  h'Hi^,  however,  is  the  proper  word  for  a  sluggard,  a  slothful 
person;  and  f?»DD  properly  denotes  a  stupid  person,  one  insensible 


CHAP.    IV.]  NOTES^  89 

6.  better  is  an  handful,  &c.] — Those  who  interpret  the  pre- 
ceding verse  of  the  slothful  man,  consider  these  words  as  spoken 
by  the  sluggard ;  but  as  the  former  verse  seems  to  describe  the 
foolish  or  irreligious  man,  they  are  more  justly  taken  as  the  words 
of  Solomon,  the  meaning  of  which  is  expressed  in  the  Paraphrase. 

8.  there  is  not  a  second] — Either  no  wife,  or  no  friend,  or,  as 
seems  more  probable,  no  son  to  inherit,  as  heir,  the  fruit  of  all  his 
labours. 

—  For  whom  do  I  labourl — The  author,  according  to  some, 
by  a  bold  prosopopeia,  puts  these  words  into  the  mouth  of  the 
miser.  **  Solomon  suddenly  changes  the  turn  of  his  phrase,"  says 
Desvoeux,  p.  350,  **  from  the  third  to  the  first  person,  and  goes 
on  with  an  argument,  which  is  apparently  the  result  of  the  inward 
thoughts  of  a  man  circumstanced  as  him  of  whom  he  was  speak- 
ing ;  of  a  man  who  is  not  able  to  account  to  himself  for  his  own 
conduct."  I  think,  on  the  contrary,  that  the  words  contain 
Solomon's  own  reflection,  and  that  they  are  correctly  rendered  in 
the  received  translation,  the  particle  Vau  being  properly  rendered 
**  neither"  after  a  negative  :  so  Vulgate. 

9.  two  are  better,  &c.] — It  is  matter  of  no  small  difficulty  to 
discover  the  scope  and  connexion  of  the  passage  from  this  verse 
to  the  end  of  the  chapter.  Many  consider  it,  particularly  verses 
9 — 12,  as  a  continuation  of  the  description  of  the  bad  effects  and 
folly  with  which  avarice  is  chargeable.  An  attentive  perusal, 
however,  must  convince  the  reader  that  it  was  not  meant,  in  this 
place,   to  delineate  the  disadvantages  of  covetousness,  but  the 


in  mind  or  understanding,  and  cannot,  perhaps,  be  better  ren- 
dered than  by  "  fool ;"  namely,  a  person  destitute  of  wisdom  or 
religion.  For  an  explanation  of  Vdd,  see  the  note  to  my  Trans- 
lation of  Proverbs,  ch.  iii.  26. 


90  NOTES.  [chap.    IV- 

advantages  of  society ;  these  verses,  then,  cannot  belong  to  the 
subject  treated  in  the  eighth  verse.  A  new  topic  is  commenced 
at  the  ninth  verse,  and,  as  it  should  seem,  is  continued  to  the  end 
of  the  chapter.  Prom  contemplating,  in  the  preceding  section, 
the  folly  of  the  miser,  who  has  neither  child  nor  brother,  nor  heir 
apparent  for  his  riches,  the  Preacher  is  naturally  led  to  contrast 
the  comforts  and  advantages  of  society  with  such  solitary  selfish- 
ness. The  general  sentiment  may  apply  to  any  union  founded 
on  generous  principles,  as  that  of  marriage,  of  friendship,  of 
religious  communion ;  but  the  subsequent  verses  clearly  limit  it 
to  the  union  of  civil  polity.  The  royal  sage,  in  strict  accordance 
with  his  main  position,  observes  that,  granting  society  to  have  its 
blessings  and  advantages,  yet  dominion  and  empire  are  only 
vanity  as  far  as  regards  the  Supreme  Good  of  man.  Immense 
benefits  undoubtedly  arise  from  the  social  union,  to  the  existence 
of  which  some  species  of  government  is  necessary ;  yet  the 
power  of  royal  domination  and  the  splendour  of  imperial  magni- 
ficence do  not  satisfy  the  vast  desires  of  the  soul ;  and  kings,  in 
the  plenitude  of  their  authority,  must  confess,  as  well  as  the 
humblest  of  their  subjects,  that  all  is  vanity  and  vexation  of 
spirit. 

—  a  good  reward] — Dr.  Durell  renders  this  clause,  •'  because 
they  have  a  greater  advantage  in  their  labour,"  and  observes, 
that  "  this  sense  is  more  consistent  with  truth,  as  well  as  the 
context :  and  it  is  well  known  that  the  Hebrews  are  unacquainted 
with  the  comparative  degree,  which  the  exigentia  loci  alone  can 
determine."— ("Cnf.  Rem.  in  loc.)  What  the  learned  critic  means 
by  this  observation  is  hard  to  say.  The  Hebrews  certainly  do 
not  form  the  degrees  of  comparison  by  a  terminal  variation,  but 
they  contrive  to  express  them  by  other  means.  The  version  of 
Desvoeux  likewise  is,  "  because  they  have  a  better  reward  for 
their  common  labour;"  so  Boothroyd.  No  good  reason,  how- 
ever, is  alleged  for  deserting  the  plain  and  natural  construction, 
which  is,  "  because  they  have  (or  there  is  to  them)  a  good  reward 


CHAP.    IV.]  IMOTES.  91 

in  or  for  their  labour."  Dr.  Wells  supposes  an  allusion  in  this 
verse  to  Gen.  ii.  18,  where  it  is  declared  not  to  be  good  for 
Adam  to  be  alone. 

10.  For  if  they  fall] — That  is,  if  one  fall,  or  if  either  fall;  the 
plural  being  used  distributively.  This  surely  is  not  to  be  limited 
to  the  literal  sense ;  it  includes  much  more  ;  and  implies,  that  if  a 
man  in  society  fall  into  errors  of  conduct,  or  into  misfortune  and 
distress,  his  friend,  by  good  advice,  will  rectify  the  former,  and 
by  kind  assistance  remedy  the  latter. 

11'  If  two  lie  together f  &c.] — ^This  is  sometimes  explained  in 
reference  to  a  man  and  his  wife.  Mr.  Harmer  ( Observations , 
vol.  i.  p.  269)  conceives  that  it  may  refer  to  sleeping  together  for 
medicinal  purposes ;  and  this  is  favoured  by  the  circumstance, 
that  the  heat  of  the  climate  rendering  it  inconvenient  for  two  to 
sleep  in  one  bed  during  the  summer  months,  it  is  seldom  prac- 
tised; and  that  a  person  was  ordered  to  sleep  with  David,  with 
a  view  to  recall  the  vital  heat,  which  was  almost  extinguished  in 
the  aged  monarch. — (1  Kings  i.  1,  2.)  Others  think  it  refers  to 
sleeping*  together  in  winter;  and  this  is  most  probable,  since, 
though  the  summers  in  the  Holy  Land  are  overpoweringly  hot, 
the  winters  are  cold  and  severe. — (See  Harmer,  Observations^ 
vol.  i.  p.  39,  et  seq.;  Paxton,  Illustrations  of  Scripture,  vol.  ii. 
p.  255.)  But  to  whatever  the  verse  may  immediately  refer,  it 
would  be  very  unimportant  if  restricted  to  the  literal  sense.  It 
was  doubtless  intended  to  portray,  under  the  image  of  two 
persons  sleeping  together,  the  warm,  affectionate,  and  cheering 
delights  enjoyed  in  society,  as  contradistinguished  from  the  cold 
and  stoic  uniformity  of  solitary  existence. 

12.  And  if  one  prevail,  <&c.] — Here  the  advantages  of  society 
are  described  in  regard  to  this  particular,  that  it  affords  the  means 
of  mutual  aid  and  assistance,  both  against  spiritual  temptations 
and  external  assaults.  The  last  clause  "for  a  threefold  cord  is 
not  quickly  broken,"  is  probably  a  proverbial  expression,  denoting 
D  D 


92  NOTES.  [chap.    IV. 

the  benefits  resulting  from  the  union  in  civil  society. — See  Critical 
Note  (*.) 

13.  Better  is,  &c.] — This  is  intimately  connected  with  the 
subject  of  the  foregoing  verse.  From  considering  the  comforts 
and  utility  of  society,  the  Preacher  now  turns  his  attention  to  civil 
government,  which  is  necessary  to  the  existence  of  the  social  state; 
and  concludes  that  honours,  power,  and  dominion,  though  sought 
with  so  much  eagerness  and  contention,  confer  no  lasting  and 
genuine  felicity.  This  is  so  evidently  the  scope  and  connexion 
of  verses  13 — 16,  that  it  is  surprising  the  commentators  should 
look  for  any  other. — See  Michaelis,  Not.'  Uber,  in  loc. 

—  child] — That  is  to  say,  a  young  man ;  for  the  Hebrews  did 
not  limit  the  term  to  childhood. — See  Critical  Note  (f.) 


*  The  aflBx  Vau,  in  ispn*,  for  in  or  ii,  is  elsewhere,  though  not 
frequently,  so  used;  as,  Exod.  xxii.  30;  Jer.  xxiii.  6;  Hos.  viii.  3; 
Psalm  xxxv.  8.  It  is  referred  by  Geier  and  Dathe  to  the 
solitary  person  spoken  of  in  verse  11,  who  cannot  be  warm ;  but 
it  may  be  put  distributively  for  any  person. 

f  Desvoeux  renders  pDO  by  "  the  experienced  and  wise  son," 
and  Hodgson,  by  **  a  feeble  but  wise  youth ;"  yet  the  traditionary 
sense  of  poor  is  to  be  preferred;  because,  first,  it  suits  the  context 
in  all  the  places  where  it  occurs,  namely,  ch.  iv.  13,  ix.  15,  16; 
and  the  root  has  this  signification  likewise  in  Deut.  viii.  9;  Isaiah 
xl.  20.  Secondly,  all  the  ancient  versions  support  this  sense. 
Thirdly,  in  all  the  sister  dialects  the  root  pD,  or  its  derivatives, 
denote  poverty,  to  be  poor,  as  may  be  seen  in  Castell,  Lex  Hept. 
The  received  sense,  therefore,  is  supported  by  all  the  evidence 
the  case  admits,  and  cannot  be  deserted  consistently  with  the 
laws  of  sound  criticism.  The  root,  it  is  true,  has  other  senses 
apparently  incompatible  with  this ;  but  such  contrariety  of  senses 
is  not  unexampled,  even  in  the  sacred  languages.     Words,  by 


CHAP.    IV.]  NOTES.  93 

14.  apostates] — I  have  no  hesitation  in  adopting  Parkhurst's 
derivation  of  amon  from  "iiD  to  turn  aside,  to  apostatize,  though 
I  have  explained  it  in  my  Paraphrase  somewhat  differently. — (See 
Parkhurst  in  no,  and  Gousset  in  "iiD,  M.)  If  the  received  trans- 
lation, "  out  of  prison,"  be  retained,  it  may  be  understood 
figuratively  for  "  from  a  mean  condition,"  "  from  a  low  origin." 
— (See  van  der  Palm  and  Bauer  in  loc.)  Some,  however,  take  it 
literally  out  of  prison,  where  he  had  been  put  for  some  supposed 
offence;  and  Dr.  Wells  thinks  it  not  unlikely  that  Solomon  had 
respect  to  the  case  of  Joseph  in  Egypt. 

15.  the  second  child] — If  this  refer  to  the  "  poor  and  wise 
child"  mentioned  in  verse  13,  it  must  be  understood  of  one  chosen 
by  the  providence  of  God  to  the  kingly  dignity,  as  David  was, 
from  a  low  and  humble  station ;  but  it  seems  rather  to  refer  to 
him  who  is  the  second  in  the  kingdom,  the  son  and  successor  of 
the  reigning  monarch,  "  who  shall  stand  up  in  his  stead." — See 
Critical  Note  (*.) 


length  of  time,  change  of  modes  and  customs,  and  various  un- 
known causes,  acquire  new,  and  sometimes  discordant  meanings; 
and  the  critic  is  not  justified  in  rejecting  a  signification  established 
by  scriptural  usage,  versions,  and  dialects,  though  he  cannot 
discover  its  connexion  with  other  acknowledged  senses  of  the 
same  root. 

*  The  authorized  translation,  "  all  the  living  which  walk 
under  the  sun,  with  the  second  child  that  shall  stand  up  in  his 
stead,"  is  inadmissible.  Either  the  verb  substantive  must  be 
understood  before  nV»n  a« ;  thus,  "  all  the  living  which  walk 
under  the  sun  ARE  with,  i.  e.  favour  and  support,  the  second 
child:"  or  this  clause  must  be  construed  with  ni'<':ihr\ii^r\,  who  walk, 
in  the  former  hemistich ;  thus,  "  all  the  living  under  the  sun  who 
walk  with,  i.  e.  favour  the  second  child."    The  sense  is  much  the 


94  NOTES.  [chap.  IV. 

—  who  shall  stand  up  in  his  stead] — In  whose  stead  ?  The 
pronoun  relative  may  refer  to  "  the  foolish  king,"  mentioned  in 
verse  13 ;  but  1  am  of  opinion  it  is  put  distributively,  namely,  in 
any  king's  stead ;  and  therefore  the  verse  refers  to  the  state  and 
condition  of  kings  in  general.  Men  are  extremely  ready  to  wor- 
ship the  rising  sun ;  and  it  is  the  unhappiness  of  princes,  if  they 
live  long,  to  find  the  honour  which  is  due  to  them  transferred, 
through  the  self-interested  views  of  mankind,  to  the  heir  apparent 
of  the  throne.  The  Preacher  further  illustrates  this  in  the  next 
verse,  by  declaring  that  even  a  wise  administration,  evinced  by 
increasing  numbers  and  prosperity  of  the  people,  cannot  ensure 
the  attachment  of  subjects,  who  are  apt  to  become  weary  both  of 
the  aged  monarch  himself  and  of  his  government. 

16.  There  is  no  end  of  all  the  people] — According  to  De  Dieu, 
Patric,  Wells,  Holden,  Henry,  and  others,  the  meaning  is,  there 
is  no  end  to  the  fickleness  of  the  people,  no  bounds  to  their  in- 
constancy; every  nation  being  alike  subject  to  levity  and  muta- 
bility: but  it  seems  clear,  from  the  scope  of  the  passage,  that  the 
writer  designed  to  express  the  idea  of  multitude,  of  a  numerous 
and  increasing  population,  especially  as  the  phrase  "  there  is  no 
end"  is  often  used  to  denote  a  great  or  indefinite  number. — See 
verse  8  and  xii.  12;  Isaiah  ii.  7;  Nahum  iii.  2.  See  Bishop 
Reynolds  and  Poli  S^nop. 

—  over  whom  he  reigned] — Literally,  "  of  all  in  whose  pre- 
sence he  is,  or,  before  whom  he  is/'  which  evidently  means  those 
over  whom  he  reigns :  "  quibus  se  ducem  praebet,"  Dathe.  In 
verses  13 — 16  there  appears  to  be  no  reference  to  contemporary 


same,  but  the  Masoretic  punctuation  opposes  the  latter. — If  "  the 
second  child"  refer  to  the  "  poor  and  wise  child"  in  verse  13, 
»Jtr?n  nV»n  would  be  better  rendered  "  the  other  child." — See 
Taylor's  Concordance. 


CHAP,    v.]  NOTES.  95 

history,  as  some  imagine ;  nor  are  there  any  grounds  for  consider- 
ing it  prophetical  of  Solomon's  successor,  as  Dr.  Bernard  Hodgson 
supposes.  The  discourse  turns  upon  sovereign  power  in  general 
and  in  the  abstract. — The  affix  in  an'JaV  refers  to  the  preceding 
collective  noim  oj;  the  people. 


CHAPTER   V. 

1.  Keep  thy  foot,  &c.] — Having  remarked  that  full  satisfaction 
cannot  be  extracted  from  honours,  dignity,  and  rank,  no,  not  from 
thrones  and  sceptres,  the  Preacher  now  adverts  to  the  service 
which  is  rendered  to  the  King  of  kings,  and  notices  a  vanity  even 
in  this;  not,  indeed,  in  its  own  nature,  but  in  the  manner  in  which 
it  is  performed  by  the  foolish  and  irreverent.  In  ch.  xii.  1  and 
other  texts,  the  author  highly  commends  piety  and  the  wor- 
ship of  God;  "  but  whilst  he  admits  the  truth  of  this  proposition, 
that  the  worship  of  God  constitutes  a  most  important  part  of  the 
present  happiness  of  mankind,  he  reminds  these  persons,  that 
they  may  put  vanity  into  this  very  worship,  and  render  it  unprofit- 
able to  their  welfare,  by  their  thoughtless  and  carnal  performance 
of  sacred  duties  :  yea,  that  there  may  be  divers  vanities  therein, 
(verse  7;)  for  the  discovery  and  avoiding  of  which  he  presents  a 
solemn  caution  to  those  who,  being  convinced  of  vanity  in  the 
creatures,  apply  to  God  in  his  instituted  worship,  to  benefit  them- 
selves."— (Bishop  Reynolds  in  he.)  This  caution  he  exemplifies, 
first,  in  our  general  conduct  in  devotional  exercises,  (verse  1;) 
secondly,  in  prayer,  (verses  2,  3;)  thirdly,  in  vows,  (verses  4,  5,  6;) 
and,  lastly,  proposes  the  remedy  of  these  vanities  in  a  principle  of 
deep-rooted  piety  and  reverence  for  God;  **  but  fear  thou  God," 
(verse  6.) 

The  meaning  of  the  expression  "  keep  thy  foot'*  is,  conduct 
thyself  prudently,  and  observe  due  decorum,  when  thou  goest  to 
the  house  of  God  to  join  in  the  sacred  rites  of  religion.  There 
is  an  allusion  to  the  ancient  custom  of  discalceation  when  entering 
upon  the  performance  of  religious  ordinances.    It  was  usual  with 


96  NOTES.  [chap.  v. 

Pagans,  Jews,  Mohammedans,  and  some  Christians  to  put  oflT 
their  shoes  or  sandals  on  entering  a  temple  for  the  purpose  of 
worship.  —  (See  Mede,  Works,  p.  347;  Bynaeus,  de  Calceis 
HehrceoruiTiy  lib.  ii.  cap.  2  and  3 ;  Parkhurst,  Lex.  in  f?r  J ;  Rosen- 
muller,  Scholia  in  Exod.  iii.  5.)  When  the  Almighty  appeared 
in  the  bush,  he  commanded  Moses  to  loose  his  shoes  from  off 
his  feet,  (Exod.  iii.  5;)  and  "  the  captain  of  the  Lord's  host," 
an  appellation  of  the  appearing-angel,  the  An  gel- Jehovah,  who 
was  our  blessed  Lord,  "  said  unto  Joshua,  Loose  thy  shoes  from 
off  thy  feet,  for  the  place  whereon  thou  standest  is  holy,"  (Joshua 
V.  15.)  Discalceatiou,  as  an  act  of  reverence,  might  originate 
from  these  commands,  though  Le  Clerc,  in  his  note  on  Exod.  iii.  5, 
thinks  that  it  obtained  much  earlier,  and  that  God  enjoined  Moses 
to  perform  this  rite  in  compliance  with  a  custom  already  received. 
Be  this  as  it  may,  by  keeping  or  observing  the  foot  is  undoubtedly 
meant  the  care,  circumspection,  and  reverence  required  in  the 
exercise  of  Divine  worship ;  for,  to  use  the  words  of  the  learned 
Mede,  "  not  as  if  Solomon  or  the  Holy  Ghost  in  this  admonition 
intended  the  outward  ceremony  only,  (that  were  ridiculous  to 
imagine;)  but  the  whole  act  of  sacred  reverence,  commenced 
in  the  heart  and  affection,  whereof  this  was  the  accustomed  and 
leading  gesture." —  Works,  p.  349.     See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  The  clause  nit  a^^DDn  nriD  j^du^V  mpi  is  rendered  by  our 
translators  and  others,  "  be  more  ready  to  hear  than  to  give  the 
sacrifice  of  fools;"  that  is,  be  more  intent  upon  receiving  in- 
struction, and  paying  moral  obedience,  than  upon  offering  the 
mere  formal  sacrifices  of  the  foolish :  an  excellent  sense  truly ; 
but  as  the  order  of  the  words  does  not  well  admit  this  translation, 
others,  supplying  1  or  ajr,  render  it,  "  be  more  ready  to  hear 
than  to  offer  with  fools  a  sacrifice;"  to  which  it  may  be  objected, 
that  it  refers  nit  to  nno,  whereas  no  instance  of  nnt  being  con- 
strued with  ]ni  has  been  produced.  It  seems,  therefore,  pre- 
ferable to  render  it,  "  to  be  ready  to  obey  is  a  better  sacrifice  than 
the  offering  of  fools;"  and  my  reasons  for  adopting  this  version. 


CHAP,    v.]  NOTES.  97 

2.  Be  not  rash  with  thy  mouth,  &c.] — That  is,  be  not  rash  and 
precipitate  in  thy  speech ;  utter  nothing  unadvisedly,  when  en- 
gaged in  the  worship  of  God.     Compare  Matt.  vi.  7. 

—  for  God  is  in  heaven,  and  thou  upon  earth'\ — ^That  is,  as 
Diodati  observes,  seeing  thou,  a  weak,  earthly  creature,  speakest 
to  the  Creator  in  his  heavenly  glory,  do  it  with  reverence  and 
trembling. 

3.  For  as  a  dream,  &c.] — This,  I  apprehend,  is  a  comparison, 
though  the  particle  of  comparison  is  omitted,  as  is  often  the  case, 
(Glass,  Phil.  Sac.  p.  441,)  and  is  designed  to  illustrate  the 
foregoing  precept,  '*  let  thy  words  be  few"  when  performing  the 
offices  of  piety  and  prayer.  The  sense  therefore  is,  as  a  dream, 
with  all  its  incoherent  images,  often  proceeds  from  a  multitude  of 


which  nearly  coincides  with  that  of  Desvoeux,  are,  first,  it  suits 
the  context,  the  scope  of  which  is  to  prove,  that  even  religious 
offices  may  be  rendered  vain  by  folly,  and  thence  to  recommend 
reverence  and  devotion  in  the  public  service  of  God,  as  being 
more  acceptable  to  him  than  all  the  offerings  of  the  wicked. 
Secondly,  this  is  taking  the  words  in  their  natural  and  obvious 
construction,  as  will  be  evident  upon  an  examination.  Thirdly, 
the  verb  j^iom  often  means  to  obey,  especially  1  Sam.  xv.  22, 
**  Behold,  to  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice,"  &c.  to  which  Solomon 
seems  here  to  allude.  Fourthly,  this  rendering  is  sanctioned  by 
the  ancient  versions  :  "  appropinqua  ut  audias ;  multo  enim  melior 
est  obedientia  quam  stultorum  victimae,"  Vulgate;  the  Syriac  is, 
"  draw  near  to  hear,  (or,  be  ready  to  obey,)  which  is  better  than 
the  oblations  that  fools  offer;"  Kai  eyyvQ  tov  aKoveiv,  virsp  ^ofia  rov 
a(f)pov(i)p  Bvata  crov,  LXX ;  the  sense  of  which  seems  to  be,  that 
"  being  ready  to  hear  (or,  to  obey)  is  an  oblation  for  thee  above 
the  gift  of  fools."  The  Targum  is  paraphrastical.  For  these 
reasons  I  have  not  scrupled  to  adopt  the  rendering  given  in  the 
Paraphrase. 


98  NOTES.  [chap.  V- 

business  in  which  our  thoughts  have  been  deeply  engaged;  so,  in 
the  worship  of  God,  does  a  fool's  voice,  i.  e.  idle,  foolish  speech, 
arise  from  using  a  multitude  of  words.  In  devotional  exercises 
**  much  speaking"  as  naturally  gives  rise  to  folly  and  incon- 
sistency, as  much  business  does  to  dreams  and  visions  of  the 
night. — See  Doederlein,  Scholia  in  loc. 

4.  When  thou  voicest] — "  A  vow  is  a  solemn  promise,  or 
promissory  oath,  made  to  God,  by  which  a  person  voluntarily 
binds  himself  to  something  which  was  in  his  own  power.  Solomon 
does  not  here  direct  us  to  make  such  a  vow ;  but,  having  brought 
ourselves  under  its  obhgation,  to  be  cautious  of  violating  our 
engagement  with  God,  who  never  fails  in  any  one  of  his  promises 
to  us,  (Joshua  xxi.  45,)  nor  delays  its  performance  beyond  the 
exact  time,  Exod.  xii.  41,  51 ;  Hab.  ii.  3 ;  2  Pet.  iii.  9." — Bishop 
Reynolds  in  loc, 

6.  before  the  angel] — Solomon  in  this  verse  continues  the  con- 
sideration of  vows,  and,  consequently,  by  "  the  angel"  is  meant 
the  priest.  It  appears,  from  Lev.  v.  4,  et  seq.,  that  a  breach  of 
any  vow  was  to  be  confessed  before  the  priest,  whose  duty  it  was 
to  make  an  atonement  for  it.  The  sense  therefore  is,  when  thou 
goest  before  the  priest  to  acknowledge  the  breach  of  a  vow,  do 
not  endeavour  to  excuse  or  extenuate  the  offence,  by  alleging 
frivolous  excuses.  Sin  is  still  criminal,  and  it  is  an  aggravation 
of  it  to  encourage  the  vain  expectation,  that  it  is  of  such  a  nature 
that  God  will  not  deem  fit  to  chastise.  Priests  are  called 
*'  angels"  Job  xxxiii.  23 ;  Mai.  ii.  7 ;  Rev.  i.  20.  Some,  following 
Mede,  (  Works,  p.  438,)  take  **  angel"  here  collectively  for  more 
than  one,  and,  considering  the  verse  as  a  caution  against  rash 
vows,  explain  it  thus :  "  do  not  hastily  engage  thyself  in  such 
vows  as  the  weakness  of  human  nature  and  thy  fleshy  reluctance 
will  not  suffer  thee  to  perform;  much  less  think  of  being  ab- 
solved from  the  obligations  thou  layest  on  thyself,  in  the  presence 
of  God  and  of  his  holy  angels,  by  such  foolish  excuses  as  these  : 
It  was  a  mistake;  I  did  not  mind  what  I  said,"  &c. — (Patric, 


CHAP,    v.]  NOTES.  9P 

Paraphrase  in  loc.)  Some  again  suppose,  that  by  "  angel"  is 
meant  God;  others,  Christ,  the  Angel  of  the  Covenant;  others, 
one  of  the  ministering  angels,  employed  to  inspect  and  guard  the 
pious ;  but  I  have  no  doubt  the  true  interpretation  is  given  above 
in  the  Paraphrase.  The  expression  '*  thy  flesh,"  in  the  first 
clause  of  the  verse,  is  equivalent  to  *'  thyself."  In  the  same  way 
**  flesh"  is  used,  by  a  synecdoche,  for  the  whole  man,  ch.  ii.  3; 
Gen.  vi.  12;  Isaiah  xl.  5;  Rom.  iii.  20. 

7.  For  in  the  multitvde,  &:c.] — The  obscurity  of  this  verse 
arises  from  the  difficulty  of  discovering  its  connexion,  and  the 
commentators  are,  as  usual,  very  various.  I  take  it  to  contain  a 
reason  for  the  admonition  given  immediately  before,  namely, 
Endeavour  not  to  excuse  the  breach  of  thy  vows  by  alleging  many 
things  in  extenuation  of  the  off^ence;  for  as  in  the  multitude  of 
dreams  there  are  multifarious  vanities,  so  likewise  are  there  in  a 
multitude  of  words,  spoken  with  a  view  to  excuse  any  trans- 
gression. It  is  as  useless  to  expect  to  conceal  the  hideous  de- 
pravity of  sin  by  palliatives,  as  to  expect  method  and  coherence 
in  the  dreams  of  the  night;  therefore,  *'  fear  thou,  i.  e.  reverence 
God." — The  Preacher  has  not  stopt  to  specify  the  inference  from 
what  he  has  advanced  in  this  section  ;  but  it  is  evidently  this : 
Except  thou  takest  care  to  avoid  the  errors  which  are  too  fre- 
quent in  public  worship,  thy  religious  services  will  be  vain  and 
unprofitable.  That  which  is  the  bounden  duty  and  the  highest 
interest  of  man,  will,  by  an  improper  performance,  become 
vanity,  and,  instead  of  conferring  comfort  and  satisfaction,  will 
tend  to  the  increase  of  sorrow  and  aftiiction, 

8.  If  thou  seest,  &c.] — It  appears  t'o  be  the  scope  of  this  diffi- 
cult section  to  declare,  that  there  is  a  vanity  in  murmuring  at 
oppression  and  injustice,  since,  as  the  Almighty  regards  whatever 
is  done  in  the  earth,  we  must  conclude  that  he  permits  the  lawless 
despotism  of  the  cruel  for  wise  and  righteous  purposes.  This 
subject,  though  not  necessary  to  be  introduced  into  this  part  of  the 
discourse,  arises  naturally  from  the  foregoing  argument  touching 

E   E 


100  NOTES.  [chap.    V. 

the  services  due  from  man  to  the  Supreme  Being.  From  reflect- 
ing upon  the  errors  by  which  rehgious  offices  are  perverted,  the 
Preacher  adverts  to  another  closely-alhed  error,  that  of  repining 
at  the  prevalence  of  secular  power  cruelly  and  tyrannically  exer- 
cised; and  such  complaints,  he  asserts,  should  be  silenced  by  a 
belief  in  the  sovereignty  and  providence  of  God,  who  will  Anally 
adjust  all  inequalities,  and  repair  all  evil.  Such  appears  to  be 
the  design  of  this  passage,  which  must  be  considered  in  the 
light  of  a  digression  from  his  principal  argument. — ^See  Critical 
Note  (*.) 


*  If  the  word  van  be  here  taken  in  the  sense  oi  ivill,  purpose^ 
inclinatian,  it  may  refer  either  to  men  or  to  God. — (See  ch.  iii.  1, 
note.)  In  the  former  case  the  meaning  will  be,  "  marvel  not  at 
the  wicked  purpose  of  oppressors,  for  he  that  is/'  &c.  Each  of 
these  is  supported  by  respectable  names;  but  I  am  inclined  to 
abide  by  the  received  translation,  "  marvel  not  at  the  matter," 
which  is  confirmed  by  the  LXX,  Vulgate,  and  Syriac. — The 
phrase  "  he  that  is  higher  than  the  highest,"  (niJ  hxi^  niJ, 
literally,  **  he  that  is  high  above  the  high,'')  is  probably  an 
Hebraical  expression  for  the  High  and  Lofty  One  who  inhabiteth 
eternity.  It  may,  however,  be  rendered,  ''  for  he  that  is  High 
(or  the  High  One)  from  above  regardeth  the  high,"  that  is,  re- 
gardeth  the  great  and  powerful  oppressors. —  (See  Noldius,  ^j;o, 
11.)  The  last  clause,  "  there  be  higher  than  they,"  is  difficult  by 
reason  of  the  ambiguity  of  the  terms  n2n''hv  D»niJ.  The  former 
of  these  words  may  denote  the  high  princes  and  governors  of  the 
world,  or  the  High  Ones,  the  sacred  Persons  of  the  Holy  Trinity ; 
and  in  this  sense  it  has  been  understood  by  several  Jewish  and 
Christian  expositors, — (See  Poh  Synop.;  Michaelis,  Not.  Tiber, 
in  loc. ;  Jones,  Catholic  Doctrine  of  the  Trinity y  ch.  iii.  §  8.)  The 
word  on'Vj;  also  may  be  rendered  not  only  "  above  them,"  but 
likewise  *'  against  them ;"  and  if  referred  to  u^*i  the  poor,  a  noun 
of  multitude  occurring  in  the  first  hemistich,  the  meaning  may  be, 
**  For  he  thai  is  high  (or  the  High  One)  regardeth  the  high 


CHAP,    v.]  NOTES.  101 

9.  Moreover  the  "profit,  &c.] — This  obscure  verse  has  been 
variously  explained  by  ancient  and  modern  commentators,  most 
of  whose  opinions  may  be  found  in  Poli  Synop.  and  Bauer, 
Scholia  in  loc. ;  nor  is  it  easy  to  discover  its  scope  and  connexion. 
Perhaps  the  best  way  is  to  connect  it  with  the  foregoing  verse,  as 
in  the  Paraphrase. 

10.  He  that  loveth  silver,  &c.] — Here  begins  a  new  subject, 
namely,  the  vanity  of  riches,  which  is  continued  to  the  end  of  the 
chapter  ;  and  th*  Preacher  asserts,  that  money,  however  it  may 
be  increased,  or  however  desirable  it  may  be  in  some  respects, 
can  never  satisfy  the  desires  of  the  soul. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


princes,  and  the  high  ones,  whether  governors  or  princes,  who 
are  against  them ;  i.  e.  who  are  against  the  poor,  and  oppress 
them."  Or,  if  C3'm:j  be  referred  to  God,  the  meaning  may  be, 
**  For  he  that  is  high  (or  the  High  One)  regardeth  the  high 
princes  and  oppressors,  and  the  High  Ones  of  the  sacred  Trinity 
are  against  them  who  oppress  the  poor."  Still  there  is  not  suf- 
ficient reason  for  departing  from  the  authorized  version,  and  I 
have  given,  in  the  Paraphrase,  what  appears  to  me  to  be  the  sense 
of  the  passage. 

*  The  second  hemistich,  which,  according  to  E.  T.,  is,  "  nor 
he  that  loveth  abundance  with  increase,'^  is  rendered  by  Des- 
voeux,  "  and  who  loveth  numerous  company?  no  income  shall  be 
sufficient  for  him:"  and  Gousset  (Cowim.  Ling.  Heb.  npn,  C; 
see  also  Poli  Synop.  in  loc.)  understands  pDn  to  mean  a  multitude 
of  men  and  servants ;  but  the  word  is  sometimes  used  to  denote 
an  abundance  of  treasure^  rerum  copia,  1  Chron.  xxix.  16;  Psalm 
xxxvii.  16. — (See  Cocceii  Xea\  Heb.  ed.  Schulz.)  Bishop  Patric, 
following  De  Dieu,  says,  "  The  latter  end  of  this  verse  runs  thus 
in  the  Hebrew  text:  whoso  loveth  (i.e.  silver)  reaps  no  fruit  of 
his  abundance ;  i.  e.  doth  not  employ  it,  as  St.  Hierom  expounds 
it;  which  is  very  often  the  miserable  condition  of  worldly-minded 


102  NOTES.  [chap.    V. 

11.  what  good  is  there y  &c.] — The  meaning  may  be,  that  the 
rich  derive  no  other  satisfaction  from  their  wealth  than  the  empty 
and  delusive  pleasure  of  gazing  upon  their  hoards  and  possessions; 
but,  as  "  the  sight  of  the  eyes"  means  the  enjoyment  of  present 
things,  ch.  vi.  9,  (see  the  note  there,)  I  rather  think  the  sense 
is,  **  what  advantage  have  the  owners  of  great  riches,"  saving 
**  the  beholding  of  them  with  their  eyes,"  that  is,  unless  they 
enjoy  them  with  contentment  and  moderation  ?  But  I  have  not 
ventured  to  express  this  in  the  Paraphrase. — When  it  is  said 
before  "  when  goods  increase,  they  are  increased  that  eat  them," 
the  meaning  clearly  is,  that  the  consumers  of  them  are  multiplied. 
In  proportion  as  a  man's  possessions  increase,  the  number  of  his 
servants,  labourers,  and  dependants  becomes  greater ;  in  con- 
sequence of  which  there  are  greater  demands  upon  his  revenue. 

12.  hut  the  abundance'] — The  original  word  may  likewise  be 
rendered,  "the  fulness,"  or,  "the  satiety;"  and,  in  any  sense  in 
which  it  can  be  taken,  the  truth  of  the  observation  is  apparent. 


men.''  If  the  clause  be  considered,  with  Schmidt  and  Dathe,  as 
elliptical,  it  may  be  supplied  in  the  following  manner:  **  He  that 
loveth  silver  shall  never  be  satisfied  with  silver,  nor  whosoever 
loveth  abundance  which  has  no  profit :"  (or,  taking  »d  interroga- 
tively, "  and  who  loveth  abundance  which  has  no  profit?)  This 
also  is  vanity."  The  general  sense  is  clear;  He  shall  never  be 
satisfied  who  delights  in  useless  abundance,  and  the  English 
version  appears  sufficiently  accurate.  It  may  indeed  be  objected, 
that  ini^  isperhaps  never  construed  with  i,  most  assuredly  never 
in  the  writings  of  Solomon ;  but  i  in  poni  may  be  superfluous, 
as  similar  redundancies  of  i  after  verbs  governing  the  accusative 
are  very  frequent;  (see  Noldius,  Concord.  Partic,  in  a,  36;)  and 
if  no  similar  example  after  in«  can  be  found,  it  is  not  contrary 
to  the  idiom  of  the  Hebrew  tongue.  It  must  always  be  remem- 
bered, that  many  forms  of  expression  only  appear  anomalous  from 
the  paucity  of  writings  in  that  language. 


CHAP,    v.]  NOTES.  103 

13.  There  is  a  sore  evil,  &c.] — Riches  often  prove  injurious  to 
the  owners,  by  exposing  them  to  the  external  dangers  of  robbery 
and  oppression,  and  by  occasioning  still  greater  dangers  from 
within,  as  being  temptations  to  avarice,  violence,  sensuality, 
pride,  &c. 

14.  by  evil  travaill — That  is,  either  by  improvidence  and 
vice ;  or  by  the  constant,  though  ineffectual,  trouble  to  preserve 
them  ;  or  by  the  fraud  and  treachery  of  others  ;  or  by  misfortune, 
which  may  be  regarded  as  the  punishment  inflicted  by  the 
Supreme  Being  upon  avarice.  It  is  rendered  by  Hodgson 
**  through  misfortune ;"  so  Dathe  and  Boothroyd. — See  Critical 
Note  to  ch.  i.  13. 

—  there  is  nothing  in  his  handl — ^That  is,  through  various 
casuahties,  there  is  nothing  of  all  his  wealth  to  leave  to  his  pos- 
terity. 

16.  laboured  for  the  ivind] — "  He  hath  got  no  benefit  at  all, 
embracing  a  shadow,  grasping  the  air,  catching  at  the  wind, 
wearying  himself  for  that  which  hath  no  substance  of  true  felicity 
in  it." — Pemble,  in  loc.  Compare  Jer.  v.  13 ;  Ezek.  v.  2 ;  Hos. 
xii.  1 ;  Ps.  i.  4 ;  Job.  vi.  26  ;  1  Cor.  ix.  26,  xiv.  9. 

17.  he  liveth] — Literally,  *'  he  eateth ;"  but  as  this  hemistich  is 
figurative,  the  "  eating"  being  intended  to  intimate  the  whole 
course  of  life,  and  the  "  darkness"  a  state  of  care  and  perplexity, 
it  is  better  to  render  it  as  in  the  Paraphrase ;  or,  according  to 
Durell,  "he  consumeth  also  all  his  days  in  darkness." — See 
ch.  vi.  2.     See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  I  have  rendered  rain  D)^di  "  and  sorrow  increaseth,"  which 
is  the  literal  version,  taking  n^'ir]  for  the  Prset.  Hiph.;  or,  taking 
it  as  a  noun  adjective,  the  same  sense  results,  that  is,  "  sorrow  is 
much,  or  great,  and  his  infirmity,  and  wrath." — Houbigant,  van 
der  Palm,  and  Durell  propose  to  omit  the  Van  in  rVn,  as  is  done 


104  NOTES.  [chap.    V. 

18.  Behold  a  good,  &c.] — Having  painted  in  strong  colours  the 
vanity  of  riches,  the  royal  sage  here  obviates  an  inference  which 
some  might  be  apt  to  draw  from  his  observations,  namely,  that 
riches  are  in  themselves  pernicious*  All  enjoyment  of  them  is 
not  forbidden,  neither  are  they  bad  in  their  nature ;  it  is  the 
abuse  alone  which  is  to  be  condemned  ;  and,  therefore,  he  now 
proceeds  to  give  some  admonitions  respecting  the  proper  use  of 
them,  corresponding  to  what  he  had  previously  observed,  ch.  iii. 
12,  13.     Compare  ch.  ii.  24.— See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

20.  he  will  remember,  &c.] — Never  having  abused  his  good 
fortune,  the  recollection  of  the  past  will  bring  no  anxiety,  no 
alarm ;  and  his  heart  will  be  tranquillized  by  the  pious  sentiment, 
that,  whatever  share  in  the  good  things  of  this  world  he  has 
enjoyed,  he  is  indebted  for  it  to  the  mercy  and  benevolence  of 
the  Almighty,  With  this  laudable  and  becoming  use  of  wealth, 
the  Preacher,  in  the  next  section,  contrasts  the  vanity  and  mis- 
chief of  avarice,  whose  character  it  is  to  abuse  prosperity  and 
wealth. — See  Critical  Note  (f.) 


in  one  MS.  Ken.  and  by  all  the  ancient  versions,  but,  as  it  seems, 
without  any  necessity. 

*  The  word  ")it;«,  in  nE)»  "iir^t^,  translated  in  the  Paraphrase 
**  which  is  honourable,"  is  here  rendered  by  the  copulative  "  et," 
by  E.T.,  Syriac,  Munst.,  Piscat.,  Vatab.,  Drus.,  Deod.,  Schindl., 
Castel.,  Nold.,  Glass,  Dathe,  van  der  Palm ;  but  T  much  doubt 
whether  it  ever  signifies  et,  and.  I  have  followed  the  best  au- 
thority, that  of  the  LXX,  i^ov  o  tlov  eyw  ayadov,  o  ecftlv  koKov. 

t  I  take  nnn  to  refer  to  nno  in  the  preceding  verse;  that  is, 
although  the  enjoyment  of  wealth,  which  is  the  gift  of  God,  be 
not  much,  yet  he  will  remember  the  days  of  his  life. — The  last 
hemistich  nV  nnDiri  nJj?o  o'n'^^n  O  is  variously  rendered;  but 
I  consider  njj;o  here  to  have  the  sense  of  exercising,  as  in  ch. 
i.  13,  where  see  the  Notes. 


CHAP.    VI.]  NOTES.  105 


CHAPTER  VI. 

1.  There  is  an  evil,  &c.] — The  Preacher,  in  this  section,  shows 
the  Tanity  of  heaping  iip  treasures,  which  a  man  of  a  covetous 
disposition  cannot  enjoy.  Avarice,  however  common  in  the 
woild,  is  a  great  and  heinous  sin ;  it  never  yet  produced  content- 
ment ;  for  which  reason  a  man's  Chief  Good  cannot  consist  in  the 
abundance  of  his  treasures.  Intimately  as  this  topic  is  connected 
with  that  of  the  preceding  section,  they  are  not  precisely  the  same. 
The  former  relates  to  the  vanity  of  riches  and  their  acquirement 
in  general ;  and  the  latter  to  the  vanity  of  that  insatiable  desire 
of  amassing  treasures  which  is  denominated  avarice :  the  former 
refers  to  wealth  in  the  abstract,  the  latter  more  particularly  to  its 
abuse;  and  Solomon  is  led  to  this  subject,  by  an  easy  transition, 
from  the  reflection  which  he  had  made  immediately  before  upon 
the  proper  use  and  enjoyment  of  riches. 

2.  so  that  he  wanteth  for  nothing] — The  meaning  is,  that 
Providence  has  been  so  liberal  to  him  as  to  deny  him  nothing 
which  he  can  reasonably  desire  for  his  comfort  and  accom- 
modation. The  phrase,  however,  "  for  his  soul,"  (Heb.  W2lh,) 
is  in  this  application  ambiguous,  as  it  may  mean  **  to  himself," 
**  to  his  appetite  and  desire,"  or  '*  for  his  use  and  enjoyment." — 
(See  Michaehs,  Not.  Uber.  in  loc.)  The  Polyglott,  versions, 
E.  T.,  &c.  adopt  the  literal  rendering  "  to  or  for  his  soul,"  which 
seems  preferable  to  any  other. 

—  God  giveth  him  not  power  to  eat] — As  there  can  be  no 
criminality  in  not  using  wealth  aright,  if  God  denies  the  power, 
some  commentators  explain  this  clause  of  God's  withholding  the 
power  by  way  of  punishment  for  an  unjust  acquirement  or  an 
abuse  of  riches.  But  as  God  is,  in  Scripture,  said  to  do  what  he 
permits,  the  sense  most  probably  is,  that  although  the  person 
spoken  of  have  every  thing  he  can  desire,  yet  he  has  been  suf- 
fered by  Divine  Providence  to  cherish  a  covetous  disposition  to 


106  NOTES.  [chap.  VI. 

such  a  degree  as  to  be  unable  to  enjoy  his  treasures.  "  To  eat," 
in  Scripture  language,  is  often  put  for  *'  to  enjoy,"  ch.  ii.  24,  25, 
iii.  13,  V.  18,  viii.  15. — See  Glass,  Phil.  Sac.  p.  1185. 

—  an  evil  disease] — It  is  not  implied  in  this  expression  that 
covetousness  is  a  constitutional  disease  :  it  means  that  the  pos- 
session of  riches,  without  the  power  of  enjoying  them,  is  a  very 
grievous  trouble;  (compare  ch.  ii.  21,  v.  16;)  or  is  the  cause  of 
disease,  by  creating  incessant  cares  and  anxious  fears,  and  by 
leading  a  man  to  deny  himself  the  real  comforts,  and  sometimes 
the  necessaries,  of  life. 

3.  Tjf  a  man  beget,  &c.] — This  verse  does  not  form  the  com- 
mencement of  a  new  topic,  as  many  commentators  suppose,  but 
is  immediately  connected  with  the  preceding;  by  "man,"  u;'«, 
therefore,  is  not  denoted  any  man,  but  the  man  spoken  of  in  the 
second  verse,  or  such  a  man  as  is  there  described.  It  is  scarcely 
necessary  to  observe,  that  the  expression  **  an  hundred  children," 
means  very  many :  a  certain  number  for  an  uncertain. — See  Cri- 
tical Note  (*.) 


*  Durell  contends  that  m^i^  is  to  be  construed  with  ni^rD,  and 
accordingly  he  renders  this  hemistich,  "  though  he  beget  an 
hundred  males."  His  reasons  are,  that  *'  ti^'«  of  the  preceding 
verse  is  certainly  the  nominative,  which  would,  therefore,  be  un- 
necessarily repeated  here ;  neither  would  it,  in  that  case,  be  placed 
after  the  verb ;  and  this  shows  that  it  is  governed  by  it  in  an 
oblique  case,  as  it  cannot  be  used  absolutely,  on  which  account 
our  version  adds  the  word  children."  It  is  true,  that  u^'t^  the 
man,  in  verse  2,  is  the  subject  to  which  the  observations  in  this 
verse  relate ;  but  u^'i^  is  not  unnecessarily  repeated,  as  either  it, 
or  a  pronoun,  expressed  or  understood,  must  be  used  for  a  nomi- 
native to  the  verb,  and  it  is  usual  for  the  Hebrews  to  repeat  the 
noun,  instead  of  substituting  a  pronoun,  for  which  see  Hobertson, 
Gram.  p.  317;  Glass,  Phil.  Sac.  p.  150.     His  second  reason  is 


CHAP.    VI.]  NOTES.  107 

—  have  no  burial] — The  meaning  may  be,  that  such  a  man  is 
too  covetous  and  narrow-minded  to  provide  a  decent  sepulchre 
for  his  remains ;  but  it  refers,  more  probably,  to  the  way  in  which 
his  dead  body  will  be  treated  by  his  heirs.  Though  the  miser, 
who  has  abused  his  wealth,  should  have  a  multitude  of  children, 
and  should  live  to  a  good  old  age,  yet  he  would  derive  no  satis- 
faction from  his  good  things,  and  his  children  would  neither 
lament  his  death,  nor  consign  his  remains  to  the  earth  with  funereal 
honours.  By  "  no  burial"  is  not  to  be  understood,  that  he  shall 
be  cast  out  without  interment,  but  that  at  death  he  shall  be  with- 
out those  rites  and  honours  which  are  always  paid  at  the  sepul- 
ture of  the  virtuous  and  illustrious.  It  is  well  known  that  the 
ancient  Jews,  like  most  of  the  Asiatics,  conducted  the  funerals 
of  their  friends  and  relatives  with  great  pomp  and  magnificence, 
and  were  extremely  anxious  not  to  omit  this  last  tribute  of  respect 
to  the  departed.  To  be  without  burial,  therefore,  was  considered 
as  the  last  stage  of  human  misery. — See  Harmer,  OhservationSy 
vol.  iii.  chap.  7;  Lamy,  Apparat.  Bibl.  lib.  i.  cap.  14;   Ikenius, 


wholly  undeserving  of  notice,  as  nothing  is  more  common  than  for 
a  nominative  to  be  placed  after  a  verb.  It  might  be  matter  of 
surprise  that  Dr.  Durell  could  be  led  to  make  such  a  remark,  did 
we  not  reflect  that  the  most  learned  writers,  in  moments  of 
inadvertence,  have  fallen  into  errors,  into  which  minds  of  lesser 
attainments  have  seldom  been  betrayed. — The  next  clause,  vw 
»D»  vn»u;  mi,  is  rendered  byDesvoeux,  "  Nay,  though  he  should 
he  a  senator  on  account  of  the  days  of  his  years;"  and  it  might 
be  adopted,  to  avoid  the  tautology,  could  sufficient  proof  be 
given  of  m  being  used  for  a  senator,  or  a  man  wise  and  expe- 
rienced through  age ;  but  the  learned  writer's  examples  are  not 
satisfactory.  The  rendering  of  the  authorized  version,  which  1 
have  adopted,  is  natural  and  unforced ;  it  is  supported  by  the 
ancient  versions ;  and  such  tautologies  are  not  unfrequeut  in  the 
Sacred  Writings, 
F  F 


108  NOTES.  [chap,    VI, 

Antiq,  Heb,  P.  iii.  cap.    14;  Jalin,   Archceol.  Bibl.  sect.  203 
et  seq. 

—  an  untimely  birth  is  better  than  he'\ — "  Better  is  the  fruit 
that  drops  from  the  tree  before  it  is  ripe,  than  that  which  is  left 
to  hang  on  till  it  is  rotten.  Job,  in  his  passion,  thinks  the  con- 
dition of  an  untimely  birth  better  than  his,  when  he  was  in 
adversity,  (Job  iii.  16 ;)  but  Solomon  here  pronounceth  it  better 
than  the  condition  of  a  worldling  in  his  greatest  prosperity,  when 
the  world  smiles  upon  him." — Matthew  Henry  in  loc. 

4.  For  he  cometh  in,  &c.] — This  verse  may,  undoubtedly,  be 
explained  of  the  miser;  but  it  seems  properly  to  relate  to  "  the 
untimely  birth"  just  before  mentioned,  because  it  is  closely  con- 
nected with  the  following  verse,  which  certainly  refers  to  the 
abortive  spoken  of  in  verse  3,  and  of  which  it  is  said,  that  "  he 
hath  not  seen  the  sun,  nor  known  any  thing."  Bishop  Patrick 
refers  the  verse  under  consideration  both  to  the  miser  and  the 
untimely  birth,  but,  in  my  judgment,  improperly. 

6.  Yea,  though  he  live,  &c.] — If  it  be  objected  that  the  miser 
is  better  than  an  untimely  birth,  inasmuch  as  he  has  lived  long, 
and  life  is  a  blessing,  Solomon  replies,  that  a  long  life,  without 
enjoying  good,  is  only  protracted  misery ;  and  that  the  miser, 
however  long  he  may  live,  derives  no  solid  comfort  from  his 
riches,  which  cannot  exempt  him,  more  than  others,  from  the 
stroke  of  death ;  for  "  do  not  all  go  to  one  place  ?" 

7.  All  the  labour,  &c.] — ^This  verse  refers  to  the  *'  man"  before 
mentioned,  namely,  the  miser;  for  it  cannot  be  said,  as  a  general 
position,  that  **  all  the  labour  of  man  is  for  his  mouth,"  or  on  his 
own  account;  but  it  is  true  of  the  miser,  whose  selfishness  pre- 
dominates over  every  other  consideration,  and  who,  in  every 
scheme  and  action,  keeps  his  own  interest  steadily  in  view.  And 
yet,  however  rich  he  may  be,  his  appetite  for  possessing  more  is 


CHAP.    VI.]  NOTES.  109 

not  satisfied,  and  he  continues  toiling  to  increase  his  hoards. — 
See  Critical  Note  (*\) 

8.  Therefore  what  hath,  &c.] — If  this  verse  is  not  thrust  in 
without  any  relation  to  the  context,  it  must  refer  to  the  avaricious 
man,  who  is  the  subject  of  the  preceding  observations;  hence 
**  the  wise  man,"  CDDn,  is  put  ironically  for  this  reputed,  or  this 
pretended  wise  man,  the  miser.  This  throws  light  upon  a  passage 
generally  deemed  so  obscure,  that  Dr.  Wall  thought  "  the  text 
seems  mangled  by  scribes;"  and  Bishop  Patrick  says,  "  There  is 
so  great  a  difficulty  in  this  verse,  that  I  did  not  know  how  to 
connect  it  with  the  foregoing."  This  difficulty  arises  from  our 
translators  having  disturbed  the  connexion  with  the  conjunction 
*'  for"  with  which  the  sentence  commences,  as  the  verse  forms 
no  reason  for  that  which  immediately  precedes.  Had  they  ren- 
dered the  particle  *3  by  an  illative  "  then,"  "  therefore,"  as  it 
signifies  in  several  other  places,  the  connexion  would  have  been 
plain;  and  this,  with  the  next  verse,  would  have  appeared  to  be, 
what  they  really  are,  the  conclusion  to  the  Preacher's  discussion 
upon  avarice. 

—  that  knoweth  to  walk  before  the  living^ — This  is  commonly 
explained  of  living  suitably  to  his  circumstances  and  character, 
of  living  discreetly  among  men ;  but  it  may  only  be  a  periphras- 
tical  expression  denoting  the  continuance  of  life.  Compare 
ch.  iv.  15 ;  Psalm  Ivi.  13,  cxvi.  9;  Isaiah  xlii.  5. 


*  Though  in»3^  Jnay,  with  the  generality  of  translators,  be  ren- 
dered "■  for  his  mouth,"  I  prefer  taking  »q!?  for  a  particle  denoting 
secundum,  pro  ratione ;  that  is,  all  the  labours  of  the  miser  is  with 
respect  to,  or  for  himself,  on  his  own  account.  If  the  received 
rendering  be  retained,  it  must  be  understood  figuratively,  namely, 
for  his  gratification. 


110  NOTES.  [chap.    VI. 

9.  Better  is,  &c.]— Tke  Preacher  has  not  returned  the  answer 
to  the  inquiry  in  the  foregoing  verse,  as  to  what  are  the  respective 
advantages  of  the  poor  man,  and  the  worldhng  who  is  wise  in  his 
generation;  and  has  left  it  to  be  supphed  by  the  reader,  as  is 
plain  from  what  is  stated  in  this  verse,  which  contains  a  reason 
for  some  preceding  reflection  or  inference ;  but  as  nothing  of  this 
kind  has  been  expressed,  it  must  be  supphed,  and  that  given  in 
the  Paraphrase  seems  most  agreeable  to  the  scope  of  the  context 
and  to  the  observation  here  made. 

—  the  sight  of  the  ei/es] — As  "  to  see  good"  denotes  "  to 
enjoy,"  the  phrase,  "  the  sight  of  the  eyes,"  probably  means  con- 
tentment and  satisfaction  with  present  things,  a  moderate  enjoy- 
ment of  them:  '*  preesentium  fruitio,"  as  Geier  expresses  it; 
"  Melius  est  eo  frui  quod  video,  quam  animse  desideriis  agitari," 
Dathe's  version;  so  Vatabl.,  Merc,  Grot.,  Wells,  van  der  Palm, 
Boothroyd,  &c. — Here  ends  the  first  part  of  the  discourse. 

10.  That  which  hath  hceri] — This  section  contains  the  result  of 
the  foregoing  investigation,  and  is  introductory  to  the  second 
part  of  the  treatise.  The  Preacher  having  stated,  at  the  com- 
mencement, that  "  all  is  vanity,"  and  having  demonstrated  the 
truth  of  the  proposition  by  a  review  of  secular  wisdom,  folly, 
pleasures,  honours,  power,  and  riches,  he,  by  way  of  conclusion, 
here  observes,  that,  as  the  various  circumstances,  conditions,  and 
pursuits  of  life  have  been  examined,  and  have  been  found  to  be 
only  vanity/ what  is  man  profited  by  them  with  respect  to  sohd 
and  permanent  happiness  ?  If,  as  has  been  shown,  they  cannot 
render  him  happy,  the  inquiry  still  remains,  *'  What  is  really  good 
for  man  in  this  life  ?"  And  as  it  is  a  most  interesting  inquiry,  the 
Preacher  now  begins  his  discussion  of  man's  Sovereign  Good, 
and  the  result  constitutes  the  remainder  of  the  book,  not  always, 
indeed,  logically  stated  and  methodically  arranged,  but  the 
attentive  reader  will  perceive  that  the  whole  tends  to  the  same 
point  J  the  recommendation  of  Wisdom,  or  Rehgion, 


CHAP.    VII.]  NOTES.  Ill 

—  it  is  known  that  it  is  rnan^ — That  is,  that  vanity  is  man,  or, 
in  other  words,  that  his  mere  worldly  occupations,  pursuits,  and 
enjoyments  are  vain. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

—  neither  may  he  contend] — That  is,  man  cannot  reasonably 
sit  in  judgment  or  contend  with  God  who  is  so  infinitely  above 
him;  he  cannot  pretend  to  call  his  Maker  to  an  account;  and 
therefore  ought  not  to  presume  to  call  in  question  the  Divine  dis- 
pensations and  decrees.     The  Hebrew  word  denotes  to  sit  in 

judgment^  to  take  cognisance   of  a  cause, — See  Taylor's   Con- 
cordance in  pi. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

1.  A  good  namCf  &c.] — In  answer  to  the  inquiry,  "  Who 
knoweth  what  is  good  for  man  in  this  life  ? "  the  Preacher  begins 
by  showing  the  advantages  of  reputation  and  affliction,  which 
easily  introduces  the  principal  subject  of  the  second  part  of  the 
book,  namely,  the  recommendation  of  practical  Wisdom,  or 
Religion,  commencing  at  the  eleventh  verse.  By  "  name"  is 
meant  character  and  reputation ;  and  the  scope  of  the  discourse 
makes  it  probable,  that  the  author  intended  to  limit  it  to  the  re- 
putation of  True  Wisdom.  Asa  general  proposition,  however, 
it  is  true,  that  a  good  character  is  better  than  precious  ointments. 


*  The  sense  of  ai«  «in  nii^«  rnui  would,  perhaps,  be  clearer 
were  it  rendered,  as  the  Hebrew  well  may,  "  it  is  known  that  man 
is  itself,"  i.  e.  is  that  vanity  which  we  have  seen;  or,  "  it  is  known 
what  man  is,"  taking  nit>«  for  what^  illud  quod,  "  subintellecto 
scil.  ad  quod  refertur,  subjecto,"  as  Tympius  remarks  on  Noldius, 
Concord,  in  voc,  and  understanding  «irr  for  the  verb  substantive. 
Thus  the  sense  is  brought  out,  "  it  is  known  what  man  is,"  that 
is,  how  vain  and  empty  are  all  his  pursuits,  &c. ;  so  the  LXX, 
ifat  eyyutadr)  o  kttiv  avOpwnos, 


112  NOTES.  [chap    VII, 

which  the  Orientals  used  so  lavishly,  and  which,  in  the  sultry 
regions  of  the  East,  are  most  grateful  and  refreshing.  The  para- 
nomasia  in  this  verse,  and  in  verses  5  and  6,  is  very  striking,  and 
gives  great  elegance  to  the  original. 

—  and  the  day,  &c.] — That  "  the  day  of  death  is  better  than 
the  day  of  one's  birth,"  as  a  general  proposition,  is,  in  spite  of  all 
the  labour  and  ingenuity  of  the  expositors,  a  censure  upon  God 
for  creating  man.  As  such  a  sentiment  could  never  proceed 
from  the  pious  king  of  Israel,  it  must  be  understood  in  connexion 
vs^ith  the  former  hemistich,  and  the  observation  must  be  referred 
to  those  persons  alone  vrho  have  "  a  good  name,"  or  character, 
in  consequence  of  a  virtuous  and  honourable  conduct.  Of  such 
it  is  true,  that  the  day  of  their  death  is  better  than  the  day  of 
THEIR  birth,  inasmuch  as  they  escape  from  a  world  of  toil  and 
vanity;  leave  a  name  honoured  by  their  children,  respected  by 
all ;  and  enter  upon  the  inheritance  of  a  better  life. — It  will  come 
to  the  same  thing  if  we  suppose  an  ellipsis  of  "  for  a  man"  (ant^V) 
in  the  first  part  of  the  verse,  and  refer  to  it  the  pronomial  affix  in 
the  second ;  that  is,  **  A  good  name  is  better  for  a  man  than 
precious  ointment,  and  the  day  of  his  death  than  the  day  of  his 
birth." 

2.  It  is  better  to  go,  &c.] — This  section,  though  it  may  not  at 
first  sight  appear  so,  conduces  to  the  Preacher's  design  of 
eulogizing  Wisdom ;  since  affliction,  by  ameliorating  the  heart 
and  disposition,  tends  to  produce  true,  practical  Wisdom  in  all, 
and,  in  regard  to  the  wise  in  particular,  it  exalts  their  character  by 
rendering  their  virtues  more  conspicuous.  Coirimon  sense  re- 
quires us  to  understand  this  observation  in  a  limited  sense,  either 
that  it  is  better  for  those  who  have  not  acquired  Wisdom  to  go  to 
the  house  of  mourning  than  to  the  house  of  feasting,  because 
they  will  perceive  the  real  value  of  it  by  so  doing ;  or,  generally, 
it  is  better,  in  regard  to  the  real  good  of  man,  to  be  conversant 
with  the  sorrowing  and  afflicted  than  to  mingle  continually  with 
the  gay  and  luxurious,  because  the  house  of  mourning  teaches 


CHAP.    VII.]  NOTES.  113 

the  most  salutary  lessons  of  Wisdom.  In  this,  or  some  similar 
way  it  must  be  taken,  as  the  Preacher  has  inculcated  a  cheerful 
contentment,  and  an  innocent  enjoyment  of  the  bounties  of 
Providence,  ch.  iii.  12,  13,  v.  18— -20. 

—  for  that  is  the  end  of  all  men] — Something  must  be  sup- 
plied in  order  to  complete  the  sense,  as  the  expressions,  "  for  that 
is  the  end  of  all  men,"  convey  no  determinate  meaning.  Some 
verb  of  teaching,  admonishing,  &c.  agrees  best  with  the  context; 
thus,  the  going  to  the  house  of  mourning  admonishes  us  of  the 
end  which  inevitably  awaits  all  men.  "  In  ilia  enim  Hnis  cunc- 
torum  admonetur  hominum,"  Vulgate ;  "in  illafinem  conspicimus 
omnium  hominum,"  Dathe ;  so  Bauer,  in  his  Scholia. 

3.  Sorrow  is  better ,  &c.] — "  That  sorrow  which  arises  from  the 
meditation  of  death,  a  sad,  sober,  composed  temper  of  mind, 
by  which  a  man  is  rendered  capable  of  instruction,  and  sensible 
of  serious  concerns,  is  better,  and  more  salutary  in  its  effects 
than  laughter,  and  all  the  intemperate  conviviality  of  sumptuous 
feasts." — (Bishop  Reynolds  in  loc.)  "  Laughter"  here  signifies 
the  same  as  in  ch.  ii.  2,  where  see  the  note. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

6.  For  as  the  crackling y  ^c] — As  by  "  the  song  of  fools,"  in 
the  former  verse,  is  meant  the  music  and  clamours  prevailing  in 
their  compotations ;  so,  by  *'  the  laughter  of  fools"  in  this,  is 
meant  their  noisy  merriment  and  revellings,  which,  like  the  sud- 
den, crackling  flame  of  thorns,  though  ardent  for  a  time,  are  soon 
over,  without  leaving  any  thing  solid  or  profitable  behind.     Cow 


*  All  the  ancient  versions  render  djtd  by  "anger;"  but  the 
latter  hemistich  shows  that  in  this  application  it  means  sorrow, 
as  in  ch.  i.  18.  The  Targum  is  to  this  effect :  "  Better  is  the 
anger  of  the  Lord  of  the  universe  against  the  righteous  in  this 
world,  than  his  derision  at  the  wicked." 


114  NOT^S.  [chap.    VII. 

dung  dried  was  the  fuel  commonly  used  in  Palestine,  and  Mr. 
Harmer  thinks  "  its  extreme  slowness  in  burning  must  make  the 
quickness  of  the  fire  of  thorns  very  observable,  and  give  a  live- 
liness to  this  passage." — Observations,  vol.  i.  p.  458.  See  also 
Burder,  Oriental  Customs,  No.  633. 

7.  Surely  oppression,  »fec.] — The  Preacher  still  continues  the 
argument  on  the  advantage  of  affliction,  and  asserts  in  this  verse 
that  oppression,  of  all  things  the  most  galling  to  a  generous 
mind,  serves  only  to  render  a  wise  man  more  illustrious,  by  the 
magnanimity  with  which  he  bears  it,  or  the  prudent  resolution 
with  which  he  resists  it. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

—  and  a  gift] — Though  it  is  certain  that  gifts  destroy,  that  is, 
corrupt  the  hearts  of  those  in  power,  (Exod.  xxiii.  8 ;  Deut.  xvi. 
19,)  yet  the  antithesis  shows  that  "  gift"  here  means  the  gifts  of 
fortune,  namely,  prosperity  and  worldly  advantages.  While  op- 
pressions serve  only  to  render  a  wise  man  illustrious,  by  displaying 
the  energies  of  his  mind,  prosperity,  which  is  the  gift  of  fortune, 
tends  to  corrupt  the  heart.  I  here  use  the  word  fortune  in  a 
popular  sense,  without  intending  to  exclude  the  providence  of  a 
Supreme  Being. 


*  The  standard  translation  is,  "  Surely  oppression  maketh  a 
a  wise  man  mad,"  which,  though  partly  supported  by  the  ancient 
versions,  cannot  be  right;  for  it  is  neither  in  character,  nor  con- 
sistent with  the  scope  of  the  discourse,  for  Solomon  to  say,  that 
a  wise  man  is,  by  any  adventitious  circumstance,  made  mad.  It 
is,  therefore,  best  to  understand  ^^in»  by  "  gives  lustre,"  "  adds 
splendour;"  a  sense  it  very  well  admits,  as  is  shown  in  the  Critical 
Note  to  ch.  i.  17,  and  which  is  adopted  by  Desvoeux,  van  der 
Palm,  Doederlein,  and  Dathe.  Boothroyd,  to  the  same  sense, 
renders  it,  *'  Oppression  maketh  a  wise  man  to  be  praised."  See 
also  Greenaway,  New  Transl.  P.  ii.  p.  23. 


CHAP.    VII.]  NOTES.  115 

8.  Better  is  the  end  of  a  thing] — Not  generally  of  any  thing, 
but  of  the  thing  spoken  of  in  the  preceding  verse,  namely,  op- 
pression. So  far  is  oppression  from  being  injurious,  that,  what- 
ever distress  it  may  at  first  occasion,  it  is  in  the  end  beneficial; 
for  patience  of  spirit,  vrhich  is  the  effect  of  affliction,  is  preferable 
to  pride  of  spirit,  vs^hich  too  commonly  results  from  prosperity. 
In  the  former  verse  oppression  is  described  as  it  aff'ects  a  wise 
man  in  the  opinion  of  others,  in  this  as  it  affects  himself;  in  the 
first  case  it  is  said  to  render  him  illustrious  in  the  eyes  of  men, 
in  the  other  to  produce  the  virtues  of  fortitude  and  patience 
in  his  own  heart. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

9.  Be  not  hasty,  &c.] — This  and  the  following  verse  contain 
an  admonition  naturally  resulting  from  the  foregoing  observations. 
To  praise  the  past,  and  to  be  murmuring  at  the  present  times,  is 
the  common  humour  of  mankind,  many  instances  of  which  are 
enumerated  by  Bulkley,  (Notes  on  the  Bible,  in  loc.,)  and,  as  such 
complaints  are  often  groundless,  they  are  justly  censured  by  the 
Preacher. 


*  Though  the  word  nn  is  without  the  article,  it  certainly  refers 
to  "  oppression,"  spoken  of  in  verse  7  :  **  Better  is  the  end  of 
THE  THING,"  i,  €.  of  oppression.  The  ancient  versions,  how- 
ever, excepting  perhaps  the  Syriac  and  Targum,  take  nn  in  the 
sense  of  word,  and  render  it,  agreeably  to  the  Vulgate,  "  Melior 
est  finis  orationis  quam  principium;"  so  Le  Clerc,  Grotius,  and 
Gousset,  who  explain  it  of  strife  and  contention.  Others,  taking 
it  in  the  sense  of  res,  negotium,  render  it,  with  E.  T.,  ''  Better  is 
the  end  of  a  thing  than  the  beginning,"  and  endeavour  to  defend 
it  as  a  general  truth,  but,  as  appears  to  me,  very  unsuccessfully. 
Though  it  might  be  better,  perhaps,  to  render  nnT  definitely  '*  the 
thing,"  than  indefinitely  *'  a  thing,"  it  is  not  necessary  to  depart 
from  the  received  translation,  which,  according  to  the  explication 
given  in  the  Paraphrase  and  note,  yields  an  excellent  sense,  and 
perfectly  agreeable  to  the  subject  of  this  section. 
G  G 


116  NOTES.  [chap.    VII. 

11.  —  to  them  that  see  the  sun\ — This  cannot,  as  some  suppose, 
denote  those  who  are  in  prosperity;  for  it  would  be  absurd  to  say, 
**  Wisdom  is  as  good  as  an  inheritance  to  the  prosperous."  But, 
as  the  former  hemistich  is  an  universal  truth,  this  must  denote 
all  mankind  indiscriminately. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

12.  a  defence'] — Literally,  "  in  shadow ;"  and  because  under 
this  image  shortness  of  duration  is  conveyed,  (ch  vi.  12,  viii.  13,) 
van  der  Palm  thinks  the  meaning  is,  that  although  wisdom,  like 
money,  is  fleeting  as  a  shadow,  yet  the  excellency  of  knowledge 
is  that  it  gives  eternal  life  to  them  that  have  it;  (Diss,  de  Lib. 
Eccles.  p.  71 ;)  but  the  exposition  in  the  Paraphrase  is  preferable, 
as  "  shadow,"  in  Scripture  language,  often  means  a  defence, 
Gen.  xix.  8 ;  Numb.  xiv.  9;  Psalm  xvii.  8,  Ivii.  2,  Ixi.  3,  xci.  1; 
Isaiah  xvi.  12,  xxx.  2,  3,  xlix.  2. 

—  giveth  life] — As  this  expression,  in  the  sense  of  preserving 
from  danger,  protecting  from  harm,  would  be  a  mere  tautology 


*  The  received  version  is,  "  Wisdom  is  good  with  an  in- 
heritance," which,  being  sanctioned  by  the  LXX,  Yulgate,  and 
Targum,  may  perhaps  be  admissible,  since  the  observation  it 
contains  is  true;  but  I  have  adopted  the  marginal  translation  of 
E.  T.,  which  also  agrees  with  Geier,  Schmidt,  Durell,  Noldius 
in  CD]}  and  Not.  1880.  Dathe  and  Bauer,  after  Doederlein, 
translate  it  **  Bona  est  sapientia  in  rebus  afflictis ;"  and,  for  their 
authority  in  thus  rendering  nVnJ  czjjr,  refer  to  Isaiah  xvii.  11 ; 
Jer.  X.  19,  xiv.  17.  According  to  Bishop  Lowth,  Isaiah  does 
not  support  Dathe;  but  see  Rosenmuller,  Scholia  in  loc. :  and  in 
Jeremiah  nVni  is  clearly  a  verb  in  Niph.,  from  n'^n ;  nor  can  I 
find  any  passage  where  nVnJ,  as  a  noun,  can  be  the  derivative  of 
nVn  cegrotavit.  It  occurs  frequently,  and  always,  as  the  context 
shows,  in  the  sense  of  inheritance,  or  possession,  and  so  it  is 
rendered  in  the  ancient  versions.  Dathe's  translation,  therefore, 
cannot  be  admitted. 


CHAP.    VII.]  NOTES.  117 

with  the  former  hemistich,  it  is  probably  intended  to  denote  the 
producing  a  state  of  serene  cheerfulness  and  calm  satisfaction, 
which  may  emphatically  be  called  **  giving  life,"  and  which 
Wisdom,  or  Religion,  can  alone  effect. 

13.  Consider,  &c.] — The  meaning  of  this  verse  is  sufficiently 
plain,  but  it  is  difficult  to  discover  its  connexion.  It  may  be  a 
pious  reflection  upon  the  immutable  decrees  of  God,  thrown  in 
parenthetically,  though  I  am  inclined  to  take  it  in  connexion  with 
what  goes  before  and  follows,  and  to  understand  it  as  in  the 
Paraphrase. 

14.  that  man  should Jind  nothing  after  hini] — The  original  may 
be  rendered  either  "  that  man  might  find  nothing  against  him, 
^.  e.  God;"  or,  "  that  man  might  find  nothing  after  him,"  i.  e» 
not,  as  it  is  sometimes  explained,  that  man  may  not  foresee  what 
may  befall  him  in  future,  but  that  man  might  not  find  any  thing 
to  blame,  after  considering  God's  work,  (verse  13,)  or  any  cause 
to  impeach  the  justice  and  goodness  of  the  Divine  proceedings 
towards  mankind. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  There  is  certainly  an  ambiguity  in  mnw,  which  may  be  ren- 
dered "  against  him"  as  well  as  *'  after  him." — (See  Durell  in  loc; 
Noldius  in  nn«,  5;  Yo\i  Synop.  in  loc;  and  an  admirable  Sermon, 
by  Bishop  Bull,  in  his  English  Works.)  The  rendering  of  the 
Vulgate  is,  "  ut  non  inveniant  contra  eum  justas  quaerimonias;" 
and  of  Symmachus,  tov  fxr)  tvpeiv  avdpwizov  fcar  avrov  /xefx-ipip.  In 
the  Syriac  there  is  the  same  ambiguity  as  the  Hebrew,  for 
O'jiSJIl.  may  mean  either  "  after  him"  or  "  against  him."  The 
LXX  also  is  not  free  from  ambiguity,  but  probably  agrees 
with  the  version  of  Symmachus.  Though  I  have  not  ventured  to 
alter  the  authorized  version,  I  am  justified  in  the  explanation 
given  in  the  Paraphrase  and  note. 


118  NOTES.  [chap.    VII. 

15.  All  thingSy  &c.] — Of  this  and  a  few  following  verses  I  have 
met  with  no  satisfactory  explanation,  nor  dare  1  flatter  myself 
that  the  one  here  submitted  to  the  reader  will  be  generally  ap- 
proved; but,  in  my  judgment,  it  will  elucidate  them,  if  Solomon 
be  considered  as  stating  an  objection  in  verses  15,  16,  to  which 
he  afterwards  returns  an  answer.  Notwithstanding  the  high 
encomium  on  Wisdom,  (verses  11 — 14,)  the  fool  scoffingly 
objects,  that  the  righteous,  who  are  reputed  wise,  often  perish  in 
their  righteousness,  while  the  wicked  as  often  live  long  in  their 
wickedness ;  the  inference  from  which  is,  Strive  not  to  become 
exceedingly  virtuous  and  wise  ;  for  why  should  a  man  waste 
himself  away  in  pursuit  of  wisdom  and  virtue,  which  seem  to  be 
attended  with  no  advantage  over  vice  and  folly  ?  This  interpreta- 
tion accords  with  the  usual  signification  of  the  words,  and  agrees 
with  the  context  and  the  scope  of  the  whole  discourse. — See 
Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  The  words  nnn  and  "inv  denote  exceedingly,  multum 
abunde. — (See  Simonis,  Lex.  Heb.  ed.  Eichhorn.)  The  reader 
will  find  a  learned  note  on  these  verses  in  Hackspan,  NottB 
Philol.  vol.  ii.  p.  472,  who  refers  the  former  to  a  particular  branch 
of  righteousness,  namely,  judicial;  but,  though  others  are  of  the 
same  opinion,  as  Pfeiff*er,  (Dubia  Vexata,  in  loc.,)  there  is  nothing 
in  the  context  to  limit  it  in  this  way.  Schultens,  (De  Defect. 
Ling.  Heb.  §  226,)  taking  the  sense  of  piy  from  the  Arabic,  ren- 
ders it  "  be  not  too  rigid  or  inflexible  ;"  a  rendering  approved  by 
Gerard  (Institutes  of  Bibl.  Crit.  §  214)  and  others;  but  this 
sense  is  unsupported  by  Biblical  usage.  Dr.  Paley,  in  one  of 
his  Sermons,  thinks  it  denotes  an  external  affectation  of  righteous- 
ness, not  prompted  by  internal  principle;  in  like  manner  as  the 
caution,  "  be  not  over-wise,"  respects  the  ostentation  of  wisdom, 
and  not  the  attainment  itself.  But  these,  and  all  other  inter- 
pretations I  have  met  with,  appear  to  me  strained  and  far-fetched, 
whereas  that  which  I  have  adopted  in  the  Paraphrase  is  natural 
and  unforced. 


CHAP.    VII.]  NOTES.  119 

17.  Be  not  exceedingly  wicked,  &c.] — Here  the  answer  to  the 
objection  begins  by  showing  the  value  of  Wisdom.  Instead  of 
the  objector's  inference,  the  Preacher  replies,  it  should  rather  be 
said,  "  Be  not  exceedingly  wicked,  neither  be  thou  foolish ;  for 
why  shouldest  thou  die  before  thy  time?"  That  is,  accelerate 
not  thy  death  by  calling  down,  through  thy  criminal  conduct,  the 
punishment  of  the  violated  laws,  and  the  vengeance  of  offended 
Heaven.  He  then  subjoins  a  variety  of  arguments  to  show 
the  excellence  of  Wisdom,  which  extend  as  far  as  eh.  viii.  7. 

18.  of  this— from  this] — It  is  ambiguous  to  what  these  relatives 
refer,  and,  of  course,  the  commentators  are  divided.  It  seems 
most  probable,  that  the  first  refers  to  the  precept  in  verse  17,  and 
the  second  to  the  maxim  in  the  latter  part  of  this  verse ;  conse- 
quently the  particle  o,  in  the  last  clause,  is  better  translated  "that" 
than  "for." 

—  come  forth  of  them  all] — This  may  refer  to  the  evils  of 
casting  himself  away,  and  dying  before  his  time,  mentioned  in 
verses  16  and  17;  but  the  sense  appears  to  me  to  be  as  given  in 
the  Paraphrase.  If  it  be  thought  an  objection  to  this  interpre- 
tation, that  only  two  evils  are  mentioned,  which  can  hardly  be 
called  "  them  all,''  the  answer  is  easy,  that  the  same  word  **  all," 
^D,  is  applied  to  no  more  than  two  chap.  ii.  14.  The  exposition 
in  the  Paraphrase,  therefore,  is  to  be  preferred. 

19.  Wisdom  strengtheneth,  &c.] — Either  wisdom  gives  a  man 
more  honour  and  influence  than  falls  to  the  share  of  ten  governors, 
or  rather,  is  a  better  protection  to  him  than  ten  governors  watch- 
ing for  his  safety. 

20.  Although  there  is  not,  &c.] — This  may  be  connected  with 
the  following  verse,  viz.  **  Because  there  is  not  a  just  man  upon 
earth,  that  doeth  good,  and  sinneth  not,  therefore  it  is  also  the 
part  of  wisdom  to  take  no  heed  unto  all  words,"  &c.    But  as  the 


120  NOTES.  [chap.    VII. 

word  "  also,"  cdj,  in  verse  21,  seems  to  oppose  this  connexion, 
and  verses  21  and  22  form  in  themselves  a  distinct  sentiment,  I 
prefer  connecting  verses  19  and  20  together ;  and  the  general 
sense,  when  so  united,  is,  that  although  Wisdom  can  only  be 
imperfectly  attained  in  this  world,  yet  it  gives  more  real  power 
than  rank  and  station.  Here  is  a  direct  confession  that  man  is 
in  a  fallen  state. 

21.  Also  take  no  heed,  &c.] — An  admonition  naturally  resulting 
from  the  preceding  remark  concerning  the  universal  frailty  and 
imperfection  of  man. 

23.  All  this,  &c.] — Prom  this  verse  to  the  end  of  the  chapter 
the  Preacher  speaks  of  himself  and  his  own  wisdom.  He  begins 
with  asserting  the  truth  of  what  he  had  said  concerning  the  ex- 
cellency of  Wisdom,  in  consequence  of  which  he  determined  to 
become  wise,  (verse  23  ;)  at  the  same  time  he  acknowledges  the 
imperfection  of  his  attainments,  and  the  impossibility  of  acquiring 
Wisdom  in  perfection,  (ver.  24 ;)  yet  he  applied  his  mind  diligently 
in  the  search  of  it,  (verse  25,)  and  mentions,  as  the  result  of  his 
inquiries,  that  the  allurements  of  an  abandoned  woman  are  fatally 
destructive,  (verse  26 ;)  that  none  are  perfectly  wise  and  virtuous, 
(verses  27,  28 ;)  and  that  man  has  fallen  from  his  primaeval  state 
of  innocence,  (verse  29.)  Thus  it  appears  to  be  the  Preacher's 
design,  in  this  passage,  to  show  the  value  of  True  Wisdom  even 
when,  through  the  weakness  of  the  human  mind,  it  is  only  imper- 
fectly attained. 

—  it  was  far  from  9we] — Not  wholly  s© ;  for  this  would  not 
be  compatible  with  the  account  of  Solomon's  wisdom  1  Kings 
iii.  5 — 14,  iv.  29 ;  but  the  meaning  is,  that  he  could  not  attain 
wisdom  in  perfection.  *'  It  is  the  nature  of  spiritual  wisdom  to 
discover  spiritual  wants,  and  the  more  the  soul  knows  of  God, 
the  greater  does  it  discern  and  bewail  its  distance  from  him." 
— Bishop  Reynolds  in  he. 


CHAP.    VII.]  NOTES.  121 

25.  of  foolishness  and  madness] — That  is,  by  a  metonoray  of 
the  cause  for  the  effect,  all  that  the  folly  and  madness  of  men  so 
eagerly  pursue. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

26.  And  I  find  more  bitter,  &c.] — I  can  by  no  means  agree 
with  those  who  suppose  that  sin,  or  folly,  or  concupiscence,  are 
here  represented  under  the  image  of  a  female. — (See  St.  Jerora 
in  loc;  Dathe;  and  Michaelis,  Not.  Uber,  in  loc.)     It  should 


*  The  word  piii^n  occurs  three  times,  in  this  place,  in  verse  27, 
and  in  ch.  ix.  10,  and  is  rendered  in  E.  T.  by  three  different 
words.  The  root  itr;n  is  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  denotes 
almost  any  operation  of  the  reasoning  faculty;  of  course  the 
derivatives  denote  something  connected  with  these  operations, 
as  judgment,  deliberation,  computation,  account,  device,  thought. 
It  seems  to  mean,  in  this  verse,  a  decision,  or  conclusion  made 
after  deliberation ;  that  is,  the  Preacher  endeavoured  to  seek  out 
Wisdom,  and  what  decision  or  judgment  should  be  made  con- 
cerning things.  This  explanation  is  supported  by  the  ancient 
versions.  The  Vulgate  renders  it  by  "  ratio;"  the  LXX  by 
\prf(j)OQ  and  XoyLfffjiOQ ;  Aquila  and  Symmachus  by  Xoyiafjiog  ;  and 

the  Syriac  by  derivatives  from  (^.JLj^.  Van  der  Palm,  from 
the  Arabic  sense  of  the  word,  takes  it  to  denote  "  rectam 
aestimationem  rerum,"  which  comes  nearly  to  the  same  thing  as 
the  explanation  here  adopted. — (See  Houbigant,  and  Schulz  et 
Bauer,  Scholia  in  loc.)  The  word  mVVin,  according  to  the  ex- 
planation of  the  root  in  the  Critical  Note  to  ch.  i.  17,  may  denote 
things  splendid,  as  it  is  understood  here  by  Desvoeux  and  Dathe. 
There  appears,  however,  no  reason  for  departing  from  the  re- 
ceived signification,  which  yields  an  apposite  sense,  is  analogi- 
cally deduced,  and,  if  not  clearly  supported  by  the  ancient 
versions,  is  certainly  not  opposed  by  them.  Yet,  retaining  the 
traditionary  sense,  the  last  clause  may  be  more  literally  ren- 
dered, "  to  know  the  wickedness  of  folly,  and  the  foolishness 
of  madness," 


122  NOTES.  [chap.    VII. 

rather  seem,  that  the  royal  sage  dehvers,  in  this  verse,  the  result 
of  his  inquiries  into  the  wickedness  of  folly,  and  the  foolishness 
of  madness,  in  the  instance  of  harlot  beauty;  and,  in  bold  meta- 
phorical language,  describes  the  vileness  of  the  wanton  who,  by 
all  the  arts  of  captivation,  allures  the  unsuspecting  into  her 
snares.  Solomon  has  frequently  painted  the  wiles,  and  cautioned 
youth  against  the  dangers,  of  meretricious  charms. — (Prov.  ii.  10, 
V.  2,  vi.  24,  vii.  25,  xxii.  14.)  Burder  quotes  a  passage  from 
Thevenot,  which  he  thinks  gives  a  very  lively  comment  upon  this 
verse.  "  The  most  cunning  robbers  in  the  world  are  in  this 
country.  They  use  a  certain  slip  with  a  running  noose,  which 
they  cast  with  so  much  sleight  about  a  man's  neck,  when  they 
are  within  reach  of  him,  that  they  never  fail,  so  that  they  strangle 
him  in  a  trice.  They  have  another  curious  trick  also  to  catch 
travellers.  They  send  out  a  handsome  woman  upon  the  road, 
who,  with  her  hair  dishevelled,  seems  to  be  all  in  tears;  sighing, 
and  complaining  of  some  misfortune  which  she  pretends  has 
befallen  her.  Now,  as  she  takes  the  same  way  as  the  traveller 
goes,  he  easily  falls  into  conversation  with  her,  and  finding  her 
beautiful,  offers  her  his  assistance,  which  she  accepts ;  but  he 
hath  no  sooner  taken  her  up  on  horseback  behind  him,  but  she 
throws  the  snare  about  his  neck  and  strangles  him,  or  at  least 
stuns  him,  until  the  robbers,  who  lie  hid,  come  running  in  to  her 
assistance,  and  complete  what  she  hath  begun." — (Oriental  Cus- 
toms, No.  634.)  I  cannot  think  that  Solomon  alluded  to  this 
custom,  of  the  existence  of  which,  in  his  age,  there  is  no  proof; 
and  the  expressions  aptly  portray  the  artful  inveiglements  of  a 
wanton  and  dissolute  woman. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  The  pronoun  «»n,  in  tzamyo  i^'n  1tt^«,  is,  as  Durell  remarks, 
emphatical.  This  clause  is  rendered  by  Desvoeux,  **  who  her- 
self is  a  company  of  hunters,"  which  is  altogether  unwarrantable, 
as  the  received  signification  of  nifD,  a  snare,  yields  a  good  sense, 
perfectly  well  adapted  to  the  context,  and  supported  by  the 
ancient  versions;  nor  is  there  any  reason  to  suppose  that  it  ever 


CHAP.    VII.]  NOTES.  123 

27.  Behold,  this  have  I  found] — Namely,  this  destructive 
nature  of  the  wanton's  artifices  above. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

28.  What  yet  my  soul  seeketh] — The  Vulgate,  LXX,  E.  T., 
&c.  connect  this  with  the  preceding  verse,  which  produces  the 
contradiction  of  saying,  that  the  Preacher  had  not  found  what 
before  he  asserted  to  have  found.  It  is,  therefore,  better  to  con- 
sider ■jt:^^,  with  which  the  verse  commences,  as  a  pronoun 
relative  referring  to  that  which  follows,  namely,  "  one  man  among 
a  thousand  have  I  found,  but  a  woman  among  all  these  have  I 
not  found."  Here  the  terms  "  man"  and  "  woman"  seem  to  be 
used,  in  an  emphatical  sense,  for  those  who,  by  their  wisdom  and 
virtue,  are  alone  worthy  of  this  appellation.  The  meaning,  there- 
fore, is  :  A  truly  virtuous  character,  which  he  sought  for,  he  could 
not  find;  though  he  had  indeed  found  one  man  among  a  thousand, 
who  was  comparatively  wise  and  virtuous,  worthy  of  the  name  of 
man ;  but  a  truly  virtuous  woman  he  had  still  seldomer  found : 
not  that  a  female  of  such  a  character  did  not  exist,  but  that  it  is 
scarcely  possible  to  find  one  in  a  thousand.     It  is  supposed  by 


denotes  any  thing  else  than  the  net  or  snare  of  the  hunter,  and 
a  military  engine. — (See  ch.  ix.  14,  and  notes  there.)  Our  trans- 
lation gives  the  general  sense,  but  the  original  may  be  more 
literally  rendered,  "  I  find  more  bitter  than  death  is  the  woman, 
who  herself  is  snares,  whose  heart  is  nets,  and  whose  hands  are 
bands,"  &c. 

*  I  understand  pnir^n  to  mean  a  judgment,  or  conclusion  formed 
after  deliberation,  as  in  verse  25 ;  and  the  elliptical  expression 
nnt^V  nn«,  hterally,  "  one  by  one,"  or  "  one  thing  to  one  thing," 
is  properly  supplied  as  in  the  version,  namely,  "  by  comparing 
one  thing  with  another."  The  version  of  van  der  Palm,  approved 
by  Bauer,  "  alias  mulieres  aliis  addeudo,"  appears  perfectly 
unwarrantable, 
H  H 


124  NOTES.  [chap.  vit. 

some,  that  as  Solomon  had  three  hundred  wives  and  seven 
hundred  concubines,  he  here  alludes  to  them,  and  asserts  that  he 
had  not  found,  among  all  this  thousand,  one  really  good  and  vir- 
tuous woman.  This  is  very  probable ;  at  any  rate  the  expressions 
must  be  understood  in  a  qualified  sense ;  for  it  cannot  be  thought 
that  it  was  the  intention  of  Solomon  to  condemn  the  whole  sex, 
upon  the  better  part  of  whom  he  has  lavished  the  highest  en- 
comiums.—(Prov.  xii.  4,  xix.  14,  xxxi.  10.)  We  are  not  to 
interpret  literally  phrases  tinctured  with  Oriental  hyperbole.  It 
is  observable,  that  Mohammed  used  to  say,  that  among  men 
there  were  many  perfect,  but  among  women  only  four,  Asiah,  the 
wife  of  Pharaoh;  Mary,  the  mother  of  Christ;  Cadijah,  his 
wife,  and  Fatima,  his  daughter. — Pocock,  Specimen  Hist, 
Arab.  p.  188,  ed.  White,  Oxon.  1806;  Prideaux,  Life  of 
Mahomet f  p.  61. 

29.  Lo,  this  only  have  I  found] — These  expressions  must  be 
limited,  as  in  the  Paraphrase,  or  they  will  make  the  author  con- 
tradict himself;  for  he  asserts,  in  verse  17,  that  he  had  found  a 
certain  other  matter,  and^n  verse  28  that  he  had  found  a  com- 
paratively wise  man  among  a  thousand. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  The  contradiction  of  saying  "  this  only  have  I  found,"  when 
he  asserts  that  he  had  found  some  other  things,  in  verse  27  and 
28,  is  avoided  in  the  versions  of  Le  Clerc  and  Desvoeux  in 
the  following  manner :  "  Hoc  tantum  considera,"  "  Tliis  only 
observe,  I  have  found,"  &c.;  but  it  is  improbable  that  the 
Preacher  would  exhort  his  readers  to  observe  only  this  one  thing. 
May  not  ni'?,  however,  be  here  an  iXidXixe^  furthermore ^  also,  &c. 
though  I  acknowledge  it  may  be  doubted  whether  another  ex- 
ample of  this  sense  can  be  found?  The  LXX  have  ttXtjv  ih  tovto 
Evpov, — The  parallelism  leads  us  to  the  sense  of  mjsu^n,  only 
occurring  here  and  2  Chron.  xxvi.  15,  where  it  denotes  some 
warlike  machine;  for  being  opposed  to  itt^',  upright,  it  must 


CHAP.    VIII.]  NOTES.  125 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

1.  the  interpretation  of  a  thing] — The  sense  is,  Who  Hke  the 
wise  man  can  explain  difficult  and  abstruse  matters  ?  The  praise 
of  Wisdom  is  still  continued. 

—  a  mmCs  wisdom  maketh  his  face  to  shine] — That  is,  makes 
it  pleasant  and  agreeable.  It  is  certainly  true,  that  Wisdom  and 
moral  goodness  give  to  the  countenance  those  traits  of  intel- 
ligence, that  modest  and  amiable  look,  that  nameless  but  pre- 
possessing grace,  the  indication  of  a  virtuous  soul,  which  com- 
mand the  esteem  of  every  beholder. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


evidently  mean  the  contrary,  that  which  is  not  upiight,  crooked, 
perverse.  Men  have  given  into  many  perverse  inventions,  pur- 
poses, and  devices,  quite  contrary  to  the  original  righteousness 
in  which  they  were  created.  Here  is  undoubtedly  an  allusion  to 
the  fall  of  Adam  and  Eve. 

*  Though  nti^a  occurs  nowhere  else  in  Hebrew,  it  is  properly 
rendered  in  E.T.  by  "interpretation,"  as  this  signification  agrees 
with  the  context,  is  supported  by  the  ancient  versions,  and  by  the 
corresponding  words  in  Chaldee,  Syriac,  and  Arabic. — (See  the 
Lex.  of  Cocceius  and  Castell.)  The  phrase  »J3  ijj  properly  means 
impudence  of  face,  as  appears  from  comparing  Pro  v.  vii.  13, 
xxi.  29;  Deut.  xxviii.  50;  Dan.  viii.  23;  but  in  this  verse  it 
evidently  denotes  harsh,  austere,  and  forbidding  looks.  The 
clause  is  rendered  by  Desvoeux,  "  a  sullen  look  would  make  him 
an  object  of  hatred;''  by  Hodgson,  "  austerity  in  the  looks  is 
hateful ;"  and  to  this  effect  Doederlein,  van  der  Palm,  and  some 
in  Poli  Synop.  Others  render  it  "  gives  boldness  to  his  face." — 
(Geier,  Dathe,  Boothroyd.)  Instead  of  the  textual  reading  i^lm'', 
the  Keri  and  some  other  MSS.  have  njii^»,  shall  be  changed;  but 
the  LXX  and  Syriac  favour  the  former. 


126  NOTES.  [chap.    VIII. 

2.  /  counsel  thee] — The  ellipsis  in  the  original  is  best  supplied 
as  in  the  authorized  version  here  adopted.  Though  by  **  the 
king"  may  be  understood  the  temporal  king,  the  context,  and 
particularly  verses  3  and  4,  seem  to  prove  that  Jehovah  is  meant, 
vrho  was  peculiarly  the  King  of  the  Israelites.  St.  Jerom  and 
the  Chaldee  paraphrast  understood  it  of  God. 

—  the  oath  of  God] — If  the  former  part  of  the  verse  be  ex- 
plained of  obedience  to  princes  and  magistrates,  this  may  mean 
the  oath  of  fidehty  which  was  taken  towards  them.  But  if  "  the 
king,"  in  the  former  hemistich,  mean  "  the  King  Jehovah,"  as  I 
am  persuaded  it  does,  the  oath  must  refer  to  the  covenant  which 
God  made  with  Abraham,  and  which  was  confirmed  by  an  oath. 
Hence  the  meaning  is,  I  counsel  thee  to  keep  the  commandments 
of  Jehovah  *'  in  regard  to  the  oath  of  God,"  that  is,  on  account 
of  the  obligation  imposed  upon  thee  by  God's  covenant  with 
Abraham  to  make  the  Jews  his  peculiar  people, 

3.  Be  not  hasty,  &c.] — Those  who  explain  the  former  verse 
of  obedience  to  princes,  consider  this  as  an  admonition  against 
disobeying  their  authority ;  so  that  hasting  out  of  the  king's  pre- 
sence implies  the  rejecting  of  obedience,  or,  in  other  words,  the 
breaking  out  into  rebeUion.  I  prefer  interpreting  it  in  reference 
to  God,  according  to  the  view  exhibited  in  the  Paraphrase. 

4.  Where  the  word,  &c.] — This  verse  also  I  refer  to  the  King 
Jehovah;  and  the  sense  is,  No  man's  sin  will  escape  the 
vengeance  of  God,  for  no  one  can  control  his  power.  This 
exposition  is  confirmed  by  the  latter  part  of  the  verse,  "  who 
may  say  unto  him,  What  doest  thou  ?"  which  cannot  be  strictly 
affirmed  of  princes,  but  which  may  well  be  attributed  to  God, 
who  doeth  whatsoever  he  pleaseth,  both  in  heaven  and  in  earth, 

5.  Whoso  keepeth,  &c.] — ^This  and  the  two  following  verses 
are  referred  by  many  commentators  to  man's  duty  towards  his 
sovereign;  but  as   they  clearly  form   a  part   of  the  foregoing 


CHAP.    VIII.]  NOTES.  127 

argument,  they  are  better  explained  in  reference  to  man's  duty  to 
God.  Our  translators  have  destroyed  the  connexion  by  rendering 
the  particle  'S,  hi,  by  "  therefore"  and  **  for"  in  the  sixth  and 
seventh  verses,  as  it  is  there  used  in  an  adversative,  not  casual 
sense.  The  interpretation  in  the  Paraphrase  is  easy,  unforced, 
and  accordant  with  the  Preacher's  argument ;  yet  these  three 
verses  may  be  referred  to  God,  and  understood  in  reference  to 
the  Mosaic  dispensation,  which  was  built  upon  temporal  sanctions. 
Thus,  *'  Whoso  keepeth  the  commandment  of  God  shall  feel  no 
evil  thing  under  the  equitable  government  of  the  Theocracy;  and 
a  wise  man^s  heart  discerneth  both  the  time  and  judgment,  that  is, 
the  time  or  season  of  God's  righteous  judgment  in  the  distribution 
of  temporal  rewards  and  punishments ;  because  to  every  purpose 
of  God  there  is  a  fixed  time  and  judgment,  or  manner  for  their 
taking  effect ;  and  though  the  misery  of  man  is  great  upon  him 
at  present ;  and  though  he  knoweth  not  that  which  shall  be ;  for 
who  can  tell  him  when  it  shall  be  ?  yet  is  he  firmly  persuaded 
that  the  righteous  will,  in  the  end,  be  rewarded,  and  the  wicked 
punished." 

8.  There  is  no  man  that,  &c.] — In  this  section  the  Preacher 
adverts  to  another  argument  in  recommendation  of  Wisdom, 
derived  from  the  bad  effects  of  sin.  Wickedness,  says  he, 
cannot  protect  any  man  from  the  shafts  of  death,  (verse  8 ;)  not 
even  the  power  of  the  most  despotic  can  either  shield  themselves 
from  the  stroke  of  fate,  or  their  memories  from  oblivion,  (verses 
9, 10;)  and,  in  short,  vice,  in  all  ranks  and  degrees,  is  so  far  from 
contributing  to  any  real  good,  that  it  will  ultimately  be  punished; 
while  it  will  be  well  with  those  who  reverence  God,  (verses 
11 — 13.)  If,  then,  the  folly  and  misery  of  wickedness  be  great, 
it  clearly  follows,  that  virtue,  on  the  contrary,  must  be  attended 
with  inestimable  benefits;  a  consideration  which  sufficiently 
recommends  Wisdom,  or  Heligion,  to  the  attention  of  mankind. 

—  there  is  no  discharge] — That  is,  there  are  no  means 
whereby  we  can  prevail  in  our  war  with  death;    there   is    no 


128  NOTES.  [chap.  vhi. 

exoneration  from  the  stroke  of  this  king  of  terrors. — See  Critical 
Note  (*.) 

9.  All  thiSf  &c.] — Having  observed  just  before,  that  wicked- 
ness cannot  exempt  its  perpetrators  from  the  sting  of  death, 
Solomon  here  instances  it  in  the  case  of  unjust  and  tyrannical 
governors.  The  clause  **  and  I  applied  my  heart  unto  every 
work  that  is  done  under  the  sun"  is  evidently  parenthetical. 

—  ruleth] — By  "  ruling"  here  cannot  be  meant  a  just  and 
legitimate  government,  for  that  is  neither  to  the  hurt  of  the  ruler 
nor  of  the  ruled;  it  must,  therefore,  denote,  to  rule  despotically, 
to  exercise  arbitraiy  power. — See  Critical  Note  (f.) 


*  It  would,  perhaps,  be  better  to  follow  Castalio,  Desvoeux, 
van  der  Palm,  Boothroyd,  Wemyss,  Doederlein,  and  Dathe,  in 
translating  nn  by  "  wind,"  rather  than  *'  spirit;"  because  there 
seems  to  be  a  comparison,  that  as  a  man  has  no  power  over  the 
wind,  so  has  he  none  in  the  day  of  death. — The  word  nnhwn 
only  occurs  here  and  Psalm  Ixxviii.  49,  where  it  means  a  sending; 
and  in  the  place  before  us  it  seems  to  have  a  signification  allied 
to  this,  i.  e.  a  sending  away,  a  discharge.  This  sense,  naturally 
resulting  from  the  acknowledged  meaning  of  nf?ii;,  is  suitable  to 
the  context,  and  is  supported  by  the  LXX,  Vulgate,  and  Syriac; 
it  is,  therefore,  unneccessary  to  depart  from  the  received  trans- 
lation of  the  term,  though  it  may  admit  other  significations 
derivable  from  its  root. 

t  The  words  1^  v^  may  either  refer  to  ani^n,  the  man  ruling, 
or  to  c=)n«3,  the  man  ruled  over ;  but  though  I  have  included 
both  in  the  Paraphrase,  I  have  little  hesitation  in  preferring  the 
latter,  for  Solomon's  design  is  not  to  say  that  there  is  a  time 
wherein  one  man  tyrannizes  over  others  **  to  his  own  hurt,"  but 
'*  to  their  hurt"  who  are  subjected  to  his  tyranny.     So  LXX, 


CHAP.    VIII.]  NOTES.  129 

10.  And  so  I  saw,  &c.] — To  enumerate  the  various  explica- 
tions of  this  intricate  verse  would  exceed  the  limits  of  a  note ; 
but,  amidst  all  the  discordancy  of  commentators,  one  thing 
appears  certain  from  the  scope  of  the  passage,  that  it  ought  to  be 
taken  in  connexion  with  the  foregoing  verse.  Hence  '*  the 
wicked"  does  not  mean  the  unrighteous  in  general,  but  the 
unjust  rulers  spoken  of  in  verse  9.  If  it  be  objected,  that  in 
verse  9  one  person  only  is  mentioned,  and  in  this  the  wicked  in 
the  plural,  it  may  be  replied,  that  the  "  one  man  who  ruleth," 
:Dhm  oi^rr,  is  most  likely  put  for  the  whole  race  of  those  who 
rule  oppressively,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest  order  of  magis- 
tiates ;  and  their  power  to  hurt  is  only  for  a  time,  for  Solomon 
declares  that  he  had  seen  such  wicked  buried  and  completely 
forgotten. 

—  the  place  of  the  holy] — The  palace,  according  to  some, 
the  residence  of  kings  and  exalted  personages;  but  by  this 
expression  may  rather  be  meant  the  tribunal  of  judgment,  the 
places  of  judicature;  and  by  *'  coming  and  going  from  them," 
the  pomp  and  ceremony  used  in  the  administration  of  the  duties 
belonging  to  them.  If  the  original  may  be  rendered  **  the  holy 
place,"  (by  which  is  sometimes  meant  Heaven,  sometimes  the 
Temple,  and  sometimes  Jerusalem. — See  Cruden's  Concordance 
in  voc.,)  the  Paraphrase  must  be  differently  modified,  but  the 
result  will  be  the  same,  namely,  that  Solomon  had  seen  the 
wicked  rulers  buried,  speedily  come  to  an  end,  and  forgotten. 
Doederlein  and  van  der  Palm,  without  any  adequate  grounds, 
suppose  "  the  holy  place"  denotes  the  grave  or  sepulchre. 

11.  Because  sentence,  &c.] — A  reason,  as  some  think,  is  here 
assigned  why  wicked   rulers   persevere  in   their  tyranny   and 


Tov  KaKoiaai  avrov ;  and  the  Syriac,  as  properly  translated  in  the 
Polyglott,  is  **  ut  noceret  ei,"  i.e.  the  man  who  is  ruled;  but 
Symmachus  has  €t<;  kukov  avrov,  and  Vulgate,  "  in  malum  suum." 


130  NOTES,  [chap.    VIII. 

oppression ;  but,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  the  Preacher  now  glances 
to  the  evil  of  sin  in  general,  in  all  ranks  of  life ;  and  the  substance 
of  verses  11 — 13  is,  that  the  evil  effects  of  wickedness  are 
certain,  though  not  always  immediate ;  and  because  punishment 
does  not  always  instantly  follow  an  evil  work,  men  are  oft,  by 
this  circumstance,  encouraged  to  sin  the  more ;  nevertheless  the 
sinner,  whatever  temporary  delay  there  may  be,  will  certainly  in 
the  end  be  punished,  while  It  will  ultimately  be  well  with  those 
who  reverence  God,  and  stand  in  awe  of  offending  him.  The 
inference,  though  not  stated,  is  most  evident,  that  wisdom,  which 
is  the  opposite  of  wickedness,  must  be  of  the  highest  use  and 
advantage  to  man. 

13.  —  which  shall  he  as  a  shadoiv]— The  meaning  according  to 
some  is,  "  neither  shall  he  prolong  his  days  as  a  shadow," 
which  lengthens  as  the  sun  declines :  an  admissible  sense, 
undoubtedly ;  but  as  life,  by  reason  of  its  shortness  and  instabi- 
lity, i^  compared  to  a  shadow,  chap.  vi.  12;  1  Chron.  xxix.  15; 
Job  viii.  9 ;  Ps.  cii.  11,  cix.  23,  cxliv.  4 ;  and  as  the  argument  is, 
that  the  sinner's  days,  though  they  may  appear  to  be  prolonged, 
shall  not  in  reality  be  so,  I  think  the  sense  is,  that  the  sinner's 
days  shall  be  short  and  fleeting  as  a  shadow.  The  standard 
translation,  "  which  are  as  a  shadow,"  is  clearly  erroneous,  as 
the  Preacher  is  not  describing  what  the  wicked  man's  days  are, 
but  what  they  shall  be, 

14.  There  is  a  vanity,  &c.] — Solomon  cannot  be  delivering  his 
own  sentiments  in  verses  14  and  15,  for  they  contradict  what  he 
had  just  before,  and  in  other  places,  asserted  concerning  the 
ultimate  distinction  that  will  be  made  between  the  good  and  the 
bad.  He  does,  indeed,  acknowledge  that  one  event,  death, 
happens  equally  to  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  chap.  ii.  14, 
iii.  20,  ix.  2,  from  which  may  be  inferred  the  vanity  of  all  worldly 
things;  but  he  as  decisively  declares,  that,  in  the  end  they  will 
meet  with  a  very  different  reward,  chap.  iii.  17 — 21,  v.  8,  vii.  18, 
viii.  11,  12,  13.    This  passage  must,  therefore,  be  considered  as 


CHAP.    VIII.]  NOTES.  131 

containing  an  objection,  which  the  royal  Preaclier  puts  into  the 
mouth  of  a  foohsh  and  wicked  man,  who  tluis  cavils,  **  Not- 
withstanding the  argument  produced  against  wickedness,  that  it 
incurs  the  vengeance  of  retributive  justice,  several  circumstances 
indicate  that  God  is  either  indifferent  to  it,  or  will  not  punish  it ; 
else,  how  comes  it  to  pass  that  it  often  happens  to  the  just  accord- 
ing to  the  work  of  the  wicked,  and  to  the  wicked  according  to 
the  work  of  the  righteous  ?  Does  not  this  imply  that  God  makes 
no  distinction  between  virtue  and  vice  ?  And  if  such  be  the  case, 
it  is  best  to  indulge  every  passion,  and  to  grasp  every  passing- 
pleasure,  since  this  is  the  greatest  good  a  man  can  obtain  from 
his  labours  all  the  days  of  his  life."  This  objection  nearly 
resembles  that  in  chap.  vii.  15,  only  this  is  levelled  more  imme- 
diately against  wisdom  and  virtue,  and  the  former  against  a 
superintending  Providence.  Cavils  like  these  would,  no  doubt, 
be  often  raised  by  the  sceptical  and  dissolute  among  the  Israelites, 
who,  according  to  the  principles  of  the  Mosaic  covenant,  were 
taught  to  expect  a  temporal  retribution ;  for  we  find  even  some 
of  the  most  eminently  pious  Jews  occasionally  perplexed  with 
the  seeming  inequalities  in  the  distribution  of  rewards  and  punish- 
ments.— (See  Prel.  Dis.  to  Prov.  p.  46,  et  seq.)  It  would  have 
been  seen  immediately  that  this  is  an  objection  put  into  the 
mouth  of  a  worldling,  had  our  translators  rendered  the  last 
clause  in  verse  14,  and  the  first  in  yerse  15,  in  the  present  time, 
"  I  say  that  this  also  is  vanity,"  "  Then  I  commend  mirth," 
instead  of  "  I  said,"  "  I  commended." 

—  /  say  that  this  also  is  vanity] — As  Solomon  had  condemned 
all  the  worldling's  pursuits  as  vanity,  there  is  a  peculiar  force 
and  propriety  in  representing  him  in  return  as  so  denominating 
the  distinction  between  virtue  and  vice. 

15.  —  that  shall  abide  with  him] — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  The  word  M^h\  from  T\)h,  adhcesit,  is  literally  "  shall  adhere 
to  him,"  or  "  shall  be  joined  to  him,"  i.  e.  that  only  can  he  gain. 
I  I 


132  NOTES.  [chap.   IX. 

16.    When  I  applied,  &c.] — To  the  above  objection  Solomon 
here  commences  his  reply,  in  which  he  affirms,  that,  when  he 
applied  his  mind  to  observe  the  toils  of  man  after  the  Sovereign 
Good,  he  did  not  terminate  his  inquiries  there,  but  also  contem- 
plated the  works  of  God,  and  he  found  them  inscrutable ;  (Rom.  xi. 
33;)  and  therefore,  if  there  are  some  seeming  inequalities  in  the 
Divine  distribution  of  retributive  justice,  they  should  rather  be 
ascribed  to  our  ignorance  of  God's  dealings  with  mankind,  than 
employed  as  arguments  against  wisdom  and  virtue.     Whatever 
apparent  inconsistencies  in  the  providential   government  of  the 
world  may  perplex  us,  we  ought  to  acquiesce  in  the  sovereignty 
of  Him  whose  judgments  are  past  finding  out,  in  the  full  confi- 
dence that  strict  justice,  tempered  with  mercy,  will  ultimately  be 
observed ;  for  **'  the  righteous,  the  wise,  and  their  works  are  in 
the  hand  of  God;''  and,  as  all  things  are  in  the  power,  and  under 
the  direction,  of  Infinite  Wisdom,  love  will  be  distributed  to  the 
virtuous,  and  hatred  to  the  wicked,  in  the  best  way,  though 
perhaps  inscrutable  to  man's  feeble  intellect. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


1.  For  all  this] — Namely,  the  matters  spoken  of  in  the  last 
verse  of  the  eighth  chapter,  concerning  the  inscrutable  nature  of 
God's  works.  The  original  is,  literally,  "  all  this  I  gave  to  my 
heart  ;'^  that  is,  I  laid  it  up,  or  treasured  it  there. 

—  to  declare  all  this] — Namely,  all  that  follows  in  this"  verse. 
The  Preacher  kept  in  mind  his  observations  upon  the  inscrutable 
nature  of  God's  works,  till  by  meditating  upon  them  he  was 


The  Vulgate  is,  "  hoc  solum  secum  auferret;"  so  LXX,  Syriac, 
Symmachus,  and  several  among  the  moderns.— See  Schultens, 
Opera  Minora,  p.  360. 


CHAP.    IX.]  NOTES.  133 

enabled  to  declare,  that  God  will  distribute  both  rewards  and 
punishments  according  to  his  just  and  sovereign  will. — See 
Critical  Note  (*.) 

—  but  man  knoweth  nothing,  &c.] — Dr.  Wells'  Paraphrase 
of  the  received  version  is,  **  no  man  knows,  oi'  can  know,  either 
the  love  or  hatred  of  God  to  them,  by  all  that  is  before  them, 
i.  e.  by  what  befals  them  visibly,^'  which  agrees  with  the  sense  of 
the  passage  given  in  the  Paraphrase ;  but  the  original  is,  literally, 
"  there  is  no  man  that  knoweth  all  that  is  before  them,''  i.  e.  man 
knoweth  nothing  of  the  future ;  "  nihil  omnino  rerum  futurarum 
homo  novit,"  Dathe ;  so  van  der  Palm,  Bauer,  &c.  I  suppose 
an  ellipsis  after  "hatred,"  r\i^l]if,  to  be  supplied  as  in  the  version ; 
and  I  begin  the  last  clause  with  p«.  So  Drusius,  Dathe,  and 
the  Syriac  may  be  so  pointed  and  understood.  The  absurd 
trifling  of  the  Romanists  and  Calvin ists  upon  this  verse  is  com- 
pletely upset  by  the  explanation  adopted  in  this  work. — See 
Pfeiffer,  Dubia  Vexata,  in  loc. 


*  Though  Taylor  and  Parkhurst  give  to  "ill  the  sense  of 
declaring,  making  plain,  clear,  or  manifest,  it  may  be  doubted 
whether  it  is  ever  applied  in  this  signification.  Its  primary 
meaning  undoubtedly  is  to  be,  in  a  physical  sense,  pure,  clear, 
bright,  (Isaiah  xlix.  2;  Jer.  iv.  11,  li.  11;)  hence,  secondly,  in  a 
moral  sense,  to  be  pure  or  clean,  to  purify,  (2  Sam.  xxii.  27; 
Psalm  xviii.  26,  &c.;)  as  nothing  can  be  pronounced  clean  or 
pure  without  examination,  it  came  to  signify,  thirdly,  to  explore, 
to  discern,  to  prove,  (Eccles.  iii.  18;)  and  as  that  which  is  dis- 
cerned to  be  pure  is  the  object  of  preference,  it  is  used,  fourthly,  for 
to  choose,  to  select,  (Cant.  vi.  9;  1  Sam.  xvii.  8;  1  Chron.  vii.  40, 
ix.  22,  xvi.  41;  Nehem.  v.  18.)  Such  is  the  genealogy  of  the 
senses  attached  to  the  root  ini,  as  I  am  inclined  to  believe;  but 
still,  as  it  may  have  the  sense  of  declaring,  attributed  to  it  by 
some  lexicographers,  I  have  not  ventured  to  alter  the  authorized 
version  into  "  even  to  discern  all  this." 


134  NOTES.  H       [chap  IX, 

2.  All  arc  alike ^  &c.] — From  this  to  the  tenth  verse  the  royal 
Preacher  appears  not  to  deliver  his  own  sentiments,  but  to  state 
an  objection  against  the  cultivation  of  Wisdom,  which,  it  is  pro- 
bable, he  may  have  heard  from  the  sensualists  of  his  own  time. 
He  had  himself  acknowledged  that  death  happens  alike  to  all, 
chap.  ii.  14,  iii.  20,  at  which  the  objector  may  be  supposed  to 
catch,  and  to  found  upon  it  an  argument  "  ad  hominem"  to  this 
effect:  **  According  to  your  own  acknowledgment,  death  happens 
to  all  alike;  why,  therefore,  should  we  be  anxious  to  attain 
Wisdom,  which  cannot  exempt  men  from  that  event  ?  Is  it  not 
better  to  enjoy  whatever  pleasures  the  present  moment  may 
supply,  agreeably  to  the  saying,  *  Let  us  eat  and  drink,  for  to- 
morrow we  die?'"  That  this  passage  is  an  objection  put  into 
the  mouth  of  a  foolish  worldhng,  may  be  collected  from  verse  4, 
"  to  him  that  is  joined  to  all  the  living  there  is  hope,  for  a  living 
dog  is  better  than  a  dead  lion,"  which  can  scarcely  be  spoken  in 
the  same  character  with  chap.  iv.  2,  "  I  praised  the  dead  which 
are  already  dead,  more  than  the  living  which  are  yet  alive.''  The 
same  inference  results  from  verses  5  and  6,  "  the  living  know 
that  they  shall  die,  but  the  dead  know  not  any  thing ;  neither 
have  they  any  more  a  reward;  for  the  memory  of  them  is 
forgotten;"  and  from  verse  10,  "  there  is  no  work,  nor  device, 
nor  knowledge,  nor  wisdom,  in  the  grave,  whither  thou  goest." 
These  cannot  be  the  real  sentiments  of  Solomon,  for  they  con- 
tradict the  immortality  of  the  soul,  intimated  in  other  places  of  the 
discourse,  chap.  viii.  12,  13,  xi.  9,  xii.  6,  14;  and  as  verses 
2 — 10,  inclusive,  relate  to  one  subject,  they  must  be  considered 
as  an  objection  advanced  by  an  Epicurean  man  of  the  world. 

—  all  are  alikel — The  literal  meaning  is,  **  all  as  all,"  or  "  all 
like  all ;"  the  sense  of  which  seems  to  be,  that  all  are  alike  in 
the  circumstance  of  death,  the  one  event  common  to  all.  The 
received  translation,  "  all  things  come  alike  to  all,"  cannot  be 
right ;  for  neither  the  man  of  piety  nor  the  man  of  pleasure  would 
make  such  an  assertion.  After  the  words  "  to  the  good,"  the 
LXX,  Syriac,  and  Vulgate  read  *'  and  to  the  bad,"  }J'h^ ;  and  the 


CHAP.    IX.]  NOTES.  135 

parallelism  either  requires  its  insertion,  though  not  authorized  by 
MSS.,  or  the  omission  of  "  to  the  good,"  mto^,  upon  the  authority 
of  two  MSS.  Ken.     The  latter  is  approved  by  Dr.  Roberts  in  loc. 

—  he  that  sweareth] — The  antithesis  shows,  as  the  commen- 
tators observe,  that  by  "  swearing"  here  is  meant  rash  and  un- 
advised swearing. 

3.  Yea  also,  the  heart,  &c.] — According  to  most  commentators 
the  sense  is,  Because  all,  whether  good  or  bad,  are  alike  in 
respect  of  death,  "  the  heart  of  the  sons  of  men  is  full  of  evil," 
addicted  to  all  kinds  of  wickedness,  **and  madness  is  in  their 
hearts  while  they  live,"  namely,  they  pursue  throughout  life  the 
works  and  labours  which  proceed  from  human  madness  and  folly. 
In  this  sense  it  may  undoubtedly  be  said,  that  **  the  heart 
of  the  sons  of  men  is  full  of  evil,  and  madness  is  in  their  hearts 
while  they  live ;"  but  such  an  observation  is  unsuitable  to  the 
character  of  a  sensual  worldling  by  whom  the  words  are  spoken. 
1  therefore  agree  with  Schmidt,  who  explains  '*  evil"  to  mean  the 
evil  of  calamity  and  grief,  and  "  madness,"  the  cares  and  per- 
turbations of  the  mind;  according  to  which  the  meaning  is,  that 
all  are  not  only  equally  subject  to  death,  but  are  also  equally 
liable  to  suffer  calamities,  anxiety,  and  grief.  The  word  trans- 
lated "  madness,"  it  is  true,  in  other  places  of  the  book,  is  used, 
by  a  metonymy  of  the  cause  for  the  effect,  to  denote  the  works 
and  occupations  of  madness ;  (see  Critical  Note  to  chapter  i. 
17;)  but  it  here  means  that  perturbation  of  mind,  that  maddening 
anguish,  which  is  occasioned  by  the  cares  and  misfortunes  of  the 
world. 

4.  But  to  him  that  is  joined] — The  textual  reading  is,  "  who, 
or  what  shall  be  chosen?"  i.  e.  is  the  condition  of  the  living  or  the 
dead  to  be  preferred  ?  and  this  connects  well  with  the  former 
verse ;  but  the  authorized  version  and  several  others  follow  the 
Keri,  "  to  him  that  is  joined,"  Sec. ;  and  as  it  is  supported  by 
some  MSS.  and  all  the  ancient  versions,  it  probably  ought  to  be 


136  NOTES.  [chap.   IX. 

adopted. — (See  Parkhurst  in  nnn.)  Whichever  of  these  readings 
be  adopted,  our  translators  are  wrong  in  rendering  the  particle  '3, 
kiy  by  "  for."  If  the  Keri  be  adopted,  it  should  be  rendered  in 
an  adversative  sense,  "  but,"  "  nevertheless ;"  for  this  clause  is 
not  a  reason  for  any  thing  preceding,  but  forms  a  proposition  of 
which  the  reason  is  given  in  the  second  hemistich.  It  may  be 
proper  to  mention,  though  I  can  by  no  means  approve,  the  trans- 
lation which  the  learned  Peters  gives  of  this  verse.  "  For  who 
is  there  that  hopes  he  shall  be  associated  to  all  the  living  ?  (that 
is,  after  death,)  nay  but  a  living  dog  (say  they)  is  better  than  a 
dead  lion." — Critical  Diss,  on  Job,  Pref.  p.  32. 

—  for  a  living  dog,  &c.] — A  proverbial  expression,  denoting 
the  advantage  of  life  above  death.  A  lion  is  the  noblest  of 
beasts,  Prov.  xxx.  30,  and  a  dog  is  metaphorically  used  in  Scrip- 
ture for  the  vilest  of  persons,  1  Sam.  xxiv.  14 ;  2  Sam.  ix.  8 ; 
2  Kings  viii.  13;  Matt.  xv.  26;  Phil  iii.  2;  Rev.  xxii.  15. 

6.  Also  their  love,  &c.] — This  may  certainly  be  put  metony- 
mically  for  the  objects  of  their  love,  and  hatred,  and  envy;  but 
the  connexion  seems  to  require  us  to  understand  it  of  the  annihi- 
lation of  the  affections  and  faculties  of  the  soul.  When  it  is 
further  added,  **  neither  have  they  any  more  a  portion  for  ever," 
the  meaning  may  be,  either  that  they  have  no  share  in  and  no 
fruition  of  secular  things;  or  rather,  that  they  have  no  recom- 
pense, no  advantage  from  any  thing  which  they  have  done  while 
they  remained  in  this  life. 

7.  Go  thy  way,  &c.] — It  cannot  be  denied  that  verses  7 — 10 
may  be  so  explained  as  to  be  perfectly  consistent  with  the 
Preacher's  avowed  sentiments  concerning  Wisdom ;  but  when  it 
is  considered  that  they  apparently  contain  the  inference  from  the 
preceding  observations,  which  are  undoubtedly  spoken  in  the 
character  of  an  Epicurean  objector,  they  are  properly  understood 
as  uttered  in  the  same  character,  and  therefore  as  recommending 
sensual  gratihcations. 


CHAP.    IX.]  NOTES.  137 

8.  Let  thy  garments  he  always  white^ — White  garments  are 
most  agreeable  in  hot  chmates,  but  are  at  the  same  time  the  most 
expensive,  as  they  are  soon  soiled,  which  prevents  their  being 
long  worn.     For  these  reasons  they  formed  the  distinguishing 
dress  of  the  opulent  and  great.     Our  Saviour   alludes  to  the 
splendour  of  Solomon's    apparel   Matt.  vi.  29;    and  Josephus 
informs  us  that  this  monarch  was  usually  clothed  in  white,  which, 
in  all  probability,  was  the  royal  colour. — (Antiq.  lib.  viii.  cap.  7, 
§  3.)     Mordecai  went  out  from  the  presence  of  the  king  in  royal 
apparel  of  blue  and  white ;  (Esther  viii.  15 ;)  and  white  raiment 
is   mentioned  as   an   honorary  distinction   in   the   Apocalypse, 
(ch.  iii.  4,  5,  iv.  4,  vi.  11,  vii.  9,  13.)     White   was  the   pre- 
dominating colour  in  the  priests'  vestments,   (Jennings,  Jewish 
Antiq.  vol.  i,  p.  212,  et  seq.;  Jahn,  Archceologia  Biblica,  §  368, 
370,)  and  in  those  of  the  Levites,  as  appears  from  2  Chron.  v.  12. 
As  black  was  the  customary  indication  of  mourning,  so  white 
garments  were  used  in  seasons  of  joy  and  festivity. — (Jahn,  ut 
supra,  §  119  and  148.)     Hence  we  see  the  propriety  of  the  ex- 
pression in  Judges  v.  10,  *'  Ye  that  ride  on  white  asses,"  i.  e. 
"  which  appear  to  be  white  from  the  garments  which  have  been 
spread  over  them  for  the  accommodation  of  the  riders;  none  but 
white  garments  being  worn  by  the  Hebrews  during  their  public 
festivals  and  days  of  rejoicing.     When  Alexander  the  Great 
came  to  Jerusalem,  we  are  informed  by  Josephus,  that  he  was 
met  by  the  people  in  white  raiment,  the  priests  going  before  them. 
Philo,  also,  in  his  book  Trepi  aperiovf  describing  the  public  rejoic- 
ings in  Europe  and  Asia,  speaks  of  sacrifices,  men  dressed  in 
white  and  garlands,  solemn  assemblies,  and  nightly  feasts,  with 
pipe  and  harp.     It  was  customary  to  throw  the  white  garments 
thus  worn  over  animals  that  carried  persons  of  distinction." — 
(Burder,  Oriental  Customs,  No.  242.)     White  was  a  favourite 
colour  among  the  Greeks  and  Romans. — Potter,  Antiquities  of 
Greece,  lib.  iv.  cap.  20 ;  Adams,  Roman  Antiquities,  p.  411,  et 
seq, ;  also  Fleury's  Manners  of  the  Israelites,  p.  76. 

—  let  thy  head  lack  no   ointment] — It  is  well  known  that 
perfumes  were   articles  of  great  request  in  Oriental  luxury. — 


138  NOTES.  [chap.     IX. 

(See  my  note  to  Proverbs  vii.  17.)  The  original  word  in  this 
place  properly  signifies  *-'  oil,"  which,  in  Scripture,  is  often  used 
for  ointments  or  perfume. — See  Paxton's  Illustrations,  vol.  ii. 
p.  295. 

9.  Live  joyfully  with  thy  wife,  &c.] — This  may  perhaps,  at 
first,  be  thought  inconsistent  with  the  assumed  character  of  an 
irreligious  man,  or  Epicurean,  especially  as  Solomon  has  else- 
where commended  the  marriage  state;  (Proverbs  v.  15,  xviii.  22, 
xix.  14;)  but,  upon  a  nearer  inspection,  it  will  be  found  to  cor- 
respond with  the  other  sentiments  uttered  in  this  passage  by 
the  objector.  It  is  not  said,  Pursue  lawful  rather  than  illicit 
pleasures,  and  prefer  the  chaste  enjoyments  of  matrimonial  love 
to  the  embraces  of  the  wanton,  but  live  joyfully,  or,  as  it  is  in 
the  English  margin,  enjoy  life  with  the  wife  whom  thou  lovest; 
that  is,  indulge  in  all  the  pleasures  that  life  affords  together  vnth 
thy  wife,  as  mutual  love  will  heighten  every  other  enjoyment. 
Dr.  Durell  is  of  opinion  that  "  the  sensualist,  in  order  to  pass 
over  no  incentive  to  stimulate  the  passions,  seems  here  to 
recommend  polygamy;  for  by  recommending  a  favourite  ivife, 
be  msinuates  that  the  person  he  spoke  to  had  other  wives,  or 
concubines;  a  practice  but  too  much  countenanced  by  Solomon 
himself,  and  all  the  opulent  in  every  part  of  the  East." — (Critical 
Rem.  in  loc.)  Whatever  probability  there  may  be  in  these 
observations,  the  passage  in  question  is,  in  my  judgment,  an 
exhortation  to  pass  a  life  of  pleasure  and  voluptuous  ease,  per- 
fectly harmonizing  with  the  counsel  given  immediately  before, 
"  Eat  thy  bread  with  joy,'*  &c. — The  Hebrew,  here  rendered 
"  live  joyfully,"  is  literally,  "  see  life,"  i.  e.  enjoy  it,  as  ch,  iii.  13, 
V.  17,  vi.  6;  Ps.  xxxiv.  12.     See  1  Pet.  iii.  10. 

—  which  he  hath  given  thee] — Many  commentators  refer  this  to 
"  the  wife ;"  but  "  days"  is  the  natural  antecedent,  and  this  con- 
struction seems  to  agree  better  with  the  context ;  nevertheless  the 
former,  "  live  joyfully  with  the  wife — whom  he  hath  given  thee,"  is 
admissible ;  for  "  whoso  findeth  a  wife,  findeth  a  good  thing,''  and 
"  a  prudent  wife  is  from  the  Lord." — (Prov.  xviii.  22,  xix.  14.)  The 


CHAP    IX.]  NOTES.  139 

clause  "  all  the  days  of  thy  vanity"  is  omitted  in  several  MSS. 
both  of  Kennicott  and  De  Rossi,  and  by  all  the  ancient  versions, 
except  the  Vulgate ;  I  have,  therefore,  included  it  in  brackets. 

10.  Whatsoever  thy  hand,  &c.] — There  can  be  no  doubt  that 
this  hemistich  may,  in  itself,  refer  to  any  good  thing ;  but  the 
scope  of  the  vs^hole  passage  shows  its  meaning  to  be  this :  "  what- 
ever means  of  voluptuousness  and  pleasure  thou  canst  discover, 
have  recourse  to  them,  and  give  free  indulgence  to  thy  inclina- 
tions." This  interpretation  is  confirmed  by  the  remainder  of  the 
verse,  which  forms  no  reason  for  doing  strenuously  whatever 
good  thing  a  man  has  it  in  his  power  to  do,  but  is  quite  agreeable 
to  the  false  reasoning  of  the  sensualist. 

—  in  the  grave] — ^The  original  is  Sheol^  or  Hades,  which 
denotes  the  regions  of  departed  spirits,  whether  good  or  bad ; 
(see  my  note  to  Prov.  xv.  11 ;)  yet,  as  Solomon  puts  it  into  the 
mouth  of  a  sensualist,  it  may  admit  of  a  doubt  whether  it  is  here 
used  in  its  proper  acceptation,  or  simply  for  the  grave. 

11.  I  returned,  &c.] — The  Preacher  here  begins  his  reply  to 
the  foregoing  objection,  by  conceding  that  there  are  seeming 
inequalities  in  the  distribution  of  temporal  rewards ;  that  merit  is 
not  always  crowned  with  success;  (verse  11;)  that  many  of  the 
events  of  this  life  seem  fortuitous,  and  that  man  knoweth  not  the 
time  when  they  shall  happen ;  (verse  12 ;)  nevertheless,  upon  con- 
templating Wisdom,  he  finds  it  to  be  the  most  valuable  of  all 
possessions,  (verse  13  et  seq.) 

—  but  time  and  chance  happeneth  to  them  all] — After  ob- 
serving that  various  circumstances  occur  contrary  to  what  might 
be  expected ;  that  virtue  does  not  always  meet  with  a  reward,  nor 
wisdom  with  success,  the  Preacher  adds,  "  but  time  and  chance 
happeneth  to  them  all,"  which,  in  this  connexion,  certainly  implies 
that  all  are  liable  to  the  same  apparent  accidents  and  casualties. 
By  "time,"  therefore,  I  understand  the  seasons  ofv.prosperous 

K  K 


140  NOTES.  [chap.    IX. 

and  adverse  fortune ;  and  by  **  chance,"  events  seemingly  casual. 
This  by  no  means  excludes  a  Divine  power  and  agency  in  human 
affairs,  as  the  drift  of  the  argument  is  merely,  that  many  circum- 
stances seem  to  happen  by  chance.  There  may,  nevertheless,  be 
an  over-ruling  Providence  in  the  disposal  of  all  events,  which, 
though  they  may  seem  casual  and  fortuitous,  are  in  reality  ordered 
according  to  the  determinate  counsel  and  foreknowledge  of  God. 
It  is  evident  that  the  several  clauses  of  this  verse  must  be  taken 
with  some  restrictions,  as  in  the  Paraphrase. 

12.  man  knoiveth  not  his  time'] — Some  limit  this  to  the  time  of 
evil  and  calamity ;  but  it  seems  rather  to  denote  the  time  when 
the  various  events  of  this  life  shall  take  place,  and  which  no  man 
can  foresee:  ** peiiodmn  suuin,  fortunam  ejusque  vicissitudines." 
— Doederlein,  Scholia  in  loc. 

13.  This  Wisdom] — The  Wisdom  here  spoken  of  is  not 
political  wisdom,  or  human  prudence,  as  Patrick  and  others 
maintahi ;  for  though  the  example  which  follows  may  be  supposed 
to  go  no  farther  than  to  show  the  utility  of  mere  human  skill  and 
prudence,  yet  that  True  Wisdom  is  meant  in  this  passage  may  be 
inferred  from  the  drift  of  the  whole  second  part  of  this  treatise, 
and  from  the  opposition  in  the  eighteenth  verse.  "  Wisdom  is 
better  than  weapons  of  war;  but  one  sinner  destroyeth  much 
good;"  where,  as  Bishop  Keynolds  remarks, ''  by  the  opposition 
between  a  sinner  and  a  wise  man,  it  is  evident  that  the  wise  man 
here  described  is  also  a  godly  man." — Comment,  in  loc.  See 
Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  The  argument  would  be  clearer,  if  ni  aj  at  the  beginning  of 
the  verse  might  be  rendered  "  notwithstanding  this,"  and  Dathe 
has  "  attamen;"  it  must,  however,  be  acknowledged,  that  riT  cdj 
occurs  in  eight  other  places  of  this  book,  seven  times  followed  by 
hintVanitify  and  once  by  nyn,  evil;  and  always  signifying  "  this 
also."     It  has  the  same  meaning  in  the  only  other  place  where  it 


CHAP.    IX.]  NOTES.  141 

14.  great  bulwarks] — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

15.  poor] — For  the  meaning  of  the  original  word  pDD,  see 
chap.  iv.  13,  and  notes. 

16.  Nevertheless  the  poor  mart's  ivisdom,  &c.] — This,  it  is  true, 
may  be  a  general  proposition ;  though  it  is  more  probable  that  it 
refers  to  the  person  mentioned  in  the  former  verse.  Now  the 
poor  man  who  delivered  the  city  by  his  wisdom  could  not  have 
been  altogether  despised,  and  his  words  must  have  been  heard  ; 
the  expressions  in  this  verse  are,  therefore,  to  be  taken  in  a 
limited  sense,  that  poverty  often  throws  wisdom  into  the  shade, 
and  hinders  the  respect  and  attention  which  a  wise  man  deserves. 
If  the  words  are  considered  as  a  general  proposition,  they  must  be 
limited  the  same  way.  The  preceding  clause,  **  no  man  re- 
membered that  same  poor  man,"  is  to  be  understood  with  a 
similar  restriction,  namely,  he  was  not  esteemed  proportionably 
to  his  merits. 

17.  The  words  of  wise  men] — There  is  an  apparent  contra- 
diction between  this  and  the  sixteenth  verse,  which  translators 
and  commentators  endeavour  to  avoid  by  different  means.  Some 
suppose  the  two  verses  relate  to  different  times  and  persons,  there 
being  times  when  the  words  of  the  wise  are  not  heard,  and  other 


is  found.  Gen.  xxxv.  17.  If,  therefore,  we  are  not  warranted 
in  giving  it  any  other  sense  here,  the  verse  may  be  explained,  as 
in  the  Paraphrase,  nearly  to  the  same  effect. 

*  That  amvD  must  here  mean  some  kind  of  military  works 
used  in  sieges  ('*  machinae  obsidionales,"  Cocceius)  is  most 
certain.  It  is  derived  from  niv,  to  hunt,  to  catch  beasts,  birds, 
or  Jishes ;  and  hence  niVD  and  mWD  denote  a  net,  and  also  a 
besieging  work,  a  bulwark,  as  here  and  Isaiah  xxix,  7;  but  sea 
Michaelis,  Supplem.  ad  Lex.  No.  2126. 


142  NOTES.  [chap.  IX. 

times  when  they  are  attended  to.  Others  explain  the  meaning 
thus:  "  The  words  of  the  wise  ought  to  be  heard,"  Durell ;  "  The 
meek  words  of  the  wise  better  merit  attention,"  Hodgson.  Some, 
again,  understand  it  in  the  following  manner:  "  The  words  of  the 
wise  uttered  with  calmness  are  more  obeyed  than,"  &c.;  so 
Dathe,  van  der  Palm,  Boothroyd,  and  others.  This  derives 
considerable  support  from  the  appearance  of  opposition  between 
"  the  words  of  the  wise,"  and  "  the  cry  of  a  ruler  among  fools." 
Others  take  the  original  word  rendered  *'  in  quiet"  (nnJl,  quiet- 
nesSf  calmness)  to  be  the  abstract  for  the  concrete,  "  quiet,"  i.  e. 
men  of  a  calm  and  placid  disposition,  and  interpret  it  thus: 
**  The  words  of  the  wise  are  more  minded  among  men  of  a 
quiet  disposition  than,"  &c. ;  so  Desvoeux,  Le  Clerc.  In  favour 
of  this  it  may  be  alleged,  that  there  appears  an  opposition 
between  the  original  words  rendered  "  in  quiet"  and  "  among 
fools;"  (nnil  and  d'^^ddi;)  and,  as  there  can  be  no  question  as 
to  the  meaning  of  the  latter,  the  former  should  seem  to  mean, 
**  among  men  of  a  contrary  disposition,  men  of  a  virtuous  and 
tranquil  temper  of  mind."  It  is  diflficult  to  say  which  of  these 
expositions  deserve  the  preference ;  but  though  I  have  retained 
the  authorized  version,  as  is  my  rule  in  doubtful  cases,  I  am  in- 
clined to  think  that  either  of  the  following  is  a  more  correct 
translation :  "  The  words  of  the  wise  are  more  attended  to  among 
the  peaceful  than  the  clamour  of  a  ruler  is  among  fools ;"  or, 
*'  The  words  of  the  wise,  uttered  with  calmness,  are  more  at- 
tended to  than  the  clamour  of  a  ruler  among  fools."  Following 
the  example  of  Bishop  Patrick,  I  have  expressed  both  in  the 
Paraphrase. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  As  1  prefixed  to  nouns  in  Hebrew  sometimes  turns  them  into 
adjectives,  cd>^'D31  hw^D  may  mean  a  foolish  ruler,  as  rendered 
by  the  Syriac  translator ;  so  Geier,  Noldius,  Patrick,  &c.  The 
LXX  is  vinp  Kpavyrjv  tlpvoLa^ovriov  (.v  a^potrvvatc,  those  who 
rule  with  folly,  foolish  rulers. — See  Glass,  Phil,  Sac,  p.  30; 
Poli  Synop, ;  and  Michaelis,  Not.  Uber,  in  loc. 


CHAP.  X.]  NOTES.  143 

18.  hut  one  sinner] — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

CHAPTER    X. 

1,  DeadflieSj  &c.] — Translators,  ancient  as  well  as  modern, 
differ  exceedingly ;  yet  if  we  take  into  consideration  the  nature  of 
the  argument,  which  is  a  defence  of  Wisdom,  we  shall  be  con- 
vinced that  this  verse  ought  to  be  explained  agreeably  to  the 
author's  design  of  setting  forth  the  praise  of  Wisdom  and  the 
censure  of  folly.     The  observation  it  contains,  therefore,  is,  that 
a  little  folly  is  as  detrimental  to  a  man  of  honour  and  reputation 
as  dead  flies  are  to  precious  ointment.     The  comparison  is  not, 
indeed,  expressed  in  the  original,  but  the  particles  of  comparison 
are  often  omitted.     Neither  is  it  any  objection  to  this  interpreta- 
tion, that  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  the  particulars  in  which  the 
similitude  consists ;  for  the  Asiatics  were  not  solicitous  about  that 
justness  and  propriety  in  comparisons,  which  are  considered  in- 
dispensable in   European  productions. —  (See  Sir  Wm.  Jones, 
Comm,  de  Poeseos  Asiat.  p.  141,  ed.  Eichhorn.)     It  is  not  neces- 
sary, therefore,  to  vindicate  the  propriety  of  the  similitude  in 
every  particular,  nor  to  endeavour,  like  Scheuchzer,  to  ascertain 
its  correctness  on  chymical  principles.     It  may  be  remarked,  that 
the  verbs  are  singular  and  the  nominative  plural ;  but  such  an 
enallage  is  common  when  they  are  meant  distributively,  as  in 
this  instance,   namely,  any  one   of  the  dead   flies   causes  the 
ointment,  &c» 


*  The  primary  meaning  of  t^ion  is  afxapravtiy,  aberrare  a  scopo; 
(see  my  note  to  Prov.  viii.  36;)  hence  «toin  is  one  who  errs  from 
the  rules  of  wisdom  as  well  as  from  those  of  virtue.  In  the 
writings  of  Solomon,  virtue  and  wisdom,  sin  and  folly,  are  fre- 
quently synonymous;  for  which  reason  it  is  immaterial  here 
whether  «toin  be  rendered  "  a  sinner"  or  "  a  fool;"  it  is  clearly 
one  "  qui  a  ver4  sapienti^  aberrat,  ej usque  gubernaculo  destitutus 
omnia  perverse  et  stulte  agit." — Michaelis,  Not.  Uber,  in  loc. 


144  NOTES.  [chap.  X. 

2.  A  wise  man's  heart,  &c.] — True  is  the  observation  of 
Desvoeux,  (p.  411,)  that  "  a  Uteral  translation  of  a  proverbial  me- 
taphor must  fall  short  of  the  original,  v^rhenever  the  same  image 
or  the  same  notion  has  not  given  rise  to  the  like  proverb  in  both 
languages."  Yet  there  can  be  no  difficulty  here  in  understanding 
the  meaning,  as  this  proverbial  expression  was  evidently  designed 
to  intimate  the  ready  prudence  and  constant  circumspection  of 
the  wise  man,  as  opposed  to  the  rashness,  carelessness,  and 
want  of  thought  in  the  fool. — Compare  ch.  ii.  14. 

3.  he  saith  to  every  one  that  he  is  a  fool] — Namely,  either  in 
the  height  of  his  folly  he  considers  every  one  he  meets  as  a  fool, 
or  he  betrays  his  own  folly  to  all  he  meets.  The  former  is  sup- 
ported by  the  Vulgate,  and  the  latter,  in  some  degree,  by  the 
Septuagint  and  Syriac,  which  are  to  this  effect,  "  that  all  his 
thoughts  are  folly." 

4.  If  the  spirit  of  the  ruler,  &c.] — The  Preacher  here  shows 
the  great  use  of  Wisdom  in  regulating  our  conduct  towards 
superiors,  teaching  us  to  restrain  all  disloyal  and  unlawful  attempts, 
and  to  behave  towards  them  in  a  patient  and  peaceable  manner, 
when  their  anger  is  excited  against  us.  This  interpretation  is 
confirmed  by  the  latter  part  of  the  verse.  Those,  therefore,  are 
mistaken,  who  understand  it  as  a  counsel  to  governors  thus :  "  If 
the  spirit  of  a  governor  come  upon  thee,"  that  is,  if  thou  hast  a 
desire  to  be  in  authority,  or  art  made  a  ruler,  behave  thyself 
suitably  to  thy  station. — (See  Bishop  Patrick  in  loc.)  "  Spirit," 
ni"),  is  sometimes  put  for  anger,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  Lex, 

—  leave  not  thy  'place] — Namely,  leave  not  thy  office,  omit 
not  thy  duty  and  submission :  or  perhaps  thus,  *'  leave  not  thy 
place,"  that  is,  in  order  to  resist,  but  submit  patiently ;  for  such 
a  conduct  will  prove  if^BlD,  la/xa,  "  a  healing  medicine,  a  salve," 
as  Parkhurst  expresses  it,  that  will  appease  or  atone  for  great 
offences.  The  comment  of  Bishop  Reynolds  is  excellent. 
"  Leave  not  thy  place.     Continue  within  the  bounds  of  thine  own 


CHAP.    X.]  NOTES.  145 

calling  and  condition;  do  not,  either  through  fear  or  despair, 
withdraw  thyself  from  thy  duty,  or,  through  insolence  and  im- 
patience, rise  up  in  disloyalty  against  him  whose  spirit  is  risen 
up  against  thee ;  keep  still  in  the  rank  of  a  subject,  and  behave 
with  suitable  lowliness  and  submission.  He  speaks  not  of  a 
prudent  withdrawing  from  a  storm,  as  Jacob  fled  from  Esau, 
David  from  Saul,  Elijah  from  Jezebel,  and  Christ  from  Herod, 
but  against  disloyal  disaflTection,  going  out  of  the  ruler's  sight, 
as  Israel  departed  to  their  tents,"  &c. 

6.  because  of  an  error  which  proceedeth  from  the  rwZer] — ^The 
standard  version  is,  "  as  an  error  which  proceedeth  from  the 
ruler;"  but,  though  it  is  supported  by  the  LXX,  the  Hexaplarian 
versions,  Desvoeux,  Diodati,  and  many  others,  it  cannot  be  cor- 
rect; for  the  Preacher's  meaning  is,  not  that  the  evil  spoken  of 
was  like  to  an  error  proceeding  from  rulers,  but  that  it  was  itself  dm 
error  committed  by  them.  The  particle  Caph,  therefore,  cannot 
be  used  as  a  particle  of  similitude,  but  must  either  mean  truli/f 
certainly,  or  because  of  on  account  of — (Noldius  in  voc.  8.  22. 
So  (i)Q  is  sometimes  used :  see  Schleusner.)  The  evil  occasioned 
by  the  prince's  error  is  mentioned  in  the  two  following  verses. 
Such  evils  might  exist  under  Solomon's  administration,  since 
the  wisest  are  liable  to  errors,  or  he  might  allude  to  what  he 
observed  in  other  states. 

6.  and  the  rich] — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  The  noun  on'ir^ir,  being  opposed  to  ^3Dn,  the  foolish,  the 
concrete  for  the  abstract,  cannot  mean  simply  the  rich ;  but  either 
those  who  are  eminent  and  noble,  who  are  usually  rich ;  or,  the 
rich  in  wisdom,  the  wise.  Hodgson  renders  it  "  men  of  talents;" 
Dathe,  "  nobiles  praestantes."  Some  join  o'ln  with  the  second 
hemistich,  and  render  it,  "  while  the  noble  and  rich  sit  in  low 
place." — Bauer,  van  der  Palm,  Boothroyd. 


146  NOTES.  [chap.  X. 

7.  sei'vants  upon  horses] — Riding  on  horses  is  often  mentioned 
in  Scripture  as  an  indication  of  eminence  and  dignity. — (Esther 
vi.  8,  9 ;  Jer.  xvii.  25 ;  Ezek,  xxiii.  23.)  So  it  is  at  the  present 
day,  as  is  shown  by  Harmer,  Observations^  &c.  vol.  ii.  p.  412, 
and  Burder,  Oriental  Customs,  No.  636. 

—  walking  as  servants'] — Since  this  is  a  part  of  the  evil  which 
the  Preacher  says  arises  from  the  error  of  rulers,  the  meaning 
cannot  be,  that  noble  persons  sometimes  conduct  themselves  like 
the  meanest  subjects,  but  that  persons  of  rank  and  family  are 
sometimes,  through  the  mistake  of  supreme  governors,  deprived 
of  the  honours  and  dignity  which  they  merit. 

8.  He  that  diggeth,  &c.] — Taking  into  consideration  the  scope 
of  the  context,  and  the  design  of  this  second  part,  there  can  be 
no  doubt  that  this  and  the  next  verse,  consisting  of  short  and 
pithy  aphorisms,  such  as  most  prevail  in  periods  before  learning 
has  advanced  to  any  high  degree  of  cultivation,  are  intended  to 
illustrate  the  advantages  of  Wisdom.     The  general  sense,  then, 
appears  to  be,  that  the  violation  of  the  maxims  of  Wisdom  is 
followed  by  punishment,  agreeably  to  the  old  adages,  "  He  that 
diggeth  a  pit,"  &c.     These  adages,  as   here   applied,   should 
doubtless  be  received  in  the  largest  acceptation  they  will  admit. 
Now,  in  the  first  place,  they  show,  that  conduct  in  contradiction 
to  the  obligations  of  Religion  is  followed  by  pernicious  conse- 
quences, just  as  "  he  that  diggeth  a  pit"  to  entrap  others,  or  he 
that  **  breaketh  an  hedge''  of  an  enemy,  or  *'  removeth  the  stones" 
of  his  neighbour's  landmark,  or  "  cleaveth  (and  cutteth  down  his) 
wood,"  shall,  by  a  just  retribution,  meet  with  deserved  punish- 
ment.     The   person  who   contrives    wicked  schemes    against 
another  shall  himself  be  the  sufferer ;  a  doctrine  founded  upon 
the  temporal  retribution  under  the  Mosaic  covenant,  and  else- 
where inculcated  by  Solomon, — (Prov.  xxvi.  27,  xxviii.  10.)     In 
the  next  place;  they  set  forth  the  utility  of  a  circumspect  and 
prudent  conduct  in  the  common  affairs  of  human  life.     '*  He  that 


CHAP.    X.]  NOTES.  147 

diggeth  a  pit"  imprudently  "  shall  fall  into  it,"  and  he  that 
**  breaketh  an  hedge"  carelessly  shall  be  bit  by  serpents,  which 
usually  lodge  there ;  and  in  like  manner  many  evils  befall  the 
imprudent  and  foolish,  which  might  be  avoided  by  wisdom  and 
discretion. — See  Doederlein,  Scholia  in  loc.  and  Critical  Note  (*.) 

9,  shall  be  endangered] — See  Critical  Note  (f.) 

10.  If  the  iron,  &c.] — The  workman  who  has  not  the  wisdom 
or  the  prudence  to  sharpen  his  tools  must  use  greater  exertions 
in  performing  his  task ;  "  but  Wisdom  is  excellent  to  cause 
success"  in   the  common  acts   and   occupations   of  life.      The 


*  It  is  plain  that  V'3"'J>  only  found  here,  means  a  pit.  It  is  so 
rendered  by  the  ancient  translators,  and  it  has  the  same  sense  in 
Chaldee  and  Syriac.  Schultens,  in  his  Clavis  Dialect,  p.  199, 
appeals  to  the  Arabic  ^J04l  '•>  there  seems,  however,  but  little 
analogy  between  them. — (See  Golius,  Lex.  Arab.  p.  1734.)  The 
word  *ni  seems  properly  to  mean  a  wall  of  stones. — (Parkhurst 
in  voc;  Harmer,  Observations,  vol.  ii.  p.  219,  vol.  iii.  p.  231.) 
VTalls  full  of  chinks  must  be  a  common  receptacle  for  venomous 
reptiles. 

t  The  parallelism  shows  that  pD  must,  in  this  place,  have 
some  signification  allied  to  endangering,  or  hurting ;  and  so  it  is 
understood  by  the  authors  of  the  Septuagint,  Vulgate,  and  Syriac 
versions,  and  by  the  generality  of  modern  translators ;  but  how 
this  sense  is  to  be  deduced  from  the  root  pD  is  a  question  of  very 
great  difficulty.  Perhaps  it  may  be  derived  from  the  sense 
which  the  radix  has  of  being  poor;  (see  notes  to  ch.  iv.  13;)  as 
those  who  are  poor  are  exposed  to  many  dangers :  certainly  it 
means  periclitarl  in  Chaldee. — (See  Buxtorf,  Lex,  Chald.  Talm. 
Rob.  p.  1476.)  Parkhurst  in  his  Lex.  understands  it  in  the  sense 
of  profiting ;  "  he  who  cleaveth  wood  shall  be  profited  by  it," 
to  which  the  paralleUsm  opposes  an  insuperable  objection. 
L  L 


148  NOTES.  [chap.   X. 

argument,  therefore,  is  to  this  effect:  As  the  mechanic,  who  pays 
no  attention  to  the  goodness  and  sharpness  of  his  tools,  is  forced 
to  perform  his  work  clumsily,  and  by  dint  of  strength,  while  the 
skilful  artisan  executes  his  with  ease,  neatness,  and  despatch; 
so,  in  the  conduct  of  life,  a  fool  is  ever  in  error,  while  a  wise  man 
uses  the  properest  means,  and  directs  them  to  the  wisest  ends. — 
See  TtTDn  explained  in  the  notes  to  ch.  ii.  21. 

11.  Surely  a  serpent,  &c.] — This  verse  has  been  rendered, 
*'  A  serpent  will  bite  without  warning,  and  one  that  loves  to 
prate  is  no  better,"  that  is,  a  prater  wounds  you  before  you  can 
be  aware  of  him. — (Wemyss,  Biblical  Gleanings,  p.  151;  see 
also  Job  Orton's  Parajyhrase.)  But  this  is  totally  opposed  by 
the  original,  the  sense  of  which  is,  that  a  babbler  will  sting  with 
his  words,  like  a  serpent  when  it  is  not  charmed  :  yet  as  the 
poison  of  noxious  animals  may  be  avoided  by  the  power  of  cer- 
tain charms,  so  may  the  offences  of  the  tongue  be  prevented  by 
the  exercise  of  prudence  and  discretion. — (See  Calmet.)  An 
idea  that  serpents  might  be  charmed  by  music  prevailed  in 
antiquity,  and  still  does  in  the  East  at  the  present  time.  It  is 
unnecessary  for  the  illustration  of  this  verse  before  us  to  enlarge 
upon  this  curious  subject;  I  shall,  therefore,  content  myself  with 
referring  to  the  following  works,  where  the  reader  will  find  much 
learned  and  entertaining  matter  relative  to  the  charming  of  ser- 
pents by  musical  sounds,  namely,  Bochart,  Hieroz.  P.  ii.  lib.  3, 
cap.  6;  Shuckford,  ConnectionSy  Yoh  iii.  p.  318,  et  seq.;  Michaelis, 
Commentaries  on  the  Laws  of  Moses,  art.  255 ;  Jahn,  Archceoloyia 
Bihlica,  §  403 ;  Paxton,  Illustrations  of  Scripture,  P.  ii.  cap.  4; 
Parkhurst  in  xi^rh ;  Blaney  on  Jeremiah  viii.  17  ;  Gataker,  Ad- 
versaria, cap.  viii.  p.  71. 

—  And  a  babblerl — A  different  turn  is  given  to  this  clause  by 
some,  who  think  the  phrase  means  "  an  enchanter,"  not  "  a 
babbler,"  namely,  if  the  serpent  hath  bitten  before  the  enchanter 
hath  exercised  his  art,  there  is  no  profit  to  the  enchanter ;  (see 
van  der  Palm,  Bauer,  and  Boothroyd ;)  but  the  original  clearly 


CHAP.    X.]  NOTES.  149 

signifies  a  babbler,  and  there  is  no  authority  for  adopting  a  dif- 
ferent reading  with  the  two  former  annotators.  Luther's  German 
version  is  to  this  effect,  "  A  babbler  or  gossip  is  nothing  better 
than  a  serpent,  that  stings  without  provocation." 

12.  swallow  up  himself] — Some  refer  the  pronoun  to  **  grace," 
in  the  former  hemistich ;  thus,  *'  The  words  of  the  wise  are  grace, 
i.  e.  are  gracious ;  but  the  lips  of  a  fool  destroy  it,  i.  e.  grace." — 
See  Poli  Synop, 

13.  The  beginning^  &c.] — Both  this  and  the  following  verse 
are  illustrative  of  the  second  hemistich  of  the  preceding  one,  and 
describe  the  mischievous  madness  of  a  fool's  words. 

14.  A  fool  also  is  full  of  words f  &c.] — A  description  of  the 
empty  futility  of  the  much  speaking  of  the  foolish.  Though  the 
fool  may  use  ever  so  many  words  we  are  no  wiser;  the  event  of 
things  is  equally  unknown,  and  no  man  can  foresee  the  future. 
This  seems  the  most  easy  interpretation  of  the  verse,  and  though 
it  may  be  allowed  that  its  pertinency  to  the  Preacher's  discourse 
is  not  very  striking,  and  that  it  does  not  well  account  for  the 
tautology  in  the  latter  part  of  it,  yet,  as  the  reader  must  be  aware, 
neither  of  these  objections  present  an  insuperable  difficulty. 
Another  exposition  is  given  in  the  collections  of  Pool,  which  takes 
the  latter  part  of  the  verse  as  a  mimesis,  or  representation  of  the 
fool's  words ;  thus,  **  And  the  fool  useth  many  words,  saying, 
A  man  cannot  tell  what  shall  be,"  &c.  But  it  is  very  unlikely 
that  Solomon  should  put  into  the  mouth  of  a  fool  a  sentiment 
which  he  had  expressed  himself  more  than  once,  ch.  iii.  22, 
vi.  12,  viii.  7.  Another  interpretation  is  proposed  by  that  able 
commentator,  Geier,  and  adopted  by  Dr.  Hodgson,  which  is  to 
this  effect :  *'  Though  the  fool  use  many  words,  no  man  can  tell 
what  they  mean,  and  to  what  purpose  they  tend  no  man  can 
inform  him."  This,  however,  appears  irreconcilable  with  the 
signification  of  the  same  expressions  in  the  texts  above  referred 
to ;  so  that,  upon  the  whole,  the  first  interpretation,  though  liable 


150  NOTES.  [chap.    X. 

to  some  exceptions,  seems  preferable  to  any  other.  There  is  not 
an  atom  of  external  evidence  for  the  conjecture  of  van  der  Palm, 
though  approved  by  Bauer  in  his  Scholia,  that  the  last  clause 
is  an  interpolation ;  and  the  difficulty  of  interpretation  cannot  be 
allowed  to  form  even  a  colourable  reason  for  expunging  either  a 
word  or  a  verse. 

15.  Because  he  hnoweth  not,  &c.] — This  clause  I  consider  as 
one  of  those  instances  where  the  literal  rendering  would  be  better 
exchanged  for  an  equivalent.  The  expressions  "  he  knoweth  not 
how  to  go  to  the  city"  are  undoubtedly  a  proverbial  phrase,  de- 
noting extreme  ignorance  of  the  plainest  matters ;  and  therefore 
the  sense  of  the  original  is,  "  The  labour  of  the  foolish  wearieth 
every  ©ne  of  them,  because  each  is  ignorant  of  the  plainest 
matters." — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 

16.  Wo  to  thee,  0  land,  &c-] — The  Preacher  here  reverts  to 
the  folly  of  rulers,  which  he  had  touched  upon  before,  (verse  5 
et  seq.,)  and  specifies  a  particular  instance  of  it  in  the  pernicious 


*  Doederlein,  who  is  followed  by  van  der  Palm  and  Dathe, 

takes  l»i;,  a  city,  ex  usu  Arabico,  for  a  multitude  of  men,  and 

thus  explains  the  verse;   namely.  That  the  fool  who  avoids 

friendly  intercourse  with  others,  sustains  more  trouble  and  fatigue 

in  his  various  labours,  than  those  who  seek  the  aid  and  counsel 

of  their  fellow-creatures.     The  Arabic  j^ac,  it  is  true,  denotes 

simul  iter  facientium  cohors,  vulgo,  caravana;  {GoWus,  Lex.  Ai'ab, 

p.  1677 ;)  but  this  sense  of  Ty  is  wholly  without  example  in  the 

Old  Testament;  and,  indeed,  the  Arabizing  critics  are  puzzled  in 

deriving  from   the  Arabic  the   sense   of  city,  which  certainly 

belongs  to  n'y,  as  the  root  in  that  language  has  no  such  meaning. 

— ^There  is  another  explanation,  thus  stated  by  Dathe :  "  Aliter 

Michaelis :  Stultus  magis  quam  alii  sibi  sapere  videtur.     Prop- 

terea  non  vult  incedere  via  trita;   novam  quaerit,   eventu  vero 

parum  felici." 


CHAP.    X.]  NOTES.  151 

effects,  when  they  are  destitute  of  Wisdom,  and  are  intemperate, 
contrasted  with  the  blessings  of  those  who  are  of  an  opposite 
disposition. 

—  is  a  child] — Because  of  the  opposition  in  the  following 
verse,  and  because  the  word  here  translated  "  a  child"  (iVi) 
sometimes  means  a  servant,  or  slave,  Desvoeux,  Doederlein, 
Bauer,  and  Dathe  ascribe  that  meaning  to  it  in  the  present  in- 
stance. Others  take  it  for  one  to  whom  the  crown  descends 
during  his  minority;  but  it  is  plain  to  me  that  it  here  signifies  a 
child  in  understanding,  in  experience,  and  in  knowledge;  one 
unskilled  in  the  arts  of  government,  fribblish,  and  therefore  unfit 
to  rule  an  empire. 

—  eat  in  the  morning] — It  is  evident,  that  by  this  expression 
a  degree  of  intemperance  is  indicated.  The  breakfast  of  the 
Orientals  usually  consists  of  bread,  honey,  milk,  fruits,  and  such 
like  edibles ;  hence  to  feast  in  the  morning  was  a  proof  of  in- 
temperance.— (See  Prov.  xxxi.  4,  5,  and  my  note  there ;  Harmer, 
Observations,  &c.  vol.  i.  p.  370 ;  Jahn,  Archceol.  Bibl.  §  145.) 
Van  der  Palm  explains  it  of  carousing  till  the  morning,  "  usque 
ad  diluculum ;"  which,  to  say  the  least,  is  very  doubtful. 

17.  the  son  of  nobles] — Namely,  "  one  nobly  seasoned  with 
just  principles  of  honour  and  government;  as  a  son  of  death,  of 
perdition,  of  wrath,  is  one  devoted  to  death,  &c. — By  sons  of 
nobles  we  are  not  to  understand  such  as  are  descended  from 
noble  parents,  and  who  have  noble  blood  in  their  veins,  but  those 
also  who  are  noble  in  virtue,  as  well  as  in  birth  and  blood.  This 
is  true  nobility." — Bishop  Keynolds. 

—  in  due  season] — That  is,  when  they  only  spend  the  usual 
time  allotted  to  the  banquet,  and  employ  the  remaining  hours  of 
the  day  in  business  or  needful  recreation  ;  or,  in  other  words,  when 
they  do  not  transgress  the  bounds  of  temperance  in  eating  and 


152  NOTES.  [chap.  X. 

drinking.  As  in  the  authorized  translation  there  is  some  incon- 
gruity in  saying  that  princes  eat  for  drunkenness,  the  original 
might,  perhaps,  be  better  rendered  "  who  eat  in  due  season,  for 
strength,  and  not  for  revelry." 

18.  By  much  slothfulness,  &c.] — Having  now  demonstrated 
the  value  of  Wisdom,  and  vindicated  it  from  the  objections  of 
sensual  Epicurean  cavillers,  the  Preacher  proceeds,  from  this 
verse  to  the  end  of  the  book,  to  enforce  practical  Wisdom,  and 
to  deduce  several  moral  inferences  illustrative  of  its  nature  and 
advantages.  The  maxims  and  admonitions  which  he  delivers  are 
in  themselves  highly  important,  and  prove  that  the  Wisdom  he 
eulogizes  in  this  treatise  is  not  speculative,  but  operative  or 
practical,  the  Wisdom  of  the  heart  rather  than  of  the  head,  and 
in  all  respects  answering  to  what  we  should  term  Religion.  Some 
understand  this  as  an  illustration  of  the  sixteenth  verse;  namely, 
a  kingdom  may  be  compared  to  a  house;  and  as  a  building  de- 
cayeth  when  the  householder  is  too  indolent  to  repair  it,  so  a 
state  is  brought  to  ruin  by  the  negligence  of  the  rulers.  But  it 
rather  seems  a  dissuasive  from  idleness  in  general,  than  which 
few  things  are  more  inimical  to  Wisdom^ 

19.  A  feast  is  madcy  &c.] — After  attentively  considering  those 
commentaries  in  which  this  verse  is  connected  with  the  foregoing, 
I  am  far  from  being  satisfied;  and  therefore  I  deem  it  best  to 
take  it  as  a  detached  and  isolated  apophthegm,  teaching  the 
extensive  sway  and  predominating  power  of  wealth.  If,  how- 
ever, it  should  be  thought  proper  to  connect  it  with  the  former 
verse,  it  may  be  thus  paraphrased:  "  Through  idleness  of  hands 
the  house  droppeth  through  ;  for,  instead  of  labouring  to  repair  it, 
a  feast  is  made  for  laughter,  and  ivine  maketh  them  merry  ;  and 
instead  of  purchasing  what  is  necessary  towards  the  repairs, 
their  money  answereth  all  things,  that  is,  procureth  whatever 
their  craving  appetites  demand."  When  it  is  said  that  **  money 
answereth  all  things,"  i.  e.  suppUeth  all  things,  common  sense 


CHAP.    X.]  NOTES.  153 

requires  it  to  be  understood  with  proper  limitations. — See  Critical 
Note  (*-) 

20.  for  a  bird  of  the  air,  &€.] — The  general  sense  is,  That 
malediction  and  detraction  of  the  opulent  and  powerful  cannot  be 
concealed,  but  will  be  discovered  in  a  way,  perhaps,  httle  sus- 
pected. The  particular  image,  however,  is  difficult  to  explain. 
The  "  bird"  and  "  wings"  may  represent  either  spies  and  informers, 
and  the  celerity  with  which  they  give  their  information ;  or  the 
rapid  progress  of  fame.  By  some  the  meaning  is  represented  to 
be  this:  That  inward  curses,  however  hidden  from  the  notice  of 
men,  are  heard  by  that  Almighty  Being  who  will  certainly  punish 
them.  It  has  been  supposed,  that  Solomon  alludes  to  the  custom 
of  sending  despatches  between  distant  places  by  means  of 
carrier-pigeons ;  (see  Calmet,  in  loc. ;  Bochart,  Opera,  vol.  i. 
p.  20.;  and  Paxton,  Illustrations,  &c.  vol.  ii.  p.  63;)  but  there  is 
no  evidence  that  such  a  custom  obtained  at  so  early  an  age. 
Neither  is  there  any  reason  for  believing,  with  Grotius,  that  here 
is  an  allusion  to  some  such  story  as  the  classical  one  of  the  Cranes 
of  Ibycus,  though  an  Eastern  tale  of  the  same  kind  has  been 
adduced. —  (See  Burder's  Oriental  Literature  applied  to  the 
Illustration  of  the  Scriptures,  just  published.)     But  whatever 


*  The  verb  7\W,  according  to  the  various  senses  of  the  root, 
may  be  rendered  *'  afflicteth,"  (so  Syriac,)  and  *'  exerciseth," 
as  well  as  "  answereth"  or  supplieth;  but  in  the  two  former 
translations  the  proposition  is  not  true;  for  which  reason  the 
standard  version  is  to  be  preferred:  "  argentum  dicitur  exaudire 
omnem,  vel  respondere  omni,  i.  e.  facere,  ut  responsum  exoptatum 
reportet  et  exaudiatur." — (Simonis,  Lex.  Heh.  in  njy,  ed.  Eich- 
horn.)  To  this  effect  LXX,  Vulgate,  Symmachus,  Cocceius, 
Desvoeux,  Geier,  van  der  Palm,  Bauer,  Dathe,  &c.;  but 
Doederlein  renders  nw  by  "  canere  facit  omnes,  laetificat.  Sic 
respondit  rw  pnm  et  nott^." — Scholia  hi  loc. 


154  NOTES.  [chap    XI. 

doubts  may  exist  about  the  particular  image,  the  general  sense  of 
the  text  is  very  clear. — See  Critical  Note  (*,) 


CHAPTER  XI. 

1.  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  ivaters] — Having  evinced  the 
wisdom  of  obedience  to  governors,  and  of  becoming  patience 
under  their  misconduct,  the  inspired  Penman  now  adverts  to  the 
utility  of  Wisdom  in  directing  our  conduct  towards  our  indigent 
inferiors.  The  second  verse  demonstrates  that  the  discourse 
touches  upon  charity ;  and,  however  the  particular  image  in  the 
verse  before  us  may  be  explained,  the  drift  of  the  passage  un- 
doubtedly is  to  recommend  benevolent  and  diffusive  charity. 
Some  think  that  the  phrase,  "  cast  thy  bread,  or  rather  bread- 
corn,  upon  the  waters,"  is  taken  from  mercantile  affairs,  when 


*  As  there  is  an  apparent  incongruity  in  representing  that  as 
revealed  which  only  passes  in  the  thoughts,  Desvoeux  interprets 
the  word  "jynDl  thus,  "  though  thou  shouldest  know  reason  for 
it;"  a  very  far-fetched  interpretation  at  least,  and  perhaps  con- 
trary to  grammar  and  idiom.  Van  der  Palm  renders  it  "  *  in 
thalamo  tuo,'  vel  '  in  loco  concubitus  tui ;'  respiciens  ad  pecu- 
liarem  ilium  usum  verbi  v\\  quo  de  rebus  conjugalibus  usurpatur;" 
an  exposition,  if  any  can  be,  ingeniously  erroneous.  I  once 
thought  it  might  be  translated  **  among  thy  kinsfolk  or  acquaint- 
ance;" but  in  that  case  it  would  most  likely  have  been  in  the 
plural  number,  not  to  mention  that  the  word  for  kinsman  is  rma, 
not  rio. — (Ruth  ii.  1 ;  Prov.  vii.  4.)  The  noun  j^njD  in  other  places 
signifies  scientia,  knowledge,  understanding ;  (2  Chron.  i.  10, 11, 
12;  Dan.  i.  4,  17;)  and  though, according  to  the  rendering,  "in 
thy  thought,"  the  matter  which  only  passes  in  the  mind  is  said  to 
be  revealed,  yet,  as  the  verse  is  highly  figurative,  it  is  an  admis- 
sible hyperbole,  and  is  certainly  favoured  by  the  ancient  versions. 


CHAP.    XI.]  NOTES.  155 

goods  are  intrusted  in  ships  on  the  ocean,  in  the  hope  of  future 
profit:  some,  again,  that  it  is  taken  from  agriculture,  when  the 
husbandman  sows  his  seed-corn  in  moist  and  irriguous  grounds, 
and  though  it  may,  for  a  while,  rot  and  perish,  it  afterwards  springs 
up,  and  yields  an  abundant  increase.  It  has  also  been  explained 
as  an  allusion  to  a  practice,  common  in  Egypt,  of  sowing  the 
seed  previous  to  the  complete  recession  of  the  waters  of  the  Nile, 
which  produced  a  more  equable  distribution  of  the  seed  than  if 
it  had  been  sown  upon  the  dry  ground,  and,  consequently,  a  more 
abundant  crop,  though  to  the  inexperienced  it  might  seem  like 
throwing  it  away. — (See  Gerard's  Institutes  of  Biblical  Criticism^ 
§  478,  and  Hewlett's  Bible.)  In  the  opinion  of  others,  it  is  a 
proverbial  expression,  denoting  widely-extended  liberality.  Des- 
voeux's  version  is,  **  Sow  thy  corn  before  the  waters,"  i.  e.  before 
the  rainy  season ;  so  Boothroyd ;  but  it  may  be  doubted  whether 
»JE)  h]f  ever  means  before,  though  Noldius  gives  it  that  significa- 
tion. Nearly  alhed  to  this  is  the  version  of  Dr.  Hodgson,  *'  Sow 
thy  seed  when  showers  approach."  Dathe  considers  it  as  a 
dissuasive  from  pursuing  present  to  the  neglecting  future  gain  and 
advantage;*  an  interpretation  altogether  unwarranted,  as  the 
context  proves  that  charity  and  benevolence  are  the  subject. 
For  the  same  reason  we  must  reject  the  opinion  of  those  who 
explain  it  literally  of  the  sowing  of  grain,  or  of  the  exercise  of 
merchandise.  Upon  the  whole,  the  opinions  of  those  who  sup- 
pose the  image  to  be  taken  from  agriculture  is  most  probable ; 
and  I  have  given,  in  the  Paraphrase,  what  appears  to  be  the  sense, 
and  which  is  sanctioned  by  Bishop  Lowth's  learned  friend  in 
Prcelect.  de  Sac.  Poes.  Heb.  p.  121,  ed.  Oxon.  1810.  "  Bread," 
it  is  obvious,  like  the  same  word  in  the  Lord's  Prayer,  here  in- 
cludes all  things  necessary  to  the  subsistence  of  life.  Whatever  the 
poor  and  distressed  stand  in  need  of  should  be  liberally  supplied. 


*  "  Suadet  auctor  ut  non  praesens  lucrum  tantum  et  certum  appetamus, 
sed  etiam  futurum  et  incertum  non  negligamiis  ;  cnm  hac  tamen  caiitione, 
V.  2,  ut  non  omnia  uni  committamus,  sed  cum  pluribus  negotia  partiamur, 
quod  fit  in  mercatura  per  navigationeni." — Dathe,  Nota  in  loc.  See  also 
Doederlein,  Scholia  in  loc. 
M  M 


1-5G  NOTES.  [chap.  XI. 

—  for  thou  shall  find  it  after  many  days] — ^This  cannot 
mean,  that  thou  shalt  find  again  that  which  was  distributed,  but 
something  equivalent  to  it:  namely,  thou  shalt  in  process  of  time 
be  remunerated,  in  this  world  with  the  gratitude  and  kindness  of 
mankind,  and  with  the  satisfaction  of  conscious  virtue;  in  the 
next,  with  everlasting  happiness.  Consequently,  the  meaning  of 
the  verse,  stript  of  the  metaphor,  is,  Distribute  thy  wealth  with 
liberality,  for  in  process  of  time  thou  shalt  be  remunerated. 

2.  for  thou  knowest  not  what  evil  shall  he  upon  the  earth] — 
That  is,  according  to  Bishop  Patrick,  "  for  thou  knowest  not  how 
calamitous  the  times  may  shortly  be,  and  then  the  good  thou  hast 
done  will  stand  thee  in  greater  stead  than  all  the  goods  thou 
enjoyest :"  or,  according  to  others,  "  For  thou  knowest  not  what 
calamities  may  befall,  which  will  deprive  thee  of  the  opportunity 
of  doing  good."  But  I  am  of  opinion  that  the  meaning  is,  *'  For 
thou  knowest  not  what  evil  is,  or  exists  upon  the  earth ;"  namely, 
Distribute  thy  wealth  in  acts  of  charity  and  kindness  to  as  many 
as  possible ;  for,  being  rich,  thou  art  ignorant  to  what  degree 
poverty  and  misery  prevail  upon  the  earth.  As  this,  however, 
would  require  an  alteration  in  the  received  rendering,  to  which 
many  might  object,  I  have  followed  Bishop  Patrick  in  the  Para- 
phrase. It  is  probable,  as  some  imagine,  that  there  is  an  allusion 
to  the  ancient  custom,  in  feasts  and  entertainments,  of  distributing 
portions  to  the  guests,  and  of  sending  provisions  to  the  poor. — 
(Gen.  xliii.  34;  Neh.  xiii.  10;  Esth.  ix.  22.  See  Bishop  Reynolds 
in  loc.)    "  To  seven  and  also  to  eight"  is  a  definite  for  an  indefinite 

number.     Compare   Job  v.  19;   Prov.  vi.  16,  xxx.  16,  18,  21; 

Amos  i.  3,  6,  9,  &c.;  Micah.  v.  5. 

3.  If  the  clouds,  &c.] — Without  attempting  to  enumerate  the 
various  expositions  of  this  verse,  which  would  require  a  consider- 
able space,  I  shall  state  that  which,  in  my  judgment,  is  the  best 
supported.  It  may  be  gathered  from  the  context,  that  it  relates 
to  charity  and  benevolence ;  and  the  obscurity  arises  from  the 
second   part  of  the  comparison  not  being  expressed.     If  the 


CHAP.    XI.]  NOTES.  157 

comparison  be  completed,  as  in  the  Paraphrase,  the  whole 
becomes  exceedingly  clear  and  luminous :  Like  as  clouds  drop 
rain  and  fertilize  the  earth,  so  should  wealth  be  diffused  in  bene- 
ficial acts  of  charity;  and  as  the  tree,  when  it  is  fallen,  supplies 
neither  fruit  to  the  hungry  nor  shade  to  the  weary,  so  he  who 
hoards  up  riches  is  useless  to  mankind. —  i^ins  I  think,  is  3 
sing.  fut.  in  the  Chaldaic  form ;  but  see  Dathe,  Not.  in  loc, 

4.  He  that  observeth  the  wind] — This,  again,  is  an  imperfect 
comparison,  the  Trporaaig  only  being  mentioned,  leaving  the 
aTcoloaiQ  to  be  supplied,  and  the  meaning  is,  Like  as  the  husband- 
man who  observes  the  wind  and  clouds,  and  who  is  ever  watching 
for  what  he  conceives  a  proper  state  of  the  weather,  will  retard,  if 
not  altogether  defeat,  his  agricultural  pursuits ;  so  the  man  who 
looks  only  for  proper  objects  of  charity,  or  waits  for  convenient 
seasons,  or  till  others  set  the  example,  will  never  be  active  in 
benevolence,  and  mankind  will  derive  little  advantage  from  his 
wealth  and  possessions. 

5.  As  thou  knowest  not,  &c.] — The  sense  is.  If  we  are  ignorant 
of  the  ordinary  works  of  Providence,  as  "  the  way  of  the  spirit," 
how  the  soul  animates  the  body ;  if  we  know  not  *'  how  the  bones 
do  grow"  in  living  beings,  how  can  we  pretend  to  scrutinize  the 
deep  counsels  and  designs  of  God  ?  And,  therefore,  we  should 
embrace  the  present  opportunity  of  doing  good,  without  being 
solicitous  about  the  future,  or  waiting  for  convenient  seasons  and 
proper  objects  of  charity,  in  the  conviction  that  Providence  will 
so  order  things  that  our  benevolent  intentions  will  tend  to  good, 
whatever  present  appearances  may  be.  In  the  opinion  of  some, 
there  is  an  intimation  of  the  miraculous  conception  of  Christ;  but 
this,  it  must  be  confessed,  is  somewhat  doubtful.  See  my  Scrip- 
ture Testimonies  to  the  Divinity  of  Christ,  p.  400. 

6.  In  the  morning  soiv  thy  seed,  &c.] — That  is.  Be  diligent  in 
the  work  of  charity ;  be  liberal  and  benevolent  at  all  times,  and 
upon  all  occasions.     The  metaphor  is  taken  from  the  diligent 


158  NOTES.  [chap.  XI. 

husbandman,  who  sows  his  seed  early  and  late.  Deeds  of 
charity,  as  Deodati  remarks,  are  the  seeds  of  the  harvest  of 
eternal  life,  2  Cor.  ix.  10;  Gal.  vi.  7.  It  is,  then,  an  exhorta- 
tion to  charitable  conduct,  fomided  on  the  doctrine  in  the  preced- 
ing verse.  Thus :  The  ways  of  Providence  are  past  finding  out, 
and  that  which  appears  useless  to  us  is  sometimes  followed  with 
the  most  beneficial  results,  (verse  5 ;)  therefore,  "  in  the  morning 
sow  thy  seed,  and  in  the  evening  withdraw  not  thine  hand;" 
begin  early  and  continue  to  the  end  in  well-doing,  distributing 
freely,  without  entertaining  any  scruples  as  to  the  propriety  of 
thy  charities,  or  hesitating  about  the  consequences;  leave  the  rest 
to  Heaven;  "  for  thou  knowest  not  whether  shall  prosper,  either 
this  or  that"  act  of  kindness,  **  or  whether  they  both  shall  be  alike 
good"  and  useful  in  relieving  the  necessities  of  others.  Hence 
it  is  a  duty  to  be  charitable,  and  to  leave  the  result  to  the  super- 
intending Providence  of  God. 

7.  Truly  the  light  is  good,  &c.] — Those  commentators,  I  think, 
are  mistaken  who  suppose  that  a  new  paragraph  begins  here. 
This  and  the  next  verse,  on  the  contrary,  seem  to  be  intimately 
connected  with  the  foregoing  ones,  and  contain  another  argument 
in  favour  of  charity,  to  this  effect :  However  great  may  be  the 
sweets  and  pleasures  of  life,  and  whatever  dehghts  a  man  may 
enjoy,  yet  seasons  of  pain,  and  sickness,  and  sorrow  will  occur ; 
and  the  experience  of  human  frailty  should  melt  his  heart  to 
active  benevolence  towards  every  suffering  child  of  the  dust. 
By  "light"  and  "beholding  the  sun"  we  are  to  understand  the 
various  pleasures  and  comforts  of  life.  "  It  is  indeed  true,"  says 
Bishop  Reynolds,  "  to  enjoy  '  the  light  of  the  sun,'  and  the 
comforts  of  the  present  life  is  very  sweet;  sensually  sweet  to 
those  who  are  voluptuous;  solidly  and  substantially  sweet  to 
those  who  have  obtained  spiritual  wisdom  to  cure  the  vanity  and 
vexation  of  spirit  inherent  in  them.  Yet,  both  the  one  and  the 
other  must  remember,  that  though  life  be  sweet  under  the  sun,  it 
is  not  long,  much  less  perpetual.  Days  of  darkness  are  to 
come ;  there  remains,  therefore,  something  more  to  be  effected  to 


CHAP.    XI.]  NOTES.  t^-        159 

the  attainment  of  complete  happiness,  and  such  an  estate  to  be 
secured  as  may  bear  full  proportion  to  the  capacities  of  an 
immortal  soul,  and  may  constitute  the  whole  of  man." 

8.  and  rejoice  in  them  all] — These  words  must  be  under- 
stood with  some  limitation,  namely,  comparatively  rejoicing,  or 
happy  for  the  most  part;  otherwise  there  could  be  no  days  of 
darkness  at  all. 

—  All  that  Cometh  is  vanity] — This  clause  is  ambiguous.  It 
may  mean,  every  one  that  is  bom  into  the  world  is  subject  to 
vanity,  or  every  thing  that  cometh  to  pass  in  the  world  is  vanity, 
or  all  that  is  past  is  vanity,  or  all  that  is  to  come  is  vanity. 
These  are  severally  supported  by  the  authority  of  respectable 
names,  and  may  all  be  so  connected  with  the  other  clauses  as  to 
afford  a  consistent  meaning;  but  the  second  seems  preferable ; 
namely.  All  that  cometh  to  pass  in  the  world,  all  that  can  be 
derived  from  its  labours  and  pleasure,  is  nothing  better  than 
vanity. 

9.  Rejoice,  O  young  man,  &c.]— The  Preacher  here  proposes 
another  argument  to  the  practice  of  charity,  from  the  consideration 
that  God  will  punish  the  man  who,  devoted  to  a  course  of 
luxurious  enjoyment,  neither  pities  nor  relieves  his  distressed 
brethren.  Notwithstanding  what  Geier,  Dathe,  in  his  edition  of 
Glassii  Phil.  Sac.  p.  913,  and  others  say  to  the  contrary,  the  first 
part  of  the  verse  appears  to  be  ironical ;  for  if  it  were  the  design  of 
Solomon,  in  this  place,  to  instruct  youth  in  the  lawful  enjoyment 
of  the  good  things  of  life,  how  could  he  say,  that  God  will  bring 
a  man  into  judgment  for  such  lawful  indulgences  ?  Considered  as 
an  irony,  how  beautifully  does  it  illustrate  the  context!  The 
subject  of  this  section  is  charity  and  benevolence;  and,  after 
several  observations  in  recommendation  of  these  virtues,  the 
royal  philosopher  addresses  youth,  that  season  of  gaiety  and 
voluptuousness,  in  a  strain  of  cutting  irony:    Go,  young  man, 


160  ^  NOTES.  [chap.    XI. 

indulge  in  such  enjoyments  as  are  common  to  the  vigour  of 
youth;  gratify  thy  sensual  inclinations  ;  but,  to  be  serious,  recol- 
lect that,  if  thou  be  devoted  to  luxurious  self-indulgence,  without 
regarding  or  relieving  thy  suffering  brethren,  thou  wilt  incur  the 
vengeance  of  Heaven.  Therefore,  (says  he,  in  verse  10,)  remove 
obduracy  and  an  uncharitable  disposition  from  thy  heart,  and  put 
away  all  carnal  desire ;  for  the  pleasures  of  youth  are  vanity, 
while  true  wisdom  and  virtue  are  the  only  real  good,  securing 
lasting  happiness,  which  will  endure  when  the  world  and  all  the 
fashion  thereof  shall  vanish  away.  There  is,  probably,  an  allusion 
to  a  future  state ;  though  it  may  be  explained  in  reference  to  the 
Mosaic  covenant,  founded  on  the  sanction  of  temporal  rewards 
and  punishments. 

—  in  the  days  of  thy  youtli] — Or,  "  in  thy  choicest  days,*' 
as  Durell  and  Parkhurst  chuse  to  render  the  phrase  here  and 
chap.  xii.  1. 

10.  obduracy] — Literally,  *•  anger,"  by  which  I  understand, 
that  obduracy  or  uncharitable  disposition  which  refuses  the  meed 
of  sympathy  and  compassion  to  distress.  It  may  justly  be  called 
"  anger,"  (oyD  ira,  indlgnatio,)  because  it  is,  as  it  were,  indigna- 
tion against  mankind,  and  because  it  brings  down  the  wrath  of 
God. 

—  put  away  evil  from  thyflesh'\—'A  periphrasis  for  sensuality, 
or  carnal  desires,  i.  e.  put  away  thy  sensual  lusts  and  inclinations. 
—See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  The  word  translated  "  childhood"  is  nnnii^n,  literally,  "  the 
dawn  of  life,"  by  which,  probably,  is  meant  the  ignorance  of 

early  youth;  rj  avoia,  LXX;  Lj^^i.^1y  jlo  ignorantia,  Syriac. 
— (See  Parkhurst  on  inw.)  Dathe's  version  is,  "  juventus  enim 
aeque  fugax  est  ac  aurora ;"  but  the  Hebrew  text  will  not  bear  it. 


CHAP.    XII.]  NOTES.  161 


CHAPTER  XII. 

1.  Remember  now  thy  Creator,  &c.] — We  are  liere  exhorted 
to  cultivate  in  youth,  the  choicest  time  of  hfe,  every  sentiment 
and  disposition  proper  to  be  exercised  towards  the  great  Father 
of  all.  In  the  original  it  is  Creators  in  the  plural  number.  Some 
MSS.,  indeed,  have  it  in  the  singular,  and  it  is  so  rendered  in  the 
ancient  versions;  but  it  by  no  means  follows  that  it  was  singular 
in  the  copies  from  which  these  translations  were  made.  Nothing 
can  be  more  evident,  from  the  collations  of  Kennicott  and  De 
Rossi,  than  that  Creators  (plural  *]'«mi)  is  the  true  reading ;  and 
the  employment  of  a  plural  appellation  of  God,  in  this  and  other 
passages  of  Scripture,  was  designed,  we  may  fairly  presume,  to 
indicate,  though  obscurely,  a  plurality  of  Persons  in  the  Divine 
Essence.     See  more  in  my  Note  to  Proverbs  ix.  10. 

—  the  evil  days] — By  these  is  not  meant  days  of  sin  and 
criminality,  but  the  period  of  those  pains,  weaknesses,  and  infirmi- 
ties which  are  the  frequent  concomitants  of  age.  That  the 
particles  i^V  nil^«  ni?  are  properly  rendered  *'  before,"  in  this  verse 
and  verses  2  and  6,  see  Noldius,  Concord.  Partic.  in  voc.  Trpiv, 
Sym. ;  "  antequam,"  Vulgate. 

2.  Before  the  sm71,  &c.] — Desvoeux  supposes  this  verse  to 
be  an  introduction  or  transition  to  the  mention  which  is  about 
to  be  made  of  old  age,  and  not  a  part  of  its  description ; 
in  which,  however,  he  is  clearly  wrong,  since  it  is  explana- 
tory of  what  the  Preacher  had  just  before  asserted,  **  Re- 
member thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  before  the  evil 
days  come,  namely,  before  the  sun,  and  the  light,  and  the 
moon,  and  the  stars  be  darkened,"  &c.  In  the  first  verse  he 
lays  down  a  proposition  concerning  age,  which  is  illustrated  in 
those  that  follow.  But,  though  it  unquestionably  forms  part  of  the 
description,  it  may  be  matter  of  doubt  whether  it  is  to  be  taken 
in  a  literal  or  figurative  sense.    Those  who  adopt  the  former, 


162  NOTES.  [chap.    XII. 

interpret  it  of  the  dimness  of  the  eyes  and  defect  of  vision,  by 
which  the  aged  are  prevented  from  beholding  the  luminaries  of 
heaven.  In  this  view,  however,  it  becomes  a  mere  tautology 
with  the  last  clause  of  the  third  verse,  which  makes  strongly  for 
a  figurative  sense.  Yet,  among  the  widely- varying  opinions  of 
commentators,  which  shall  we  choose  ?  By  different  expositors 
the  sun,  the  light,  the  moon,  and  the  stars  are  made  to  denote 
the  heart,  and  the  different  organs  of  the  body ;  the  several  ages 
through  which  a  man  must  pass  ;  the  hilarity  and  serenity  of  the 
countenance,  which  decay  in  old  people ;  the  decay  of  the  mental 
faculties.  Though  this  last  is  the  opinion  of  Witsius,  (MisceL 
Sac.  T.  2,  Exerc.  vi.  §  15,)  Dr.  Smith,  (Solomon's  Portraiture  of 
Old  Age,  p.  26,)  Dr.  Mead,  (Medica  Sacra,  p.  36,)  and  others, 
there  are  two  insuperable  objections  to  the  considering  it  as  a 
description  of  the  imbecilities  of  the  mind's  internal  powers. 
First,  it  does  not  appear  that  the  sun,  light,  moon,  and  stars 
are  ever  used  metaphorically  in  the  Scriptures  for  the  mental 
faculties ;  and  the  writers  just  cited  have  not  been  able  to  pro- 
duce any  example.  Secondly,  this  exposition  is  irreconcilable 
with  the  second  hemistich,  "  and  the  clouds  return  after  the  rain," 
which  cannot  be  explained  in  reference  to  the  intellectual  powers. 
Such  are  the  conclusive  objections  to  the  interpretation  of  these 
learned  critics ;  and  much  likewise  may,  with  equal  reason,  be 
opposed  to  the  other  expositions  before  mentioned.  I  accede  to 
the  opinion  of  those  who  understand  the  verse  as  a  general  state- 
ment of  the  pains  and  miseries  of  age,  the  first  hemistich  describing 
the  insensibility  to  pleasure,  and  the  second  the  succession  of 
pains  and  infirmities,  which  usually  attend  on  that  period  of  hfe. 
This  accords  with  the  metaphorical  sense  of  the  terms  in  other 
passages  of  the  Sacred  Writings,  happiness  and  prosperity  being 
often  represented  by  light,  and  the  contrary  by  darkness,  Judges 
V.  31 ;  2  Sam.  xxiii.  4;  Isaiah  xxx.  26,  Ix.  20;  Esther  viii.  16,  &c. 
Great  afflictions  are  expressed  by  the  darkening  of  the  sun, 
moon,  and  stars,  Isaiah  xiii.  9,  10,11,  xxiv.  23;  Jer.  iv.  23; 
Ezek.  xxxii.  7 ;  Joel  ii.  10,  iii.  15;  Amos,  viii.  9;  Matt.  xxiv.  29. — 
(See  Glass,  Phil.  Sac,  p.  1042,  et  seq.)    Here,  then,  is  a  striking 


CHAP.    XII.]  NOTES.  163 

picture  of  a  morbid  and  melancholy  old  age,  when  the  heyday 
of  youthful  frolic  and  amusement  has  been  succeeded  by  the 
lingering  years  of  imbecility,  weakness,  and  decay. 

—  and  the  clouds  return  after  the  rahi] — Though  this  is  re- 
ferred by  some  to  the  defluxions  from  the  ears,  nose,  eyes,  &c. 
with  which  age  is  often  afflicted,  it  seems  rather  to  be  an  image 
taken  from  the  weather,  and  denoting  a  perpetual  succession  of 
pains  and  infirmities,  according  to  the  exposition  of  Grotius,  Geier, 
Calmet,  Pool,  Hewlett,  van  der  Palm,  Wells,  Michaelis,  Smith, 
Mead,  Doederlein,  Dathe.  Age,  in  many  instances,  has  few 
moments  of  comfort,  and  may  be  compared  to  a  season  of  con- 
tinued gloom,  when  the  cheerful  rays  of  the  sun  seldom  shine 
forth,  but  after  torrents  of  rain  the  clouds  return  dark  and  lower- 
ing. Happy  is  the  man  who  escapes  these  infirmities;  who 
lengthens  his  years  in  the  full  exercise  of  the  powers  of  his  under- 
standing ;  who,  cheered  by  the  recollection  of  a  well-spent  life, 
and  the  glorious  hope  of  immortality,  beholds  the  gentle  decay  of 
nature  with  calm  tranquillity,  and  at  last  sinks  into  the  grave 
"  in  a  full  age,  like  as  a  shock  of  corn  cometh  in  in  his  season." — 
Job  V.  26. 

3.  In  the  day  when  the  keepers,  &c.] — This  verse  has  been 
explained,  by  the  general  current  of  expositors,  to  denote  the 
members  and  organs  of  the  body.  The  Targnmist  and  Mercer 
consider  the  ribs  to  be  meant  by  **  the  keepers  of  the  house ;"  but, 
as  Dr.  Smith  observes,  '*  how  they  shall  be  said  to  tremble  is  not 
to  be  made  appear ;  forasmuch  as  experience  doth  suflSciently 
confirm,  that  they  stand  as  fixed  in  old  as  in  young,  and  more 
fixed  too.  And  indeed  their  articulation,  both  to  the  sternon  and 
also  to  the  vertebrce  of  the  back,  is  such,  that  they  admit  of  veiy 
little  and  obscure  motion,  but  not  at  all  of  this  trembling." — 
(Solomoii's  Portraiture,  p.  56.)  Those  who  make  "  the  keepers 
of  the  house"  to  denote  the  hands  and  arms  are  in  the  right ;  for, 
Jirstf  the  body  is  represented  in  Scripture  by  a  house,  (Job  iv.  19 ; 
N   N 


164  NOTES.  [chap.    XII. 

2  Cor.  V.  1,)  and  the  hands  are  described  as  a  defence  and  pro- 
tection.— (Gen.  xHx.  24;  Nehem.  iv.  17;  Job  xxxi.  21,  22; 
Psahu  xliv.  3.)  And,  secondly^  *'  the  keepers  of  the  house"  are 
here  said  to  tremble,  which  well  adumbrates  the  palsied  arm  of 
age.  The  image  appears  to  be  taken  from  a  palace ;  the  hands 
and  arms  being  as  much  a  protection  to  the  body  as  guards  and 
attendants  are  to  the  habitations  of  princes. 

—  and  the  strong  men  shall  bow  themselves] — Having  repre- 
sented the  arms  "  by  the  keepers  of  the  house,"  the  author  now 
speaks  of  the  lower  limbs,  and  "  the  strong  men"  can  be  no 
other  than  the  knees  and  legs,  which,  scarcely  able  to  support  the 
body,  bend  and  totter  under  the  aged.  The  allusion  is  still  to 
the  guards  of  a  royal  palace,  who  bow  and  tremble  in  the  pre- 
sence of  their  sovereign, 

—  and  the  grinders  cease] — Some  suppose  that  the  word 
translated  "  grinders"  means  grinding -maids,  used  metaphorically 
for  the  teeth  which  masticate  the  food.  The  ancient  Jews 
having  only  hand-mills,  consigned  the  working  of  them  to  their 
slaves,  particularly  to  the  females,  whose  business  it  was  to  grind 
the  corn,  as  may  be  collected  from  Exod.  xi.  5;  Isa.  xlvii.  2; 
Matt.  xxiv.  41 ;  Luke  xvii.  35. — (See  Jahn,  Archceologia  Bihl. 
§  138,  139.)  The  same  custom  still  prevails  in  the  East. — (Har- 
mer,  Observations,  vol.  i.  p.  433;  Burder,  Oriental  Customs, 
Nos.  637, 764,  993.)  The  reasons,  however,  given  by  Desvoeux 
(p.  370)  and  others,  for  rendering  it  **  grinding-maids,"  are,  in  my 
apprehension,  not  convincing. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  The  chief  reason  for  the  opinion,  that  the  word  translated 
**  grinders"  literally  means  grinding-maids,  is,  that  mJniDn  is 
feminine;  yet  this  does  not  necessarily  imply  that  they  were 
females,  as  the  feminine  is  frequently  used  in  Hebrew  for  the 
neuter ;  (Storr,   Observat.  ad  Anal,  et  Synt,  Heb.  p.   247 ;)  or. 


CHAP    XII.]  NOTES.  165 

—  those  that  look  out  of  the  windows  be  darkened] — This, 
it  is  evident,  denotes  the  eyes  and  their  infirmities.  Harmer 
thinks  there  is  an  allusion  *'  to  the  circumstances  of  the  females  of 
the  East,  who,  though  confined  much  more  to  the  house  than  those 
of  Europe  are,  and  afraid  to  show  themselves  to  strangers  even 
there,  are  sometimes  indulged  with  the  pleasure  of  looking  out  of 
the  windows,  when  any  thing  remarkable  is  to  be  seen,  or  of 
assembling  on  the  house-top  on  such  occasions." — Observations f 
vol.  iii.  p.  171.     So  Desvoeux,  Philol.  Obs.  lib.  ii.  cap.  3,  §  18. 

4.  And  the  doors  shall  be  shut  in  the  streets] — Of  those  who 
understand  this  literally,  some  explain  it  of  the  doors  of  his 
house,  by  which  he  went  out  into  the  street,  being  closed,  so  that 
he  keeps  within  doors  in  consequence  of  his  infirmities,  without 
being  able  to  go  abroad  for  business  or  pleasure ;  while  others 
take  it  to  mean  his  being  excluded  from  pubUc  assembhes,  be- 
cause his  voice  is  too  low  to  be  heard  in  such  meetings.  But  it 
seems  more  just  to  explain  it  allegorically  of  the  hps;  the  image 
being  founded  on  the  resemblance  between  the  lips  and  the  doors 
of  a  house.  Similar  expressions  are  used  in  Job  xli.  14 ;  Ps.  cxli. 
3;  Mich.  vii.  5. — The  word  p^m,  here  rendered  "  streets,"  only 
occurs,  in  addition  to  the  place  before  us,  in  verse  5 ;  Prov.  vii.  8 ; 
Cant.  iii.  2,  in  all  which  it  signifies  street.  It  is  in  this  place 
used  metaphorically  for  some  part  of  the  body.  It  cannot,  how- 
ever, mean  "those  open  ways  and  passages  in  the  body  of  man 
which  the  matter  of  nourishment  passeth  along,  without  let  or 
molestation,"  as  Dr.  Smith  supposes;  for,  besides  the  general 
objection  to  the  ascription  of  recondite  meanings  to  the  images  of 
this  portrait,  when  these  passages  are  shut  death  immediately 


it  may  agree  with  cd^W,  which  is  often,  at  least,  feminine,  in 
the  same  way  as  m«"in,  in  the  next  clause,  agrees  with  o>j'y 
understood.— (See  Walther,  Ellips.  Heb.  p.  82, 104.)  The  verb 
iVtoi  only  occurs  here ;  but  in  Chaldee  and  Syriac  it  means  to 
cease,  to  be  idle;  r]pyr]aav,  LXX;  "  otiosaj  erunt,"  Vulgate. 


166  NOTES.  [chap.    XII. 

ensues.  If  **  doors"  in  the  former  part  actually  denote  the  lips, 
there  can  be  little  doubt  that  by  "  street"  is  meant  the  principal 
passage  of  the  body,  of  which  the  mouth  is  the  entrance,  and 
which  may  be  compared  to  a  street,  or  the  chief  passage  in  a 
palace.  "  The  doors  shall  be  shut  in  the  streets,"  therefore, 
means,  when  stript  of  the  metaphor,  that  the  lips  of  the  mouth 
shall  be  shut,  or  shall  press  close  together  in  consequence  of  the 
loss  of  the  teeth. 

—  when  the  sound  of  the  grinding  is  low] — To  preserve  the 
consistency  of  the  image,  this  must  be  explained  of  mastication, 
which  cannot  be  heard  when  the  teeth  are  lost.*  According  to 
Geier,  Grotius,  Doederlein,  Bauer,  and  Dathe,  there  is  a  refer- 
ence to  the  difficulty  of  enunciation  through  the  loss  of  the  teeth, 
by  reason  of  which  the  aged  cannot  speak  distinctly ;  but  though 
this  is  often  the  case,  the  former  clause  opposes  such  an  interpre- 
tation, as  we  do  not  find  that  "  the  doors  of  the  mouth  are  shut" 
when  this  impediment  is  experienced.  Upon  the  whole,  the  ex- 
pressions "  the  doors  shall  be  shut  in  the  streets  when  the  sound 
of  the  grinding  is  low,"  are  a  poetical  description  of  the  loss  of 
the  teeth ;  in  consequence  of  which  the  lips  press  closely  together, 
being  deprived  of  that  support  or  fulcrum  which  the  teeth  sup- 
plied, and  no  sound  is  produced  in  the  act  of  mastication.  Har- 
mer's  objections  to  this  interpretation  are  so  evidently  futile  as 
not  to  require  a  refutation ;  and  his  own  ideas  of  this  passage  will 
not,  I  am  persuaded,  meet  with  many  supporters. — See  Observa- 
tions, &c.  vol.  iii.  p.  179,  et  seq,,  and  Burder,  Orient.  Cust, 
No.  637. 

—  he  shall  rise  up  at  the  voice  of  the  bird'\ — A  description  of 
the  sleepless  nights  of  the  aged.  Though  there  is  no  antecedent 
nominative  expressed   to  the  verb  "  he  shall  rise,"  (cDip',)   it 

*  "  Senes  propter  appetitus  imminutionem  labra  sua  rarius,  qiiam  oliiii, 
aperiunt;  ita  ob  dentinm  ad  cibos  comminuendos  defectum  sonitu  etiam 
rainori  id  faciunt,  Horum  autem  posterius  incomnioduni  eleganter  ad- 
modum  verbis  exili  sonitu  molce  designari  videtur." — Mead,  3Ied, Sac.  p.  40. 


CHAP.  XII.]  NOTES.  167 

evidently  refers  to  the  person  whose  condition  the  Preacher  is 
describing,  namely,  the  aged  man.  The  word  "  bird"  (mav)  may 
be  put  generically  for  the  feathered  tribe,  agreeably  to  which  the 
sense  is,  that  the  aged,  being  weary  of  couches  on  which  they 
enjoy  no  rest,  arise  as  soon  as  the  birds  awake  their  first  notes 
in  the  morning.  Several  commentators,  however,  take  it  to  mean 
a  swalloiv;  and,  if  this  opinion  be  correct,  the  meaning  may  be, 
that  the  aged  sleep  so  unsoundly  as  to  be  awakened  by  any  noise, 
even  by  the  soft  notes  of  a  small  bird ;  but  others  explain  it  of 
the  cockf  making  *'  the  voice  of  the  bird"  to  denote  the  first 
crowing  of  the  cock,  which  is  in  the  night,  before  the  dawning  of 
the  day ;  and  Mr.  Harmer,  who  adopts  this  exposition,  observes 
that  "  it  is  common  to  all,  the  young  and  the  healthy,  as  well  as 
the  aged,  in  the  East  to  rise  with  the  dawn; — but  it  is  visible  that 
rising  earlier  than  common  was  what  Solomon  meant.-- Accord- 
ingly, we  find  that  Solomon  does  not  speak  of  the  birds  in  the 
plural,  but  of  the  bird,  the  bird  whose  voice  was  first  heard  in 
the  morning  of  all  the  feathered  tribe  proclaiming  its  approach.'' 
— (Observations,  vol.  iii.  p.  184.  See  also  Bochart,  Hieroz,  P. 
2,  lib.  i.  c.  21,  23.)  All  these  interpretations  come  to  the  same 
thing,  implying  that  the  aged  too  commonly  pass  the  night  in 
painful  slumbers,  and  are  glad  to  quit  their  uneasy  pillows  as 
soon  as  the  herald  of  the  morn  has  tuned  his  early  notes.  See 
this  beautifully  described  in  Job.  vii.  4. 

—  all  the  daughters  of  music] — These,  according  to  some 
commentators,  are  the  singing  women,  who,  as  is  well  known, 
were  in  great  request  among  the  Orientals.  Thus  Barzillai  says, 
"  I  am  this  day  fourscore  years  old ;  and  can  I  discern  between 
good  and  evil  ?  can  thy  servant  taste  what  I  eat  or  what  I  drink? 
can  I  hear  any  more  the  voice  of  singing  men  and  singing  women  ?" 
— (2  Sam.  xix.  35.)  Dr.  Smith,  who  is  followed  by  Parkhurst, 
understands  the  phrase  to  mean  the  organs  which  have  reference 
to  music,  which  he  divides  into  active  and  passive;  i.  e.  "such 
as  make  music  themselves,  or  such  as  take  and  receive  the  music 


168  NOTES.  [chap.    XII. 

that  is  made  by  others." — {Solomon's  Portraiture  of  Old  Age, 
p.  133.)  To  this  interpretation  1  accede.  "  All  the  daughters 
of  music/'  namely,  all  the  organs  employed  in  the  production  and 
enjoyment  of  music,  "  shall  be  brought  low,"  or  rendered  power- 
less to  aiford  delight;  words  excellently  portraying  the  old  man's 
insensibility  to  the  charms  of  melody  and  song,  arising  as  well 
from  deafness  as  from  satiety  with  terrestrial  enjoyments. 

5.  Also  when  they  shall  be  afraid,  &c.] — That  is,  as  the  com- 
mentators observe,  through  weakness,  dimness  of  sight,  and 
difficulty  of  respiration,  old  people  are  incapable  of  ascending 
high  places;  and,  through  tlie  natural  timidity  of  age,  are  even 
afraid  of  some  mishap  when  they  walk  in  the  public  ways.  Or 
it  may  be  understood  in  a  more  general  sense,  that  the  aged, 
being  subject  to  doubts  and  alarms,  and  being  conscious  of  the 
decay  of  their  powers,  consider  every  the  least  undertaking 
as  hazardous  and  difficult,  if  not  insuperable. — See  Critical 
Note  (*.) 

—  the  almond  tree  shall  flourisli] — This  is  a  very  difficult 
clause,  and  has,  of  course,  been  variously  interpreted.  "  And 
he  that  is  wakeful  shall  be  contemned,"  Durell;  "  the  commerce 
of  women  shall  be  despised,"  Desvoeux ;  "  when  pleasure 
shall  be  despised,"   Hodgson ;  and  others  may  be  seen  in  Poli 


*  Of  the  clause,  as  rendered  in  the  E.  T.,  "  they  shall  be  afraid 
of  that  which  is  high,  and  fears  shall  be  in  the  way,"  Desvoeux's 
version  is,  "  They  shall  be  afraid  even  of  distant  objects;  nay,  of 
the  scarecrows  set  on  the  way  side."  It  is  unnecessary  to  use 
many  words  in  refuting  this  absurd  rendering.  tZD»nnnn,  only  found 
here,  is  derived  from  nnn  to  fear,  and  consequently  means ^ears, 
or  objects  which  excite  fears ;  and  as  a  reduplication  of  the  radical 
letters  heightens  the  signification,  it  means  exceeding  great  fears. 
It  cannot  be  a  participle,  as  Parkhurst  supposes. 


CHAP.    XII.]  NOTES.  169 

Synop*  These  interpretations,  it  is  obvious,  rest  upon  very  slender 
evidence;  whereas  the  traditionary  sense  of  the  Hebrew  noun,  an 
almond  tree,  is  supported  by  the  use  of  the  word  in  other  passages, 
as  Jer.  i.  11,  and  Gen.  xhii.  11 ;  Numb.  xvii.  8,  where  it  denotes 
the  fruit  of  the  almond  tree,  and  by  the  authority  of  the  LXX 
and  Vulgate.     Such,  most  Hkely,  is  its  meaning  in  the  place 
before  us,  and  the  almond  tree  represents  the  hoary  head,  the 
usual  attendant  on  advanced  years.     To  this,  however,  Dr.  Mead 
objects,  {Med.  Sac.  p.  44,)  that  gray  hairs  are  not  peculiar  to  the 
aged,  the  hair  of  the  young  often  turning  to  that  colour ;  and  that 
the  flowers  of  the  almond  tree  are  not  white.     But  the  answer  is 
easy.     Solomon's  picture  of  age  ought  not  to  be  held  as  uni- 
versally true,  but  true  for  the  most  part,  and  the  hoary  head, 
being  usually  found  in  old  persons,  is  properly  noticed  as  charac- 
teristic of  age.     The  second  objection  appears  to  be  founded  on 
a  mistake,  for  Mr.  Harmer  shows,  from  Hasselquist,   that  the 
almond  tree  has  white  flowers;  and  he  observes,  that  "  the  hair 
of  Eastern  people  is  almost  universally  dark;  an  old  man,  then, 
with  a  white  head,  appears  among  those  that  are  young  some- 
what like  an  almond  tree  in  blossom  among  the  dark,  unclothed 
twigs   of  other  trees." — (Observations,  vol.   iii.  p.   190.)      We 
learn,  from  Pliny,  that  this  tree  was  in  flower  in  winter  before 
any  other;  "floret  prima  omnium  amygdala,  mense  Januario." 
— (Lib.  xvi.  §  42.)     There  can  be  no  doubt,  therefore,  that  the 
hoary  head  is  fitly  represented  by  the  almond  tree. — See  Critical 
Note  (t.) 

•  According  to  the  first  of  these  versions,  1pm  is  taken  in  the  sense  of 
watching,  waking,  which  is  an  acknowledged  signification  of  the  root; 
and,  according  to  the  two  latter,  in  the  sense  of  membrum  genitale.  Des- 
voeux,  indeed,  proposes  to  read  it  with  a  6"^,  instead  of  Skin,  and  explains 
it  by  embraced,  or  close  pressed ;  but  Lament,  i.  14,  to  which  he  appeals, 
does  not  bear  him  out ;  and  his  conjecture,  however  ingenious  and  plau- 
sible, cannot  outweigh  the  evidence  for  the  received  sense  of  lp\l/. 

t  The  verb  yj^p  may  be  derived  from  yM,  to  flourish,  which 
presents  a  beautiful  image,  that  gray  hairs  shall  come  on  like  an 


170  NOTES.  [chap.    XII. 

—  the  grasshopper  shall  be  a  burden] — I  entirely  agree  with 
Dr.  Smith,  whose  interpretation  is  thus  summed  up  by  Parkhurst, 


almond  tree  in  full  blossom;  or  from  x^^^  to  despise,  to  cast  off^ 
that  is,  the  aged  shall  lose  their  gray  hairs  as  an  almond  tree 
sheds  its  white  flowers.     In  this   latter  sense  it  is  understood 
by  the  author  of  Choeleth,  a  Poem,  and  by  the  very  learned 
Schroeder,  in  his  Observationes  ad  Orig.  Heb.  p.  152,  who  ren- 
ders ipti^n  V^J'  "  excutiet  amygdala,  suos  scilicet  fructus  et  foha, 
ut  stet  pristino  decore  orbata.     Talis  arbor  purchra  imago  est 
homines  confecti  senecta,  et  pristino  flore  atque  vigore  destituti." 
Though  Michaelis,  Schulz,  and  others  agree  in  this  interpretation, 
I  prefer  the  former,  as  being  conformable  to  the  LXX  and 
Vulgate.     The  objection  of  these  critics,  that  a  flourishing  tree  is 
rather  the  symbol  of  youthful  vigour  than  of  old  age,  does   not 
apply  to  the  case  before  us,  as  the  comparison  is  restricted  to  this 
single  circumstance,  that  through  age  the  hair  will  become  white, 
like  an  almond  tree  in  full  blossom. — As  to  the  clause,  rendered 
in  E.  T.  "  and  desire  shall  fail,"  interpreters  are  greatly  at  a  loss 
to  explain  the  aTra^  \ey.  nJVl«.    After  an  attentive  consideration 
of  all  the  expositions  to  which  I  have  access,  I  vastly  prefer  that 
which  refers  it  to  the  root  nii^,  velle,  concupiscere,  acquiescere, 
and  take  it  in  the  sense  oi  acquiescence,  acquiescent  satisfaction; 
(see  Parkhurst  in  voc.;)  agreeably  to  which  the  clause  may  be 
rendered,  "  and  satisfaction  shall  be  abolished."    The  LXX, 
Syriac,   and  Vulgate  render  it  by  "  capparis,"  the  caper  tree,  or 
fruit;  which  is  likewise  adopted  by  Dr.  Smith,  van  der  Palm, 
Bauer,  and  Michaelis,  (Supplem.  ad  Lex.  No.  6;)  and  if  it  be 
true,  that  "  capparis  herba  est  appetitum  provocans,"  (see  more  in 
Poll  Synop.)  it  may  be  put  metaphorically  for  enjoyment,  and  so 
accord  in  sense  with  the  version  here  adopted.     According  to 
this  idea,  it  is  true,  capparis  alludes  **  ad  appetitum  rei  venereae;" 
but,  notwithstanding  the  objections  of  Michaelis,  this  particular 
instance  may  be  put  for  the  general  loss  of  all  satisfaction  and 
enjoyment. 


CHAP.    XII.]  NOTES.  171 

Lex.  in  njn  :  *'  The  dry,  shrunk,  shrivelled,  crumpling,  craggy 
old  man,  his  backbone  sticking  out,  his  knees  projecting  forwards, 
his  arms  backwards,  his  head  downwards,  and  the  apophyses, 
or  bunching  parts  of  the  bones  in  general  enlarged,  is  very  aptly 
described  by  that  insect.  And  from  this  exact  likeness,  without 
all  doubt,  arose  the  fable  of  Tithonus,  that,  living  to  extreme  old 
age,  he  was  at  last  turned  into  a  grasshopper.'^  Other  and  very 
different  opinions  may  be  seen  in  Poli  Synop.  and  Bochart, 
Hieroz.  P.  ii.  lib.  4,  cap.  8. — See  also  Paxton,  Illustrations^ 
vol.  i.  p.  324. 

—  and  the  mourners ^  &c.] — This  refers  to  the  ancient  custom 
of  employing  hired  mourners  to  attend  the  funeral  obsequies,  to 
wail  and  lament  for  the  departed,  and  to  celebrate  their  virtues 
in  elegiac  strains  accompanied  with  soft  and  plaintive  music. — 
(2  Chron.  xxxv.  25;  Job  iii.  8;  Jer.  ix.  17;  Jahn,  Archceologia 
Bibl.  §  211 ;  Brown,  Antiq,  of  the  Jews,  P.  xi.  §  14.)  For  the 
various  modes  of  expressing  grief,  customary  among  the  ancient 
Hebrews,  see  Geier's  learned  treatise,  De  Luctu  Hebrceorum. 

6.  Before  the  silver  cord,  Sec.] — As  the  four  preceding  verses 
are  a  figurative  description  of  the  infirmities  which  commonly 
accompany  old  age ;  so  this  is  a  figurative  description  of  the  cir- 
cumstances attending  its  final  period  in  dissolution.  In  no  part- 
of  the  whole  picture  is  it  more  needful  to  establish  the  principle 
of  its  interpretation  ;  for  on  that  it  depends  whether  we  are  to 
explain  it  in  a  popular  manner,  or  to  illustrate  it  from  the  re- 
searches of  anatomical  science.  If  what  has  been  advanced  in 
the  fifth  section  in  the  Preliminary  Dissertation  is  correct,  we 
are  to  consider  this  verse  as  exhibiting  only  a  general  account, 
not  presenting  a  medical  detail,  of  the  effects  of  death;  and 
whatever  may  be  shadowed  out  under  each  particular  image,  we 
are  to  understand  it  of  something  apparent  to  common  observers. 
It  is  more  particularly  necessary  to  keep  this  in  view,  since,  from 
the  boldness  of  the  imagery,  bold  almost  beyond  Oriental  daring, 
if  any  attempt  be  made  to  discover  deep  and  recondite  meanings, 
O  O 


172  NOTES.  [chap.    XII. 

we  shall  be  led  into  an  exposition  which,  however  ingenious, 
will  only  be  wild  and  visionary.  The  commentators  are  not 
agreed  whence  the  images  are  taken ;  some  supposing  that  they 
allude  to  the  golden  lamps  hanging  by  silver  or  silken  cords  from 
the  roof,  and  forming  no  small  part  of  Eastern  magnificence; 
others  contending  that  the  allusion  is  to  the  cord,  bucket,  wheel, 
and  cistern  of  a  well,  which  is,  perhaps,  most  probable  ;  but,  as 
the  determination  of  this  question  is  not  necessary  to  the  explan- 
ation of  the  passage,  it  would  be  idle  to  waste  time  in  the  dis- 
cussion.— The  Targumist  interprets  "  the  silver  cord"  of  the 
string  of  the  tongue  ;  some,  of  the  humours  of  the  body ;  others, 
of  the  nerves ;  but  most,  of  the  spinal  marrow.  Dr.  Smith  thinks 
it  denotes  the  spinal  marrow,  and  all  the  nerves  thence  arising. 
Several  reasons,  however,  incline  me  to  restrict  it  to  the  spinal 
marrow  alone ;  for,  first,  that  is  most  conspicuous  to  common 
observers.  Secondly,  it  appears  to  the  eye,  as  Dr.  Smith  remarks, 
of  a  white,  shining,  resplendent  beauty,  bright  as  silver.  Thirdly, 
as  the  same  writer  observes,  it  is  placed  deep,  secret,  and  secure 
in  the  body,  like  veins  of  silver  in  the  earth.  Fourthly,  had  it 
been  meant  to  denote  the  nerves,  as  well  as  the  spinal  marrow, 
it  would,  most  likely,  have  been  in  the  plural  number.  And, 
lastly,  it  may  well,  from  its  excellency,  be  called  "  the  silver 
cord."  These  reasons  show  convincingly  that  it  denotes  the 
spinal  marrow. — See  Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  The  verb  pni,  to  remove,  when  applied  to  a  cord,  must  mean 
to  remove  the  texture,  to  loose.  Instead  of  pnn>,  the  Keri  and 
many  MSS.  have  prrr,  only  found  as  a  verb  in  Nahum  iii.  10, 
and  evidently  in  the  sense  of  binding  or  girding ;  and  as  a  noun 
in  1  Kings  vi.  21 ;  Isaiah  xl.  19;  Ezek.  vii.  23,  evidently  signifying 
chains;  but  as  this  sense  is  not  applicable  to  the  passage  before 
us,  we  must  adopt  pnT  as  the  true  reading.  The  ancient  ver- 
sions render  it  by  words  signifying  to  cut  or  break, — In  the  next 
clause  the  word  rendered  "  bowl"  is  nVj,  from  hhj^,  to  roll,  and 
is  rightly  so  rendered,  as  in   Zech.  iv.  2,  3. — (See  Taylor's 


CHAP.    XII.]  NOTES.  173 

—  the  golden  howl  be  broken] — That  is,  as  Durell  explains  it, 
"  before  the  head  is  reduced  to  a  mere  empty  skull,  not  unlike 
then  in  colour  to  gold,  or  in  form  to  a  bowl." — (Critical  Remarks 
in  loc.)  It  has  been  suggested  to  me  by  a  friend,  that  the  epithet 
*'  golden"  is  meant  to  apply  more  to  the  importance  of  the  head 
than  to  any  resemblance  to  gold  in  colour^  which  it  has  neither  in 
life  nor  in  death. 

—  the  pitcher  be  shattered  at  the  fountain,  and  the  wheel  be 
broken  at  the  cistern] — By  "  the  pitcher"  Dr.  Smith  understands 
the  veins;  by  "  the  fountain,"  the  right  ventricle  of  the  heart;  by 
*' the  wheel,"  the  great  artery  called  the  aorta;  and  by  "  the 
cistern,"  the  left  ventricle  of  the  heart.  As  there  are  no  grounds, 
however,  for  supposing  this  description  to  be  anatomically  correct, 
it  is  more  likely  that  the  first  clause  describes,  in  a  popular  man- 
ner, though  in  highly  figurative  language,  the  cessation  of  the 
action  of  the  heart;  and  the  latter,  the  loss  of  the  power  of 
respiration  by  the  lungs.  "  The  images  of  this  text,"  says  Bishop 
Horsley,  "  are  not  easy  to  be  explained  on  any  other  supposition 
than  that  the  writer,  or  the  Spirit  which  guided  the  writer,  meant 
to  allude  to  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  and  the  structure  of  the 
principal  parts  by  which  it  is  carried  on.  And  upon  the  sup- 
position that  such  allusions  were  intended,  no  obscurity,  I  believe, 
will  remain  for  the  anatomist  in  the  whole  passage." — (Sermons, 
vol.  iii.  p.  190,  Lond.  1813.)  But,  with  all  deference  to  this 
sagacious  writer,  I  must  dissent  from  his  opinion,  that  the  circu- 
lation of  the  blood  is  intimated  in  this  passage.  It  appears  to  me 
to  be  the  sole  intention  of  the  writer  to  describe  the  cessation  of 
those  animal  functions  which  are  observable  to  every  beholder. 


Concordance.)  The  LXX  render  it  by  avQe^wvy  a  word  of 
uncertain  import;  (see  Biel,  Thesaur.  invoc. ;)  Symmachus  by 
'7r£pi(f)Epeg,  zona,  according  to  Montfaucon,  but  probably  meaning 
something  round,  a  bowl;  Vulgate  by  '*  vitta;"  but  the  meaning 
is  obscure. 


174  NOTES.  [chap.    XII. 

To  attempt  drawing  a  profound  meaning  from  every  circumstance 
mentioned  in  this  poetical  account  of  the  closing  scene  of  Hfe,  is 
surely  to  refine  upon  the  expressions  in  a  very  culpable  degree. 
It  cannot  reasonably  be  believed,  that  the  royal  author  intended 
any  thing  more  than  to  describe  the  evident  effects  of  death,  as 
exhibited  in  the  cessation  of  the  vital  functions  of  the  head, 
heart,  and  lungs.  For  this  purpose  he  employs  images  taken,  as 
is  most  probable,  from  the  machinery  used  in  drawing  water  from 
a  well.  There  is  undoubtedly  a  general  resemblance,  and  in  this 
general  resemblance  we  ought  to  rest,  without  vainly  endeavour- 
ing to  assimilate  every  minute  circumstance,  or  to  show  its 
accordance  with  the  anatomy  of  man.  This  view  is  one  more 
likely  to  be  just,  when  it  is  considered  that  those  who  have  at- 
tempted to  investigate  the  minutiae  with  medical  precision  have 
adopted  widely-diversified  and  most  unfounded  opinions;  and 
that  even  the  learning  and  abilities  of  Dr.  Smith  could  not  elicit 
a  medical  interpretation  that  can  at  all  satisfy  a  sober  inquirer. 

7.  Then  shall  the  dust,  &c.] — In  the  first  hemistich  is  declared 
the  general  dissolution  of  the  whole  human  frame,  and,  in  the 
second,  that  the  vital  spark  survives  the  wreck  of  the  body; 
which  proves  that  the  immortality  of  the  soul  was  believed  in  the 
age  of  Solomon. — See  Prelim.  Dissert.  §  4,  and  Hackspan,  Notce 
Philol.  vol.  ii.  p.  507. 

8.  Vanity  of  vanities,  &c.] — Professor  Doederlein,  both  in  his 
Scholia  and  in  his  Institutio  Theol.  Christ.  §  40,  maintains,  that 
the  remainder  of  the  chapter,  from  this  verse,  has  no  coherence 
with  the  argument  of  the  discourse,  and  that  it  was  added  by  the 
compiler,  whoever  he  might  be,  who  collected  together  the  several 
parts  of  the  Sacred  Volume.  The  same  opinion  was  entertained 
by  Peters;  {Crit.  Diss,  on  Job.  Pref.  p.  59;)  it  rests,  however, 
upon  no  better  foundation  than  mere  assertion.  Though  it  is  no 
easy  matter  to  say  by  what  person  or  persons  the  Sacred  Writings 
were  first  collected  together,  we  may  rest  assured,  from  the  reli- 
gious scrupulosity  of  the  Hebrews,  with  respect  to  all  matters 


CHAP.    XII.]  NOTES.  175 

pertaining  to  their  public  creed  and  worship,  that  it  was  done  by 
such  as  were  properly  qualified  for  the  undertaking.  It  is  enough 
to  be  convinced,  that  they  have  been  received  into  the  canon  by 
the  concurrent  authority  of  the  whole  Jewish  Church.  There  is 
not  the  smallest  reason  for  supposing,  that  the  last  seven  verses 
of  the  Ecclesiastes  were  not  written  by  the  same  author  as  the 
rest.  The  expressions  in  verse  12,  "  and  further,  my  son,  by 
these  be  admonished,"  are  unsuitable  to  a  compiler,  as  van  der 
Palm  observes,  (Diss,  de  Lib.  Eccles.  p.  84,)  while  they  agree 
well  with  Solomon,  who  was  accustomed,  in  his  moral  writings, 
to  address  his  hearers  in  this  manner.  Nor  is  it  probable  that 
any  person  either  would  or  could  add  the  concluding  verses  to 
the  book  without  some  intimation  of  it.  They  form,  moreover, 
a  proper  conclusion  to  the  treatise,  and,  except  they  had  been 
added,  the  book  would  have  been  left  lame  and  imperfect.  After 
showing  the  vanity  of  all  terrestrial  things,  and  describing  the 
nature  and  excellence  of  Wisdom,  the  philosophical  monarch 
very  naturally  proceeds  to  state  the  inference  intended  to  be 
drawn  from  the  whole  disquisition.  It  was  as  necessary  to  hear 
the  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter  as  the  arguments  which  led 
to  it.  He,  therefore,  sums  up  in  verses  8 — 12  what  had  been 
discussed  in  the  first  part  of  the  discourse,  giving,  at  the  same 
time,  a  short  statement  of  his  labours  in  the  pursuit  and  inculca- 
tion of  heavenly  Truth  ;  and  delivers,  in  the  two  last  verses,  the 
result  of  the  second  part  of  the  book,  that  the  Sovereign  Good 
and  real  happiness  of  man  consists  in  true,  practical  Wisdom,  in 
fearing  God,  and  keeping  his  commandments. 

9.  he  gave  good  heed,  and  sought  out,  and  set  in  order  many 
proverbs'] — Literally,  "  he  weighed,  or  diligently  considered,  and 
sought  out,  and  arranged  many  proverbs;"  but  the  two  former 
verbs  are,  probably,  used  adverbially,  and  if  so,  these  clauses 
may  be  rendered,  "  and  with  dihgent  inquiry  he  composed  many 
proverbs :"  "  diligenter  omnia  explorans  multas  congessit  sen- 
tentias,"  Dathe. 


176  NOTES.  [chap.    XII. 

10.  The  Preacher  sought,  &c.]— rThere  seems  an  opposition 
between  "acceptable  words"  and  "words  of  truth;"  the  former 
probably  meaning  the  agreeableness  of  the  style  and  expression, 
and  the  latter,  the  propriety  of  the  sentiments. — See  Critical 
Note  (*.) 

11.  The  words  of  the  wise,  &c.] — This  does  not  mean  the 
words  of  any  who  may  be  accounted  wise,  but  of  those  whose 
Wisdom  is  from  above,  men  divinely  inspired.  That  it  refers 
alone  to  the  words  of  inspiration  appears  from  what  follows, 
"  the  collectors  have  pubhshed  them  from  one  Shepherd,"  namely, 
God,  which  cannot  possibly  be  meant  of  the  sayings  of  mere 
human  wisdom.  We  have,  moreover,  in  these  expressions,  a 
confirmation  of  the  Divine  authority  of  that  which  has  been 
handed  down  to  us  in  the  Scriptures  as  the  words  of  the  wise. 
They  have  been  inspired  by  the  "  one  Shepherd,"  who  is  God, 
as  is  plain  from  the  emphatical  manner  in  which  it  is  expressed, 
or,  perhaps,  the  Son  of  God,  as  Diodati  and  many  others  main- 
tain, that  Son  who  was  the  Church's  supreme  Shepherd,  (John 


*  Houbigant  and  Durell,  instead  of  the  textual  ainD,  would 
read  inD';  and  the  Syriac,  Vulgate,  and  Aquila  render  it  "  he 
wrote:"  it  cannot,  however,  be  inferred  that  they  found  IDD*  in 
their  copies,  for  they  might  take  liriD  as  the  infinitive  put  for  the 
praeterite,  as  it  sometimes  is. — (Glass,  Phil.  Sac.  p.  288.)  Bishop 
Patrick  says  the  veise  runs  thus,  word  for  word,  in  the  Hebrew: 
"  The  Preacher  carefully  sought  to  meet  with  desirable  words; 
and  the  writing  of  uprightness;  and  the  words  of  truth."  As 
to  the  latter  part,  I  think  it  best  to  take  nu;>  adverbially,  or  to 
supply  the  preposition  a,  and  to  render  it  "  —  and  to  write  down 
properly,  or  rightly,  the  words  of  truth."  This  seems  the  most 
easy  interpretation.  "  He  searched  that  he  might  find  pleasant 
words,  and  wrote  rightly  the  words  of  truth,"  Luther's  German 
version. 


CHAP.    XII.]    _  NOTES.  177 

X.  1 1 ;  1  Peter  v.  4,)  and  by  whose  Spirit  all  the  prophets  have 
spoken.  From  the  Holy  Trinity  the  sayings  of  the  wise  have  pro- 
ceeded ;  by  their  sanction  and  authority  they  are  published  ;  and 
thus  Solomon  asserts  the  inspiration  of  the  Jewish  Meshalim, 
which  include  not  only  proverbs,  in  our  common  acceptation  of 
the  word,  but  any  weighty  and  important  maxim  or  sentiment. — 
See  Prel.  Diss,  to  Prov.  p.  10,  and  Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  This  verse  supplies  abundant  matter  for  critical  and  philo- 
logical remarks;  I  shall,  therefore,  as  briefly  as  possible,  state 
the  observations  I  have  to  make,  according  to  the  order  of  the 
words.  — as  goads'] —  It  is  not  absolutely  certain  that  pin  means 
a  goad,  but  there  is  all  the  evidence  for  it  the  case  admits  ;  for, 
first,  it  suits  the  context,  both  here  and  1  Sam.  xiii.  21,  the  only 
other  place  where  it  is  found.  Secondly,  it  is  confirmed  by  the 
Polyglott  versions.  Thirdly,  in  Arabic  t_>-^  is  acutus  fuit, 
— like  nails'] — So  miDU^DD  is  rendered  in  the  ancient  versions ;  and 
though  there  is  no  other  example  where  IDU^O  is  rendered  in  that 
sense,  it  may  be  observed,  that  many  MSS.  have  mnDDDD,  and 
that  Samech  and  Sin,  being  letters  of  the  same  organ,  are  some- 
times changed.  This  also  is  both  the  traditionary  sense,  and  is 
very  suitable  to  the  context.  — deeply  infixed] — As  nilDU^D  and 
ca'J^ltDJ  do  not  agree  in  gender,  E.  T.,  "  as  nails  fastened  by,"  &c, 
is  improper.  The  latter,  therefore,  refers  to  'im,  "  the  words  of 
the  wise,"  which  are  like  goads,  and  are  deeply  infixed,  like  nails; 
so  Dathe  and  Lowth  (PvcbL  de  Poes.  Heh.  xxiv.)  This,  though 
differing  from  the  Masoretic  punctuation,  appears  to  be  the  true 
interpretation ;  but  Desvoeux's  version  is,  *'  like  planted  reposi- 
tories;" and  Parkhurst's,  "  like  the  fences  of  plantations,"  namely, 
to  guard  the  plants  and  trees  of  righteousness. — {Lex.  in  nou^  2.) 
— the  collectors.] — The  great  Rabbinical  scholar,  Dr.  Lightfoot, 
supposes  mSDi^  ^hvi  to  mean  the  servants  that  attend  about 
the  flock  under  the  shepherd,  and  he  would  render  the  words  by 
way  of  paraphrase ;  "  The  words  of  the  wise  are  as  goads,  and  as 


178  NOTES.  [chap.   XII. 

12.  Of  making  many  hooks,  &c.] — ^This,  it  is  evident,  must  be 
taken  with  some  such  limitations  as  in  the  Paraphrase.     Such 


nails  fastened  by  those  that  gather  the  flock  into  the  fold:  Goads 
to  drive  away  the  thief  or  the  wild  beast ;  and  nails  to  preserve 
the  sheepfold  whole  and  in  good  repair.  Which  goads  and  nails 
are  furnished  by  the  chief  shepherd,  the  master  of  the  flock,  for 
these  uses." — (  Works,  vol.  ii.  p.  575.)  If,  as  before  observed, 
CDiplDJ  does  not  agree  with  "  nails,"  but  with  "  the  words  of  the 
wise,"  this  ingenious  explication  cannot  be  admitted.  Van  der 
Palm  takes  the  phrase  to  mean  the  moral  precepts  which  are 
collected  together;  *'jam  vero  cum  putem  m3D«  '^j;i  parallelum 
esse  Th)  CD»D3n  nn,  tum  per  dominos  collectionum  inteUigo  sen- 
tentias  virorum  prudentum  ac  prcecepta  moralia."  To  this  Bauer 
accedes  in  his  Scholia.  The  learned  Dr.  Hales  also  renders 
m3D«  ^hvJ  by  *'  master-collections,"  and  thinks  they  correspond 
to  the  Kvpiai  co^ai,  the  authoritative  aphorisms  of  Epicurus  and 
other  Heathen  philosophers. — (Neiv  Analysis,  vol.  ii.  p.  405.) 
But  these  interpretations  cannot  be  correct,  as  ^i^l  is  never  ap- 
plied by  the  Sacred  Writers  to  inanimate  things ;  and,  besides, 
it  has  invariably  reference  to  ownership,  or  possession,  which, 
when  applied  to  '*  collections,"  must  mean  **  master  of  collections." 
This  is  evident  beyond  all  doubt ;  but  still  the  question  returns, 
what  is  intended  by  this  expression?  Harmer  thinks  that  niDD^ 
'^rn  ought  to  be  translated  "  masters,  or  rather,  lords  of  as- 
sembhes,"  denoting  the  persons  who  distinguished  themselves 
by  the  superiority  of  their  compositions  in  those  assemblies  so 
frequent  among  the  Orientals,  in  which  they  entertained  them- 
selves with  reciting  and  listening  to  literary  productions  in  prose 
and  verse. — (Observations,  vol.  iii.  p.  215,  et  seq.)  Though 
mBD«  occurs  nowhere  else,  it  may  be  alleged,  in  favour  of  this 
interpetation,  that  the  root  ^^0^^  certainly  means  to  assemble,  to 
collect  together,  and  that  some  of  its  derivatives  hkewise  denote 
a  gathering  together,  an  assembly,  as  Isaiah  xxiv.  22 ;   Numb. 


CHAP.    XII.]  NOTES.  179 

observations  as  this  verse  contains  are  not  mathematical  axioms, 
and  common  sense  requires  them  to  be  understood  with  proper 
restrictions.— See  the  Prehm.  Dissert.  §  i.  p.  xxiii. 

13.  Let  us  hear  the  coitclusiori] — Literally,  **  the  end,"  that  is, 
the  end  of,  or  the  inference  from  **  the  whole  matter"  contained 
in  the  second  part  of  the  book,  the  sum  and  substance  of  the 
whole  argument  of  it. 

—  for  this  is  the  whole  duty  of  man] — This  elliptical  clause  iS 
properly  supplied  by  our  translators.  It  may  be  literally  ren- 
dered, *'  for  this  is  to,  or  belongs  to  every  man,"  Uiat  is,  taking 
the  words  in  the  largest  sense,  this  practical  Wisdom  is  profitable 
to  every  man,  is  the  duty  of  every  man,  is  his  supreme  good,  and 
the  perfection  of  his  nature. — Geier,  Le  Clerc,  and  others  pro- 
perly supply  the  particle  h>  before  f?3. 

14.  For  God  shall  bringy  &c.] — That  this  verse  does  not  refer 
to  the  temporal  retribution  exercised  under  the  Theocracy,  but  to 


xi.  4;  Nehem.  xii.  25,  where  >aD«l  is  rendered  in  E.  T.  "  at  the 
thresholds,'^  but  would  be  better  "  at  the  congregations  or 
assemblies."  According  to  this,  *'  the  lords,  or  masters  of 
assemblies"  denote  those  who  rule  and  teach  in  the  sacred  as- 
semblies, which  masters  or  teachers  are  given  from,  that  is,  ap- 
pointed  and  directed  by  one  Shepherd  or  Supreme  Governor, 
namely y  God." — (Wells's  Paraphrase.)  This,  however,  is  open 
to  several  objections;  (see  Prel.  Diss.  §  iii.  p.  41;)  for  which 
reason  I  adopt  another  interpretation,  which,  after  Le  Clerc  and 
others,  takes  niaD«  'Vj;i,  masters  of  collections ,  to  be  a  Hebraism 
for  "  collectors;"  by  which  expression  no  other  can  be  meant  than 
those  who  collected  and  disposed  in  order  the  sayings  of  men 
divinely  inspired,  as  the  men  of  Hezekiah,  mentioned  Proverbs 

XXV.  1. 

P  P 


1^0  NOTES.  [chap.    XII. 

a  future  state  of  rewards  and  punishments,    see  the   Prehra. 
Dissert.  §  iv.  p.  53,  et  seq, 

—  ichether  it  be  good,  or  whether  it  he  bad] — It  is  doubtful 
whether  this  clause  refers  to  "  every  work,"  or  to  "  every  secret 
thing,"  or  to  both;  though  the  last  is  most  probable. — See 
Critical  Note  (*.) 


*  The  clause  "  with  every  secret  thing"  is  rightly  translated; 
for  the  particle  hv  has  the  sense  of  with,  una  cum. — (See  Noldius, 
Concord.  Par  tic.  in  Vr  9.)  Schultens  thus  renders  it:  "  omne 
opus  adducet  Deus  in  judicium,  CD^rJ  ^3  hv,  quantumvis  omne  sit 
signatura,  qua  bonum,  qua  malum.'' ^-Origines  Hehrcece,  p.  390. 


THE    END. 


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