Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 1:12
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
12. I the Preacher was king over Israel ] Better, “ I have been king.” It would, perhaps, be too much to say that this mode of introducing himself, is so artificial as to exclude, as some have thought, the authorship of the historical Solomon. Louis XIV.’s way of speaking of himself “ Quand etois roi ” may well have had its parallel, as Mr Bullock suggests in the Speaker’s Commentary, in the old age of another king weary of the trappings and the garb of Majesty. As little, however, can they be held to prove that authorship. A writer aiming at a dramatic impersonation of his idea of Solomon would naturally adopt some such form as this and might, perhaps, adopt it in order to indicate that it was an impersonation. The manner in which the son of David appears in Wis 7:1-15 presents at once a parallel and a contrast.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Solomon relates his personal experience Eccl. 2; the result of which was no profit, and a conviction that all, even Gods gifts of earthly good to good men, in this life are subject to vanity. His trial of Gods first gift, wisdom, is recounted in Ecc 1:12-18.
Was – This tense does not imply that Solomon had ceased to be king when the word was written. See the introduction to Ecclesiastes. He begins with the time of his accession to the throne, when the gifts of wisdom and riches were especially promised to him 1Ki 3:12-13.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 12. I the Preacher was king] This is a strange verse, and does not admit of an easy solution. It is literally, “I, Choheleth, have been king over Israel, in Jerusalem.” This book, as we have already seen, has been conjectured by some to have been written about the time that Ptolemy Philadelphus formed his great library at Alexandria, about two hundred and eighty-five years before our Lard; and from the multitude of Jews that dwelt there, and resorted to that city for the sake of commerce, it was said there was an Israel in Alexandria. See the introduction. See Clarke on Ec 1:1.
It has also been conjectured from this, that if the book were written by Solomon, it was intended to be a posthumous publication. “I that was king, still continue to preach and instruct you.” Those who suppose the book to have been written after Solomon’s fall, think that he speaks thus through humility. “I was once worthy of the name of king: but I fell into all evil; and, though recovered, I am no longer worthy of the name.” I am afraid this is not solid.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This verse is a preface to the following discourse, that by the consideration of the quality of the speaker they might be induced to give more attention and respect to his words. Having asserted the vanity of all things in the general, he now comes to prove his assertion in all those particulars wherein men commonly seek, and with greatest probability expect to find true happiness. He begins with secular wisdom. And to show how competent a judge he was of this matter, he lays down his character, that he was the
Preacher, which implies eminent knowledge and ability to teach others; or, the convert, who had learned by dear-bought experience what he now taught them; and a king, who therefore had all imaginable opportunities and advantages for the attainment of happiness, and particularly for the getting of wisdom, by consulting all sorts of books and men, by trying all manner of experiments, and many other ways; and no ordinary king, but
king over Israel, Gods own and only beloved people, a wise and a happy people, Deu 4:6,7; 33:29, whose king he was by Gods special and gracious appointment, and furnished by God with singular wisdom for the discharge of that great trust; and whose royal palace and abode was in Jerusalem, where were the house of God, and the most wise and learned of the priests attending upon it, and the seats of justice, and colleges or assemblies of the wisest men of their nation; of which see 2Ki 22:14; 1Ch 25:8, &c.; Psa 122:5; all which helps concurring together in him, which very rarely do in any other men, makes the argument drawn from his experience more convincing and undeniable.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. Resumption of Ec1:1, the intermediate verses being the introductory statement ofhis thesis. Therefore, “the Preacher” (Koheleth) isrepeated.
was kinginstead of”am,” because he is about to give the results of his pastexperience during his long reign.
in Jerusalemspecified,as opposed to David, who reigned both in Hebron and Jerusalem;whereas Solomon reigned only in Jerusalem. “King of Israel inJerusalem,” implies that he reigned over Israel and Judahcombined; whereas David, at Hebron, reigned only over Judah,and not, until he was settled in Jerusalem, over both Israel andJudah.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I the preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. Solomon having given a general proof of the vanity of all things here below, and of the insufficiency of them to make men happy, proceeds to particular instances, and begins with human wisdom and knowledge, which of all things might be thought to be most conducive to true happiness; and yet it falls short of it: he instances in himself for proof of it; and he could not have pitched on anyone more proper and pertinent to the purpose, who had all the advantages of obtaining wisdom, was assiduous in his pursuit of it, and made a proficiency in it above all mankind; wherefore he must be owned to be a proper judge, and whatever is concluded by him may be taken for granted as certain; and this is the sum of the following verses to the end of the chapter. Now let it be observed, that he was a “preacher”, not a private person, and must have a good share of knowledge to qualify him for teaching and instructing others; and, more than this, he was a king, and did not want money to purchase books, and procure masters to instruct him in all the branches of literature; and when he entered upon the more profound study of wisdom, and especially when he said this, it was not in his infancy or childhood, or before he came to the throne, but after; even after he had asked, wisdom of God to govern, and it had been given him; yea, after he had been a long time king, as he now was; though the Jewish writers, as the Targum, Jarchi, and others, conclude from hence that he was not now a king, but become a private person, deposed or driven from his throne, which does not appear: moreover, he was king of Israel, not over a barbarous people, where darkness and ignorance reigned, but over a “wise and understanding people”, as they are called De 4:6; and he was king over them in Jerusalem too, the metropolis of the nation; there he had his royal palace, where were not only the temple, the place of divine worship, but a college of prophets, and a multitude of priests, and an abundance of wise and knowing men, whom he had opportunity of conversing with frequently; to which may be added, his large correspondence abroad; persons from all kings and kingdoms came to hear his wisdom, as the queen of Sheba; and by putting questions to him, and so exercising his talents, not a little contributed to the improvement of them. Now a person so qualified must be a judge of wisdom, and what he says deserves attention; and it may be observed, that what he says, as follows, is “in verbo regis et sacerdotis”, on the word of a king and preacher, who would never risk his honour, or forfeit his character, by saying an untruth.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“I, Koheleth, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.” That of the two possible interpretations of , “I have become” and “I have been,” not the former (Grtz), but the latter, is to be here adopted, has been already shown. We translate better by “I have been” – for the verb here used is a pure perfect – than by “I was” (Ew., Elst., Hengst., Zck.), with which Bullock ( Speaker’s Comm., vol. IV, 1873) compares the expression Quand j’tois roi ! which was often used by Louis XIV towards the end of his life. But here the expression is not a cry of complaint, like the “ fuimus Troes,” but a simple historical statement, by which the Preacher of the vanity of all earthly things here introduces himself, – it is Solomon, resuscitated by the author of the book, who here looks back on his life as king. “Israel” is the whole of Israel, and points to a period before the division of the kingdom; a king over Judah alone would not so describe himself. Instead of “king (over) Israel,” the old form of the language uses frequently simply “king of Israel,” although also the former expression is sometimes found; cf. 1Sa 15:26; 2Sa 19:23; 1Ki 11:37. He has been king, – king over a great, peaceful, united people; king in Jerusalem, the celebrated, populous, highly-cultivated city, – and thus placed on an elevation having the widest survey, and having at his disposal whatever can make a man happy; endowed, in particular, with all the means of gaining knowledge, which accorded with the disposition of his heart searching after wisdom (cf. 1Ki 3:9-11; 1Ki 5:9).
But in his search after worldly knowledge he found no satisfaction.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| Vanity of Human Wisdom. | |
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. 16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. 17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. 18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Solomon, having asserted in general that all is vanity, and having given some general proofs of it, now takes the most effectual method to evince the truth of it, 1. By his own experience; he tried them all, and found them vanity. 2. By an induction of particulars; and here he begins with that which bids fairest of all to be the happiness of a reasonable creature, and that is knowledge and learning; if this be vanity, every thing else must needs be so. Now as to this,
I. Solomon tells us here what trial he had made of it, and that with such advantages that, if true satisfaction could have been found in it, he would have found it. 1. His high station gave him an opportunity of improving himself in all parts of learning, and particularly in politics and the conduct of human affairs, v. 12. He that is the preacher of this doctrine was king over Israel, whom all their neighbours admired as a wise and understanding people, Deut. iv. 6. He had his royal seat in Jerusalem, which then deserved, better than Athens ever did, to be called the eye of the world. The heart of a king is unsearchable; he has reaches of his own, and a divine sentence is often in his lips. It is his honour, it is his business, to search out every matter. Solomon’s great wealth and honour put him into a capacity of making his court the centre of learning and the rendezvous of learned men, of furnishing himself with the best of books, and either conversing or corresponding with all the wise and knowing part of mankind then in being, who made application to him to learn of him, by which he could not but improve himself; for it is in knowledge as it is in trade, all the profit is by barter and exchange; if we have that to say which will instruct others, they will have that to say which will instruct us. Some observe how slightly Solomon speaks of his dignity and honour. He does not say, I the preacher am king, but I was king, no matter what I am. He speaks of it as a thing past, because worldly honours are transitory. 2. He applied himself to the improvement of these advantages, and the opportunities he had of getting wisdom, which, though ever so great, will not make a man wise unless he give his mind to it. Solomon gave his heart to seek and search out all things to be known by wisdom, v. 13. He made it his business to acquaint himself with all the things that are done under the sun, that are done by the providence of God or by the art and prudence of man. He set himself to get all the insight he could into philosophy and mathematics, into husbandry and trade, merchandise and mechanics, into the history of former ages and the present state of other kingdoms, their laws, customs, and policies, into men’s different tempers, capacities, and projects, and the methods of managing them; he set himself not only to seek, but to search, to pry into, that which is most intricate, and which requires the closes application of mind and the most vigorous and constant prosecution. Though he was a prince, he made himself a drudge to learning, was not discouraged by its knots, nor took up short of its depths. And this he did, not merely to gratify his own genius, but to qualify himself for the service of God, and his generation, and to make an experiment how far the enlargement of the knowledge would go towards the settlement and repose of the mind. 3. He made a very great progress in his studies, wonderfully improved all the parts of learning, and carried his discoveries much further than any that had been before him. He did not condemn learning, as many do, because they cannot conquer it and will not be at the pains to make themselves masters of it; no, what he aimed at he compassed; he saw all the works that were done under the sun (v. 14), works of nature in the upper and lower world, all within this vortex (to use the modern gibberish) which has the sun for its centre, works of art, the product of men’s wit, in a personal or social capacity. He had as much satisfaction in the success of his searches as ever any man had; he communed with his own heart concerning his attainments in knowledge, with as much pleasure as ever any rich merchant had in taking account of his stock. He could say, “Lo, I have magnified and increased wisdom, have not only gotten more of it myself, but have done more to propagate it and bring it into reputation, than any, than all that have been before me in Jerusalem.” Note, It becomes great men to be studious, and delight themselves most in intellectual pleasures. Where God gives great advantages of getting knowledge he expects improvements accordingly. It is happy with a people when their princes and noblemen study to excel others as much in wisdom and useful knowledge as they do in honour and estate; and they may do that service to the commonwealth of learning by applying themselves to the studies that are proper for them which meaner persons cannot do. Solomon must be acknowledged as competent judge of this matter, for he had not only got his head full of notions, but his heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge, of the power and benefit of knowledge, as well as the amusement and entertainment of it; what he knew he had digested, and knew how to make use of. Wisdom entered into his heart, and so became pleasant to his soul,Pro 2:10; Pro 2:11; Pro 22:18. 4. He applied his studies especially to that part of learning which is most serviceable to the conduct of human life, and consequently is the most valuable (v. 17): “I gave my heart to know the rules and dictates of wisdom, and how I might obtain it; and to know madness and folly, how I might prevent and cure it, to know the snares and insinuations of it, that I might avoid them, and guard against them, and discover its fallacies.” So industrious was Solomon to improve himself in knowledge that he gained instruction both by the wisdom of prudent men and by the madness of foolish men, by the field of the slothful, as well as of the diligent.
II. He tells us what was the result of this trial, to confirm what he had said, that all is vanity.
1. He found that his searches after knowledge were very toilsome, and a weariness not only to the flesh, but to the mind (v. 13): This sore travail, this difficulty that there is in searching after truth and finding it, God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted therewith, as a punishment for our first parents’ coveting forbidden knowledge. As bread for the body, so that for the soul, must be got and eaten in the sweat of our face, whereas both would have been had with out labour if Adam had not sinned.
2. He found that the more he saw of the works done under the sun the more he saw of their vanity; nay, and the sight often occasioned him vexation of spirit (v. 14): “I have seen all the works of a world full of business, have observed what the children of men are doing; and behold, whatever men think of their own works, I see all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” He had before pronounced all vanity (v. 2), needless and unprofitable, and that which does us no good; here he adds, It is all vexation of spirit, troublesome and prejudicial, and that which does us hurt. It is feeding upon wind; so some read it, Hos. xii. 1. (1.) The works themselves which we see done are vanity and vexation to those that are employed in them. There is so much care in the contrivance of our worldly business, so much toil in the prosecution of it, and so much trouble in the disappointments we meet with in it, that we may well say, It is vexation of spirit. (2.) The sight of them is vanity and vexation of spirit to the wise observer of them. The more we see of the world the more we see to make us uneasy, and, with Heraclitus, to look upon all with weeping eyes. Solomon especially perceived that the knowledge of wisdom and folly was vexation of spirit, v. 17. It vexed him to see many that had wisdom not use it, and many that had folly not strive against it. It vexed him when he knew wisdom to see how far off it stood from the children of men, and, when he saw folly, to see how fast it was bound in their hearts.
3. He found that when he had got some knowledge he could neither gain that satisfaction to himself nor do that good to others with it which he expected, v. 15. It would not avail, (1.) To redress the many grievances of human life: “After all, I find that that which is crooked will be crooked still and cannot be made straight.” Our knowledge is itself intricate and perplexed; we must go far about and fetch a great compass to come at it. Solomon thought to find out a nearer way to it, but he could not. The paths of learning are as much a labyrinth as ever they were. The minds and manners of men are crooked and perverse. Solomon thought, with his wisdom and power together, thoroughly to reform his kingdom, and make that straight which he found crooked; but he was disappointed. All the philosophy and politics in the world will not restore the corrupt nature of man to its primitive rectitude; we find the insufficiency of them both in others and in ourselves. Learning will not alter men’s natural tempers, nor cure them of their sinful distempers; nor will it change the constitution of things in this world; a vale of tears it is and so it will be when all is done. (2.) To make up the many deficiencies in the comfort of human life: That which is wanting there cannot be numbered, or counted out to us from the treasures of human learning, but what is wanting will still be so. All our enjoyments here, when we have done our utmost to bring them to perfection, are still lame and defective, and it cannot be helped; as they are, so they are likely to be. That which is wanting in our knowledge is so much that it cannot be numbered. The more we know the more we see of our own ignorance. Who can understand his errors, his defects?
4. Upon the whole, therefore, he concluded that great scholars do but make themselves great mourners; for in much wisdom is much grief, v. 18. There must be a great deal of pains taken to get it, and a great deal of care not to forget it; the more we know the more we see there is to be known, and consequently we perceive with greater clearness that our work is without end, and the more we see of our former mistakes and blunders, which occasions much grief. The more we see of men’s different sentiments and opinions (and it is that which a great deal of our learning is conversant about) the more at a loss we are, it may be, which is in the right. Those that increase knowledge have so much the more quick and sensible perception of the calamities of this world, and for one discovery they make that is pleasing, perhaps, they make ten that are displeasing, and so they increase sorrow. Let us not therefore be driven off from the pursuit of any useful knowledge, but put on patience to break through the sorrow of it; but let us despair of finding true happiness in this knowledge, and expect it only in the knowledge of God and the careful discharge of our duty to him. He that increases in heavenly wisdom, and in an experimental acquaintance with the principles, powers, and pleasures of the spiritual and divine life, increases joy, such as will shortly be consummated in everlasting joy.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
SOLOMON SEEKS SATISFACTION THROUGH HUMAN WISDOM
Verses 12-13 declare Solomon’s commitment to seek, by his wisdom, to find that which satisfies, under the sun. The language used indicates intent that the search be widespread, to include all areas and that each study be thorough.
Verses 14-15 report Solomon’s conclusion that all works done under the sun are vanity and vexation of spirit, as void of satisfaction to man as striving after the wind. Man cannot make straight, that which God has made crooked, or contrary to his desire, nor can he supply that which God has omitted.
Verses 16-18 stress the great wealth and wisdom Solomon had which enabled him to search extensively and thoroughly for satisfaction he sought to achieve by human wisdom. He concluded that such human resource is vanity and vexation of spirit and a cause of much grief and sorrow.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
I. A MAN OF WISDOM WORKS IN HARMONY WITH GODS PROVIDENTIAL BLESSINGS, OTHERWISE HE DISCOVERS ALL HIS WORK IS VANITY. 1:126:12
A. Experiments and Conclusions Ecc. 1:12 to Ecc. 2:26
1. Experiments Ecc. 1:12 to Ecc. 2:11
a. Unlimited resources for research Ecc. 1:12
TEXT 1:12
12 I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS 1:12
16.
How is the Preacher identified in this verse?
17.
The Preacher should be identified, therefore, as what person?
18.
Write down your own ideas as to what might be involved in the use of the past tense (have been king) since Solomon is still king as he writes the book.
PARAPHRASE 1:12
I, the one who gathers together Gods people in order to preach to them, became king over Gods people, Israel.
COMMENT 1:12
Ecc. 1:12 This verse is in harmony with Ecc. 1:1 and restates the Preachers position as king over Israel in Jerusalem. The experiments which immediately follow this verse, required great wealth and resources. A close study of 1 Kings 1-11 is sufficient to establish the credibility of Solomons claim to wealth and capabilities. He was in a position to propose and follow through on the ambitious goals of Ecc. 1:13 and Ecc. 2:1.
One major problem of this verse centers on the use of the past tense in reference to his reign over Israel.
The verb rendered have been could as easily mean become, and thus the sentence would carry the idea that Solomon became king in Israel[7] (note the Paraphrase). However, the purport of the verse does not hinge on the tense of the verb, but rather on the question as to whether the one who is to make the experiments has sufficient wealth and resources to carry them through. He may be saying, I have been king, and still am! At any rate, as king he has the authority and financial affluence to pursue his objectives.
[7] H. C. Leupold, Exposition of Ecclesiastes (Columbus, Ohio: The Wartburg Press, 1952), p. 52.
Those who would argue for a non-Solomonic authorship interpret the past tense in this verse as implying that the author personified Solomon, as Solomon would not have used the past tense at a time when he was still the king.
The Berleburger Bible conveys the meaning of the verb as a description of the past that stretches into the future, I the preacher have been king thus far, and am one still.[8] There is a sense in which the past tense could be used in the latter part of Solomons reign. The Lord took the kingdom from Saul while he still looked like a king. Samuel declared unto Saul, I will not return with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. (Read 1Sa. 15:24-35.) Even in Solomons day the kingdom shook beneath him with unrest and discontent. Sacrifice to foreign deities took place on the sacred ground of Israel. Jeroboam and Rehoboam stood waiting to claim their respective sections of the kingdom when it divided. Indeed, the handwriting was on the wall. It is reasonable, therefore, that Solomon could think of himself and the glory of the past as something that would never be reclaimed and thus in the last days of his reign to realize his control over Israel was indeed a thing of the past.
[8] Hengstenberg, op. cit., p. 61.
Another view concerning the tense of the verb is called the citizen-king concept. It maintains that Solomon speaks through two voices in the book. One voice is as king over Israel, and the other voice is that of a citizen who views from afar the happenings in Israel. It is believed that such a view explains the use of past tense in the verse.
Perhaps there is some basis for each of the views under consideration. At any rate, history records that Solomon reigned over Israel until his death. Perhaps the simplest explanation is to accept the possibility that Solomon is saying I, the Preacher became king over Israel in Jerusalem.
FACT QUESTIONS 1:12
34.
What major problem is suggested in this verse?
35.
Give evidence that Solomon could easily have been the one who carried out the experiments proposed in Ecc. 1:13 and Ecc. 2:1.
36.
Explain from the example of King Saul how Solomon could be spoken of as a king in the past tense while he is still reigning.
37.
Explain the citizen-king explanation as it pertains to the tense of the verb in this verse.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
KOHELETH RELATES HIS OWN EXPERIENCE.
(12) Having in the introductory verses stated the argument of the treatise, the writer proceeds to prove what he has asserted as to the vanity of earthly pursuits, by relating the failures of one who might be expected, if any one could, to bring such pursuits to a satisfactory result. Solomon, in this book called Kohleth, pre-eminent among Jewish sovereigns as well for wisdom as for temporal prosperity, speaking in the first person, tells how, with all his advantages, he could secure in this life no lasting or satisfying happiness. He relates first how he found no satisfaction from an enlightened survey of human life. He found (Ecc. 1:14) that it presented a scene of laborious exertion empty of profitable results. His researches (Ecc. 1:15) only brought to light errors and defects which it was impossible to remedy; so that (Ecc. 1:18) the more thought a man bestowed on the subject, the greater his grief. On the name Kohleth, and the phrase was king, see Introduction.
Over Israel.King of Israel is the usual phrase in the earlier books, but there are examples of that here employed (1Sa. 15:26; 2Sa. 19:23; 1Ki. 11:37).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
12. I the Preacher was king All scholars agree that was implies am not now, and to fit this word to the historic Solomon many an ingenious fiction has been devised. The Chaldee exposition says, that he was dethroned by Ashmodai, king of the demons. Others think that he wrote in old age, and here referred to his previous lifetime. But in Hebrew, the “was” is emphatic, and no man would use it in speaking of what still continued, and in speaking also to his contemporaries. [But, says Bullock, (Speaker’s Commentary): “This tense does not imply that Solomon had ceased to be king when the word was written. ‘The preterite is frequently used in describing a past which reaches forward into the present.’” Hengstenberg. ] 13. I gave my heart The heart is often used to express the sum of thought and feeling, and this phrase is equal to, “I devoted myself wholly.” Seek and search out are intensive of each other, and mean “seek diligently.”
By wisdom Hebrew, into wisdom. which here means a philosophical view just, acute, and comprehensive. A complete expression for the guidance of life.
Sore travail Plainer, sad task; that of wide observation of human conduct and fortune. One sees much that is painful to see, and one’s inferences must be so often gloomy! Koheleth sets himself to the task as moved by a call from God. Not all “children of men” have taste or faculty for philosophic research. He alludes to himself as belonging to a class to whom this special work is assigned. He feels his calling to be real though peculiar.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Intellectual Search ( Ecc 1:12-18 ).
Ecc 1:12-13
‘I the preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem, and I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom about all that is done under heaven. It is a painful effort (a sore travail, an unhappy business) that God has given to the sons of men to be exercised with.’
The Preacher reminds us that he was king in Jerusalem, and gave himself to use his wisdom to discover knowledge, but declares that the search for such wisdom and understanding turned out to be a useless and painful effort because of the difficulty of finding anything out. Although all that is under heaven is looked into, the effort only turns out to be effort spent in vain (compare Ecc 12:12). One is reminded here especially of the study of modern philosophy, where men seemed to be getting somewhere and finished up arguing about the meaning of words and mathematical formulae. Learned, yes, but not getting anywhere.
‘Was king in Jerusalem.’ Some see this as meaning that he was no longer king in anything but name, but had relinquished his throne to his son who in practise ruled for him. But it may simply mean that he did it while he was king, without necessarily signifying that he had now ceased to be king. What had ceased was his search, not his reign. He had done it while he was king, but had ceased to do it.
Ecc 1:14
‘I have seen all the works which are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity and a striving after wind.’
He had searched out everywhere what men did, but whatever they did, it was in the end fruitless and profitless, both spiritually and rationally. It was simply temporal and material. Seeking to find meaning to life was like striving after the wind. It was impossible to grasp and lay hold of what they were looking for, some extra meaning and lasting significance in life. All they had was the works that man continually did and which were in the end without any really final important significance. (Although of course being necessary to survive. It is kings in Jerusalem who can afford to think like this).
Ecc 1:15
‘What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be accounted for (numbered).’
This simply means that everything in life is basically marred and lacking in meaningful content. Everything is lacking in some way. It is ‘unstraight (crooked)’. And whatever we do it is not possible to make it ‘straight’. Whatever we do to it, it remains unstraight. We cannot give it a perfection that it does not have (the perfection he was looking for). It is not possible to obtain something complete from something else which is incomplete and thus diametrically opposite to it and totally unlike it. Nor is it possible make something of account which is in fact not so. All in life is to be seen as like things that are in essence crooked (marred in some way and incomplete). All are the same essentially. And perfection cannot be obtained from imperfection. Thus it is impossible to look behind such things and find anything that is essentially meaningful, i.e. something that is straight. Nothing can be transformed into something different, for all is essentially the same. What he was actually looking for, something that was essentially different from everything else and had an element of perfection, appeared in fact to be lacking. Thus it was impossible to give any account of it. It was all a part of his vain search into the meaning of life.
Ecc 1:16-18
‘I communed with my own heart, saying, “Lo, I have obtained for myself great wisdom, above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a striving after wind. For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge, increases sorrow.’
The Preacher had convinced himself that he had accumulated a wisdom and understanding above any who had been before him in Jerusalem, whether king, priest, wise man or prophet. He was convinced that he had great resources within himself of wisdom and knowledge, which had come through his meditation on truth as he saw it, and through his experience of life. None had quite achieved what he had achieved.
But when he then applied himself to examine all that was to be known, whether it was wisdom, or what others thought was wisdom (but turned out to be madness and folly, frivolous knowledge), it was in vain. He had left nothing uninvestigated, however foolish it had seemed. But all his searching out of man’s supposed knowledge, whether wise or foolish, had achieved nothing. He had come to the conclusion that the search for ultimate wisdom, for an ultimate reality, was the searching out of something that could not be comprehended or grasped. It was like searching for the wind.
Thus all his wisdom and increase in knowledge had simply left him flattened and even grief stricken. It appeared that wisdom only resulted in grief, and knowledge in sorrow, because what was being sought could not be found in that way. It was out of reach of intellectual ability. We are here reminded of Paul’s words in 1Co 1:20, ‘where is the wise, where is the scribe, where is the disputer of this world? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?’ The Preacher agrees with him. No solution was to be found in that way.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Preacher Has Made His Enquiries and Comes Up With Nothing ( Ecc 1:12 – Ecc 2:26 ).
The Preacher now brings out that he has made further enquiries and has come up with nothing. He first considers the search for intellectual knowledge (Ecc 1:12-18), and then he considers the search for pleasure (Ecc 2:1-26), but he concludes that both lead nowhere.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Preacher Pursues Wisdom to Gratify His Mind In Ecc 1:12-18 the Preacher describes his pursuits of wisdom in order to give gratification to his mind. However, in all of his pursuing he found only vanity and grief.
Ecc 1:12 Ecc 1:12
Ecc 1:13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
Ecc 1:13
Comments – The sore travail given unto mankind is the curse of working by the sweat of the brow (Gen 3:17-19). The phrase “to be exercised therewith” can be paraphrased, “to be afflicted by his labor.” In other words, God subjected mankind to affliction through laboring under the sun. In this verse, we see the effects of the curse that God placed upon man when he fell in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:17-19). Man was to now eat by the sweat of his face. For it was in man’s affliction that he would be more likely to look to God.
Gen 3:17-19, “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast `hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
Before the fall, man was anointed to seek out the wisdom in God’s creation. It was a joy to see what was under the heaven. But now, under the curse, the exercise of learning, inventing, and developing a civilization comes through much travail and at a high cost. In this verse, we see the labor that it cost man to build dams, bridges, railways, or highways. We picture the long hours involved in developing ideas and inventions. No longer does God give His wisdom without measure to a perfect, sinless man in the Garden. Instead, a fallen, corrupt man has to seek it out through much travail. The purpose of this travail is so that a sinful man will look to God and not to himself as the source of his well being.
Ecc 1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecc 1:15 Ecc 1:14-15
Ecc 1:16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Ecc 1:17 Ecc 1:17
Scripture References – Also, note a similar verse:
Ecc 2:12, “And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.”
Ecc 1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Ecc 1:18
Ecc 5:12, “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.”
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
The Preacher Finds Vanity in the Pursuits of Mental, Spiritual, Physical, and Financial Gratification – Throughout the book of Ecclesiastes the Preacher will attempt to answer the question, “What profit does a man have of all of his labours in this life?” (Ecc 1:3) In Ecc 1:12 to Ecc 2:11 the Preacher describes his pursuits to find pleasure in this life. After introducing himself as the king over Israel (Ecc 1:12), he explains how he pursued gratification for his mind by pursing wisdom (Ecc 1:13-18). He then changed his pursuits to find gratification for his heart through wine and laughter (Ecc 2:1-3). He then describes how he set out to work with his hands to construct great edifices for himself (Ecc 2:4-6) and to gather much wealth (Ecc 2:7-11). The Preacher concludes that this too is vanity and grasping for the wind Thus, we see him referring to the three-fold make-up of man: mind, spirit and body as well as finances. We can assume that these three pursuits took place in the Preacher’s life in the order that he gives them. He pursued wisdom and understanding first, followed by mirth and then the construction of great projects and the gathering of wealth. This represents the order of pursuits in the lives of many people. For example, in our society, we start out in our youth focusing upon school and education. When we go into our college years, we find that the influences for party and mirth are everywhere. We later find our place in society by focusing upon a career and learning to work hard towards success. For those who achieve financial success, they are left still searching for a meaning and purpose to their lives, having learned that all of these pursuits did not bring inner peace.
Throughout this passage the author searches for the true meaning of life. He asks the question in Ecc 1:3, “What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun?” He experiences different interests throughout life for periods of time, just like people today have fads, or hobbies, which are always changing. Illustration: My father would go through phases in his life of being interested in playing the guitar, working on cars, hunting, and various projects. I watched as these interests changed during the course of his life. The preacher will soon recognize the divine seasons that God orchestrates in the lives of those who obey His Word and keep His commandments (Ecc 12:13). The king has seasons of pursuits in his life. Because he orchestrated them himself, he found no satisfaction in them. Although none of these pursuits are evil in themselves, they are vanity when a person does not follow God’s plan for his life.
Just as Solomon, we too can have seasons of interests in various things of this world. These interests seem to fade in one area, and refocus on a new area through the years. When we follow God’s plan for our lives, we can still enjoy those seasons of change, but in a greater and more dynamic way. His plan for our lives will take us to new levels of interest and adventures. Our own pursuits will produces vain interests, as Solomon has stated here. However, when we follow God’s will for our lives, these seasons of interests will be satisfying. Seasons of changing interests are normal for us, but they do not satisfy until God is directing these seasons. Life is made up of seasons of change. When we learn to go with God’s seasons in our lives, we will find that they are not vain, but very rewarding.
Outline Here is a proposed outline:
1. In Pursuits of the Mind Ecc 1:12-18
2. In Pursuits of the Heart Ecc 2:1-3
3. In Pursuits of Wealth Ecc 2:4-11
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
The Preacher Explains How He Came to a Conclusion of Vanity in This Life Having acknowledged the predestined vanity of this world, the Preacher begins to explain how he pursued a purpose for his life in the midst of life’s vanities. He will describe the vanity of his own personal experiences (Ecc 1:12 to Ecc 2:11) and those of the society of people around him (Ecc 2:12-26).
Outline Here is a proposed outline:
1. The Preacher Finds Vanity in the His Own Pursuits Ecc 1:12 to Ecc 2:11
2. The Preacher Finds Vanity Around Him Ecc 2:12-26
The Unreliability of Earthly Wisdom
v. 12. I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem, v. 13. And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom, v. 14. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, v. 15. That which is crooked cannot be made straight, v. 16. I communed with mine own heart, v. 17. And I gave my heart to know wisdom, v. 18. For in much wisdom is much grief, Ecc 1:12. I, the preacher, was king, &c. I, who have assembled you, was king, &c.
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. (13) And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. (14) I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. (15) That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. (16) I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. (17) And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. (18) For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
In these verses are contained what must ever be considered as the grand part of a sermon, where the doctrine is brought to proof, and where the subject doth not rest upon mere saying a thing is so, but the most undeniable evidences are given of it: Solomon brings forward his witness in proof. Here is a man produced, who lived it all over himself, and proved it to be very vanity. He surly was well qualified to make trial: for he possessed more than any man before him ever did; to make trial of. He had riches, wealth, strength, opulence, servants, and every requisite to make life happy, if happiness could consist in the abundance of the things which a man possessed. And Solomon super-added to all these, an extent of knowledge and wisdom, far superior to every other, to seek and contrive that which might best promise success in the attainment. But what was the result? The Preacher still abides by his text, and in the conclusion declares, that he perceived that this also became vexation of spirit. Reader! do not fail to make your own observations as you go, and if the Spirit of wisdom be your Teacher, the conclusion of Solomon will correspond with your own: and his sentiment will be echoed in your heart, in relation to all earthly pursuits: Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity!
Ecc 1:12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ver. 12. I, the Preacher, was king over Israel. ] And so had all the helps that heart could wish, the benefit of the best books and records that men or money could bring me in, the happiness of holy conference, beside mine own plentiful experience, and therefore you may well give credit to my verdict. Mr. Foxe had a large commission under the great seal to search for all such monuments, manuscripts, registers, ledger books, as might make for his purpose in setting forth that worthy work, the ‘Acts and Monuments of the Church of England.’ And the like had Polydor Virgil for the framing of his history, though with unlike success; for he had the ill hap to write nothing well, saith one, a save the life of Henry VII, wherein he had reason to take a little more pains than ordinary, the book being dedicated to Henry VIII, his son. See Trapp on “ Ecc 1:1 “
a Peacham.
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Ecc 1:12-15
12I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. 14I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. 15What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.
Ecc 1:12 the preacher See note at Ecc 1:1.
have been king This is the first of several reasons why Solomon was not the author, but a literary foil (see Introduction, IV. Authorship, C).
The VERB was (BDB 224, KB 243, Qal PERFECT) is used often in the previous paragraph (Ecc 1:9 [twice], Ecc 1:10 [six times]). Time implications in Hebrew VERBS must be determined from the context. The PERFECT TENSE implies a past condition, not a current one. Was there ever a time when Solomon was not king after once becoming king? The rabbis felt this problem and surmised that Solomon experienced a judgment similar to Nebuchadnezzar (cf. Daniel 4) and was removed from active leadership over Israel for a period of time (Targum on Ecc 1:12; J. Sanhedrin 20c). This is just supposition and imagination trying to explain away the grammatical features of this text.
Ecc 1:13 mind This is literally heart.
SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HEART
seek This word means seek with application (BDB 205, KB 233, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT, cf. Psa 111:2; Psa 119:45).
explore This word means to investigate or to go to the root of a matter (BDB 1064, KB 1707, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT, cf. Ecc 7:25). It was used often of exploring the land of Canaan (cf. Numbers 13).
wisdom There are two words used in Wisdom Literature related to knowing. A good example is Pro 1:7 :
1. knowledge (BDB 395)
2. wisdom (BDB 315)
They form a complementary pair. One focuses on practical living and the other on academic knowledge. They are both needed to live life well. They should not be contrasted, but sought (cf. Job 28:28; Psa 111:10; Pro 9:10; Pro 15:33).
concerning all that has been done under heaven See note at Ecc 1:3. This is a key concept, crucial for a proper interpretation of the book. It is parallel to the phrase under the sun.
God This is the Hebrew name Elohim. This is the only name used for deity in the book.
SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY
NASBIt is a grievous task
NKJVthis grievous task
NRSVit is an unhappy business
TEVa miserable fate
NJBwhat a wearisome task
LXXan evil trouble
The word task (BDB 775) is used several times in the book (cf. Ecc 2:26; Ecc 3:10; Ecc 5:3; Ecc 8:16). God has given humans, made in His image (i.e., Gen 1:26-27), a desire to know and understand their place and purpose in creation, but sin has destroyed our ability to find the answer.
The ADJECTIVE (BDB 948) basically means evil or bad. It is used several times in the book (cf. Ecc 1:13; Ecc 2:17; Ecc 4:3; Ecc 4:8; Ecc 5:1; Ecc 5:14; Ecc 6:2; Ecc 8:3; Ecc 8:5; Ecc 8:9; Ecc 8:11-12; Ecc 9:2-3[twice],12; Ecc 10:13; Ecc 12:14) to describe life!
God has given humans who are made in His image an insatiable desire to know, to understand, but it cannot be satisfied in this fallen world. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a disaster, not a blessing! We know evil and ignorance, but not God or ultimate questions. Life is a mystery!
Ecc 1:14 under the sun See note at Ecc 1:3. Notice the number of times this phrase or a parallel phrase is used (cf. Ecc 1:3; Ecc 1:9; Ecc 1:13-14; Ecc 2:11; Ecc 2:17-20; Ecc 2:22; Ecc 3:16; Ecc 4:1; Ecc 4:3; Ecc 4:7; Ecc 4:15; Ecc 5:13; Ecc 5:18; Ecc 6:1; Ecc 6:5; Ecc 6:12; Ecc 7:11; Ecc 8:15[twice],17; Ecc 9:3; Ecc 9:9[twice],11,13; Ecc 10:5). This is the key theological phrase to understanding the book!
all is vanity and striving after wind This is another repeated phrase (and parallel) which characterizes this book (cf. Ecc 1:2; Ecc 1:14; Ecc 2:1; Ecc 2:11; Ecc 2:15; Ecc 2:17; Ecc 2:19; Ecc 2:21; Ecc 2:23; Ecc 2:26; Ecc 3:19; Ecc 4:4; Ecc 4:6; Ecc 4:8; Ecc 4:16; Ecc 5:7; Ecc 5:16; Ecc 6:2; Ecc 6:4; Ecc 6:9; Ecc 6:11; Ecc 7:6; Ecc 7:15; Ecc 8:10; Ecc 8:14[twice]; Ecc 9:9; Ecc 11:8; Ecc 11:10; Ecc 12:8). See word study at Ecc 1:17. It characterizes human’s search for meaning, happiness, and purpose without God. Life without God in a fallen world is frustrating and empty! Life with God in a fallen world is mysterious and unexplainable! Our hope is in the unseen God of revelation (Scripture). He has revealed Himself, but we still live in a fallen world and reap its chaos and evil!
Ecc 1:15 crooked. . .straightened Crooked (BDB 736) and straight (BDB 1075, KB 1784, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT) are often used in moral senses. They form the basis for the Hebrew concepts of righteousness and sin. This may be an oft quoted proverb (cf. NIV).
Not only can fallen mankind (even covenant humanity) not know or find, but they cannot fix. Life is a mystery and it cannot be understood or changed by those walking through it. In historical context, this may be a slap at divination or simply a realistic statement of mankind’s inability to correct the human condition (but God can, cf. Ecc 7:13; Job 12:14; Isa 14:27). Wisdom knows some things cannot be changed and goes on with life, but it also knows some things can be changed by godly living, godly choices. The problem is knowing which is which!
I. Solomon knew that the kingdom was to be rent (1Ki 11:11, 1Ki 11:12) and the People scattered; therefore he sought to kill Jeroboam (1Ki 11:39-40). The Chaldee Targum says, on Ecc 1:1, “These are the words of the prophecy which Koheleth delivered when Solomon foresaw, by the Spirit of prophecy, that the kingdom of Rehoboam his son would be divided by Jeroboam the son of Nebat”.
was = came to be.
over Israel. Solomon was the only king of which this was wholly true.
Ecc 1:12-18
Ecc 1:12-18
THE AUTHOR SPEAKS OF HIMSELF
“I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was striving after wind. For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.”
“I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem” (Ecc 1:12). “The word from which `Preacher’ is translated is a Hebrew term, [~Qoheleth], pronounced `Koheleth’ or `Kohelet.’ Many attempts to translate this have given us: `Ecclesiastes,’ `The Preacher,’ `The Speaker,’ `The President,’ `The Spokesman,’ `The Philosopher,’; and we might add, `The Professor.'”
Along with Ecc 1:1, this virtually names Solomon as the author of Ecclesiastes. Some scholars think that the words, all that were before me in Jerusalem, denies that Solomon was the author, but there is no such denial in it. All that were before me, should not be read as if it said, “All the kings that were before me.” Even if it meant `kings’, the words all that were before me would apply to the two kings who preceded Solomon as well as it would apply to twenty-five or thirty. Scott noted also that, “If the passage is construed as a reference to `kings’ who preceded Solomon `in Jerusalem,’ then it might include pre-Davidic kings such as Melchizedek.
Also, the Revised Standard Version renders Ecc 1:12; “I, the Preacher, have been king, etc.;” and many scholars understand this as an assertion that the writer, at the time of his writing, was not king. We do not accept that as a necessary conclusion. F. C. Cook, a very dependable scholar, stated flatly that, “This does not imply that Solomon had ceased to be king when this was written.
“In much wisdom is much grief” (Ecc 1:18). This is the message of the whole paragraph. Even the pursuit of wisdom, like everything else, is vanity and a striving after wind. In all of these negative and pessimistic statements, one should understand that their primary application is to every life that is without the blessed hope in Christ Jesus. This is the message that should be thundered in the ears of all mankind: You are never going to arrive at any worthwhile place without the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. You will never chase anything except “the wind” unless you receive and obey Christ.
“It is a sore travail that God hath given unto the sons of men” (Ecc 1:13). This is a very significant line. The author is not an infidel. He believes in God and is able to see in the universal frustrations of our fallen race the will of God. Why is this so? Because the human family, in the person of our progenitors, by reason of their choosing to serve Satan in Eden, have brought all their posterity under condemnation.
Yes indeed, it is God’s will that man’s activities should end in frustration and defeat (until they might turn to God and obey Him). Did he not curse the earth itself for Adam’s sake (Gen 3:17-19)? “The conclusion reached here is that man is destined by God to ceaseless effort without results.
“That which is crooked cannot be made straight” (Ecc 1:15). “Nothing that man can do can remedy the anomalies with which he is surrounded. The inadequacy of all systems of government, economics, education, etc., are utterly beyond his power to improve or correct them. In a word, “He is stuck with the situation into which he was born.”
“I have gotten me great wisdom” (Ecc 1:16). If Solomon indeed is the author here, his thoughts have already departed from the way of the Lord, because here he claimed that, “I have gotten me, etc.,” whereas, as a matter of truth, God had given Solomon his great wisdom in answer to prayer.” Here he was already well on the road to the apostasy that wrecked his life, his administration, and the kingdom of Israel. Solomon’s wisdom was nothing whatever that he searched out. It was a loving gift from God.
In this context, Cook pointed out that even in those thirty-nine times that the author used the term God in the Book of Ecclesiastes, he never once used the sacred covenant name Jehovah by which God was known to the Chosen People. All of the references use the term [~’Elohiym]. This might indicate that Solomon no longer, when this was written, considered himself obligated by the sacred covenant.
Some recurring phrases in Ecclesiastes should be noted. “Under the sun,” “on earth,” “under heaven,” and “those who see the sun” ” – All of these indicate the sphere of vision that prevails in Ecclesiastes, MAN’S LIFE ON EARTH. Furthermore, it is a view of man’s life on earth without any knowledge whatever of the Redemption in Christ Jesus. The profound tragedy is that this description fits millions of people this very day. A proper understanding of the seventh chapter of Romans gives us another picture of these Christless millions “without Christ.” See our comment on that chapter.
Ecc 1:12 This verse is in harmony with Ecc 1:1 and restates the Preachers position as king over Israel in Jerusalem. The experiments which immediately follow this verse, required great wealth and resources. A close study of 1 Kings 1-11 is sufficient to establish the credibility of Solomons claim to wealth and capabilities. He was in a position to propose and follow through on the ambitious goals of Ecc 1:13 and Ecc 2:1.
One major problem of this verse centers on the use of the past tense in reference to his reign over Israel.
The verb rendered have been could as easily mean become, and thus the sentence would carry the idea that Solomon became king in Israel (note the Paraphrase). However, the purport of the verse does not hinge on the tense of the verb, but rather on the question as to whether the one who is to make the experiments has sufficient wealth and resources to carry them through. He may be saying, I have been king, and still am! At any rate, as king he has the authority and financial affluence to pursue his objectives.
Those who would argue for a non-Solomonic authorship interpret the past tense in this verse as implying that the author personified Solomon, as Solomon would not have used the past tense at a time when he was still the king.
The Berleburger Bible conveys the meaning of the verb as a description of the past that stretches into the future, I the preacher have been king thus far, and am one still.” There is a sense in which the past tense could be used in the latter part of Solomons reign. The Lord took the kingdom from Saul while he still looked like a king. Samuel declared unto Saul, I will not return with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. (Read 1Sa 15:24-35.) Even in Solomons day the kingdom shook beneath him with unrest and discontent. Sacrifice to foreign deities took place on the sacred ground of Israel. Jeroboam and Rehoboam stood waiting to claim their respective sections of the kingdom when it divided. Indeed, the handwriting was on the wall. It is reasonable, therefore, that Solomon could think of himself and the glory of the past as something that would never be reclaimed and thus in the last days of his reign to realize his control over Israel was indeed a thing of the past.
Another view concerning the tense of the verb is called the citizen-king concept. It maintains that Solomon speaks through two voices in the book. One voice is as king over Israel, and the other voice is that of a citizen who views from afar the happenings in Israel. It is believed that such a view explains the use of past tense in the verse.
Perhaps there is some basis for each of the views under consideration. At any rate, history records that Solomon reigned over Israel until his death. Perhaps the simplest explanation is to accept the possibility that Solomon is saying I, the Preacher became king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ecc 1:13-18 Solomons purpose is clearly defined. He wants to explore all that is done under heaven. He will do it with his mind guided by wisdom. He sees it as a grievous task, vain and futile.
The term mind in Ecc 1:3 is a much better translation than heart which appears in the King James Version. Almost without exception the use of heart in the Old Testament should be thought of as the mental faculties. The idea here is to convey the fact that it is to be a mental procedure. He restates his determination to study and to know in Ecc 1:17 when he says, I set my mind. He does not bring a bias to his work. Neither is he interested in simply accumulating facts. He desires to see the nature of why and how things work.
Seek and explore are not synonymous. Seek carries the idea of studying that which is near at hand while explore suggests taking a comprehensive overview of something at a greater distance. Or, as Barton has stated it: Search means to investigate the roots of a matter; explore to explore the subject on all sides.” He does not leave a stone unturned in his quest to discover all that has been done under heaven. He is dealing, however, with that which has felt the blow of Adams fall. He explores everything that comes within his power to see or hear. He is faced with endless observations but his conclusion is that all of it is afflicted with the mark of the vanity of this world. He calls it a grievous task and striving after wind.
Since the task is grievous and drives one to despair, why say that God has given this task to man?
That is just the point! God has not given it to other than man. Nothing in all of Gods creation, except man, concerns itself with the why of the activities of our world. Man, however, is restless until he discovers the why. Augustines admission to God was that men are restless until they find their rest in Him. This quest for God in all the things around us is a futile pursuit. The reason it is unfulfilling is that it is directed toward Gods creation, and not toward the mind of God which interprets Gods creation. In Jesus day the mind of God was revealed to man in the fullest sense. It was under these circumstances that Jesus said, privately to his disciples, Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them (Luk 10:23-24).
False gods are worshipped throughout the world. False idols are established in every land. Why? Because these are expressions of mans frustrations and despair. He is searching in harmony with the grievous task in his mind, yet his results are inconsistent and unrewarding. His ultimate frustration is depicted by the Athenians in their erecting an altar to an unknown god! We hear Solomon say that God has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end (Ecc 3:11). It is an affliction because man is honest enough to admit that God is only longed for, not discovered. He must also admit, as Solomon does, that the mark of sin is so heavy upon both man and his world that nothing can really be changed, and that which is lacking in man and nature is still lacking. Man is not capable of remaking his world or himself. Cracks can be plastered, and cosmetically treated, but not healed. On our own, we can be pretenders and mask wearers, but we really cant make the crooked straight or add to mans account in order to make him acceptable before God.
Man is crooked and lacking, but God is not responsible for this. It was man who violated Gods order, and thus suffers the consequences of sin. He and his world stand out of joint and in debt before God. God placed the curse upon both man and the world because of sin. In a sense it can be said that God bends things and people out of shape. But it is only in the sense that God made the righteous rules which were violated by men, and God placed the subsequent punishments upon that which violates the rules. It is in the light of this truth that Solomon admonishes us, consider the work of God. Who is able to straighten what he has bent? (Ecc 7:13). Man is in debt to God. Solomon in all his wisdom cannot help. Paul goes a step further and declares that even the world cannot help. Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through wisdom did not come to know God, God was well pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe . . . we preach Christ crucified . . . because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men (1Co 1:20-25).
Another reason why the task is grievous has to do with the accomplishment of the very thing he started out to do. He wanted to explore all that had been done on the earth. He wanted to increase his wisdom and knowledge. He states that he accomplished this task to the degree that he (1) magnified and increased his wisdom more than any who had ruled over Jerusalem before him, and (2) his mind had observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge. It is grievous because he admits that the more he learns, the greater his pain and grief. The deeper one penetrates the true nature of man, and the more knowledge one has concerning the inequities of lifes struggle, the more disappointed he is with what he learns. His grief is actually compounded when he discovers that although he is a wise man, in this case greater than any who have lived before him, that he is still helpless and unable to bring justice to his own affairs. In addition, he is unable to correct the anomalies in the affairs of those about him.
In Ecc 1:17, he decides that he will also observe all he can concerning madness and folly. These words are usually associated with wickedness and improprieties. He contrasts these with wisdom which he actually employs in his pursuit. One example of Solomons observation of madness and folly is found in Ecc 10:12-13 where it is stated, the lips of the fool consume him; the beginning of his talking is folly, and the end of it is wicked madness. He associates folly and madness with the fool not the wise man. It is one thing to share in something, and something else to know of it through observation. It appears that Solomon is observing it rather than experiencing it. We read Ecc 7:25, I directed my mind to know . . . the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness. Cf. Ecc 2:12.
Solomons experiment was a success. That is, if he wanted merely to seek and explore by wisdom all that has been done under heaven. It was not successful if its objective was to bring him peace and satisfaction. His observations concerning it are (1) it is grievous, (2) it is an affliction, (3) it is vanity and striving after wind, (4) it increased my grief and my pain.
Everything Is Meaningless – Ecclesiastes 1:1-18
Open It
1. What would you say is the purpose of life?
2. What is one thing that makes life worth living?
3. What sort of mindless activities do you enjoy? Why?
Explore It
4. Who wrote this chapter? (Ecc 1:1)
5. What are some of the themes in these verses? (Ecc 1:1-18)
6. What sweeping statement did Solomon make about life? (Ecc 1:2)
7. What question did Solomon ask? (Ecc 1:3)
8. How did Solomon illustrate his statement that the earth remains the same? (Ecc 1:4-7)
9. Whats new? (Ecc 1:8-10)
10. Who will be forgotten? (Ecc 1:11)
11. To what did Solomon devote himself? (Ecc 1:12-13)
12. What conclusion did Solomon reach about everything he had seen and done? (Ecc 1:13-14)
13. To what had Solomon committed himself? (Ecc 1:16-17)
14. What conclusion did Solomon reach concerning wisdom and folly? (Ecc 1:17-18)
Get It
15. Why was Solomon so dissatisfied with life?
16. When have you found the pursuit of knowledge to be burdensome?
17. When have you felt as if you were just chasing after the wind?
18. To what sort of meaningless activities do people commit their life?
19. What about life do you find meaningless?
20. In what way does increased wisdom and knowledge bring increased sorrow and grief?
21. If we cannot find meaning in the pursuit of knowledge, in what can we find meaning and satisfaction in life?
Apply It
22. When can you take time this week to rethink your purpose and direction in life?
23. What is one meaningless activity you need either to totally eliminate from your life or reduce the amount of time you spend doing?
Ecc 1:1, 1Ki 4:1-19
Reciprocal: 2Ch 17:7 – he sent 2Ch 34:30 – he read Ecc 12:10 – Preacher 1Ti 2:7 – a preacher
Ecc 1:12. I the Preacher was king Having asserted the vanity of all things in the general, he now comes to prove his assertion in those particulars wherein men commonly seek, and with the greatest probability expect to find, true happiness. He begins with secular wisdom. And to show how competent a judge he was of this matter, he lays down this character, that he was the Preacher, which implies eminent knowledge; and a king, who therefore had all imaginable opportunities and advantages for the attainment of happiness, and particularly for the getting of wisdom, by consulting all sorts of books and men, by trying all manner of experiments; and no ordinary king, but king over Israel Gods own people, a wise and a happy people, whose king he was by Gods special appointment, and furnished by God with singular wisdom for that great trust; and whose abode was in Jerusalem Where were the house of God, and the most wise and learned of the priests attending upon it, and the seats of justice, and colleges, or assemblies of the wisest men of their nation. All these concurring in him, which rarely do in any other man, make the argument, drawn from his experience, more convincing.
Ecc 1:12 to Ecc 2:26. Qoheleths Investigations.Assuming the character of Solomon the writer tells of his search for happiness under many forms. The pursuit of wisdom (Ecc 1:12-18), absorption in pleasure (Ecc 2:1-11), the study of human nature (Ecc 2:12-17), the acquisition of wealth (Ecc 2:18-18), alike fail to yield satisfaction. After all his experience the only verdict he can reach is that there is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and enjoy life as well as he can while he has it (Ecc 2:24-26).
Ecc 1:12 to Ecc 2:26. Qoheleths Investigations.Assuming the character of Solomon the writer tells of his search for happiness under many forms. The pursuit of wisdom (Ecc 1:12-18), absorption in pleasure (Ecc 2:1-11), the study of human nature (Ecc 2:12-17), the acquisition of wealth (Ecc 2:18-18), alike fail to yield satisfaction. After all his experience the only verdict he can reach is that there is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and enjoy life as well as he can while he has it (Ecc 2:24-26).
Ecc 1:12; Ecc 1:16. See Introduction.
Ecc 1:13. Cf. Ecc 7:25; Ecc 8:16, and for God as a hard taskmaster Ecc 3:10.seek and search: get to the bottom of the problem and survey it on all sides.
Ecc 1:14. striving after wind: see mg., a strong phrase for aimless and futile desire.
Ecc 1:15. Life is incurably twisted and imperfect.
Ecc 1:17. Qoheleth would discover truth by the study of contraries. For madness and folly, however, LXX by a slight change of the Hebrew reads comparisons (or parables) and science. But increased knowledge only means increased perplexity (Ecc 1:18).
1:12 {h} I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
(h) He proves that if any could have attained happiness in this world by labour and study, he should have obtained it, because he had gifts and aids from God to it above all others.
A. Personal Observations 1:12-2:17
There are four parts to this section that fall into two pairs. Solomon first related his investigations (in Ecc 1:12-15 and Ecc 2:1-11), and then gave his evaluations of each of these experiments (in Ecc 1:16-18 and Ecc 2:12-17).
1. Solomon’s investigation of human achievement 1:12-15
Solomon had unique resources for investigating life. He was the king of Israel (Ecc 1:12), and he possessed superlative wisdom (Ecc 1:13; cf. Ecc 1:16; 1Ki 4:26-34). He says he made a comprehensive study of all kinds of human activities (Ecc 1:14). He observed that they were all a "grievous task" (Ecc 1:13; cf. Ecc 4:8; Ecc 5:14), namely, difficult and disappointing. "Striving [chasing] after wind" (Ecc 1:14) graphically pictures the futility Solomon sought to communicate (cf. Ecc 2:11; Ecc 2:17; Ecc 2:26; Ecc 4:4; Ecc 4:6; Ecc 6:9). This phrase occurs frequently in Ecc 1:12 to Ecc 6:9 and is a structural marker that indicates the end of a subsection of Solomon’s thought (cf. Ecc 1:17; Ecc 2:11; Ecc 2:17; Ecc 2:26; Ecc 4:4; Ecc 4:6; Ecc 4:16; Ecc 6:9).
Solomon was saying that there is no type of effort or activity that can produce something ultimately permanent and therefore satisfying. There is nothing people can do that will yield this, no type of work or activity.
II. THE FUTILITY OF WORK 1:12-6:9
The writer proceeded to elaborate on his thesis that all human endeavor lacks permanent value-by citing evidence that he had observed personally, and then evidence that everyone has observed.
FIRST SECTION
The Quest Of The Chief Good In Wisdom And In Pleasure
Ecc 1:12-18; Ecc 2:1-26
OPPRESSED by his profound sense of the vanity of the life which man lives amid the play of permanent natural forces, Coheleth sets out on the search for that true and supreme Good which it will be well for the sons of men to pursue through their brief day; the good which will sustain them under all their toils, and be “a portion” so large, and enduring as to satisfy even their vast desires.
The Quest in Wisdom. Ecc 1:12-18
1. And, as was natural in so wise a man, he turns first to Wisdom. He gives himself diligently to inquire into all the actions and toils of men. He will ascertain whether a larger acquaintance with their conditions, a deeper insight into the facts, a more just and complete estimate of their lot, will remove the depression which weighs upon his heart. He devotes himself earnestly to this Quest, and acquires a “greater wisdom than all who were before him.”
This wisdom, however, is not a scientific knowledge of facts or of social and political laws, nor is it the result of philosophical speculations on “the first good or the first fair,” or on the nature and constitution of man. It is the wisdom that is born of wide and varied experience, not of abstract study. He acquaints himself with the facts of human life, with the circumstances, thoughts, feelings, hopes, and aims of all sorts and conditions of men. He is fain to know “all that men do under the sun,” “all that is done under heaven.” Like the Arabian Caliph, “the good Haroun Alraschid,” we may suppose that Coheleth goes forth in disguise to visit all quarters of the city; to talk with barbers, druggists, calenders, porters, with merchants and mariners, husbandmen and tradesmen, mechanics and artisans; to try conclusions with travellers and with the blunt wits of home keeping men. He will look with his own eyes and learn for himself what their lives are like, how they conceive of the human lot, and what, if any, are the mysteries which sadden and perplex them. He will ascertain whether they have any key that will unlock his perplexities, any wisdom that will solve his problems or help him to bear his burden with a more cheerful heart. Because his depression was fed by every fresh contemplation of the order of the universe, he turns from nature to “the proper study of mankind.”
But this also he finds a heavy and disappointing task. After a wide and dispassionate scrutiny, when he has “seen much wisdom and knowledge,” he concludes that man has no fair reward “for all his labour that he laboureth under the sun,” that no wisdom avails to set straight that which is crooked in human affairs, or to supply that which is lacking in them. The sense of vanity bred by his contemplation of the steadfast round of nature only grows more profound and more painful as he reflects on the numberless and manifold disorders which afflict humanity. And hence, before he ventures on a new experiment, he makes a pathetic appeal to the heart which he had so earnestly applied to the search, and in which he had stored up so large and various a knowledge, and confesses that “even this is vexation of spirit,” that “in much wisdom is much sadness,” and that “to multiply knowledge is to multiply sorrow.”
And whether we consider the nature of the case or the conditions of the time in which this Book was written, we shall not be surprised at the mournful conclusion to which he comes. For the time was full of cruel oppressions and wrongs. Life was insecure. To acquire property was to court extortion. The Hebrews, and even the conquering race which ruled them, were slaves to the caprice of satraps and magistrates whose days were wasted in revelry and in the unbridled indulgence of their lusts. And to go among the various conditions of men groaning under a despotism like that of the Turk, whose foot strikes with barrenness every spot on which it treads; to see all the fair rewards of honest toil withheld, the noble degraded and the foolish exalted, the righteous trodden down by the feet of the wicked; all this was not likely to quicken cheerful thoughts in a wise mans heart: instead of solving, it could but complicate and darken the problems over which he was already brooding in despair.
And, apart from the special wrongs and oppressions of the time, it is inevitable that the thoughtful student of men and manners should become a sadder as he becomes a wiser man. To multiply knowledge, at least of this kind, is to multiply sorrow. We need not be cynics and leave our tub only to reflect on the dishonesty of our neighbours, we need only go through the world with open and observant eyes in order to learn that “in much wisdom is much sadness.” Recall the wisest of modern times, those who have had the most intimate acquaintance with man and men, Goethe and Carlyle for example; are they not all touched with a profound sadness? Do they not look with some scorn on the common life of the mass of men, with its base passions and pleasures, struggles and rewards? and, in proportion as they have the spirit of Christ, is not their very scorn kindly, springing from a pity which lies deeper than itself? Did not even the Master Himself, though full of truth and grace, share their feeling as He saw publicans growing rich by extortion, hypocrites mounting to Moses chair, subtle, cruel foxes couched on thrones, scribes hiding the key of knowledge, and the blind multitude following their blind leaders into the ditch?
Nay, if we look out on the world of today, can we say that even the majority of men are wise and pure? Is it always the swift who win the race, and the strong who carry off the honours of the battle? Do none of our “intelligent lack bread,” nor any of the learned favour? Are there no fools lifted to high places to show with how little wisdom the world is governed, and no brave and noble breasts dinted by the blows of hostile circumstances or wounded by “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune”? Are all our workmen diligent, and all our masters fair? Are no false measures and balances known in our markets, and no frauds on our exchanges? Are none of our homes dungeons, with fathers and husbands for jailors? Do we never hear, as we stand without, the sound of cruel blows and the shrieks of tortured captives? Are there no hypocrites in our churches “that with devotions visage sugar oer” a corrupt heart? And do the best men always gain the highest place and honour? Are there none in our midst who have to bear-
“The whips and scorns of time,
The oppressors wrong the proud mans contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the laws delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes”?
Alas, if we think to find the true good in a wide and varied knowledge of the conditions of men, their hopes and fears, their struggles and successes, their loves and hates, their rights and wrongs, their pleasures and their pains, we shall but share the defeat of the Preacher, and repeat his bitter cry, “Vanity of vanities, vanity of vanities, all is vanity!” For, as he himself implies at the very outset (Ecc 1:13), “this sore task,” this eternal quest of a wisdom which will solve the problems and remove the inequalities of human life, is Gods gift to the children of men, -this search for a solution they never reach. Age after age, unwarned by the failure of those who took this road before them, they renew the hopeless quest.
The Quest in Pleasure. Ecc 2:1-11
2. But if we cannot reach the object of our Quest in Wisdom, we may, perchance, find it in Pleasure. This experiment also the Preacher has tried, tried on the largest scale and under the most auspicious conditions. Wisdom failing to satisfy the large desires of his soul, or even to lift it from its depression, he turns to mirth. Once more, as he forthwith announces, he is disappointed in the result. He pronounces mirth a brief madness; in itself, like wisdom, a good, it is not the Chief Good; to make it supreme is to rob it of its natural charm.
Not content with this general verdict, however, he recounts the details of his experiment, that he may deter us from repeating it. Speaking in the person of Solomon and utilising the facts of his experience, Coheleth claims to have started in the quest with the greatest advantages; for “what can he do who cometh after the king whom they made king long ago?” He surrounded himself with all the luxuries of an Oriental prince, not out of any vulgar love of show and ostentation, nor out of any strong sensual addictions, but that he might discover wherein the secret and fascination of pleasure lay, and what it could do for a man who pursued it wisely. He built himself new, costly palaces, as the Sultan of Turkey used to do almost every year. He laid out paradises, planted them with vines and fruit trees of every sort, and large shady groves to screen off and to temper the heat of the sun. He dug great tanks and reservoirs of water, and cut channels which carried the cool vital stream through the gardens and to the roots of the trees. He bought men and maids, and surrounded himself with the retinue of servants and slaves requisite to keep his palaces and paradises in order, to serve his sumptuous tables, to swell his pomp: i.e., he gathered together such a train of ministers, attendants, domestics, indoor and outdoor slaves, as is still thought necessary to the dignity of an Oriental “lord.” His herds of flocks, a main source of Oriental wealth, were of finer strain and larger in number than had been known before. He amassed enormous treasures of silver and gold, the common Oriental hoard. He collected the peculiar treasures “of kings and of the kingdoms”; whatever special commodity was yielded by any foreign land was caught up for his use by his officers or presented to him by his allies. He hired famous musicians and singers, and gave himself to those delights of harmony which have had a peculiar charm for the Hebrews of all ages. He crowded his harem with the beauties both of his own and of foreign lands. He withheld nothing from them that his eyes desired, and kept not his heart from any pleasure. He set himself seriously and intelligently to make happiness his portion; and, while cherishing or cheering his body with pleasures, he did not rush into them with the blind eagerness “whose violent property fore does itself” and defeats its own ends. His “mind guided him wisely” amid his delights; his “wisdom helped him” to select, and combine, and vary them, to enhance and prolong, their sweetness by a certain art and temperance in the enjoyment of them.
“He built his soul a lordly pleasure house,
Wherein at ease for aye to dwell:
He said Oh, Soul, make merry and carouse,
Dear Soul, for all is well!”
Alas, all was not well, though he took much pains to make and think it well. Even his choice delights soon palled upon his taste, and brought on conclusions of disgust. Even in his lordly pleasure house he was haunted by the grim, menacing spectres which troubled him before it was built. In the harem, in the paradise he had planted, under the groves, beside the fountains, at the sumptuous banquet, -a bursting bubble, a falling leaf, an empty wine cup, a passing blush, sufficed to bring back the thought of the brevity and the emptiness of life. When he had run the full career of pleasure, and turned to contemplate his delights and the labour they had cost him, he found that these also were vanity and vexation of spirit, that there was no “profit” in them, that they could not satisfy the deep, incessant craving of the soul for a true and lasting Good.
Is not his sad verdict as true as it is sad? We have not his wealth of resources. Nevertheless there may have been a time when our hearts were as intent on pleasure as was his. We may have pursued whatever sensuous, intellectual, or aesthetic excitements were open to us with a growing eagerness till we have lived in a whirl of craving and stimulating desire and indulgence, in which the claims of duty have been neglected and the rebukes of conscience unheeded. And if we have passed through this experience, if we have been carried for a time into this giddying round, have we not come out of it jaded, exhausted, despising ourselves for our folly, disgusted with what once seemed the very top and crown of delight? Do we not mourn, our after life through, over energies wasted and opportunities lost? Are we not sadder, if wiser, men for our brief frenzy? As we return to the sober duties and simple joys of life, do not we say to Mirth, “Thou art mad!” and to Pleasure, “What canst thou do for us?” Yes, our verdict is that of the Preacher, “Lo, this too is vanity!” Non enim hilaritate, nec lascivia, nec visu, aut joco, comite levitatis, sed soepe etiam tristes firmitate, et constantia sunt beati.
Wisdom and Mirth compared. Ecc 2:12-23
It is characteristic of the philosophic temper of our author, I think, that, after pronouncing Wisdom and Mirth vanities in which the true Good is not to be found, he does not at once proceed to try a new experiment, but pauses to compare these two “vanities,” and to reason out his preference of one over the other. His vanity is wisdom. For it is only in one respect that he puts mirth and wisdom on an equality, viz., that they neither of them are, or lead up to, the supreme Good. In all other respects he affirms wisdom to be as much better than pleasure as light is better than darkness, as much better as it is to have eyes that see the light than to be blind and walk in a constant gloom (Ecc 2:12-14). It is because wisdom is a light and enables men to see that he accords it his preference. It is by the light of wisdom that he has learned the vanity of mirth, nay, the insufficiency of wisdom itself. But for that light he might still be pursuing pleasures which could not satisfy, or laboriously acquiring a knowledge which would only deepen his sadness. Wisdom had opened his eyes to see that he must seek the Good which gives rest and peace in other regions. He no longer goes on his quest in utter blindness, with all the world before him where to choose, but with no indication of the course he should, or should not, take. He has already learned that two large provinces of human life will not yield him what he seeks, that he must expend no more of his brief day and failing energies on these.
Therefore wisdom is better than mirth. Nevertheless it is not best, nor can it remove the dejections of a thoughtful heart. Somewhere there is, there must be, that which is better still. For wisdom cannot explain to him why the same fate should befall both the sage and the fool (Ecc 2:15), nor can it abate the anger that burns within him against an injustice so obvious and flagrant. Wisdom cannot even explain why, even if the sage must die no less than the fool, both must be forgotten well-nigh as soon as they are gone (Ecc 2:16-17); nor can it soften the hatred of life and its labours which this lesser yet patent injustice has kindled in his heart. Nay, wisdom, for all so brightly as it shines, throws no light on an injustice which, if of lower degree, frets and perplexes his mind, -why a man who has laboured prudently and dexterously and has acquired great gains should, when he dies, leave all to one who has not laboured therein, without even the poor consolation of knowing whether he will be a wise man or an idiot (Ecc 2:19-21). In short, the whole skein of life is in a dismal tangle which wisdom itself, dearly as he loves it, cannot unravel; and the tangle is that man has no fair “profit” from his labours, “since his task grieveth and vexeth him all his days, and even at night his heart hath no rest”; and when he dies he loses all his gains, such as they are, forever, and cannot so much as be sure that his heir will be any the better for them. “This also is vanity” (Ecc 2:22-23).
The Conclusion. Ecc 2:24-26
And yet, good things are surely good, and there is a wise and gracious enjoyment of earthly delights. It is right that a man should eat and drink, and take a natural pleasure in his toils and gains. Who, indeed, has a stronger claim than the labourer himself to eat and enjoy the fruit of his labours? Still, even this natural enjoyment is the gift of God; apart from His blessing the heaviest toils will produce but a scanty harvest, and the faculty of enjoying that harvest may be lacking. It is lacking to the sinner; his task is to heap up gains which the good will inherit. But he that is good before God will have the gains of the sinner added to his own, with wisdom to enjoy both. This, whatever appearances may sometimes suggest, is the law of Gods giving: that the good shall have abundance, while the bad lack; that more shall be given to him who has wisdom to use what he has aright, while from him who is destitute of this wisdom, even that which he hath shall be taken away. Nevertheless even this wise use and enjoyment of temporal good does not and cannot satisfy the craving heart of man; even this, when it is made the ruling aim and chief good of life, is vexation of spirit.
Thus the First Act of the Drama closes with a negative. The moral problem is as far from being solved as at the outset. All we have learned is that one or two avenues along which we urge the quest will not lead us to the end we seek. As yet the Preacher has only the ad interim conclusion to offer us, that both Wisdom and Mirth are good, though neither, nor both combined, is the supreme Good; that we are therefore to acquire wisdom and knowledge, and to blend pleasure with our toils; that we are to believe pleasure and wisdom to be the gifts of God, to believe also that they are bestowed, not in caprice, but according to a law which deals out good to the good and evil to the evil. We shall have other opportunities of weighing and appraising his counsel-it is often repeated-and of seeing how it works into and forms part of Coheleths final solution of the painful riddle of the earth, the baffling mystery of life.
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary