Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 2:5
I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all [kind of] fruits:
5. I made me gardens and orchards ] The latter word, originally Persian, and found only in the O. T. in this book, in Song Son 4:13, and Neh 2:8, is the “paradise” of Xenophon, of later Rabbinic writings and of the New Testament (Luk 23:43; 2Co 12:4). It indicates what we call a park, with flowing streams and shady groves and fruit trees, and deer feeding on the fresh green grass, and doves flitting through the trees, such as seemed to the Eastern imagination the fittest type of the highest blessedness. The whole scenery of the Song of Solomon is such a garden, planted with pomegranates and pleasant fruits, spikenards and camphire, calamus and cinnamon, and trees of frankincense, and lilies (Song Son 4:13-15; Son 6:2). The pools of Solomon at Etam, on the south-west of Bethlehem, described by Josephus ( Ant. viii. 7. 3) still preserve the memory of such a “paradise.” Other traces of these surroundings of the palaces of Jewish kings are found in the history of Naboth’s vineyard, where the “garden of herbs” can hardly be thought of as merely a “kitchen garden” (1Ki 21:2) and in the garden of Zedekiah (Jer 52:7).
all kind of fruits ] The horticulture of Palestine included the apple, the fig, the pomegranate, the date, the caper-tree, nuts, almonds, raisins and mandrakes. The account is in strict keeping with the character of the king who spake of trees “from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop on the wall” (1Ki 4:33).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Orchards – literally, paradises, i. e., parks or pleasure-grounds (compare Neh 2:8 note). Indications of at least three of these have been pointed out; one at Jerusalem near the pool of Siloam, called the kings garden Neh 3:15; Jer 52:7; a second near Bethlehem (compare Ecc 2:6); and a third in the remote north, on the heights of Hermon Son 4:8; Son 8:11.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 5. I made me gardens and orchards] pardesim, “paradises.” I doubt much whether this be an original Hebrew word. [Arabic] ferdoos, is found in the Persian and Arabic; and signifies a pleasant garden, a vineyard. Hence our word paradise, a place full of delights. How well Solomon was qualified to form gardens, orchards, vineyards, conservatories, c., may be at once conceived when we recollect his knowledge of natural history and that he wrote treatises on vegetables and their properties, from the cedar to the hyssop.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
I made me gardens, Heb. paradises, or gardens of pleasure.
I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits, mixing pleasure and profit together.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. gardensHebrew,“paradises,” a foreign word; Sanskrit, “a placeenclosed with a wall”; Armenian and Arabic, “apleasure ground with flowers and shrubs near the king’s house, orcastle.” An earthly paradise can never make up for the want ofthe heavenly (Re 2:7).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I made me gardens and orchards,…. Of the king’s garden, we read Jer 39:4. Adrichomius b makes mention of a royal garden in the suburbs of Jerusalem, fenced with walls; and was a paradise of fruit trees, herbs, spices, and flowers; abounded with all kind of fruit, exceeding pleasant and delightful to the senses: and, as Solomon was so great a botanist, and knew the nature and use of all kinds of trees and herbs, 1Ki 4:33; no doubt but he has a herbal garden, well stocked with everything of that kind, curious and useful; see 1Ki 21:2. Gardens are made for pleasure as well as profit; Adam, as soon as created, was put into a garden, to add to his natural pleasure and felicity, as well as for his employment, Ge 2:8; and the pleasure of walking in a garden, and partaking of the fruits of it, are alluded to by Solomon, So 4:12;
and I planted trees in them of all [kind of] fruits; which, as before observed, he had thorough knowledge of, and many of which were brought him from foreign parts; and all served to make his gardens, orchards, parks, forests, and enclosures, very pleasant and delectable. The Targum adds,
“some for food, others for drink, and others for medicine.”
b Theatrum Terrae Sanctae, p. 170.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(5) Orchards.Rather, parks. The word, which occurs also in Son. 4:3, Neh. 2:8, is originally Persian, and passed into the Greek and into modern languages in the form of paradise (Luk. 23:43; 2Co. 12:4; and in LXX., Gen. 2:10; Gen. 13:10; Num. 24:6; Isa. 1:30; Sir. 24:30; Susan. 5:4). Parks and trees giving, not only fruit, but shade from the hot Eastern sun, were an almost necessary part of kingly luxury. The kings garden is spoken of in 1Ki. 21:2; 2Ki. 21:18; 2Ki. 25:4; Neh. 3:15.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. Orchards Hebrew, paradises. Paradise is a Sanscrit word for “enclosure,” but, as borrowed into other languages, means, “park,” “pleasure grounds.” See note on Luk 23:42.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ecc 2:5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all [kind of] fruits:
Ver. 5. I made me gardens. ] So called, because guarded and enclosed with a wall, Son 4:12 like as we call garments quasi guardments, in an active acception of the word, because they guard our bodies from the injury of wind and weather. The Hebrew word , Gan , comes likewise from a word that signifieth to protect or guard; and there are those who give this for a reason why the Lord forbade the Jews to keep swine, because they are such enemies to gardens, whereof that country is very full.
And orchards.
a Athenaeus, Diod., lib. ii. cap. 4. Q. Curt., lib. v.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
orchards. Hebrew. pardesim = paradises, parks, or pleasure grounds. Different from “gardens”, which were cultivated (Deu 11:10. 1Ki 21:2). Paradises were formed by eastern monarchs. In the British Museum may be seen the inscriptions of Gudea, the greatest of the Sumerian rulers of Chaldea (2500 B.C.), and Tiglath-pileser I, king of Assyria (1120 B. C), describing what could be only a botanical and zoological park. Assur-nazir-pal, king of Assyria (885 B. C), founded such a public paradise, and describes how he stocked it; what he brought, and whence he brought the natural history collection. The British Museum contains a portion of a similar catalogue of Sennacherib. The Paradise in Rev 2:7; Rev 22:1, Rev 22:2, refers to the future paradise, which will be as literal and real, not figurative.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
me: Son 4:12-16, Son 5:1, Son 6:2, Jer 39:4
I planted: Gen 2:8, Gen 2:9, Luk 17:27-29
Reciprocal: 1Ki 7:1 – thirteen years 1Ki 21:2 – a garden of herbs Son 4:13 – are