Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 2:8
I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I got me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, [as] musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
8. I gathered me also silver and gold ] Here also we find a counterpart in what is recorded of the wealth of Solomon, the ships of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir, to the amount of 420 talents (1Ki 9:28), the gifts from the queen of Sheba (1Ki 10:1), the total revenue of 666 talents (1Ki 10:15), the 200 targets and 300 shields of beaten gold, and the throne of gold and ivory and the drinking vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon, and the silver that was in Jerusalem as stones (1Ki 10:16-27).
the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces ] The words may point to the special gifts which came to Solomon by way of tribute from other lands, from Seba and Sheba (Psa 72:10), from the “kings of Arabia and the governors of the country” (1Ki 9:15; 1Ki 10:27). Many commentators, however, see in the phrase a description of the treasures of Solomon as being such as were the special possessions of sovereign rulers and sovereign states as distinct from the wealth of private citizens. The word for “province” may be noted as a comparatively late word, hardly coming into use till the time of the Captivity (Lam 1:1; Eze 19:8), and prominent chiefly in the books of the Persian period, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther and Daniel. It probably designates here the twelve districts into which Solomon divided his empire (1Ki 4:7-19).
men singers and women singers ] The mention of women shews that the singers meant are not those connected with the choir of the Temple, but those who, as in the speech of Barzillai (2Sa 19:35), figured at state banquets. These women, as in Isa 23:6, were commonly taken from the class of harlot aliens, and as such were condemned by the counsel of the wise of heart ( Sir 9:4 ). For the general use of music at feasts, comp. Isa 5:11-12; Amo 6:5; Sir 32:5-6 ; Sir 49:1 .
the delights of the sons of men ] The use of the word in Song Son 7:6 leaves little doubt that the phrase is an euphemism for sensual pleasures, and as such it helps to determine the meaning of the words that follow.
musical instruments, and that of all sorts ] The Hebrew substantive, which is not found elsewhere, is first given in the singular and then in the plural, as an emphatic way of expressing multitude, and has been very variously interpreted, as meaning, with the A.V., following Luther, a “musical instrument,” or with the Vulgate “cups,” or with the LXX. “cup-bearers,” or a “bath,” or “heaps” of treasure, or a “chariot,” or a “palanquin,” or even “male and female demons.” Most modern scholars however agree, though differing as to its etymology, some finding its root-meaning in “couch,” and some in the “female breast,” and others in “captives taken in war,” in rendering it as a “concubine.” This agrees, it is obvious, with the context and with what is recorded of Solomon’s seraglio with its thousand inmates (Song Son 6:8; 1Ki 11:3). It was not likely, we may add, that so characteristic a feature in that monarch’s prodigal excesses should have been altogether passed over in a picture so elaborate. “Musical instruments,” it may be added, would have formed a somewhat poor climax to the long catalogue of kingly luxuries. The interpolated “ as ” should be omitted.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Kings – Both tributary 1Ki 10:15 and independent 1Ki 5:1; 1Ki 9:14; 1Ki 10:2; the provinces probably correspond to the kingdoms mentioned in 1Ki 4:21.
As musical … sorts – Rather, Many women (compare 1Ki 11:1-3).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 8. The peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces]
1. The taxes levied off his subjects.
2. The tribute given by the neighboring potentates. Both these make the “peculiar treasure of kings;” taxes and tribute.
Men singers and women singers] This includes all instrumental and vocal performers. These may be called the delights of the sons of men.
Musical instruments, and that of all sorts.] For these seven words, there are only two in the original, shiddah veshiddoth. These words are acknowledged on all hands to be utterly unknown, if not utterly inexplicable. Some render them male and female captives; others, cups and flagons; others, cooks and confectioners; others, a species of musical compositions derived from a celebrated Phoenician woman named Sido, to whom Sanchoniatha attributes the invention of music. Others, with more probability, wives and concubines; of the former of whom Solomon had seven hundred, and of the latter, three hundred; and if these be not spoken of here, they are not mentioned at all; whereas music, and every thing connected with that, was referred to before. The author of Choheleth paraphrases thus: –
“To complete
This scene of earthly bliss, how large a span
Of that which most delights the sons of men
Fell to my portion! What a lovely train
Of blooming beauties, by connubial ties,
By purchase, or the gifts of neighboring kings,
Or spoils of war, made mine.”
If, after all this, I may add one conjecture, it shall be this; sadeh, in Hebrew, is a field, and occurs in various parts of the Bible. sadoth is fields, 1Sa 22:7, the points in such a case are of no consideration. May not Solomon be speaking here of farms upon farms, or estates upon estates, which he had added by purchase to the common regal portion? We know that a king of Israel (Ahab) once desired to have a vineyard (Naboth’s) which he could not obtain: now, Solomon having spoken before of gardens, orchards, and vineyards, why may he not here speak of supernumerary estates? Perhaps every man who critically examines the place will be dissatisfied, and have a conjecture of his own.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The peculiar treasure of kings; either,
1. Vast riches, answerable to the state of a king. Or,
2. The greatest jewels and rarities of other kings, which they gave to me either as a tribute, or by way of present; of which see 1Ki 4:21; 9:11; 10:2,10.
Of the provinces; which were imposed upon or presented by all the provinces of my dominions.
Women singers; whose voices were more sweet than the mens.
And the delights of the sons of men; either,
1. All other delightful things. Or,
2. That in which men generally delight, to wit, musical instruments, as it follows.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. (1Ki 10:27;2Ch 1:15; 2Ch 9:20).
peculiar treasure of kingsand . . . provincescontributed by them, as tributary to him(1Ki 4:21; 1Ki 4:24);a poor substitute for the wisdom whose “gain is better than finegold” (Pro 3:14; Pro 3:15).
singersso David (2Sa19:35).
musical instruments . . . ofall sortsintroduced at banquets (Isa 5:12;Amo 6:5; Amo 6:6);rather, “a princess and princesses,” from an Arabicroot. One regular wife, or queen (Es1:9); Pharaoh’s daughter (1Ki3:1); other secondary wives, “princesses,” distinctfrom the “concubines” (1Ki 11:3;Psa 45:10; Son 6:8)[WEISS, GESENIUS].Had these been omitted, the enumeration would be incomplete.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I gathered me also silver and gold,…. In great quantities: the weight of gold which came to him in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents; see 1Ki 9:14;
and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; whatsoever was valuable and precious, such as is laid up in the cabinets of kings, as jewels and precious stones; and everything rare and curious, to be found in all provinces of the earth, or which were brought from thence as presents to him; the Targum is,
“and the treasures of kings and provinces, given to me for tribute:”
wherefore, if any pleasure arises from these things, as do to the virtuosi, Solomon enjoyed it. Moreover, among the treasures of kings were precious garments of various sorts, as were in the treasury of Ahasuerus l; and when Alexander took Shushan, he found in the king’s treasures, of Hermionic purple, to the value of five thousand talents, which had been laid up there almost two hundred years m; and to such treasure Christ alludes, Mt 6:19;
I got me men singers and women singers; the harmony and music of whose voices greatly delight; see 2Sa 19:35; the Targum interprets it both of instruments of music for the Levites to use in the temple, and of singing men and women at a feast: and such persons were employed among other nations n, on such occasions, to entertain their guests; and are called the ornaments of feasts o; as were also “choraules”, or pipers p;
and the delights of the sons of men; [as] musical instruments, and that of all sorts; such as David his father invented; and to which he might add more, and indeed got all that were to be obtained; see Am 6:5. The two last words, rendered “musical instruments, of all sorts”, are differently interpreted; the Targum interprets them of hot waters and baths, having pipes to let out hot water and cold; Aben Ezra, of women taken captive; Jarchi, of chariots and covered wagons; the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, of cup bearers, men, and women, that pour out wine and serve it; and the Vulgate Latin version, of cups and pots, to pour out wine. It seems best to understand it of musical instruments, or of musical compositions q; sung either with a single voice, or in concert; which, according to Bochart r, were called “sidoth”, from Sido, a Phoenician woman of great note, the inventor of them or rather from giving unequal sounds, which, by their grateful mixture and temperament, broke and destroyed s one another.
l Targum Sheni in Esther vi. 10. m Plutarch. in Alexandro, p. 686. Vid. Homer. Iliad. 24. v. 224-234. n Vid. A. Geli. Noct. Attic. l. 19. c. 9. Homer. Odyss. 8. v. 62, 73, 74. & 9. v. 5-7. o Homer. Odyss. 21. v. 430. p Vid. Gutberleth. Conjectanea, &c. p. 162, &c. q Vid. Gusset. Comment. Heb. p. 832. r Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 6. c. 13. col. 847. s Buxtorf. in voce , See Weemse’s Christian Synagog. p. 144.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“I heaped up for myself also silver and gold, and the peculiar property of kings and of countries; I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the children of men: mistress and mistresses.” The verb , , is common to all Semitic dialects (also the to Assyr.), and especially peculiar to the more recent Heb., which forms from it the name of the religious community , ; it is used here of that which is brought together merely for the purpose of possession. Segullah (from sagal , Targ., to make oneself possess), properly possession, and that something which specially and peculiarly belongs to one as his property; the word is here meant collect., as at 1Ch 29:3: that which only kings and individual countries possess. The interchange of melachim , which is without the article, with the determ. hammedinoth , is arbitrary: something special, such as that which a king possesses, the specialities which countries possess, – one country this, and another that. The hammedinoth are certainly not exclusively the regions embraced within the dominion of Solomon (Zckl.), as, according to Est 1:1, the Persian kingdom was divided into 127 medinoth . Solomon had a fleet which went to Ophir, was in a friendly relation with the royal house of Tyre, the metropolis of many colonies, and ruled over a widely-extended kingdom, bound by commerce with Central Asia and Africa. – His desires had thus ample opportunity to stretch beyond the limits of his own kingdom, and facilities enough for procuring the peculiar natural and artistic productions which other lands could boast of. Medinah is, first of all, a country, not as a territory, but as under one government (cf. Ecc 5:7); in the later philosophical language it is the Heb. word for the Greek ; in the passage before us, medinoth is, however, not different from .
From the singing men and singing women who come into view here, not as appertaining to the temple service ( vid., the Targ.), with which no singing women were connected, but as connected with the festivities of the court (2Sa 19:36; cf. Isa 5:12), advance is made to shiddah veshiddoth ; and since these are designated by the preceding (not ) bene haadam , especially as objects and means of earthly pleasure, and since, according to Heb 2:7, sexual love is the fairest and the most pleasant, in a word, the most attractive of all earthly delights (Solomon’s luxus , also here contradicting the law of the king, Deu 17:17, came to a height, according to 1Ki 11:3, after the example of Oriental rulers, in a harem of not fewer than one thousand women, princesses and concubines), of necessity, the expression shiddah veshiddoth must denote a multitude of women whom the king possessed for his own pleasure. Cup-bearers, male and female (Syr., lxx), cannot at all be understood, for although it may be said that the enumeration thus connects itself with the before-named , yet this class of female attendants are not numbered among the highest human pleasures; besides, with such an explanation one must read , and, in addition, (to throw, to pour to, or pour out), to which this Heb. may correspond, is nowhere used of the pouring out of wine. Rather might , like , hydria , be the name of a vessel from which one pours out anything, according to which Aq. translates by , Symmachus, after Jerome, by mensurarum (read mensarum )
(Note: Thus, according to Vallarsi, a Cod. Vat. and Cod. Palat. of the first hand.)
species et appositioines , and Jerome, scyphos et urceos in ministerio ad vina fundenda ; but this word for kele mashkeh , 1Ki 10:21 (= 2Ch 9:20), is not found. Also the Targ., which translates by dimasaya uve venavan , public baths ( ), and balneae , vindicates this translation by referring the word to the verb , “with pipes which pour out ( ) tepid water, and pipes which pour out hot water.” But this explanation is imaginary; occurs in the Mishna, Mikwaoth (of plunge-baths) Ecc 6:5, but there it denotes a chest which, when it swims in the water, makes the plunge-bath unsuitable. Such an untenable conceit also is the translation suggested by Kimchi, , according to which the Event. (in a musical sense: concentus ), and Luther: “all kinds of musical instruments;” the word has not this meaning; Orelli, Sanchuniathon, p. 33, combines therewith , according to the Phoenician myth, the inventress of the artistic song. The explanation by Kimchi is headed, “Splendour of every kind;” Ewald, Elster, and Zckler find therein a general expression, following taanugoth : great heap and heaps = in great abundance [ die Hlle und Flle ]. But the synon. of , “splendour,” is not , but ; and that , like , is referred to a great number, is without proof. Thus shiddah veshiddoth will denote something definite; besides, “a large number” finds its expression in the climactic union of words. In the Jerus. Talm. Taanith Ecc 4:5, shiddah must, according to the gloss, be the name of a chariot, although the subject there is not that of motion forward, or moving quickly; it is there announced that Schn, not far from Sepphoris, a place famed also for its pottery, formerly possessed 80 such shiddoth wholly of metal. The very same word is explained by Rashi, Baba kamma ix. 3, Shabbath 120 a, Erubin 30 b, Gittin 8 b, 68 a, Chagiga 25 a, and elsewhere, of a carriage of wood, and especially of a chariot for women and distinguished persons. The combination of the synonyms, shiddah uthivah umigdal , does not in itself mean more than a chest; and Rashi himself explains, Kethuboth 65 a, quolphi dashidah of the lock of a chest ( argaz); and the author of Aruch knows no other meaning than that of a repository such as a chest. But in passages such as Gittin 8 b, the shiddah is mentioned as a means of transport; it is to all appearance a chest going on wheels, moved forward by means of wheels, but on that very account not a state-chariot. Rashi’s tradition cannot be verified.
Bttcher, in the Neue Aehrenlese, adduces for comparison the Syr. Shydlo , which, according to Castelli, signifies navis magna, corbita, arca ; but from a merchant ship and a portable chest, it is a great way to a lady’s palanquin.
He translates: palanquin and palinquins = one consignment to the harem after another. Gesen., according to Rdiger, Thes. 1365 b, thinks that women are to be understood; for he compares the Arab. z’ynat , which signifies a women’s carriage, and then the woman herself (cf. our Frauenzimmer , women’s apartment, women, like Odaliske , from the Turk. oda , apartment). But this all stands or falls with that gloss of Rashi’s: ‘agalah lemerkavoth nashim usarim . Meanwhile, of all the explanations as yet advanced, this last of splendid coaches, palanquins is the best; for it may certainly be supposed that the words shiddah veshiddoth are meant of women. Aben Ezra explains on this supposition, shiddoth = shevuyoth , females captured in war; but unwarrantably, because as yet Solomon had not been engaged in war; others ( vid., Pinsker’s Zur Gesch. des Karaismus, p. 296), recently Bullock, connect it with shadim, in the sense of (Arab.) nahidah (a maiden with swelling breast); Knobel explains after shadad , to barricade, to shut up, occlusa, the female held in custody (cf. bethulah , the separated one, virgin, from bathal , cogn. badal ); Hitzig, “cushions,” “bolsters,” from shanad , which, like (Arab.) firash , , is then transferred to the juncta toro. Nothing of all that is satisfactory. The Babyl. Gemara, Gittin 68 a, glosses by “reservoirs and baths,” and then further says that in the west (Palestine) they say , chests (according to Rashi: chariots); but that here in this country ( i.e., in Babylon) they translate shiddah veshiddoth by shedah veshedathin , which is then explained, “demons and demonesses,” which Solomon had made subservient to him.
(Note: A demon, and generally a superhuman being, is called, as in Heb. , so in the Babyl.-Assyr. sidu , vid., Norris’ Assyrian Dictionary, II p. 668; cf. Schrader, in the Jena. Lit. Zeit. 1874, p. 218f., according to which sidu , with alap , is the usual name of Adar formed like an ox.)
This haggadic-mytholog. interpretation is, linguistically at least, on the right track. A demon is not so named from fluttering or moving to and fro (Levy, Schnhak), for there is no evidence in the Semitic langauge of the existence of a verb , to flee; also not from a verb sadad , which must correspond to the Heb. , in the sense of to adore (Oppert’s Inscription du palais de Khorsabad, 1863, p. 96); for this meaning is more than doubtful, and, besides, is an active, and not a passive idea-much rather , Assyr. sid , Arab. sayyid , signifies the mighty, from , to force, Psa 91:6.
(Note: Vid., Friedrich Delitzsch’s Assyr. Theirnamen, p. 37.)
In the Arab. (cf. the Spanish Cid) it is uniformly the name of a lord, as subduing, ruling, mastering ( sabid ), and the fem. sayyidat , of a lady, whence the vulgar Arab. sitti = my lady, and sidi = my lord. Since means the same as , and in Heb. is more commonly used than it, so also the fem. form is possible, so much the more as it may have originated from , 5 = , by a sharpening contraction, like , from (Olsh. 83 c), perhaps intentionally to make , a demoness, and the name of a lady ( donna = domina) unlike. Accordingly we translate, with Gesen. and Meyer in their Handwrt.: “lady and ladies;” for we take shiddoth as a name of the ladies of the harem, like sheglath (Assyr. saklati ) and lehhenath in the book of Daniel, on which Ahron b. Joseph the Karaite remarks: shedah hinqaroth shagal .
The connection expressing an innumerable quantity, and at the same time the greatest diversity, is different from the genitival dor dorim , generation of generations, i.e., lasting through all generations, Psa 72:5, from the permutative heightening the idea: rahham rahhamathaim , one damsel, two damsels, Jdg 5:30, and from that formed by placing together the two gram. genders, comprehending every species of the generic conception: mash’en umash’enah , Isa 3:3 ( vid., comm. l.c., and Ewald, 172b). Also the words cited by Ewald (Syr.), rogo urogo , “all possible pleasures” (Cureton’s Spicil. p. 10), do not altogether accord with this passage for they heighten, like meod meod , by the repetition of the same expression. But similar is the Arab. scheme, mal wamwal , “possession and possessions,” i.e., exceeding great riches, where the collective idea, in itself according by its indetermination free scope to the imagination, is multiplied by the plur. being further added.
After Koheleth has enumerated all that he had provided for the purpose of gratifying his lusts, but without losing himself therein, he draws the conclusion, which on this occasion also shows a perceptible deficit.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(8) Peculiar treasure.The word is used of the Jewish people (Exo. 19:9; Psa. 135:4; Mal. 3:17; but generally 1Ch. 29:3). That Solomon had tributary kings is stated (1Ki. 4:21; 2Ch. 9:24; Psa. 72:10; Ezr. 4:20). The word used for provinces here and in Ecc. 5:8, occurs in reference to the provinces of the Persian Empire repeatedly in the Book of Esther; Ezr. 2:1; Neh. 7:6; Dan. 8:2. (See also Lam. 1:1; Eze. 19:8.) The word is almost wholly absent from the earlier books, save that it occurs where the princes of the provinces are mentioned (1 Kings 20).
Singers.Music was regarded as a necessary accompaniment of feasts (Isa. 5:12; Amo. 6:5; Sir. 32:5; Sir. 49:1). For Davids employment of professional singers, see 2Sa. 19:35.
Delights.Son. 7:6; Pro. 19:10; Mic. 1:16; Mic. 2:9.
Musical instruments.The Hebrew word here used occurs nowhere else, and commentators are reduced to look to the etymology for the explanation of it. Their guesses are so numerous that it would be wearisome to recount them. That adopted in our version is by no means one of the most probable. The interpretation concubines is most in favour with commentators, though they differ among themselves as to the grounds on which they justify this translation. And it does appear unlikely that this notorious feature of Solomons court should be omitted in an enumeration of his luxury. It will be seen from the margin that the words of all sorts have nothing corresponding to them in the original, but are intended as an equivalent for a Hebrew idiom, in which a plural is intensified by prefixing a noun in the singular.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. Gathered silver and gold Solomon’s income, in gold, from trade, was over $3,300,000, besides all other revenue. He made silver like stones for abundance in Jerusalem. 1Ki 10:27, and elsewhere. Gold and silver are the peculiar treasure which kings derive from provinces, as distinct from land, cattle, etc., the usual wealth of subjects. The delights of the sons of men, is explained as consisting in all sorts of musical instruments, doubtless including the revelries with which their strains were accompanied. A few commentators translate “musical instruments” as woman and women, that is, as mistress and mistresses, making the words designate Solomon’s wives and concubines; others render the words cupbearers. Neither of these translations appears justifiable. See Lange.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ecc 2:8. As musical instruments, &c. A captive woman, nay, several captive women. It is doubted, whether the Hebrew words, rendered by us musical instruments, &c. signify things or persons. Mr. Desvoeux is of opinion that they signify persons. Any one, says he, who will read the original with attention, may easily perceive that this catalogue of Solomon’s acquisitions from Ecc 2:4-8 is divided into several members by as many verbs; each of which has one or more substantives either governed by it, if it be an active one, or belonging to it, as its nominative, if it be a passive verb. But it must be farther observed, that none of these members take in both things and persons. Our author was so accurately exact in preserving that distinction, that, though slaves and cattle were considered in nearly the same light by the ancients, and though he made use of the same verb with respect to both, yet he repeated that verb twice, rather than bring both under the same head. This seems a probable reason that shiddah, and shiddoth, which are brought by Solomon under the same head with men-singers and women-singers, are persons and not things. shiddah, is very properly derived from the verb shadad, signifying to plunder, or lay waste; and so may signify a woman who is the subject of warlike devastation; a fair captive; and it is very reasonable to suppose, that in the catalogue of the acquisitions he made in order to indulge his pleasure, Solomon would not forget that circumstance whereof the historian speaks so strongly: Solomon had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, 1Ki 11:1-3. And besides we should remember, that the possession of female captives was one of the most distinguished marks of ancient grandeur. This mention of the peculiar treasure of kings and provinces, confirms this opinion; for these treasures did not consist of gold and silver only; female captives made no inconsiderable part of it. See Jdg 5:30 and Homer, Il. 2: line 355. We may farther observe, that the phrase, The delights of the sons of men, confirms this interpretation. I do not know how far some people’s fondness for music may influence their judgment in the application of this character; but when I consider not only Solomon’s inclination for the sex, but chiefly the general taste and manners of his time, which was not long after the Trojan war; I can scarcely imagine how it is possible to take the delights of the sons of men in any other sense than we have given above. Whoever has read any thing of the profane history of those early times, must know, that the main spring of all the transactions of the most celebrated heroes was love; if one may give that name to an unbounded lust, which prompted them to lay violent hands on all that was fair; and many particulars contained both in the historical and moral books of scripture prove, that beauty was no less admired in Judaea than in other parts of the world. See Desvoeux, p. 487 and the Inquiry into the Life and Writings of Homer.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Ecc 2:8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, [as] musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
Ver. 8. I gathered me also silver and gold. ] Gold of Ophir, now called Peru, where the Spaniards are said to meet with more gold ore than earth; besides his great gifts from other princes, as Hiram, [the] queen of Sheba, &c., his royal revenue, his tributes from foreign nations subdued by his father David, to a very great value. Sextus IV was wont to say, that a pope could never want money while he could hold a pen in his hand. His predecessor, John XXII, left in his treasury to his heirs two hundred and fifty tons of gold. a Boniface VIII being plundered by the French, was found to have more wealth, saith mine author, b than all the kings of the earth could have raised by one year’s revenue. It should seem, by the people’s complaint after Solomon’s death, 1Ki 12:4 that he lay over heavy upon them by his exactors and gold gatherers, which caused the revolt of the ten tribes. One act of injustice oft loseth much that was justly gotten. Chedorlaomer and his fellow kings were deprived of the whole victory, because they spared not a man whom they should have spared. Ill-gotten gold hath a poisonful operation, and will bring up the good food, together with ill humours. Job 20:15
And the delights of the sons of men.
a Petrarch.
b Heidfield.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
gathered = amassed. Hebrew. kanas, said to be a later Hebrew word (see App-76.)
the provinces. Hebrew. medinah, from dun = to rule, hence a country. There is no article before “kings”, because they constantly change, whereas countries do not change. This is another word which is said to be of later date, but it is found in 1Ki 20:14, 1Ki 20:15, 1Ki 20:17, 1Ki 20:19. Lam 1:1. Eze 19:8. See App-76. Compare note on “event” in Ecc 2:14.
remained. The Divine wisdom given by God (1Ki 3:5-15) had not been taken away. See note at foot of p. 906. This must be remembered in reading this book. Like Luke’s “understanding” it came “from above”. See note on “very first” (Luk 1:3).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
silver: 1Ki 9:14, 1Ki 9:28, 1Ki 10:10, 1Ki 14:21, 1Ki 14:22, 1Ki 14:27, 2Ch 9:11, 2Ch 9:15-21
men singers: 2Sa 19:35, Ezr 2:65
musical instruments: etc. Heb. musical instrument and instruments, 1Ch 25:1, 1Ch 25:6, Job 21:11, Job 21:12, Psa 150:3-5, Dan 3:5, Dan 3:7, Dan 3:15, Amo 6:5, The difficult words shiddah weshiddoth are variously rendered. The LXX have , “male and female cup-bearers,” with which the Syriac and Arabic and Parkhurst agree; Aquila, , “a cup and smaller cups;” Jerome, scyphos et urceolos, Vulgate urceos), “goblets and pots;” Targum, “warm and cold baths;” others, as M. Desvoeux, “male and female captives;” others, “cooks and confectioners;” others, “a species of musical compositions,” derived from Sido, a celebrated Phoenician woman, to whom Sanchoniatho attributes the invention of music; but others, with more probability, “wives and concubines;” and siddoth may be in this sense synonymous with the Arabic seedat, domina, conjux from sada, in Conj. V. conjugium inivit. Of the former, Solomon had three hundred, and of the latter, seven hundred; and if they are not mentioned here they are not mentioned at all, which is wholly unaccountable.
Reciprocal: 2Ch 8:18 – took thence Psa 39:6 – he heapeth Dan 6:18 – and passed
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ecc 2:8. I gathered me silver and gold Vast riches; and the peculiar treasure of kings Riches, answerable to the state of a king, or, he means, the greatest jewels and rarities of other kings, which they gave to me, either as a tribute, or by way of present; and of the provinces Which were imposed upon or presented by all the provinces of my dominions.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2:8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the special treasure of kings and of the provinces: I procured me male and female singers, and the {d} delights of the sons of men, {e} [as] musical instruments, and of all sorts.
(d) That is, whatever men take pleasure in.
(e) Or, the most beautiful of the women that were taken in war, as in Jud 5:30.