Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 7:7
Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.
7. Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad ] Literally, For oppression The sequence of thought is obscure and the English rendering is an attempt to evade the difficulty by making what follows the beginning of a new section. One commentator (Delitzsch) cuts the knot by supposing the first half of the verse to have been lost, and supplies it conjecturally from Prov. 37:16 or Pro 16:8, “Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right,” after which the conjunction “for” comes in natural order. Taking the text as it stands we may yet trace a latent connexion. The ‘song’ and ‘laughter’ of fools, i.e. of evil-doers, like those of Pro 1:10-18; Wis 2:1-20 , leads to selfish luxury, and therefore to all forms of unjust gain. The mirth of fools, i.e. of the godless, is vanity, for it issues in oppression and in bribery. It is a question whether the “wise man” who is thus maddened by oppression is the oppressor or the oppressed. The balance seems to turn in favour of the former. The oppressive exercise of power is so demoralising that even the wise man, skilled in state-craft, loses his wisdom. There comes upon him, as the history of crime so often shews, something like a mania of tyrannous cruelty. And the same effect follows on the practice of corruption. It is true of the giver as well as the receiver of a bribe, that he loses his “heart,” i.e. his power of moral discernment.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Rather, oppression (or extortions) maketh a wise man foolish; and a bribe etc. If a wise man, being in a high position, exercises oppression (see Psa 62:10), or practices extortion, he becomes a fool in so doing. This verse is a warning against impatience in the exercise of power or the acquisition of riches.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. Oppression maketh a wise man mad] This has been translated with good show of reason, “Surely oppression shall give lustre to a wise man: but a gift corrupteth the heart.”
The chief difference here is in the word yeholel, which, from the root halal, signifies to glister, irradiate, as well as to move briskly, to be mad, furious, in a rage; and certainly the former meaning suits this place best. We cannot think that the wise man – he that is truly religious, (for this is its meaning in the language of Solomon,) can be made mad by any kind of oppression; but as he trusts in God, so in patience he possesses his soul.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Oppression; either,
1. Active. When a wise man falls into the practice of this sin of oppressing others, he is besotted by it, and by the vast riches which he by his great wit gets by it. Or rather,
2. Passive. When a wise man is oppressed by foolish and wicked men, it makes him fret and rage, and speak or act like a madman; for the wisest men are most sensible of indignities and injuries, whereas fools are stupid, and do not much lay them to heart.
A gift, a bribe given to a wise man,
destroyeth the heart; deprives him of the use of his understanding, which is oft called the heart, as Exo 23:8; Deu 16:19; Hos 4:8, or makes him mad, as was said in the former clause. So this verse discovers two ways whereby a wise man may be made mad, by suffering oppression from others, or by receiving bribes to oppress others. And this also is an argument of the vanity of worldly wisdom, that it is so easily corrupted and lost, and so it serves the main design of this book.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. oppressionrecurring to theidea (Ecc 3:16; Ecc 5:8).Its connection with Ec 7:4-6is, the sight of “oppression” perpetrated by “fools”might tempt the “wise” to call in question God’sdispensations, and imitate the folly (equivalent to “madness”)described (Ecc 7:5; Ecc 7:6).WEISS, for “oppression,”translates, “distraction,” produced by merriment. But Ec5:8 favors English Version.
a giftthat is, thesight of bribery in “places of judgment” (Ec3:16) might cause the wise to lose their wisdom (equivalent to”heart”), (Job 12:6;Job 21:6; Job 21:7;Job 24:1, c.). This suits theparallelism better than “a heart of gifts” a benevolentheart, as WEISS.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad,…. Which is to be understood either passively, when he is oppressed by others, or sees others oppressed; it raises indignation in him, disturbs his mind, and he is ready to pass a wrong judgment on the dispensations of Providence, and to say rash and unadvised things concerning them,
Ps 73:2; or actively, of oppression with which he oppresses others; when he gives into such measures, his wisdom departs from him, his mind is besotted, he acts the part of a madman, and pierces himself through with many sorrows. Some understand this of wealth got in an ill way; or of gifts given to bribe men to do injury to others; and which the following clause is thought to explain;
and a gift destroyeth the heart; blinds the eyes of judges other ways wise; perverts their judgment, and causes them to pass a wrong sentence, as well as perverts justice: or, “and destroys the heart of gifts” k; a heart that is possessed of the gifts of wisdom and knowledge; or a munificent heart, a heart disposed to give bountifully and liberally, that oppression destroys and renders useless.
k “et frangit cor dotibus praeclaris ornatum”, Tigurine version; so some Jewish writers in Mercerus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Without further trying to explain the mystery of the , we translate this verse: “… For oppression maketh wise men mad, and corruption destroyeth the understanding.” From the lost first half of the verse, it appears that the subject here treated of is the duties of a judge, including those of a ruler into whose hands his subjects, with their property and life, are given. The second half is like an echo of Exo 23:8; Deu 16:19. That which there means is here, as at Pro 15:27, denoted by ; and is accordingly oppression as it is exercised by one who constrains others who need legal aid and help generally to purchase it by means of presents. Such oppression for the sake of gain, even if it does not proceed to the perversion of justice, but only aims at courting and paying for favour, makes a wise man mad ( , as at Job 12:17; Isa 44:25), i.e., it hurries him forth, since the greed of gold increases more and more, to the most blinding immorality and regardlessness; and such presents for the purpose of swaying the judgment, and of bribery, destroys the heart, i.e., the understanding (cf. Hos 4:11, Bereschith rabba, chap. lvi.), for they obscure the judgment, blunt the conscience, and make a man the slave of his passion. The conjecture (riches) instead of the word (Burger, as earlier Ewald) is accordingly unnecessary; it has the parallelism against it, and thus generally used gives an untrue thought. The word does not mean “gives lustre” (Desvoeux), or “makes shine forth = makes manifest” (Tyler); thus also nothing is gained for a better connection of Ecc 7:7 and Ecc 7:6. The Venet. excellently: . Aben Ezra supposes that is here = ; Mendelssohn repeats it, although otherwise the consciousness of the syntactical rule, Gesen. 147 a, does not fail him.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| Scenes of Mourning and of Joy. | |
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart. 8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. 10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
Solomon had often complained before of the oppressions which he saw under the sun, which gave occasion for many melancholy speculations and were a great discouragement to virtue and piety. Now here,
I. He grants the temptation to be strong (v. 7): Surely it is often too true that oppression makes a wise man mad. If a wise man be much and long oppressed, he is very apt to speak and act unlike himself, to lay the reins on the neck of his passions, and break out into indecent complaints against God and man, or to make use of unlawful dishonourable means of relieving himself. The righteous, when the rod of the wicked rests long on their lot, are in danger of putting forth their hands to iniquity, Ps. cxxv. 3. When even wise men have unreasonable hardships put upon them they have much ado to keep their temper and to keep their place. It destroys the heart of a gift (so the latter clause may be read); even the generous heart that is ready to give gifts, and a gracious heart that is endowed with many excellent gifts, is destroyed by being oppressed. We should therefore make great allowances to those that are abused and ill-dealt with, and not be severe in our censures of them, though they do not act so discreetly as they should; we know not what we should do if it were our own case.
II. He argues against it. Let us not fret at the power and success of oppressors, nor be envious at them, for, 1. The character of oppressors is very bad, so some understand v. 7. If he that had the reputation of a wise man becomes an oppressor, he becomes a madman; his reason has departed from him; he is no better than a roaring lion and a ranging bear, and the gifts, the bribes, he takes, the gains he seems to reap by his oppressions, do but destroy his heart and quite extinguish the poor remains of sense and virtue in him, and therefore he is rather to be pitied than envied; let him alone, and he will act so foolishly, and drive so furiously, that in a little time he will ruin himself. 2. The issue, at length, will be good: Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof. By faith see what the end will be, and with patience expect it. When proud men begin to oppress their poor honest neighbours they think their power will bear them out in it; they doubt not but to carry the day, and gain the point. But it will prove better in the end than it seemed at the beginning; their power will be broken, their wealth gotten by oppression will be wasted and gone, they will be humbled and brought down, and reckoned with for their injustice, and oppressed innocency will be both relieved and recompensed. Better was the end of Moses’s treaty with Pharaoh, that proud oppressor, when Israel was brought forth with triumph, than the beginning of it, when the tale of bricks was doubled, and every thing looked discouraging.
III. He arms us against it with some necessary directions. If we would not be driven mad by oppression, but preserve the possession of our own souls,
1. We must be clothed with humility; for the proud in spirit are those that cannot bear to be trampled upon, but grow outrageous, and fret themselves, when they are hardly bestead. That will break a proud man’s heart, which will not break a humble man’s sleep. Mortify pride, therefore, and a lowly spirit will easily be reconciled to a low condition.
2. We must put on patience, bearing patience, to submit to the will of God in the affliction, and waiting patience, to expect the issue in God’s due time. The patient in spirit are here opposed to the proud in spirit, for where there is humility there will be patience. Those will be thankful for any thing who own they deserve nothing at God’s hand, and the patient are said to be better than the proud; they are more easy to themselves, more acceptable to others, and more likely to see a good issue of their troubles.
3. We must govern our passion with wisdom and grace (v. 9): Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; those that are hasty in their expectations, and cannot brook delays, are apt to be angry if they be not immediately gratified. “Be not angry at proud oppressors, or any that are the instruments of your trouble.” (1.) “Be not soon angry, not quick in apprehending an affront and resenting it, nor forward to express your resentments of it.” (2.) “Be not long angry;” for though anger may come into the bosom of a wise man, and pass through it as a wayfaring man, it rests only in the bosom of fools; there it resides, there it remains, there it has the innermost and uppermost place, there it is hugged as that which is dear, and laid in the bosom, and not easily parted with. He therefore that would approve himself so wise as not to give place to the devil, must not let the sun go down upon his wrath,Eph 4:26; Eph 4:27.
4. We must make the best of that which is (v. 10): “Take it not for granted that the former days were better than these, nor enquire what is the cause that they were so, for therein thou dost not enquire wisely, since thou enquirest into the reason of the thing before thou art sure that the thing itself is true; and, besides, thou art so much a stranger to the times past, and such an incompetent judge even of the present times, that thou canst not expect a satisfactory answer to the enquiry, and therefore thou dost not enquire wisely; nay, the supposition is a foolish reflection upon the providence of God in the government of the world.” Note, (1.) It is folly to complain of the badness of our own times when we have more reason to complain of the badness of our own hearts (if men’s hearts were better, the times would mend) and when we have more reason to be thankful that they are not worse, but that even in the worst of times we enjoy many mercies, which help to make them not only tolerable, but comfortable. (2.) It is folly to cry up the goodness of former times, so as to derogate from the mercy of God to us in our own times; as if former ages had not the same things to complain of that we have, or if perhaps, in some respects, they had not, yet as if God had been unjust and unkind to us in casting our lot in an iron age, compared with the golden ages that went before us; this arises from nothing but fretfulness and discontent, and an aptness to pick quarrels with God himself. We are not to think there is any universal decay in nature, or degeneracy in morals. God has been always good, and men always bad; and if, in some respects, the times are now worse than they have been, perhaps in other respects they are better.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
PATIENCE IN ADVERSITY
Verse 7, considering the context, appears to describe the vexation of the wise man who suffers from actions of one who misuses authority to oppress and obtain bribes, practices not uncommon in the Old Testament time frame, Ecc 4:1; Ecc 5:8; Exo 23:8; Deu 16:19; Pro 17:23; Isa 1:23; Isa 5:23; Amo 5:12.
Verse 8 urges patience rather than rash action when oppressed, affirming that conditions will eventually change for the better; and that a patient attitude is better than a proud spirit. The wise course is to defer conclusions until all evidence is in, Pro 14:29; Pro 16:5; Pro 24:19; Psa 37:1; Psa 37:7-8; Psa 40:1; Isa 25:9; Jas 1:19-20.
Verse 9 urges restraint of the tendency to become exasperated by unjust oppression; such anger is a reaction of fools, Pro 12:16; Pro 14:17; Eph 4:26.
Verse 10 forbids asking for return of former easier days in order to better cope with present problems. ft is not possible to live in the past and unwise to ask such, Num 11:4-6; Num 14:1-4.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(7) Surely.Rather, For. This change is required not only by literalness, but by the fact that the verse comes in a series of paragraphs, each commencing with the word better, as does the next verse. This verse therefore cannot introduce a new subject, but must be connected with what has gone before. But it is so hard to do this satisfactorily, that Delitzsch conjectures that a line may have dropped out, and that this verse may have begun with Better: e.g., Better is a little with righteousness, &c, as in Pro. 16:8. If this be thought too strong a remedy, we may explain the connection, that by listening to faithful rebuke rather than to the flattery of fools, a ruler may be checked in a course of oppression or corruption which threatens to undermine his understanding. As we understand the passage, he becomes mad who commits, not who suffers, the oppression.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Oppression maketh mad The matter of reproof is continued. It is shown how one may be overtaken in a fault and need a wise friend’s monition. Under the irritation of bad government to which Koheleth often alludes a good man might be rasped into rash doings, or might himself consent to take a bribe to misuse power which might be put into his own hands. The worst evil of misgovernment, as Socrates said, is that it makes good men bad.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ecc 7:7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.
Ecc 7:8
Ecc 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Ecc 7:9 Ecc 7:9
Comments – This verb implies that a fool will allow anger to settle down and remain in his heart. He allows carnal thoughts to keep this anger kindles. He is not able to lay aside an issue and forget it. Everyone feels angry, but a righteous man will soon lay aside his anger. It is a fool who will cling to his anger.
Illustration – I was getting ready to enter a courtroom one day to deal with a business lawsuit and the Lord quickened to me Ecc 7:9 (June 15, 2001). I knew that I was in court because the opposing party lacked control over his anger.
Ecc 7:10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
Ecc 7:11-12
Ecc 7:13-14 Wisdom Found in Recognizing God’s Hand in Daily Life Ecc 7:13-14 places emphasis upon the wisdom that one finds in recognizing God’s hand at work in our daily lives.
Ecc 7:15-18 Wisdom Found in Moderation Ecc 7:15-18 places emphasis upon the wisdom that is found in living a life of moderation.
Ecc 7:21-22 Wisdom Found in Ignoring What Others Say About You Ecc 7:21-22 places emphasis upon the found in being able to ignore those who are speaking negative words around us.
Ecc 7:23-25 The Preacher’s Pursuit of Wisdom In Ecc 7:23-25 we are given a description of the Preacher’s pursuit of wisdom. Although he found wisdom, he also discovered the difficulty of applying it to his life. This reveals man’s sinful nature in this life, and reflects the Preacher’s cry for redemption from his own vanity.
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Ecc 7:7. Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad Surely oppression shall give lustre to a wise man; and a gift corrupteth the heart. Every sentence contained in the first eight verses of this chapter offers an instance of the wrong judgment of the ignorant; and this is carried on so as to mention the judgments of the wise only, on the several subjects which are instanced; and not those of the ignorant, which are supposed to be sufficiently known. Yet those judgments of the ignorant must be always kept in view, as being the reverse of the sentiments of the wise. Thus by that mutual opposition they afford each other a mutual light. Now the subjects here spoken of are, on the one hand, oppression, or, according to some, calumny; and, on the other hand, gifts or generosity. The opinion of the generality of men concerning those subjects, compared together, is known. They certainly give the preference to a liberal above an oppressive government: and of consequence Solomon’s maxim must either express or lay the foundation for some advantage arising even from oppression and tyranny; and what advantage can there possibly be in tyranny, besides its giving the wise man opportunity of exerting his abilities, or trying his virtues, and thereby adding lustre to his wisdom? This is exactly what the word ieholel, may and does originally mean. Desvoeux.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart. (8) Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. (9) Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. (10) Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
If we read these verses by the gospel standard, their beauty will then appear to be full. The Apostle James gives the sweetest comment to them, when speaking of the oppressions which the faithful suffer from the ungodly, when he saith, Do not they oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called? Jas 2:6-7 . And what doth the Apostle say by way of consolation? Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord: behold, the Judge standeth before the door. Jas 5:7-11 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Ecc 7:7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.
Ver. 7. Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, ] viz., Till such time as he hath recollected himself, and summoned the sobriety of his senses before his own judgment – till he hath reasoned himself and prayed himself out of his distemper, as David a did in Psa 73:16-17 Anger is a short madness, fury a frenzy; and who so apprehensive of an injury as the wise man? and who so wise as not sometimes to be overcarried by his passion to his cost? Oppression may express that from the meekest Moses which he may sorely repent, but knows not how to remedy. Anger displays reason in the wisest sometimes, and especially in case of calumny – for the eye and the good name will bear no jests, as the proverb hath it. A man can better bear a thong on the back than a touch on the eye. You shall find some, saith Erasmus, that if death be threatened, can despise it, but to be belied they cannot brook, nor from revenge contain themselves. How could we digest that calumny (might Erasmus well think then) that he basely casts upon our profession in his epistle to Bilibaldus? Ubicunque regnat Lutherus, ibi literarum est interitus: duo tantum quaerunt, censum, et uxorem: Wheresoever Luther prevails, learning goes down; wealth and wives is all they look after. How ill himself, with all his wisdom, could endure this kind of oppression, appears by his Hyperaspistes, and many other his apologies – for by his playing on both hands, Nec evangelicorum vitavit censuras, nec apud episcopos et monachos gratiam inivit, b he was beaten on both sides, which made him little less than mad; and it was but just upon him. David’s grief was that his enemies traduced and abused him without cause. Job and Jeremiah make the same complaint, and were much troubled. Defamations, they knew well, do usually leave a kind of lower estimation many times, even where they are not believed. c Hence Paul’s apologies and self-commendation, even to suspicion of madness almost. Hence Basil, in an epistle ad Bosphorum Episcop: Quo putas animum meum dolore affecit fama calumniae illius quam mihi offuderunt quidam, non metuentes Iudicem perditurum omnes loquentes mendacium? Tanto videlicet ut prope totam noctem insomnem duxerim: With what grief dost thou think, saith he, did that calumny oppress my mind, which some (not fearing the Judge that shall destroy all them that speak lies) did cast upon me? Even so much that I slept not almost all the night; so had the apprehended sadness possessed the secrets of mine heart.
And a gift destroyeth the heart,
a [Asaph.]
b Amama in Antibarb. Praefat.
c Calamniare audacter, aliquid saltem adhaerebit.
d Pliny.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
oppression = oppressing: i.e. the act of oppressing.
maketh . . . mad. Referring to the madness of folly.
mad = beyond control. See note on Ecc 1:17.
a gift = a bribe.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
oppression: Deu 28:33, Deu 28:34, Deu 28:65
a gift: Exo 23:8, Deu 16:19, 1Sa 8:3, 1Sa 12:3, Pro 17:23, Isa 1:23, Isa 33:15
Reciprocal: 1Sa 21:13 – changed 1Sa 21:14 – is mad Ecc 4:1 – and considered Hos 4:11 – take
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ecc 7:7. Oppression maketh a wise man mad Either, 1st, When a wise man falls into the sin of oppressing others, he is infatuated by it, and by the riches which he gains in this way: or, rather, 2d, When a man is oppressed by wicked men, it often makes him fret and vex himself, and speak or act unadvisedly and foolishly. And a gift destroyeth the heart A bribe given to a wise man deprives him of the use of his understanding. So this verse discovers two ways whereby a wise man may be made mad, by suffering oppression from others, or by receiving bribes to oppress others. And this also is an argument of the vanity of worldly wisdom, that is so easily corrupted and lost; and so it serves the main design of this book.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
7:7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man {e} mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.
(e) A man that is esteemed wise, when he falls to oppression, becomes like a beast.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Both adversity and prosperity tempt people to abandon a wise lifestyle for one of folly. The wise man’s prosperity might tempt him to accept a bribe, or his adversity might tempt him to oppress others (Ecc 7:7).
". . . even a wise person can be made a fool when money becomes involved." [Note: Longman, p. 185.]
Impatience and pride (Ecc 7:8), anger (Ecc 7:9), and dissatisfaction (Ecc 7:10) might also lure him from the submissive attitude that is part of the way of wisdom.
"It has been said that ’the good old days’ are the combination of a bad memory and a good imagination, and often this is true." [Note: Wiersbe, p. 514.]