PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible — Ecclesiastes
Gill, John, 1697-1771 · 98,270 words · 160 reading sections
Ecclesiastes 1:1
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible. Ecclesiastes 1:1 INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES, OR THE PREACHER This book has been universally received into the canon of the Scriptures, by Jews and Christians. The former, indeed, had once some controversy {a} about it; and they thought to have hid it, or put it among the…
2,272 wordsSECTION 2Ecclesiastes 1:2
Ecclesiastes 1:2 Ver. 2. Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher,.... This is the preacher's text; the theme and subject he after enlarges upon, and proves by an induction of particulars; it is the sum of the whole book; vanity of vanities, all [is] vanity; most extremely vain, exceedingly so, the height of vanity: th…
648 wordsSECTION 3Ecclesiastes 1:3
Ecclesiastes 1:3 Ver. 3. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?] This is a general proof of the vanity of all things, since there is no profit arises to a man of all his labour; for, though it is put by way of question, it carries in it a strong negative. All things a man enjoys he get…
498 wordsSECTION 4Ecclesiastes 1:4
Ecclesiastes 1:4 Ver. 4. [One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh,.... This shows that a man can have no profit of all his labour under the sun, because of his short continuance; as soon almost as he has got anything by his labour, he must leave it: not only particular persons, but families, nati…
681 wordsSECTION 5Ecclesiastes 1:5
Ecclesiastes 1:5 Ver. 5. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The sun rises in the morning and sets at evening in our hemisphere, according to the appearance of things; and then it makes haste to go round the other hemisphere in the night: it "pants", as the word {t} s…
387 wordsSECTION 6Ecclesiastes 1:6
Ecclesiastes 1:6 Ver. 6. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north,.... The word "wind" is not in this clause in the original text, but is taken from the next, and so may be rendered, "it goeth towards the south", &c. that is, the sun {x} before mentioned, which as to its diurnal and nocturnal …
466 wordsSECTION 7Ecclesiastes 1:7
Ecclesiastes 1:7 Ver. 7. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea [is] not full,.... Which flow from fountains or an formed by hasty rains; these make their way to the sea, yet the sea is not filled therewith, and made to abound and overflow the earth, as it might be expected it would. So Seneca says {z} we wonder…
426 wordsSECTION 8Ecclesiastes 1:8
Ecclesiastes 1:8 Ver. 8. All things [are] full of labour,.... Or "are laborious" {g}; gotten by labour, and attended with fatigue and weariness; riches are got by labour, and those who load themselves with thick clay, as gold and silver be, weary themselves with it; honour and glory, crowns and kingdoms, are weighty c…
408 wordsSECTION 9Ecclesiastes 1:9
Ecclesiastes 1:9 Ver. 9. The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be,.... The thing that has been seen and heard is no other than what shall be seen and heard again; so that what is now seen and heard is only what has been seen and heard before; it is but the same thing over again; and that is the reason why…
860 wordsSECTION 10Ecclesiastes 1:10
Ecclesiastes 1:10 Ver. 10. Is there [any] thing whereof it may be said, see, this [is] new?.... This is an appeal to all men for the truth of the above observation, and carries in it a strong denial that there is anything new under the sun; and is an address to men to inquire into the truth of it, and thoroughly exami…
325 wordsSECTION 11Ecclesiastes 1:11
Ecclesiastes 1:11 Ver. 11. [There] is no remembrance of former [things],.... Which is the reason why some things that are really old are thought to be new; because either the memories of men fail them, they do not remember the customs and usages which were in the former part of their own lives, now grown old; or they …
293 wordsSECTION 12Ecclesiastes 1:12
Ecclesiastes 1:12 Ver. 12. 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 though…
499 wordsSECTION 13Ecclesiastes 1:13
Ecclesiastes 1:13 Ver. 13. And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom,.... As he had all advantages and opportunities, so he did not want for industry and application to obtain knowledge; he gave his mind to it; he took up a resolution not to be discouraged by any difficulties, but to break through them, if …
617 wordsSECTION 14Ecclesiastes 1:14
Ecclesiastes 1:14 Ver. 14. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun,.... All things done by the Lord, that were on the earth, and in it, and in the sea; he considered them, and endeavoured to search into the nature of them; and did attain to a very great knowledge of them, so that he could speak of them t…
314 wordsSECTION 15Ecclesiastes 1:15
Ecclesiastes 1:15 Ver. 15. [That which is] crooked cannot be made straight,.... By all the art and cunning, wisdom and knowledge of man, that he can attain unto; whatever he, in the vanity of his mind, may find fault with in the works of God, either of nature of providence, and which he may call crooked, it is not in …
278 wordsSECTION 16Ecclesiastes 1:16
Ecclesiastes 1:16 Ver. 16. I communed with my own heart,.... That is, looked into it, examined it, and considered what a stock and fund of knowledge he had in it, after all his researches into it; what happiness accrued to him by it, and what judgment upon the whole was to be formed upon it; and he spoke within himsel…
957 wordsSECTION 17Ecclesiastes 2:1
Ecclesiastes 2:1 INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 2 Solomon, having made trial of natural wisdom and knowledge in its utmost extent, and found it to be vanity, proceeds to the experiment of pleasure, and tries whether any happiness was in that, Ec 2:1. As for that which at first sight was vain, frothy, and frolicsome, he…
872 wordsSECTION 18Ecclesiastes 2:2
Ecclesiastes 2:2 Ver. 2. I said of laughter, [it is] mad,.... The risible faculty in man is given him for some usefulness; and when used in a moderate way, and kept within due bounds, is of service to him, and conduces to the health of his body, and the pleasure of his mind; but when used on every trivial occasion, an…
269 wordsSECTION 19Ecclesiastes 2:3
Ecclesiastes 2:3 Ver. 3. I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine,.... Not in an immoderate way, so as to intoxicate himself with it, in which there can be no pleasure, nor any show of happiness; but in a moderate, yet liberal way, so as to be innocently cheerful and pleasant, and hereby try what good and happi…
545 wordsSECTION 20Ecclesiastes 2:4
Ecclesiastes 2:4 Ver. 4. I made me great works,.... He did not spend his time in trifling things, as Domitian {a}, in catching and killing flies; but in devising, designing, directing, and superintending great works of art and skill, becoming the grandeur of his state, and the greatness of his mind: the Midrash restra…
355 wordsSECTION 21Ecclesiastes 2:5
Ecclesiastes 2:5 Ver. 5. 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 del…
230 wordsSECTION 22Ecclesiastes 2:6
Ecclesiastes 2:6 Ver. 6. I made me pools of water,.... For cascades and water works to play in, as well as to keep and produce fish of all kinds: mention is made of the king's pools, Ne 2:14; the fish pools at Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim, perhaps belonged to Solomon, So 7:4; Little more than a league from Bethl…
917 wordsSECTION 23Ecclesiastes 2:7
Ecclesiastes 2:7 Ver. 7. I got [me] servants and maidens,.... Menservants, and maidservants; the Targum adds, "of the children of Ham, and of the rest of the strange people;'' these were such as he hired, or bought with his money; and had servants born in my house; and these were all employed by him; either as his …
173 wordsSECTION 24Ecclesiastes 2:8
Ecclesiastes 2:8 Ver. 8. 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 cabi…
523 wordsSECTION 25Ecclesiastes 2:9
Ecclesiastes 2:9 Ver. 9. So I was great,.... Became famous for the great works wrought by him before mentioned; and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; the Targum adds, "in riches"; but it seems rather to respect his fame and glory among men; though in general it may include his increase of weal…
143 wordsSECTION 26Ecclesiastes 2:10
Ecclesiastes 2:10 Ver. 10. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them,.... Though this sense is only mentioned, all are designed; he denied himself of nothing that was agreeable to him, that was pleasing to the eye, to the ear, to the taste, or any other sense; he indulged himself in everything, observing a…
181 wordsSECTION 27Ecclesiastes 2:11
Ecclesiastes 2:11 Ver. 11. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do,.... He had looked at them, and on them, over and over again, and had taken pleasure therein; but now he sits down and enters into a serious consideration of them, what prodigious expenses h…
335 wordsSECTION 28Ecclesiastes 2:12
Ecclesiastes 2:12 Ver. 12. And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly,.... Being disappointed in his pursuit of pleasure, and not finding satisfaction and happiness in that, he turns from it, and reassumes his study of natural wisdom and knowledge, to make a fresh trial, and see whether there might b…
623 wordsSECTION 29Ecclesiastes 2:13
Ecclesiastes 2:13 Ver. 13. Then I sat that wisdom excelleth folly,.... However, this upon a review of things he could not but own, that natural wisdom and knowledge, though there was no true happiness and satisfaction in them, yet they greatly exceeded folly and madness; as far as light excelleth darkness; as the lig…
144 wordsSECTION 30Ecclesiastes 2:14
Ecclesiastes 2:14 Ver. 14. The wise man's eyes [are] in his head,.... And so are the eyes of every man; but the sense is, he makes use of them, he looks about him, and walks circumspectly; he takes heed to his goings, he foresees the evil, and avoids it; or the danger he is exposed unto, and guards against it. Some un…
308 wordsSECTION 31Ecclesiastes 2:15
Ecclesiastes 2:15 Ver. 15. Then said I in my heart, as it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me,.... The wisest of kings, and the wisest of men; that is, he looked over things in his mind, and considered what had befallen him, or what were his present circumstances, or what would be his case, especially at…
266 wordsSECTION 32Ecclesiastes 2:16
Ecclesiastes 2:16 Ver. 16. For [there is] no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever,.... The Targum interprets it, in the world to come; but even in this world the remembrance of a wise man, any more than of a fool, does not always last; a wise man may not only be caressed in life, but may be remembere…
3,410 wordsSECTION 33Ecclesiastes 3:1
Ecclesiastes 3:1 INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 3 The general design of this chapter is to confirm what is before observed, the vanity and inconstancy of all things; the frailty of man, and changes respecting him; his fruitless toil and labour in all his works; that it is best to be content with present things, and che…
939 wordsSECTION 34Ecclesiastes 3:2
Ecclesiastes 3:2 Ver. 2. A time to be born,.... The Targum is, "to beget sons and daughters;'' but rather it is to bear them, there being a time in nature fixed for that, called the hour of a woman, Job 14:1; and a time to die; the time of a man's coming into the world and going out of it, both being fixed by the L…
701 wordsSECTION 35Ecclesiastes 3:3
Ecclesiastes 3:3 Ver. 3. A time to kill, and a time to heal,.... A time to kill may be meant of a violent death, as a time to die is of a natural one; so the Targum, "a time to kill in war;'' or else, by the hand of the civil magistrate, such who deserve death. Aben Ezra interprets it "to wound", because of the oppo…
345 wordsSECTION 36Ecclesiastes 3:4
Ecclesiastes 3:4 Ver. 4. A time to weep, and a time to laugh,.... There is a time for these things, as it goes ill or well with persons, as to their health, estate, or friends; and as it goes ill or well with kingdoms and states. The Jews wept when they were in Babylon, and their mouths were filled with laughter when …
298 wordsSECTION 37Ecclesiastes 3:5
Ecclesiastes 3:5 Ver. 5. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together,.... To cast stones out of a field or vineyard where they are hurtful, and to gather them together to make walls and fences of, or build houses with; and may be understood both of throwing down buildings, as the temple of Jerusal…
325 wordsSECTION 38Ecclesiastes 3:6
Ecclesiastes 3:6 Ver. 6. A time to get, and a time to lose,.... To get substance, as the Targum, and to lose it; wealth and riches, honour and glory, wisdom and knowledge: or, "to seek, and to lose" {i}; a time when the sheep of the house of Israel, or God's elect, were lost, and a time to seek them again; which was, …
185 wordsSECTION 39Ecclesiastes 3:7
Ecclesiastes 3:7 Ver. 7. A time to rend, and a time to sew,.... To rend garments, in case of blasphemy, and in times of mourning and fasting, and then to sew them up when they are over; see Isa 37:1; This the Jews apply to the rending of the ten tribes from Rehoboam, signified by the rending of Jeroboam's garment, 1Ki…
316 wordsSECTION 40Ecclesiastes 3:8
Ecclesiastes 3:8 Ver. 8. A time to love, and a time to hate,.... For one to love his friend, and to hate a man, a sinner, as the Targum; to love a friend while he continues such, and hate him, or less love him, when he proves treacherous and unfaithful; an instance of a change of love into hatred may be seen in the ca…
286 wordsSECTION 41Ecclesiastes 3:9
Ecclesiastes 3:9 Ver. 9. What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?] That is, he has none. This is an inference drawn from the above premises, and confirms what has been before observed, Ec 1:3; Man has no profit of his labour, since his time is so short to enjoy it, and he leaves it to another, he…
181 wordsSECTION 42Ecclesiastes 3:10
Ecclesiastes 3:10 Ver. 10. I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men,.... The pains and trouble they are at to get a little wisdom and knowledge, Ec 1:13; and so to obtain riches and honour, peace and plenty, which sometimes they do obtain, and sometimes not; and when they do, do not keep them lo…
176 wordsSECTION 43Ecclesiastes 3:11
Ecclesiastes 3:11 Ver. 11. He hath made every [thing] beautiful in his time,.... That is, God has made everything; as all things in creation are made by him, for his pleasure and glory, and all well and wisely, there is a beauty in them all: so all things in providence; he upholds all things; he governs and orders all…
911 wordsSECTION 44Ecclesiastes 3:12
Ecclesiastes 3:12 Ver. 12. I know that [there is] no good in them,.... In these things; as the Arabic version; in the creatures, as Jarchi; in all sublunary enjoyments; in everything the wise man had made a trial of before, as natural Wisdom and knowledge, worldly pleasure, riches, and wealth; the "summun bonum", or h…
310 wordsSECTION 45Ecclesiastes 3:13
Ecclesiastes 3:13 Ver. 13. And also that every man should eat and drink,.... Not to excess, but in moderation; and yet freely, plentifully, and cheerfully; and not alone, but giving the poor a portion with him; and in all having in view the glory of God, 1Co 10:31; and enjoy the good of all his labour; take the comfo…
140 wordsSECTION 46Ecclesiastes 3:14
Ecclesiastes 3:14 Ver. 14. I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever,.... Which some, as Jarchi, understand of the works of creation, the heavens and the earth, which are however of long standing and duration; and though they shall be dissolved and perish, as to their form and quality, yet not as to the s…
929 wordsSECTION 47Ecclesiastes 3:15
Ecclesiastes 3:15 Ver. 15. That which hath seen is now; and that which is to be hath already been,.... That which has been from the beginning now is; that which cometh, and what shall be in the end of days, has been already, as the Targum. Jarchi interprets this of God and his attributes, which are always the same; he…
616 wordsSECTION 48Ecclesiastes 3:16
Ecclesiastes 3:16 Ver. 16. And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment,.... Courts of judicature, where judges sit, and, causes are brought before them, and are heard and tried; such as were the Jewish sanhedrim, of which the Midrash and Jarchi interpret it; [that] wickedness [was] there, wicked judges sat…
2,099 wordsSECTION 49Ecclesiastes 4:1
Ecclesiastes 4:1 INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 4 In this chapter the wise man reassumes the consideration of the case of the abuse of power, to show that there is no happiness in this world, in grandeur and authority enjoyed; since, as he had observed before, on the one hand, the oppressor shall be judged and condemne…
1,043 wordsSECTION 50Ecclesiastes 4:2
Ecclesiastes 4:2 Ver. 2. Wherefore I praised the dead, which are already dead,.... Truly and properly so; not in a figurative sense, as dead sinners, men dead in trespasses and sins; nor carnal professors, that have a name to live, and are dead; nor in a civil sense, such as are in calamity and distress, as the Jews i…
519 wordsSECTION 51Ecclesiastes 4:3
Ecclesiastes 4:3 Ver. 3. Yea, better [is he] than both they which hath not yet been,.... That is, an unborn person; who is preferred both to the dead that have seen oppression, and to the living that are under it; see Job 3:10. This supposes a person to be that never was, a mere nonentity; and the judgment made is acc…
312 wordsSECTION 52Ecclesiastes 4:4
Ecclesiastes 4:4 Ver. 4. Again I considered all travail, and every right work,.... The pains that men take to do right works. Some apply themselves, with great diligence and industry, to the study of the liberal arts and sciences; and to attain the knowledge of languages; and to writing books, for the improvement of t…
450 wordsSECTION 53Ecclesiastes 4:5
Ecclesiastes 4:5 Ver. 5. The fool foldeth his hands together,.... In order to get more sleep, or as unwilling to work; so the Targum adds, "he folds his hands in summer, and will not labour;'' see Pr 6:10. Some persons, to escape the envy which diligence and industry bring on men, will not work at all, or do any rig…
237 wordsSECTION 54Ecclesiastes 4:6
Ecclesiastes 4:6 Ver. 6. Better [is] a handful [with] quietness,.... These are the words of the fool, according to Aben Ezra; and which is the sense of other interpreters, particularly Mr. Broughton, who connects this verse with Ec 4:5 by adding at the end of that the word "saying"; making an excuse or an apology for …
291 wordsSECTION 55Ecclesiastes 4:7
Ecclesiastes 4:7 Ver. 7. Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. Another vanity besides what he had taken notice of, and is as follows. Aben Ezra's note is, "I turned from considering the words of this fool, and I saw another fool, the reverse of the former.''…
51 wordsSECTION 56Ecclesiastes 4:8
Ecclesiastes 4:8 Ver. 8. There is one [alone], and [there is] not a second,.... According to Aben Ezra, either no friend or companion, or no servant, or no wife, which last sense he prefers; no friend or companion he chooses, because friendship and fellowship lead to expenses; and no servant who would be chargeable to…
535 wordsSECTION 57Ecclesiastes 4:9
Ecclesiastes 4:9 Ver. 9. Two [are] better than one,.... The wise man takes occasion, from the solitariness Of the covetous man before described, to show in this and some following verses the preferableness and advantages of social life; which, as it holds true in things natural and civil, so in things spiritual and re…
357 wordsSECTION 58Ecclesiastes 4:10
Ecclesiastes 4:10 Ver. 10. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow,.... That is, if anyone of them fall, the other will lift him up, as they are travelling together, in whatsoever manner; if one falls from his horse, or out of his carriage, or into a ditch, the other will endeavour to raise him up again: thi…
319 wordsSECTION 59Ecclesiastes 4:11
Ecclesiastes 4:11 Ver. 11. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat,.... The Targum adds, in the winter; when it is a cold season, they warm one another by lying together. The Targum interprets it of a man and his wife; it is true of others; see 1Ki 1:1; but how can one be warm [alone]? not soon, nor easily, i…
187 wordsSECTION 60Ecclesiastes 4:12
Ecclesiastes 4:12 Ver. 12. And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him,.... If an enemy, or a thief, or a robber, attack anyone of them, in friendship and fellowship together, and is more than a match for him; both joined together will be able to resist him; so that he shall not succeed in his enterprise, …
502 wordsSource & rights
Public domain; John Gill (1697–1771). Source item is marked Public Domain on Internet Archive.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.