PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible — Ecclesiastes
Gill, John, 1697-1771 · 98,270 words · 160 reading sections
Ecclesiastes 9:5
Ecclesiastes 9:5 Ver. 5. For the living know that they shall die,.... Death is certain, it is the demerit of sin, the appointment of God and the time of it is fixed; it may be known that it will be, from the word of God that assures it, from all experience which confirms it, and from the decline of nature, and the see…
749 wordsSECTION 122Ecclesiastes 9:6
Ecclesiastes 9:6 Ver. 6. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished,.... Not that the separate spirits of the dead are without their affections, or these unexercised; the spirits of just men made perfect will love God and Christ, and angels, and good men, and all that is good, more intensely; l…
400 wordsSECTION 123Ecclesiastes 9:7
Ecclesiastes 9:7 Ver. 7. Go thy way,.... Thou righteous man, as Jarchi paraphrases it; and indeed epicures and voluptuous persons have no need of the following exhortation, and the reason annexed is not suitable to them; but the whole agrees better with religious persons, who under distressing views of Providence, and…
416 wordsSECTION 124Ecclesiastes 9:8
Ecclesiastes 9:8 Ver. 8. Let thy garments be always white,.... That is, neat and clean, not vile and sordid; what is comely and decent, and suitable to a man's circumstances; this colour is particularly mentioned because much used in the eastern countries, and in Judea; hence we so often read of washing garments, and …
414 wordsSECTION 125Ecclesiastes 9:9
Ecclesiastes 9:9 Ver. 9. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest,.... Or "see", or "enjoy life" {d}: this is one of the ways of enjoying life comfortably, and one of the principal ones; that if a man has a wife whom he ought to love as himself as his own flesh, to take delight in her company, be pleasant with her…
432 wordsSECTION 126Ecclesiastes 9:10
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Ver. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,.... Not anything that is evil, which is near at hand, and easy to be found, and is in the power of men's hands to do, Ro 7:21; for this is forbidden of God, abominable to him, and hurtful to men; but whatsoever is good; so the Targum, "to do good and alms …
4,079 wordsSECTION 127Ecclesiastes 10:1
Ecclesiastes 10:1 INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 10 This chapter treats of the difference between wisdom and folly; and of the preferableness of the one, to the other, especially in civil government: folly is compared to a dead or deadly fly; a little of which as much hurts a wise man's reputation, as that does the mos…
889 wordsSECTION 128Ecclesiastes 10:2
Ecclesiastes 10:2 Ver. 2. A wise man's heart [is] at his right hand,.... This is not designed to express the direct position and situation of the heart of man, wise or foolish, which is the same in both; and which, according to anatomists, is in the middle of the body, inclining to the left side; but the understanding…
320 wordsSECTION 129Ecclesiastes 10:3
Ecclesiastes 10:3 Ver. 3. Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way,.... The king's highway, the common road; as he passeth along the streets, going to any place, or about any business: his wisdom faileth [him]; or "his heart" {p}; he appears by his gait, his manner of walking, to want a heart, to be a fool…
268 wordsSECTION 130Ecclesiastes 10:4
Ecclesiastes 10:4 Ver. 4. If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee,.... The wrath of the civil magistrate, the chief ruler of the land, the sovereign prince or king, to whom men are and should be subject: if his wrath on any occasion breaks out in a furious manner, and, like a storm and tempest, is very bluster…
270 wordsSECTION 131Ecclesiastes 10:5
Ecclesiastes 10:5 Ver. 5. There is an evil [which] I have seen under the sun,.... Which Solomon had observed in the course of his life, practised in some kingdoms and by some princes on earth, under the sun; for there is nothing of the like kind, as after mentioned, done in heaven, above the sun; as an error [which] …
199 wordsSECTION 132Ecclesiastes 10:6
Ecclesiastes 10:6 Ver. 6. Folly is set in great dignity,.... Or "in great heights" {q}; in high places of honour and truest; even foolish and wicked men; men of poor extraction, of low life, and of mean abilities and capacities; and, which is worse, men vile and vicious, as Doeg the Edomite, Haman the Amalekite, and o…
200 wordsSECTION 133Ecclesiastes 10:7
Ecclesiastes 10:7 Ver. 7. I have seen servants upon horses,.... Which being scarce in Judea, were only rode upon by princes and great personages, or such as were in affluent circumstances; and therefore it was an unusual and disagreeable sight to see servants upon them, which was a token of their being advanced upon t…
211 wordsSECTION 134Ecclesiastes 10:8
Ecclesiastes 10:8 Ver. 8. He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it,.... This and the three following clauses are proverbial expressions, teaching men to be wise and cautious, lest by their conduct they bring mischief upon themselves; as it often is, the one that digs a pit for another, falls into it himself, as the wi…
309 wordsSECTION 135Ecclesiastes 10:9
Ecclesiastes 10:9 Ver. 9. Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith,.... That carries them from the quarry, where they are dug; or takes them from a heap, where they lie; or that attempts to pull them out of a building, where they are put; or removes them from places, where they are set as boundaries and landmarks…
255 wordsSECTION 136Ecclesiastes 10:10
Ecclesiastes 10:10 Ver. 10. If the iron be blunt,.... With which a man cleaves wood: the axe, made of iron: and he do not whet the edge; with some proper instrument to make it sharper, that it may cut the more easily; then must he put to more strength; he must give a greater blow, strike the harder, and use more for…
172 wordsSECTION 137Ecclesiastes 10:11
Ecclesiastes 10:11 Ver. 11. Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment,.... See Jer 8:17. Or rather, "without a whisper" {t}; without hissing, or any noise, giving no warning at all: so the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "in silence"; some serpents bite, others sting, some both; see Pr 23:32; some hiss, other…
148 wordsSECTION 138Ecclesiastes 10:12
Ecclesiastes 10:12 Ver. 12. The words of a wise man's mouth [are] gracious,.... Or "grace" {u}. He speaks kind and good things in favour of the characters of men, and not as the babbling detractor: he speaks well of civil magistrates and rulers in the state; of the ministers of the word in the church; and of all his f…
442 wordsSECTION 139Ecclesiastes 10:13
Ecclesiastes 10:13 Ver. 13. The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] foolishness,.... As soon as ever he opens his mouth, he betrays his folly; the first word he speaks is a foolish one; or it is from the abundant folly in his heart that he speaks, which is the source and spring of all his foolish talk; and the e…
165 wordsSECTION 140Ecclesiastes 10:14
Ecclesiastes 10:14 Ver. 14. A fool also is full of words,.... Or, "multiplies words" {y}. Is very talkative, says the same thing over and over again; uses an abundance of waste words, that have no meaning in them; utters every thing that comes uppermost, without any order or judgment; affects to talk on every subject,…
207 wordsSECTION 141Ecclesiastes 10:15
Ecclesiastes 10:15 Ver. 15. The labour of the foolish wearieth everyone of them,.... The labour of fools, both in speaking and doing, weary those who have any concern with them, and themselves likewise, since all their labour is vain and fruitless; because he knoweth not how to go to the city; to any city, the road t…
2,408 wordsSECTION 142Ecclesiastes 11:1
Ecclesiastes 11:1 INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 11 This chapter begins with an exhortation to liberality to the poor, enforced by several reasons and arguments, and the objections to it removed; and the whole illustrated by various similes, Ec 11:1; and then it is observed, that a life attended with outward prosperity…
930 wordsSECTION 143Ecclesiastes 11:2
Ecclesiastes 11:2 Ver. 2. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight,.... Or, a "part" {q}; not the whole of a man's substance, for he must have to support himself and his family; he that does not take care of that is worse than an infidel; a man may bestow all his goods on the poor, and not have charity; though no do…
471 wordsSECTION 144Ecclesiastes 11:3
Ecclesiastes 11:3 Ver. 3. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty [themselves] upon the earth,.... They do not retain it; sad would it be for the earth if they did; but they let it down softly and gently, in plentiful showers upon each of the parts of the earth without distinction, by which it is refreshed, and made…
690 wordsSECTION 145Ecclesiastes 11:4
Ecclesiastes 11:4 Ver. 4. He that observeth the wind shall not sow,.... Who before he sows his seed is careful to observe where the wind is, from what corner it blows, and forbears sowing until it is down or changes, lest it should be troublesome unto him in sowing, or blow away his seed, and waits for a better season…
306 wordsSECTION 146Ecclesiastes 11:5
Ecclesiastes 11:5 Ver. 5. As thou knowest not what [is] the way of the spirit,.... If indeed a man could foresee and be assured of seasonable weather for sowing and reaping, or a proper opportunity for doing good, all circumstances agreeing, it would be right to wait for it, and take it; but as these things are not in…
582 wordsSECTION 147Ecclesiastes 11:6
Ecclesiastes 11:6 Ver. 6. In the morning sow thy seed,.... Do all good works early and diligently, which is expressed by sowing in righteousness, Ho 10:12; particularly alms deeds, often signified by sowing seed, Ps 112:9 2Co 9:6; this should be in the morning of youth, that persons may be inured to it betimes as Obad…
284 wordsSECTION 148Ecclesiastes 11:7
Ecclesiastes 11:7 Ver. 7. Truly the light [is] sweet,.... Here begins a new subject, as most think; and some here begin the twelfth and last chapter, and not improperly. This is true of natural light, which is exceeding pleasant, useful, and beneficial; by which men discern objects, behold the things of nature with pl…
734 wordsSECTION 149Ecclesiastes 11:8
Ecclesiastes 11:8 Ver. 8. But if a man live many years,.... Enjoying light and life, and beholding the sun with much delight and pleasure. The days of men on earth, or under the sun, are but few at most; but some live many days, in comparison of others; they come to a good old age, as Abraham did; and to their graves …
692 wordsSECTION 150Ecclesiastes 11:9
Ecclesiastes 11:9 Ver. 9. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth,.... This advice may be considered as serious; and either as relating to natural, corporeal, and temporal delight and pleasure, under due limitations; that as mirth and cheerfulness, or a free use of the creatures of God, with moderation and temperance, is a…
983 wordsSECTION 151Ecclesiastes 11:10
Ecclesiastes 11:10 Ver. 10. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart,.... Worldly sorrow, as opposed to lawful mirth and cheerfulness, and especially to spiritual joy: or "anger" {z}, as the word may be rendered, and often is; either at the providence of God, or at the correction of friends; all perturbations of the min…
338 wordsSECTION 152Ecclesiastes 12:1
Ecclesiastes 12:1 INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 12 This chapter begins with advice to young men, which is continued from the preceding; and particularly to remember their Creator in the days of their youth; enforced from the consideration of the troubles and inconveniences of old age, Ec 12:1; which, in an allegorical…
1,341 wordsSECTION 153Ecclesiastes 12:2
Ecclesiastes 12:2 Ver. 2. While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened,.... The wise man proceeds to describe the infirmities of old age, and the troubles that attend it; in order to engage young men to regard God and religion, before these come upon them, which greatly unfit for his service…
351 wordsSECTION 154Ecclesiastes 12:3
Ecclesiastes 12:3 Ver. 3. In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble,.... By the "house" is meant the human body; which is a house of clay, the earthly house of our tabernacle, in which the soul dwells, Job 4:19 2Co 5:1. The Targum interprets the keepers of the house, of the knees and the trembling of them…
711 wordsSECTION 155Ecclesiastes 12:4
Ecclesiastes 12:4 Ver. 4. And the doors shall be shut in the streets,.... The Midrash and Jarchi interpret these of the holes of the body; in which they are followed by our learned and ingenuous countryman, Dr. Smith; who, by them, understands the inlets and outlets of the body; and, by the "streets", the ways and pas…
664 wordsSECTION 156Ecclesiastes 12:5
Ecclesiastes 12:5 Ver. 5. Also when they shall be afraid of [that which is] high,.... Not of the most high God, before whose tribunal they must shortly appear, as some; but rather of high places, as high hills, mountains, towers, &c. which aged persons are afraid to go up, because of the feebleness and weakness of the…
806 wordsSECTION 157Ecclesiastes 12:6
Ecclesiastes 12:6 Ver. 6. Or ever the silver cord be loosed,.... As the above are the symptoms and infirmities of old age; these in this verse are the immediate symptoms of death, or what attend it, or certainly issue in it. Some by "the silver cord" understand the string of the tongue; and to this purpose is the Targ…
749 wordsSECTION 158Ecclesiastes 12:7
Ecclesiastes 12:7 Ver. 7. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was,.... The body, which is made of dust, and is no other in its present state than dust refined and enlivened; and when the above things take place, mentioned in Ec 12:6, or at death, it returns to its original earth; it becomes immediately a clo…
487 wordsSECTION 159Ecclesiastes 12:8
Ecclesiastes 12:8 Ver. 8. Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher,.... The wise man, or preacher, set out in the beginning of the book with this doctrine, or proposition, which he undertook to prove; and now having proved it by an induction of particulars, instanced in the wisdom, wealth, honours, pleasures, and profit…
209 wordsSECTION 160Ecclesiastes 12:9
Ecclesiastes 12:9 Ver. 9. And moreover,.... Or "besides" {z} what has been said; or "as to what remains" {a}; or "but what is better", or "more excellent" {b}, is to "hear the conclusion of the whole matter", the sum and substance of the whole book in a few words, Ec 12:13; to which Ec 12:9; are a preface; and in whic…
4,084 wordsSource & rights
Public domain; John Gill (1697–1771). Source item is marked Public Domain on Internet Archive.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.