The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 20

EXPOSITION. OHAPTER L name is nowhere actually given, as it is in the two other works a.scribed to him (Prov. Ver. 1.-TBE TrrLE. i. 1 ; Cant. i. 1). Other intimations of the Ver. 1.-The words of the Preacher, the assumption of Solomon's personality are son of David, King in Jerusalem; Septua- found in eh. i. 12, "I Koheleth was king," gint, "King of Israel in Jerusalem" ( comp. etc.; so in describing his consummute wisdom ver. 12). The word rendered " Preacher " (eh. i. 13, 16; ii. 15; comp. 1 Kings iii. 12; is Koheleth, a feminine noun formed from a v. 12), and in his being the author of many verb Trnlal, "to call" (see Introduction,§ I), proverbs (eh. xii. 9; comp. 1 Kings iv. 32)- and perhaps better rendered" Convener" or accomplishmente which 1tre not noted in the "Debater." It is found nowhere else but in case of any other of David's descendants. ibis book, where it occurs three times in this Also the picture of luxury and magnifi- cho.pter (vers. I, 2, 12), three times in eh. xii. cence presented in oh. ii. suits no Jewish 8, 9, 10, and once in eh. vii. 27. In all but monarch but Solomon. The origin of the one instance (viz. eh. xii. 8) it is used with- name applied to him me.y probably be out the article, as a proper name. Jerome, traced to the historical fact mentioned in in his commentary, translates it, 'Concio- 1 Kings viii. 55, etc., where Solomon gut hers nator,' in hie version 'Ecclesiaste&.' U e.11 Ieroel together to the dedication of the would seem to denote one who gathered temple, and utters the remo.rkable prnyer a.round him a congregation in order to in- which contained blessing and teaching and struct them in Divine Jore. The feminine exhortation. As we hnve shown in tile form is explained in various ways. Either Introduction (§ 2), the assumption of the it is used abstractedly, as the designation of no.me is e. mere litere.rydevice,lo give weight an office, whioh it seems not to be; or it is and importance to the treatise to which it formed as some otherworde which a.re found 1tppertaine. The term,·• King in Jerusalem," with a feminine te1·mino.tion, though de- or, e.e in ver. 12, "King over Isre.el in Joru- noting the names of men, indicating, ae salem," is unique, and occurs nowhere else in Gescnius notes (§ 107, 8 c), a high degree Scripture. De.vid is said to have reigned in ofactivity in the possessor of the particular Jerusalem, when this seat of government is quality signified by the stem; e. g. Alemeth, spoken of in contrnst with the.t at Hebron Azmaveth (1 Chron. viii. 86 ; ix.42), Poche- (2 Sam. v. 5), o.nd the same expression is reth (Ezra. ii. 57), Sophereth (Neh. vii. 57); used of Solomon, Rehoboam, and others or, as is most probable, the writer desired to (l Kings xi. 42; xiv. 21; xv. 2, 10); and identify Koheleth with Wisdom, thc-ugh it the phrase probably denotes a time when must be observed that the personality of the tile government bad become divided, e.nd nuthor often appears, as in oh. i. 16-18; Israel bad a different co.pita! from Jud11h. vii. 28, eto.; the rdle of Wisdom being for the Vcrs. 2-11.-PnoLOGUE. The vanity of nonoe forgotten. The word "king" in the all human and mundane things, and the title is shown by the nccentuatiou to be in oppressive monotony of _their continued re- e.pposition to "Koheleth" not to "David;" and there can be no doubt that Lhe description currence. is intended to denote Solomon, though his Ver. 2,-'Ve.nity of vanities, saith th;i ECCLESIABTEB. ft  2 ECCLESIASTES; OR, THE PREACHER. [CH, I, 1-18.