The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 52

wards, servants born in my house ; Septua- which Solomon divided his kingdom for fiscal gint, ol,co-y•v•ii: called in the Hebrew," sons and economical purposes (I Kings iv. 7, etc.), of the houeo" (Ger. xv. 3). They were much but countries generally exterior to Palestine, more esteemed by Iheir mnstcrs, nnd showed with which he had commercial or political a much closer attachment to the family refotione, ancl which sent to him the produc- than the bought slaves or the conquered tions for which they were each most cele- aboriginals, who were often reduced to brated. Bo the districts of the Persian this state (1 Kings ix. 20, 21). Tho number empire were required to furnish the monarch of Solomon's nttendants excited the wonder with ll certain portion of their chief com- of the Queen of Sheba (1 Kings iv. 26, etc. ; modities. His friendship with Hiram of Tyre x. 5), and with good reason, if Josephus's brought him into connection with the Phreni- account is to be believed. This writer cians, the greatest commercial nation of anti- asserts that the king had some thousand quity, e.nrl through them he accnmulatcr\ or more chariots, and twenty thousand riches and stores from distant and various horses. The drivers nnd riders were young lands beyond the limits of the Mediterranean men of comely aspect, tall and well-made; Bea. The word ;ir:v;i ( medinah) occurs again they hnd long flowing hair, and wore tunics in eh. v. 7 and in I°Kings xx. 14, etc.: but of Tyrian purple, and powdered their hair is fonnd elsewhere only in exilian or post- with gold dust, which glittered in the mys exilian books (e.g. Lam. i. 1; Esth. i.1, elc.: of the sun (' Ant.,' viii. 7. 3). Attended Dan. ii. 48, etc.). The "kings" may be the Ly a cavalcade thus arrayed, Solomon used tributary monarchs, such as those of Ar«bin to betake himself to his " paradise" at (1 Kings iv. 21, 24; x. 15); or the expression Etham, to enjoy the refreshing cnolness of in the text may imply simply such treasure its trees and pools. Great and small cattle; as only kings, e.nd not private persons, could ozen and sheev. The enormous amount of possess. 'Men-singers and women-singers. Solomon's herds and flocks is pr-oved by the '.rbese, of course, a.re not the choir nf the extraordinary multitude of the sacrifices at temple, of which women formed no part, bu c the consecration of the temple (1 Kings musicians introduced at banquets and social viii. 63), and the lavish provision made festivals, to enhance the pleasures of the scene. daily for the wants of his table (1 Kings iv. They are mentioned in David's days (2 Sam. 22, 23). The cattle of David were very xix. 35) and later (see Isa. v. 12; Amos numerous, and required special overlookers vi. 5; Ecclus. xxxv. 5; xlix. l). The females (1 Cbron. x:xvii. 29-31). Job (i. 3) had, who took part in these performances wero before his troubles, seven thousand sheep, generally of nn abandoned class; hence the three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of warning of Ben-Sira, "Use not much the oxen, and five hundred she-nsses, and these company of a woman that is e. singer, lest items were all doubled l\t the return of his thou be taken with her attempts" (Ecclns. prosperity. Among Solomon's possessions, ix. 4). Such exhibitions were usually accom- horses are not here mentioned, though they panied with dancing, the character of which formed no inconsiderable portion of his live in Eastern countries is well known. The stock, and ndded greatly to his magnificence. Jews, ns time went on, learned to tolerate Koheleth, perhnps, avoided boasting of this many customs and practices, imported often extravagance in consideration of the religious from other l.mds, wliich tended to lower sentiment which was strongly opposed to morality and self-respect. And the delights such e. feature. That were in J'erusalem of the sons of men; the sensunl plensurcs tlmt before me (so ver. 9; see eh. i. 16). But men enjoy. The expression is euphemistic the reference here may not ueccssarily be (comp. Cant. vii. 6). 'Musical instruments, lo kings, but to chieftains 11ml rich men, who and that of all sorts (sl,idclah veshidcloth). wero cclobrated for the extent of their The word (giveu here first in the siugnl,ir possessions. number and then in the plurnl ernphnticnlly Ver, 8.-1 gathered me also silver and gold. to express multitude) occurs nowhere else, l\1uoh is said of the wealth of the historical and has, therefore, been subjected to various Solomon, who had all his vessels of gold, interpretations. The Septuagint gives, armed his body-gua1·d with golden shielcls, oivox&ov 1<al oivoxoas, "a male cupbearer aud sat on an ivory throne overlaid with gold, re• fem!lle cupbearers ; " and so the Syrino and oeived tribute and presents of gold from llil Vul!!Ute, Scyphoset urceos inminislerio ad villa quarters, sent his navies to distant lands to /undenda-wl~ch, introduces rather a. bat~os import precious metals, and made silver as into the desor1ption. After the clnuse im- common in Jerusalem as stones (see 1 Kings mediately preceding, one might expect men- ix. 28; x. 14---27; 2 Chron. i. 15: ix. 20-27). tion of Solomon's numerous hurem (1 Kings The peculiar treasure of kings and of the xi. 3; C11ont. vi. 8), ancl most modem com- provinces. Tbe word rendered " the pm• mentators consider the word to mean "con- vinces" (harmnedinoth), in spite of the a.rticle, cubine," the whole expression denoting eeems to mean, not the twelve districts into multiplicity, "wife anJ wives." The Ji;CCLESIASTES, D  34 ECCLESIASTES; on, THE PREACHER. [CH. II, 1-26,