The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 56

CLnd the treasures which he bas amassed. (Deut.. vi. 10, 11), Koheleth cannot bear to Beoanse I should lee.ve it (my labour, i.e. its contemplate where it touches himself-not results) unto the me.n the.t shall be e.fter me. from envy or grudging, butfrom the feeling It is impossible thnt Solomon could thus of dissatisfaction and want of energy which hl\vo spoken of Rehoboam; and to suppose it generR.tes. In (with) knowledge and in that he wrote thus after Jerobonm's attempt (with) equity. Kuhron, translated" equity" (1 Kings ii. 26, etc.), e.nd in contemplation in the Authorized Version; lr.vlipe(o., "manli- or a possible usurper, is not warranted by any ness," in the Septuagint; and eolliciturline historical ste.tement, the absolute security of in the Vulgatc, seems rather here to signify the succession being a.II along expected, and "skill" or "success." It occurs also in eh. the growing discontent being perfectly un- iv. 4 and v. 10, e.nd there only in the Old known to, or contemptuously disrego.rded by, Testament. the king. The sentiment is general, e.nd Ver. 22.-What hath man of all his recurs more than once ; e.g. eh. iv. 8; v. 14 ; labour 1 i.e. what is to be the result to vi. 2. Thus Hore.ce, 'Epist.,' ii. 2. 175- man? rlvera.1 iv 'l''f lt.v8pr/,,r'I'; (Septna!;in t); Quid enim pmderit hominif (Vulgate). There " Sic quia perpetuus nulli datur usus, et is, indeed, the pleasure that accompanies the herea pursuit of objects, and the successful accom- Heredem o.Iterius velut undCL supervenit plishment of enterprise; but this is poor and undam, unsubstantial and embittered. And of the Quid vici prosunt o.ut horree.?" vexation of his heart; the stri,ing, the effort of his mind to direct his labour to great endii. Ver. 19.-Who knoweth whether he shall What does e.11 this produce? The answer be a wise man or a fool l The bitter feeling intended is," Nothing.'· This striving, with that he be.a to leave the fruits of bis life- all its wisuom ancl knowledge and skill long labour to another is aggravated by the (ver. 21), is for the labourer fruitless. thought that he knows not the character of Ver. 23.-All his days are sorrow, and his this successor, whether he will be worthy or travail grief (comp. eh. v. 16, 17). These not. As the pso.lmiat says," He heBpeth up a.re the real results of his lifelong efforts. riches, and kuoweth not who shall gather All his days aro pains o.nd sorrows, bring them" (Ps. xxxix. 6). Again in the parable, trouble with them, and all his labour ends "The things which thou bast prepared, in grief. " Sorrows" and " grief" are pre- whose shall they be?" (Luke xii. 20; comp. dioated respectively of"do.ys" and" travail." Ecclus. xi. 18, 19). Yet shall he have rule, Abstract nouns are often so used. Thus eh. etc. Whatever may be his cho.racter, he x. 12, '' The words of II wise man's mouth will have free use aud control of e.11 that I are grace." The free-thinkers in Wisd. ii. have gathered by my le.hour directed by 1 complain that life is abort and tedious prudence and wisdom. Vulgate, Domina- (AIJ'Jl'1Jpos). Yea, his hea.rt taketh not rest in bitur in laboribus meis quibus desudavi et the night. He cannot sleep for thinking sollicitus Jui. ornr his plans and hopes and disappoint- Ver. 20.-Therefore I went a.bout to oause ments. Not for him is the sweet sleep of my heart to despair; 'E,,.,u.,.pe,f,a. l-yw (Sep- the labouring man, who does his day's work, tuagint). "I turned" in order to examine earns his repose, and frets not about the more closely. So in ver. 12 we had, "I future. Ou the one ho.nd care, oa the other turned myself," though the verbs are not the satiety, murder sleep, 11nd make the night 11, same in the two pnssnges, and in the former torment. the LXX. hns brlfJA<if,a.. I turned from my Vere. 2-1:-26.-From what hns been said, late course of notion to give myself up to despnir. I lost e.ll hope in labour; it he.d Koheleth concludes tho.t mun m11y in,leed no longer any cho.rm or future for me. Sep- enjoy the good things whioh he has proviJed, tungint, Toii a,ro.,.4a.uea., 'l'¾I" Ka.plila.11 ,.ou iv and find n certain he.ppineas therein, but only ,ra.nl µ.6xe,,, µ.au, K.'l',A, according to God's will and permission; nnd Ver. 21.-l!'or there is e. me.n whose labour to expect to win plea.sure at one's own caprice is in wisdom. "lo," :;i," with," directed and is vain. performed with wisdom. The author speaks of himself objectively, as St. Pe.ul (2 Cor. Ver. 24.-There is nothing better for a. xii. 2) says, "I know a mo.n in Christ," eto. man, than the.t he should eat and drink. His complaint now is, not that his successor The Vulgnte mnkes the seutenoe iuterro- me.y misuse his inheritance (var. 19), but g11tive, which the Hebrew docs not so.nction, that this person she.II have the.t on whioh he Nonne meliua ed comedere et bibere 7 Sep- )ins bestowed no skill or toil, shall onjoy tue.gint, Obi< (u.,.,v a:ya.0bv c'tv9pw,r"' f> </J~ETa& who.t modern phro.seology terms "unearned Ka.l f> ,r{,.,.a.,, "There is naught good to a m,m increment." This, which was set forth e.s to eat or drink;" St. Jerome RULi otl10rs ono of the blessings of the promised lo.nd insert 11isi, "except for l\ wau to e1\t," eto.  :ECCLESIAS'l'ES; OR, THE PHIUOHEH. [cu. II. 1-ZG.