nvowing his folly nnd expressing his con- much straining of language, the rcfor<"nco trition, in view of his knowledge of Jero- to Jos~ph can be made good. If it is ob- boo.ni's dclog11Uon to the kingdom-the crafty jected that it cannot be said that Joseph youth of poor estate (1 Kings xi. 26, etc.), was born in the kingdom of Egypt, we may whom the Prophet Ahijah had warned of reply that the words may be taken to refor approaching greatness. But there is nothing to his cruel position in his own country, in the recorded history of Solomon to make wlien he was despoiled and sold, and may probable sucll expression of self-nbnsemeiit, be said metaphorically to have "become and our author could never h11,ve so com- poor;" or the word nolad may be considerecl pletely misrepresented him. Here, too, is as equivalent to "came," "appeared," ancl another proof that Ecclesiastes is not written need not be restricted to the sense of" born." by Solomon himself, Ver. 15.-1 considered all the living which Ver. 14.-P'or out of prison he cometh to walk under the sun; or, I ha1:e seen all the reign; whereas al.fo he that is born in his population. The expression is hyperbolical, kingdom becometh poor. The ambiguity of as Eastern monarchs speak of their domi- the pronouns has induced different inter- nions as if they comprised the whole world pretations of this verse. It is plain that (see Dan. iv. 1; vi. 25). With the second the paragraph is intended to corroborate the child that shall stand up in his stead. statement of the previous verse, contrasting "With" (OJ/) means "in company with," the fate of the poor, clever youth with that "on the side of;" and the clause should be of the old, foolish king. The Authorized rendered, as in the Revised Version, That Version makes tile pronoun in the first they were with the youth, the scrond, that clause refer to the youth, and those in the stoc,d up in his stead. The youth who is secon,! to the king, with the signification called tlie second is the one spoken of in that rich and poor change places-one is the previous verses, who by general ncclama- a.based as the other is exalted. Vulgate, tion is raised to the high~st place in tlie Quod de carcere catenisque interdum quis realm, while the old monarch is dethroned egrediatur ad regnum ; et alius natus i11 or depreciated. He is named second, as regno inopia consummatur. The Septuagint being the successor of the other, eitlter in is somewhat ombiguous, vo.-, i( 0!1<011 ,-ii,,, popnfor favour or on the throne. It is the 8ecrµfow i{•Aeocre.-a, .-oil /3acr&J\.evcra,, il.-, ,cal old story of worshipping the rising sun. -r• iv /3acr,>..el'f ,uhoii li-yevf/671 ,r{"11s, "For The verse mny still be e.pplieJ to Joseph, front the house of prisoners he shnll come who wns mnde second to Pharaoh, ond was forth to reign, because in his kingdom he virtually suprellle in Egypt, standing in the [who?) was born [or,' became'] poor." It king's place (Geu. xii. 40-44). seems, however, most nCLtnral to make the Ver. 16.-There is no end of all the leading pronouns in both clauses refer to people, even of all that have been before the youth, nnd thus to render: "For out them. The pCLrogmph plainly is carryi11g on of the house of prisoners goeth he forth the description of thn populCLr onthusiCLsm to reign, though even in his kingdom for the new favourite. The Authorized ho wns born poor." Betl, liasurim is also Version completely ohscnres this meaning. rendered "house of fugitives," and Hitzig It is better to tm os1nte, Nttmbe,-less were the to.lees the expression as a description of people, all, at whose head he stood. Koheleth Egypt, whither Jeroboam fled to escape places himself in tho position of CL spectator, the vougonnco of Solomon. Others see here cmd mCLrks how numerous o.re the adherents on allusion to Joseph, who wns raised from who flock around tbo youthful aspirant. prison, if not to be king, nt least to an "Nullus finis omni populo, omnibus, quibus exulted position which might thus be desig- prrofuit" (Geseniue, Rosc111niillcr, Volek). imted. In this case the old and foolish Yet his popularity was not lasting CLnd bis king who could not look to the future is influence WCLS not permCLnent. They also Pharaoh, who could not understand the that oome after shall not rejoice in him. drenm which wns sent for his ndmonition. In spite of his cleverness, 11nd notwith- CommentCLtors he.ve wearied themselves with stnnding tho favour with which ho is now endeavouring to find soma other historical regB1·ded, those of II Inter gcncmlion shnll bnsis for the supposed allusiou in tho pllS- flout his pretensions nod forget his benefits. sCLge. But e.lthough many of theso sug- If wo still continue (he allusion to Joseph, gestions (e.g. Saul and David, Jonah and we nmy see here in this last elanse t\ Amnziah, Uyi-us 110<1 Astyagee, Herod ancl rcfcronco lo the change tlmt supervened Alexnnder) meet e. part of tho ce.sc, nano when another king 11rose who kuew him uot suit tho whole passngo (vers. 13-16). It (Exod. i. 8), nnd who, oblivious of the ser- is po9sible, indcecl, th11t some pnrticulnr vices of this grcnt benefnctor, hcnvilv nlluaion is intended to some circumstCLnco or oppressod lhe Isrnclites. This cxperienco event with which we are not acquainted. leads to the sCLme result; it is all vanity At tho same time, it seems to ue thnt, without and vexntion of spirit. !)2 ECCLESIASTES : on, 'JHE PREACHER. [ell. IV, 1-18, --- ------ ---------------------------
HOMILETICi,. Vers. 1-8.-Two pessimistic fallacies; 01·, the glory of being born. I. TnE FIRST FALLACY. That the dead are happier than the living. 1. Even on the assumption oj 110 heren:fter, thui i.s not evident. The already dead are not praised because they enjoyed l:e~ter times on earth than the now living have. But (1) if they had better times when hvmg, they ha".e those no more, having ceased to be; while (2) if their times on earth were_ ~ot ~uper1or to t~~se _of their successors, they have still only escaped these by subs1dmg mto cold anmh1lation, and it has yet to be proved that" a living dog" is not "better than a dead lion" (eh. ix. 4). Besides, (3) it is not certain there ie no hereafter, which makes them pause and hesitate to jump the life to come. When they discuss with themselves the question-
.. Whether 'tie nobler in the miud to suffer The slings and Rl'l'OWB of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against e. see. of troubles, And by opposing end them?"-
they generally come to Hamlet's conclusion, that it is better to "Bear the ills we have, Than fly to others that we know not of."