The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 131

it is natural to turn to faults in the ad- is a. far more satisfactory oxphint1tion of the ministration of the king (Prov. xxiv, 21). passage than that wllicli regards us the li.ohelelh h1ts already alhlded to these highest of all "the court favourites, king's nnom1tlies in eh. iii. 16 and iv. 1. Violent friends, eunuchs, chamberlt1ins," eto. In this perverting; literally, robbery; so that judg- view Koheleth is merely asserting tllo ment is never rightly given, and justice is general system of injustice and oppression, withheld from applicants. In 1t province and neither accounti11g for it nor offel'ing (med.inah, eh. ii. S); the district in which the any comfort under the ciroum~tances. But person addressed dwells. It may, perhaps, his object throughout is to show man's in- be implied th1tt this is remote from the ability to secure his own happiness, nnd the central authority, and therefore more liable need of submission to Divine providence. to be injuriously dealt with by unscrupulous To demonstrate the anomalies in the events rulers. Marvel not at the matter (chephc-ts, of the world, the circumstances of men's lives eh. iii. 1). Be not surprised or dismayed would be only one part of his task, which (Job xxvi. 11) at such evil doings, as though would not be coniploted without turning they were unheard of, or inexperienced, or attention to the remedy ag;ainst hasty nnd disregarded. There is here nothing of the unfair conclusions. This remedy is tho Greek maxim, reproduced by Horace in thought of the supreme Disposer of events, his " Nil admirari ·., ( • Epist.,' i. 6. 1). It is who holds all the string-s in his hand, an:d like St. John's" Mnrvel not, my brethren, if will in the end bring good· out of evil. the world hate you" (1 Johu iii 13); or St. Ver. 9.-lt has been much <lebated whether Petcr's "Think it not strange concerning the this verse should be connected with the fiery trial among you" (1 Pet. iv. 12). preceding or the following paragraph. Tho The stupid and unintelligent observation of Vulgo.te takes it with the procediug verse, such disorders might lead to arraignment of Et insuper universre terrre rez imperat servi- Providence and distrust in the moral govern- enti; so the Septuagint; ond this seems most ment of God. Against such mistakes the natural, avarice, wealth, and its evi:ls in writer guards. . For he that is higher than .private life being treated of in vers. 10 and the highest regardeth. Both the words are many following. Moreov.er the profit ot the in the singule.r number. Septuagint, '"t',j,7171.bs earth is for all : the king himself is served bra.vr., v,j,1/11.oii 4>v"-4ai. One thinks of the by the :fleld. The writer seems -to be. ·con- Persian satraps, who acted much as the trasting the mis~y of Oriental despotism, Turkish pashas in later times, the petty above spoken of,"with the happiness of a rulers oppressing the people, and being country whose king was .content -to enrich themselves treated in the same fashion by himself, not by war,- rapine, and oppression, their superiors. The whole is a system of but by the peaceful pursuits of agriculture, wrong-doing, where the '\'l'eaker always by cherishing the natural productions of his suffers, and the only comfort is that the couutry, and encouraging his peo.ple in <le- oppressor himself is subject to higher super- veloping its resources. Such W'\S :Uzziah, vision. The verb (shamar) translated "re- who" loved husbandry'' (2 Chron. xxvi. 10); ga.rdeth" means to observe in a hostile sense, and in Solomon's own .timo the arts of pea co to watch for occasions of repri,al, as 1 Sam. greatly flourished. There is much difficulty :i;:ix. 11 ; and the idea intended is that in tbe in interpreting the verse. The Vnlgate province there were eudless plottings and rendering, "And moreover the King. of tho counterplottings, mutual denuncio.tions and whole earth rules over his se1:vant," probo.bly recriminatioru; that such things;were only means that God governs the ,king. , , But tho to be expected, and were no sn.flicient cause present Hebrew text does not support this for infidelity or despair. "The higher one" translation. The .Septuagint Ima, Kal ,,.,pier- is the monarch, the despotic king w.ho holds """ -yijs E11'l ,,...,,,,, lcr-rl, fJainl\.,/,s -rov a.-ypou the supreme power over all these malad- ,,p-ya.crµ/11011, whicli makes more difficulties. ministrators and perverters of jUBtioo. And "Aleo the abundance of the earth is for every there be higher than they. "Higher" is one, or upon every thing; the king (is here plural (gebohim), the plural of majesty, dependent on)-the cultivated Jund, or, there as it ill called (comp. oh. xii. 1), like Elolvim, is a king to the land wheu cultivated," i.a. tlie word for "God," the assonance being the throne itself ·depends on the due culti- -probably here suggestive. Over the highest vation of the country. Or, .removing the of earthly rulers there are other powers, comma, "The profit of the ·laud in ·every- angels, principalities, up to Goll himself, thing is e. king of the cultivated field." The who gornrDs the course of thio world, and to Hebrew may safely be rendered,· "But the whom we may leave the final adjustment. profit of a land in .all things is o. king WLo are meant seems purposely to be left devoted to the field," i.e. ,who loves nnd nll'klermined ; but the thought of the fosters agr:iculturo. lt is difficult to suppose 1·ig:liteous Judge of all is intimn.ted in that Solomon himself wroto this sentcnoe, uocordance with the view of oh. iii, 17. 'J'his however we mny interpret it. According to OH, V. 1-20.] ECCLESJAS'l'Ei:l; on, THE PREACHER. 115