The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 132

the Authorized Version, the idea is that the "Creverunt et opes et opum f-ariosa. cupido, profit of the soil extends to every rank of Et, quum possideant plura, plura volnnt," life·; even the king, who seems superior to "A.s wealth increo.ses grows the frenzied all, is dependent upon the industry of the thirst people, and the favournble produce of the For wealth; the more they have, the more lanrl. He could not be v.njust and oppres- they want." sive wi.thout injuring his revenues in the end. Ben-Sira sings the praises of agricul- Nor he that loveth abundance with in- ture: "Hnte not laborious work, neither crease. The A.nthorized Version scarcely husbandry, which the Most High bath presents the sense crf the passa."e, which is ordained" (Ecclus. vii. 15). Agriculture not tautological, but rather that given by the held a very prominent position in the Mosaic Vulga.te, Et qui amat dit,itias fructum Mn commonwealth. The enactments concerniag capiet ez ei,, "He who lovetb abundance of the •flrsffrU:itii, the se:bbatical year, la.11d- weo.lth bath no fruit therefrom;" be derircs n:iarks, the non-alienation of inheritances, rio real profit or enjoyment from the luxury etc., tended to give peculiar importance to which it enables him to procure; rather it cultivation of the soil. • Cicero's praise of brings added trouble. And so the old con- agriculture is often · quoted. Thus (' De clusion iS' age.in reached, this is also vanity. Benect.,' xv. sqq.; 'De Off.,' i. 42):" Omnium Hitzig takes the sentence ns interrogati rn, rerum, ex quibus aliquid acquiritur, nihil "Who hath pleasure in abundance which est agriimltura mclius, nihil uberius, nihil brings nothing in?" But such questions du,lcius, nihil,homine libero dignius." are hardly in the style of Koheleth, and the notion of capital without interest is not a Vem. 10-17.-The thought of the acts of thought which would have been then uncler- inju~,lice and oppression noticed above, all stood. The Septuagint, however, reads the of which ·spring from the craving for money, clause interrogatively, Kal .,.(, i,-y,11r17tT<v ;., leads the bard to dwell upon the evils that ,,,.,..;,B.. a/rrwv (auToii, al.) "'fEVV7Jµa; " And accompany this pursuit and possession of who bas loved [or, has becu content witL] ge.iu in its fulness?" But• □ is not neces- wee.Ith, which is .thus seEln to give no real sarily iatorrogatirn, but h~re inrlefinite, satisfaction. Avarice has a.lrearly boen equivalent to "whosoever." noticed(ch. iv. 7-12)'; the covetous man now Ver. 11.-K:oheleth proceeds to notice rep·roba.ti'd is one who desires wealth only some of the inconvenieuces which accom- for the.-enjoymcnt he can get.from it, or the pany wealth; which go far to prove that God is over all. When goods increase, they display which it enables him to make, not, a.re inoreaaed that eat them. The morn like the misor, who gloats over its mere riches a man possesses, the greater ure lho p~sscssiou.· Various instances are given in claims upon him. He iacreases bis hou,e- which riches are unprofi.tnble and vain. hold, retaiaers, and dependents, BD!i is renlly none the better off for nll his wealth. So Ver: 10.-He that loveth silver shall not Job in his prosperous days is sni<l to ho.vo be satisfied with silver. "Silver," the geuerio had "n very great household" (Job i. B), name for money, as Greek ap-y6p,ov and and the servants an!l Jnbourers employed by French argent. The inse.tie.bleness of the Solomon .must havo taxed to the utmost cve,t passion for mouey is a ,common theme of his abnormal resources (l l{ings v. 13, etc.). poets, moralists, and satirists, o.nd is found Commentntors from Pineda rlownwar,ls Jw.ni in,the_prp,verbs of allno.tions. Thus Horace quoted tbe·remarknble parallel in Xenoph, (' Ep.,' i. ·2. 56): "Semper e.varus eget;" to • Cyropmd.,' viii. 3, • wherein the wealthy which St Jerome alludes (' Epist.,' 53), Persinn Phernula~, who harl risen fro,n "Antiqiium dictum est, A.varo tam dcest, poverty to high estate, disabuses B yonn_-; quod habet, quam quod non ha.bet." Comp. Sa.cie.n fri~_nd of the idea thnt hiR riches met do Juyene.l, 'Sat.,' xiv. 139- him happier or o.fforde,1 supremo content. "Do you not know," so.id he," that I neither " Interce. plcno quum turgd sncculus ore, ent, nor drink, ·nor slrep with any more Crcscit omor nummi, qucmtmn ips::1 pccunia pleasure now thnu I did when I wns poor? crevit." Dy having this abundnnce I gttin merely "For .n.s thy strutting bags. with money rise, this, that I ho.veto guard more, to distribute The love or go.in is of an equnl size." more' among others, nn<l to have the trouble • • • •• (Dryde1;1.) of tnking care of more. For now numerous domestics demand of we food, drink, clothes; There is much more of similar import iu some want the doctor; one comes and brings Horncc. Sec \ Carm.,' ii. 2. 13, tqq.; iii. me sheep tho.t ho.ve bceu torn by wolves, or 16. 17, 28; •Ep.,' ii. 2, 147; and Ovid, oxen killed by foiling down I\ precipice, or • Fnst.,' i. 211- tells of a murrain thnt hlls nlfocted lho  ECCLESIASTES; OR, THE PREACHER. [en. v. 1-20.