ex.pressed by St. Paul (1 Tim. vi. 9), "They is anacoluthic, like eh. iii. 13, nnd mo.y best-, tl.rnt desire (ffou7'.6µ.,vo,) to be rich fe.11 into bo rendered, Also for every man to w1win ... n temptation and n snnro, and many foolish this is a gift of G ~d. . Ginsburg ~onnects and hurlful lusts, snch us drown men the ,·ersc closely w1Lh the precedl,llg one, (.B,,8:{oucn 'Tots ltvOpw,rous) in destruction supplyinq, ". I !Ja"e al.so 64)811 tl1at a man,". nnd per,lition." "For," he y>i-oceeds, "the etc, Whichever way we tnke the sentence, love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, it comes to U1e same tl.1iug, implying m~n.•1 which some reaching after have been led absolute depcudeQce .. upon God's ,bounty, . astrny from the faith, and have pierced To whom God hath given riohes and wealth. themsckes through (mlJ'TOUS .,,,p,nreapa.v) Before he cau enjoy his possessions a man. "·i.h many sorrows." The Septuagint con• must first receive them from God's haude. tinues its version, "And in much passion The two terms here used are not quite. (9vµ.rp) and in infirmity and wrath." The synonymous. While the former word, asher anger may be directed against himself, as is used for wealth of auy kind what,ever th; he thinks of his folly in taking all this latter, nekasim, means properly "wealth 1n • trouble for nothing. cattle," like the Latin pec1mia, and thence used generally for riches (1iolek): Hath Ycrs. 1S-20.-Section 8. The incon- given him power to ea.t thereof, Abundanoo veniences of wealth lee.d the writer back to is _u~less w~thoi:it t1ie po"'er ~ enjoy it. his old conclusion, that man should make the Thie 1S the gift of God, ·a great imd special, best of life, and enjoy all Uie good that God bounty from a lo.vi.Iig and gracioue Goit' gives with moderation and contentme11t. Thus Horace, 'Epist.,' i. 4. 7- . ', •., v er. 18.-Behold that which I have seen: "Di tibidivitias dederunt artep:iquefruendi." it is good and oomely, etc. The accentuation 11 The god3 have given you· wealth, and is against this rendering, which, however, (what is more) · , bas the support of the Syrie.c aud the Have give11 you wisdom to enJ·oy ·.your. Targnm. The Septnagiut gives, •i.~o~, ,1lrov store." • • • • r')'6' <i-ya.6lw, il icr.,., 1<a.1'.6v, "Debold, I 1he.ve (How~.) seen a good which is comely ; " and it is b<'st to translate, with Delitzsch and Ver. 2O.-For he shall not muoh remember' others, " Behold, whe.t I have seen as the days of his life. The man who has good, what as bee.utifnl, is this." My lee.med the les'son of calm· enjoyment does conclusion holds good. They who seek for not much concern himself with the short- traces of Greek influence in Koheleth find ness, uncertainty, or possible trouble of life. Epicuree.nism in the sentiment, and the He carries out the counsel of Christ, "Be. fe.milie.r combine.tion, 1<a.7'.ov 1<a-ya.Bov, in the not anxious for the morrow, for the morrow language. Both ideas are baseless. (For will be anxioue for itself.. Sufficient unto supposed Epicureanism, see on eh. ii. 24 and the day is the evil thereof" (Matt. vi. 84). iii. 12.) And the juxtaposition of 1<a>..ts and Ginsburg gives an entirely opposite render- c-ya0as is only a fortuitous rendering of the ing to the clause, !• He. should remember Hebrew, upon which no argument for that the days of his life are not many; " Grecisrn ean be fonnde,l. To eat and to i.e. the thought of the shortness of life drink, etc. ; i.e. to use the common blessings should urge us to enjoy it while it lasts:' which God bestows with thankfulness and But the Authorized Version is supported' contentment. As St. Paul says, "Having by the Septuagint e.nd Vulgate and most food and covering, we shall be therewith. mode~n comweute.tors, and seems most ap- content" (1 Tim. vi. 8). Which God giveth propriate to the• context. The mn1·gina.l him. This is the point so often iusisted rendering, "Though he give not much, yet upon. These temporal blel!l!ings are God's he remem/Jereth," etc., which Ginsburg calls gifts, and are not to be considered aii the o. literary curiosity, must have been derived natural and assured result of man's own from the_ version of Junius, which gives, exertions. Man, indeed, muet labour, but "Quod s1 non multnm (supple, est illud God giveth the increase. For it is hie quod dederit Deas, ez versu prrec.),'' etc. portion (eh. iii. 22). This calm enjoyment Because God answereth him in the joy of ie allotted to man by God, and nothing his heart. The man pnsses a co.Im and more murt be expected. Ilen-Sira gives contented life, because God shows that he similar advice, "Defraud not thyself of a is pleased with him by the tranquil joy shed gooJ day, and ltt not t!Je share in a right over his heal't. The verb il]P.F.:! (the hiph. J)ltaeure pass by thee .... Give, and take, participle of il))t) is variously ren'dered. 1'he antl be 6ruile thy soul; for there is no 1jeek• Septuagint gives, •o 0,or .,,.,p11nrf a.JTov lv iug or dainties in Hu.des" (Bcclus. xiv. •~</Jpocr6vp Hap'/Jia., a.,J.,.ou," God distro.cts him U.,,k). in the mirth of his hen.rt;" Vulg,1tc, Eo Ver. 19.-Every man al10. 'l'he. sentepco quod . Deus oooupet deliciis cor ej us; Gill Ii• on."· 1-20.) ECCLESlABTES; OR, THE PRE.A.CHER. 11 !)
burg, ~• God c.uuse\h him to worlc for the own bleeaoclness, the tranquillity of tlrn w;, 0 enjoymci,t of his heart," i.e. Goel assigns man mirroring the tranquillity of Go,!." him work that he muy thence derive enJor- But this modified Epicmree.nism is alien meut; Koster," God makes him Bing in tl10 from tl,o teaching of Koheleth. Rather the joy 'of his· bear!;" 1Delitzaoh, Wright, and idea is thnt God o.nswers him with, imparts Plumptrc, "God ci.nswers (corresponds with) to him, joy of heart, makes him sensible of the joy of his •lienrt," whic)i.. tlie latter ex- his favourable regard by this inward feelin.,.0 plains, to me;in ." is felt to approve it . as of satisfaction e.nd content. bnrmouiziug, io, _its ea.Im evenness, wHh his