The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 174

e:i.:prcssion {o,o,ro,{ira, reMlls the words of atmosphere of) good;" Vulgate, In die bona Christ, "As the Father raiseth the dead frue1·e bonis, "In a good day enjoy your good and quickeneth ((,.,o,ro,ei') them, even so tho thing~." But in the day of adversity oonsider; Son 11lso quiokeneth whom he will;" "It is in the evil day 'look well. The writer could the Spirit that quickeneth (.-b ("'o,ro,oov)" not conclude this clause so as to make it (John v. 21; vi. 63). Kohelctb attributes parallel with the other, or he would have that power to wisdom which the more had to say, "ln the ill day take it ill," definite teaching of Christianity assigns to which would be far from his meaning; so the influence of the Holy Spirit. Some he introduces a thought which moy help to would explain, "fortifies or vivifies the make one resigned to odversity. The re- heart," i.e. imparts new life an<l strength flection follows. Septuagint, K...l fli, Iv to meet every fortune. The Vulgate 71µ<p'f 1ea.1ela.s· fli,, 1<.T.ll..; VulgatG, Et malam rendering is far astray from the text, and diem prmcave, "Beware of the evil day." does not accurately convey the sense of But, doubtless, thG object of the verb is the the passag,', running thus: Hoe autem plus following clouse. God also hath set the one habet eruditio et sapientia: quad vitam over against the other; or, God hath made tribuunt possessori suo, "But this more the one corresponding to the other; i.e. he have learning nud wisdom, that they give bath mode the day of evil as well e.s the life to the possessor of them." day of good. The light ana shade in man's Ver. 13.-Consider the work of God. life are equally under God's ordering and Here is another reason against murmuring permission. "What?" cries Job (ii. 10), e.nd hasty judgment. True wisdom is "shall we receive good at the hand of shown by submission to the inevitable. In God, and shall we not receive evil?" Corn. e.11 tl,at happens one ought to recognize a. Lapide quotes a saying of Plutarch to this God's work and God's ordering, and man's effect : the harp gives forth sounds acute impotence. For who can make that straight, and grave, and both combine to form the which he he.th made orooked 1 The things melody; so in man's life the mingling of pros- which God bath ma.de crooked are the perity and adversity yields a well-adjusted anomalies, the crosses, the difficulties, which harmony. God strikes all the strings of our meet us in life. Some would include bodily life's harp, and we ought, not only patiently, deformities, which seems to be a piece of but cheerfully, to liaten to the chords pro- unnecessary literalism. Thus the Septua- duced by this Divine Performer. To the end gint, Tls !ivv/iu,.,.,u 1<0U/471tra., flv a., l, 0,bs that man should find nothing after him. lita.uTpElj,p a.b.-lw; •• Who will be able to This clause gives Koheleth's view of God's straighten him whom God has distorted?" object in the admixture of good ond evil; and the Vulgate, Nemo possit 1JOTTigere quern but the reason has been variously inter- i1le despexerit, "No one can amend him preted, the explanation depending on the w!Jom he bath despised." The thought sense assigned to the term "after him" goes back to what was said in eh. i. 15, (1';i,]~). rhe Septuagint givd l,,r[u,,, a.liToii, "That which ia crooked cannot be made which is vague; the Vulgate, contra eum, straight;" and in eh. vi. 10, man "cannot meaning that man may have no occasion to contend with him that ia mightier than he." complain against God. Cheyne (' Job and "As for the wondrous works of the Lord," Solomon ') considers that Koheleth here says Ben-Sira," there may be nothing ta.ken implies that death closes the soene, and from them, neither may anything be put th11t there ia then nothing more to fear, unto thi;m, neither can the ground of them rendering the clause, "On the ground that be found out" (Ecclus. xviii. 6). We cannot man is to experience nothing at all hereafter." arrange events according to our wishes or They who believe that the writer held the expectations ; therefore not only is placid doctrine of a future life cannot acquiesce in acquiescence a necessary duty, bat the wise this view. The interpretation of Delitzsch man will endeavour to accommodate him- is this-God lets man pass through the self to existing circumstance 11. whole discipline of good and evil, that when Ver. 14.-In the day of prosperity be joy- he dies there may be nothing which he has fnl; literally, in the day of good be in good• not experienced. Hitzig and Nowack ex- i.e. when things go well with you, be cheer- plain the text to mean that, as God designs ful (eh. ix. 7 ; Esth. viii. 17) ; accept the that ma.n after hie death shall hove done situation and enjoy it. The advice is the with nil things, be sends upon him evil Hame as that which runs through the book, e.s well as good, that he may not have to viz. to make the best of the present. So punish him hereafter-a doctrine opposed Ben-Sire. says, "Defraud not thyself of t!Je to the teaching of a future judgment. good day, and let not a share in a good Wright deems the idea to be that ma.n desire pass thee by" (Ecclne. xiv. 14). may be kept in ignore.nee of what shall Septuagint, 'Ev TJ/4/p'f o:ya.6-6n1s (ijll, iv happen to him beyond tl.Jo grave, that the a.-y ... er;;, 1' In a day of good live iu (an present life may afford no clue to tlrn futiue. OH, VIL 1-29.] ECCLESIASTES ; OR, THE PREACHER. 161