The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 175

One does not see why this should be o. com- days of my vanity. Kohelotb gives his fort, nor how it is compatible with God's own experience of an anomalous condition known counsel of making the condition of which often obtains in hnman affairs. the future life dependent upon the conduct "All," being hero defined by the article, of this. Other exple.ne.tions being more or must refer to the cases which he bas men- less unsatisfactory, manymorlem commenta- tioned or proceeds to mention. "The days tors see in the passage e.n assertion that God of vanity" mean merely "fleeting, vain intermingles good e.nd evil in men'a lives days" (comp. eh. vi. 12). The expression according to laws with which they are un- denotes the writer's view of the emptiness e.cquaintcd, in order tha.t they may not dis- and transitoriness of life (oh. i. 2), and it quiet themselves by forecasting the future, may e.lso have special reference to bis own whether in this life or after their death, but vain efforts to solve the problems of exist- may be wholly dependent upon God, casting ence. There is e. just (righteous) man that all their en.re upon him, knowing that he perisheth in his righteousness. Here is e. careth for them (1 Pet. v. 7). We may difficulty about the dispensation of good safely adopt this explanation (comp. eh. and evil, which bas always perplexed the iii. 22; vi. 12). The paragraph then con- thonghtful. It finds expression in Pa. lxxiii., tains the se.me teaching as Horace's oft- though the singer propounds e. solution quoted ode- (ver. 17) which Koheleth misses. The meaning of the preposition (:i) before " Prudens futuri temporis exitum," etc. (' Ce.rm.,' ill. 29. 29.) " righteousness" is disputed. belitzsch, Wright, and othem take it as equivalent to Theognis, 1075- '' in spite of," as in Deut. i. 32, where "in np-fi-yµ.a:ros a:,rptJICTOIJ xal\.e,rc{,Tl&TOV lO'TI this thing" means "notwithstanding," TEAEUT¾/1' "for all this thing." Righteousness has rvi.va,, 8,ro,s µ.b.>.. .. TOUTO 0eos TEAEO'II.<' the promise of long life and pl'Osperity; it is Op<J>VTJ -ya.p TE'Ta.Ttu' ...pd ll~ TOU p.<MOVTOS e.n anomaly that it should meet with disaster lCTftTBa., e.nd early deo.tb. We cannot argue from Ob eweTa. 6vTJTO<S .... lpaT' a.µ.11xavl11s, this that the author did not believe in temporal rewards and punishments ; be "The issue of e.n e.otion incomplete, states merely certain of bis O\Vll experi- 'Tie hard to forecast how God may dispose ences, which may be abnormal e.nd capable it; of explanation. For his specie.I purpose For it is veiled in darkest night, and me.n this we.a sufficient. Others take tbe pre- In present hour ce.n never comprehend position to mean '' through," " in conse- His helpless efforts." quence of." Good men have e.Iwe.ys been Plumptre quotes the lines in Clen.nthes's persecuted for righteousness' sake (Matt. hymn to Zeua, vem. 18-21 (' Poet. Gnom.,' v. 10, 11; John xvii. H; 2 Tim. iii. 12), p. 114)- and so for the interpretation is quite od- missible, e.nd is perhaps supported by ver. • A>..>..a. <Tb 1<al Tei 'ITEp<<T<TO., IC,T.>.. 16, whicli makes e. certain sort of rigbteous- 11 Thou alone knowest how to change the ne~ the on.use of disaster. But looking to odd the second clo.use of the present verse, whore To even, o.nd to mo.ke the crooked straight ; we can hardly suppose tho.t the wicked man Ami things discordant find n.ccorrl in thee. is so.id to attain to long lifo in consequence Thus in one whole thou blendest ill with of his wickedness, we are so.fe in n,lopting good, the rendering, " in spite of." Thero is e. So tlmt one lo.w works on for evermore." wioked mo.n that prolongeth his life in (in spite of) his wickedness. '.rhe verb arak, Bon-Sira has evidently borrowed tho idea " to mako long," " to prolong," is used both in Ecclus. xxxiii. (xxxvi.) 13-15 from our with and without the nccus1itive "cfoys" passage; o.fter speaking of man being like (seo eh. viii. 12, 13; Deut. v. 33; Prov. clay under the potter's hand, he proceeds, xxviii. 2). Septuugint, 'E<TTlv a.ue,9i)s µ.,vo,v " Good is set over age.inst evil, e.nd life over Iv 1<c,,cla c,uTov, "There is o.n ungodly man age.inst death ; so is the godly against the remaining in his wickedness," which does sinner, e.nd the sinner ago.inst the godly. So not convey the sense of the original. Ac- look upon e.11 the works of the Most High : cording to the moral government of God there are two e.nd two, one age.inst the other." experienced by tho Hebrews in their his- Vere. 15-22.-Section 3. Warnings tory, the sinner we.a to suffer c,ilamity and ar,ainst ezce8ses, and praise of the golden to bo cut off prematurely. 'fhis is the con- tention of Job's friends, against which he mean, which is practical wisdom e.nd the argues so warmly. The writer of the Book u.rt of living happily. of Wisdom has learned to look for the cor- Vere. 15.-All things have I seen in the rection of such anomalies in another life. JWCLESIASTES, M lfl2 ECCLESIASTES ; OR, THE PREACHER. [OH, VU. 1-29,