The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 176

He sees that length of days is not always a meaning of the special form of the verb here blessing, and that retribution awaits the used (hithp. of ccrii), and Plumptre sup- evil beyond the grave (Wisd. i. 9; iii. poses that the author intends thereby to 4, 10; iv. 8, 19, etc.). Abel perished in express the spiritunl pride whioh aocom- C'arly youth; Cain had his days prolonged. panies fancied exoellence in knowledge and This upparcnt inversion of moral order leads conduct, and by which the possessor is puffed to another reflection concerning the danger up (1 Tim. iii. 6). But plainly it is not a of exaggerations. mental, internal effect that is contemplated, Ver. 16.-Be not righteous over much. but something that 11.tfects comfort, position, The exhortation has been variously inter- or life, like the corresponding oluuse in the preted to warn against too scrupulous obser- following verse. Hitzig and Ginsburg ex- vance of ritual and ceremonial religion, or plain the word, " 11:lake thyself forsnken," the mistaken piety which neglects o.ll mun- "Isolate thyself," which can scarcely be the dane affairs, or the Pharisaical spirit which meaning. The Authorized Version is cor- is bitter in .:iondemnin.!!; others who fall short rect. A mau who professes to be wiser than of one's own standard. Cox will have it others, and, indeed, wiser than Providence, that the advice signifies that a prudent man incurs the envy and animosity of his fcllow- will not be very righteous, since he will men, and will certainly be punished by God gain nothing by it, nor very wicked, es for his arrogance and presumption. he will certainly shorten his life by such Ver. 17.-Be not over much wioked, neither conduct. But really Koheleth is condemn- be thou foolish. These two injunctions are ing the tendency to immoderate asceti- parallel and correlative to those in ver. 16 cism which had begun to show itself in his concerning over-righteousness and over- day- a rigorous, prejudiced, indiscreet wisdom. But the __ present verse cannot be manner of life and conduct which made meant, as at first sight it seems to do, to piety offensive, and afforded no real aid to sanction a certain amount of wickedness the cause of religion. This arrogant system provided it does not exceed due measure. To virtna1Jy dictated the Jaws by wllich Provi- surmount this difficulty some have endea- dence should be governed. and found fault voured to modify the term" wicked'' (rasha), with divinely ordered circumstances if they t1tking it to mean "engaged in worldly did not coincide with its professors' precon- matters," or "not subject to rule," "lax," or ceived opinions. Such religionism might again "restless;" as some translate the word well be called being " righteous over much." in Job iii. 17. But the word seems not to be Neither mal!:e thyself over wise; Septuagint, used in any such senses, and bears uniformly M,ioe uaq,i(av 1r,p,uurl.; Vulgate, Neque plus the uncompromising signification assigned sapias quam necesse 1381; better, show not to it, "to be wicked, unrighteous, guill.y." thyself loo irise; i.e. do not indulge in specu- The difficulty is not overcome by Plumptre's lations about God's dealings, estimating suggestion of the introduction of a little them according to your own predilections, "playful irony Jeurned from Greek teachers," questioning the wisdom of his moral govern- as if Koheleth meant, "I have warned you, ment. Against such perrer,;e speculation St. my friends, against over-righteousness, but Paul argues (Rom. ix. 19, etc.), "Thou wilt do not jump at tho conclusion that licence say unto me, Why doth he still find fault? is allowablt,. That was very for from my For who witbstandeth his will? Nay but, meauing." The connection of thought is 0 man, who art thou that repliest against this : in the previous verse Koheleth had God? Shall the thing formed say to him denounced the Pharisaical spirit which that formed it, Why didet thou make me virtually condemned the Divine ordering of thus?" A good principle canied to excess circumstances, because vice was not at onoe may bring evil results. Summum jus, summa aucl visibly punished, and virtue at once re- injuria. The maxim, M,ili,v a-yd.v, Ne quid warded; and now he procoeds to waru against nimis, "Moderation in all things," is taught the deliberate e.nd abominable wickedness here; and Aristotle's theory of virtue being which infers from God's loug-suffering his the mean between the two extremes of cx- absolute neglect e.nd non - interference in ce8e nnd defect is adumbrated (' Ethic. mortal matters, and on this view plunges Nicom.,' ii. 6. 15, 16); though we do not see audaciously into vice and immorality, saying that the writer is "reproducing current to itself, " God bath forgotten : he hidoth Grer,k thought" (Pluwptre), or that inde- his face; he will never see it" (Ps. x. 11). pendent reflection and observation could not Such conduct may well be called" foolish;" have landed him at the implied conclusion it is that of "the fool who says in his heurt, without plagiarism. Why shouldest thou There is no God" (Ps. xiv. 1). The o.ctuul destroy thyself! Septuagint, M1i 1ra'T~ wording of the injunction sounds to us some- <1C11"°A.a-yfjs, "Lest perchance thou he con- what strange; but its form is determined by founded;" Vulgate, Ne obstupesca., "Lest the requirements of parallelism, e.nd the thou be stupefied." This is the primary aphorism must not be pressed beyond it, OH, VII, 1-29,] ECCLESIASTES; OR, THE PREACHER. 163