The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 180

page with proverbs and gnomes uttered good (eh. ii. 26, where see note) shall have in disparagement of woman by men of grace to avoid these seductions. But the all ages and countries. Men, having the sinner shall be taken by her; i'l;i, '' in her," mnking of such apothegms, have used their in the sue.re which is herself. In some licence unmercifully ; if the maligned sex manuscripts of Ecclesiasticus (xxvi. 23) lrnd equal liberty, the tables might have Rre these words; "A wicked woman is given been reversed. But, really, in this as in as a portion to a wicked man; but a godly other cases the mean is the safest; and woman is given to him that feareth the prnctically those who have given the darkest Lord." picture of women have not been slow to Ver. 27.-Behold, this have I found. The recognize the brighter side. If, for instance, resnlt of bis search, thus forcibly introduced, the Book of Proverbs paint;i the adulteress follows in ver. 28. He ho.s carefully ex- and the harlot in the sombrest, most appal- amined the character and conduct of both ling colours, the rnme book affords us such a sexes, and he is constrained to make the sketch of the virtuous matron as is unequal- unsatisfactory remark which he there puts led for vigour, truth, and high appreciation. forth. Sa.ith the preaoher. Koheleth is here And if, as in our present chapter, Koheleth treated as a. feminine noun, being joined shows a bitter feeling again~t the evil side with the feminine form of the verb, though of woman's natnre, he knows how to value elsewhere it is grammatically regarded as the comfort of married life (eh. iv. 8), and masculine (see on eh. i. 1). Many have to look upon a good wife as one who makes thought that, after speaking so disparagingly a man's home happy (eh. ix. 9). Since the of woman, it would be singularly innppro- incarnation of our blessed Lord Jesus pria.te to introduce the officio.I preacher as o. Christ, "the Seed of the woman," we have female; they have therefore adopted a slight learned to regard woman in her true light, a.Iteration in the text, viz. n\:ip~ 11?1;! instead and to assign her that position to which she is entith,d, giving honour unto her as the ofn~(Jp i1~7?~, which is simply the transfer- weaker vessel, and, at the same time, heir ence of he from the end of one word to the with us of the glorious hope and destiny of beginning of the next, thus adding the our renewed nature (1 Pet. iii. 7). Whose article, as in eh. xii. 8, and making the term hea.rt is snares and nets; more accurately, accord with the Byriac and .Axabic, and the t»ho ie snares, and nets in her heart; Septuagint, .r..-•., o 'Ercrcll.71<T1a<TTi/s. The Septuagint, " The woman who is a snare, writer here introduces his own designation and her heart nets;" Vulgate, Qure laqueus in order to call special attention to what is t1enatorum est, et sagena cor ejus. The coming. Counting one by one. The phrase imagery is obvious (comp. Prov. v. 4, 22; is elli ptica.l, and signifies, adding one thing vii. 22 ; mi. 14; Hab. i. 15); the thoughts of to another, or weighing one thing after the evil woman's heart are nets, occupied in another, putting together various facts or meditating bow she may entrap and retain marks. To find out the aooount; to arrive victims; and her outward look and words a.t the reckoning, the desired result. are snares that captivate the foolish. M¾, Ver. 28.-Whioh yet my soul seeketh, but inrcl.v-ra ;,vva..ucl ha1p1(0JL<vp, says the Son of I find not; or, which my soul hath still sought, Sirach, "Lest thou fall into her snares" but I have not found. The conclusion at (Ecclus. ix. 3). Plautus, 'Asin.,' i. 3. 67- which he did o.rrive was something utterly " Auceps sum ego ; different from what he had hoped to achieve. Esco. est meretri.x ; lectus illex est; amatores The soul and the ego a.re separately regurded aves." (comp. ver. 25); the whole intellectual faculties were absorbed in the ee1uch, and "The fowler I; the composite individual gives his conse- My bait the courtesan; her bed the lure; quent experience. One man (Adam) among The birds the lovers." a thousand have I found. He found only So ancient critics, stronger in morals than one mau among a thousand that reached his in etymology, derive Venus from venari, "to sto.ndard of excellence-the ideal that he hod hunt," and mulier from mollire, "to soften," formed for himself, who could be rightly or malleus, "a hammer," because the devil called by the noble no.me of man. The uses women to mould and fashion men to his phrase, "one of a thouso.nd," occurs in Job will. And her hands as bands. .Asurim, ix. 3; xxxiii. 23 ; Ecclus. vi. 6 ( .r, a..-b "bands'' or "fetters," is found in Judg. xv. x,71.fo,v, os in the Beptungint here). Adam, 14, where it is used of the chains with the generic term, ie need .here instead of ish, which the men of Judah bound Samson; the individual, to emphasize the antithetical it refers here to the wicked woman's volup- ishah, "woman," in the following clause, 01· tuous embraces. Whoso pleaseth God (more to lead the thought to the 01iginal perfection literally, he who i, good before God) shall of mo.n'e nature. So in Greek ll.v6p1<1..-or is escape from her. He whom God regards w, sometimes ueed for l,.llf/p, though generally cu. vu. 1-29.J ECCLESIASTES; OR, THE PREACHER. 167