The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 217

with the righteous in the long run. The upon the earth. The vanity is nnmed iu comfort and peace of a conscience at rest, what follows, viz. the seeming injustice iu and the in ward feeling that his life was the distribution of good e.nd evil. There be ordered after God's will, would compensate just men, unto whom it happeneth e.ooord- a good man for mu<lh outward trouble; and ing to the work of the wioked ( comp. vor. 10; if to this was added the assured hope of oh. iii. 16). The melancholy fact is noted another life, it might indeed be said that it the.t the righteous often experience the.t fate was well with him. The Septuagint has, with which the wicked nre threatened, which "that they may fear before him," .which their conduct might be expected to bring implies that the mercy and loving-kindness upon them. The verb translated "he.ppen- of God, manifested in his care of tlie eth" (naga), with el, "to come to,"" strike righteous, lead to piety and true religion. against," is thus used only in le.ter Hebrew, Cheyne ('Job and Solomon'), combining e.g. Esth. ix. 26. According to the work this verse with the next, produces a sense of the righteous. The wicked meet with which is certainly not in the present Hebrew tliat outward prospe1ity e.nd success which text, "For I know that it ever happens were thought to be the specie.I reward of that a sinner does evil for a long time, and those who served God. The Vulgute is ex- yet lives long, whilst he who fears before planatory, "There are just men whom evils God is short-lived as a shadow." befall, as if they did the works of Lhe wicked; Ver. 13.-But it shall not be well with and there are wicked men who are as free the wicked. If experience seemed often to from care as if they he.d the deeds of the militate against this assertion, Koheleth'e just." Commenting on Job xx.xiv. 10, 11, faith pre,ailed against apparent contradic- St. Gregory writes, " It is by no means tions. Neither shall he prolong his days, al we.ys the case in this life that God renders which are as a shadow. Above we read of to each man according to his work and ac- a wicked man enjoying a long, untroubled cording to his own ways. For both me.ny life; here the contrary is stated. Such con- who commit unlawful e.nd wicked deeds he tradictions are seen every day. There are prevents of his free grace, and converts to inscrutable reasons for the delay of judg- works of holiness; and some who are devoted meut; but on the whole moral government to good deeds he reproves by means of the is vindicated, and even the long life of a scourge, and so afflicts those who please sinner is no blessing. The author of the him, as though they were displeasing to Book of Wisdom writes (iv. 8), "Honour- him. . . . God doubtless eo ordains it of e.ble age is not that which ste.ndcth in length his inestimable mercy, that both scourges of time, nor that is measured by number should torture the just, lest their doings of years;" and Isaiah (lxv. 20), "The should elate them, e.nd that the unju8t sinner being an hundred years old shall be should pass this life at leost without punisli- accursed." llian's life is compared to a ment, because by their evil doings they a.re shadow because it passes away with the hastening onwards to those torments which settiug sun (Hee on eh. vi. 12). The Vul- are without end. For that tile just ar"' gate, in order to obviate the apparent dis- sometimes scourged in no way according to crepancy between this and the preceding their deserts is shown by this history of Job. verses, renders the verb in e. precatory form : Elihu, tlierefore, would speak more truly if Non sit bonum impio, etc., " Let it not be he had ea.id that there is not uurnercifulnees well with the wicked, and let his days not and iniquity in God, even when he seems be prolonged ; but let them pass away as e. uot to render to men according to their ways. shadow wllo fear not the Lord." This ie For even that which we do not understand quite unnecessary ; e.nd the words, "as a is brought forth from thl.l righteous balance shadow," according to the accents, belong to of secret judgment" (' More.I.,' xxiv. H). what precedes, e.s in the Authorized Version. Koheleth ends by repeating his melancholy Hitzig and others have adopted the Vulgate refrain, I said the.t this e.lso (indeed) is division, and render, '' Like e. shadow is he vanity, This conclusion, however~ does not who fears not God." But there is no suffi- lead to despair or iufidelity. cient reason for disregarding the existing Ver. 15.-Then (and) I commended mirth. eccontuation. Septuagint, •• He shall not In face of the anomalies which meet us in prolong his days in e. shadow (ev crK,~)." our view of life, Koheleth recommends the Because he feareth not before God. This is calm enjoyment of such blessings and oom- the roe.son, looking to temporal retribution, forte as we possess, in exact e.ccorde.nce with why the wicked shall not live out he.If their what has e.lreo.dy been soid (eh. ii. 24; iii. days (eh. vii. 17; Prov. x. 27; Pd. Iv. 23). 12, 22; v. 18), though the roe.d by which he Koheloth cleaves to the doctrine received arrives nt the conclusion ie not identicol in from old time, although facts seem often to both cases. In the earlier ohe.pters the in- contra.diet it. junction is based on man's inability to be the Ytr. 14.-There ia e. vanity which ii done master of his own fa.to; in the prcsont pi.~- en. vm. 1-17.J ECCLESIASTES j OR, THE Prn:ACIIER. 205