The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 237

last idea., is re1;nl'clecl ns a late Eeeenio and passions, and care little for God's will dernloprnent (see Josephus, 'Bell. Jud.,' ii. l\n<l law, or their own beat interests. This 8. 6); though something like it is found in is well called "want of reason" ( 11'<p«f,<p«a., the sermon on the mount, "I say unto you, Septuagint). And after that they go to the Swear not at all," eto. (Matt. v. 3-1-37). dead. The verb is omitted in the Hebrew, Denn Plumptre, however, throws doubt on being implied by the preposition ~~. " to; " the above interpretation, owing to the fe.ot the omission is very forcible. Delitzsch, that in all the other groups the good side is Wright, and others render, "after him," i.e. placed first; and he suggests that "he who after man's life is encled, which seems rather sweareth" may be one who does hie duty in to say, "after they die, they die." The idea, this particular religiously and well (comp. however, appears to be, both good and evil Dent. vi. 13; Isa. lxv.16), and" he who fears go to the same place, pass away into nothing- the oath" is a man whose conscience makes ness, are known no more in this world. Here him shrink from the oath of compurgation at present Koheleth leaves tbe question of (Exod. xxii. 10, 11 ; Numb. v. 19-22), or tl.ie future life, having already intimated his who is too cowardly to give hie testimony in belief in eh. iii. and viii. 11, etc. due form. The Vulgate has, Ut perjurU8, Ver. 4.-For to him that is joined to all the ita et ille qui verum dejerat; and it seems living there is hope. As long as a man lives unnecessary to present an entirely new view (is one of living beings) be I.ms wme hope, of the passage in slavish expectation of a whatever it be. This feeling is inextinguish- concinnity which the author cannot be able even unto tlie end. proved to have ever aimed at. The five con- .,AeJ..:rrTDJI ouaEv· 1rd.rrrix 6' EA.7rl(etv xpec!Jv. trasted pairs are the righteous and the wicked, the clean and the uuclean, the se.ori- "Hope springs eternal in the human breast." ficer nnd the non-eacrificer, the good and the Thus Bailey sings, ill 'Festus ' - sinner, the profane swearer ond the man who reverences nn oath. The last clause is ren- " All dered by the Septuagint, "So is he who Have hopes, Jiowever wretched they way be, sweareth ( 6 oµvocov) even as he who fears the Or blessed. It is hope which lifts the lark oath," which is as ambiguous as the origine.l, BO high, A cautious Greek gnome saye- Hope of a lighter air e.ncl bluer sky; And the poor hack which drops down on the ''OpKov 3~ t/JE~<, K~II 31Ka;{c.,S oµVV'(IS, flints, "Avoid nn oath, though justly you might Upon whose eye the dust is settling, he swear." Hopes, but to die. No being exists, of hope, Ver, 3.-This is an ovil among all things Of love, rnid." that are done Ullder the sun. The "evil" This clause gi vee a reason for the folly of is explained in the following words, which men, mentioned in ver. 3. Whntever be spenk of the common fate. The Vulgate their lot, or their way of life, they see no (followed by Ginsburg and others) takes the reason to make uny change by reformation first words as equivalent to a superlative: or nctive exertion. They go on hoping, aud Hoa est pessimum inter omnia, " Thie is the do notbing. Something may tum up: amid greatest evil of all that is done under the tho inexplicnblo confusion of the ordering of sun." But the article would have been used events some happy oontiugency may arrive. in this cuse: nor would this accurately ex- The above is the reading according to the press Koheleth's sentiments. He looks upon Keri. Thus the Septuagint: "On Th ta ,icath only us one of the evils nppcrtaining Ko,vcovei; "For who is he that hos fellowship to men's career on earth-one of the phases with all the living?" Symmachus bus, of that identity of treatment so certain and "For who is he that will al ways continue to so inexplicable, which leads to disastrous live?" while the Vulgate gives, Nemo est qui results ( eh. viii. 11 ). That there is one semper vivat. The Khatib points di1for- event unto all. The " one eveut," us the ently, offering the reading, "For who is end of the verse shows, is death, We excepted?" i.e. from the common lot, the J,e.ve here the old strain repeated which is interrogation being closely connected witb found in eh. ii. 14-16: iii. 19; v. 15: vi. 12; the preceding verse, or "Who cau choose?'' "Omnes eodem cogimur" (Horace, 'Carm.,' i.e. whether he will die or not. The sentence ii. 3. 25). Yea, also the heart of the sons of then proceeds, "To ftli the living there is men is full of evil. In consequenoe of this hope." But the rendering of the Authorized indiscriminating destiny men sin recklessly, Version has good authority, and affords the are encoura'7ed 0 in their wickedness. Mad- better sense, For e. living dog is better ness is in th eir heart while they live. The than a dead lion. The dog in Palestine Wfts "madness" is conduct opposed to the dictl\tes not mode a pet and companion, as it is of wisdom and reason, as eh. i. 17; ii. 2, 12. among us, but was regarded ftS a loathsome ,A.II their life long men follow their own Juste and despicable object comp. 1 Sam. xvii. ECCLESIASTES, Q  ECCLESIASTES; OR, THE PREACHER. [on. ix. 1-18,