The Pulpit Commentary — Ecclesiastes — Section 261

Ver. 8.-Re that diggeth a pit ahall fall Cutting up logs of wood, e. man mny hurt into it. This proverb occurs in Prov. xxvi. 27, himself with axo or saw, or be illjurod by 11nd, ns expreesi ve of the retribution that splinters, etc. If we take the idea to ho tho awnits e,il-doers, finds parallels in Ps. vii. felling of trees, there is the danger of being 15, 16; ix. 15; x. 2; Ecclus. xxvii. 25, 26. crushed in their fall, or, accordiug to tho The" pit" (gummats, ll,ra.i AE')'ilµ,vov) is such tenor of Dent. Iix. 5, of being kille<l inncl- , one as was made to capture wild animals, vertently by e. neighbour's axo. Vulgatc. and the maker of it is supposed to npproach Qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis, which it incautiously, and to fall into it. But the is more definite than the general term "en- scope of our passage is mtber to speak of dangered;" but the Septuagint has, K1JJ6uveo- what may possibly occur than to insist on a-« iv all'rois, as in the Authorized Version. tbe Nemesis that inevitably overtakes trans- Plumptre sees here, again, an intimation of gressors. Its object is to inspire caution in the dllllger of attacking time-honoured in- the prosecution of dangerous undertakings, stitutions, even when deoa.ying and corrupt. wbetber the enterprise be the overthrow of Ver. 10.-lf the iron be blllllt, and he do a tyrant, or any other action of importance, not whet the edge. The illustration at the or whether, as some suppose, the arraign- end of the last verso is continued. The ment of the providential ordering of events " iron" is the axe used in cutting wood ; if is intended, in which case there would be this be blunted by the work to which it is the danger of blasphemy and impatience. put, and he, the labourer, has not sharpen eel And whoso breaketh a hedge, a serpent shell the edge (Hebrew, the face, as in Ezek. bite him. The futures throughout vers. 8 xxi. l), what is tbe coneequence? How is he and 9 are not intended to express certainly, to carry on his work? Then must he put to ns if the results mentioned were inevitable, more strength. He must put more furco bnt rather possibility, and might be ren- in his blows, he must make up for the want dered, with Delitzech, "may fall," "may of edge by added power and weight. This bite," etc. The "hedge" is rather a wall is the simplest explanation of the passage, (Prov. xxiv. 31), in the crevices of which which contains many linguistio difficulties. poisonons snakes have made their abode, These may be seen discussed at length in which are disturbed by its demolition (comp. the commentaries of Delitzsch, Wright, Amos v. 19). Nacha,sh, here used, is the Nowack, etc. The tr11nslation of Ginsburg generic name of any serpent. The majority is n.ot commendable, "If the axe be blunt, of the snakes follild in Palestine are harm- and he (the tyrant's opponent) do not less; but there are some which are very sharpen it beforehand (pltanim, taken as o.n deadly, especially the cobra and those which adverb of time), ho (the tyrant) shall only belong to the viper fe.mily. There is no increase the army." The Septuagint is ob- allnsion here to the illegal removal of land- scure, 'Eav ,' K,rla-r, .,.1, a-,6-1,pwv, Kal a1h<l s marks, a proceeding which might be sup- ,rp/lu,,,,rov frapa.!e' Kal 1SvvJ.µ.E1s livva.µ.6/<rEI, •• If posed to provoke retribntion; the hedge or the axe should fall, then he troubles his wall is one which the demolisher is justified face, and he shall strengthen bis forces in removing, only in doing so he must look (? double his strength);" Vulgate, Si retu- out for certain contingencies, and guard suin fuerit f errum, et hoe non ut prius, sed against them. Metaphorically, the pulling hebetatum fuerit, multo labore ezacuetur, down a wall may refer to the removal of "If the iron shall be blunted, and it bo not evil institutions in a elate, which involves as before, but he.ve become dull, it shall be the reformer in many difficulties and perils. shnrpened with much labour." But wisdom Ver. 9.-Whoso removeth atones shall be is profitable to direot; ro.tber, the advantage hurt therewith. It is natural to consider of setting right is (on the side of) wisdom. this clause as suggested by the breaking of Wisdom teaches how to conduct matters to a wall in the preceding verse; but as this a successful te1·mination ; for instance, it would occasion e. jejune repetition, it is better prompts the worker to sharpen his tool to take it of the work of the quarryman, as instead of trying to accomplish his task by in 1 Kings v. 17, where the so.me verb is an exertion of mere brute strength. Tho used. The dangers to which sneh labourers gnome applies to all the instances which are exposed are well known. Here, again, have been mentioned above. Wisdom alone Lut unsuccessfully, some have seen a refer- enables n man to meet and overcome the ence to the removal of landmarks, comparing dangers and difficulties which beset his 2 Kings iv. 4, where the word is translated social, common, and politico.I life, If we "set aside." As before said, the paragraph apply tho whole sentence to the case of does not speak of retribution, but udvises disaffection with the government or open caution, enforcing the lesson by certain rebellion, the caution given would siguify homely e.llusio11s to the accidents that may -See that your me1ms are adequate to the occur in customary occupations. He that end, that your resources are sufficient to c,leaveth wood shell bo endangered thereby. conduct your enterprise to success. Scptuo.- en. x. 1-20.J ECCLESIASTES; OR, THE PREACHER. 253