A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth. Ecclesiastes 7:1.-Consolation to God's people under suffering.-The sorrows of the saints are better than the joys of the worldly. (See note, Ecclesiastes 6:12.) A GOOD NAME - character; a godly mind... [ Continue Reading ]
It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. IT IS BETTER TO GO TO THE HOUSE OF MOURNING ... Proving that it is not a sensual enjoyment of earthly goods which is meant in ; . A thankful use... [ Continue Reading ]
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. SORROW - such as arises from serious thoughts of eternity. The Hebrew Kahas is translated anger in Ecclesiastes 7:9. Here it is commended; there it is condemned. The anger which is felt against our ow... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE HEART OF THE WISE IS IN THE HOUSE OF MOURNING; BUT THE HEART OF FOOLS IS IN THE HOUSE OF MIRTH._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. (IT IS) BETTER TO HEAR ... - (Psalms 141:4.) Godly reproof offends the flesh, but benefits the spirit. Fools' songs "in the house of mirth" please the flesh, but injure the soul.... [ Continue Reading ]
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity. AS THE CRACKLING OF THORNS ... The "crackling" answering to the loud merriment of fools. It is the very fire consuming them which produces the seeming merry noise (Joel 2:5). Their light soon goes out... [ Continue Reading ]
Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart. OPPRESSION MAKETH A WISE MAN MAD - recurring to the idea, ; . Its connection with Ecclesiastes 7:4 is, the sight of "oppression" perpetrated by "fools" might tempt the "wise" to call in question God's dispensations, and im... [ Continue Reading ]
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. BETTER (IS) THE END OF A THING - connected with . Let the "wise" wait for "the end" - i:e., the final issue to the righteous and the wicked respectively; and the "oppressions," whi... [ Continue Reading ]
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. BE NOT HASTY - passionate with excitement, bursting out in complaints against God, and impatient at adversity befalling thee, as Job was (; Psalms 37:1; ). Contrast Lamentations 3:24. ANGER RESTETH IN THE BOSOM OF... [ Continue Reading ]
Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this. THE FORMER DAYS WERE BETTER THAN THESE. Do not call in question God's ways in making thy former days better than thy present, as Job did (Eccl. 29:2-5 ); and the former... [ Continue Reading ]
Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun. Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun. WISDOM (IS) GOOD ... Rather, 'Wisdom, as compared with an inheritance, is good' - i:e., is as good as an inheritance.... [ Continue Reading ]
For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. WISDOM (IS) A DEFENSE - literally, (To be) in (i:e., under) the shadow () of wisdom (is the same as to be) in (under) the shadow of money; i:e., wisdom no less shiel... [ Continue Reading ]
Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? CONSIDER THE WORK OF GOD - consider that it is impossible to alter His dispensations. FOR WHO CAN MAKE (THAT) STRAIGHT? Man cannot amend what God wills to be "wanting" and "adverse" (; ). Since no one can, no... [ Continue Reading ]
In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. IN THE DAY OF PROSPERITY (literally, good) BE JOYFUL - literally, be in good. IN THE DAY OF ADVERSITY CONSIDER. Resumed... [ Continue Reading ]
All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. ALL THINGS HAVE I SEEN ... - I have seen strange things of all kinds. An objection entertained by Solomon "in the days o... [ Continue Reading ]
Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? BE NOT RIGHTEOUS OVER MUCH - forbidding a self-made righteousness of outward performances, in which man knows not his sinfulness, and which would wrest salvation from God, instead of receiving it as th... [ Continue Reading ]
Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? OVER MUCH WICKED - so worded to answer to "righteous over much." It does not imply that we may be wicked a little. "Wicked" refers to "wicked man" (); "die before thy time," to "prolongeth his life," antithe... [ Continue Reading ]
It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all. TAKE HOLD OF THIS; YEA, ALSO FROM THIS WITHDRAW NOT THINE HAND - the two opposite excesses (Ecclesiastes 7:16), fanatical selfwise righteousness an... [ Continue Reading ]
Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. WISDOM - Hebrew, "The wisdom," i:e., the true wisdom, religion (). STRENGTHENETH THE WISE ... - i:e., able and valiant generals (; Ecclesiastes 9:13; ; ). These "watchmen wake in vain except the Lord keep the city" ()... [ Continue Reading ]
For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. NOT A JUST MAN UPON EARTH ... - referring to . Be not self-righteous, "just" before God, because of thy self-imposed performances; because true "wisdom," or 'righteousness,' shows that there is not a just man, etc. Also co... [ Continue Reading ]
Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee: TAKE NO HEED UNTO ALL WORDS. Since therefore thou, being far from perfectly "just" thyself, hast much to be TAKE NO HEED UNTO ALL WORDS. Since therefore thou, being far from perfectly "just" thyself, hast mu... [ Continue Reading ]
For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others. THOU THYSELF LIKEWISE HAST CURSED OTHERS - (.) Conscience reminds the believer of the sins of which his sufferings are designed as the chastisement. Therefore, instead of cherishing a bitter feeling agains... [ Continue Reading ]
All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. ALL THIS HAVE I PROVED - resuming the "all" in ; Ecclesiastes 7:15 is therefore the fruit of his dearly bought experience in the days of his "vanity." I WILL BE WISE - I tried to "be wise" independently of God. B... [ Continue Reading ]
That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? THAT WHICH IS FAR OFF ... Hengstenberg translates, 'Far off is that which is;' i:e., wisdom's aim, absolute being. Wisdom is "exceeding deep" when sought independently of 'fear of God' (; ; Job 11:7; Job 28:12; Romans 10:6). Hengstenbe... [ Continue Reading ]
I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: I APPLIED MINE HEART TO KNOW ... - literally, I turned myself and mine heart to. A phrase special to Ecclesiastes, and appropriate... [ Continue Reading ]
And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. AND I FIND MORE BITTER THAN DEATH - (; .) "I find" that of all my sinful follies, none has been so ruinous a snare i... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account: THIS HAVE I FOUND - namely, what is stated in the previous part of the book (cf. , "All this"), and summed up in , "Lo, this only have I found" (COUNTING) ONE BY ONE - by comparing one thing with anoth... [ Continue Reading ]
Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. MY SOUL SEEKETH - rather, referring to his past experience, 'Which my soul sought further, but I found not,' answering to "I said I will be wise, but it was far from me... [ Continue Reading ]
Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. Summary of his investigations. THEY HAVE SOUGHT OUT MANY INVENTIONS. Theoretical "inventions" [ chishªbonowt (H2810)]. Self-wise reasonings and speculations of the natural intellect, drawing the... [ Continue Reading ]