Ecclesiastes 2:1
ENJOY. look thou into. BEHOLD. Figure of speech _Asterismos._... [ Continue Reading ]
ENJOY. look thou into. BEHOLD. Figure of speech _Asterismos._... [ Continue Reading ]
OF LAUGHTER. to laughter. IT IS MAD. See note on "madness", Ecclesiastes 1:17. OF MIRTH. to mirth. WHAT DOETH IT?. What doth she do?... [ Continue Reading ]
IN MINE HEART: i.e. resolved. TO GIVE MYSELF UNTO: or, how to enlist, by wine, my very flesh [in the work]: i.e. the work of proving the heart with mirth "yet retaining wisdom". WINE. Hebrew. _yayin._ App-27. WISDOM. See note on Ecclesiastes 1:13. men. Hebrew. _'adam._ App-14. Note the use of thi... [ Continue Reading ]
MADE ME GREAT WORKS. increased or multiplied my possessions. WORKS. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Cause), App-6, for the results and effects gained by work. Compare Exodus 23:12; 1 Samuel 25:2.Isaiah 26:12.... [ Continue Reading ]
ORCHARDS. Hebrew. _pardesim_. paradises, parks, or pleasure grounds. Different from "gardens", which were cultivated (Deuteronomy 11:10; 1 Kings 21:2). Paradises were formed by eastern monarchs. In the British Museum may be seen the inscriptions of Gudea, the greatest of the Sumerian rulers of Chald... [ Continue Reading ]
WOOD. forest.... [ Continue Reading ]
GOT ME SERVANTS. bought me servants. Hebrew bondage has nothing in common with Greek, Roman, or African slavery. There is no word for such slavery in Hebrew; _'ebed =_ labourer, is the name of all Jehovah's servants.... [ Continue Reading ]
GATHERED. amassed. Hebrew. _kanas,_ said to be. later Hebrew word (see App-76.) THE PROVINCES. Hebrew. _medinah,_ from _dun_. to rule, hence. country. There is no article before "kings", because they constantly change, whereas countries do not change. This is another word which is said to be of late... [ Continue Reading ]
LABOUR. toil. WAS. came to be. PORTION. share, as in Ecclesiastes 3:22.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN. But when. LOOKED. turned in order to look, as in Ecclesiastes 2:12. VANITY. See note on Ecclesiastes 1:2. VEXATION OF SPIRIT. feeding on wind. Compare Ecclesiastes 1:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD. consider. UNDER THE SUN. See note on Ecclesiastes 1:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOOL. Hebrew. _kesil_. fat, inert. Same word as in verses: Ecclesiastes 2:15; Ecclesiastes 2:16. not the same word as in Ecclesiastes 2:19. AND. MYSELF PERCEIVED. and. too knew: i.e. as well as they. EVENT. a happening. Hebrew. _mikreh._ Said to be. later word, but it occurs in 1Sa 6:9. 1 Samuel 2... [ Continue Reading ]
SAID. IN MY HEART. spake with myself. TO ME. Hebrew "to me, even to me" (Emphatic).... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBRANCE. memorial, as in Ecclesiastes 1:11; Ecclesiastes 1:11. OF. for. FOR EVER. See note on Ecclesiastes 1:4. SEEING THAT WHICH NOW IS. for, as in time past. AS THE FOOL. Compare Psalms 49:10; 2 Samuel 3:33.... [ Continue Reading ]
LIFE. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of the Subject) for the pleasure enjoyed in it.... [ Continue Reading ]
LABOUR. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Cause), App-6, for all that is produced by toil. TAKEN. toiled.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOOL. Hebrew. _sakal =_ stupid. Not the game word as in verses: Ecclesiastes 2:14; Ecclesiastes 2:15; Ecclesiastes 2:16. HAVE RULE. Hebrew. _shaLatin_ Supposed to be. later Hebrew word, but it occurs in Psalms 119:133. SHEWED MYSELF WISE. acted wisely.... [ Continue Reading ]
TOOK. toiled. Some codices, with two early printed editions, add wherein. had acted wisely... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE. here. LEAVE IT. "leave it [to another]". EVIL. calamity. Hebrew. _ra'a'._ App-44.... [ Continue Reading ]
VEXATION. feeding, or delight. Same word as in Ecclesiastes 1:17; Ecclesiastes 4:16. Not the same as in verses: Ecclesiastes 2:11; Ecclesiastes 2:17; Ecclesiastes 2:26.... [ Continue Reading ]
TRAVAIL. toil that brings about fatigue. The same word as in Ecclesiastes 1:13; Ecclesiastes 2:26; Ecclesiastes 3:10; Ecclesiastes 4:8; Ecclesiastes 5:14. Not the same word as in Ecclesiastes 4:4; Ecclesiastes 4:6. Occurs only in Ecclesiastes.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOTHING BETTER. no goodness. BETTER. Occurs in Ecclesiastes 2:24; Ecclesiastes 3:22; Ecclesiastes 4:3; Ecclesiastes 4:6; Ecclesiastes 4:9; Ecclesiastes 4:13, &c. THAN. Ginsburg thinks this "than" should be in the text. HIS SOUL. himself. Hebrew. _nephesh._ App-13. IT: i.e. true enjoyment. Omit t... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO ELSE CAN HASTEN HEREUNTO. who can enjoy? MORE THAN I. Some codices, with Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic, read _mimmennu,_ instead of _mimmenni,_ "without Him" (i.e. without His favour).... [ Continue Reading ]
SINNER. Hebrew. _chata'._ App-44. Occurs again in Ecclesiastes six times. (Ecclesiastes 5:6; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Ecclesiastes 7:26; Ecclesiastes 8:12; Ecclesiastes 9:2; Ecclesiastes 9:18). GATHER. gather in. Not the same word as Ecclesiastes 2:8.... [ Continue Reading ]