Ecclesiastes 7:22

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 against the agents who cause our sufferings, we ought to regard them as the instruments in the hands of the loving Father who corrects us; then it becomes, by God's Spirit, easy to us to love them and pray for them while they despitefully use us....

11-22 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, yea better. It shelters from the storms and scorching heat of trouble. Wealth will not lengthen out the natural life; but true wisdom will give spiritual life, and strengthen men for services under their sufferings. Let us look upon the disposal of our condition as the work of God, and at last all will appear to have been for the best. In acts of righteousness, be not carried into heats or passions, no, not by a zeal for God. Be not conceited of thine own abilities; nor find fault with every thing, nor busy thyself in other men's matters. Many who will not be wrought upon by the fear of God, and the dread of hell, will avoid sins which ruin their health and estate, and expose to public justice. But those that truly fear God, have but one end to serve, therefore act steadily. If we say we have not sinned, we deceive ourselves. Every true believe...

Verse 22. _THOU THYSELF - HAST CURSED OTHERS._] קללת _kalalta_, thou hast spoken evil; hast vilified others. O, who is free from evil speaking, from uncharitable speaking; from detailing their neighbour's faults, from whispering, talebearing, and backbiting? Do not wonder if God, in his justice, permit _thee_ to be calumniated, seeing thou hast so frequently calumniated others. See my discourse on Psalms 15:1....

CURSE ... CURSED - Rather, speak evil of ... spoken evil of....

EXPOSITION ECCLESIASTES 7:1 Ecclesiastes 12:8.—Division II. DEDUCTIONS FROM THE ABOVE-MENTIONED EXPERIENCES IN THE WAY OF WARNINGS AND RULES OF LIFE. ECCLESIASTES 7:1 Section 1. Though no man knows for certain what is best, yet there are _some practical rules for the conduct of life which wisdom gives_._ _Some of these Koheleth sets forward in the prov

FOR OFTENTIMES ALSO THINE OWN HEART KNOWETH,.... Or "thy conscience", as the Vulgate Latin version, which is as a thousand witnesses; which, if a man attends to, he will be convinced of his own faults, failings, and infirmities, he is frequently in the commission of. Particularly, THAT THOU THYSELF LIKEWISE HAST CURSED OTHERS; either in heart, or with the tongue; thought ill of them, wished ill to them; spoke contemptibly of them, reviled and reproached them; called them by bad names, and abused them; and said some very hard and severe words concerning them, in a passionate fit, being provoked; and afterwards repented of it, being better informed of the state of the case, or being convinced of the evil of passion and rash speaking; and therefore such should consider the like passions and infirmities of others, and pass over them, and forgive them: so Alshech, "if thou hast cursed other...

PART II. CHAPTER S 7-12 1. The Good Advice of the Natural Man, Discouragement and Failure CHAPTER 7 _ 1. The better things (Ecclesiastes 7:1)_ 2. The anomalies (Ecclesiastes 7:15) 3. The strength of wisdom, yet none perfect (Ecclesiastes 7:19) 4. The worst thing he found (Ecclesiastes 7:23) Ecclesiastes 7:1. All had been tested by the royal searcher; all was found out to be vanity and vexation of spirit. Darkness, discouragement, uncertainty and despai

PROVERBS AND REFLECTIONS. After asking, What is good for man in life? (Ecclesiastes 6:12), Qoheleth gives us advice as to what a man may do by way of mitigating his worries. First of all it is advisable for him to cultivate seriousness rather than levity (Ecclesiastes 7:1). The curious remark that a (good) name is better than precious ointment (_cf._ Ca. Ecclesiastes 1:3 *) is in the Heb. a play on the words _shem_ and _shemen;_ ointment is highly esteemed in the East. Ecclesiastes 7:1_ b_ reminds us of the Thracian tribe mentioned by Herodotus ...

_For oftentimes also thine own heart_ The rule of the previous verse is backed by an appeal to a man's own conscience, "_mutato nomine de te fabula narratur_." "Thou too art not free from the habit of censorious censure, of hard and bitter speeches; even, it may be, of -cursing," where blessing would have been better....

CURSE THEE—CURSED OTHERS— _Speaking evil of thee—hast spoken evil of others._ Symmachus in both these places renders the word by λοιδορειν. Many good men's consciences will never accuse them of having _cursed others;_ but where is he who never spoke an evil word of his neighbour? These two verses contain the _fifth and last advice._ The tranquillity of our mind is not to be disturbed by every idle report or discourse wherein we are wronged. We must not even mind such reports, lest we should find our servants among those who revile us; which, though very common, is even more provoking than to be slandered by strangers. A very proper motive is added to enforce that advice. We may know from our own experience upon what slight foundations scandal is generally grounded; and that it is the way of the world, even for the best men to be sometimes evil spoken of; since it has been too often our c...