Ecclesiastes 7:24

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). Hengstenberg compares in his view ; ; ;...

23-29 Solomon, in his search into the nature and reason of things, had been miserably deluded. But he here speaks with godly sorrow. He alone who constantly aims to please God, can expect to escape; the careless sinner probably will fall to rise no more. He now discovered more than ever the evil of the great sin of which he had been guilty, the loving many strange women, 1 Kings 11:1. A woman thoroughly upright and godly, he had not found. How was he likely to find such a one among those he had collected? If any of them had been well disposed, their situation would tend to render them all nearly of the same character. He here warns others against the sins into which he had been betrayed. Many a godly man can with thankfulness acknowledge that he has found a prudent, virtuous woman in the wife of his bosom; but those men who have gone in Solomon's track, cannot expect to find one. He tra...

Verse 24. _THAT WHICH IS FAR OFF_] Though the wisdom that is essential to our salvation may be soon learned, through the teaching of the Spirit of wisdom, yet in wisdom itself there are _extents_ and _depths_ which none can reach or fathom....

literally, Far off is that which hath been i. e., events as they have occurred in the order of Divine Providence), and deep, deep, who can find it out?...

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

THAT WHICH IS FAR OFF,.... Or, "far off [is] that which has been" g. That which has been done by God already, in creation and providence, is out of the reach of men, is far from their understandings wholly to comprehend or account for; and likewise that which is past with men, what has been done in former ages, the history of past times, is very difficult to come at: or rather, according to Schmidt, and Rambachius after him, what was of old is now afar off or absent; the image of God in man which consisted of perfect wisdom, and was created at the same time with him, is now lost, and that is the reason why wisdom is far from him; AND EXCEEDING DEEP, WHO CAN FIND IT OUT? the primitive perfect wisdom is sunk so deep and gone, that no man can find it to the perfection it was once enjoyed; see Job 28:12. This may respect the knowledge of God, and the perfections of his nature; whic

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 ...

_That which is far off and exceeding deep_ The English of the latter clause scarcely expresses the Hebrew more emphatic iteration AND DEEP DEEP. By some interpreters a like iteration is supplied in the first clause, FAR OFF IS THAT WHICH IS FAR, but there does not seem adequate ground for thus altering the text. Rather are the first words to be taken of substantial being, FAR OFF FROM US IS THAT WHICH IS (the τὰ ὄντα of Greek thought, the sum total of things past and present). So in another and later Jewish book impregnated, like this, with Greek thought, wisdom is described as a τῶν ὄντων γνῶσις ἀψευδής ("a true knowledge of the things that are" Wis 7:17). Comp. Job 11:7-8; Romans 11:33, for like language as to the Divine Counsels....

B. IMPORTANT LESSONS DRAWN FROM THESE OBSERVATIONS Ecclesiastes 7:23-29 1. Practical lessons can be learned but the deeper things are unattainable. Ecclesiastes 7:23-24 TEXT 7:23-24 23 I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me. 24 What has been is remote and exceedingly mysterious. Who can discover it? THOUGHT QUESTIONS 7:23-24 213. List the things that all this refers to if it has reference to the teaching found in Ecclesiastes 7:1-22. 214. Make a list of the things all this refers to if it has reference to the teaching found in...