{"commentary":{"id":"jamieson-fausset-brown","name":"Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary","website":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamieson-Fausset-Brown_Bible_Commentary","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/","licenseNotes":null,"licenseNotice":null,"englishName":"Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary","language":"eng","textDirection":"rtl","sha256":"db3d4c8b3c1f32ef9d1430a57392e02bda3a17aac1f9bbe398461de021a3cb13","availableFormats":["json"],"listOfBooksApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/books.json","listOfProfilesApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/profiles.json","numberOfBooks":66,"totalNumberOfChapters":1187,"totalNumberOfVerses":17056,"totalNumberOfProfiles":0,"languageName":"English","languageEnglishName":"English"},"book":{"id":"ECC","commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","name":"Ecclesiastes","commonName":"Ecclesiastes","introduction":"The Hebrew title is Koheleth, which the speaker in it applies to himself (Ecc 1:12), \"I, Koheleth, was king over Israel.\" It means an Assembler or Convener of a meeting and a Preacher to such a meeting. The feminine form of the Hebrew noun, and its construction once (Ecc 7:27) with a feminine verb, show that it not only signifies Solomon, the Preacher to assemblies (in which case it is construed with the verb or noun masculine), but also Divine Wisdom (feminine in Hebrew) speaking by the mouth of the inspired king. In six cases out of seven it is construed with the masculine. Solomon was endowed with inspired wisdom (Kg1 3:5-14; Kg1 6:11-12; Kg1 9:1-9; Kg1 11:9-11), specially fitting him for the task. The Orientals delight in such meetings for grave discourse. Thus the Arabs formerly had an assembly yearly, at Ocadh, for hearing and reciting poems. Compare \"Masters of assemblies\" (see on Ecc 12:11, also Ecc 12:9). \"The Preacher taught the people knowledge,\" probably viva voce (\"orally\"); Kg1 4:34; Kg1 10:2, Kg1 10:8, Kg1 10:24; Ch2 9:1, Ch2 9:7, Ch2 9:23, plainly refer to a somewhat public divan met for literary discussion. So \"spake,\" thrice repeated (Kg1 4:32-33), refers not to written compositions, but to addresses spoken in assemblies convened for the purpose. The Holy Ghost, no doubt, signifies also by the term that Solomon's doctrine is intended for the \"great congregation,\" the Church of all places and ages (Psa 22:25; Psa 49:2-4).\n\nSolomon was plainly the author (Ecc 1:12, Ecc 1:16; Ecc 2:15; Ecc 12:9). That the Rabbins attribute it to Isaiah or Hezekiah is explicable by supposing that one or the other inserted it in the canon. The difference of its style, as compared with Proverbs and Song of Solomon, is due to the difference of subjects, and the different period of his life in which each was written; the Song, in the fervor of his first love to God; Proverbs, about the same time, or somewhat later; but Ecclesiastes in late old age, as the seal and testimony of repentance of his apostasy in the intervening period: Psa 89:30, Psa 89:33 proves his penitence. The substitution of the title Koheleth for Solomon (that is, peace), may imply that, having troubled Israel, meantime he forfeited his name of peace (Kg1 11:14, Kg1 11:23); but now, having repented, he wishes to be henceforth a Preacher of righteousness. The alleged foreign expressions in the Hebrew may have been easily imported, through the great intercourse there was with other nations during his long reign. Moreover, supposed Chaldaisms may be fragments preserved from the common tongue of which Hebrew, Syriac, Chaldee, and Arabic were offshoots.\n\nTHE SCOPE of Ecclesiastes is to show the vanity of all mere human pursuits, when made the chief end, as contrasted with the real blessedness of true wisdom, that is, religion. The immortality of the soul is dwelt on incidentally, as subsidiary to the main scope. Moses' law took this truth for granted but drew its sanctions of rewards and punishments in accordance with the theocracy, which was under a special providence of God as the temporal King of Israel, from the present life, rather than the future. But after Israel chose an earthly king, God withdrew, in part, His extraordinary providence, so that under Solomon, temporal rewards did not invariably follow virtue, and punishments vice (compare Ecc 2:16; Ecc 3:19; Ecc 4:1; Ecc 5:8; Ecc 7:15; Ecc 8:14; Ecc 9:2, Ecc 9:11). Hence the need arises to show that these anomalies will be rectified hereafter, and this is the grand \"conclusion,\" therefore, of the \"whole\" book, that, seeing there is a coming judgment, and seeing that present goods do not satisfy the soul, \"man's whole duty is to fear God and keep his commandments\" (Ecc 12:13-14), and meanwhile, to use, in joyful and serene sobriety, and not abuse, the present life (Ecc 3:12-13).\n\nIt is objected that sensual epicurism seems to be inculcated (Ecc 3:12-13, Ecc 3:22, &c.); but it is a contented, thankful enjoyment of God's present gifts that is taught, as opposed to a murmuring, anxious, avaricious spirit, as is proved by Ecc 5:18, compare with Ecc 5:11-15, not making them the chief end of life; not the joy of levity and folly; a misunderstanding which he guards against in Ecc 7:2-6; Ecc 11:9; Ecc 12:1. Again, Ecc 7:16; Ecc 9:2-10, might seem to teach fatalism and skepticism. But these are words put in the mouth of an objector; or rather, they were the language of Solomon himself during his apostasy, finding an echo in the heart of every sensualist, who wishes to be an unbeliever, and, who, therefore, sees difficulties enough in the world around wherewith to prop up his wilful unbelief. The answer is given (Ecc 7:17-18; Ecc 9:11-12; Ecc 11:1, Ecc 11:6; Ecc 12:13). Even if these passages be taken as words of Solomon, they are to be understood as forbidding a self-made \"righteousness,\" which tries to constrain God to grant salvation to imaginary good works and external strictness with which it wearies itself; also, that speculation which tries to fathom all God's inscrutable counsels (Ecc 8:17), and that carefulness about the future forbidden in Mat 6:25.\n\nTHE CHIEF GOOD is that the possession of that which makes us happy, is to be sought as the end, for its own sake; whereas, all other things are but means towards it. Philosophers, who made it the great subject of inquiry, restricted it to the present life, treating the eternal as unreal, and only useful to awe the multitude with. But Solomon shows the vanity of all human things (so-called philosophy included) to satisfy the soul, and that heavenly wisdom alone is the chief good. He had taught so when young (Pro 1:20; Pro 8:1); so also; in Song of Solomon, he had spiritualized the subject in an allegory; and now, after having long personally tried the manifold ways in which the worldly seek to reach happiness, he gives the fruit of his experience in old age.\n\nIt is divided into two parts-- Ecc. 1:1-6:10 showing the vanity of earthly things; Ecc. 6:10-12:14, the excellence of heavenly wisdom. Deviations from strict logical methods occur in these divisions, but in the main they are observed. The deviations make it the less stiff and artificial, and the more suited to all capacities. It is in poetry; the hemistichal division is mostly observed, but occasionally not so. The choice of epithets, imagery, inverted order of words, ellipses, parallelism, or, in its absence, similarity of diction, mark versification. \n\n\n\nNext: Ecclesiastes Chapter 1\n\n","order":21,"numberOfChapters":12,"sha256":"62a4e2df92d463e33901953fd7e9216b7cdda1901a15b41c1d5d575025baa481","firstChapterNumber":1,"firstChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/ECC/1.json","firstChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"ECC","chapter":1},"lastChapterNumber":12,"lastChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/ECC/12.json","lastChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"ECC","chapter":12},"totalNumberOfVerses":202},"chapter":{"number":8,"content":[{"type":"verse","number":2,"content":["the king's--Jehovah, peculiarly the king of Israel in the theocracy; Ecc 8:3-4, prove it is not the earthly king who is meant. \n\nthe oath of God--the covenant which God made with Abraham and renewed with David; Solomon remembered Psa 89:35, \"I have sworn,\" &c. (Psa 89:36), and the penalties if David's children should forsake it (Psa 89:30-32); inflicted on Solomon himself; yet God not \"utterly\" forsaking him (Psa 89:33-34).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":3,"content":["hasty--rather, \"Be not terror-struck so as to go out of His sight.\" Slavishly \"terror-struck\" is characteristic of the sinner's feeling toward God; he vainly tries to flee out of His sight (Psa 139:7); opposed to the \"shining face\" of filial confidence (Ecc 8:1; Joh 8:33-36; Rom 8:2; Jo1 4:18). \n\nstand not--persist not. \n\nfor he doeth--God inflicts what punishment He pleases on persisting sinners (Job 23:13; Psa 115:3). True of none save God.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":4,"content":["God's very \"word\" is \"power.\" So the gospel word (Rom 1:16; Heb 4:12). \n\nwho may say, &c.-- (Job 9:12; Job 33:13; Isa 45:9; Dan 4:35). Scripture does not ascribe such arbitrary power to earthly kings.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":5,"content":["feel--experience. \n\ntime--the neglect of the right \"times\" causes much of the sinful folly of the spiritually unwise (Ecc 3:1-11). \n\njudgment--the right manner [HOLDEN]. But as God's future \"judgment\" is connected with the \"time for every purpose\" in Ecc 3:17, so it is here. The punishment of persisting sinners (Ecc 8:3) suggests it. The wise man realizes the fact, that as there is a fit \"time\" for every purpose, so for the \"judgment.\" This thought cheers him in adversity (Ecc 7:14; Ecc 8:1).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":6,"content":["therefore the misery, &c.--because the foolish sinner does not think of the right \"times\" and the \"judgment.\"\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":7,"content":["he--the sinner, by neglecting times (for example, \"the accepted time, and the day of salvation, Co2 6:2), is taken by surprise by the judgment (Ecc 3:22; Ecc 6:12; Ecc 9:12). The godly wise observe the due times of things (Ecc 3:1), and so, looking for the judgment, are not taken by surprise, though not knowing the precise \"when\" (Th1 5:2-4); they \"know the time\" to all saving purposes (Rom 13:11).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":8,"content":["spirit--\"breath of life\" (Ecc 3:19), as the words following require. Not \"wind,\" as WEISS thinks (Pro 30:4). This verse naturally follows the subject of \"times\" and \"judgment\" (Ecc 8:6-7). \n\ndischarge--alluding to the liability to military service of all above twenty years old (Num 1:3), yet many were exempted (Deu 20:5-8). But in that war (death) there is no exemption. \n\nthose . . . given to--literally, the master of it. Wickedness can get money for the sinner, but cannot deliver him from the death, temporal and eternal, which is its penalty (Isa 28:15, Isa 28:18).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":9,"content":["his own hurt--The tyrannical ruler \"hurts\" not merely his subjects, but himself; so Rehoboam (1Ki. 12:1-33); but the \"time\" of \"hurt\" chiefly refers to eternal ruin, incurred by \"wickedness,\" at \"the day of death\" (Ecc 8:8), and the \"time\" of \"judgment\" (Ecc 8:6; Pro 8:36).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":10,"content":["the wicked--namely, rulers (Ecc 8:9). \n\nburied--with funeral pomp by man, though little meriting it (Jer 22:19); but this only formed the more awful contrast to their death, temporal and eternal, inflicted by God (Luk 16:22-23). \n\ncome and gone from the place of the holy--went to and came from the place of judicature, where they sat as God's representatives (Psa 82:1-6), with pomp [HOLDEN]. WEISS translates, \"Buried and gone (utterly), even from the holy place they departed.\" As Joab, by Solomon's command, was sent to the grave from the \"holy place\" in the temple, which was not a sanctuary to murderers (Exo 21:14; Kg1 2:28, Kg1 2:31). The use of the very word \"bury\" there makes this view likely; still \"who had come and gone\" may be retained. Joab came to the altar, but had to go from it; so the \"wicked rulers\" (Ecc 8:9) (including high priests) came to, and went from, the temple, on occasions of solemn worship, but did not thereby escape their doom. \n\nforgotten-- (Pro 10:7).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":11,"content":["The reason why the wicked persevere in sin: God's delay in judgment (Mat 24:48-51; Pe2 3:8-9). \"They see not the smoke of the pit, therefore they dread not the fire\" [SOUTH], (Psa 55:19). Joab's escape from the punishment of his murder of Abner, so far from \"leading him to repentance,\" as it ought (Rom 2:4), led him to the additional murder of Amasa.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":12,"content":["He says this, lest the sinner should abuse the statement (Ecc 7:15), \"A wicked man prolongeth his life.\" \n\nbefore him--literally, \"at His presence\"; reverently serve Him, realizing His continual presence.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":13,"content":["neither shall he prolong--not a contradiction to Ecc 8:12. The \"prolonging\" of his days there is only seeming, not real. Taking into account his eternal existence, his present days, however seemingly long, are really short. God's delay (Ecc 8:11) exists only in man's short-sighted view. It gives scope to the sinner to repent, or else to fill up his full measure of guilt; and so, in either case, tends to the final vindication of God's ways. It gives exercise to the faith, patience, and perseverance of saints. \n\nshadow-- (Ecc 6:12; Job 8:9).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":14,"content":["An objection is here started (entertained by Solomon in his apostasy), as in Ecc 3:16; Ecc 7:15, to the truth of retributive justice, from the fact of the just and the wicked not now receiving always according to their respective deserts; a cavil, which would seem the more weighty to men living under the Mosaic covenant of temporal sanctions. The objector adds, as Solomon had said, that the worldling's pursuits are \"vanity\" (Ecc 8:10), \"I say (not 'said') this also is vanity. Then I commend mirth,\" &c. [HOLDEN]. Ecc 8:14-15 may, however, be explained as teaching a cheerful, thankful use of God's gifts \"under the sun,\" that is, not making them the chief good, as sensualists do, which Ecc 2:2; Ecc 7:2, forbid; but in \"the fear of God,\" as Ecc 3:12; Ecc 5:18; Ecc 7:18; Ecc 9:7, opposed to the abstinence of the self-righteous ascetic (Ecc 7:16), and of the miser (Ecc 5:17).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":15,"content":["no better thing, &c.--namely, for the \"just\" man, whose chief good is religion, not for the worldly. \n\nabide--Hebrew, \"adhere\"; not for ever, but it is the only sure good to be enjoyed from earthly labors (equivalent to \"of his labor the days of his life\"). Still, the language resembles the skeptical precept (Co1 15:32), introduced only to be refuted; and \"abide\" is too strong language, perhaps, for a religious man to apply to \"eating\" and \"mirth.\"\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":16,"content":["Reply to Ecc 8:14-15. When I applied myself to observe man's toils after happiness (some of them so incessant as not to allow sufficient time for \"sleep\"), then (Ecc 8:17, the apodosis) I saw that man cannot find out (the reason of) God's inscrutable dealings with the \"just\" and with the \"wicked\" here (Ecc 8:14; Ecc 3:11; Job 5:9; Rom 11:33); his duty is to acquiesce in them as good, because they are God's, though he sees not all the reasons for them (Psa 73:16). It is enough to know \"the righteous are in God's hand\" (Ecc 9:1). \"Over wise\" (Ecc 7:16); that is, Speculations above what is written are vain.\n\n\n\n\nNext: Ecclesiastes Chapter 9\n\n"]}],"introduction":"(Ecc. 8:1-17)\n\nPraise of true wisdom continued (Ecc 7:11, &c.). \"Who\" is to be accounted \"equal to the wise man? . . . Who (like him) knoweth the interpretation\" of God's providences (for example, Ecc 7:8, Ecc 7:13-14), and God's word (for example, see on Ecc 7:29; Pro 1:6)? \n\nface to shine-- (Ecc 7:14; Act 6:15). A sunny countenance, the reflection of a tranquil conscience and serene mind. Communion with God gives it (Exo 34:29-30). \n\nboldness--austerity. \n\nchanged--into a benign expression by true wisdom (religion) (Jam 3:17). MAURER translates, \"The shining (brightness) of his face is doubled,\" arguing that the Hebrew noun for \"boldness\" is never used in a bad sense (Pro 4:18). Or as Margin, \"strength\" (Ecc 7:19; Isa 40:31; Co2 3:18). But the adjective is used in a bad sense (Deu 28:50).\n\n"},"thisChapterLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/ECC/8.json","thisChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"ECC","chapter":8},"nextChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/ECC/9.json","nextChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"ECC","chapter":9},"previousChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/ECC/7.json","previousChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"ECC","chapter":7},"numberOfVerses":15}