{"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":9,"content":[{"type":"verse","number":2,"content":["All things . . . alike--not universally; but as to death. Ecc 9:2-10 are made by HOLDEN the objection of a skeptical sensualist. However, they may be explained as Solomon's language. He repeats the sentiment already implied in Ecc 2:14; Ecc 3:20; Ecc 8:14. \n\none event--not eternally; but death is common to all. \n\ngood--morally. \n\nclean--ceremonially. \n\nsacrificeth--alike to Josiah who sacrificed to God, and to Ahab who made sacrifice to Him cease. \n\nsweareth--rashly and falsely.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":3,"content":["Translate, \"There is an evil above all (evils) that are done,\" &c., namely, that not only \"there is one event to all,\" but \"also the heart of the sons of men\" makes this fact a reason for \"madly\" persisting in \"evil while they live, and after that,\" &c., sin is \"madness.\" \n\nthe dead-- (Pro 2:18; Pro 9:18).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":4,"content":["For--rather, \"Nevertheless.\" English Version rightly reads as the Margin, Hebrew, \"that is joined,\" instead of the text, \"who is to be chosen?\" \n\nhope--not of mere temporal good (Job 14:7); but of yet repenting and being saved. \n\ndog--metaphor for the vilest persons (Sa1 24:14). \n\nlion--the noblest of animals (Pro 30:30). \n\nbetter--as to hope of salvation; the noblest who die unconverted have no hope; the vilest, so long as they have life, have hope.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":5,"content":["know that they shall die--and may thereby be led \"so to number their days, that they may apply their hearts to wisdom\" (Ecc 7:1-4; Psa 90:12). \n\ndead know not anything--that is, so far as their bodily senses and worldly affairs are concerned (Job 14:21; Isa 63:16); also, they know no door of repentance open to them, such as is to all on earth. \n\nneither . . . reward--no advantage from their worldly labors (Ecc 2:18-22; Ecc 4:9). \n\nmemory--not of the righteous (Psa 112:6; Mal 3:16), but the wicked, who with all the pains to perpetuate their names (Psa 49:11) are soon \"forgotten\" (Ecc 8:10).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":6,"content":["love, and . . . hatred, &c.--(referring to Ecc 9:1; see on Ecc 9:1). Not that these cease in a future world absolutely (Eze 32:27; Rev 22:11); but as the end of this verse shows, relatively to persons and things in this world. Man's love and hatred can no longer be exercised for good or evil in the same way as here; but the fruits of them remain. What he is at death he remains for ever. \"Envy,\" too, marks the wicked as referred to, since it was therewith that they assailed the righteous (see on Ecc 9:1). \n\nportion--Their \"portion\" was \"in this life\" (Psa 17:14), that they now \"cannot have any more.\"\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":7,"content":["Addressed to the \"righteous wise,\" spoken of in Ecc 9:1. Being \"in the hand of God,\" who now accepteth \"thy works\" in His service, as He has previously accepted thy person (Gen 4:4), thou mayest \"eat . . . with a cheerful (not sensually 'merry') heart\" (Ecc 3:13; Ecc 5:18; Act 2:46).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":8,"content":["white--in token of joy (Isa 61:3). Solomon was clad in white (JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 8:7,3); hence his attire is compared to the \"lilies\" (Mat 6:29), typical of the spotless righteousness of Jesus Christ, which the redeemed shall wear (Rev 3:18; Rev 7:14). \n\nointment-- (Psa 23:5), opposed to a gloomy exterior (Sa2 14:2; Psa 45:7; Mat 6:17); typical, also (Ecc 7:1; Sol 1:3).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":9,"content":["wife . . . lovest--godly and true love, opposed to the \"snares\" of the \"thousand\" concubines (Ecc 7:26, Ecc 7:28), \"among\" whom Solomon could not find the true love which joins one man to one woman (Pro 5:15, Pro 5:18-19; Pro 18:22; Pro 19:14).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":10,"content":["Whatsoever--namely, in the service of God. This and last verse plainly are the language of Solomon, not of a skeptic, as HOLDEN would explain it. \n\nhand, &c.-- (Lev 12:8, Margin; Sa1 10:7, Margin). \n\nthy might--diligence (Deu 6:5; Jer 48:10, Margin). \n\nno work . . . in the grave-- (Joh 9:4; Rev 14:13). \"The soul's play-day is Satan's work-day; the idler the man the busier the tempter\" [SOUTH].\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":11,"content":["This verse qualifies the sentiment, Ecc 9:7-9. Earthly \"enjoyments,\" however lawful in their place (Ecc 3:1), are to give way when any work to be done for God requires it. Reverting to the sentiment (Ecc 8:17), we ought, therefore, not only to work God's work \"with might\" (Ecc 9:10), but also with the feeling that the event is wholly \"in God's hand\" (Ecc 9:1). \n\nrace . . . not to the swift-- (Sa2 18:23); spiritually (Zep 3:19; Rom 9:16). \n\nnor . . . battle to . . . strong-- (Sa1 17:47; Ch2 14:9, Ch2 14:11, Ch2 14:15; Psa 33:16). \n\nbread--livelihood. \n\nfavour--of the great. \n\nchance--seemingly, really Providence. But as man cannot \"find it out\" (Ecc 3:11), he needs \"with all might\" to use opportunities. Duties are ours; events, God's.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":12,"content":["his time--namely, of death (Ecc 7:15; Isa 13:22). Hence the danger of delay in doing the work of God, as one knows not when his opportunity will end (Ecc 9:10). \n\nevil net--fatal to them. The unexpected suddenness of the capture is the point of comparison. So the second coming of Jesus Christ, \"as a snare\" (Luk 21:35). \n\nevil time--as an \"evil net,\" fatal to them.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":13,"content":["Rather, \"I have seen wisdom of this kind also,\" that is, exhibited in the way which is described in what follows [MAURER].\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":14,"content":["(Sa2 20:16-22). \n\nbulwarks--military works of besiegers.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":15,"content":["poor--as to the temporal advantages of true wisdom, though it often saves others. It receives little reward from the world, which admires none save the rich and great. \n\nno man remembered-- (Gen 40:23).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":16,"content":["Resuming the sentiment (Ecc 7:19; Pro 21:22; Pro 24:5). \n\npoor man's wisdom is despised--not the poor man mentioned in Ecc 9:15; for his wisdom could not have saved the city, had \"his words not been heard\"; but poor men in general. So Paul (Act 27:11).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":17,"content":["The words of wise, &c.--Though generally the poor wise man is not heard (Ecc 9:16), yet \"the words of wise men, when heard in quiet (when calmly given heed to, as in Ecc 9:15), are more serviceable than,\" &c. \n\nruleth--as the \"great king\" (Ecc 9:14). Solomon reverts to \"the rulers to their own hurt\" (Ecc 8:9).\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":18,"content":["one sinner, &c.-- (Jos 7:1, Jos 7:11-12). Though wisdom excels folly (Ecc 9:16; Ecc 7:19), yet a \"little folly (equivalent to sin) can destroy much good,\" both in himself (Ecc 10:1; Jam 2:10) and in others. \"Wisdom\" must, from the antithesis to \"sinner,\" mean religion. Thus typically, the \"little city\" may be applied to the Church (Luk 12:32; Heb 12:22); the great king to Satan (Joh 12:31); the despised poor wise man, Jesus Christ (Isa 53:2-3; Mar 6:3; Co2 8:9; Eph 1:7-8; Col 2:3).\n\n\n\n\nNext: Ecclesiastes Chapter 10\n\n"]}],"introduction":"(Ecc. 9:1-18)\n\ndeclare--rather, explore; the result of my exploring is this, that \"the righteous, &c., are in the hand of God. No man knoweth either the love or hatred (of God to them) by all that is before them,\" that is, by what is outwardly seen in His present dealings (Ecc 8:14, Ecc 8:17). However, from the sense of the same words, in Ecc 9:6, \"love and hatred\" seem to be the feelings of the wicked towards the righteous, whereby they caused to the latter comfort or sorrow. Translate: \"Even the love and hatred\" (exhibited towards the righteous, are in God's hand) (Psa 76:10; Pro 16:7). \"No man knoweth all that is before them.\"\n\n"},"thisChapterLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/ECC/9.json","thisChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"ECC","chapter":9},"nextChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/ECC/10.json","nextChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"ECC","chapter":10},"previousChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/ECC/8.json","previousChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"ECC","chapter":8},"numberOfVerses":17}