Reference: Ecclesiastes
American
The preacher, the name of a book of the Old Testament, usually ascribed to Solomon. Compare 1Ki 3:12 and Ec 1:16; 1Ki 10:21,27 and Ec 2:4-9; 1Ki 11:3-4 and 25/type/j2000'>Ex 7:25,25. It appears to have been written by Solomon in his old age, when freed from the entanglements of idolatry, luxury, and lust, B. C. 977. It is a discourse upon the true wisdom; with many isolated precepts, illustrated from his own unexampled experience and from the most sagacious observation of the course of life; the whole demonstrating the vanity of all earthly good, and showing that there is a better life to come, and that the only true wisdom is to "fear God and keep his commandments." This, he says, is the conclusion of the whole matter, Ec 12:13. In reading this book, care should be taken not to deduce opinions from detached sentiments, but from the general scope and combined force of the whole.
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And seven days were fulfilled after the LORD had smitten the river.
And seven days were fulfilled after the LORD had smitten the river.
behold, I have done according to thy words: behold, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
I communed with my own heart, saying, Behold, I am come to great estate and have gotten more wisdom than all those that have been before me in Jerusalem; and my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
I made myself great works; I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards; I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits; read more. I made myself pools of water, to water with them the forest that brings forth trees; I got myself slaves and maidens and had sons born in my house; also I had great possessions of cattle and sheep above all that were in Jerusalem before me; I gathered unto myself also silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; I obtained men singers and women singers and all the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and those of all sorts. So I was great and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem, and more than that, my wisdom remained with me.
The conclusion of the entire sermon is heard: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole happiness of man.
Easton
the Greek rendering of the Hebrew Koheleth, which means "Preacher." The old and traditional view of the authorship of this book attributes it to Solomon. This view can be satisfactorily maintained, though others date it from the Captivity. The writer represents himself implicitly as Solomon (Ec 1:12). It has been appropriately styled The Confession of King Solomon. "The writer is a man who has sinned in giving way to selfishness and sensuality, who has paid the penalty of that sin in satiety and weariness of life, but who has through all this been under the discipline of a divine education, and has learned from it the lesson which God meant to teach him." "The writer concludes by pointing out that the secret of a true life is that a man should consecrate the vigour of his youth to God." The key-note of the book is sounded in Ec 1:2,
Vanity of vanities! saith the Preacher, Vanity of vanities! all is vanity!
i.e., all man's efforts to find happiness apart from God are without result.
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Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Hastings
ECCLESIASTES
1. Title and Canonicity.
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One generation passes away, and another generation comes, but the earth abides for ever. The sun arises, and the sun goes down, and with desire returns to his place from which he arises again. read more. The wind goes toward the south and turns about unto the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returns again according to its circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, there they return again. All things are full of labour; more than man can express; the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing. The thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? it has been already of old time which was before us. There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after. I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is lacking cannot be numbered.
I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy good things; and, behold, this also is vanity. I said of laughter, It is mad, and of mirth, What does it do? read more. I proposed in my heart to regale my flesh with wine and that my heart would walk in wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, until I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. I made myself great works; I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards;
I made myself great works; I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards; I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits;
I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits; I made myself pools of water, to water with them the forest that brings forth trees;
I made myself pools of water, to water with them the forest that brings forth trees; I got myself slaves and maidens and had sons born in my house; also I had great possessions of cattle and sheep above all that were in Jerusalem before me;
I got myself slaves and maidens and had sons born in my house; also I had great possessions of cattle and sheep above all that were in Jerusalem before me; I gathered unto myself also silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; I obtained men singers and women singers and all the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and those of all sorts.
I gathered unto myself also silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; I obtained men singers and women singers and all the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and those of all sorts. So I was great and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem, and more than that, my wisdom remained with me.
So I was great and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem, and more than that, my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour, and this was my portion of all my labour. read more. At last I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought and on the labour that I had laboured to do; and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
At last I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought and on the labour that I had laboured to do; and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
At last I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought and on the labour that I had laboured to do; and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. And I turned myself to behold wisdom and those who are mad, and folly; for what can the man do that comes after the king? even that which has already been done.
There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. I also have seen that this is from the hand of God.
For God gives to the man that is good in his sight wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to the one that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
For all things there is a season, and every will under the heaven has its time determined. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; read more. a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. What profit does the one that works have in that in which he labours?
He has made every thing beautiful in his time: even the world he has given over to their will, in such a way that no man can attain to this work that God makes from the beginning to the end. I have learned that there is nothing better for them, but to rejoice and to do good in his life.
I have understood that whatever God does, it shall be for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it because God does it that men should fear before him.
I have understood that whatever God does, it shall be for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it because God does it that men should fear before him. That which has been is now, and that which is to be has already been and God shall seek that which is past. read more. And moreover I saw under the sun that instead of judgment, there was wickedness; and instead of righteousness, that iniquity was there. I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time determined to judge every will and regarding everything that is done. I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men that God might manifest them and that they might see that they themselves are beasts one to another.
Therefore I perceive that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
So I returned and considered all the violence that is done under the sun and behold the tears of such as are oppressed, and they have no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but the oppressed had no comforter.
Two are better than one because they have a better reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falls, for he has not another to help him up. read more. Again, if two sleep together, then they have heat, but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevails against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king who will no longer be admonished. For he came out of prison to reign, even though he was born poor into his kingdom. I saw all the living who are under the sun walking with the child, the successor that shall stand up in his stead. There is no end of all the people that have been before them; those also that come after shall not be content in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Watch thy feet when thou goest to the house of God and draw near with more willingness to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know how to do what God wants.
Watch thy feet when thou goest to the house of God and draw near with more willingness to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know how to do what God wants. Do not be rash with thy mouth and do not let thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God, for God is in heaven and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few.
Do not be rash with thy mouth and do not let thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God, for God is in heaven and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few. For out of much preoccupation comes the dream, and the voice of the fool out of a multitude of words.
For out of much preoccupation comes the dream, and the voice of the fool out of a multitude of words. When thou dost vow a vow unto God, do not defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools; pay that which thou hast vowed.
When thou dost vow a vow unto God, do not defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools; pay that which thou hast vowed. It is better that thou should not vow than that thou should vow and not pay.
It is better that thou should not vow than that thou should vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was ignorance. Why should thou cause God to be angry because of thy voice and destroy the work of thine hands?
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was ignorance. Why should thou cause God to be angry because of thy voice and destroy the work of thine hands? Because dreams abound, and vanities and the words are many, but fear thou God.
Because dreams abound, and vanities and the words are many, but fear thou God.
Because dreams abound, and vanities and the words are many, but fear thou God.
In addition to this, all the days of his life he shall eat in darkness, with much wrath and pain and sorrow sickness. Behold therefore the good which I have seen: that good is to eat and to drink and to enjoy of the good of all his labour that he takes under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him; for it is his portion. read more. Likewise, unto every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also given him power to eat thereof and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
Likewise, unto every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also given him power to eat thereof and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
All the labour of man is for his mouth, and with all this the appetite is not filled.
It is better to enjoy the good that is present than the wandering of desire; this is also vanity and vexation of spirit. He that is has been named already; and it is known that he is man and that he shall not be able to contend with him that is mightier than he.
For who knows what is good for man in this life, all the days of the life of his vanity which he causes to be as a shadow? for who shall teach the man what shall be after him under the sun?
A good name is better than precious ointment and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. read more. The laughter of the fool is as the crackling of thorns under a pot, and this also (the laughter or prosperity of the fool) is vanity. Surely oppression makes a wise man mad, and a gift destroys the heart. Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and he who has suffered in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Do not be hasty in thy spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools. Never say, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this. Knowledge is good with an inheritance and is the excellency of those that see the sun. For knowledge is a defence, and money is a defence; but wisdom excels in that it gives life to those that have it. Consider the work of God; for who can make straight that which he has twisted? In the day of good enjoy that which is good, but in the day of adversity open your eyes and learn: God also has made the one (the day of adversity) before the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
It is good that thou should take hold of this; and also from the other not withdraw thy hand; for he that fears God shall come through with everything. Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men who are in the city.
and I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands are bonds; whosoever pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be held prisoner in her.
and I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands are bonds; whosoever pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be held prisoner in her. Behold, this I have found, saith the preacher, weighing things one by one to find out the answer, read more. which my soul yet seeks, but I find not: one man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among all those I have not found. Behold, this only have I found: that God has made man upright, but they have sought out many perversions.
Who is as the wise man? and who is as he who knows the interpretation of all things? The wisdom of this man shall make his face to shine, and the coarseness of his face shall be changed. I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment and the word of the covenant that thou hast made with God.
I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment and the word of the covenant that thou hast made with God. Do not be hasty to rebel against him; do not persist in any evil thing, for he shall do whatsoever pleases him; read more. because the word of the king is his power and who may say unto him, What doest thou? Whosoever keeps the commandment shall experience no evil thing, and a wise man's heart discerns both time and judgment. Because for every will there is time and judgment, because the evil of man is great upon him,
Then I also saw that the wicked who were buried came into remembrance more than those who had frequented the holy place, and these were forgotten in the city where they had worked uprightly. This also is vanity.
Then I also saw that the wicked who were buried came into remembrance more than those who had frequented the holy place, and these were forgotten in the city where they had worked uprightly. This also is vanity. Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. read more. Though a sinner does evil one hundred times and his judgment is prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with those that fear God, who fear before his presence; but it shall never be well with the wicked, neither shall his days be prolonged, which are as a shadow, because he did not fear before the presence of God.
Therefore I commended joy because a man has no better thing under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be merry, for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God gives him under the sun.
And I have seen regarding all the works of God that man cannot attain to understand the work that is being done under the sun, because though a man labours to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; even though the wise man says that he knows it, yet he shall not be able to attain it.
Go, eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a joyful heart that thy works might be acceptable unto God. Thy garments shall always be white, and thy head shall never lack ointment. read more. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou dost love all the days which thou art to live in this lake of vanity, which are given unto thee; all the days of thy vanity under the sun: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour in which thou dost work under the sun. Whatever thy hand finds to do, do it with all thy might, for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol, where thou goest.
I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, which is important unto me: There was a little city and few men within it; and a great king came against it and besieged it and built great bulwarks against it; read more. now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no one remembered that same poor man.
The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that rules among fools.
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: likewise a small act of folly unto him that is esteemed for wisdom and honour. A wise man's heart is at his right hand, but a fool's heart at his left. read more. Even when the fool walks by the way, he lacks prudence, and he says unto every one that he is a fool. If the spirit of the ruler rises up against thee, do not leave thy place; for meekness pacifies great sins. There is another evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceeds from the ruler: Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich are seated in a low place. I saw slaves upon horses, and princes walking as slaves upon the earth. He that digs a pit shall fall into it, and whosoever breaks a hedge, a serpent shall bite him. Whosoever moves the stones shall have tribulation along with it, and he that cuts the firewood shall be endangered by it. If the iron is blunt, and he does not whet the edge, then he must put forth more strength, but the advantages of wisdom excel. If the serpent bites without being enchanted, then the babbler is no more. The words from the mouth of the wise man are grace, but the lips of the fool will swallow up himself. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. The fool multiplies words and says, Man cannot tell what shall be, and what shall be after him, who can tell him? The labour of the foolish wearies all of them because they do not know how to go to the city. Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes banquet in the morning!
By much slothfulness the building decays, and through idleness of the hands the rain drips throughout the house.
Do not curse the king, not even in thy thought; and do not curse the rich even in the secret place of thy bedchamber; for the birds of the air shall carry the voice, and those who have wings shall tell the matter.
As thou dost not know what is the way of the spirit nor how the bones grow in the womb of her that is with child, even so thou dost not know the works of God who makes all.
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth while the evil days do not come nor the years draw near when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth while the evil days do not come nor the years draw near when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain: read more. In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble and the strong men shall bow themselves and the grinders cease because they are few and those that look out of the windows are darkened; and the doors outside shall be shut because the voice of the grinder is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird and all the daughters of song shall be humbled; when they shall also be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and appetite shall fail: because man goes to the home of his age, and the mourners shall go about the streets; before the silver chain is broken, and the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel is broken at the cistern; and the dust returns to the earth as it was before and the spirit returns unto God who gave it.
The words of the wise are as goads and as nails hammered into place, those of the teachers of the congregations, who are placed under one Shepherd.
The words of the wise are as goads and as nails hammered into place, those of the teachers of the congregations, who are placed under one Shepherd. My son, in addition to this, be admonished: of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. read more. The conclusion of the entire sermon is heard: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole happiness of man.
The conclusion of the entire sermon is heard: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole happiness of man. For God shall bring every work to judgment with every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil.
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the philosopher of this world? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
Smith
Ecclesias'tes
(the preacher). The title of this book is in Hebrew Koheleth, signifying one who speaks publicly in an assembly. Koheleth is the name by which Solomon, probably the author, speaks of himself throughout the book. The book is that which it professes to be, --the confession of a man of wide experience looking back upon his past life and looking out upon the disorders and calamities which surround him. The writer is a man who has sinned in giving way to selfishness and sensuality, who has paid the penalty of that sin in satiety and weariness of life, but who has through all this been under the discipline of a divine education, and has learned from it the lesson which God meant to teach him.
Watsons
ECCLESIASTES, a canonical book of the Old Testament, of which Solomon was the author, as appears from the first sentence. The design of this book is to show the vanity of all sublunary things; and from a review of the whole, the author draws this pertinent conclusion, "Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole of man;"