chapter ii. 2, which we have seen is the madness of false expectation)

=a wise man= (hence the meaning must be, that the oppressions or afflictions of life put out the calculations of the wise, and make their expectation false) =and destroys with respect to the heart= (‎‏את לב, therefore emphatic; hence the LXX. render τὴν καρδίαν, and the meaning is, that affliction [compare chapter iv. 1] not only makes his expectations false, but disappoints his desires; which clearly, with the advantages of sorrow stated above, it ought not to do to a _wise_ man) =of his purpose.= (Following the LXX., who derive the word from the root מתן, which exists in the Arabic, and also in the Syriac――see Bernstein, s. v., (‡ Syriac word) ‘moratus est,’ ‘tardus fuit;’ ‘that which is purposed or appointed’ would be quite a natural meaning, for ‎‏נתן not only has the meaning ‘to give,’ but also ‘to settle or appoint.’ If we render with the Authorized Version ‘gift,’ we introduce an idea altogether new and strange, while with the rendering supported by the LXX. and unpointed text, the aphorism connects itself with what went before and follows after.)

8 Better _is_ the end of │ (6.) [Yet] good is the end a thing than the beginning │ of a matter, and more than its thereof: _and_ the patient in │ beginning. spirit _is_ better than the │ proud in spirit. │ (7.) [And] good is the │ long-suffering soul above the │ high swelling spirit.

(8.) =Good= is =the end of a matter= (in its technical sense of a reasoning) =above its beginning; good is a long spirit above a high spirit= (this is equivocal; ‘_long_-suffering is better than _high_ mindedness’ will render the equivoke. Thus, then, it appears that these aphorisms are all closely related to one another, or, at any rate, hang on the same thread of argument. The existence of oppression makes the wise man mad by reason of disappointed hopes, and destroys his purpose; but he must wait to see the end, and be patient. ‘Good’ has occurred in seven paradoxical relations, having the appearance of evil. The same strain is continued in the following, but the argument is somewhat different).

9 Be not hasty in thy spirit │ Do not be in haste to be to be angry: for anger resteth │ disappointed; for disappointment in the bosom of fools. │ nestles in the bosom of the │ befooled.

(9.) =Do not hasten in thy spirit to be angered= (by disappointment), =for anger in the bosom of befooled ones rests.=

10 Say not thou, What is │ Do not say either, How was it _the cause_ that the former │ that former days were so good days were better than these? │ as compared with these? because for thou dost not inquire │ it is not wisdom which prompts ¹wisely concerning this. │ you to inquire in this way. │ ¹ _Hebrew_ out of wisdom. │

(10.) =Do not say= (אל, the particle of prohibition being repeated, this second is equivalent to ‘neither say’) =what was= (how was it) =that the days= (with the article, and therefore generic), =the former ones= (again generic, in strict apposition) =were good ones beyond these= (the whole construction of the sentence shows that the _Laudator temporis acti_ is here specially reprehended), =because not from wisdom= (_i.e._ the _wisdom_ of such an inquiry is here negatived) =thou askest= (שאל is to ask in the sense of wishing to have――Exodus iii. 22) =upon= (or about) =this.=

11 ¶ Wisdom ¹_is_ good with │ As good is wisdom as an an inheritance: and _by it │ inheritance, and something there is_ profit to them that │ more, to those who see the see the sun. │ sunshine; │ ¹ _Or_, as good as an │ inheritance, yea, better │ too. │

(11.) =A good= is =wisdom= (the two nouns both abstracts or in strict agreement) =together with an inheritance, and a profitable thing= (וְיֹתֵר, which the Masorets point as a participle, not יתרון, which would give a different idea, _i.e._ a ‘profit generally,’ which, in the sense of this book, wisdom is not always, for it fails, through unforeseen accidents, of always attaining its end, and sometimes perishes like folly; but with an inheritance, wisdom to know how to use it is always a real advantage in some way even in this life, and hence the qualification) =to= those =that see the sun= (generic, as a sun which is light and warmth indeed, but also glare and heat).

12 For wisdom _is_ a │ for the shelter of wisdom is ¹defence, _and_ money _is_ a │ just as the shelter of money: defence: but the excellency of │ but the profit of knowledge knowledge _is_, _that_ wisdom │ is, the wisdom that enables its giveth life to them that have │ possessor to live. it. │ │ ¹ _Hebrew_ shadow. │

(12.) =For in shadow= of =the wisdom= is =in shadow= of =the silver.= (The sentence, whichever way we take it, is enigmatical, as indeed the form shows. The LXX. render _ad sensum_, ‘Because in her shadow, wisdom is as the shadow of silver,’ but very probably not because they read differently, this rendering merely gives the equivoke; for the literal meaning of the sentence, as it stands in the text, is, ‘_Because in the shadow of wisdom_ generically, _is the same as to be in the shadow of money._’ The idea of shadow arises naturally from that of _sunshine_, spoken of above; for we must remember that in the East, shadow is always desired, and it is to the natives of southern Europe and Asia the symbol of pleasant refreshment. Shadow and sun are cognate ideas――see Psalms xci. 1, Isaiah xxxii. 2. Again, the root כסף has the meaning to desire earnestly――see Job xiv. 15, Psalms xvii. 12; hence the further play upon the words.) =And a profit of a knowledge of the wisdom?= (generic, this special wisdom, but the passage might also be rendered, and a ‘profit of knowledge, it is wisdom which,’ etc.) it =enlivens its possessor.= (The Masorets, by accenting דַּ֔עַת with zakeph, separate it from what follows, and so render as above. Thus the meaning is――‘and there is this advantage in the knowledge of wisdom, it makes its possessor live,’ or gives him life: but not absolutely so; this appears from what follows.)

13 Consider the work of │ Consider then, with regard God: for who can make _that_ │ to the working of the Almighty, straight, which he hath made │ that none is able to explain crooked? │ with regard to what He has made │ complex.

(13.) =See= (as the verb stands first, this is the emphatic word in the sentence, equivalent, therefore, to ‘observe, however’) =with respect to the working of the Deity, for who is enabled to set in order= (occurs chapters i. 15, xii. 9 only, and is a word peculiar to Ecclesiastes; it is used in the technical sense of ‘resolve,’ or ‘account for,’ a providential mystery) =with respect to that which= (the LXX. give the force of this את here by the rendering ὃν ἂν ὁ Θεὸς) =He hath involved it?= (עות, in hithpael, occurs Job xix. 6, chapters i. 15, and xii. 3. The cognate עוה occurs nearly as often, and with the same signification, which is the exact opposite of תקן, ‘to involve,’ ‘make complex.’ ‘Who can resolve that with respect to which He has determined that it shall be involved?’ is the precise meaning given by the suffix to the verb.)

14 In the day of prosperity │ In the day then of good, be joyful, but in the day of │ accept the good; in the day adversity consider: God also │ of distress, discern: for the hath ¹set the one over against │ one indeed hath the Almighty the other, to the end that man │ appointed as the counterpart should find nothing after him. │ of the other, for the very │ purpose that Humanity should ¹ _Hebrew_ made. │ by no means be able to discover │ anything of what is to result.

(14.) =In a day of good= (טובה, the abstract here having the meaning of ‘prosperity’) =be in good= (which the LXX. render, ‘live in good,’ and as the root is repeated, we must render, _that_ good), =and in a day of= (with the meaning, ‘and in a time also of’) =evil= (abstract as above) =see= (emphatic, not only from the alliteration of רעה and ‎‏ראה, but from its being the same word at the end as at the beginning, verse 13). =Moreover, with respect to this, to the counterpart= (לעמת, see chapter v. 16 (15), where this word is discussed) =of that makes= (_i.e._ so works) =the Deity, for the reason= (על דברת occurs chapters iii. 18, vii. 14, viii. 2, and in the same sense ‘to the intent that’) =he might not= (contract relative, with the negative, and involving its usual subjunctive meaning) =find= even =humanity, his future= (_i.e._ that which comes after him or succeeds, whether this be due to his own labour or otherwise) =anything= (which is reserved to the end of the sentence, and is equivalent to ‘anything at all.’ Thus, then, the transition to the next clause is quite manifest. It follows of course that this uncertainty as to the result applies even in the case of virtue and vice: this, therefore, is the topic next discussed).

15 All _things_ have I seen │ With regard to the whole of in the days of my vanity: │ life, then, I have observed there is a just _man_ that │ during the days of my perisheth in his righteousness,│ evanescent existence that and there is a wicked _man_ │ there may be a just man who that prolongeth _his life_ in │ perishes by reason of his his wickedness. │ justice, and there may be an │ impious man who prolongs his │ existence by his wrong.

(15.) =With regard to the whole= (with את and the article, ‘with regard to the whole of life’ is therefore the meaning, as so often in this book――see chapter i. 2) =I have observed in the days of my vanity= (with the idea, therefore, ‘so far as my short experience goes’) that =there is= (a person or thing) =made right=, yet =perishing in his righteousness, and= that =there is= (as יש is repeated it becomes emphatic, and thus we must render ‘there also is’) =an impious caused to be prolonging= (himself) =in his mischief= (_i.e._ the hiphil participle gives the idea that this prolongation of life by evil means, or the like, is due to the wickedness itself: it is again the problem of successful impiety; for the word מאריך compare Exodus xx. 12).

16 Be not righteous over │ Do not be then righteous to much; neither make thyself │ excess, or make thyself wise over wise: why shouldest thou │ too confidently: why shouldest ¹destroy thyself? │ thou be grievously disappointed? │ ¹ _Hebrew_ be desolate. │

(16.) =Do not be made right too much, and do not= (repeated, ‘do not also’) =make thyself wise= (the hithpael occurs only Exodus i. 10, and has a sinister meaning. Pharaoh’s policy with the children of Israel was for the time dealing wisely, but also a ‘prolonging in wickedness’) =to excess= (‘or over and above what is reasonable,’ expecting a ‘_profit_,’ יותר, from it, in that sense in which this word is used in this book). =Wherefore shouldest thou be desolated?= (but the hithpolel occurs Psalms cxliii. 4, Isaiah lix. 16, lxii. 5, Daniel viii. 27, and in all cases with the idea of ‘consternation’ at an unexpected and afflictive occurrence. Thus the meaning must be, ‘that this righteousness overmuch, and wisdom beyond what is reasonable, will disappoint.’ We must not then, in the days of our vanity, expect too much from right actions; they may to all appearance prove as disastrous as the most impious could be. In the same way impiety, that is, high-handed and presumptuous rebellion against right, may succeed so well that it may cause a prolongation of itself; the very word is sarcastic, as pointing to an end of wrong at last. The inference naturally seems to be――If this be so, what is the use of doing right at all? but a deeply sarcastic refutation is given to this thought in the succeeding clause).

17 Be not over much wicked, │ but then, do not be wicked to neither be thou foolish: why │ excess either, and by no means shouldest thou die ¹before thy │ become a clever fool: why time? │ shouldest thou die when it is │ not thy time? ¹ _Hebrew_ not in thy time. │

(17.) =Do not be impious to excess, and do not be= (the quadruple repetition of the particle of prohibition gives emphasis to it, especially at the close of the sentence――(1.) Do not be over right, and (2.) do not be over wise either, (3.) nor impious either, nor (4.) still less either a clever fool, are the four stages of the argument; the emphatic תהי is reserved to the last clause here in this member; in the former clause it stands first, giving it thus a still further sarcastic emphasis, something like our ‘whatever you are do not be’) =an elaborate fool= (סכל, compare chapters ii. 19, x. 3, 14; and see the meaning of this term discussed there. This wickedness then, it seems, is wise folly, or false prudence). =Wherefore shouldest thou die in= what is =not your time?= The sarcasm is surely deep and cutting which, covertly reminding the impious that he has yet to die, advises him not to die before his time.

18 _It is_ good that thou │ It is good that thou shouldest shouldest take hold of this; │ lay hold of the former; yea, also from this withdraw │ moreover, of the latter, by no not thine hand: for he that │ means let your hand touch it, feareth God shall come forth │ for he that fears God comes out of them all. │ safely with regard to all of │ these.

(18.) =Good= it is =that= (full relative, referring to both the following clauses) =thou layest hold of this, and, moreover, from that do not withhold with respect to thine hand= (the root ינח occurs chapters ii. 18, x. 4, xi. 6; see also Genesis ii. 15, xix. 16, etc.――the precise meaning being, in all these cases, ‘to lay up.’ The LXX. translate this word by μιαίνῃς, ‘defile;’ and hence consider the word to refer to the second clause of the verse above; but it may be doubted, as Schleusner points out, whether the rendering of the LXX. is not a misreading of Symmachus’ μὴ ἀνῇς, which was successively altered to μίανῃς and μὴ μίανῃς, so that with this before us we may well reject their reading as not entitled to disturb our confidence in the Hebrew text; observing also that it is את ידך, _i.e._ do not rest, or do not lay it up, _with respect to_ thy hand; the conclusion is, do not touch either the wickedness or the false prudence. The rendering of the Authorized Version is ambiguous; it is not clear what the second ‘this’ refers to, but evidently admits of the meaning above. The whole drift then of the aphorism is, ‘lay hold of right notwithstanding, and have nothing to do with wickedness’). =For= he who =fears God goes out of= (or ‘gets free from,’ as את follows) =with respect to all of them= (_i.e._ the whole four difficulties here mentioned; he will neither be over-expectant of an immediate result from his righteousness, nor of his prudence; on the other hand, he will not be either impious, or an elaborate fool).

19 Wisdom strengtheneth │ This wisdom is a better the wise more than ten mighty │ defence to the wise than ten _men_ which are in the city. │ powerful men within a fortress.

(19.) =The wisdom= (wisdom generically) =strengthens= (a play between ‎‏תאחז above and תעז here) =to the wise more than ten= persons who =have been invested with power who are= (emphatic) =in a city.= Powerful men in a city are hard to overcome, or get at; ten, the indefinite number, gives the idea of ‘ever so many.’

20 For _there is_ not a just │ However, there is no single man upon earth, that doeth │ man on earth so right that he good, and sinneth not. │ always does good, and never │ makes a wicked mistake.

(20.) =For a man= (a man, as a specimen of the race, which we have already seen is the meaning of this word standing alone without the article) =there is not= (for we have in this case אין, and not לא; thus the meaning is, ‘there is not a single man’) =made right in the earth who does good and does not sin= (_i.e._ ‘make wicked mistakes:’ hence, as no man is perfectly right, it would be unreasonable to expect a perfect result; thus the relevancy of verse 17 is apparent. If our right acts do not always succeed, it is but just, considering the many sins we all commit).

21 Also ¹take no heed unto │ Besides, to all those arguments all words that are spoken; │ by which men direct themselves, lest thou hear thy servant │ do not give much heed, just as curse thee: │ thou hadst better not listen to │ thy servant when he curses thee; ¹ _Hebrew_ give not thy │ heart. │

(21.) =Moreover= (an additional reason), to =all the words= (הדברים, in the usual sense, and very emphatic as followed by the corresponding verb) =which they speak= (reason about) =do not give thine heart= (because they are not worth thinking about: the reason follows), =which= (repeated, equivalent to ‘they are such that’) =not dost thou hear= (‘as thou wouldest not listen to if’) =with respect to thy servant= he was =cursing thee.=

22 For oftentimes also thine │ because thou knowest that own heart knoweth that thou │ besides, times out of mind thyself likewise hast cursed │ thyself also hast cursed――some others. │ one else.

(22.) =For moreover, times many knows= (but the LXX. read ירע, κακώσει, ‘afflicts,’ that is, the servant does so. Symmachus also reads ὅτι πρὸς πλεόνακις καιροῦ πονηρεύσεται καρδία σου, supporting the LXX.; the Syriac, on the other hand, reads as the Hebrew. If, therefore, ירע was the real reading, the change took place in ancient times) =thy heart= (which is nominative to ידע) =which= (the third repetition of the relative; it ought therefore to be taken in the meaning of ‘and this,’) =also thou= (which is emphatic if we follow the Masorets, who point אַתָּ in which apparently they are supported by both the LXX. and Symmachus) =hast cursed others.=

Were it not for this suspicious אַתָּ there would be no reason at all to disturb the present Hebrew text. Nor, probably, is the evidence strong against it, unless indeed it should turn out, on further investigation and discovery, that when the version of the LXX. was made, there was a greater difference between the letters ר and ד than there is now. If the reading of the LXX. were right, the following was the meaning of the passage:――‘Moreover, to all the words which they speak [they being supposed to refer to the wicked, hence the explanatory gloss of B, ἀσεβεῖς], do not give thine heart,’――which [amounts to this]――‘thou wouldest not hear (or listen to) with respect to thy servant cursing thee, because many times he vexes thy heart, which [amounts to this also] in regard that thou hast _cursed_ others.’ The innuendo being that our reasonings with regard to God’s dealings with ourselves are like the rash improper speeches of a grumbling servant. It must be confessed that the expression, אשר גם את קללת, literally, ‘which also with respect to thou hast cursed,’ is unprecedentedly harsh and elliptical, even for Koheleth. But to alter the text――and the Masoretic punctuation is here a virtual alteration of the text――is to interpret an imaginary document, and not the one which exists before our eyes. The Masorets, however, with their customary caution――and in this respect they are a brilliant example to some modern critics――would not add a single letter, on mere conjecture only, however plausible.

23 ¶ All this have I proved │ All this have I explored by by wisdom: I said, I will be │ means of wisdom. I said, I wise; but it _was_ far from me.│ shall be wise enough, but what │ may be is altogether beyond 24 That which is far off, │ me! beyond me how far? a double and exceeding deep, who can │ depth! how could any find it? find it out? │

(23, 24.) =All this= (the Masorets point זֹה feminine, equivalent to neuter) =have I tried with wisdom; I said I will be wise= (with ה paragogic, and Taylor in his note observes that this form is optative, and expresses a strong desire [Lange, _Commmentary on Old Testament_, American edition]; might it not with truth be said that it is the abstract idea of which the verb is the concrete, ‘I shall be wisdomed’?), =but that was far from me= (but notice again רחוקה, agreeing no doubt with חכמה understood, but not the less an abstract on that account: it was _farness_ or _distance itself_ from me――‘beyond my reach’ is the meaning), =a distant= thing, =what= is it =which it will be= (that is, that he could not reach by wisdom to discern what the future might be), =and deep, deep= (‘doubly deep,’ very emphatic), =who will find it out?= (as these questions expect the answer, No, they are equivalent to ‘a distant _thing_! is not it, the future, indeed? and a vast depth which none can discover.’)

This concludes this part of the discourse, as is evident from the formula, ‘I turned round, I and my heart,’ with which the following passage begins; that which is to succeed is a personal experience of another kind.

25 ¹I applied mine heart │ To come to another point then, to know, and to search, and │ in my own experience of to seek out wisdom, and the │ knowledge and investigation: I reason _of things_, and to │ mean the discovery of wise and know the wickedness of folly, │ prudent experiments by which even of foolishness _and_ │ one may recognise wickedness madness: │ as folly, and false-prudence │ as mad disappointment. ¹ _Hebrew_ I and my heart │ compassed. │

(25.) =I turned round= (to do something, as this formula always implies), =I and my heart= (for we have here a _confession_) =to know= and =to investigate= (that is in order to know, etc., the prepositions being repeated) =and seek= (without a preposition; the distinction seems to be that the seeking is to be the consequence of the above investigation) =wisdom and device= (חשבון is exclusively a Koheleth word, and occurs verse 27, ix. 10, only, it is thus not easy to determine its precise meaning, but it is probably, as Moses Stuart points out, the opposite of הללות; and if so, it will be something reasonable, in the sense of wise or well-formed and successful plan, as its opposite is an ill-formed and disappointing one; thus השבונות――occurs only here, verse 29, and 2 Chronicles xxvi. 15, where it is used to denote Asa’s engines of war――is evidently ‘efficient contrivances.’ To know wisdom and _a device_, then, in this sense, is ‘wisdom how to obtain a reasonable or proper result; and, on the other hand, to discover the opposite.’ With this accords what follows), =and to know= (as this is repeated it is equivalent to, and so to know) =wickedness= (as) =folly= (כֶסֶל――the only instance of the occurrence of this form in Ecclesiastes――compare Job viii. 14, xxxi. 24, where we find that ‘expectation’ is the meaning, though not necessarily in a bad sense, yet clearly so here. The LXX. render ἀσεβοῦς ἀφροσύνην [which E. X. alter to εὐφροσύνην], ‘the folly of a wicked person’) =and the false wisdom= (plural form in ות――with the article) =follies= (הוללות, as we have seen, compare chapter i. 17, of the disappointing kind. The LXX. render here ὀχληρίαν, ‘trouble,’ and περιφοράν, ‘madness,’ with καὶ ‘and,’ which is so far wrong, as there is no conjunction in the original. The meaning of this passage it is no doubt difficult to discover, but if we are right in the above analysis the interpretation must be as follows: ‘I turned myself round, I and my heart――(or, my own personal experience) to know and to investigate, and so seek, wisdom and well-formed plans: and so to recognise a wicked folly; and [a series of] falsely-wise acts, [which were] disappointing follies.’ The punctuation represents the accents, the larger distinctive accents being represented by the longer pauses. The Syriac reads (‡ Syriac phrase), ‘to know the wickedness of the fool, and folly and _adultery_,’ which coincides with the above; a reason for the peculiar rendering ‘adultery’ will appear presently).

26 And I find more bitter │ Now, I have made a discovery, than death the woman, whose │ and that more bitter than heart _is_ snares and nets, │ death; it is with respect _and_ her hands _as_ bands: │ to woman, when she is in the ¹whoso pleaseth God shall │ nature of an ensnarer, her escape from her; but the │ affection seductions, and her sinner shall be taken by her. │ hands bondage. A real good in │ the sight of the Almighty is it ¹ _Hebrew_ _He that is_ good │ to be delivered from her, but before God. │ the erring sinner is taken by │ such as she.

(26.) =And finding= (a participle written full, giving a peculiar emphasis to this word) =am I a bitterness above death with respect to the woman= (את with the article, which the LXX. note by σὺν, as usual; thus ‘woman’ is generic, hence the precise idea seems to be ‘and a discovery of mine more bitter than death――is with respect to woman;’ and, again, this follows the accentuation, which makes a pause at ‘death,’) =who= (but the relative is full, and so refers back to the whole clause, ‘when she’) =is snares= (masculine plural, and hence distributive, ‘in the nature of an ensnarer’ then, see Proverbs xii. 12,