CHAPTER THREE

 

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3:11:  “world” = The Hebrew is “olam,” which means, “continuous existence; for ever; always; perpetual; everlasting; indefinite; unending; future; eternity.”  Thus, the better translation for understanding this Scripture is “eternity,” which helps us to understand that in all humanity God has set the concept of “eternity” within them.  Thus, like Romans 1:20, none have an excuse for not discovering God.

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3:14-15:  “whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever” = See Numbers 23:19; First Samuel 15:29; Psalm 89:34; 102: 27; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 1:11-12; 13:8; James 1:17; First Peter 1:23.

 

3:21:  “Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth” = The literal Hebrew expresses the difference between man’s spirit and the animals spirit in this verse very strongly:  “The spirit of man that ascends, it belongeth to on high; but the spirit of the beast that descends, it belongeth to below, even to the earth.”  According to the literal Hebrew, their destinations and proper element differ utterly.  The Hebrew word for “spirit” here is “ruach,” meaning “breath,” as it is translated in verse 19.  Thus the “spirit” or “breath,” or better, none living entity, “shall return unto God Who gave it,” Ecclesiastes 12:7.

 

“The dumb animals have no souls, yet God cares for them.”  GCB, October 1, 1899.

 

“In place of giving so much attention to pets, lavishing affection upon dumb animals, let them exercise their talent upon human beings who have a Heaven to win and a hell to shun.”  AH:168; 2MR:281.

 

“Societies are formed in our cities for the prevention of cruelty to dumb animals.  It would be well to go still further, and, inasmuch as accountable intelligences, capable of obtaining life eternal, are of more value than the dumb beasts, there is greater need of societies to prevent the cruelty of mothers of dressing their darling little girls in a manner to sacrifice them at the shrine of cruel fashion.”  HR, January 1, 1873; HL:149.

 

“The Saviour was the One who had instructed the Hebrews in the wilderness; from the pillar of cloud and of fire He had taught a very different lesson from that which the people were now receiving from their priests and teachers.  The merciful provisions of the Law extended even to the lower animals, which cannot express in words their want and suffering.  Directions had been given to Moses for the children of Israel to this effect:  ‘If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.  If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.’  Ex. 23:4, 5.”  DA:500.

 

“It is because of man’s sin that ‘the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together.’  Romans 8:22.  Suffering and death were thus entailed, not only upon the human race, but upon the animals.  Surely, then, it becomes man to seek to lighten, instead of increasing, the weight of suffering which his transgression has brought upon God’s creatures.  A disposition to cause pain, whether to our fellowmen or to the brute creation, is satanic.  Many do not realize that their cruelty will ever be known, because the poor dumb animals cannot reveal it.  But could the eyes of these men be opened, as were those of Balaam, they would see an angel of God standing as a witness to testify against them in the courts above.  A record goes up to Heaven, and a day is coming when judgment will be pronounced against those who abuse God’s creatures.”  PP:443 (1890); 2MCP:514.

 

“A man who has Christ abiding in his heart will not treat even his cattle disrespectfully, because they are God’s creatures.  One with the softening, subduing influence of the grace of God in his heart will not beat, bruise, or kick his animals in a merciless manner.  He will remember that the angels of God are taking cognizance of his harsh and unkind words and his ill-tempered actions.  Heaven will never be peopled with such characters.”  21MR:331.

 

3:22:  “what shall be after him” = Our legacy.

 

 

CHAPTER FOUR

 

 

4:5:  “eateth his own flesh” = That is, “eateth his own flesh” with envy, though too idle to follow his neighbor’s example (see Pro. 11:17).

 

 

CHAPTER FIVE

 

 

5:1:  “Thy foot” = From “Wesley’s Bible Commentary” we read:  “Thy thoughts and affections, by which men go to God and walk with Him.”  The allusion is to the taking off of one’s shoes when one enters into the temple, a Jewish custom that stems from Exodus 3:5 and Joshua 5:15.

 

“to give the sacrifice of fools:  for they consider not that they do evil” = From “Wesley’s Bible Commentary” we read:  “Such as wicked men use to offer, who vainly think to please God with their sacrifices without obedience.”

 

 

CHAPTER SIX

 

 

6:1-2:  “common among men” = Let me put it in another way opposite of Solomon, in which “attitude” is the key:  “There is a gift given which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:  Our God has given you riches and the ability to enjoy them.  But because you do not share your wealth, problems befall you.”

 

6:9:  “Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire” = Solomon finally gives a good observation here.  What he is really saying is:  “Better is the one who contentedly enjoys the present over the one who chases after the restless wandering of desire.”

 

 

CHAPTER SEVEN

 

 

7:1:  “good name. . . precious ointment” = Why would Solomon compare a “good name” to “precious ointment?”  The Hebrew thought is that the “precious ointment” only lasts for a little time period, while the “good name” can last forever, or at least longer than the “ointment.”

 

7:2:  “the house of mourning. . . {verses} the house of feasting” = The “house of feasting” often shuts out thoughts of God and eternity.  Whereas, “the house of mourning” causes “the living” to think of their own “end.”  The same thought process is carried on in verses 3 and 4.

 

7:7:  “a gift destroyeth the heart” = The thought is that a “bribe” destroys “the heart.”  But a “bribe” only destroys “the heart” if it is taken.

 

7:8:  “patience. . . {verses} pride” = What does “patience” have to do with “pride?”  “Pride” waits for no one; whereas “patience” lets others proclaim one’s worthiness.

 

7:20:  “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” = The problem is the motivation for the “doeth good” act.  In other words, one should ask themselves, “Is self-involved in the act of doing good at any point of the doing good?”

 

7:26:  “I find more bitter than death the woman” = Nothing had been so ruinous a snare in seducing Solomon from God’s favor as had been the idolatrous women he decided to associate himself with (see 1Ki. 11:3-4).  As God’s favor is better than other possessions in this life, so she who seduces one from God should not be “more bitter than death.”

 

 

CHAPTER NINE

 

 

9:1:  “no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them” = What is meant by this phrase?  The Hebrew thought is that no man knows his heart fully, as with Peter in thinking he would never deny his Lord.

 

 

CHAPTER TEN

 

 

10:2:  “right hand” = In ancient times, the right side was the common instrument of action.  It has carried down even to our day with such phrases as, “put your right foot forward,” which stems from army units beginning their march with the right foot.  Solomon’s expression carries with it that the right side carries with it the concept of righteous acts; while to move forward with the left hand first, is to be unrighteous.

 

10:4:  “leave not thy place” = This statement is only true if you are upholding a righteous principle.  Therefore, a better saying would be to leave not your place of sound judgment.  Hasty action taken in a spirit of retaliation reflects emotional instability and a lack of understanding.

 

10:6:  “The rich” = Wise and worthy men, rich in endowments of mind.  Solomon observes that those who should be in high positions have been displaced by foolish men.

 

10:8:  “He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it” = The concept is that one who builds a trap for one’s neighbor shall himself reap the same rewards.

 

10:10:  “iron be blunt” = Just as you must sharpen a knife, so must you work to sharpen your wisdom.

 

10:11:  “the serpent will bite without enchantment” = As a snake (sometimes) needs no provocation, neither does a fool to open his mouth.

 

10:14:  “A fool also is full of words” = A fool is very talkative; says the same thing over and over again; uses an abundance of wasted words that have no meaning in them; utters everything without any order or judgment; affects to talk on every subject whether or not he knows anything about it; and always seems to engross all the conversation to himself as if he were the expert or has some knowledge of the subject.

 

“a man cannot tell what shall be;  and what shall be after him, who can tell him” = A fool boasts and brags of what he shall do, and what he shall have, as if he was master of the future, and knew for certain what would come to pass, which even the wisest of men do not.  Therefore, who can teach him different?

 

10:15:  “he knoweth not how to go to the city” = The concept is that the fool does not know how to behave himself in a city among citizens in a civil and polite manner.  The “Targum” states it this way:  “he learns not to go to the city, where wise men dwell, to learn instruction from it.’”

 

10:16:  “and thy princes eat in the morning” = That is, eating to excess, in a riotous and intemperate manner, and so unfit themselves for any service all the rest of the day.  The proper way to eat is explained in verse 17.

 

10:19:  “but money answereth all” = The partying king thinks he can fix all the disasters of his inept reign by raising taxes.

 

 

CHAPTER ELEVEN

 

 

11:1:  “thy bread” = Give liberally of your possessions, or sustenance, inferred by “thy bread,” and your kindness will not go unnoticed or lost, for it will be returned unto you (if not here in this life, then in Heaven, which Solomon may or may not be referring to).

 

11:2:  “Give a portion to seven, and also to eight” = I have no clue what this verse may be implying except to say that it may be referring to never stop giving, as when Peter said to our Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother, seven times?  With our Lord replying with 70 times 7 (Mat. 18:21-22); meaning, never stop.

 

11:3:  “If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth” = Solomon observes that even the clouds, when they are full, will put forth rain.  How much more so should mankind give liberally if he has it within his power to do so; especially when he has great possessions or money?

 

“and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be” = Solomon finishes with the fact that death will shortly cut us down, and according as our works have been, so our characters will be forever displayed where they fell, or ceased to be.

 

11:4:  “He that observeth the wind shall not sow” = The idea is that he who fears inconveniences will never do his duty.

 

 

CHAPTER TWELVE

 

 

12:3:  “house” = In this instance, “house” is used as a metamorphism for the human body; which is a house of clay (see Job 4:19 & 2Co. 5:1).

 

12:4:  “the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low” = The view of the houses is from the “street,” with the doors being “shut,” meaning there is no visible sign or “sound” of life or activity.  The metaphor is that Solomon sees no life or activity going on at this stage in his life.

 

“He shall rise up at the voice of the bird” = From “Adam Clarks Commentary” we read:  “His sleep is not sound as it used to be; he slumbers rather than sleeps; and the crowing of the cock awakes him.  And so much difficulty does he find to respire while in bed, that he is glad of the dawn to rise up and get some relief.  The chirping of the sparrow is sufficient to awake him.”

 

12:9 & 10: “[9] sought out [10] sought to find. . . that which was written” = Meaning, Solomon searched for sayings that he -- the Holy Spirit -- felt were inspiring.

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12:11:  “goads” = This is used by Solomon with the idea of having to “goad” someone, or “prod” them in order to stimulate them into action, achieving the prodders results.  Prodding often secures that which would otherwise not have been achieved.

 

“nails” = Along with the other image of “goads,” his point seems to be that the words of the wise should have two effects:  prodding people to action and staying fastened into the memory.”

 

“masters of assemblies” = Literally, “lords of collections.”  The Hebrew word “ ‘asaph,” translated as “assemblies,” means, “to gather” (see Exo. 3:16; 23:10; Ruth 2:7; Joel 2:16).  It is most commonly used in relation to “gathering” people together.

 

By contrast, “ ‘asaph” can denote any type of “gathering” or “collection” thereof.  Thus, the context must determine the nature of the “gathering.”  Therefore, the expression translated “masters of assemblies,” in Hebrew poetic parallelism, staying in the context of this verse, would be parallel to “words of the wise.”

 

Preserving the sense of the parallelism then, it would be necessary to understand the second part of this verse as referring to a “collection” of “wise” sayings, rather than a “gathering” of people.  The Hebrew word “ba’al,” translated as “masters,” is here used idiomatically to denote superiority of quality and organization, as opposed to a “god.”  Therefore, the phrase might well be rendered, “a masterful collection [of wise sayings],” going along with (which would agree with) the second part of the poetic Hebrew parallelism, like “as nails fastened by” these wise sayings that “goad,” or “prod” men to follow a wise course of action.  And just as nails are firmly driven in, so the counsel is solidly established and not easily forgotten.

 

“one shepherd” = The “one shepherd” here may be a reference to God Himself, or to the one who is the wise man that can be trusted.

 

12:13:  “conclusion of the whole matter” = The wisdom of Solomon comes to its “conclusion of the whole matter” of our life’s principles in his statement of finality, to “Fear God” and to “keep His Commandments.”

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