| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
Ecclesiastes
Chapter Three
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 3
The
general design of this chapter is to confirm what is before observed, the
vanity and inconstancy of all things; the frailty of man, and changes
respecting him; his fruitless toil and labour in all his works; that it is best
to be content with present things, and cheerful in them, and thankful for them;
that all comes from the hand of God; that such good men, who have not at
present that joy that others have, may have it, since there is a time for it;
and that sinners should not please themselves with riches gathered by them,
since they may be soon taken from them, for there is a time for everything, Ecclesiastes 3:1;
of which there is an induction of particulars, Ecclesiastes 3:2;
so that though every thing is certain with God, nothing is certain with men,
nor to be depended on, nor can happiness be placed therein; there is no
striving against the providence of God, nor altering the course of things; the
labour of man is unprofitable, and his travail affliction and vexation, Ecclesiastes 3:9;
and though all God's works are beautiful in their season, they are unsearchable
to man, Ecclesiastes 3:11;
wherefore it is best cheerfully to enjoy the present good things of life, Ecclesiastes 3:12;
and be content; for the will and ways and works of God are unalterable,
permanent, and perfect, Ecclesiastes 3:14;
and though wicked men may abuse the power reposed in them, and pervert public
justice, they will be called to an account for it in the general judgment, for
which there is a time set, Ecclesiastes 3:16;
and yet, such is the stupidity of the generality of men, that they have no more
sense of death and judgment than the brutes, and live and die like them, Ecclesiastes 3:18;
wherefore it is best of all to make a right use of power and riches, or what
God has given to men, for their own good and that of others, since they know
not what shall be after them, Ecclesiastes 3:22.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there
is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
YLT 1To everything -- a season,
and a time to every delight under the heavens:
To every thing there is a season,.... A set
determined time, when everything shall come into being, how long it shall
continue, and in what circumstances; all things that have been, are, or shall
be, were foreordained by God, and he has determined the times before appointed
for their being, duration, and end; which times and seasons he has in his own
power: there was a determined time for the whole universe, and for all persons
and things in it; a settled fixed moment for the world to come into being; for
it did not exist from everlasting, nor of itself, nor was formed by the
fortuitous concourse of atoms, but by the wisdom and power of God; nor could it
exist sooner or later than it did; it appeared when it was the will of God it
should; in the beginning he created it, and he has fixed the time of its
duration and end; for it shall not continue always, but have an end, which when
it will be, he only knows: so there is a determined time for the rise, height,
and declension of states and kingdoms in it; as of lesser ones, so of the four
great monarchies; and for all the distinct periods and ages of the world; and
for each of the seasons of the year throughout all ages; for the state of the
church in it, whether in suffering or flourishing circumstances; for the treading
down of the holy city; for the prophesying, slaying, and rising of the
witnesses; for the reign and ruin of antichrist; for the reign of Christ on
earth, and for his second coming to judgment, though of that day and hour knows
no man: and as there is a set time in the counsels and providence of God for
these more important events, so for every thing of a lesser nature;
and a time to every purpose under the heaven; to every
purpose of man that is carried into execution; for some are not, they are superseded
by the counsel of God; some obstruction or another is thrown in the way of
them, so that they cannot take place; God withdraws men from them by affliction
or death, when their purposes are broken; or by some other way; and what are
executed he appoints a time for them, and overrules them to answer some ends of
his own; for things the most contingent, free, and voluntary, fall under the
direction and providence of God. And there is a time for every purpose of his
own; all things done in the world are according to his purposes, which are
within himself wisely formed, and are eternal and unfrustrable; and there is a
time fixed for the execution of them, for every purpose respecting all natural
and civil things in providence; and for every purpose of his grace, relating to
the redemption of his people, the effectual calling of them, and the bringing
them to eternal glory; which are the things that God wills, that he takes
delight and pleasure in, as the wordF5לכל חפץ "omni voluntati", Montanus, Mercerus,
Cocceius; i.e. "rei proprie capitae ac desideratae", Drusius.
signifies. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it, "to
everything under the heaven there is a time"; and Jarchi observes that in
the Misnic language the word used so signifies. The Targum is,
"to
every man a time shall come, and a season to every business under heaven.'
Ecclesiastes 3:2 2 A
time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what
is planted;
YLT 2A time to bring forth, And
a time to die. A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the planted.
A time to be born,.... The Targum is,
"to
beget sons and daughters;'
but
rather it is to bear them, there being a time in nature fixed for that, called
the hour of a woman, Job 14:1;
and a time to die; the time of a man's coming into the world
and going out of it, both being fixed by the LordF6"Stat sua
cuique dies, breve et irreparabile tempus omnibus est vitae"; Virgil.
Aeneid. l. 10. : this is true of all men in general, of all men that come into
the world, for whom it is appointed that they shall die; and particularly of
Christ, whose birth was at the time appointed by the Father, in the fulness of
time; and whose death was in due time, nor could his life be taken away before
his hour was come, John 7:30; and this
holds good of every individual man; his birth is at the time God has fixed it;
that any man is born into the world, is of God; no man comes into it at his own
pleasure or another's, but at the will of God, and when he pleases, not sooner
nor later; and the time of his going out of the world is settled by him, beyond
which time he cannot live, and sooner he cannot die, Job 14:5; and
though no mention is made of the interval of life between a man's birth and
death, yet all events intervening are appointed by God; as the place of his
abode; his calling and station of life; all circumstances of prosperity and
adversity; all diseases of body, and what lead on to death, and issue in it:
the reason why these two are put so close together is, to show the certainty of
death; that as sure as a man is born, so sure shall he die; and the frailty and
shortness of life, which is but an hand's breadth, passes away like a tale that
is told, yea, is as nothing; so that no account is made of it, as if there was
no time allotted it, or that it deserved no mention; and also to observe that
the seeds of mortality and death are in men as soon as they are born; as soon
as they begin to live they begin to die, death is working in them;
a time to plant; a tree, as the Targum, or any herb;
and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a tree or
herb, as before, when grown to its ripeness, and fit for use; or when grown
old, barren, and unfruitful; there are particular seasons for planting plants,
and some for one and some for another. This may be applied in a civil sense to
planting and plucking up kingdoms and states; see Jeremiah 1:10; as
it is by the Jews, particularly to the planting and plucking up of the kingdom
of Israel; the people of Israel were a vine brought out of Egypt and planted in
the land of Canaan, and afterwards plucked up and carried captive into Babylon;
and afterwards planted again, and then again plucked up by the Romans; and will
be assuredly planted in their own land again; see Psalm 80:8; It may
be illustrated in a spiritual sense by the planting of the Jewish church,
sometimes compared to a vineyard; and the plucking it up, abolishing their
church state and ordinances; and by planting Gospel churches in the Gentile
world, and plucking them up again, as in the seven cities of Asia; or removing
the candlestick out of its place; and by planting particular persons in
churches, and removing them again: some indeed that are planted in the house of
the Lord are planted in Christ, and rooted and grounded in the love of God; are
plants which Christ's Father has planted, and will never be rooted up; but
there are others who are planted through the external ministry of the word, or
are plants only by profession, and these become twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
and there are times for these things, Psalm 92:14.
Ecclesiastes 3:3 3 A
time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;
YLT 3A time to slay, And a time
to heal, A time to break down, And a time to build up.
A time to kill, and a time to heal,.... A time to kill may
be meant of a violent death, as a time to die is of a natural one; so the
Targum,
"a
time to kill in war;'
or
else, by the hand of the civil magistrate, such who deserve death. Aben Ezra
interprets it "to wound", because of the opposite "to
heal"; and so there is a time when wounds and diseases are incurable, and
baffle all the skill of the physician, being designed unto death; and there is
a time when, by the blessing of God on means, they are healed; the wound or
sickness not being unto death: so the Targum paraphrases the last clause,
"to
heal one that lies sick.'
This
may be applied in a civil sense to calamities in kingdoms, and a restoration of
peace and plenty to them; which is the property of God alone, who in this sense
kills and makes alive in his own time, Deuteronomy 32:39;
And in a spiritual sense to the ministers of the word, who are instruments of
slaying souls by the law, which is the killing letter, and of healing them by
the Gospel, which pours in the oil and wine of peace and pardon through the blood
of Christ, and so binds up and heals the broken hearted; and there is a time
for both;
a time to break down, and a time to build up; to break down
a building, and build a waste, as the Targum; to break down cities and the
walls of them, as the of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar; and to build them up: as
in the times of Nehemiah and Zerubbabel: and so in a spiritual sense to break
down the church of God, the tabernacle of David, and to raise up and repair the
breaches of it; to build up Zion, and the walls of Jerusalem, or to restore the
Gospel church state to its glory, for which there is a set time; see Amos 9:11.
Ecclesiastes 3:4 4 A
time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
YLT 4A time to weep, And a time
to laugh. A time to mourn, And a time to skip.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh,.... There is a time for
these things, as it goes ill or well with persons, as to their health, estate,
or friends; and as it goes ill or well with kingdoms and states. The Jews wept
when they were in Babylon, and their mouths were filled with laughter when
their captivity was returned, Psalm 137:1; and as
it goes ill or well with the church of Christ, when there are corruptions in
doctrine and worship, a neglect of ordinances, declensions in faith and
practice, few instances of conversion, and there are divisions and contentions,
it is a time for the mourners in Zion to weep but when God creates Jerusalem a
rejoicing, and her people a joy, or makes her an eternal excellency, and the
praise of the whole earth, then it is a time to rejoice and be glad, Isaiah 61:3; and as
it is, with believers, when Christ is withdrawn from them, it is a time to
lament, but, when the bridegroom is with them, it is a time of joy; when it is
a night of darkness and desertion, weeping endures, but when the morning comes,
the day breaks, and the sun of righteousness arises, joy comes with it, Matthew 9:15 John 16:19. Now in
the present state is the saints' weeping time; in the time to come they will
laugh, or be filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory, Luke 6:21;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance; to mourn at
funerals, and to dance at festivals; in a spiritual sense, God sometimes turns
the mourning of his people into dancing, or joy, which that is expressive of;
see Psalm 30:11.
Ecclesiastes 3:5 5 A
time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a
time to refrain from embracing;
YLT 5A time to cast away stones,
And a time to heap up stones. A time to embrace, And a time to be far from
embracing.
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together,.... To cast
stones out of a field or vineyard where they are hurtful, and to gather them
together to make walls and fences of, or build houses with; and may be
understood both of throwing down buildings, as the temple of Jerusalem, so that
not one stone was left upon another; of pouring out the stones of the
sanctuary, and of gathering them again and laying them on one another; which
was done when the servants of the Lord took pleasure in the stones of Zion, and
favoured the dust thereof. Some understand this of precious stones, and of
casting them away through luxury, wantonness, or contempt, and gathering them
again: and it may be applied, as to the neglect of the Gentiles for a long
time, and the gathering of those stones of which children were raised to
Abraham; so of the casting away of the Jews for their rejection of the Messiah,
and of the gathering of them again by conversion, when they shall be as the
stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign on his land, Zechariah 9:16;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing: or "to
be far from"F7עת לרחק
"tempus elongandi se", Pagninus, Montanus; "tempus longe
fieri", V. L. it; it may not only design conjugal embracesF8"Optatos
dedit amplexus", Virgil. Aeneid. 8. v. 405. , but parents embracing their
children, as Jacob did his; and one brother embracing another, as Esau Jacob,
and one friend embracing another; all which is very proper and agreeable at
times: but there are some seasons so very calamitous and distressing, in which
persons are obliged to drop such fondnesses: it is true, in a spiritual sense,
of the embraces of Christ and believers, which sometimes are, and sometimes are
not, enjoyed, Proverbs 4:8.
Ecclesiastes 3:6 6 A
time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
YLT 6A time to seek, And a time
to destroy. A time to keep, And a time to cast away.
A time to get, and a time to lose,.... To get substance, as
the Targum, and to lose it; wealth and riches, honour and glory, wisdom and
knowledge: or, "to seek, and to lose"F9עת
לבקש "tempus quaerendi", Pagninus,
Montanus, Tigurine version, Piscator, Mercerus, Gejerus, Rambachius. ; a time
when the sheep of the house of Israel, or God's elect, were lost, and a time to
seek them again; which was, lone by Christ in redemption, and by the Spirit of
God, in effectual calling;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away; to keep a
thing, and to cast it away, into the sea, in the time of a great tempest, as
the Targum; as did the mariners in the ship in which Jonah was, and those in
which the Apostle Paul was, Jonah 1:5; It may
be interpreted of keeping riches, and which are sometimes kept too close, and
to the harm of the owners of them; and of scattering them among the poor, or
casting them upon the waters; see Ecclesiastes 5:13.
Ecclesiastes 3:7 7 A
time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
YLT 7A time to rend, And a time
to sew. A time to be silent, And a time to speak.
A time to rend, and a time to sew,.... To rend garments, in
case of blasphemy, and in times of mourning and fasting, and then to sew them
up when they are over; see Isaiah 37:1; This
the Jews apply to the rending of the ten tribes from Rehoboam, signified by the
rending of Jeroboam's garment, 1 Kings 11:30; the
sewing up or uniting of which is foretold, Ezekiel 37:22. Some
interpret it of the rending of the Jewish church state, signified by the
rending of the vail, at the death of Christ; and of the constituting the Gospel
church state among the Gentiles;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speakF11 ωρη μεν πολεων μυθων, ωρη δε και υπνου, Homer. Odyss.
11. v. 378. ; when it is an evil time, a time of calamity in a nation, it is
not a time to be loquacious and talkative, especially in a vain and ludicrous
way, Amos 5:13; or when
a particular friend or relation is in distress, as in the case of Job and his
friends, Job 2:13; or when in
the presence of wicked men, who make a jest of everything serious and
religious, Psalm 39:1; and so
when under afflictive dispensations of Providence, it is a time to be still and
dumb, and not open the mouth in a murmuring and complaining way, Leviticus 10:3.
And, on the other hand, there is a time to speak, either publicly, of the
truths of the Gospel, in the ministry of it, and in vindication of them; or
privately, of Christian experience: there is a time when an open profession
should be made of Christ, his word and ordinances, and when believers should
speak to God in prayer and praise; which, should they not, the stones in the
wall would cry out.
Ecclesiastes 3:8 8 A
time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.
YLT 8A time to love, And a time
to hate. A time of war, And a time of peace.
A time to love, and a time to hate,.... For one to love his
friend, and to hate a man, a sinner, as the Targum; to love a friend while he
continues such, and hate him, or less love him, when he proves treacherous and
unfaithful; an instance of a change of love into hatred may be seen in the case
of Amnon, 2 Samuel 13:15. A
time of unregeneracy is a time of loving worldly lusts and sinful pleasures,
the company of wicked men, and all carnal delights and recreations; and a time
of conversion is a time to hate what was before loved, sin, and the conversion
of sinners, the garment spotted with the flesh, the principles and practices,
though not the persons, of ungodly men; and even to hate, that is, less love,
the dearest friends and relations, in comparison of, or when in competition
with, Christ;
a time of war, and a time of peace; for nations to be
engaged in war with each other, or to be at peace, which are continually
revolving; and there is a time when there will be no more war. In a spiritual
sense, the present time, or state of things, is a time of war; the Christian's
life is a warfare state, though it will be soon accomplished, in which he is
engaging in fighting with spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, and the world: the
time to come, or future state, is a time of peace, when saints shall enter into
peace, and be no more disturbed by enemies from within or from without. In the
Midrash, all the above times and seasons are interpreted of Israel, and applied
to them.
Ecclesiastes 3:9 9 What
profit has the worker from that in which he labors?
YLT 9What advantage hath the
doer in that which he is labouring at?
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? That is, he
has none. This is an inference drawn from the above premises, and confirms what
has been before observed, Ecclesiastes 1:3;
Man has no profit of his labour, since his time is so short to enjoy it, and he
leaves it to another, he knows not who; and, while he lives, is attended with
continual vicissitudes and changes; sometimes it is a time for one thing, and
sometimes for its contrary, so that there is nothing certain, and to be
depended on; and a man can promise himself nothing in this world pleasant or
profitable to him, and much less that will be of any advantage to him
hereafter. The Targum adds,
"to
make treasures and gather mammon, unless he is helped by Providence above;'
though
it is man's duty to labour, yet all his toil and labour will be fruitless
without a divine blessing; there is a time and season for everything in
providence, and there is no striving against that.
Ecclesiastes 3:10 10 I
have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied.
YLT 10I have seen the travail
that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men,.... The pains
and trouble they are at to get a little wisdom and knowledge, Ecclesiastes 1:13;
and so to obtain riches and honour, peace and plenty, which sometimes they do
obtain, and sometimes not; and when they do, do not keep them long, for there
is a time for everything. This the wise man had observed, in a variety of
instances; and he considered the end of God in it, which was for men
to be exercised in it, or "by it"; or
"to afflict" or "humble them by it"F12לענות בו "ad affligendum se
in ea", Montanus; "ut eos adfligat in ea, sc. per eam",
Rambachius; "ut ea redderet humiles", Tigurine version. ; to let them
see that all their toil and labour signified little; all depended on a divine blessing,
and no happiness was to be had in the creatures; all was vanity and vexation of
spirit; See Gill on Ecclesiastes 1:13.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 11 He
has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their
hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning
to end.
YLT 11The whole He hath made
beautiful in its season; also, that knowledge He hath put in their heart
without which man findeth not out the work that God hath done from the
beginning even unto the end.
He hath made every thing beautiful in his time,.... That is,
God has made everything; as all things in creation are made by him, for his
pleasure and glory, and all well and wisely, there is a beauty in them all: so
all things in providence; he upholds all things; he governs and orders all
things according to the counsel of his will; some things are done immediately
by him, others by instruments, and some are only permitted by him; some he does
himself, some he wills to be done by others, and some he suffers to be done;
but in all there is a beauty and harmony; and all are ordered, disposed, and
overruled, to answer the wisest and greatest purposes; everything is done in the
time in which he wills it shall; be done, and done in the time most fit and
suitable for it to be done; all things before mentioned, for which there is a
time, and all others: all natural things are beautiful in their season; things
in summer, winter, spring, and autumn; frost and snow in winter, and heat in
summer; darkness and dews in the night, and light and brightness in the day;
and so in ten thousand other things: all afflictive dispensations of
Providence; times of plucking up and breaking down of weeping and mourning, of
losing and casting away are all necessary, and seasonable and beautiful, in
their issue and consequences: prosperity and adversity, in their turns, make a
beautiful checker work, and work together for good; are like Joseph's coat, of
many colours, which was an emblem of those various providences which attended
that good man; and were extremely beautiful, as are all the providences of God
to men: and all his judgments will be, when made manifest; when he shall have
performed his whole work, and the mystery of God in providence will be
finished; which is like a piece of tapestry; when only viewed in parts no
beauty appears in it, scarce any thing to be made of it but when all is put
together, it is most beautiful and harmonious. The words may be rendered,
"the beautiful One hath made all things in his time"F13את הכל עשה
יפה בעתו "haec omnia
facit pulcher in tempore suo, i.e. Messias"; so some in Rambachius. ; the
Messiah; who, as a divine Person, is the brightness of his Father's glory; as
man, is fairer than the sons, of Adam; as Mediator, is full of grace and truth;
is white and ruddy, altogether lovely, exceeding precious to his people: this
fair and lovely One has made all things in creation; works with his Father in
the affairs of providence; and has done all things well in grace and
redemption, John 1:2;
also he hath set the world in their heart; so that no man can find
out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end; not a sinful
love of the world, and the things of it; not a criminal desire after them, and
a carking care for them, whereby persons have no heart and inclination, time
and leisure, to search into and find out the works of God; for though all this
is in the heart of the sons of men, yet, not placed, there by the Lord: nor an
opinion of living for ever; of a long time in this world, the word for
"world" having the signification of perpetuity in it; so that they
regard not, the work of the Lord, nor the operations of his hands, tomorrow
being with them as this day, and much more abundant; but this sense meets with
the same difficulty as the former. Rather the meaning is, that God hath set
before the minds of men, and in them, the whole world of creatures, the whole
book of nature, in which they may see and read much of the wisdom power, and
goodness of God in his works; and to some he gives an inclination and desire
hereunto; but yet the subject before them is so copious, there is such a world
of matter presented to them, and their capacity so small, and life so short,
that they cannot all their days find out the works of God, either of creation
or providence, to perfection; or find out what God works, from the beginning of
the world to the end of it; for, of what he has wrought, but a small portion is
known by them, and they know less still what shall be done hereafter: some of
God's works of providence are set on foot and but begun in the life of some
men; they do not live to see them finished, and therefore cannot find them out;
and others are so dark and obscure, that they are obliged to say, "O the
depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable
are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" see Romans 1:19; and
though everything is beautiful in its time, yet till they are made manifest,
and all viewed together; they will not be perfectly understood, or the beauty
of them seen, Revelation 15:4.
For God has put something "hidden", or "sealed up", in the
midst of them, as it may be renderedF14Vid. Schultens de Defect.
Hod. Ling. Heb. s. 180. , so that they cannot be perfectly known.
Ecclesiastes 3:12 12 I
know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in
their lives,
YLT 12I have known that there is
no good for them except to rejoice and to do good during their life,
I know that there is no good in them,.... In these
things; as the Arabic version; in the creatures, as Jarchi; in all sublunary
enjoyments; in everything the wise man had made a trial of before, as natural
Wisdom and knowledge, worldly pleasure, riches, and wealth; the "summun
bonum", or happiness of men, did not lie in these things; this he knew by
experience, and had the strongest assurance of it: or in them, that is, the
children of men, as the Targum: there is no real good thing in them, nor comes
out of them, nor is done by them; they cannot think a good thought, nor do a
good action, of themselves. Or rather the sense is, I know there is nothing
better for them than what follows:
but for a man to rejoice; not in sin and sinful
pleasures, in a riotous, voluptuous, and epicurean manner; but to be cheerful,
and enjoy the blessings of life in a comfortable way, and with a thankful
heart; and especially to rejoice in spiritual things, and above all in Christ;
and not in any self-boastings or carnal confidences, all such rejoicing is
evil; see Ecclesiastes 9:7.
The Targum is,
"but
that they rejoice in the joy of the law;'
but
it is much better to rejoice in the things of the Gospel, which is indeed a
joyful sound;
and to do good in his life: to himself and family,
by making use of the good things of life, and not withholding and hoarding them
up; and to others, to all men, as opportunity offers, and especially to the
household of faith; and not only by liberality and alms deeds, but by doing all
good works, from right principles and to right ends, and that always, as long
as he lives, Galatians 6:9.
Ecclesiastes 3:13 13 and
also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it
is the gift of God.
YLT 13yea, even every man who
eateth and hath drunk and seen good by all his labour, it [is] a gift of God.
And also that every man should eat and drink,.... Not to
excess, but in moderation; and yet freely, plentifully, and cheerfully; and not
alone, but giving the poor a portion with him; and in all having in view the
glory of God, 1 Corinthians 10:31;
and enjoy the good of all his labour; take the
comfort of what he has been labouring for, and not lay it up for, and leave it
to, he knows not who: the Targum is,
"and
see good in his days, and cause his children, at the time of his death, to
inherit all his labour;'
it is the gift of God; not only to have, but to
enjoy, and make a proper use of the mercies of life. This is the same doctrine
which is delivered Ecclesiastes 2:24.
Ecclesiastes 3:14 14 I
know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And
nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him.
YLT 14I have known that all that
God doth is to the age, to it nothing is to be added, and from it nothing is to
be withdrawn; and God hath wrought that they do fear before Him.
I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever,.... Which
some, as Jarchi, understand of the works of creation, the heavens and the
earth, which are however of long standing and duration; and though they shall
be dissolved and perish, as to their form and quality, yet not as to the
substance of them: the earth particularly is said to abide for ever, Ecclesiastes 1:4;
the sun and moon, and stars, keep their course or station; and the several
seasons of the year have their constant revolution, and shall as long as the
earth endures; see Genesis 8:22; the
several kinds of creatures God has made, in the earth, air, and sea, though the
individuals die, their species remain; and man, the chief of creatures, though
he dies, shall live again, and live for ever; so the Arabic version,
"I
have learned that all the creatures which God hath made shall perpetually
remain in the same order and condition:'
though
AbarbinelF15Miphalot Elohim Tract. 8. c. 7. fol. 57. 4. interprets
this of the continuance of the world for a certain time, and then of the destruction
of it; which he thinks is supported by Ecclesiastes 3:15,
and which is to be understood of the creation of one world after another; and
that which is past he explains of the world that is destroyed. But rather this
is to be understood of the decrees of God, which are his works "ad
intra"; the thoughts of his heart, that are to all generations; the
counsel of his will, which always stands, and is performed; his mind, which is
one, the same always, and invariable, and which he never changes; his pleasure
he always does; his purposes and appointments, which are always accomplished,
never frustrated and made void: for he is all wise in forming them, all
knowing, and sees the end from the beginning, so that nothing unforeseen can
turn up to hinder the execution of them; he is unchangeable, and never alters
his will; and all powerful, able to effect his great designs; and faithful and
true, cannot deny himself, nor ever lie nor repent. To this sense is the
Targum,
"I
know, by a spirit of prophecy, that all which the Lord does in the world,
whether good or evil, after it is decreed from his mouth, it shall be for
ever.'
This
holds good of all his works, and acts of grace; election of persons to eternal
life stands firm, not on the foot of works, but of grace, and has its certain
effect; it can never be made void, nor be surer than it is; it will ever take
place, and continue in its fruit and consequences: the covenant of grace, as it
is made from everlasting, continues to everlasting; its promises never, fail,
its blessings are the sure mercies of David: redemption by Christ is eternal;
such as are redeemed from sin, Satan, and the law, are ever so, and shall never
be brought into bondage to either again: the work of grace upon the heart being
begun, shall be performed and perfected; the graces wrought in the soul, as
faith, hope, and love, ever remain; the blessings of grace bestowed, as pardon,
justification, adoption, and salvation, are never reversed, but ever continue;
such as are regenerated, pardoned, justified, adopted, and saved, shall be ever
so; and the work of God, as it is durable, so perfect;
nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it; the works of
nature have been finished and perfected from the foundation of the world; the
decrees of God are a complete system of his will, according to which he does
all things invariably, in providence and grace; the covenant of grace is
ordered in all things, and nothing wanting in it; the work of redemption is
completely done by Christ, who is a rock, and his work is perfect; and the work
of grace on the heart, though at present imperfect, shall be perfected; nor is
it in the power of men to add anything to it, nor take anything from it;
and God doth it, that men should fear before him; his works of
creation being done in so much wisdom, and giving such a display of his power
and goodness, command art awe of him in his creatures, Psalm 33:6; his
works of providence, being all according to his wise purposes and decrees,
should be patiently and quietly submitted to; and men should be still, and know
that he is God, and humble themselves under his mighty hand: his decrees,
respecting the present or future state of men, do not lead to despair, nor to a
neglect of means, nor to a dissolute life, but tend to promote the fear of God
and true holiness, which they are the source of; and the blessings of grace
have a kind influence on the same; particularly the blessing of pardoning
grace, which is with God, that he may be feared, Psalm 130:4; and
one principal part of the work of grace on the heart is the fear of God; and
nothing more strongly engages to the whole worship of God, which is often meant
by the fear of him, than his grace vouchsafed to men; see Hebrews 12:28. The
Targum refers this to the vengeance of God in the world: and Jarchi, to the
unusual phenomena in it; as the flood, the sun's standing still and going
backward, and the like.
Ecclesiastes 3:15 15 That
which is has already been, And what is to be has already been; And God requires
an account of what is past.
YLT 15What is that which hath
been? already it is, and that which [is] to be hath already been, and God requireth
that which is pursued.
That which hath seen is now; and that which is to be hath already
been,.... That which has been from the beginning now is; that which
cometh, and what shall be in the end of days, has been already, as the Targum.
Jarchi interprets this of God and his attributes, which are always the same; he
is the "I am that I am", Exodus 3:14; the
immutable and eternal Jehovah, which is, and was, and is to come, invariably
the same. Or rather it designs his decrees and purposes; what has been decreed
in his eternal mind is now accomplished; and what is future has been already in
his decrees; nor does anything come to pass but what he has appointed. So it is
interpreted, in an ancient tractF16Tikkune Zohar Correct. 69. fol.
104. 2. of the Jews, of
"what
was before it came into the world, so that there is nothing new under the sun;
now it is obliged to come into this world, as it is said, "before I formed
thee in the belly, I knew thee", Jeremiah 1:5.'
This
will also hold true of natural things, and of the identity of them; of some
individuals, as the sun, moon, and stars, which are as they always were, and
will be; the sun rises and sets as it used to do; and the moon increases and
decreases, as it always has done; and the stars keep the same station or
course, and so they ever will, as they have: the same seasons are now in their
turn as heretofore, and such as will be have been already; as summer, winter,
spring, autumn, seedtime, harvest, cold, heat, night, and day: the same kinds
and species of creatures, that have been, are; and what will be have been already;
so that there is no new thing under the sun; the same thing is here expressed
as in Ecclesiastes 1:9;
and God requireth that which is past; his decrees
and purposes to be fulfilled, which are past in his mind; the same seasons to
return which have been; and the same kinds and species of creatures to exist
which have already. The words may be rendered, "and God seeketh that which
is pursued", or "persecuted"F17ואלהים
יבקש את נרדף
"Deus quaerit propulsum, seu quod persecutionem veluti passum est",
Gejerus, Schmidt. : and accordingly the whole will bear a different sense; and
the preacher may be thought to have entered upon a new subject, which he
continues in some following verses, the abuse of power and authority: and the
meaning then is, the same acts of injustice, violence, and persecution, have
been done formerly as now, and now as formerly; and what hereafter of this kind
may be, will be no other than what has been; from the beginning persecution
was; Cain hated and slew his brother, because of his superior goodness; and so
it always has been, is, and will be, that such who are after the flesh
persecute those who are after the spirit; but God will make inquisition for
blood, and require it at the hands of those that shed it; he will seek out the
persecuted, and vindicate him, and, avenge his persecutor. This way the
Midrash, Jarchi, and Alshech, and the Septuagint version, render the words; and
so the Syriac version, "God seeketh him that is afflicted, who is driven
away"; and to this agrees the Targum, "and in the great day which
shall be, the Lord will require the mean and poor man of the hands of the
wicked that persecute him.' And what follows seems to confirm this sense.
Ecclesiastes 3:16 16 Moreover
I saw under the sun: In the place of judgment, Wickedness was
there; And in the place of righteousness, Iniquity was there.
YLT 16And again, I have seen
under the sun the place of judgment -- there [is] the wicked; and the place of
righteousness -- there [is] the wicked.
And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment,.... Courts of
judicature, where judges sit, and, causes are brought before them, and are
heard and tried; such as were the Jewish sanhedrim, of which the Midrash and
Jarchi interpret it;
that wickedness was
there, wicked judges sat there, and wickedness was committed by them;
instead of doing justice they perverted it; condemned the righteous, and
acquitted the wicked; and oppressed the widow, fatherless, and stranger, whose
cause, being just, they should have defended. So the Targum,
"in
which lying judges condemn the innocent.'
Well
does the wise man say he saw this "under the sun", for there is
nothing of this kind above it; nor approved of by him that is above it;
and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was
there; this signifies the same as before, only it is expressed in
different words. The Midrash and Jarchi interpret this of the middle gate in
Jerusalem, where Nergal Sharezer, and other princes of the king of Babylon,
sat, and which Solomon foresaw by a spirit of prophecy; but the better sense
is, that Solomon had observed a great deal of this kind in reading the
histories and annals of nations; knew that much of this sort was practised in
other countries, and had seen a great deal of it in his own, done in inferior
courts, and by subordinate officers; and though he was a wise and righteous
prince, yet was not able to rectify all these abuses, for want of sufficient
proof, which yet he lamented, and it gave him a concern; compare with this Isaiah 1:21.
Ecclesiastes 3:17 17 I
said in my heart, “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, For there
is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”
YLT 17I said in my heart, `The
righteous and the wicked doth God judge, for a time [is] to every matter and
for every work there.'
I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked,.... This he
considered in his mind, and set it down for a certain truth, and which relieved
him under the consideration of the sad perversion of justice; and made him easy
under it, and willing to leave things to him that judgeth righteously, and wait
his time when everything that was now wrong would be set right: he knew from
reason, from tradition, and from the word of God, that there was a judgment to
come, a general, righteous, and eternal one; that this judicial process would
be carried on by God himself, who is holy, righteous, just, and true,
omniscient, and omnipotent; and, being the Judge of all the earth, would do
right; when he would vindicate the righteous, and clear them from all calumnies
and charges; acquit and justify them, and condemn the wicked, pass a just
sentence on them, and execute it;
for there is a time there for every purpose, and for every
work; or "then", as Noldius; in the day of the great
judgment, as the Targum adds; and which continues to paraphrase the words thus,
"for
a time is appointed for every business, and for every work which they do in
this world they shall be judged there;'
there
is a time fixed, a day appointed, for the judgment of the world; though of that
day and hour knows no man; yet, it is settled, and will certainly come, Acts 17:31; and
when it is come, every purpose, counsel, and thought of men's hearts, will be
made manifest, as well as every work, good or bad, open or secret, yea, every
idle word, and men will be judged according to these; see 1 Corinthians 4:5, Matthew 12:36.
Ecclesiastes 3:18 18 I
said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them,
that they may see that they themselves are like animals.”
YLT 18I said in my heart
concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to
see that they themselves [are] beasts.
I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men,.... He
thought of the condition of the children of men, their sinful and polluted
state; he weighed and considered in his mind their actions, conversation, and
course of life; and was concerned how it would go with them at the day of
judgment on account of the same. Some render it, "I said in mine heart
after the speech of the children of men"F18על
דברת בני האדם "super verbum filiorum Adam", Montanus;
"verbis hominum", Arabic and Syriac versions. ; speaking in their
language, and representing the atheist and the epicure, as some think the wise
man does in the following verses; though he rather speaks his own real
sentiments concerning men, as they are in their present state, and as they will
appear in the day of judgment;
that God might manifest them; or "separate
them"F19לברם οτι διακρινει αυτους "ut discernat
illos", Cocceius; "quia delegit eos", some in Vatablus; so Aben
Ezra and Ben Melech. ; as the chaff from the wheat, and as goats from the
sheep; as will be done at the day of judgment, Matthew 3:10; or
"that they might clear God"F20"Ut ipsi expurgent
Deum", Anglic. in Reinbeck; some in Rambachius render it thus, "ut
seligant ipsi (homines) Deum"; so Varenius. ; as they will, when he shall
judge and condemn them;
and that they might see that they themselves are beasts; as they are
through the fall, and the corruption of nature, being born like the wild ass's
colt, stupid, senseless, and without understanding of spiritual things; nay,
more brutish than the beasts themselves, than the horse and the mule that have
no understanding, Psalm 32:9;
"mulo inscitior", as is Plautus'sF21Cisteilaria, Act. 4.
phrase; see Psalm 49:12, Isaiah 1:3; this is
now made manifest to the people of God by the word and Spirit; is seen, known,
and acknowledged by them, Psalm 73:21; and
the wicked themselves will see, know, and own what beasts they are and have
been, at the day of judgment; how they have lived and died like beasts; how
like brute beasts they have corrupted themselves in things they knew naturally;
and that as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, spoke evil of
things they understood not, and perished in their own corruption, Judges 1:10, 2 Peter 2:12; and
that they have been beasts to themselves, as Jarchi renders and interprets it;
made beasts of themselves by their brutish gratifications; have been cruel to
themselves, ruining and destroying their own souls; or among themselves, and to
one another, "homo lupus homini"; hence wicked men are compared to
lions, foxes, evening wolves, vipers, and the like. So Mr. Broughton renders
it, "how they are beasts, they to themselves."
Ecclesiastes 3:19 19 For
what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls
them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has
no advantage over animals, for all is vanity.
YLT 19For an event [is to] the
sons of man, and an event [is to] the beasts, even one event [is] to them; as
the death of this, so [is] the death of that; and one spirit [is] to all, and
the advantage of man above the beast is nothing, for the whole [is] vanity.
For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts,.... Aben Ezra
says this verse is according to the thoughts of the children of men that are
not wise; but rather the wise man says what he does according to his own
thoughts, and proceeds to prove the likeness and equality of men and beasts;
even one thing befalleth them; the same events belong
to one as to another; the same diseases and disasters, calamities and
distresses: Noah's flood carried away one as well as another; they both
perished in it; several of the plagues of Egypt were inflicted on both; and
both are beholden to God for their health, preservation, and safety; see Genesis 7:21;
as the one dieth, so dieth the other; the Targum
compares a wicked man and an unclean beast together, in the former clause; and
paraphrases this after this manner,
"as
an unclean beast dies, so dies he who is not turned to repentance before his
death:'
he
dies unclean in his sins, stupid, senseless; no more thoughtful of his future
state, and of what will become of his precious and immortal soul, than a beast
that has none; see Psalm 49:14;
perhaps unjust judges, persecuting tyrants, may particularly be regarded: who,
though princes, shall not only die like men, but even like beasts, Psalm 82:7;
yea, they have all one breath; the same vital breath,
or breath of life, which is in the nostrils of the one as of the other; they
breathe and draw in the same air, and have the same animal and vegetative life,
and equally liable to lose it, Genesis 2:7;
so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: he has reason
and speech, which a beast has not; which gives him a preference to them, did he
make a right use of them; but, as an animal, he has no preeminence, being
liable to the same accidents, and to death itself: the Targum excepts the house
of the grave, man being usually buried when he dies, but a beast is not: yea,
in some things a beast has the preeminence of a man; at least some have, in
strength, agility, quickness of the senses, &c.
for all is vanity; all the gratifications
of the senses; all riches, honours, pleasures, power, and authority, especially
when abused.
Ecclesiastes 3:20 20 All
go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.
YLT 20The whole are going unto
one place, the whole have been from the dust, and the whole are turning back
unto the dust.
All go unto one place,.... The earthF23"Magna
parens terra est", Ovid. Metamorph. l. 1. Fab. 7. from whence they came;
all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again; Adam's body
was made of the dust of the earth, and so all his posterity, all of them; in
which they agree with beasts, who are made of the dust also; and, when they
die, return to it; see Genesis 2:7.
Ecclesiastes 3:21 21 Who
knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the
animal, which goes down to the earth?[a]
YLT 21Who knoweth the spirit of
the sons of man that is going up on high, and the spirit of the beast that is
going down below to the earth?
Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward?.... There is
indeed a difference between a man and a beast; though they have one breath,
they have not one spirit or soul; man has a rational and immortal soul, which,
when he dies, goes upwards to God that gave it; to be judged by him, and
disposed of by him, in its proper apartment, until the day of the resurrection
of the body;
and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? when the
beast dies, its spirit goes down to the earth, from whence it came, and is
resolved into it, and is no more. But who is it that sees, or can see and know
with the eyes of his body, the difference of these two spirits, or the ascent
of the one, and the descent of the other?, Or who knows by the dint of reason,
by the strength of his own understanding, without a divine revelation, that man
has an immortal soul which goes upwards at death, when that of a beast goes
downwards? No man, clearly and fully, as appears from the doubts and half faith
of the wisest Heathens concerning it: or rather who knows and considers this
difference between the spirit of a man and the spirit of a beast, and thinks
within himself what a precious and immortal soul he has, and is concerned for
the salvation of it? Very few; and hence it is they live and die like beasts,
as they do. The Midrash interprets this of the souls of the righteous that go
up to heaven, and of the souls of the wicked that go down to hell.
Ecclesiastes 3:22 22 So
I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his
own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what
will happen after him?
YLT 22And I have seen that there
is nothing better than that man rejoice in his works, for it [is] his portion;
for who doth bring him in to look on that which is after him?
Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better than that
a man should rejoice in his own works,.... The Targum is,
"in his good works"; not as justifying him before God, but as
vindicating him before men, from unjust censures and charges: rather the sense
is, that this is the wise man's conclusion, and this his sentiment, upon the
whole; that there is nothing better for a man, than cheerfully to enjoy the
fruit of his labours; to eat and drink in moderation, freely, joyfully, and
thankfully; and make use of his riches, power, and authority, for his own good,
the good of his family for the present, and the good of his fellow creatures;
see Ecclesiastes 2:21;
for that is his portion; what is allotted to him,
and thus enjoyed, is a very good one, and for which he has reason to be
thankful;
for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him? to see who
shall succeed him, and what use they will make of what he leaves them; he shall
never return after death to see anything of this kind, nor shall any acquaint
him with it; he shall not be able to know when he is dead what shall befall his
sons, whether they will prosper or rio, so Jarchi; wherefore it is best for him
to enjoy his substance himself in a comfortable way, and be beneficial to
others, and not oppressive to them. The Midrash illustrates it thus,
"who
shall bring David to see what Solomon did? and who shall bring Solomon to see
what Rehoboam did?'
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)