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Ecclesiastes
Chapter Eleven
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 11
This
chapter begins with an exhortation to liberality to the poor, enforced by
several reasons and arguments, and the objections to it removed; and the whole
illustrated by various similes, Ecclesiastes 11:1;
and then it is observed, that a life attended with outward prosperity and
inward peace, and spent in doing good, is very delightful, and very desirable
it is to have it continued; yet it should be remembered this will not be
always, that many days of darkness in the grave will come; and after all the
whole of a man's life is vanity, as is often inculcated, Ecclesiastes 11:7;
and the chapter is closed with an ironic address to young men, designed to show
them the folly and danger of sinful courses, to reform them from them, and to
put them in mind of a future judgment, Ecclesiastes 11:9.
Ecclesiastes 11:1 Cast your bread
upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.
YLT 1Send forth thy bread on the
face of the waters, For in the multitude of the days thou dost find it.
Cast thy bread upon the waters,.... As the wise man had
often suggested that nothing was better for a man than to enjoy the good of his
labour himself, he here advises to let others, the poor, have a share with him;
and as he had directed in the preceding chapter how men should behave towards
their superiors, he here instructs them what notice they should take of their
inferiors; and as he had cautioned against luxury and intemperance, he here
guards against tenacity and covetousness, and exhorts to beneficence and
liberality: that which is to be given is "bread", which is put for
all the necessaries of life, food and raiment; or money that answers all
things, what may be a supply of wants, a support of persons in distress; what
is useful, profitable, and beneficial; not stones or scorpions, or what will be
useless or harmful: and it must be "thy" bread, a man's own; not
independent of God who gives it him; but not another's, what he owes another,
or has fraudulently obtained; but what he has got by his own labour, or he is
through divine Providence in lawful possession of; hence alms in the Hebrew
language is called "righteousness": and it must be such bread as is convenient
and fit for a man himself, such as he himself and his family eat of, and this
he must cast, it must be a man's own act, and a voluntary one; his bread must
not be taken and forced from him; it must be given freely, and in such a manner
as not to be expected again; and bountifully and plentifully, as a man casts
seed into the earth; but here it is said to be "upon the waters";
bread is to be given to such as are in distress and affliction, that have
waters of a full cup wrung out unto them, whose faces are watered with tears,
and foul with weeping, from whom nothing is to be expected again, who can make
no returns; so that what is given thorn seems to be cast away and lost, like
what is thrown into a river, or into the midst of the sea; and even it is to be
given to such who prove ungrateful and unthankful, and on whom no mark or
impression of the kindness is made and left, no more than upon water; yea, it
is to be given to strangers never seen before nor after, like gliding water; so
the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "passing waters": or else to
such who may be compared to well watered ground, or "moist ground",
as Mr. Broughton renders it; where the seed cast will grow up again, and bring
forth fruit, and redound to the advantage of the sower, as what is given to the
poor does; they are a good soil to sow upon, especially Christ's poor, who are
partakers of his living water, grace; see Isaiah 32:20;
though it may be the multitude of persons to whom alms is to be given are here
intended, which are sometimes signified by waters, Revelation 17:15;
as Ecclesiastes 11:2
seems to explain it. The Targum is,
"reach
out the bread of thy sustenance to the poor that go in ships upon the thee of
the water;'
and
some think the speech is borrowed from navigation, and is an allusion to
merchants who send their goods beyond sea, and have a large return for them;
for thou shalt find it after many days; not the
identical bread itself, but the fruit and reward of such beneficence; which they
shall have unexpectedly, or after long waiting, as the husbandman for his seed;
it suggests that such persons should live long, as liberal persons oftentimes
do, and increase in their worldly substance; and if they should not live to
reap the advantage of their liberality, yet their posterity will, as the seed
of Jonathan did for the kindness he showed to David: or, however, if they find
it not again in temporal things, yet in spirituals; and shall be recompensed in
the resurrection of the just, and to all eternity. So the Targum,
"for
after the time of many days, then thou shall find the reward of it in this
world (so it is in the king's Bible), and in the world to come;'
see
Luke 12:12. Jarchi
instances in Jethro. NoldiusF16Ebr. Concord. Partic. p. 155. No.
704. renders it "within many days", even before many days are at an
end; for seed sown by waters in hot climates soon sprung up, and produced
fruit; see Daniel 11:20.
Ecclesiastes 11:2 2 Give
a serving to seven, and also to eight, For you do not know what evil will be on
the earth.
YLT 2Give a portion to seven,
and even to eight, For thou knowest not what evil is on the earth.
Give a portion to seven, and also to eight,.... Or, a
"part"F17חלק "partem",
Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Vatablus, Drusius, Junius & Tremellius,
Piscator, &c. ; not the whole of a man's substance, for he must have to
support himself and his family; he that does not take care of that is worse
than an infidel; a man may bestow all his goods on the poor, and not have
charity; though no doubt there was true charity, or love, in the poor widow
that threw in all her substance into the treasury, which was an extraordinary
case, 1 Timothy 5:8; but
a man is to give of such things that he has, ordinarily, and not all that he
has, Luke 11:41; he is
to give according to his ability, and what he can spare from the service of
himself and family; and this is to be distributed, and given in parts to the
poor, according to their necessities; not all to one, but something to
everyone, "to seven, and also to eight": if seven persons apply, give
them everyone a part; and, if an eighth person comes, send him not away empty;
give to every one that asketh, Luke 6:30; compare
with this phrase Micah 5:5; Some
think this respects time, so Aben Ezra; that a man should give constantly and
continually, should be daily giving, all the seven days of the week, and when
the eighth day comes, or the week begins again, go on in the same course. The
Targum is,
"put
a good part of seed in thy field in Tisri (the seventh month), and do not cease
from sowing even in Casleu,'
the
eighth month;
for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth; what
calamities shall come upon it, which may sweep away all a man's substance; it
may be destroyed by fire, or washed away by a deluge of water, or plundered by
an enemy; or, however, the day of death may quickly come, as it certainly
shall, and then it will be no longer in a man's power to do good with what he
has. Moreover, the arguments which covetous men use against liberality, the
wise man uses for it; they argue that bad times may come, and they may sustain
great losses; or have a greater charge upon them, a growing family; or they may
live to old age, and want it themselves: be it no, these are reasons why they
should give liberally while they can; that when these things they fear shall
come upon them, they may be relieved and supplied by others; for those that
show mercy shall find mercy; and this is the way to make themselves friends in
a time of need, and against it; see Luke 16:9.
Ecclesiastes 11:3 3 If
the clouds are full of rain, They empty themselves upon the earth; And
if a tree falls to the south or the north, In the place where the tree falls,
there it shall lie.
YLT 3If the thick clouds are
full of rain, On the earth they empty [themselves]; And if a tree doth fall in
the south or to the north, The place where the tree falleth, there it is.
If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon
the earth,.... They do not retain it; sad would it be for the earth if they
did; but they let it down softly and gently, in plentiful showers upon each of
the parts of the earth without distinction, by which it is refreshed, and made
fruitful; nor are they losers by it, for they draw up great quantities again
out of the ocean, and so constantly answer the ends for which they are
appointed. And so rich men, who are full of the good things of this world,
should not keep them to themselves, and for their own use only; but should
consider they are stewards under God, and for others, and should be like the
full clouds, empty themselves; and give to those who want of what God has given
them, freely and cheerfully, bountifully and plentifully, and that without
respect of persons, imitating their God and Creator, who sendeth rain upon the
just and the unjust, Matthew 5:45; and
such in the issue are no losers, but gainers; they fill again as fast as they
empty;
and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the
place where the tree falleth, there it shall be; where the seed falls,
and it grows up into a plant, and to a tree, there it continues, whether to the
north or to the south; and so accordingly brings forth fruit, and such as it is
men partake of it; to which purpose Jarchi, and who applies it to the disciple
of a wise man, who is profitable in the place where he is, not only in life,
but after death: or where the fruit of a tree fall, "there they are",
so Aben Ezra reads the last clause in the plural number; that is, there are
persons enough to gather the fruit; and so where a rich man is, there are poor
enough about him to partake of his bounty: or as when a tree is cut down, let
it fall where it will, there it abides, and is no more fruitful; so when a man
is cut off by death, as he was then, so he remains; if a gracious and good man,
and has done good, he is like a tree that falls to the south, he enters into
the paradise of God, the joys of heaven; and if not a good man, and has not
done good, he is like a tree that falls to the north, he goes into a state of
darkness, misery, and distress; see Revelation 22:11;
or however, be this as it will, he is no more useful in this world; and
therefore it becomes men to do all the good they can in health and life, for
there is none to be done in the grave where they are going: or else the sense
is, that as when a tree falls, whether it be to the south or to the north, it
matters not to the owner, there it lies, and is of the same advantage to him;
so an act of beneficence, let it be done to what object soever, a worthy or an
unworthy one, yet being done with a view to the glory of God and the good of
men, it shall not lose its reward: and so this is an answer to the objection of
some against giving, because they do not know whether the object proposed is
deserving: though some think the same thing is intended by these metaphorical
expressions, as is suggested in the latter part of Ecclesiastes 11:2,
that evils or calamities may come upon men like heavy showers of rain, which
wash away things; or like storms and tempests of rain, thunder and lightning,
which break down trees, and cause them to fall to the north or to the south;
and thus in like manner by one judgment or another men may be stripped of all
their substance, and therefore it is right to make use of it while they have
it.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 4 He
who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not
reap.
YLT 4Whoso is observing the wind
soweth not, And whoso is looking on the thick clouds reapeth not.
He that observeth the wind shall not sow,.... Who
before he sows his seed is careful to observe where the wind is, from what
corner it blows, and forbears sowing until it is down or changes, lest it
should be troublesome unto him in sowing, or blow away his seed, and waits for
a better season; such a man may lose his seedtime and never sow at all, and his
grain in his barn may be devoured by vermin, or be destroyed by one accident or
another, and so he may lose both his seed and his crop;
and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap; which are
uncertain signs of weather; and if a man gives heed to them, and puts off his
sowing from time to time, for the sake of better weather, as he may never sow,
so it is impossible that he should reap; and if he sows, and when his grain is
ripe and forbears to reap because of the clouds, lest his grain should be wet,
may never reap at all: and so it is with respect to liberality; if a man will
raise difficulties, and make objections, and attend unto them; if he puts off
giving till such an affliction is removed from him and his family, or that is
grown up; or such an estate is obtained, or he has got to such an amount of
riches, or till more proper and deserving objects present, with twenty things
more of the like kind; if he defers giving on such accounts, or through fear of
want, which may possess his mind for various reasons, he may never give nor
get, yea, never do any good work; for, if nothing is done till all difficulties
are removed, no good thing will ever be done.
Ecclesiastes 11:5 5 As
you do not know what is the way of the wind,[a] Or
how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not
know the works of God who makes everything.
YLT 5As thou knowest not what
[is] the way of the spirit, How -- bones in the womb of the full one, So thou
knowest not the work of God who maketh the whole.
As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit,.... If indeed
a man could foresee and be assured of seasonable weather for sowing and
reaping, or a proper opportunity for doing good, all circumstances agreeing, it
would be right to wait for it, and take it; but as these things are not in our
power, nor within the compass of our knowledge, we should take the first
opportunity of doing good, and leave the issue to divine Providence: as in many
things in nature we are and should be content to be ignorant of them, and leave
them with God, who brings them about by his secret power and providence: as,
for instance, we know not "the way of the spirit", or "of the
wind"F18הרוח "venti",
Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius, Mercerus,
Amama, Cocceius, Gejerus, Rambachius; so Broughton, and the Syriac and Arabic
versions. , as some render it; from whence it comes and whither it goes, where
and when it will subside, or what wind will blow next; or of the spirit or soul
of man, how it enters into the body. So the Targum,
"how
the spirit of the breath of life goes into the body of an infant:'
whether
it is by traduction, as some, which is not likely; or by transfusion, or by
creation out of nothing, or by formation out of something pre-existent, and by
an immediate infusion of it: or, "what is the way of the breath"; of
the breath of a child in the womb, whether it breathes or not; if it does, how?
if not, how does it live? or what is the way of the soul out of the body, how
it goes out of it when the body dies;
nor how the bones do grow
in the womb of her that is with child; or is "full",
pregnant, big with child: or "in the womb that is full"F19בבטן המלאה "in utero
pleno", Mercerus, Gejerus, Gussetius, p. 936. "in ventre pleno",
Cocceius, so Aben Ezra. ; full of liquids, and yet bones are separated from
them, grow out of them, and in them, and are hardened; all which how it should
be is unknown: "bones" are mentioned because they are the more solid
and substantial parts of the body, the basis and strength of it; and because it
may seem more difficult how any part of the seed should harden into them, while
other parts are converted into skin and flesh;
even so thou knowest not the works of God, who maketh all; the Targum
adds, in wisdom; as men are ignorant of many of the works of nature, so of
those of Providence, especially which are future; as whether men shall be rich
or poor, have days of prosperity or adversity; what their latter end will be,
whether they shall not stand in need of the assistance of others, it may be of
them or theirs to whom they now give; or what will be the issue of present acts
of beneficence and liberality; these, with many other things of the like kind,
should be left with God. Some understand this of the work of grace and
conversion, which is a secret and difficult work, only wrought by the power and
grace of God; and may be begun, or shortly will, in a poor person, judged an
unworthy object of charity for supposed want of it, a thing unknown.
Ecclesiastes 11:6 6 In
the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For
you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will
be good.
YLT 6In the morning sow thy
seed, And at even withdraw not thy hand, For thou knowest not which is right,
this or that, Or whether both of them alike [are] good.
In the morning sow thy seed,.... Do all good works
early and diligently, which is expressed by sowing in righteousness, Hosea 10:12;
particularly alms deeds, often signified by sowing seed, Psalm 112:9, 2 Corinthians 9:6;
this should be in the morning of youth, that persons may be inured to it
betimes as Obadiah was; and in the morning of prosperity, as soon as ever
Providence smiles on men, and puts it into the power of their hands, who should
honour the Lord with the firstfruits of their increase;
and in the evening withhold not thine hand; from sowing
seed, from doing good, particularly acts of charity, in the evening of old age,
as Jarchi, like old Barzillai; an age in which men are apt to be more tenacious
and covetous, and withhold more than is meet; yea, in the evening of adversity
do not leave off doing good as much as can be; but do as the Macedonian
churches, whose deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality in a
great trial of affliction, 2 Corinthians 8:2;
in short, good is to be done at all times, as opportunity offers, throughout
the whole of life, and in all conditions and circumstances;
for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that; the seed sown
in the morning or in the evening, which good work shall best succeed; therefore
do both, try all ways, make use of all opportunities;
or whether they both shall be alike good; acceptable to
God, and useful to men; and if so, a man will have no occasion to repent of
what he has done both in youth and old age.
Ecclesiastes 11:7 7 Truly
the light is sweet, And it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun;
YLT 7Sweet also [is] the light,
And good for the eyes to see the sun.
Truly the light is sweet,.... Here begins a new subject,
as most think; and some here begin the twelfth and last chapter, and not
improperly. This is true of natural light, which is exceeding pleasant, useful,
and beneficial; by which men discern objects, behold the things of nature with
pleasure, walk in the way without stumbling, and do the work and business of
life: and also of civil light or prosperity; for, as afflictions are expressed
by darkness, and adversity by night; so the comforts and good things of life by
light and day, which are very desirable and delectable: and here
"life" itself may be meant, for light is sometimes put for life,
which is the light of the living; and what sweeter and more desirable than
that, especially a life attended with prosperity and peace? see Job 33:28. The
Targum and Jarchi interpret it of the light of the law; and which is indeed a
light, and so is the whole word of God, Proverbs 6:23, 2 Peter 1:19; but
may be better applied unto the Gospel, which is a great and glorious light, Isaiah 9:2; and a
means of enlightening dark minds; not only of showing men their sinfulness, as
the law does; but the insufficiency of their righteousness, of all their own
goodness and good works to justify; it reveals Christ, and the glories of his
person; it sets him forth evidently, as crucified and slain, for the worst of
sinners; it makes manifest his fulness, ability, and willingness, as a Saviour;
righteousness, peace, pardon, and salvation by him; it makes known things not
to be discerned by the light of nature, even things wonderful and marvellous,
as well as what is the way a man should walk in: and this light is sweet and
pleasant, not to a blind and carnal man, who despises it, and reckons it
foolishness, but to those who are enlightened by the Spirit of God; and to
these it is very delightful, even to all their senses; it is sweet to their
taste, a joyful sound to their ears, and beautiful to their sight are the feet
of them that bring its good tidings. The light of grace, which appears in first
conversion, and comes from God suddenly, which at first is small, but
increases, is exceeding pleasant, strikes the soul with delight and wonder; it
is marvellous light, 1 Peter 2:9; and so
is the light of joy and gladness to believers, when it arises to them after a
time of darkness, or the light of God's countenance, Psalm 4:6; and such
will be the light of the latter day glory, and more especially the light of the
heavenly state;
and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun; the natural
sun, shining at noon day, which is a luminous and glorious body, communicating
light and heat to all the world: which is so glorious and so pleasant to
behold, that Anaxagoras, the philosopher, being asked what he was born for,
answered,
"to
see the heavens, the sun, and the moonF20Laert. in Vita Anaxag. p.
95. Lactant. de Fals. Sap. l. 3. c. 9. ;'
and
Eudoxus, another philosopher, said,
"he
could be content to perish, could he get so near to the sun as to learn the
nature of itF21Plutarch, vol. 2. p. 1094. .'
To
"see the sun", in the language of this book, is to live in this
world, and to enjoy the light of the sun, and the comforts of life; see Ecclesiastes 7:11;
and now a life, attended with outward prosperity and inward peace, that is
spent in doing and enjoying good, is a very desirable and delightful one;
though such a man should not think of living always, but of death, and the days
of darkness, as in Ecclesiastes 11:8.
This may he applied to Christ, the sun of righteousness, Psalm 84:11; the
fountain of all spiritual light and heat; the brightness of his Father's glory;
and who is superior to angels and men; and is to be beheld by faith, and in his
own light, as the sun is; and whom to look upon with an eye of faith is
exceeding pleasant and delightful, and fills with joy unspeakable and full of
glory, 1 Peter 1:8.
Ecclesiastes 11:8 8 But
if a man lives many years And rejoices in them all, Yet let him remember
the days of darkness, For they will be many. All that is coming is
vanity.
YLT 8But, if man liveth many
years, In all of them let him rejoice, And remember the days of darkness, For
they are many! all that is coming [is] vanity.
But if a man live many years,.... Enjoying light and
life, and beholding the sun with much delight and pleasure. The days of men on
earth, or under the sun, are but few at most; but some live many days, in
comparison of others; they come to a good old age, as Abraham did; and to their
graves like a shock of corn fully ripe; and arrive to, or beyond, the common
term of human life;
and rejoice in them all; in and
throughout the many years he lives, even all his days; that is, is blessed with
a plentiful portion of the good things of life, and enjoys them in a free and
comfortable manner, with moderation and thankfulness; partakes of the good of
his labour, and rejoices in his works, in the fruit and effects of them, through
the blessing of divine Providence; not only is blessed with many days, but
those days good ones, days of prosperity: such a man is in a happy case; and
especially if he is possessed of spiritual joy, of joy in the Holy Ghost; if he
rejoices in Christ, and in what he is to him, and has done for him; and having
professed him, and submitted to his ordinances, goes on his way, rejoicing.
Some render it, "let him rejoice in them all"F23בכלם ישמח "in eis omnibus
laetetur", Junius & Tremellius, Mercerus, Cocceius, Gejerus. ; a good
man has reason to rejoice always, throughout the whole course of his life;
because of the goodness of divine Providence to him; because of the blessings of
grace bestowed on him; and because of his good hope of eternal glory and
happiness. The Targum is,
"in
all these it becomes him to rejoice, and to study in the law of the Lord;'
yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many; or,
"they may be"F24כי הרבה יהיה "quia multi
sint", Amama, so some in Drusius; "quod multi futuri sint",
Piscator, Gejerus, Rambachius. ; meaning either, that though persons may live
long, and enjoy much health and prosperity; yet, in the midst of all, they
should consider, that it is possible that days of adversity and distress may
come upon them, and continue; and therefore should not please themselves, as
Job did, that they shall die in their nest in the height their prosperity,
since they know not what days of evil may come, and how long they will last;
or, however, they should remember the night of death, that is hastening, the
land of darkness, and the shadow of death, they are going to; the dark grave,
they will soon be laid in, where they will remain many days; many more than
those in which they have lived, enjoying the light of the sun, even till the
heavens shall be no more; though these days will not be infinite, they will
have an end, and there will be a resurrection from the dead: and particularly
if a man is a wicked man, that has lived a long and prosperous life, he should
not only remember the above things; but also that outer darkness, that
blackness of darkness reserved for him, the darkness of eternal death, which
will be his portion for evermore. The Targum is,
"he
shall remember the days of the darkness of death, and shall not sin; for many
are the days that he shall lie dead in the house of the grave.'
All that cometh is vanity; Aben Ezra interprets
this of every man that comes into the world, as in Ecclesiastes 1:2;
whether high or low, rich or poor, in prosperity or adversity; man, at his best
estate, is vanity: let a man therefore be in what circumstances he will, he
should not take up his rest here; all that comes to him, everything that
befalls him, is vanity. The wise man keeps in view the main thing he proposed,
to prove that is vanity, all in this life; for what is to come hereafter, in a
future state of happiness, cannot come under this name and character.
Ecclesiastes 11:9 9 Rejoice,
O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your
youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know
that for all these God will bring you into judgment.
YLT 9Rejoice, O young man, in
thy childhood, And let thy heart gladden thee in days of thy youth, And walk in
the ways of thy heart, And in the sight of thine eyes, And know thou that for
all these, Doth God bring thee into judgment.
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth,.... This advice may be
considered as serious; and either as relating to natural, corporeal, and
temporal delight and pleasure, under due limitations; that as mirth and
cheerfulness, or a free use of the creatures of God, with moderation and
temperance, is allowable to all men in common, and is spoken of throughout this
book as commendable, and is healthful and profitable to men; so it is
particularly suitable to the youthful age, whose natural desires may be
enjoyed, and their outward senses may be gratified, in a lawful way, so far as
is consistent with the fear of God, and the expectation of a future judgment:
or it may be considered with respect to religious and spiritual exercises; as
young men should remember their Creator in the days of their youth, as it
follows; so they should rejoice in God their Maker, Psalm 149:2; they
should rejoice not to do evil, to which human nature is inclined, especially in
youth, but to do good; should rejoice, not in the ways of sin, but in the ways
of wisdom; not in any outward attainment of beauty, wit, strength, or riches,
but in the grace of God; not in themselves, or their boastings, but in Christ,
his person, righteousness, and salvation; not in the things of time and sense,
but in hope of the glory of God;
and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth; here is a
different word for youth than the former, which Alshech distinguishes thus; the
first designs the time to the age of thirteen, and this from thence to twenty.
Or, "let thine heart do thee good", so the Septuagint. The Targum is,
"and
let thine heart be good in thee.'
Symmachus
renders it, "and let thine heart be in good"; the thoughts of thine
heart be employed about that which is good, spiritual, heavenly, and divine;
the affections of thine heart set thereon; and the will and desires of thine
heart be drawn out after such things: let thine heart prompt and put thee on
doing that which is good, with delight and pleasure; but, in order, to all
this, the heart must be made good by the spirit and grace of God;
and walk in the ways of thy heart; being created a clean
one, sprinkled, purged, and purified by the blood of Christ; in which the fear
of God is put; the laws of God are written; where Christ is formed, and his
word dwells richly, and he himself by faith, where the Spirit of God and his
graces are: and then to walk in the ways of such a heart is to walk in the fear
of God, according to his word, as Christ is an example; and to walk after the
spirit, and not after the flesh. The Septuagint and Arabic versions are,
"and walk in the ways of thine heart unblamable": the Targum,
"and
walk in humility in the ways of thine heart:'
which
all agree with the sense given: so Alshech interprets the ways of the heart; of
the ways of the good imagination of good men;
and in the sight of thine eyes; as enlightened by the
Spirit of God, directing and guiding in the way in which a man should walk;
looking unto Jesus, all the while he is walking or running his Christian race;
and walking in him, as he has received him; pressing towards him, the mark, for
the prize of the high calling. The Targum is,
"and
be cautious of the sight of thine eyes, and look not upon evil.'
The
Septuagint and Arabic versions insert the negative; "and not in the sight
of thine eyes". Most interpreters understand all this its an ironic
concession to young men, to indulge themselves in carnal mirth, to take their
swing of sinful pleasures, to do all their corrupt hearts incline them to; and
to gratify their outward senses and carnal lusts to the uttermost; even the
lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life, which young men are
most addicted to: do all this, as if it was said, and see what will be the
issue of it; or, do all this if you can, with this one thing bore in mind, a
future judgment; like those expressions in 1 Kings 22:15; and
to this sense the following clause is thought most to incline: and the rather,
as the above phrases are generally used in a bad sense;
but know thou, that for all these things God will bring
thee into judgment; not temporal, but eternal; not in this present life, but in the
world to come; the judgment that will be after death, the last and awful
judgment; and which is certain, may be known; of which a man may be assured
from the light of nature, and from divine revelation; See Gill on Ecclesiastes 3:17;
into which all men will be brought, even whether they will or not; and every
work shall be brought into it, good or bad, open or secret, Ecclesiastes 12:14.
Wherefore "these things" may respect either; and the consideration of
a future judgment should influence the lives of men, and engage them both to
perform acts of piety and religion in youth, and throughout the whole of life,
and to shun and avoid everything that is evil. HerodotusF25Euterpe,
sive l. 2. c. 78. speaks of a custom among the Egyptians, at their feasts;
that, just at the close of them, one carries about in a coffin the image of a
dead man, exactly like one, made of wood, the length of a cubit or two, showing
it to all the guests; saying, look upon it, drink, and take pleasure, for such
shalt thou be when dead.
Ecclesiastes 11:10 10 Therefore
remove sorrow from your heart, And put away evil from your flesh, For childhood
and youth are vanity.
YLT 10And turn aside anger from
thy heart, And cause evil to pass from thy flesh, For the childhood and the age
[are] vanity!
Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart,.... Worldly
sorrow, as opposed to lawful mirth and cheerfulness, and especially to
spiritual joy: or "anger"F26כעס
"iram", Pagninus, Montanus, Mercerus; "indignationem",
Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus; "God's anger", Broughton.
, as the word may be rendered, and often is; either at the providence of God,
or at the correction of friends; all perturbations of the mind; all fierceness
of spirit, and fiery passions, to which youthful age is subject: or all those
things, as Jarchi observes, that provoke God to anger; sinful lusts and
pleasures, the end and issue of which also is sorrow to men; and which agrees
with our version;
and put away evil from thy flesh; or body; such as intemperance
and uncleanness, to which young men are addicted: the advice is much the same,
in both clauses, with that of the apostle's, "flee youthful lusts", 2 Timothy 2:22.
Jarchi interprets this of the evil concupiscence;
for childhood and youth are vanity; which quickly
pass away; come into manhood, and soon slide into old age, and are gone
presently, and all things within that compass: all actions done in that age are
for the most part vain and foolish; and all the delights, joys, and pleasures
thereof, vanishing and transitory. The last wordF1השחרות "ortus" Junius & Tremellius;
"aurora", Cocceius, Gejerus, so Aben Ezra and Ben Melech; "dies
nigredinis pili"; so the Targum, and Abendana. , used to express the
juvenile age, either is akin to a word which signifies the "morning";
youth being the morning and dawn of man's age, and increases as that; and as
soon as it is peep of day with him, or he enters into life, he possesses
vanity: or as having the signification of "blackness"; because, as
Jarchi observes, the head of a young man is black: and so the Targum,
"childhood,
and the days of blackness of hair, are vanity;'
whereas
the hair of an aged man is gray.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)