Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible · Ecclesiastes Capítulo 1

Ecclesiastes 1:1. The words of the Preacher— Or, orator. Mr. Desvoeux has shewn with great learning, that Solomon in this book appears nearly in the character of an eminent sophist among the Greeks, according to the primitive signification of that word, which implied philosophy and rhetoric joined together. The method of these ancient sages, as far as we can judge of it from what remained among their degenerate successors, was, to treat any subject which was reckoned worthy their learned dissertations in such a manner as to please the ear and improve the mind; which Tully calls the most perfect philosophy. The book of Ecclesiastes certainly deserves that character, if any in antiquity does. We must not conceive that Solomon was like the common and ordinary preachers among the Hebrews; yet it is certain, that he spake much in public for the instruction of the people; There came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon:—All the earth sought the face of Solomon, to hear his wisdom: See 1 Kings 4:31; 1Ki 4:34; 1 Kings 10:24. From whence it is plain, that our author made public discourses on several subjects, and that people were in a manner called together by his fame from all nations round about to hear his wise performances. As no other son of David, who was king of Israel, was famous for his wisdom, or could claim the title of preacher or orator except Solomon, this edition evidently denotes the real author of the book: The style of which, says Bishop Lowth, is evidently singular; the diction particularly obscure; nor does the poetic character much abound in the composition and structure; which perhaps may properly be attributed to the nature of the argument. The Jews are displeased to have it reckoned among the poetic books; and if their authority availed much in matters of this kind, we should perhaps in this particular give in somewhat to their opinion. See his 24th Prelection.

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Ecclesiastes 1:3. What profit— The word יתרון iithron, rendered profit, signifies the surplus, or that which remains after allowance is made for toils and fatigue, &c. It occurs eleven times in this book; and I think, says Mr. Desvoeux, the original notion of residue or remainder may well be preserved in every place, and will generally set the author's meaning in a better light than any other expression; though it may be sometimes convenient to make use of some other word.

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Ecclesiastes 1:4. The earth abideth for ever— Remaineth the same for ever] The meaning is, "The earth, considered as the scene of action, with respect to all mutable things, is no way affected by the continual and universal changes which happen on and about it."

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Ecclesiastes 1:8. All things are full of labour— All these considerations are wearisome. Desvoeux.

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Ecclesiastes 1:9. The thing that hath been— Yet what is the thing that hath been? the very same which shall be: And what is that which is done: the very same which shall be done: for there is nothing entirely new under the sun. See Desvoeux, and the LXX.

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Ecclesiastes 1:10. Is there any thing whereof, &c.— Is there any thing that will say, See this! this is new. Thus the beauty and energy of the original are preserved.

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Ecclesiastes 1:11. There is no remembrance, &c.— This verse may be rendered, There is no memorial to what happened before, neither shall there be any memorial to what shall happen henceforth, with those who shall come hereafter. The first proof of the general proposition is contained in the 4th and following verses to the present; and is taken from the consideration of natural things. It may be paraphrased thus: "It is vain for men to expect any advantage from future changes in the course of nature; since not only the earth, but all the other visible parts of the universe, have hitherto remained the same throughout the different generations which have succeeded each other since the world began, Ecclesiastes 1:4. The sun, the winds, the rivers, are in a continual motion, yet from the beginning to this time they have been constantly subject to the same laws and revolutions, Ecclesiastes 1:5-7. If a man, not satisfied with bare contemplation, will undertake to find out the secret causes of these wonderfully constant effects, what does he get by his curiosity, but trouble and weariness? Repeated inquiries, when never attended with the hoped-for success, must soon become tiresome and vexatious. An inquisitive man would fain look into all the recesses of nature, and hear all that others have to say on what he is not able to discover himself: but he never can compass his end, and satisfy his curiosity, either through his own researches, or by getting acquainted with those of others, Ecclesiastes 1:8. It is even beyond his power to mark any phaenomenon which may with any certainty be looked upon as a new one. Natural revolutions are such, that you have no sign nor token to distinguish that which happens for the first time from that which hath happened many times before; and that course is so well settled, that the same disappointments which have hitherto been met with are to be expected for the future." Ecclesiastes 1:9-11. Desvoeux.

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Ecclesiastes 1:12. I, the preacher, was king, &c.— I, who have assembled you, was king, &c.

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Ecclesiastes 1:13. This sore travail hath God given— That is to say, the fatiguing employment which God gave to the sons of men, to give evidence of himself. See the paraphrase on the 15th verse.

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Ecclesiastes 1:15. And that which is wanting cannot be numbered— Nor can men's wants be numbered. For the first clause of this verse, see chap. Ecclesiastes 7:13. From the 12th to this verse, we have the second proof of the first proposition, taken from the various occupations of men in search of happiness, which Solomon had both opportunities to observe from his high station, and abilities to observe rightly, from the wisdom he was endowed with, Ecclesiastes 1:12-13. These he found to be such, that no lasting advantage could accrue from them to mankind; and this for two reasons; first, because that which is, or appears to be, wrong, cannot by their utmost efforts be redressed; secondly, because their wants are so many, that they are not able to number them, Ecclesiastes 1:14-15. This double consideration seems to point out a twofold distribution of the occupations of men, as they propose to themselves either to rectify what is wrong, or to satisfy their own wants: the one is the business of the philosopher, the other of the man of pleasure; and both subjects are immediately resumed; First, singly, in the next verses, and chap. Ecc 2:1-2 and then jointly, chap. Ecc 2:3-10 in order to be more particularly considered.

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Ecclesiastes 1:17. And I gave my heart to know wisdom— For I applied myself to the knowledge of wisdom, and the knowledge of whatever is shining, and of science. We meet in all languages with words which are as much, or even more frequently, made use of in a metaphorical, than in a literal way; yet you can never fully and rightly understand them, unless you keep an eye to the primitive literal signification, and have a particular regard to the circumstances wherein such a word is employed. הלל hallel, seems to be one of those words, which, by not paying a due regard to this observation, has been often misinterpreted. One of its metaphorical meanings has been even mistaken for the primitive signification; which is contrary to nature. Leigh rightly observes, that its primitive signification is, either to shine, or to make another thing shine; which is done in a metaphorical way by praising or valuing. See Desvoeux, 384, and Parkhurst on the word.

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