Commentari biblici

All things in the hand of God: his love or hatred not visible in them; but the like happeneth to good and bad in this life, and in death they know nothing hereof, and are themselves forgotten, Ecclesiastes 9:1-6. It is best therefore for a man to enjoy the gifts of God with cheerfulness, Ecclesiastes 9:7-9; to be diligent in his calling, Ecclesiastes 9:10, and leave the issue to God, Ecclesiastes 9:11,12. The praise of wisdom, Ecclesiastes 9:13-18.

For; or, therefore, as the seventy interpreters render it.

All this; all that I have said concerning the methods of Divine Providence towards good and bad men.

To declare all this; to make this evident, first to myself, and then to others, as occasion required.

The righteous and the wise; whom he mentions not exclusively, as if wicked men were not in God’s hand, for the next clause relates both to good and bad men; but eminently, because by the course of God’s providence towards them they might seem to be quite neglected and forsaken by God.

Their works; either efficiently, all their actions and employments; or objectively, all things done to them, all events which befall them.

Are in the hand of God; are subject to his power, and governed by his providence, as this phrase is used Proverbs 21:1 John 3:35, compared with Matthew 28:18. And therefore although we cannot fully understand the reasons of all God’s works, as he now said, Ecclesiastes 8:17, yet because they are done by his unerring hand, we may be assured that they are done both righteously and justly, and that no man hath cause to murmur at the prosperity of the wicked, or at the calamities of good men.

No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them; no man can judge by their present and outward conditions or dispensations of God’s providence whether God loves or hates them, for whom he loves he chastens, and permitteth those whom he hates to prosper in the world. And this translation and interpretation agreeth well with the following verse. But I must confess it differs from almost all other, both ancient and modern, translations. And these words with the foregoing clause are translated otherwise, and that word for word according to the Hebrew, the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; also love and hatred (understand out of the foregoing clause, are in God’s hand. And this may be meant either,

1. Of God’s love and hatred, which he disposeth when, and to whom, and in what manner he pleaseth. Or,

2. Of, men’s love and hatred, also their love and their hatred, the pronoun their being repeated out of the former clause, as is frequent in Scripture. And so the sense is, that not only men’s works, as he now said, but even their inward passions or affections, which seem to be most in their own power, are as much in God’s disposal as their outward actions. Then follows the last clause in the same order in which the words lie in the Hebrew text): no man knoweth all, or any thing, which is before him. Which I thus understand, whereas all men, and all their affections, and actions, and the events of them, are perfectly known to God, and disposed by him, men know nothing, no, not such things as are most plain, and easy, and familiar to them, and can neither foresee the plainest things, nor dispose of the smallest things as they please; but all things are wholly ordered and overruled by God’s providence, not as men imagine or desire, but as he sees fit.

All things come alike to all; the good and evil things of this world do equally happen to good and bad men.

The clean; either,

1. Morally clean or holy men. Or,

2. Legally, who made conscience of keeping himself pure from all legal defilements, according to the law then in force, and consequently from all other sins upon the same ground.

That sacrificeth; that worshippeth God sincerely, though it be to his cost. As is the good, so is the sinner, as to all outward things.

That sweareth, to wit, customarily, unnecessarily, rashly, without due consideration and reverence, or falsely and wickedly. For otherwise that some swearing was then allowed, and in some cases required, none do or can deny.

That feareth an oath; who is afraid of offending God, or abusing his name, by vain, or rash, or false oaths.

An evil; a great trouble and temptation to a considerate and good man.

The heart of the sons of men, of wicked men, such as the generality of mankind are,

is full of evil; either,

1. Of grief upon this occasion. Or rather,

2. Of wickedness, as appears from the next clause, and by comparing this place with Ecclesiastes 8:11.

Madness is in their heart; upon this account they go on madly and desperately in evil courses, without any fear of an after-reckoning.

After that the go to the dead; after all their mad and wicked pranks in the whole course of their life, they die in the same manner as the best men do. So hitherto there is no difference. For Solomon here forbears the consideration of the future life. Only he seems to intimate, that as the madness, so the happiness of the wicked is ended by death, which is more fully expressed in the following words.

That is joined to all the living; that continueth in the land and society of living men. Or, according to the reading of the Hebrew text,

that is chosen or allotted to life, whom God hath appointed yet to live in the world, when he hath appointed that many others shall die; or who are written among the living, as the phrase is, Isaiah 4:3, which is borrowed from the custom of cities, where men are first chosen, and then enrolled citizens.

There is hope; he hath not only some comfort for the present, but also hopes of further and greater happiness in this world, which men are very prone to entertain and cherish in themselves. Yea, they may have the hopes of a better life, if they improve their opportunities. But he seems to confine himself here to the present life.

Better, i.e. much happier, as to the comforts and privileges of this world, though in other respects death be better than life, as was said, Ecclesiastes 7:1.

The living know that they shall die; whereby they are taught to improve life, whilst they have it, to their greatest comfort and advantage.

The dead know not anything, to wit, of the actions and events in this world, as this is limited in the end of the next verse. Compare Job 14:21 Isaiah 13:16.

A reward; the reward or fruit of their labours in this world, which is utterly lost as to them, and enjoyed by others. See Ecclesiastes 2:21. For otherwise, that there are future rewards after death, is asserted by Solomon elsewhere, as we have seen, and shall hereafter see.

Is forgotten, to wit, amongst living men, and even in those places where they had lived in great power and glory; as was noted, Ecclesiastes 8:10.

They neither love, nor hate, nor envy any person or thing in this world, but are now altogether unconcerned in all things done under the sun.

In any thing that is done under the sun; in any worldly thing; by which limitation he sufficiently insinuates his belief of their portion in the other world.

Go thy way, make this use of what I have said,

eat thy bread; thine own, the fruit of thy own labours, not what thou takest unjustly from others. Bread; necessary and convenient food; by which he excludes excess.

With a merry heart; cheerfully and thankfully enjoy thy comforts, avoiding all distracting care and grief for the occurrences of this world.

God now accepteth thy works; is gracious to thee, hath blessed thy labours with success, and alloweth thee a comfortable enjoyment of his blessings.

Always; in all convenient times and circumstances; for there are times of mourning, Ecclesiastes 3:4 7:2: compare Proverbs 5:19.

White; decent, and splendid, as far as is suitable to the condition. The Eastern people of the best sort used white garments, especially in times of rejoicing, as Esther 8:15: compare Revelation 3:4,5 6:11. But by this whiteness of garments, he understands a pleasant and cheerful conversation.

Let thy head lack no ointment; which upon joyful occasions was poured upon men’s heads, Amos 6:6 Luke 7:46 John 12:3.