The Futility of Physical Pleasure

 1 I said to myself [lit., in my heart], “Come now, I will test [nacah (5254) – a primitive root; to test; by implication, to attempt:–adventure, assay, prove, tempt, try] you with pleasure [towb (2896) – from 2895; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well):–beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, X fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, X most, pleasant, + pleaseth, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well ((-favoured)).]. So enjoy [lit., consider with goodness] yourself.” [Extended Notes] And behold, it too was futility [hebel (cf.., 1:2)].

 2 I said of laughter [Extended Notes] [(7814) -or schoq {sekh-oke’}; from 7832; laughter (in merriment or defiance):–derision, laughter (-ed to scorn, -ing), mocked, sport.  ], “It is madness [halal (1084) – a primitive root; to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate; also to stultify:–(make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool(- ish, -ly), glory, give (light), be (make, feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, (sing, be worthy of) praise, rage, renowned, shine.],” and of pleasure [simchah (8057) – from 8056; blithesomeness or glee, (religious or festival):–X exceeding(-ly), gladness, joy(-fulness), mirth, pleasure, rejoice(-ing).], “What does it accomplish [asah (6213) – a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application (as follows):–accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, + finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X  indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin, spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be (warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.]?”

 3 I explored with my mind [lit., heart] how to stimulate [mashak (4900) – a primitive root; to draw, used in a great variety of applications (including to sow, to sound, to prolong, to develop, to march, to remove, to delay, to be tall, etc.):–draw (along, out), continue, defer, extend, forbear, X give, handle, make (pro-, sound)long, X sow, scatter, stretch out.] my body [basar (1320) – from 1319; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphem.) the pudenda of a man:–body, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-)kind, + nakedness, self, skin] with wine while my mind [lit.,  heart] was guiding me wisely [Is this wisdom, or foolishness at its most deceptive?  Amazingly, the life-experimenter was able to keep his senses about him.  That fact itself might show how deep was his wisdom while he was foolish!], and how to take hold of folly [cakan (5533) – probably a denominative from 7915; properly, to cut, i.e. damage; also to grow (causatively, make) poor:–endanger, impoverish.], until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do [lit., which they do] under heaven the few years [lit., days] of their lives.

 

The Futility of Physical Possessions

 4 I enlarged my [notice in vv.4-8, and much of the book, the heavy repetition of first person pronouns] works [materialism and projects are often occupy the independently wealthy]: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;

 5 I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

 6 I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.

 7 I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves [lit., sons of the house] [Even today many have servants serving their own ego.]. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.

 8 Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men–many concubines [Extended Notes]

 

 9 Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. [Extended Notes]

 10 All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them [Solomon had the power as king, the political ties, and the wealth]. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.

 11 Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor [05998.  lme  `amal,  aw-mal’; a primitive root; to toil, i.e. work severely and with irksomeness:–(take) labour (in).] which I had exerted [lit.,  labored to do], and behold all was vanity [or, futile, and so throughout chapter] and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun. [Extended Notes]

 

 

 12 So I turned to consider wisdom, madness [related to 01984.  llh  halal,  haw-lal’ – a primitive root; to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate; also to stultify:–(make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool(- ish, -ly), glory, give (light), be (make, feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, (sing, be worthy of) praise, rage, renowned, shine.] and folly [05531.  twlko  cikluwth,  sik-looth’ or sikluwth (Eccl. 1:17) {sik-looth’}; from 5528; silliness:–folly, foolishness.]; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done? [No one will be greater than Solomon in wisdom – except Jesus of course – so why think the answer to life’s problems is found in wisdom?]

 13 And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. [Yes there is benefit to wisdom – even wisdom under the sun – but only so much.]

 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head [i.e., he sees where he is going.  Alcoholics Anonymous defines insanity as, “doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.”], but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both.

 15 Then I said to myself [lit., in my heart], “As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said to myself [lit., I spoke in my heart], “This too is vanity.” [Earthly wisdom does not bring life after death.]

 16 For there is no lasting [lit., forever] remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die! [Death has always been a fear of man, and the equalizer of man.  People search for the solution.  Human wisdom is not the answer.]

 17 So I hated life [i.e., life under the sun], for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous [lit., grievous] to me; because everything [i.e., under the sun] is futility and striving after wind.

 

 

 18 Thus I hated all the fruit [i.e., possessions] of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. [While we remember the interim conclusions (vv.24ff), we also see the interrupting frustration.]

 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool [Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, was fool.]? Yet he will have control [lit., dominion] over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity.

 20 Therefore I completely despaired [lit., turned aside my heart o to despair] of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.

 21 When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy [lit., share] to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

 22 For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving [lit., the striving of his heart] with which he labors under the sun?

 23 Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind [lit., heart] does not rest. This too is vanity.

 

 

 24 There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good [lit., cause his soul to see good in his labor]. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

 25 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him [So Gr.; Heb., me]?

 26 For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

 (NAS95)

Tags: Commentary

This entry was posted by PHall on Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 at 5:00 pm and is filed under Ecclesiastes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.