A Comment Upon Coheleth, Chapter 7 – Addenda
Chapter. 7.
1. VVhen there be many thinges that increaſe vanity what permanent good thing can a man have?
2. For who knoweth what is good for a man in life, the number of dayes of the life of his vanity which he ſhall ſpend as a ſhadow; for who can ſhew vntounto man what ſhall be after him vnderunder the ſunne?
3. A good name is better then a good oyntment, and the day of death then the day that one is borne.
4. It is better to goe to the houſe of mourning then to goe to the houſe of feaſting, becauſe this is the end of all men: and the living ſhall lay it to his hart.
5. Sadnes is better then laughter For vnderunder heavynes of countenance the hart may be mery.
6. The hart of the wiſe in the houſe of mourning: But the hart of fooles is in the houſe of mirth.
7. Better it is to heare the rebuke of a wiſe man, then that a man ſhould heare the ſong of fooles.
8. For as the noyſe of thornes is vnderunder the pott, ſo is the laughter of fooles. This alſo is vanity.
9. Becauſe oppreſſion may make the wiſe madd▪ and rewards deſtroy the heart:
10. The end of a thing is better thē the begining: The pacient in ſpirite is better then the hauty in ſpirite.
11. Be not raſh of ſpirite to be angry. For anger lodgeth in the boſome of fooles.
12. Say not, how cometh it to paſſe that the former days were better thē theſe. For thou canſt not aſke that frō wiſdome.
13. wiſdome is good with poſſeſſions: & an excellent commodity for men while they behold the ſunn.
14. For wiſdome bringeth ſhadow: money bringeth ſhadow▪ but knowledge hath the preeminence▪ wiſdome keepeth alive them that have it.
15. Cōſider the work of God. And who can make ſtreight that which he hath made crooked?
16. In the day of good, vſe the good▪ & in the ſore time, conſider it. God hath ſo ſet the one by the other that man cannot find no blame in him.
17. I have ſeene all thinges in the dayes of my vanity. Ther is a juſt man that periſhed in his juſtice, & ther is a wicked man that continueth long in his malice.
18. Be not thou juſt much: and be not too wiſe: wherfore ſhouldeſt thou vndoe thy ſelf.
19. Be not too wicked: neither be a foole. wherfore ſhouldeſt thou periſh before thy ordinary time.
20. It is good that thou lay hold on this: but yet vvithdraw not thy hand from that. And he that feareth God ſhall come out of them all.
21. wiſedome ſhall ſtrengthen the wiſe man more then ten mighty Princes that are in the city, can give strength.
22. Though there is no man juſt in all theforeign Iam. 3. 2. earth, that doth good & miſſeth not.
23. Take not heede to all the words that men ſpeake, leaſt thou do heare thy ſeruant ſpeak euill of thee.
24. For often times alſo thy hart knoweth that thou alſo haſt ſpoken euil of others.
25. All this have I tryed by wiſedome. I thought, I vvillbe wiſe: but it wēt farr frō me.
26. That which is farr off, & deepe, depe, who can find it out.
27. I turned me hartely, to know and to eſpy, and to ſeeke wiſedome & conceytes & to know the miſchiefe of folly & fooliſhnes of madnes.
28. And I find one thing bitterer then death: Euen the woman, who is nettes, and her hart ſnares: & her handes be bands. He that pleaſeth God ſhalbe ſaved frō her: but the ſinner ſhalbe caught by her.
29. Behold, ſaith Koheleth, this have I found, examyning one by another, to find out conceyts.
30. But this which further my ſoule ſought, I found not out.
The conceytes of a man one of a thouſand IKoheleth blameth not wom… kind: as wold tranſlate him many: but theyr de…e ſlights: as experiē ced in his owne vvives vvho deceaved him. found out, but of a woman with all theſe qualityes, I found not out.
31. Only behold this have I found out, that GOD made Adam playne: but they ſought out many conceytes.
Chap. 8.
1. VVho is like the wiſe? & how rare is he that knoweth the nature of matters? VViſdome in a man will lighten his face: & the hardnes of his face wilbe altered.
2. I ſay, regard the Kings mouth yet after the oth to God.
3. Be not raſh to goe out of his ſight: ſtād not in an evil matter. For he can doe whatſoever he will.
4. wher the word of the King is, powerS. Paul R. 13. hādleth this place agaīſt Iewes which wold not obey heathen: & preventing the Popesty ranny, that ſhould a riſe in Rome. is. And who may ſay vntounto him, what wilt thou doe?
5. He that keepeth the law ſhall feele no evill thing: & the wiſe hart will know time & judgment.
6. For eueryevery thing hath his time & jugment: But the miſchief of man is much vponupon him:
7. Becauſe he knoweth not what is to come. & how things wil fall out, who cā tel?
8. Man is not ruler over the ſpirit, to reteine the ſpirite: neither hath he power in the day of death: nor armour for the battel: & no ſtriving will helpe them that vſe it.
9 All this have I ſeene, ſetting my hart toward every worke that is wrought vnderunder the ſunne: That ther is a time when a manFrom auctority & governmēt repreſē ting Gods preſence. ruleth over men to his owne harme.
10. And in that ſort I ſaw the wicked come to the grave, & they paſſed away, and went from the holy place, & they were forgotten in the citye wher they had ſo dealt. So this was a vanitye.
11. Bicauſe ſentence vponupon evill dealing is not executed quickly, therfore the hart of the ſonnes of man is fully bent in them to doe evill.
12. Though a ſinner doe evill an hundreth times and long continue: yet I know that it ſhal be wel with them that feare God, which reverence his preſence.
13. But it ſhall not be well with the wicked: neyther can he long continue dayes, which are but a ſhadow: he which liveth not in feare before God.
14. Ther is a vanity which is done vponupon the earth, that ther be juſt men, to whom it cometh accordīg to the work of the wicked: & ther be wicked men to whom it cōmeth according to the work of the juſt: I thought that this alſo is vanitye.
15. And I prayſed joy. For a man hath no better thing then to eate & to drinke and to rejoyce▪ for this will ſtick to him of his labour, the dayes of his life that God hath given him vnderunder the ſunn.
16. VVhen I applyed myne hart to know wiſdome, & to behold the buſines that is done on the earth, how day & night a man would not ſee ſlepe with his eyes,
17. Then I marked all workes of GOD that man cannot find out the worke which is done vnderunder the ſunne, Though man laboure never ſo much to ſeeke, yet he cannot find it: yea allthough the wiſeſt thinke to know it, he cannot find it.
Chap. 9.
1. FOR all this have I applied vntounto myne hart: even to try out all this; that the juſt & the wiſe, & ther workes are in the handes of God: neither love nornot manifeſted by outward thinges: yet ſure of reward to life eternall in paradiſe: whē they cōmēd theyr ſoule to the hands of God. hatred doth men diſcerne, by all that is before them.
2. Euen all they finde, as if all had one happ, the iuſt & the vniuſt: the good & the cleane, and the vncleane, the ſacrificing, & he that ſacrificeth not: the good & the bad have alike: the ſwearer as he that reverenceth an oath.
3. This is the moſt grievous of all that is done vnderunder the ſunne, that all have one hap. Alſo the hart of the ſonnes of man is full of euill, and madnes is in their heartes whiles they live, and afterward they go to the dead.
4. For all that be yet accompanied vntounto all the LivingIt is evident that theſe wordes are ſpoken in the perſon of the wicked: and ſhould be pronounced as imitating theyr perſon. So have I printed them in another character. (ſay the men of an euill hart) they have aſſurance. For it is better vvith the dog alive, then vvith the Lion that is dead.
5. For the living knovv that they shall dye: but the dead knovv nothing at all: neither have they any more a revvard. For their remembrance is forgotten.
6. Alſo their love, and their hatred & their envy is already gone & they have no more portion for euer, in all that is done vnderunder the ſunne.
7. Goe, eat thy bread vvith joy, & drinke thy vvine vvith a cheerefull hart. For God novv accepteth thy vvorkes.
8. At all times let thy garments be vvhite & let not oyle be lacking vponupon thine head.
9. Enjoy life vvith the vvife vvhichwhich thou doeſt love, all thy dayes of vaine life: vvhichwhich HE hath given thee, vnderunder the Sunne: all thy vaine dayes. For this is thy portion in life, & in thy Labour vvhichwhich thou doeſt take vnderunder the ſunn.
10. All that thy hand can finde to doe, do it; as thou canſt. For there is nether vvorke, nor invention, nor knovvledg, not vviſdome in the grave vvhither thou goeſt.
11. Againe I marked vnderunder the ſunne: That the ſuift winne not the race: nor the valiant the victory: nor the wiſe the bread: nor nor the ſubtile, riches▪ nor the cunning, favour: But a time & occurrent happeneth to them all.
12. For aſſuredly man knoweth not his time. As fiſhes are taken in a miſchevous net, & as birdes are caught in the ſnare▪ So they, the ſonnes of man are intangled, at the evill time when it falleth vpō them ſuddēly.
13. I have alſo ſeene this wiſdome vnderunder the ſunne▪ & me thought it great.
14. A little city had few men in it, and a great King came againſt it; & compaſſed it about, & builded fortes againſt it.
15. And there was found therein a poore & wiſe man: & he ſaved the city by his wiſedome. But none remembred this poore mā.
16. Then ſayd I. Better is wiſdome then ſtrength, yet the wiſedome of the poore is deſpiſed, & his words are not heard.
17. The words of the wiſe are more heard in quietnes then a Lords cry over fooles.
18. Better is wiſedome then weapons of warre as one vncircūſpect deſtroyeth much good.
Chapter. 10.
1. One dead fly putrifieth, & corrupteth much precious oyntment▪ ſo doth a little folly, him that is in eſtimatiō for wiſdome, for glory.
2. The hart of a wiſe man is at his right hand▪ but the hart of a foole is at his left hād.
3. And alſo when the foole goeth by the way his hart fayleth, and he telleth vntounto all that he is a foole.
4. If the ſpirite of him that ruleth, riſeth vp againſt the, leave not thy place. For a ſoft cure pacifieth great ſinnes.
5. There is an euill that I have ſeene vnderunder the ſunne: as an errour that proceedeth from the face of him that ruleth.
6. Folly is great height▪ and the rich ſitt in low place.
7. I have ſeene ſeruants on horſes, and princes walking as ſeruants on the ground.
8. He that diggeth a pit ſhall fall into it: And he that breaketh dovvne a hedge, a ſerpent ſhall ſting him.
9. He that removeth ſtones ſhal find ſorrow therby▪ And he that cleaveth wood ſhal be heated therby:
10. when the Iron is dul, & the mā whetteth not the Edge, but vſeth might. But the beſt helpe to bring a thing to good paſſe, is wiſedome.
11. when the ſerpēt hath bit before charming then the cūning charmer profiteth nothing.
12. The words of the mouth of a wiſe mā give grace: but the lippes of a foole devour himſelf.
13. The begining of the wordes of his mouth is fooliſhnes and the later end of his mouth is wicked madnes.
14. And the foole will multiply wordes. But the man knoweth not what ſhalbe. And who can tell him what is following him?
15. The labour of the fooliſh doth weary him. For he knoweth not how to go into the city.
16. woe to the O land whoſe King is a childe: & whoſe princes eat in the morning▪
17. Bleſſed art thou O land, whoſe King is the ſonne of nobles: and whoſe Princes eat in time, for ſtrength, & not to drink.
18. By ſlothfulnes beames come to decay: by holding downe the hands the houſe droppeth thorow.
19. Men making feaſtes to be merry, that wine make glad the living & mony muſt affoard all.
20. Curſe not the King no not yet in thy thought, neither curſe the rich in thy bed chamber: for the foule of the heauen will cary the voice, & the winged bird will declare the matter.
Chapter▪ 11.
1. Caſt thy ſeede vpō the moiſt groūd: for after many dayes thou ſhalt finde it.
2. Give a portion to ſeauē, & alſo to eight. For thou knoweſt not what evill ſhalbe vpō the earth.
3. If the cloudes be full, they will poure fourth rayne vponupon the earth: And if the trees fruite fall toward the South, or toward the North, ī the place that the trees fruict falleth, there fruite gatherers will be.
4. He that looketh vponupon the winde, will not ſow: & he that looketh vponupon the cloudes ſhall not reape.
5. As thou knoweſt not the way of the winde, as nor of the bones in the belly of her that is with childe▪ ſo thou knoweſt not the worke of God that worketh all.
6. In the morning ſow thy ſeede, & in the euening remit not thy hand. For, thou knoweſt not whether will come to good: this or that: or whether both ſhalbe alike good.
7. Surely the light is a pleaſant thing: and it is a good thīg to the eyes to behold the ſūn.
8. But though a mā may live many days, and in them all, be mery, yet let him remember the dayes of darknes, that they be the many. whatſoeuer commeth will be vanity.
9. Rejoyce, O yong mā, in thy childhood, & let thine hart chear thee, in the days of thy youth, & walke in the wayes of thy hart, and in the ſight of thyne eyes. But know that for all theſe thinges God will bring thee to judgment.
10. Put away Gods anger from thine hart & remove evil from thyfleſh. For childhood and yonghead is vanity.
Chap. 12.
1. Therfore remember thy Creatours in the dayes of thy youth, Before the evill dayes come, & the yeares approch, of which thou wilt ſay, I have no pleaſure in them.
2. Before the ſunn is dark, & the light, & the moone, & the ſtarres, and the cloudes returne after the rayne.
3. when the keepers of the houſe ſhal trē ble, and the ſtrōg men ſhall bow themſelves, and the grinders ſhall ceaſſe bicauſe they are few, & they waxe darke that looke out by the windowes,
4. And the dores ſhalbe ſhut by the ſtreat, with the baſe ſound of the grinding, & a man ſhall ſtand vp at the voyce of the bird: and all the daughters of Muſick ſhalbe brought low:
5. And men will dread every high place, & feares wilbe in the way, & the Almond tree will flouriſh, & the Graſhopper wilbe a burthen to it ſelfe: and all luſt wilbe diſſolued: & a man goeth vntounto his long home; and mourners go about in the ſtreete.
6. Before the ſilver cord is looſed: and the golden ewer broken, and the pitcher burſt at the well, and the wheele brokē at the ceſtern:
7. And duſt returne to the earth as it was, & the ſpirit returne to God that gave it.
8. Vanity of vanities, ſaith Koheleth, all is vanity.
9. And this is a matter of excellency, As Koheleth was wiſe, ſtil he taught the people knowledg: and weighed and examined and fitted many parables.
10. Koheleth ſtudyed to finde wordes delightfull, & ſcripture rightfull:
11. The wordes of the wiſe: as goades, & as nayles faſtened in the ſheepefoldes▪ being giuen from one ſhepheard.
12. And my ſonne give all diligent heede to them. There is no end in making many bookes & much reading is a wearynes of the fleſh.
13. The ſumme of the matter is, all being heard: Feare God & keepe his commaundements. For this is all the man.
14. For God will bring every deed vntounto judgment: with every hid thing, whether it be good or euill
The ſumme of the matter is, all being heard: Feare God & keepe his Commaundements; for this is the man. The Moſſorite note I. Th. K. K. Eſay. Malachy. Lam. Eccl. by the Eb. firſt letter.
Four rare ſentences in the heauenly Ebrew are repeated in the end of the booke, that men should euermore thinck vponupon them:
Lam. 5. TVRNE VSUS O ETERNAL VNTOUNTO THEE, AND WE SHALL BE TVRNED: RENEW OVR DAYES AS OF OLD. This sheweth that all cometh from God that pitieth. So this v. of Koheleth moved S. Paul to abide all griefe, to keepe men from Daniels flames:
So Eſay 66. FROM MONETHMONTH TO MONETHMONTH AND FROM SABBAT TO SABBAT SHAL ALL FLESH COME TO WORSHIP BEFORE MEE SAYTH THE ETERNAL. This sheweth an vtter abrogating of Moſes: ſeing all nations cannot come every weeke to Ieruſalem.
The laſt is, Malachi v. last ſaue one: BEHOLD I SEND VNTOUNTO YOV AN ELIAS A PROPHET, BEFORE THE GREAT AND FEARFVLL DAY OF THE ETERNALL COMETH: From that ſpeech cloſing the prophets, the Angell Gabriel beginneth the New Teſtament in his ſpeech to Zachary of his Malachy Iohn. So ſweetly both Teſtaments Kiſse one the other: that none of wit or grace should euer thinke Tobies foolish fable or Iudithes ridiculous ly to be from any ſad purpoſe of a writer.
To the reader.
In this emptie ſpace, a ſpech worthy of place every where, may be added: which Gregor. Nazian. ſpeaketh vponupon Chapt. 3. who coſidereth the ſpirit of man which aſcendeth, Thus he ſayth: foreign That is I ſaw in the low places: a dongeon of punishment, receaving the wicked: and an other place appointed for the Godly. Thus the father, who knew that Abrahā & ſuch were in heaven, yet ſpeaketh as heathen did. This ſentence giveth light, for the vnderſtanding of the Greke fathers.
Finis.
Faultes eſcaped in this edition of Eccleſiaſtes.
Eccleſ. Chap. 2. ver. 26. Read it thus, God giueth vviſdome and knowledg & gladnes.
Chap. 3. ver. 14. for euer: to it nothing can be added and from it nothing can be diminiſhed: and God &c.
Ver. 19. the other: and they all hauehave one ſpirit: and man &c.
Ver. 20. All goe to one place: all come &c.
Chap. 4. ver. 3. his neighbour: Thus alſo is vanitie and vexation of ſpirit. Ver. 17. the houſe of God, & be neerer to heare then to give the ſacrifice of fooles &c.
Chap. 5. ver. 4. It is better that thou shouldeſt not vow, then that thou shouldest not pay it.
Ver. 5. Let not thy mouth &c. And ſo change the figures in all the other verſes follovving to the end of the Chapter.
Ver. 8. as it is here, but ver. 9. being corrected, read it thus, hath not fruite: This alſo is vanity.
Ver. 11. being corrected, Read thus, vvhether he eate litle &c.
Chap. 8. ver. 15. Read thus, no better thing vnderunder the ſunne then &c.
Chap. 9. ver. 18. vveapons of vvarre; but one vncircumſpect &c.
Chap. 10. ver. 6. Folly is ſet in great height: &c
Chap. 12. ver. 10. righful; wordes of truth.
End of the text · Hugh Broughton, A Comment Upon Coheleth (1605)