The Book of Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon Paraphrased, Text and paraphrase 1 · Annotations 2
ANNOTATIONS.
[a] V. 1. Thus Themiſtocles, Lucullus and others (as Melancthon obſerves) being wearied in their attendance upon publick affairs, by many unprofitable contentions, nay, by the ingratitude of the people, delivered up themſelves unto pleaſures; as better than their ill beſtowed pains.
[b] V. 2. Laughter] The cenſure he paſſes upon this makes it neceſſary to expound it of ſuch diſſolute and frantick mirth, as I have mentioned in the Paraphraſe.
[c] V. 3. gave my ſelf] The word in the Hebrew (as the Margin of our Tranſlation informs the Reader) imports ſomething of extenſion; as in other places of Scripture, Pſal. XXXVI. 10. becauſe when men indulge themſelves very liberally in eating and drinking, the Blood boils and riſes, the Veins ſwell, and the Skin of the whole Body is diſtended.
Lay hold on] The word ſignifies not ſimply to apprehend; but to keep under reſtraint what we have ſeized. As the Philiſtins are ſaid to have taken David (had him in their power) in Gath; in the Title of Pſal. LVI. Thus I have expounded it here, as moſt agreeable to the ſenſe of the place.
[d] V. 4. great works] includes all that follows, to the end of v. 8. conſiſting, either in Buildings, or in Plantations, and Water-works belonging to them, or in his Houſhold; or his Stock upon his Land; or his Exchequer, and Magazines; or in things that were for mere ſtate and magnificence, viz. Royal Furniture; or in great variety of vocal and inſtrumental Muſick; to which ſome add, a kind of Seraglio of the moſt beautiful Women that could be found: though for this laſt there is no ground to think it here mentioned; but what lies in two hard words, of which I ſhall give an account preſently.
[e] V. 5. gardens] The Hebrew word Gennoth ſome will have to be properly places for Flowers, Herbs, Sallets, and all manner of Fruit-Trees: and Pardeſin, which we tranſlate Orchards, to be only Woods, Foreſts, or Parks. Of which there is no certainty; for this laſt word Pardeſin is uſed but twice more in the Holy Scripture; and in the firſt of thoſe places, we tranſlate it Foreſts, II. Nehem. 8. and in the other, IV. Cant. 13. it ſignifies a place were Pomegranates grew. And therefore it indifferently ſignifying either of theſe, I have expreſſed both in the Paraphraſe. And, if we judge of ſuch places by what the Greeks (from this word) call a Paradiſe, they were ſo large, as to comprehend not only all ſorts of Trees, both Fruit-Trees and others (ſuch as Cedars, Cypreſs, &c.) but Fountains, and Fiſh Ponds, and Aviaries, and Walks, for all kind of Beaſts, both wild and tame: in ſhort, whatſoever could make a place pleaſant, either by Nature or Art:
[f] V. 6. pools] The word Berecoth carrying in it the Notion of Bleſſing, ſome Interpreters will have it to ſignifie, places filled and ſupplied by the great Bleſſing of Rain. But there is no reaſon for this limitation, it being as capable to ſignifie any Lake, or large hollowneſs in the Ground, or upon it, for the reception of Water, either from the Clouds, or from Springs, or from Rivers: which are beneficial for ſundry uſes, as I have expreſſed it in the Paraphraſe.
[g] V. 7. Though the word Bakar properly belong to Oxen and Cows; yet we well tranſlate it, the greater ſort of Cattel, comprehending Camels, Aſſes, &c. In like manner Tzon is commonly uſed for Sheep, but comprehends Goats alſo; and therefore is well tranſlated by us, the leſſer ſort of Cattle. All which both great and ſmall are comprehended under the general word Mikneh, which we tranſlate Poſſeſſion.
[h] V. 8. peculiar treaſure] The word Segullah ſignifies either the things themſelves that are rare and precious; or the place where ſuch things are repoſited and kept, viz. a Treaſury.
But the greateſt difficulty in this Verſe, and indeed in this Chapter, is to tell what is meant by Siddah and Siddoth; which he calls in the Concluſion of this Deſcription of his Magnificence, the delights or delicious pleaſures, of the Sons of men. Theſe Bochartus hath probably conjectured to be moſt excellent Compoſition in Muſick, or moſt elegant Verſes, ſet by a rare Artiſt among the Phaenicians, called Sido, to the moſt raviſhing and melting Notes. And therefore I have not ſo much as taken notice of their Interpretation, who deriving theſe words from an Original ſignifying ſpoil and devaſtation, underſtand hereby beautiful Women, taken captive in the Wars: of which the King had the firſt choice, as he had of the reſt of the ſpoil. For there were no Wars in his time, till the latter end of his reign; and then he was rather worſted, than victorious. Some indeed, to keep this ſenſe, derive it from Saddaim the Breaſts or Paps; becauſe no ſmall part of Womens beauty (which they would have to the delights here ſpoken of) conſiſts in the fine ſhape and decent poſition of this part of their Body. But this ſeems to be far fetcht; and therefore I have let it, and divers other Interpretations, alone: and only expreſſed the ſenſe of our own Tranſlation, which takes theſe for Muſical Inſtruments; and thoſe of ſuch extraordinary ſweetneſs, that they left no part of a mans ſoul untoucht, nor room for any other pleaſure (ſo ſome derive it, from a word ſignifying abundance) and had ſome regard to the LXX, who underſtand it of ſuch as waited upon him at the Table (Cup-bearers, and ſuch like Officers) where Muſick alſo was ſeldom wanting, but made a part of the entertainment of great perſons; as I have expreſſed it in the Paraphraſe.
[i] V. 9. my wiſdom remained] For it was not the manner of Great Men, in ancient time, to paſs their Feaſts only in eating and drinking, and, after the ſottiſh Cuſtom now, to ſend the Cups going round, when all was taken away: but to ſpend the time in pleaſant, but learned, Diſcourſes, or in telling Stories, or propounding and reſolving Queſtions; which might whet the Wit, and form mens manners, or open the Secrets of Nature; and at the ſame time both refreſh and inſtruct the mind. As we ſee at Samſon's Marriage-Feaſt, he propounded a Riddle to be unfolded, concerning the Generation of Bees, out the Carkaſe of a Lyon. In Plutarch's Sympoſiacks, there are abundance of ſuch merry, and learned Queſtions reſolved. And Athenaeus in his Diepnoſophiſts, hath exerpt the Flower of all Arts, and Authors, Poets, Philoſophers, and Hiſtorians; in Virgil alſo at the end of his Firſt Book of Aeneids, Jopas is introduced ſinging a Philoſophical Song (at the Feaſt which Dido made) concerning the Motions of the Moon and the Sun, and in ſhort, of all that Atlas, that moſt famous Aſtronomer, had taught. And in another place, Aeneas himſelf relates the Deſtruction of Troy.
[k] V. 10. my portion] Though Wiſdom thus bridled his pleaſures, yet it did not reſtrain him from ſuch a free and plentiful enjoyment of them, that there was no ſort which he did not taſte as highly of, as was poſſibly; without making himſelf a mere Fool. This he calls his portion, by a Metaphor taken from Inheritances; which being divided into parts, every one of the Children had his part given him; or from Lots, which as they were uſed among Merchants, ſo ſometimes in the dividing of Inheritances: when the Heirs could not agree among themſelves, about the aequality of the portions which were ſet out for them.
[l] V. 11. I looked] Having conſidered the value of this portion, he could not ſay it was much worth; but rather that there was very little in it: and therefore he here prefers Wiſdom much before all this pleaſure: and ſtill far more before ſottiſh and mad pleaſure, v. 12.
And yet, for all that, after he had taken the benefits of Wiſdom into a ſecond conſideration, v. 13, 14; he could not but conclude again, that there is a Vanity in that alſo. Which is threefold; as there are three ends for which men ſtudy Wiſdom. Firſt, That they may provide for their ſafety and ſecurity: Secondly, That they may commend their Names to Poſterity; or Thirdly, That they may leave to their Children, what their ſingular Prudence, and great diligence hath gathered together. But all theſe he ſhows are vain Deſigns.
[m] V. 15. hapned] For inſtance, he repreſents here, how all Mankind, Wiſe and Fools, are alike liable to the ſame caſualties, and many incoveniences, which are common to every one of us in this life. Which the Lord Bacon (in his IV. Book of the Advancement of Learning, chap. 2.) extends to ſuch Conſiderations as this; that in all times, Witches and old Women, and impoſtors, have been Rivals and Competitors, in the reputation and opinion of the multitude, with the ableſt Phyſicians; and contended with them for the fame of Cures. Nay, the impoſtor bears away the prize, and Vertue lies under the cenſure. Such is the weakneſs and credulity of men, they prefer a Mountebank, or a Witch, before a learned Phyſician: which the Poets obſerved when they made Aeſculapius and Circe, Brother and Siſter; both Children of the Sun. And what follows from hence, but that Phyſicians ſay to themſelves, as Solomon in another caſe, It befalls to me, as it doth to the Fool; why ſhould I labour to be more wiſe? It diſcourages them, that is, in their Profeſſion.
[n] V. 16. no remembrance] And then for the other two (mentioned above, k) he obſerves how ſhort-liv'd our memorial is, as well as our ſelves, v. 16, 17. and that no man can be ſure, who ſhall inherit his labours, or what kind of perſon he ſhall be; wiſe or ſottiſh, good or bad, v. 18, 19. Which he reflects upon again in the following Verſes, with a very heavy heart, that made him weary of life, v. 20, 21. at leaſt of the labour and toil of it, v. 22. the folly of which he repreſents v. 23. And then concludes the Chapter, with a brief account of the true way to enjoy all the happineſs that this World can afford us: of which we are utterly uncapable, unleſs we have a ſenſe of God, be devoutly affected towards Him as the Author and Donor of all good things. Which I have expreſſed ſo fully in the Paraphraſe, of verſe 24, &c. that I may be cenſured for making it too long; and therefore ſhall not commit another error, in enlarging it further here.
[o] V. 26. But only obſerve, that Wiſdom and Knowledge in this Verſe, do not differ, as they may be thought to do, Chap. I. v. 16, 18. but relate; both of them, to the ſame thing; only with ſuch a diſtinction, as I have mentioned in the Paraphraſe: or, as others will have it, Wiſdom relates to the acquiſition of the good things of this World, Knowledge to the uſe; from which prudent fruition flows the joy he mentions together with them. Thus Corranus.
The laſt words of the Chapter, are referred by all Expoſitors, in a manner, only to the condition of the Sinner, which immediately precedes: but ſince they have a true ſenſe, with reſpect to all men whatſoever, good and had, I thought it beſt ſo to expound them; with regard to the whole foregoing Verſe.