The Book of Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon Paraphrased, Text and paraphrase 1 · Annotations 6
ANNOTATIONS.
[a] V. 1. common] Covetous Wretches, it ſeems, were no rare Creatures in thoſe days, but the Nation of the Jews abounded with them; being of the ſame humour they are now, ſcraping up Riches by right or wrong, which they ſcarce ever enjoy. But I have expreſſed alſo the other ſenſe of the word Rabba, which ſignifies great (VI. Gen. 5.) as well as many or frequent.
[b] V. 2. riches, &c.] He deſcribes in this Verſe the ridiculouſneſs, as well as the miſery, of this penurious humour; by the example of a man who wants nothing, and yet wants all that he hath: being like one that ſtands up to the Chin in Water; but fears to take a ſip to quench his thirſt. For to thoſe two words, riches and wealth (mentioned in the 19th. Verſe of the foregoing Chapter) he here adds a third, to expreſs the greateſt plenty, viz. glory. Which is more comprehenſive than the other; including in it all thoſe goodly things, which may do a man credit, and raiſe him to a ſplendid condition in this World. For ſo Laban's Sons call the ample Poſſeſſions which Jacob had got in their Fathers ſervice, all this glory (XXXI. Gen. 1.) or ſubſtance, as ſome render it: which made him (as we now ſpeak) a ſubſtantial man; for it denotes any thing that hath weight in it, and makes a man to be valued.
Evil diſeaſe] That which was called Raa choleh, a ſore evil, Chap. V. 13, 16. is here called choli ra, an evil diſeaſe, ſad ſickneſs, or grievous torment. Which is only an inverſion of the words, the ſame ſenſe being ſtill preſerved.
[c] V. 3 days of his years, &c.] He ſeems to repreſent in this Verſe an higher degree of that evil diſeaſe, by the example of one, who hath not only great ſtore of money, and lands, and honour; but alſo abundance of Children; and ſuch firm health, that he lives to a great Age. Which is expreſſed by two Phraſes which we tranſlate thus, live many years, ſo that the days of his years be many: but to avoid tautology, the latter Clauſe ſhould be thus tranſlated, and the days of his years be abundantly ſufficient: ſo many, that he cannot reaſonably expect, or deſire more. For thus rab ſignifies in many places, where we tranſlate it enough, XXIV. Gen. 25. ſtraw and provinder enough: XXXIII. Gen. 11. I have enough, my Brother. And yet this man thus abundantly provided for a long happineſs, doth no good either to others, or to himſelf, with what he poſſeſſes: but grutches even the expences of a Funeral, after he can hold his Riches no longer. So I understand thoſe words, he have no burial. Which are generally understood, I confeſs, of lying neglected, without any interment: which the Hebrews (every one knows) lookt upon as a great Judgment: (ſee XXII. Jer. 19.) and ſo Anton. Corranus gloſſes upon theſe words; By the juſt Judgment of God, ſuch Wretches, who would not feed the poor while they lived, become the Food of Dogs, or Crows when they are dead.
[d] V. 4. he cometh in] is born. With vanity] or in vain, to no purpoſe. Which ſome refer to the covetous Wretch, others to the Abortive, before-named: But I have referred to both. For this makes the clearest ſenſe; if in the next Verſe (v. 5.) we ſuppoſe that he compares theſe two together, and prefers the latter before the former; as he plainly doth in the concluſion of it.
[e] V. 6. ſees no good] To ſee is to enjoy as the Phraſe is uſed in many places: particularly XX. Levit. 17. XVII. S. John 24. And the ſenſe of this Verſe is, That the life of a covetous man is ſo far from making him happier, than he who never lives at all; that if he ſhould live as long again as Methuſalem, he would only be ſo much the more wretchedly miſerable. For when he hath tired himſelf with labour, he hath not taken one step towards ſatisfaction: which he might have had with leſs pains, if he had taken the right courſe to it, ver. 7.
[f] V. 8. what hath] There is ſo great a difficulty in this Verſe, that I did not know how to connect it with the foregoing; but by taking the latter part of the Sentence, as if Solomon had ſaid, What compariſon is there between him (viz the man before named) and the poor that knows how to walk before the living? i. e. the poor man who hath ſo much skill, as to know to live well, is infinitely to be preferred before him; whoſe Wiſdom ſtill leaves him ſuch a Fool, that it doth not reſtrain his ſuperfluous appetites. And this ſuits well with the next words (v. 9.) where the ſight of the eyes, being oppoſed to the wandring of the deſire; it is reaſonable to take it for the fixedneſs of a mans mind, to reſt ſatisfied in what is before him: that is, in things preſent.
Or the words may admit of this conſtruction (which is come into my mind, ſince I wrote the Paraphraſe) What excellence is there in the Wiſe man (that is, in the opinion of the wretch before-mentioned, there is none) more than in a Fool, eſpecially if he be poor, &c. That is, to all other miſeries of theſe rich Churls, this is commonly added, That they are very ignorant of what is moſt truly valuable; having no eſteem of the wiſeſt man in the World, no more than a of a Fool. Nay, they prefer a rich Fool, before a poor Wiſe man: who knows how to carry himſelf ſo decently, that he is not afraid to appear before any man living. This is a great ſottiſhneſs (v. 9.) and breeds no leſs ſorrow; to be led by blind Appetites, and not by Reaſon and Judgment. For ſo the first words of the ninth Verſe, may be interpreted: Better it is to underſtand aright, than to follow after ones deſires.
[g] V. 10. That which hath been] The ſence that I have given of the beginning of this Verſe (taking the firſt word for an Interrogation, and name for renown, as is common in Scripture) ſeems to me to be the moſt ſimple; and moſt agreeable to the whole Diſcourſe. And it is that which Melancthon hath expreſſed in theſe words, Although a man grow famous, yet it is known that he is but a man; and he cannot contend with that, which is ſtronger than himſelf. That is, he cannot govern events. But I ſhall mention two other Interpretations, which ſome give of it. One is this, As he was made at firſt, ſo his Name was given him; i. e. the Name of Adam, ſignifying that he was taken out of the Earth, and therefore mortal. The other is this; He that hath been, his Name is called already; that is, his memory is aboliſhed together with himſelf. This is Maldonate's ſenſe; but is not agreeable to the Hebrew Phraſe, his Name is called; for that in the Scripture ſignifies rather the contrary, viz. fame, and honourable mention, as I have expreſſed it word for word out of the Hebrew, in the Paraphraſe. The common Interpretation may be found in all commentators, which is this; that God hath appointed what every man ſhall be; whether rich or poor, &c. and therefore it is in vain for them to contrive, as they do, to be other than what they are: For it is to endeavour to alter that which is immutably ſettled by the Almighty.
[h] V. 11. ſeeing there be] This Verſe ſumms up all this matter about Riches; or, as others will have it, the whole foregoing Diſcourſe, concerning all thoſe four things, wherein men place their happineſs: wherether Wiſdom, Pleaſure, Honour, or Wealth. Which draw ſo many, and ſo great (for the Hebrew word includes both) inconveniences along with them; as ſufficiently demonſtrate a man is ſtill to ſeek for the ſatisfaction of his deſires, if he look no further.
And ſo they would have the laſt Verſe, to be an Introduction to the following Diſcourſe in the next Chapter: where he ſhows, wherein that true and ſolid happineſs lies, which Mankind vainly purſue in the forenamed enjoyments. But I have connected it with what goes before in this Chapter: as the Particle (for) in the beginning of it, ſhows it ought to be.