Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 5 · Ecclesiastes · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
DEad flyes cause the oyntment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour, Vers. 1.so doth a little folly him, that is in reputation for wisdome and honour. Hereby Oyntment we are to understand most sweet Oyntment, compounded of precious things, like that which the woman poured upon the head of Christ against his buriall, into this flyes falling, although they be little, and dying, of sweet, make it stinking; so a man that is delighted in, and esteemed of for his wisdome, if there be but one little sinne, or point of foolishnesse in him, is no more esteemed, but vilipended and basely accounted of.
So Asa, a zealous and godly King, for confederating with Benhadad, the King 2 Chron. 15.of Syria, in the time of his danger, being reproved by a Prophet, and putting him in the Stocks, therefore lost all his reputation, and became a despicable Cripple all his life after; and Uzziah, a most godly and zealous King, through pride became a stinking Leaper. Wherefore let him that is wise be circumspect, and as he Note. doth many things commendably, so take heed that he doe foolishly in nothing, either through distrust in God, pride, covetousnesse, fleshly lust, or intemperance, for who so doth, is falne from his excellency of what estate or degree soever he be; for he is now but as Herod, who heard John Baptist gladly, and did many things, but in one sinne, which he thought little, he lived still: and Saul by one foolish act of sparing Agag, was put downe from his Kingdome.
A wise mans heart is at his right hand, but a fooles at his left. Also when Vers. 2. Vers. 3.a foole walketh by the way, his wisdome faileth him, and he saith to every one, that he is a foole; the Vulgar, he accounteth all men fooles, Hebr. it is as in New Translation.
Lavater, for to every one, hath it, of every one, expounding it of the high conceit Lavater.that he hath of himselfe, through which he disgraceth others, calling them fooles, as it is common with the wicked, and with Hereticks; they say of a man that is strict in the course of his life, he is a foole, and of him that speakes against their errours, and confuteth them, although he be a most wise and learned man, yet because he thinketh not with them, he is a foole; and likewise if one wil rather suffer, then obey his King against God, for so the holy Martyrs have been counted by cruel Persecutors, fooles and stubborne persons; and this I take to be the true meaning, whether it be rendred of, or to every one, and not that he by his speech declares to every one his folly, as some understand it. By his walking in the way, understand his doings, which are foolish, he either getteth him a lamp without Oyle, as the foolish Virgins, or is openly prophane and dissolute, and so wisdome faileth him, in his way to Whore-houses, to Tipling-houses, to Gaming, or other vanities, to which he giveth himselfe. And his heart is said to be on his left hand, as the wise mans is on his right, because whereas the wise doe all things well and rightly, he doth all ill, and aukly; if he dealeth with men he is fraudulent, and oppressive▪ if with God, in the duties of his Worship, he is only formall, exhibiting unto him grosse, outward, and corporeall service, and none other in spirit and Ioh. 4. 24.truth, as is commanded, and true worshippers doe.
If the spirit of the Ruler riseth up against thee, leave not thy place, for yeelding Vers. 4.pacifieth great offences. For the last words here, they are the same in effect with those, a soft answer putteth away strife; For the former, the meaning is, Prov. 15. 1.If the Prince, or he that is much thy superiour be angry with thee, for setting thy selfe for good, and against evil, in thy place and calling, leave it not therefore, but hold it, if thou canst, and doe so still.
It is a phrase, as Lavater noteth, taken from Souldiers, who are to keep their Lavater.standing; thus the Apostles left not their Calling, but went on to preach the Gospel, notwithstanding the streight charge given them to the contrary; or it may be taken, in case that a man hath a place about the King, therein to serve him, although he be offended, yet run not away, leave not his service in discontent, but if he be offended with thee for thy faults, yeeld, or submit unto him, and thus he may be pacified againe, although thine offences have been great; and the like is to be done by children towards their Parents, and by servants towards their Masters, and by Wives towards their Husbands.
Munster hath both a different translation; If the spirit of one that hath dominion Munster.riseth upon thee, leave not thy place, for he that healeth himselfe dismisseth great sins; and interpretation, if by thy wisdome thou comest to have dominion, forget not, but remember thy former low condition, and by this meanes thou shalt be kept from many great sins, which otherwise pride may make thee fall into. And this is not disagreeable to the Hebrew text, in which it is foreign, upon, and foreign an healing.
There is an evill which I have seene under the Sunne, as an errour, that proceedeth Vers. 5. Vers. 6. Vers. 7.from the ruler. Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich set in low places; Servants riding on horse-backe, and Princes going on foot. Having begun to speake of Rulers, vers. 4. here he proceedeth to declaime against a great fault, that is common amongst them, viz. Fooles, that is, men of no parts or indowments, fit for it, set in places of rule and authority, and men rich in knowledge, and wisdome, left in a meane condition, without any such preferment, although they be more worthy, by which meanes all places of judgement are filled with injustice and wrong; but when the King, the supreame Ruler is foolish, and covetous, thus it is.
Some by the Ruler understand God, but this is incongruous, because God doth nothing through errour; some understand the Devil, but although he bragged once, that he had all the Kingdomes of the world to dispose of, yet he hath not, but is himselfe a base vassall. But it may seeme strange, that by the rich here, should be meant the rich in wisdome; for so much as wisdome hath been often before Gold and Silver preferred, and we read of those that are rich in faith, and rich in Luke 12. 1 Pet. 1. 7. Revel. 3.God; and of them that want these riches, as poore, and miserable; we may well by the rich here understand the wise, and the rather, because they are opposed to fooles. And likewise by Princes, are meant the wise and prime men, in this regard, and by servants underlings in wisdome, and abilities, and gifts of the minde, wherein they, who be defective being contrariwise ignorant, and vicious, are not only fooles, but slaves, and servants of sinne. Of riding on horse-back, put for being in honour, see, Jer. 22. 4. There shall be Princes sitting upon Thrones, and riding on Horses.
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it, and he that breaketh an hedge, a Serpent Vers. 8. Vers. 9,shall bite him. Who so removeth stones shall be hurt there-with, and he that cleaveth wood shall be indangered thereby. Here by similitudes he sheweth the evils that a Ruler bringeth upon himselfe, that preferreth Fooles, and Knaves, by whom the welfare of the Kingdome is overthrowne.
1 He is herein as one that diggeth a pit, and soone falleth himselfe into it, and so perisheth; thus some Kings of this Land, by preferring base conditioned men to honour, have laid a foundation of their owne ruine, as Edward the second, and Richard the second.
2 As one that breaketh an Hedge, where-with a Vine-yard, or Corne-field is fenced, and in so doing meeteth with some venemous Serpent, that biteth him, whereof he dyeth, which is so spoken, because Serpents lurke about hedges. And by the Hedge here, Lavater understandeth good Lawes, which are as a fence Lavater.to a Kingdome, which being broken, as they are, when fooles are in authority, wilde beasts are let in, whereby great destruction is made in a City.
Heraclius Ephesius compareth a Kingdome, wherein good Lawes are broken, to a City, the wall whereof is broken downe; Demosthenes, to a Body, from which the soule is departed. And as in buildings, if some stones, or peices of timber, whereupon the rest is founded, be taken away, the whole building cometh to ruine; so by the ceasing of some most necessary Lawes, the frame of the Kingdome. By staves he understandeth Land-markes, which if any man removed, Numa Pompilius made a Law, that any man might kill him for so doing and that this fact of his should be expiatory: and allegorically, he removeth stones, that takes away the good Customs of a Land, either in Church, or Common-wealth, he shall not impunè ferre. Lastly, he that cleaveth, or cutteth downe Wood, is one that doth it in another mans ground, this brings him in danger of a trespasse; so he that takes away any common benefit, that the poore have in wast grounds, as in many places they have, both of Wood, and feed, as men of power often doe, shal be in danger of their curses.
Bibliander otherwise saith, that hereby warning is given, that men should in all Bibliander.things that they goe about, looke for crosses, but not be discouraged hereby; as a man that diggeth a pit, and falleth into it, if it be for a good end, is not discouraged hereby, but as occasion serveth diggeth more; so likewise he that breakes downe an old Hedge to make a new, although a Serpent biteth him, if he escapeth, will not for this give over his worke, nor he that removeth stones from one place to another for building, &c. no more ought we, if we be about the workes of our ordinary, or Christian callings, to be discouraged at crosses and hurts, that we get hereby, as not, if indeavouring to reclaime any from sinne, we be for our labour bitten with their venemous tongues, as of Serpents, this is good; but the former to be preferred, because cohering with the argument in hand, as I have before shewed.
If the iron be blunt, and he doth not whet the edge, then he must put to more Vers. 10.strength, but wisedome is profitable to direct. By iron, understand a toole made of iron, if it be blunt and not sharpened, he that will cut with it, must use more strength to doe it, but it being sharpened, lesse strength or labour will suffice: so although when wisedome is wanting, no good can be done by a few men in a City, to defend it against a mighty army assaulting it, for then the iron tooles, wherewith they are to fight want an edge, as it were, but if there be a man of wisedome amongst them, he can direct them so, as that they shall be brought out of danger, wherein he alludeth to that, which was said before of a little City, in which was a Chap. 9.poo…e wise man, that by his wisedome delivered it. Some, because the word foreign signifieth as well Army, as edge, render it Army, giving this for the sense, if the weapons, wherewith men are to fight against their enemies be blunt, then greater Forces must be added to prevaile, but wisedome is more then equivalent to all Parva sunt foris arma nisi sit consilium lomi.Forces for getting the victorie, according to which the saying is, Armes are of little force abroad, unlesse there be counsell at home, but the sense is good if wee should hold us to N. Tr. and that sense.
Surely the Serpent will bite without inchantment, and a babler is no better. Vers. 11.There are certaine verses familiar amongst Magicians, whereby Serpents are charmed, and so they are not poysonous, nor bite, nor venome such as come neer them. This is intimated Jer. 8. where the Chaldeans are compared to Serpents, that could not be charmed, and Psal. 58. complaining of mens poysonous tongues, he saith, they will not be charmed, as the deafe Adder will not: but hereby incantations are not approved, as August. noteth, no more then an unjust Steward imbezeling his Masters goods to his own benefit is approved, by the smilitude taken from such an one, or one that puts his money to usury by another similitude, where one servant is reproved by his Master for not so doing with his Talent. The scope of this similitude is to aggravate the sinne of a babler, and the mischiefe comming by him, by a Serpent not charmed: for as the one biteth and killeth, so the other by his back-biting destroyeth his neighbours good name, yea, and sometimes layeth a foundation to take away his life; wherefore that rule would be followed,
Quid de quoque viro, & cui dicas saepe caveto.
Which they that are delighted to prate much, doe not. Some observe that he is Note. worse then a Serpent, because he biteth and indangereth three by one biting, the party slandered, the person to whom, if he beheveth it, and himselfe, because the Psal. 5.Lord will destroy them that speak leasing.
The words of a wise mans mouth are gracious, but the lips of a foole will swallow Vers. 12.up himselfe, according to others, destroy himselfe, which is his meaning, for, many by their own words, are intangled and cut off, if they speake against their King, and many more for blaspheming God shall perish for ever; but the words of the wise are gracious, they speake not but to edification, and although for their tartnesse against sinne many distaste them, yet to the godly or docible, those words of theirs are gracious, but of this before.
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishnesse, and the end of his talke is mischievous madnesse. Here that is further amplified, which was said of Vers. 13.a fooles lips, as he beginneth so he endeth, take all his speeches from the first to the last, none favour of wisdome more then other, but all of folly and mischievous madnesse, if he beginneth to detract, curse, or blaspheme, he goeth on like a madman, and no end is to be expected of his so doing.
A foole also is full of words, a man cannot tell what shall be; and what Vers. 14.shall be after him who can tell? Against multiplying words Salomon spake often before, in the Booke of the Proverbs, and vers. 11. he calleth this babling; The Philosophers note, that God hath given a man one mouth, but two eares, to shew that a man should heare more then speak; and Virgil was wont to say, That a man should not speake, but either when taciturnity will hurt, or by speaking he may profit others. For the next clause of no mans knowing what shall be, enough hath been said before, upon Chap. 8. 7. Here it is repeated againe, in reference to that which is said, of fooles destroying themselves by their owne speeches; this admonition is by them despised, because no man knoweth what shall be hereafter, and therefore not that any such thing shall befall them, for the making of which the more plaine, Lavater inserteth, he saith, None can tell.
The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not Vers. 15.how to goe to the City; That is, they toyle themselves about getting the knowledge of Naturall and Worldly things; for so did the Philosophers to finde out the secrets of Nature, and some the Philosophers Stone, to the perfection of which knowledge yet they can never attaine; but herein their foolishnesse appeares, that in the midst of all their studies, they indeavour not to know the way into the City, the new Jerusalem, in entring into which, true happinesse consisteth; for even the wise of this world are foolish in regard of Divine knowledge, which 1 Cor. 1.yet every one knoweth so farre forth as conduceth to his Salvation, that is preordained unto life. To this effect it is said, Psal. 107. 4. They wandred in the Wildernesse, and found no City to dwell in.
Thus Jerom, Olympiodorus, and other ancients, and Lavater; The City is Hierom. Olympiod.the Church, saith Jerom, the way to which the Philosophers of the Heathen, and the wise of this world, and Hereticks know not. Cajetan saith, that a foolish and Cajetan.wicked Ruler is here meant, by whom all are troubled wonderfully; and in saying, He knoweth not to goe into the City, he knoweth not how to goe in and out; That is, to governe as he should doe, which the next words so seeme to favour.
Woe to thee (O Land) when thy King is a childe, and eateth in the morning, Vers. 16.&c. Here are two evils in Kings denoted, which make a people miserable.
First, want of discretion, or of yeares, for not only he is a childe that is very young, but that is of little understanding and judgement; sometimes the want of yeares is no prejudice to the Kingdome, for Solomon was but twelve yeares old when he began to reigne, Joash began at six, and godly Josiah at eight, and both Solomon and Joash did worse in their old age; Rehoboam had yeares enough, for he was forty, but yet he was as a childe for wisdome, but many times children in yeares coming to this high dignity are a great curse to a Land, for they will not be ruled by the counsell of the wise.
The second evil is excesse in eating, and drinking, in the King, and his Princes; by eating in a morning is meant, both intentivenesse to things pertaining to gluttony and drunkennesse, for it is a phrase familiar with the Hebrewes, to expresse a mans doing any thing with all earnestnesse, to say, doe it in the morning, and unseasonablenesse, being occupied about things pertaining to the belly, when they should be hearing and judging of Causes; for of old they used to come and sit in the Gate in the morning, and the Romans followed this order; First in the morning to heare Causes, then to attend upon Divine things, hereby to be the better Lavater.prepared, and after this to sit in Judgement. On the contrary side, there is a time when a Land is happy in the King, and Magistrates under him, for they are meant by Princes, viz.
When the King is the sonne of Nobles, and the Princes eate for strongth, and Vers. 17.not for drunkennesse. Here by the Son of Nobles understand, not so much one descended from Kings, from whom he can draw a long pedigree, but the vertuous Sonne of a vertuous Father, for vertue, and not the high parentage of which a man cometh, innobles him; for what was Solomons owne Father David, but a Shepheard, and a younger Brother? yet for his vertue a most noble King; and it was Solomons wisdome, wherein his glory principally lay, for temperance in eating and drinking, as it is to be ensued by all, so specially by Christian Kings and Princes, as is also said, Prov. 31. in Bathsheba her instructions.
Through much slothfulnesse the building decayeth, and through idlenesse of Vers. 18.the hands, the house droppeth through. Of the losse and hurt coming by idlenesse it hath been often spoken before, Prov. 6. and 24, &c. here another losse is mentioned, to stirre up all men to diligence, and industriousnesse in his place and calling, he that is not, if a little decay be begun in his house, shall have it in time all ruined.
A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry, but mercy answereth Vers. 19. Lavater.all things. This, saith Lavater, is spoken to stirre men up to be industrious, for as idlenesse brings to poverty, and all things to ruine; so industry and diligence bringeth in riches through Gods blessing, so that a man may now feast and be merry, as having his purse full of money, whereby both wine and good cheere may be bought. Of the diligent hand making rich, and plenty in the house of the diligent, it was spoken before in the Proverbs. Some, he saith, expound it of Kings, who Prov. 19. 10. 11live in idlenesse and pleasure, feasting, and making merry out of the monies which they unjustly exact of their Subjects, till their houses goe to ruine; and thus it answereth well to that which was said against Kings and Princes being Children, and eating in the morning, vers. 16, 17. But it may also be extended to all men that live in idlenesse, and making merry, for by this meanes their houses goe to ruine, and the money which should repaire them, is thus wasted, and their families are brought to great want.
Curse not the King, no not in thy thought, and curse not the rich in thy Bedchamber, for a bird of the aire will carry the voyce, and that which hath Vers. 20.wings shall tell the matter. Having admonished us to yeeld, and not to be hasty, when great men are offended with us, ver. 4. now he resumes the same argument againe, and giveth us warning against cursing, or speaking evill against such in the greatest privacie that may be, for it shall soone be discovered by one meanes or other, and then what can be expected but ruine through their power. And the birds revealing, it is spoken of to shew, that great sinnes cannot be so secretly committed, but when God will, the very birds shall be a meanes of bringing them to light, and the man that sinneth so, to condigne punishment. Note.
As for Murther, Plutarch telleth of one Bessus, that had murthered his Father, Plutarch.and afterwards going to Supper, he saw a Swallowes Nest with young in it, and killed them with his speare, and being for this blamed by the standers by as cruell, he replyed; That Swallowes once accused him falsly, for murthering his Father, but it was soone by this meanes proved to be true, he was apprehended, and brought before the Magistrate, and was found guilty, and executed therefore. And many other murthers have likewise by birds been discovered, and by other miraculous meanes, and the Murtherers therefore cut off; and because he forbiddeth cursing of them in the very thought, it appeareth to be a great sinne before God, if there be an evill intention against rulers in the mind, although it cometh not to execution; for this is a degree to rebellion, that howsoever we be by rulers Note. provoked, we may refreine our very spirits, and much more our tongues from reviling them for Gods sake, whose vice-gerents they are, and so that which is thought or done against them, in a rebellious way, is done against God, who will be revenged; yet this is not so said to tye up the tongues of godly Ministers from speaking, as their duty is, against their sins, that they may be reformed; for John Baptist spared not thus to speake against Herod, nor Elijah against Ahab, nor other Prophets Jer. 1. 17.against other Kings, yea the Lord threatens Jeremiah, if he spake not all that he commanded against wicked Kings, or Peoples, that he would slay him. And this charge against cursing the King followeth well after that of houses coming to ruine, as idlenesse, and prodigall spending; so this being one meanes of overthrowing and bringing to ruine great houses, as experience hath formerly taught in the time of sundry Kings in this Land, and it would be inculcated into the eares of all that take the like rebellious courses at any time, to make them to feare, and repent; for if cursing with the tongue stirres up God miraculously to bring it to light, and to punishment, much more is he provoked by violence done to their persons; and although their judgement that doe so be deferred, the time shall come, that they shall not be acquitted as guiltlesse, unlesse they be extraordinarily by God stirred up, as Jehu against Jehoram; or in case that an Usurper reigneth, as Jehojadah against Athaliah.