CRITICAL REMARK S ΟΝ ΤΗΕ BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. CHAPTER I. VERSE 9. - and there is no new Thing under the Sun. This Expreffion of the Preacher is not to be [חדש תחת השמש: understood in any other Sense than as a general Inference from what he had said, viz. that there is nothing among the Phænomena of Nature, which happens now otherwife than it has done for fome Generations before and in the moral World, Men being subject to the same Paffions and Affections now as heretofore, it is no wonder the fame Caufes fhould operate in the Production of like Effects. [ לראשנים אין זכרון V. 11. There is no Remembrance of former Things; That is, "Many past Events are totally buried in Obli"vion, and the Circumftances of other Facts are at a diftant Period 'quite forgotten.” ונתתי [ונתתי את לבי לדרוש - Heart to Jeek V. 13. And I gave my here and at V.17. ought to be rendered-AND I APPLIED MY HEART. [ יוסיף מכאוב כי ברב חכמה רב כעס - ויוסיף דעת ays of V. 18. For in much Wisdom is much Grief; and he that increaseth Knowledge, increaseth Sorrow. :] What Solomon declares here may feem at first Sight contradictory to his Affertion, Prov. III. 17, 18. that the Wa Wisdom are Ways of Pleafantnefs, &c. But it is evident that there he means a practical Wifdom, or Religious Life; and here the Improvements of Science, in which at least he appears to have excelled all his cotemporaries. Cotemporaries. Now, though every speculative Man must have experienced much Pleafure on the Discovery of Truth, yet he must confess that the Investigation of it is replete with Trouble and Anxiety, and that after long and painful Researches he frequently finds he has been pursuing a vain Phantom. CHA P. II. V. 2. I faid of Laughter, It is mad; and of Mirth, What doeth it? ולשמחה מה זה עשה : Or thus, with [לשחוק אמרתי מהולל most of the old Verfions- I SAID TO LAUGHTER, O thou FOOL! AND TO MIRTH, WHY DOEST thou THAT? V. 3. I fought in mine Heart to give myself unto Wine —ba 'nın Rather perhaps [למשוך ביין את בשרי I PURPOSED IN MINE HEART TO GRATIFY MINE APPETITE WITH WINE. V. 8. - I gat me Men-Singers and Women-Singers, and the Delights of the Sons of Men, as mufical Inftruments, and that of all Sorts. 'n'wy The Text [לי שרים ושרות ותענגות בני האדם- שדה ושדות : seems corrupt in the two last Words before us; for what can a Singular and a Plural of the fame Signification, thus joined together, mean; as, in the Margin of our Verfion, mufical Inftrument and Inftruments? It is evident to me from the Agreement in all the ancient Versions, both Eastern and Greek, that they read po 'ppi, or contractpop- AND MEN AND WOMEN CUPBEARERS. edly V. 12. for what can the Man do that cometh after the King? ושקים ושקות כי מה האדם שיבא אחרי המלך-.even that cubich batb already been done : עשהו The Syriac and Vulgate read here [ את אשר כבר עשוהו : according to them this Place may be rendered-BUT WHAT IS MAN, is THAT HE SHOULD GO AGAINST THAT KING, EVEN HIM WHO LONG SINCE MADE HIM? That is, "Why should Man take Pleasure in "Madness and Folly against the pofitive Commands of his Creator ?” See thus used, Noldius, 5. feeing that which now is in the Days to come shall all be Rather [בשכבר הימים הבאים הכל נשכח SEEING V. 16. forgotten: THAT NOW THE DAYS WILL COME, WHEN ALL SHALL BE FORGOTTEN. ואיך ימות החכם .and bou dieth the wife Man ? as the fool boon by ] Rather, I think, without Interrogation, thus AND THE WISE DIETH IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE FOOL. So this Particle is used, Ruth. III. 18. and was likewife, Joh. XI. 36. V. 18. Yea, I hated all my Labour, which I had taken under the Sun: because I should leave it unto the Man that shall be after me. ] This is so selfish and narrow a Principle, that we cannot fuppofe Solomon ever entertained it himself. I am perfuaded that he is here enumerating the different Purfuits of different Men after Happiness. The Ufe of the first Perfon is common in moft Languages; and is juftly deemed the most elegant and delicate Way of conveying Reproof. The Line of Distinction, which he feems to draw, is, I apprehend, at the Epiphonema, which recurs fo frequently, viz. This is alfo Vanity. V. 25. For who can eat, or who else can haften hereunto, more than I? : The Tranflation of the old Verfion [כי מי יאכל ומי יחוש חוץ ממני is, For who could eat, and who could hafte to outward Things, more than I? But I much doubt whether the Words can bear either of these Senses; and neither of them feems to be much to the Purpose. The LXX, Syriac, and Arabic read ; but what Verb they had instead of n I know not: they however render it drink, viz. For who can eat and drink without him, i. e. God, just before mentioned. It is not improbable that yn was the Lection; for Symmachus and the Vulgate favour it. I would therefore adopt it, and render- FOR WHO CAN EAT, OR WHO CAN DISTRIBUTE ABROAD, WITHOUT HIM? that is, "who is there that can fay he has not only enough to fupply his own Wants, but also to relieve the Wants of others, "without being indebted to Providence for it?" By admitting this Senfe, we need not supply a Subject, as our Verfions do, at the Beginning of the next Verfe. CHAP. III. V. 11. alfo he hath fet the World in their Heart, fo that no one גם את העלם נתן בלבם - can find out the Work that God maketh -Ra [מבלי אשר לא ימצא האדם - את המעשה אשר עשה האלהים ther --- BUT HE HATH SET THEIR YOKE ON THEIR HEART, SO THAT &c. that is (I apprehend) "God has fo circumfcribed the Fa“culties of Man, that he cannot thoroughly comprehend the Nature "of "of final Causes:" the Heart as often denoting the Faculties of the Mind as the Affections. The Phrafe-to fet a Yoke on the Heart occurs I believe nowhere elfe in Scripture; neither do we meet in any other Place with the Expreffion of fetting the World in the Heart: befides that this Place is the only one where by fignifies the World, according to the Hebrew Writers; in all other Places it means Time or Eternity. In our Verfion indeed it is thus rendered, Ifaiah LXIV. 4. Yoke in this Verse seems to imply the fame as Weight, caufing an Obstacle; thus the Yoke of my Tranfgreffions; Lam. I. 14. V. 12. Rather [ אם לשמוח ולעשות טוב בחייו : but for a Man to rejoice, and to do good in his Life. " BUT FOR A MAN TO REJOICE, AND TO PROCURE HAPPINESS IN HIS LIFE. The next Verfe, relating to fenfual Gratifications, feems to confirm this Senfe. [כמות זה כן מות זה V. 19. as the one dieth, fo dieth the other h12 13 ni 189] These Infinitives are ufed for Preters: fee Prov. XXV. 3. &c. The Antecedents are Man and Beafts, which Solomon fays have all one Breath, fo that a Man hath no Preeminence above a Beaft. Here he doubtless perfonates those minute Philofophers, who, like the Sadducees, denied a Refurrection, and took Pleasure in degrading human Nature. V. 21. All go unto one Place, all are of the Duft, and all turn to Duft again.] So the Poets, Παντα κονις, και παντα γελως, και παντα το μηδεν· Εpig. incerti. Pulvis et umbra fumus · Hor. Sed omnes una manet Nox, Et calcanda femel via Leti. Ibid. Lib. I. Od. 28. Nobis cum femel accidit brevis Lux, Nox eft perpetua una dormienda. Catul. CHAP. IV. V. I. - and behold the Tears of fuch as were oppreffed, and they had no Comforter; and on the Side of their Oppreffors there was Power, והנה דמעת העשקים - ואין להם מנחם - .but they had no Comforter Rather - AND BEHOLD THE [ ומיד עשקיהם כח - ואין להם מנחם: TEARS OF THE OPPRESSED, FOR THEY HAD NO COMFORTER, NOR STRENGTH AGAINST THE HAND (or, POWER) OF THEIR OP PRESSORS, FOR THEY HAD NO COMFORTER. This is an Epizeuxis, not unlike the following Inftance, Virg. Buc. Ecl. VIII. 89. Talis amor Daphnim, qualis, cum feffa juvencum Per nemora atque altos quærendo bucula lucos Rather וטוב משניהם את אשר עדן לא היה V.3, Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been BUT BETTER is HE THAN BOTH THEY WHO DOTH NOT EXIST or thus- ---WITH WHOM PLEASURE HATH NOT BEEN &c. For y is nowhere used for yet but it fignifies Delight or Pleasure; i. e. who has neither experienced Pleasure nor Pain. The Character which Solomon introduces here seems to be that of the querulous, who habitually complains of every Thing, and delights in ufing this Paradox, that Nonentity is preferable to Existence. V. 5, 6. The fool foldeth his Hands together, and eateth his own Flesh. Better is an Handful with Quietness, than both the Hands full with Travail and Vexation of Spirit. הכסיל חבק את ידיו -Ra [את בשרו : טוב מלא כף נחת - ממלא חפנים עמל ורעות רוח : ther THE INACTIVE FOLDETH HIS HANDS TOGETHER, AND CONSUMETH HIS OWN FLESH, faying, BETTER is AN HANDFUL &c. is fometimes used for dull, unactive, Heaviness. See Taylor. Solomon draws here the Portrait of Envy and Laziness. Then follows Covetousness. Thus Homer reprefents Bellerophon confuming his own Soul; Iliad. z. 202. ον θυμον κατεδων, πατον ανθρωπων αλεείνων So Horace, Epift. I. ii. 57. Invidus alterius macrefcit rebus opimis. V. 8. There is one alone, and there is not a fecond; no pxi 78 wi] Rather THERE IS ONE WITHOUT A SECOND, or ANOTHER. - neither faith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my Soul ומחסר את נפשי מטובה : ?of good -Our Tranf [ולמי אני עמל. lators understood this as spoken by the covetous Man: but may it not with as much Propriety be fuppofed to be a Reflection, by way of Epiphonema, made by the Author of this Book on what he had obferved, as the Words that immediately follow? thus BUT FOR WHOM WOULD I thus LABOUR, AND BEREAVE MY SOUL OF GOOD? V. 9. Two are better than one; because they have a good Reward for טובים השנים מן האחד-אשר יש להם שכר טוב בעמלם: .their Labour Rather |