1Řekl jsem si ve svém srdci: Nuže, zkusím tě s radosti; užívej rozkoše! A hle - i to je marnost. 2O smíchu jsem řekl: Jak je nesmyslný! A o radosti: Jaký z ní prospěch? 3Snažil jsem se osvěžit své tělo vínem - zatímco jsem myslí směřoval k moudrosti - přidržel jsem se pošetilosti, dokud bych nepochopil, co je dobré pro lidi dělat tady dole po všechny dny života. 4Podnikal jsem velké práce: zbudoval jsem si paláce, vysázel jsem vinice. 5Zřídil jsem zahrady i sady a zasázel v nich ovocné stromoví všeho druhu. 6Vyhloubil jsem vodní nádrže, abych jimi zavlažoval lesy, plodící dřevo. 7Koupil jsem otroky a služebnice, měl jsem četnou čeleď; stád skotu a bravu jsem měl víc nežli všichni, kteří vládli přede mnou v Jeruzalémě. 8Nakupil jsem také stříbro i zlato a poklady králů i krajů, obstaral jsem si zpěváky a zpěvačky, přepych, kterým se lidé chlubí, mnoho milenek. 9Stal jsem se velkým a předčil jsem všechny, kteří vládli přede mnou v Jeruzalémě - zachoval jsem si však i svoji moudrost. 10Neodepřel jsem žádnou touhu svým očím, neodmítl jsem svému srdci žádnou rozkoš. Byl jsem spokojen při vší své práci a to byla má odměna za všechnu mou námahu. 11A tu jsem uvažoval o všech svých skutcích vykonaných mýma rukama a o námaze, kterou jsem vynaložil na jejich dosažení, a hle - všechno jen marnost a chytání větru, žádný užitek není pod sluncem. 12Uvažoval jsem o moudrosti, hlouposti a pošetilosti. Co udělá králův nástupce? To, co už dělal předtím. 13Poznal jsem, že moudrost předčí hloupost, jako světlo předčí tmu. 14Moudrý vidí před sebou, ale hlupák kráčí v temnotě. Také jsem poznal, že všechny potkává stejný osud. 15A řekl jsem si pro sebe: I mne potká stejný osud jako hlupáka. Proč tedy být moudrý? Jaký užitek z toho? A řekl jsem si pro sebe: I tohle je marnost. 16Vždyť se zrovna tak nevzpomíná dlouho na moudrého jako na hlupáka. Když uplyne nějaký čas, na všechno se zapomene. Moudrý právě tak umře jako hloupý. 17Proto se mi zošklivil život, neboť nic se mi nelíbí, co se děje pod sluncem, všechno je marnost a chytání větru. 18Proto se mi zošklivila všechna má práce, kterou jsem tady vykonal a kterou musím zanechat tomu, kdo přijde po mně. 19Kdo ví, zda bude moudrý, nebo hloupý? A přece bude rozhodovat o celé mé práci, která mě stála námahu a píli tady pod sluncem. I to je marnost. 20Proto jsem ztratil všechnu naději ze své práce, kterou jsem vynaložil pod sluncem. 21Vždyť se stává, že někdo pracuje moudře, rozvážně a úspěšně, a nakonec to dá do vlastnictví jinému, kdo na tom nepracoval. I to je marnost a velké zlo. 22Co má člověk za všechno svoje namáhání a snahu, s níž se plahočí pod sluncem? 23Ano, po všechny dny má jen starosti; trápení je jeho zaměstnáním, ani v noci si jeho srdce neodpočine. I tohle je marnost. 24Nic není lepší pro člověka, než aby jedl a pil a měl se dobře za všechnu svou práci. A uvědomil jsem si, že i to je z Boží ruky. 25Neboť kdo by mohl jíst a pít bez Boha? 26Vždyť člověku, který mu je milý, dává moudrost, poznání a radost, ale hříšníkovi ukládá sbírat a shromažďovat, aby to nakonec zanechal tomu, kdo je milý Bohu. I to je marnost a chytání větru.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 (Ecc. 2:1-26)
I said . . . heart-- (
Luke 12:19).
thee--my heart, I will test whether thou canst find that solid good in pleasure which was not in "worldly wisdom." But this also proves to be "vanity" (
Isa 50:11).
2 laughter--including prosperity, and joy in general (
Job 8:21).
mad--that is, when made the chief good; it is harmless in its proper place.
What doeth it?--Of what avail is it in giving solid good? (
Eccl 7:6;
Pro 14:13).
3 Illustration more at large of
Eccl 2:1-
Eccl 2:2.
I sought--I resolved, after search into many plans.
give myself unto wine--literally, "to draw my flesh," or "body to wine" (including all banquetings). Image from a captive drawn after a chariot in triumph (
Rom 6:16,
Rom 6:19;
1Cor 12:2); or, one "allured" (
2Pet 2:18-19).
yet acquainting . . . wisdom--literally, "and my heart (still) was behaving, or guiding itself," with wisdom [GESENIUS]. MAURER translates: "was weary of (worldly) wisdom." But the end of
Eccl 2:9 confirms English Version.
folly--namely, pleasures of the flesh, termed "mad,"
Eccl 2:2.
all the days, &c.--(See Margin and
Eccl 6:12;
Job 15:20).
4 (
1Kgs 7:1-8;
1Kgs 9:1,
1Kgs 9:19;
1Kgs 10:18, &c.).
vineyards-- (
Song 8:11).
5 gardens--Hebrew, "paradises," a foreign word; Sanskrit, "a place enclosed with a wall"; Armenian and Arabic, "a pleasure ground with flowers and shrubs near the king's house, or castle." An earthly paradise can never make up for the want of the heavenly (
Rev 2:7).
6 pools--artificial, for irrigating the soil (
Gen 2:10;
Neh 2:14;
Isa 1:30). Three such reservoirs are still found, called Solomon's cisterns, a mile and a half from Jerusalem.
wood that bringeth forth--rather, "the grove that flourisheth with trees" [LOWTH].
7 born in my house--These were esteemed more trustworthy servants than those bought (
Gen 14:14;
Gen 15:2-
Gen 15:3;
Gen 17:12-
Gen 17:13,
Gen 17:27;
Jer 2:14), called "songs of one's handmaid" (
Exod 23:12; compare
Gen 12:16;
Job 1:3).
8 (
1Kgs 10:27;
2Chr 1:15;
2Chr 9:20).
peculiar treasure of kings and . . . provinces--contributed by them, as tributary to him (
1Kgs 4:21,
1Kgs 4:24); a poor substitute for the wisdom whose "gain is better than fine gold" (
Pro 3:14-
Pro 3:15).
singers--so David (
2Sam 19:35).
musical instruments . . . of all sorts--introduced at banquets (
Isa 5:12;
Amos 6:5-
Amos 6:6); rather, "a princess and princesses," from an Arabic root. One regular wife, or queen (
Esth 1:9); Pharaoh's daughter (
1Kgs 3:1); other secondary wives, "princesses," distinct from the "concubines" (
1Kgs 11:3;
Ps 45:10;
Song 6:8) [WEISS, GESENIUS]. Had these been omitted, the enumeration would be incomplete.
9 great--opulent (
Gen 24:35;
Job 1:3; see
1Kgs 10:23).
remained-- (
Eccl 2:3).
10 my labour--in procuring pleasures.
this--evanescent "joy" was my only "portion out of all my labor" (
Eccl 3:22;
Eccl 5:18;
Eccl 9:9;
1Kgs 10:5).
11 But all these I felt were only "vanity," and of "no profit" as to the chief good. "Wisdom" (worldly common sense, sagacity), which still "remained with me" (
Eccl 2:9), showed me that these could not give solid happiness.
12 He had tried (worldly) wisdom (
Eccl 1:12-
Eccl 1:18) and folly (foolish pleasure) (
Eccl 2:1-
Eccl 2:11); he now compares them (
Eccl 2:12) and finds that while (worldly)
wisdom excelleth folly (
Eccl 2:13-
Eccl 2:14), yet the one event, death, befalls both (
Eccl 2:14-
Eccl 2:16), and that thus the wealth acquired by the wise man's "labor" may descend to a "fool" that hath not labored (
Eccl 2:18-
Eccl 2:19,
Eccl 2:21); therefore all his labor is vanity (
Eccl 2:22-
Eccl 2:23).
what can the man do . . . already done-- (
Eccl 1:9). Parenthetical. A future investigator can strike nothing out "new," so as to draw a different conclusion from what I draw by comparing "wisdom and madness." HOLDEN, with less ellipsis, translates, "What, O man, shall come after the king?" &c. Better, GROTIUS, "What man can come after (compete with) the king in the things which are done?" None ever can have the same means of testing what all earthly things can do towards satisfying the soul; namely, worldly wisdom, science, riches, power, longevity, all combined.
13 (
Pro 17:24). The worldly "wise" man has good sense in managing his affairs, skill and taste in building and planting, and keeps within safe and respectable bounds in pleasure, while the "fool" is wanting in these respects ("darkness," equivalent to fatal error, blind infatuation), yet one event, death, happens to both (
Job 21:26).
15 why was I--so anxious to become, &c. (
2Chr 1:10).
Then--Since such is the case.
this--namely, pursuit of (worldly) wisdom; it can never fill the place of the true wisdom (
Job 28:28;
Jer 8:9).
16 remembrance--a great aim of the worldly (
Gen 11:4). The righteous alone attain it (
Ps 112:6;
Pro 10:7).
for ever--no perpetual memorial.
that which now is--MAURER, "In the days to come all things shall be now long ago forgotten."
17 Disappointed in one experiment after another, he is weary of life. The backslider ought to have rather reasoned as the prodigal (
Hos 2:6-
Hos 2:7;
Luke 15:17-
Luke 15:18).
grievous unto me-- (
Job 10:1).
18 One hope alone was left to the disappointed worldling, the perpetuation of his name and riches, laboriously gathered, through his successor. For selfishness is mostly at the root of worldly parents' alleged providence for their children. But now the remembrance of how he himself, the piously reared child of David, had disregarded his father's dying charge (
1Chr 28:9), suggested the sad misgivings as to what Rehoboam, his son by an idolatrous Ammonitess, Naamah, should prove to be; a foreboding too fully realized (1Ki. 12:1-18;
1Kgs 14:21-31).
20 I gave up as desperate all hope of solid fruit from my labor.
21 Suppose "there is a man," &c.
equity--rather "with success," as the Hebrew is rendered (
Eccl 11:6), "prosper," though Margin gives "right" [HOLDEN and MAURER].
evil--not in itself, for this is the ordinary course of things, but "evil," as regards the chief good, that one should have toiled so fruitlessly.
22 Same sentiment as in
Eccl 2:21, interrogatively.
23 The only fruit he has is, not only sorrows in his days, but all his days are sorrows, and his travail (not only has griefs connected with it, but is itself), grief.
24 English Version gives a seemingly Epicurean sense, contrary to the general scope. The Hebrew, literally is, "It is not good for man that he should eat," &c., "and should make his soul see good" (or "show his soul, that is, himself, happy"), &c. [WEISS]. According to HOLDEN and WEISS,
Eccl 3:12,
Eccl 3:22 differ from this verse in the text and meaning; here he means, "It is not good that a man should feast himself, and falsely make as though his soul were happy"; he thus refers to a false pretending of happiness acquired by and for one's self; in
Eccl 3:12,
Eccl 3:22;
Eccl 5:18-
Eccl 5:19, to real seeing, or finding pleasure when God gives it. There it is said to be good for a man to enjoy with satisfaction and thankfulness the blessings which God gives; here it is said not to be good to take an unreal pleasure to one's self by feasting, &c.
This also I saw--I perceived by experience that good (real pleasure) is not to be taken at will, but comes only from the hand of God [WEISS] (
Ps 4:6;
Isa 57:19-
Isa 57:21). Or as HOLDEN, "It is the appointment from the hand of God, that the sensualist has no solid satisfaction" (good).
25 hasten--after indulgences (
Pro 7:23;
Pro 19:2), eagerly pursue such enjoyments. None can compete with me in this. If I, then, with all my opportunities of enjoyment, failed utterly to obtain solid pleasure of my own making, apart from God, who else can? God mercifully spares His children the sad experiment which Solomon made, by denying them the goods which they often desire. He gives them the fruits of Solomon's experience, without their paying the dear price at which Solomon bought it.
26 True, literally, in the Jewish theocracy; and in some measure in all ages (
Job 27:16-
Job 27:17;
Pro 13:22;
Pro 28:8). Though the retribution be not so visible and immediate now as then, it is no less real. Happiness even here is more truly the portion of the godly (
Ps 84:11;
Matt 5:5;
Mark 10:29-
Mark 10:30;
Rom 8:28;
1Tim 4:8).
that he--the sinner
may give--that is, unconsciously and in spite of himself. The godly Solomon had satisfaction in his riches and wisdom, when God gave them (
2Chr 1:11-12). The backsliding Solomon had no happiness when he sought it in them apart from God; and the riches which he heaped up became the prey of Shishak (
2Chr 12:9).
Earthly pursuits are no doubt lawful in their proper time and order (
Eccl 3:1-
Eccl 3:8), but unprofitable when out of time and place; as for instance, when pursued as the solid and chief good (
Eccl 3:9-
Eccl 3:10); whereas God makes everything beautiful in its season, which man obscurely comprehends (
Eccl 3:11). God allows man to enjoy moderately and virtuously His earthly gifts (
Eccl 3:12-
Eccl 3:13). What consoles us amidst the instability of earthly blessings is, God's counsels are immutable (
Eccl 3:14).