illusion.
THE VANITY OF HUMAN LIFE
THAT LEAVES OUT GOD
He learned the "hard way" that only in the Father's House
could there be found true and lasting substance, abiding
love and joy for evermore (Hebrews 10.34 -35; 1 John 2.15-17;
1 John 3.1-2; Isaiah 65.U).
Still se ek in g th e hig he st go od , Qo h el eth will e xa m in e by
wisdom in Chapter 2:
Pleasure and dissipation
vv 1-3
Possessions and power
vv 4-7
3-
vv 8-9
Luxury and wealth
4. Sensual pleasures of life
vv 9 -10
• The Test of Pleasure and Dissipation - vv
1-3
VERSE 1
"I said in mine heart " - I spoke to m yself before e mba rking
on a course of action.
Qoheleth's intellectual faculties have failed to yield the
satisfaction he is seeking, now he turns his attention to
what are regarded as "the good things of l i f e . "
In his search for the supreme good, he will explore every
avenue, try every level of human activity. After putting
th e s e t hi n g s to t h e t e st o f p ra c t i c a l e x p e ri e n c e , h e re a c h e s
the de ci sio n: th at the re is no ulti m at e or final go od in life;
no enduring satisfaction; no earthly goal worth striving for.
No matter what a man's station is in life, whether he be rich
or poor, wise or a fool, great or small, any advantage he
may have over another, is cancelled out in death (vv 11 -23),
for one event happeneth to them all (v 1 4 ) : "all go into one
place ( s h e o l ) , all are of the dust and all turn to dust
again."
,
Qoheleth's experiment recalls to mind the sad experience of
the prodigal son of Luke 15. This man left his father's
house, led on by the deceitfulness of ric hes, and the false
allure of sensual plea sure; but, after putting these things to
th e t e s t o f p ra c t i c a l e x p e ri e n c e , h is e y e s w e re o p e n e d , a n d
he saw them revealed in th^eir true light, i . e . emptiness and
16
"P rov e th ee with mi rth" - I will m ak e a te st of joy . " Mi rth"
is simchah in Hebrew, and signifies "gladness", "rejoicing",
indicating harmless amusement. Qoheleth will test sensual
enj oy m e nt to det erm i ne whet h er it c an yi e ld th e lasti ng joy
he seeks. The word simchah does not indicate that which is
grossly sensual in th e repreh ensible sense of the word, but
onl y that whi c h deli ghts th e sen se s and is not n ec e ss ari l y
sinful. Many erroneously seek for joy in the so called
pleasures of this permissive age: drunken ess, drugs, le wd ness, e t c . , as brought Israel to ruin (1 Corinthians
10.5-11). But Qohel e th was no sensualist; his experi ments
were all conducted within the bounds of divine law.
" En j o y p l e a s u re " - lit e ra l l y to l o o k u p o n g o o d, t o s e e ,
experience, participate. Qoheleth was determined to
experience personally all that delights the senses and to
pass judgment. He intends also to be happy in his self
appointed task.
"Behold, this is also vanity" - Consider my judgment: this is
e m ptin e ss, I fo un d no las tin g joy or s a tisfa ctio n in this
experiment.
17
VERSE 2
"I said of laughter, it is mad" Or, "acting li ke madmen,"
utterly mad as in 1 Samuel 21.14. To an onlooker,
unrestrained merriment, lusty rejoicing seems like delirium.
Q o hel et h do es not c on de mn or di nar y l a u ght er , f or t her e i s a
t i m e a p p o i n t e d f o r s u c h ( E c c 3 . 4 ) , n o r t h e l a u gh t e r t h a t i s
the result of ri ghteous j oy (Luke 6 . 2 1 ; Psal m 126.2; 3 7 . 1 3 ) ,
b u t t h e l o u d i na n e l au gh t e r o f f o ol s ( Ec c 7 . 6 ) t h at w h i c h i s
t he r esult of der isi on and scor n is utt erl y condemned (Psal m
22.7; Job 12.4) .
H e i s , a s o n e c r i t i c r e ma r ke d , " n o a r m c h a i r d o c t r i n a i r e
d i l e t t a nt e ." H e w i l l p e r s on a l l y p a r t i ci p at e i n a l l f o r ms o f
har mless and enj oyabl e amusement.
• The Test of Possessions and Power - vv 4-7
Having found sensual pleasures barren of lasting joy,
Qoheleth now experiments with vast building projects, and
the exercise of authority over large numbers of slaves.
VERSE 4
" O f mi r t h w h a t d o e t h i t " - W h a t u s e i s i t ? W h a t d o e s i t
accomplish? Qoheleth could see no advant age or gain in the
p u r s u i t o f a m u s e m e n t . I t s e r ve d n o g o o d p u r p o s e ; i t y i e l d e d
no lasting joy (Proverbs 14.13; 1 Corinthians 1 0 . 7 ) .
"Great works" - Large building projects, stately mansions or
palaces such as Solomon erected for himself and for
Pharaoh's daughter (1 Kings 7 . 1 ; 9.10-24; 10.18; 2
Chronicles 8 . 1 6 ) .
VERSE 3
VERSE 5
" 1 s ou ght i n mi n e hear t " - I c o ncei ved i n my mi n d, I d eci d ed
to do. To the Hebrew the heart is the centre of mental
activity. Qoheleth decides on his next course of action.
"Gardens and parks" - The Hebrew pardesim from the Persian
pairideaza is rendered "parks", and is a word from whence
"paradise" is derived. Qoheleth created a beautiful garden of
Eden, yet found no more lasting satisfaction therein than did
Adam (Song 8 . 1 1 ) . His gardens, beautifully laid out and
s t o c ke d w i t h a l l ma n n e r o f f r u i t -b e a r i n g t r e e s a n d e x o t i c
f lowers, i s used as a symb ol of the Bri de of Christ in Song
4.12-16. Qoheleth's gardens provided a type of that which
w i l l t r a ns p i r e a t t h e L o r d 's r e t ur n w he n Ch r i st wi l l cr e at e a
new Eden. Then the whole world will become again the
Paradise of God (Revelation 21.l -6;22.1-3; Isaiah 35.1-10;
41.18-20).
"Give myself unto wine" - Literally "draw my flesh with
wine", i . e . to stimulate, refresh, use wine not as a
debauchee, not as a dr unkar d out t o be mu se hi s senses, but
purely as a wise connoiseur. A little wine is lawful (1
Timothy 5 -23) but its danger and deceitfulness is well
illustrated by Qoheleth's observations (Proverbs 2 0 . 1 ; 2 1 . 1 7 ;
23.29-35; 31.4-5).
" Acquai nti ng mi ne heart wit h wi sdom" - T he R . V . r enders:
"mine heart yet guiding me." Guiding - from the root used to
describe the herding of sheep or the control of prisoners.
As the shepherd has complete control over his flock, and the
gu ar d o ver hi s pr i so ner s, s o Q ohel et h 's i nt el l ect i s di r ect i n g
his experiment. In any of the tests of sensuality, the
p r e ac h er w i l l n ot b e c o r r u p t e d i n j u d gme n t , n ei t he r w i l l h e
stray from his purpose. His wisdom will be in command,
guiding and directing each test, whic h will be conducted
with thoroughness and care. Qoheleth's judgment and
conclusion on moral activity is therefore utterly reliable and
completely trustworthy.
"Lay hold on folly" - Literally to seize folly. This indicates
Qoheleth's determination to s come to grips with his problem.
18
VERSE 6
"Pools of water" - Reservoirs, dams, cisterns. Vast gardens,
vineyards and parks need a constant supply of water to
pr omot e gr owt h and f r ui tf ul ness, and t hi s was obt ai ned by
damming natural springs to create reservoirs such as the
King's Pool of Nehemiah 2 . 1 4 , which is the Pool of Siloam to
which the Lord direct ed t he bl ind man (John 9 . 7 ; See al so
Nehemiah 3.15; Isaiah 8 . 6 ; cp Isaiah 5 8 . 1 1 ) .
VERSE 7
"Menservants and maidservants" - Qoheleth's slaves, used to
p r o vi d e l a b o u r f o r t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f p a l a c e s , g a r d e n s ,
irrigation projects, etc. They were born in his house, and
19
were highly esteemed because of their loyalty and devotion to
their master. They carried out their appointed tasks with
faithfulness and integrity. They were similar in character to
Abraham's servants, also born in his house (Genesis 1 7 . 2 7 ;
14.1415), typical of the servants of Christ (Hebrews 3 . 6 ) .
VERSE 10
• The Test Of Splendour, Luxury and Wealth - 2.8-9
"Eyes" - Used by metonomy for desire. What is seen by the
eyes sometimes excites lust, which, when aroused, leads to
sin. This in turn, when it is finished, brings death (James
1.13-16). The Lord therefore counsels: "If thine eye offend
thee, pluck it out," or if certain sights arouse the lusts,
look the other way (Matthew 5.28-29).
Following upon his great building projects, Qoheleth chooses
to enjoy the benefits of wealth and acquisitions.
"Mine heart rejoiceth" - In all my labours I was happy.
Qoheleth found pleasure in his appointed task.
VERSE 8
" Si l v e r an d g o l d , t h e p e c u l i ar t r e as u r e o f k i n g s " R o y al
wealth was obtained from two sources: tribute money from
conquered nations (1 Kings 4 . 6 , 2 1 ; 2 Chronicles 8 . 7 - 8 ) , and
taxes from large provinces. Qoheleth acquired vast quantities
of gold and silver. His kingdom, most opulent and glorious,
is a fitting type of the kingdom of God, over which Christ,
as the great builder of the future age, will reign (1 Kings
10.14-29; Isaiah 60.9; Psalm 68.28-30). The phrase 'peculiar
treasure' is also used by Yahweh to describe his people: the
precious jewels and gems wrought from the earth of humanity
(Exodus 19.5; Malachi 3.16-17 margin).
"This was my portion in all my labours" - There was a little
gain in his exp eri en ce with sens uality, a little pleasu re in
h i s t o il . T h is was hi s p o r ti o n i n t h e t r an s act i o n . B ut t h e
gain was shortlived, lasting only as long as he indulged in
that pleasure. The novelty soon wore off.
" M en s in g ers and wo m en si ng er s" - T h es e wer e hi g hl y
esteemed in eastern Royal Courts (2 Samuel 19.31).
• The Test Of Sensuality vv 9-10
He provided from his possessions to gratify his every desire.
VERSE 9
"So I was great and increased" - Literally "I was great and
ad d ed " . No n e co u l d co m p ar e wi t h t h e s p l en d o u r an d
magnificence of Qoheleth. The longer he reigned, the greater
he became. He increased enormously in stature and
splendour. His greatness, glory, pr osperity, peace and
wisdom established him as a fitting type of Christ and his
kingdom in the Millenium.
Solomon's architectural achievements abounded in the land of Israel.
"My wisdom remains with me" - Literally "Stood for me". See
notes on v320
21
considered in vl2.
VERSE 12
ASSESSMENT BY WISDOM
CHAPTER 2.11-26
Having experienced all that delights the heart of man,
Q o h e l e t h n o w p a u s e s t o a s s e s s b y w i s d o m i t s t r u e va l u e , a s
set against the background of the supreme good.
VERSE 11
" T hen I l ooked" - Li t er al l y " I t ur ned" . Ha vi ng co mpl et ed t he
full cycle of human experience, Qoheleth now turns to
c o n s i d e r t h e m e a n i n g o f i t a l l , t o s u r v e y t h e r o a d t r a ve r s e d .
He asks hi mself the question: what is the result of his
e x p e r i me n t s a n d t h e t r u e va l ue o f al l t h a t h e h a s d o n e? T he
time has come for him to reach a decision and to pass
judgment on all his toil and labour. While acknowledging
t h e r e w a s s o me p l e a s u r e a n d e n j o y m e n t t o b e ga i n e d f r o m
human experience ( v l O ) , nevertheless he is forced to
concl ude t hat it is not l ast ing. T he. j oys he experienced we re
only for the moment and soon passed. In all l i f e ' s
transactions, Qoheleth had made no lasting gain; no profit;
no surplus; there was nothing over. All that was appealing
to the eye, attractive and desirable to the flesh, was as
empty of satisfaction as a feeding on wind. Perhaps there
w er e s o me who wo ul d not be wi l l i n g t o ac cept Qo hel et h ' s
verdict on life, and would look for another opinion. This is
22
" I t u r n e d m ys e l f t o be h o l d w i s d o m a n d ma d n e s s a nd f o l l y" H e dec i de d t o r e consi der t he me r i t s of w i s do m, de t er mi n e
w h e t h er o r n ot i t h ad a n y r e a l a d va n t a ge o ve r ma d n e s s a n d
folly. Qoheleth has al ready considered this question ( 1 . 1 7 ) ,
but , because t he subject i s vast and cover s a wi de r ange, he
w o u l d a n a l ys e i t a g a i n , l o o ki n g a t i t f r o m a n o t h e r a n gl e ,
studying it from another viewpoint. After doing this, the
answer was still the same. Though wisdom had some
a d va n t a ge o ve r t h e f ol l y i n d i r e ct i n g t h e af f ai r s a n d l a b o ur s
of life, nevertheless, in the final analysis bo th are found to
be equal, for . ( v l 6 ) , bot h are seen to have one f ate, both go
into one place, that is, the grave.
"What can the man do that cometh after the king?" - Qoheleth
p on der s t h e que st i on as t o w het her , i f he di e s, an d a not her
coming after him, takes his place upon the throne and
decides to embar k on the same experi ment, would be mor e
successful in his quest?
T he answer i s , No. It i s unnecessar y f or any who woul d see k
to improve on Qoheleth's work. As king, he has the greatest
opportunity to bring the work to a satisfactory conclusion.
He has " done i t al l", as he has covered ever y fi el d, expl ored
every avenue of human activity and endeavour. Who could do
more than that?
VERSE 13
"Light excelleth dar kness" - Li ght is a synonym for wisdom
(Isaiah 5 0 . 1 0 ; Psalm 3 6 . 9 ; John 8 . 1 2 ) , while darkness is a
synonym for folly (Job 1 2 . 2 5 ; 2 7 . 1 9 ; Proverbs 4 . 1 9 ) . The use
of wi sdom i n a man ' s l i f e di r ect i ng hi s af f ai rs, gui di ng hi s
conduct, has as much advantage as having light in
darkness. Note that Yahweh's fierce anger is directed
against all who reverse Qoheleth' s j udgment on this subject
( Isaiah 5.20 -24).
VERSE 14
" T h e w i s e ma n ' s e y e s a r e i n h i s h e a d " - O r , t h e w i s e ma n ' s
e ye s a r e o p e n . H e s e e s t h e p a t h c l e a r l y d e f i n e d b e f o r e h i m .
H e w a l ks t hr o u gh l i f e gu i d e d b y w i s do m, c h o o si n g t h e p a t h
that yields the greatest joy (Psalm 43.3-4). The fool goes
23
through life with his eyes closed, deliberately shutting them
to advice and instruction, and, having no moral perception,
stumbling in his darkness (Proverbs 1.20-33; John 3.19-21).
"One event happeneth to them all" - The advantage of wisdom
i n t h e n at u r al m a n ' s l i f e i s o n l y t e m p o r ar y , f o r d e at h
relentlessly claims both the wise and the fool (Psalm 49.10;
Job 21.23-26). When Jesus opened the eyes of a man blind
from birth (John 9 ) , he was teaching that he possessed the
ability to give sight to the spi ritually blind, that they
having their eyes opened might walk in the light of
Yahweh \s testimonies, to the kingdom of God.
VERSE 15
"Why was I more wise?" - Or why do I exercise myself to
become wiser and wiser? What advantage or gain is there in
this for me? Qoheleth found that there was no real advantage
in being wise, for death, the great leveller, covers both the
wise and the fool in the same oblivion. A wise man's wisdom
cannot prevent this, any more than a fool's lack of
knowledge. The saints of Yahweh realise that they have the
senten ce of death in themselv es, and that true wisdo m is
found in those who turn with all their heart unto God who is
able to raise them up out of death to life again (2
Corinthians 1.9-10).
VERSE 16
"There is no remembrance of the wise" - The wise man is
cheated out of any comfort he may derive from the thought,
that when he dies, the fruits of his wisdom will at least be
preserved for posterity. Qoheleth found that not only do the
wise and the fool die, but, worse, the wise men's words and
deeds which should be preserved for others, perish and are
forgotten just as quickly as the fool's (Psalm 49; Romans
2 . 1 2 ) . This is not the case with the servants of Yahweh. The
imperishable record of their na mes, words and deeds, all
wrought in the wisdom of God, is preserved forever in the
book of life (Psalm 112.6; Proverbs 1 0. 7 ; Excdus 32.32-33;
Malachi 3-16; Luke 10.20).
VERSE 17
"Therefore I hated life" - The words in the Hebrew indicate
actual physical nausea. Seeing there was no exact
retributive pattern in life, i . e . the wise receive no lasting
advantage or reward more than the fool, Qoheleth suffered
grievously. He became frustrated and disgusted concerning
th e i n ad e q u acy an d f ut il it y o f h u m an ex is t en ce. T h e f act
that there was no lasting joy to be gai ned fro m sensual
pleasure, power or wealth; no enduring advantage in
wisdom, sickened him.. His sense of justice was outraged, and
all this seemed to him a vanity and a grievous irritation.
VERSE 18
"Leave it unto the man" - The fact that Qoheleth must die,
and the fruits of all his wisdom could not be carried beyond
the grave but must be left to another, even to one who had
not laboured for i t , added greatly to his brooding sense of
frustration and nausea (Psalm 39-4-6; Luke 12.15-21).
VERSE 19
"Who knoweth?" - Does anybody know? Qoheleth worried over
the question of his kingdom, wealth and possessions. Who
would inherit them? Would his successor be a wise man, who,
by the exercise of wisdom and discretion would continue to
add to the magnificance, greatness and lustre of his
k i n g d o m ? Or wo u l d h e b e a f o o l , wh o wo u l d b r i n g t h e
kingdom to ruin in a moment of time?
In fact, all Qoheleth's anxieties and fears were realised. By
the foolishness of Rehoboam, ignoring the advice of the wise
el d er s of Is r ael ( m en wh o h ad st oo d in the pr es en ce o f
Qoheleth), and accepting the counsel of inexperienced youth,
the kingdom was divided. The decline cont inued until the
complete disintegration of the nation was effected by Rome in
A.D. 70.
VERSE 20
"I went about to cause my heart to despair" - Literally, "I
turned about". The verb is used of the physical action of a
traveller turning to scan the road travelled. Qoheleth is now
like the wind, ever circling, ever turning about looking for
the answers to the perplexing problems of life. Whenever he
tu r n s , h e m eet s o n l y f r u st r ati o n an d i n s u f fi ci en cy wh i ch
cause him to "give up in despair". The verb for "to despair"
as used in Rabbinic literature, indicates "resignation,
g i v i n g u p h o p e" . Q o h el et h ' s f i n d i n g s o n h u m a n a ct i v i t y
stated in previous verses, dries up all his desire for active
labour. He resigns himself to the fact that his quest for
25
lasting good in the sphere of human endeavour is hopeless.
Lest we think that his feelings were the result of a hastily
formed opinion he hastens to assure u s (v 2 1 ) that this was
not the case.
circumstances, is to exact what enjoyment he can from the
simple pleasures of life; daily work, companionship of home
and friends, etc. This is Yahweh's gift to man (Ecc 3 - 1 2 , 2 2 ;
Jeremiah 22.15).
VERSE 21
VERSE 25
"A man whose labour is in wisdom, knowledge, equity" Qoheleth reminds us that his efforts to find the greatest good
in life were wholehearted. He had laboured with outstanding
zeal and dedication, and was utterly devoted to his
appointed task.
"Who can experience enjoyment more than Qoheleth" - The
w o r d " h as t e n " i s r e n d e r e d " e n j o y m en t " i n t h e R ev i s e d
Version. It is from a root used to indicate feeling, including
suffering, fear and pain. All power to experience these
sensations comes from Yahweh. Qoheleth thus asks: Who can
prove this by experience better than I?
" I n equity" - The word signifies "to prosper, to excel".
Qoheleth had put forth great efforts to find the answers to
his quest and had been most successful.
"A great evil" - The Hebrew words indicate an immoral act.
It seemed iniquitous to Qoheleth that he must die, and leave
the fruits of all his wise labours to a man who would not be
worthy to possess them. Not worthy in so far as he would not
have laboured to seek out wisdom and knowledge, neither
would have worked to build up the kingdom to its present
level of greatness and glory, and therefore would be in no
position to appreciate truly their real value. If we do not
labour to be wise, to build up spiritu al Zion, then we, too,
will be accounted unworthy to participate in Israel's greater
glory at the coming of Messiah.
VERSE 22
"For what has a man of all his labour?" - What is the final
outcome as far as satisfaction is concerned?
VERSE 23
"All his days are sorrows" - The word signifies "pains". The
man who seeks to gain lasting satisfaction from his toil will
receiv e only p ain an d suff erin g, as he to sses an d turns at
night upon his bed, finding no rest to his soul (Job 7 - 1 - 1 6 ;
Psalm 90.3-10).
VERSE 24
"Nothing better for a man than to eat, drink," etc - Qoheleth
has decided, in the face of all l i f e ' s inconsistencies and
frustrations, that the wisest thing he can do under the
26
VERSE 26
"God giveth to a m an that is good" - Th is vers e do es not
imply that Yahweh is continually judging mankind, bestowing
wisdom and blessings on the good, pain and suffering on t he
wicked. On the contrary, Psalm 73 and Isaiah 53 reveal that
the sinner can receive much good all his long and healthy
life, while the righteous are in trouble every day. The type
of "good man" referred to in this verse is illustrated by the
cas es of Naa man (2 Kings 5. 1 -1 8), the wido w o f Sar ept a
(Luke 4.25-27), and the people of Nineveh (Jonah 3.5-10).
"The sinner" - The Hebrew word chote suggests continuous,
habitual action. Yahweh disposes of what the wicked gather
in such a way that they may be said to be giving it to the
"good" (Proverbs 13.21-22; 28.8; Job 2 7 . 1 3 - 1 7 ) . In the eyes
of the sinner this is a vanity, a sore and grievous travail.
and a time to die" 3:2
34.
To all these inevitably comes the time o f judgment.
vv 16-18
There is a common end to all flesh.
vv 19-22