Ecclesiastes 2

1 The vanity of human courses in the works of pleasure.

12 Though the wise be better than the fool, yet both have one event.

18 The vanity of human labour, in leaving it they know not to whom.

24 Nothing better than joy in our labour; but that is God's gift.

2:1

<0559> [said.]

<03212> [Go to.]

self-indulgent <05254> [I will.]

2:2

said <0559> [I said.]

Solomon is not speaking here of sober enjoyment of the things of the world, but of intemperate pleasure, whose two attendants, laughter and mirth, are introduced by a beautiful prosopopoeia, as two persons, whom he treats with the utmost contempt.

folly <01984> [It is.]

2:3

thought <08446> [sought.]

indulging .... wine ..... my <01320 03196 04900> [give myself unto wine. Heb. draw my flesh with wine. yet.]

behaving <0270> [and to lay.]

discover <07200> [till.]

few <04557> [all. Heb. the number of.]

2:4

increased <01431> [made.]

built <01129> [I builded.]

planted <05193> [I planted.]

2:5

gardens <01593> [me.]

planted <05193> [I planted.]

2:6

pools <01295> [pools.]

irrigate <08248> [to water.]

2:7

slaves ........ born <05650 01121> [servants.]

born <01121> [and had.]

slaves ........ born .... house <01004 05650 01121> [servants born in my house. Heb. sons of my house. also.]

2:8

silver <03701> [silver.]

singers .... singers <07891> [men singers.]

harem .... concubines <07705> [musical instruments, etc. Heb. musical instrument and instruments.]

The difficult words {shiddah weshiddoth} are variously rendered. The LXX. have [oinocoon kai oinochoas,] "male and female cup-bearers," with which the Syriac and Arabic and Parkhurst agree; Aquila, [kulikon kai kulikia,] "a cup and smaller cups;" Jerome, {scyphos et urceolos, (Vulg. {urceos,}) "goblets and pots;" Targum, "warm and cold baths;" others, as M. Desvoeux, "male and female captives;" others, "cooks and confectioners;" others, "a species of musical compositions," derived from Sido, a celebrated Phoenician woman, to whom Sanchoniatho attributes the invention of music; but others, with more probability, "wives and concubines;" and {siddoth} may be in this sense synonymous with the Arabic {seedat, domina, conjux} from {sada,} in {Conj. V. conjugium inivit.} Of the former, Solomon had three hundred, and of the latter, seven hundred; and if they are not mentioned here they are not mentioned at all, which is wholly unaccountable.

2:9

2:10

wanted <05869> [whatsoever.]

myself ........... accomplishments <08056 03820> [my heart rejoiced.]

2:11

reflected <06437> [I looked.]

ultimately profitless <01892> [behold.]

2:12

decided <06437> [I turned.]

[even that which hath already been done. or, in those things which have been already done.]

2:13

realized <07200> [I saw.]

wisdom is preferable ... folly <03426 02451 03504 05531> [that wisdom excelleth folly. Heb. that there is an excellency in wisdom more than in folly, etc. light.]

2:14

wise <02450> [wise.]

same <0259> [one.]

2:15

even <01571> [even to me. Heb. to me, even to me. and why.]

<01696> [Then I.]

2:16

remembered <02146> [there is.]

dies <04191> [how.]

2:17

loathed <08130> [I hated.]

happens <04639> [work.]

futile <01892> [for.]

2:18

loathed <08130> [I hated.]

worked <06001> [taken. Heb. laboured. I should.]

2:19

knows <03045> [who knoweth.]

wisely ... earth <02449 08121> [wise under.]

2:20

2:21

work <05999> [whose.]

hand over <05414> [leave. Heb. give.]

2:22

man acquire <0120 01933> [hath man.]

anxiety <07475> [and of the.]

2:23

day <03117> [all.]

mind <03820> [his heart.]

2:24

better <02896> [nothing.]

better .................. perceived <07200 02896 05315> [make his soul enjoy good. or, delight his senses. that it.]

2:25

eat <0398> [who can.]

2:26

pleases ............................ pleases <06440> [in his sight. Heb. before him.]

wisdom <02451> [wisdom.]

sinner <02398> [to the sinner.]