
Text -- Ecclesiastes 7:26 (NET)




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collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)
By my own sad experience.

Shall be prevented from falling into her hands.
JFB: Ecc 7:26 - -- "I find" that, of all my sinful follies, none has been so ruinous a snare in seducing me from God as idolatrous women (1Ki 11:3-4; Pro 5:3-4; Pro 22:1...
"I find" that, of all my sinful follies, none has been so ruinous a snare in seducing me from God as idolatrous women (1Ki 11:3-4; Pro 5:3-4; Pro 22:14). As "God's favor is better than life," she who seduces from God is "more bitter than death."

JFB: Ecc 7:26 - -- As Joseph (Gen 39:2-3, Gen 39:9). It is God's grace alone that keeps any from falling.
As Joseph (Gen 39:2-3, Gen 39:9). It is God's grace alone that keeps any from falling.
Clarke: Ecc 7:26 - -- And I find more bitter than death the woman - After all his investigation of the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness, he found nothi...
And I find more bitter than death the woman - After all his investigation of the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness, he found nothing equally dangerous and ruinous with the blandishments of cunning women. When once the affections are entangled, escape without ruin is almost impossible

Clarke: Ecc 7:26 - -- Whoso pleaseth God - The man who walks with God, and he alone, shall escape this sore evil: and even he that fears God, if he get with an artful wom...
Whoso pleaseth God - The man who walks with God, and he alone, shall escape this sore evil: and even he that fears God, if he get with an artful woman, may be soon robbed of his strength, and become like other men. A bad or artful woman is represented as a company of hunters, with nets, gins, etc., to catch their prey.
TSK -> Ecc 7:26
TSK: Ecc 7:26 - -- I find : Jdg 16:18-21; Pro 2:18, Pro 2:19, Pro 5:3-5, Pro 7:21-27, Pro 9:18, Pro 22:14, Pro 23:27, Pro 23:28
whoso pleaseth God : Heb. he that is good...
I find : Jdg 16:18-21; Pro 2:18, Pro 2:19, Pro 5:3-5, Pro 7:21-27, Pro 9:18, Pro 22:14, Pro 23:27, Pro 23:28
whoso pleaseth God : Heb. he that is good before God, Ecc 2:26

collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)
Barnes -> Ecc 7:26
Barnes: Ecc 7:26 - -- Compare the account of Solomon’ s wives 1Ki 11:1-8 : see also Pro 2:16-19; Pro 5:3...
Compare the account of Solomon’ s wives 1Ki 11:1-8 : see also Pro 2:16-19; Pro 5:3...
Poole -> Ecc 7:26
Poole: Ecc 7:26 - -- I find by my own sad experience; which Solomon here records, partly as an instance of that folly and madness which he expressed in general, Ecc 7:25 ...
I find by my own sad experience; which Solomon here records, partly as an instance of that folly and madness which he expressed in general, Ecc 7:25 , and partly as a testimony of his true repentance for his foul miscarriages, for which he was willing to take shame to himself, not only from the present, but from all succeeding generations.
More bitter more vexatious and pernicious, as producing those horrors of conscience, those reproaches, and diseases, and other plagues, both temporal and spiritual, from God, which are far worse than simple death and, after all these, everlasting destruction.
The woman the strange woman, of whom he speaks so much in the Proverbs,
whose heart is snares and nets who being subtle of heart, Pro 7:10 , is full of crafty devices to ensnare men; and her hands, either by gifts, or rather by lascivious actions, as bands; wherewith she holds them fast in cruel bondage; so that they have neither power nor will to forsake her, notwithstanding all the dangers and mischiefs which they know do attend upon such practices.
Whoso pleaseth God Heb. he that is good before God ; either,
1. Whom God loves and favours. Or rather,
2. Who is good sincerely, or in the judgment of God, who cannot be deceived, whereas hypocrites are frequently good in the eyes or opinions of men; which sense seems to be confirmed from the opposition of
the sinner to him, both here and Ecc 2:26 . Hereby he intimates that neither a good temper of mind, nor great discretion, nor good education and instruction, nor any other thing, except God’ s grace, is a sufficient preservative from the dominion of this lust.
Shall escape from her shall be prevented from falling into that sin; or if by surprisal or strong temptation he be drawn to it, he shall be recovered out of it by true repentance. The sinner ; the wilful and obstinate sinner, who gives himself up to the common practice of this or other sins; he who is a sinner before the Lord, as the Sodomites are called, Gen 13:13 , who is fitly opposed to him that is good before God; he in whom there is not a dram of true goodness; for otherwise all men are sinners, as was said, Ecc 7:20 .
Shall be taken by her shall be entangled and kept fast in her chains, as is implied, because this is opposed to escaping from her .
Haydock -> Ecc 7:26
Haydock: Ecc 7:26 - -- Reason. Of all things. In this natural wisdom consists. Septuagint, "and number." He examined the pretensions of philosophy, which attempted thus...
Reason. Of all things. In this natural wisdom consists. Septuagint, "and number." He examined the pretensions of philosophy, which attempted thus to predict future events; but found that it was all deceit, like a harlot. (Olympiod.) ---
He explored the qualities of different things, as an arithmetician counts numbers. (Menochius)
Gill -> Ecc 7:26
Gill: Ecc 7:26 - -- And I find more bitter than death the woman,.... This was the issue of his diligent studies and researches, and the observations he had made; this was...
And I find more bitter than death the woman,.... This was the issue of his diligent studies and researches, and the observations he had made; this was what he found by sad and woeful experience, and which he chose to take particular notice of; that he might not only expose this vanity among others, and caution men against it, even the love of women, which at best is a bitter sweet, as the poet k calls it, though here adulterous love is meant; but having this opportunity, might express his sincere repentance for this folly of his life, than which nothing had been more bitter to him, in the reflection of his mind upon it: death is a bitter thing, and terrible to nature, 1Sa 15:32; but to be ensnared by an adulterous woman is worse than that; it brings not only such diseases of body as are both painful and scandalous, but such horrors into the conscience, when awakened, as are intolerable, and exposes to eternal death; see Pro 5:3. By "the woman" is not meant the sex in general, which was far from Solomon's intention to reflect upon and reproach; nor any woman in particular, not Eve, the first woman, through whom came sin and death into the world; but an adulterous woman: see Pro 5:4. Some interpret this of original sin, or the corruption of nature, evil concupiscence, which draws men into sin, and holds them in it, the consequence of which is death eternal; but such who find favour in the eyes of God are delivered from the power and dominion of it; but obstinate and impenitent sinners are held under it, and perish eternally. Jarchi, by the woman, understands heresy; and so Jerom and others interpret it of heretics and idolaters: it may very well be applied to that Jezebel, the whore of Rome, the mother of harlots, that deceives men, and leads them into perdition with herself, Rev 17:4; and who is intended by the harlot, and foolish and strange woman, in the book of Proverbs, as has been observed;
whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands; all the schemes and contrivances of a harlot are to ensnare men by her wanton looks and lascivious gestures; which are like snares laid for the beasts, and likeness spread for fishes, to take them in; and when she has got them, she holds them fast; it is a very difficult thing and a very rare one, ever to get out of her hands; so Plautus l makes mention of the nets of harlots: the same holds true of error and heresy, and of idolatry, which is spiritual adultery; the words used being in the plural number, shows the many ways the adulterous woman has to ensnare men, and the multitudes that are taken by her; see Rev 13:3;
whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her: or, "who is good before God", or "in his sight" m; See Gill on Ecc 2:26; to whom he gives his grace and is acceptable to him; such an one as Joseph was shall escape the snares and nets, the hands and bands, of such a woman; or if fallen into them, as Solomon fell, shall be delivered out of them, as it is observed by various interpreters: nothing but the grace of God, the true fear of God, the power of godliness and undefiled religion, can preserve a person from being ensnared and held by an impure woman; not a liberal nor religious education, not learning and good sense, nor any thing else; if a man is kept out of the hands of such creatures, he ought to esteem it a mercy, and ascribe it to the grace and goodness of God;
but the sinner shall be taken by her; a hardened and impenitent sinner, that is destitute of the grace and fear of God; who is habitually a sinner, and gives up himself to commit iniquity; whose life is a continued series of sinning; who has no guard upon himself, but rushes into sin, as the horse into the battle; he becomes an easy prey to a harlot; he falls into her snares, and is caught and held by her; see Pro 22:14.

expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

expand allCommentary -- Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis -> Ecc 7:1-29
TSK Synopsis: Ecc 7:1-29 - --1 Remedies against vanity are, a good name;2 mortification;7 patience;11 wisdom.23 The difficulty of wisdom.
MHCC -> Ecc 7:23-29
MHCC: Ecc 7:23-29 - --Solomon, in his search into the nature and reason of things, had been miserably deluded. But he here speaks with godly sorrow. He alone who constantly...
Matthew Henry -> Ecc 7:23-29
Matthew Henry: Ecc 7:23-29 - -- Solomon had hitherto been proving the vanity of the world and its utter insufficiency to make men happy; now here he comes to show the vileness of s...
Keil-Delitzsch -> Ecc 7:26
Keil-Delitzsch: Ecc 7:26 - --
"And I found woman more bitter than death; she is like hunting-nets. and like snares is her heart, her hands are bands: he who pleaseth God will esc...
Constable: Ecc 6:10--11:7 - --III. THE LIMITATIONS OF WISDOM 6:10--11:6
Clues in the text indicate the value and purpose of 6:10-11:6. The phr...

Constable: Ecc 7:1--8:17 - --B. God's Inscrutable Plan chs. 7-8
Solomon proceeded in this section to focus on the plan of God, His de...
