1Remedies against the vanity of life are, a good name, 2mortification, 7patience, 11wisdom, or a considerate and prudent conduct. 23The difficulty of getting wisdom. 25The result of the Preacher's researches.
1A aGOOD name is better than precious ointment; and bthe day of death than the day of one's birth.
a Pr. 15.30; 22.1. Is. 56.5; 62.3,4; 65.15. Re. 2.17. b Phi. 1.23. Is. 57.1,2. 2Co. 5.1. Re. 14.13.
2¶cIt is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
c Is. 22.12. Mat. 5.4. De. 32.29. Jn. 11.31. Job 21.12,13. Ps. 73.7; 119.70. Is. 5.11,12; 22.13. Am. 6.4,5.
31Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
1Or, Anger, 2Co. 7.10. Je. 31.18-20. Zec. 12.10.
4The dheart of the wise is in the house of mourning; ebut the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
d Ne. 2.2-5. Ps. 137.1,4. Da. 9.3; 10.2. e Da. 5.1,2. Is. 22.13; 5.12.
5fIt is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
f Pr. 13.18; 27.6; 17.10; 15.31,32; 9.9. Ps. 141.5.
6For gas the 2crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
2Heb. sound.
g Job 20.5. Ps. 58.9; 118.12. ch. 2.2.
7¶Surely hoppression maketh a wise man mad; iand a gift destroyeth the heart.
h De. 28.28,34,65. Ps. 73.12-14. ch. 4.1. i De. 16.19. Ex. 23.8. 1Sa. 8.3.
8jBetter is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and kthe patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
j Lu. 16.25. Ps. 126.5,6. Ja. 5.11. He. 10.36,37. Is. 10.24,25. Job 42.12. k Pr. 14.29; 16.32. Ps. 138.6. Lu. 18.14.
9Be lnot hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
l Pr. 14.17; 16.32; 12.16. Jonah 4.9. Ja. 1.19. Ep. 4.26.
10mSay not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire 3wisely concerning this.
3Heb. out of wisdom.
m Ju. 6.23. Je. 44.17. Job 33.13. De. 29.29.
11¶Wisdom is 4good nwith an inheritance: and by it there is oprofit to them that see the sun.
4Or, as good as an inheritance, yea, better too.
n Pr. 3.9. Is. 23.18. Lu. 16.9. 1Ti. 6.16-19. o ch. 2.15.
12For pwisdom is a 5defence, and money is a 5defence: but the excellency of knowledge is , qthat wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
5Heb. shadow.
5Heb. shadow.
p Pr. 2.11; 14.20; 18.11. Job 1.10; 22.21-25. ch. 9.16. v.19. q Pr. 3.2,16,18; 9.6,11; 8.35. De. 30.16,20. Jn. 17.3.
13Consider the work of God: for rwho can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
r ch. 1.15. Is. 14.27; 46.10. Da. 4.35. Ep. 1.11.
14In sthe day of prosperity be joyful, but tin the day of adversity consider: uGod also hath 6set the one over against the other, vto the end that wman should find nothing after him.
6Heb. made.
s Ps. 103.1-5; 40.1-3. t 1Ki. 8.47. Mi. 6.9. Ps. 119.71; 94.12. Is. 26.11; 42.25; 22.12. u Jn. 16.33. Ac. 14.22. v ch. 3.18. w ch. 6.12; 3.22; 9.5.
15xAll things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and ythere is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.
x ch. 8.14. Is. 65.20. y ch. 2.15; 3.16; 5.8; 8.14; 9.1,2. Jn. 16.2. Ac. 7.59. Job 6; 7; 10; 21; 27. Ps. 37.1,7; 73.3-14. Je. 12.1,2.
16Be znot righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: awhy shouldest thou 7destroy thyself?
7Heb. be desolate?
z ch. 12.12. a Phi. 3.6. Ro. 10.2; 12.3. Pr. 3.7. 1Co. 4.6.
17bBe not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: cwhy shouldest thou die 8before thy time?
8Heb. not in thy time.
b Pr. 1.11; 9.6; 3.31. Mat. 23.32. Is. 3.11. c Job 15.32,33. Ps. 55.23. Pr. 10.27. Is. 37.36.
18It is dgood that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: efor he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
d Pr. 2.1. He. 2.2; 4.1. e ch. 8.12,13. Mal. 4.2. Ps. 25.12; 34.19. Je. 32.40. Da. 4.27. Job 5.19.
19fWisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
f Pr. 21.22; 24.5. ch. 9.16,18. v.12.
20For gthere is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
g 2Ch. 6.36. 1Ki. 8.46. Job 7.20. Pr. 20.9. Ja. 3.2. 1Jn. 1.8. Ro. 3.23.
21Also 9take no hheed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:
9Heb. give not thine heart.
h 1Co. 13.5,7. 2Sa. 16.10. Is. 29.21.
22For ioftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
i Mat. 15.19; 18.32,33,35; 6.14,15; 7.1-5. Ja. 3.9. Ga. 6.1.
23¶jAll this have I proved by wisdom: I said, kI will be wise; but it was far from me.
j 1Ki. 3.12. ch. 1-7. k Ro. 1.22. 1Co. 1.20. Ge. 3.5. Eze. 28.3. v.25.
24lThat which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?
l Job 28.12,20. Ro. 11.33. Ps. 36.6. Is. 45.15.
2510I applied mmine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the nreason of things , and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:
10Heb. I and my heart compassed.
m ch. 1.17; 2.12. v.23. n v.29.
26And oI find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: 11whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
11Heb. he that is good before God, ch. 2.26.
o Pr. 22.14; 5.3-13; 2.16-19; 7.5-27; 9.13-18. 1Ki. 11.3,4. Ju. 16.18.
27Behold, this have I found, saith pthe preacher, 12counting one by one, to find out the account:
12Or, weighing one thing after another to find out the reason, Je. 5.1.
p ch. 1.1; 12.8-10.
28Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: qone man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among rall those have I not found.
q Job 33.23. Je. 31.22. Ca. 5.10. r 1Ki. 11.1-3.
29Lo, this only have I found, sthat God hath made man upright; tbut they have sought out many inventions.
s Ge. 1.26,27; 5.1. t Ge. 3.6,7. Mat. 15.19. Eze. 22. Ho. 4.1,2.