v.1-6
1. Structure
Pattern 1:14, I reflected...and I concluded; v.16 I thought to myself...I concluded...
2:1, I thought to myself...but i found that v.3 I thought deeply about the effects of indulging myself..., v.11 I reflected...I concluded
Summary: Qoheleth has already gave us the conclusion in his search in v.1, but he expanded what he did and what he found in v.2-11.
2. What is his goal in this thinking process: to examine the accomplished on earth v.13, 14, to discern the benefit of v.17, to see if it is worthwhile v.1, to see what it accomplishes v.2, the effects of v.3, to discover what is profitable for people to do on earth during the few days of their lives.
to see if it is worthwhile=(NET) repeated twice in 2:1–3. This is the key phrase in this section of Ecclesiastes. Qoheleth sought to discover (רָאָה) whether merrymaking offered any value (טוֹב) to mankind.
3. The subject of his reflection:
a. self indulgent pleasure v.1,2 , partying v.2, indulging with wine v.3, behaving foolishly (drunken) v.3,
b. (NET)[The] section (2:4–11) is unified and bracketed by the repetition of the verb גָּדַל (gadal, “to increase”) which occurs at the beginning (2:4) and end (2:9), and by the repetition of the root עשה (noun: “works” and verb: “to do, make, acquire”) which occurs throughout the section (2:4, 5, 6, 8, 11).
v.4-8a Qoheleth did not deny himself any acquisition. He indulged himself in acquiring everything he desired. His vast resources as king allowed him the unlimited opportunity to indulge himself. He could have anything his heart desired, and he did.
v.8b play hard -acquired singers, and acquired a harem of beautiful concubines that gives him delight
(NET) “pleasure” has a two-fold range of meanings: (1) it can refer to the legitimate enjoyment of life that Qoheleth affirms is good (5:17; 8:15; 9:7; 11:8, 9) and that God gives to those who please him (2:26; 5:19); or (2) it can refer to foolish pleasure, self-indulgent, frivolous merrymaking (2:1, 2; 7:4). The parallelism in 2:2 between שִׂמְחַה and שְׂחוֹק (sékhoq, “laughter, frivolous merrymaking”), which always appears in the context of banqueting, drinking, and merrymaking, suggests that the pejorative sense is in view in this context.
Summary and reflection: To play hard in partying and to acquiring everything that he desired were tried by the Qoheleth to see if there is any value to mankind and it is futile. As a king, his experiment is convincing. This is also what we can observe what the rich and the people with privileges will do. Their lifestyle is futile. Am I still trying to live like them? Am I doing better than they? What is the diff between what I am doing now and what they do?
v.7-11
v.7 I purchased male and female slaves,
and I owned slaves who were born in my house;
I also possessed more livestock—both herds and flocks—
than any of my predecessors in Jerusalem.
were born in my house=(BDB) as token of wealth & prosperity
slaves who were born in my house=NET) The phrase “sons of a house” (בְנֵי בַיִת, véne vayit) appears to be parallel to “a son of my house” (בֶן־בֵּיתִי, ven-beti) which refers to a person born into slavery from male and female servants in the master’s possession, e.g., Eleazar of Damascus (Gen 15:3). The phrase appears to denote children born from male and female slaves already in his possession, that is, “homeborn slaves” (NASB) or “other slaves who were born in my house” (NIV).
8 I also amassed (accumulate over time) silver and gold for myself,
as well as valuable treasures taken from kingdoms and provinces.
9 So I was far wealthier than all my predecessors in Jerusalem,
yet I maintained my objectivity
of kings and provinces=(NET)This personal treasure was taken as tribute from other kings and governors.
than all my predecessors in Jerusalem x2
Summary: Solomon purchased, possessed, and accumulated more than other kings before him. He took treasures from other kings as tribute. He was not only rich, but rich without any predecessor.
Reflection: Solomon was given this wealth because God granted his prayer for wisdom and on top of that God also gave him this wealth. However, when Solomon looked at wealth without God his life is in vanity. He saw them as his purchase, possession, his treasures. Even though when they accumulated more and more it did not give him any job. Do I see the things around me as my own possession or gifts from God? Only the later view will be of value, because they are not only an item, but they revealed the grace my God gave to me through them.
10 I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted;
I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure.
So all my accomplishments gave me joy;
this was my reward for all my effort.
11 Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished
and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it,
I concluded: “All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless—
like chasing the wind!
There is nothing gained from them on earth.”
Summary: The effort and the entertainment he got were related. Both both the accomplishments (from the effort) v.10b and the entertainment v.10a gave him pleasure. However, "yet" They are ultimately profitless. (NET) While labor offers some relative and temporal benefits, such as material acquisitions and the enjoyment of the work of one’s hands, there is no ultimate benefit to be gained from secular human achievement...Though some things have relative advantage over others (e.g., light over darkness, and wisdom over folly in 2:13), there is no ultimate profit in man’s labor due to death.
Reflection: Entertainment and accomplishment do indeed give people joy. Even putting in effort or toil can be joyous. Only when people reflect what is the ultimate profit they will realize the benefits are only temporary. "Nothing gain" will not be in most people's mind if they only focus on things on earth. How about myself? How often do I look beyond things on earth?
v.12-17
1. Pattern repeated from previous passages:
a. I will try self-indulgent pleasure... v.1; To consider. wisdom.. v.12
NET-See 1:17 for the same expression. Throughout 2:1–11, Qoheleth evaluated the merits of merrymaking (2:1–3), accomplishing grand things (2:4–6), amassing great wealth (2:7–8), and secular acquisitions and accomplishments (2:9–10). Now, he reflects on the benefit in life in living wisely and not giving oneself over to frivolous self-indulgence.
Again, what he tried is in the full extend. He tried pleasure with the wealthiest lifestyle, and now his wisdom is far better than anyone else v.12b and v.15b.
b. He reflected after he tried. "I thought to myself" v.15a, "I lamented to myself " v.15b
c. Similar conclusions after his reflection: Even though wisdom is better than fool v.13-14a in the sense that they can see where he is going, the wise is no better than the fool in the long run-they both die and not be remembered v.14b-17. There is no benefit to become excessively wise v.15b, and thus it is meaningless v.15c, or the benefit is futile-like chasing the wind v.17b.
v.15 So I thought to myself, “The fate of the fool will happen even to me!
Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively wise?”
So I lamented to myself,
“The benefits of wisdom are ultimately meaningless!”
excessively=BDB-to excess, overmuch; NET-The adjective יוֹתֵר (yoter) means “too much; excessive...The adjective is related to יִתְרוֹן (yitron, “advantage; profit”) which is a key-term in this section, creating a word-play: The wise man has a relative “advantage” (יִתְרוֹן) over the fool (2:13–14a); however, there is no ultimate advantage because both share the same fate, i.e., death (2:14b–15a). Thus, Qoheleth’s acquisition of tremendous wisdom (1:16; 2:9) was “excessive” because it exceeded its relative advantage over folly: it could not deliver him from the same fate as the fool. He had striven to obtain wisdom, yet it held no ultimate advantage.
2. What is the difference:
v. 17 So I loathed BDB-hate life because what
happens on earth NET- Here, the term “deed” does not refer to human accomplishment, as in 2:1–11, but to the fact of death that destroys any relative advantage of wisdom over folly (2:14a–16). Qoheleth metaphorically describes death as a “deed” that is “done” to man. seems awful to me;
Summary and reflection: When we work very hard to be wiser, to see better than others, but when we extend the timeline and see there will be no difference in the long run, we are lost. We may have the reaction of the Qoheleth, i.e. we will hate life because of its meaningless. Therefore, before we work hard for something we need to see if the things we work for have any long term (eternal) value. Having a eternal perspective is not easy. I've just read about the life of Kissinger. He thought he put the benefit of USA first before the ideology of promoting freedom. Therefore he put a blind eyes to those countries who abuses their own people, and he befriend with them so that USA can be safe from the threat of USSR. Today, both the country he befriended with and the USSR became a bigger threat to the USA because he provided the resources and time for them to grow. Does the thing he did have long term value?
v.18-23
1. Structure v.18-21
18 So I loathed all the fruit of my effort,
for which I worked so hard on earth,
because I must leave it behind in the hands of my successor.
19 Who knows if he will be a wise man or a fool?
Yet he will be master over all the fruit of my labor
for which I worked so wisely on earth.
This also is futile!
20 So I began to despair about all the fruit of my labor
for which I worked so hard on earth.
21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill;
however, he must hand over the fruit of his labor as an inheritance
to someone else who did not work for it.
This also is futile, and an awful injustice!
(NET)Verses 18–21 are arranged into two sub-units (2:18–19 and 2:20–21). Each contains a parallel structure: (1) Introductory lament: “I hated all my toil” and “I began to despair about all my toil.” (2) Reason for the lament: “I must turn over the fruit of my labor to the hands of my successor” and “he must hand over the fruit of his work as an inheritance.” (3) Description of successor: “who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool?” and “he did not work for it.” (4) Concluding statement: “This also is fruitless!” and “This also is profitless and an awful injustice!”
Summary and Reflection: Qoheleth did not just get his accomplishment easily. Even he was a king, he needed to use his wisdom, knowledge, and skill to work. He described his work as toil, effort, labor, work so hard. He did not really enjoy to see his successor to enjoy the fruit of his work as some parents may do. He thought it was unfair because the successor may be foolish, but he enjoyed the fruit of the work of Qoheleth who worked so wisely to gain them. The bottom line is he did not ever work for it and should not enjoy that. Do those parents whose goal is to "make more money so that their kids do not need to work so hard" have the concern of Qoheleth? This is not a goal in life. Then what is? If we are "under the sun" or "on earth" then there is none. It is futile and awful injustice or evil/wrong/misfortune.
2. If the goal does not justice the mean, how about the process of getting to the goal?
22 What does a man acquire from all his labor
and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth?
23 For all day long his work produces pain BDB-mental pain and frustration, BDB-vexation, grief (Same description for the fruits of wisdom and knowledge in 1:18 For with great wisdom comes great frustration; whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache).
and even at night his mind cannot relax.
This also is futile!
Repeated:
a. anxiety, pain, frustration, cannot relax
b. all his labor, all day long, even at night
Summary and Reflection: Riding on a roller coaster may not give us any get us anywhere, but it is fun in the process. Not toil and labor. It tears us down from within and it is unstop 24/7. Business owners who work all day and worry at night about their operation and financial situation are like that. Do I see this when I look at the fruit of labor and the process of the labor?
v.24-26
1. Finally, God is mentioned in his searching for the meaning of life.
The toil is not something enjoyable, either to look at the result or the process. However, there is still enjoyment in the toil: only when God gives that joy to you.
2. Why did the Qoheleth also mentioned the giving of wisdom and knowledge in v.26 and not in v.25?
v.25 For no one can eat and drink or experience joy apart from him
joy=BDB-who can eat and who can feel (i.e. enjoy pleasure)?
v.26 For to the one who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, (diff word than v.25)
(EBC) The alternative is the life of faith, which does not understand everything (see ch. 3) but looks for the hand of God in the events of daily life. A useful parallel is 1 Timothy 6:6–19, with its reminder that we are to be content with food and clothing, realizing that God gives us richly everything to enjoy. The walk with God means that we can ask for his wisdom to use life rightly and his knowledge to understand such of his ways as he may disclose to us, and thus experience the joy of fulfillment despite life’s difficulties.
3. The repeated word in v.26: give
v.26 For to the one who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy,
but to the sinner, he gives the task of amassing wealth—
only to give it to the one who pleases God.
(NET) The three-fold repetition of the Hebrew word translated “give” in the first part of this verse creates irony: God “gives” the righteous the ability to prosper and to find enjoyment in his work; but to the wicked He “gives” the task of “giving” his wealth to the righteous.
This task of the wicked is futile—like chasing the wind!
(NET) the “task” of the sinner is profitless: he labors hard to amass wealth, only to see the fruit of his labor given away to someone else.
12:13-14
(NET) The four-fold repetition of כֹּל (kol, “all”) in 12:13–14 suggests that Qoheleth is emphasizing the “bottom line,” that is, the basic duty of man is simply to fear and obey God: After “all” (כֹּל) has been heard in the book, his conclusion is that the “whole” (כֹּל) duty of man is to obey God because God will bring “all” (כֹּל) acts into judgment, including “all” (כֹּל) that is hidden, whether good or bad.
Summary and reflection: If God is the final judge in our life, everything we do has to pass His standard. What does this answer correspond to the searching for the meaning of life by Qoheleth? The only meaning is to have joy in the toil when God gives that to us. However, he did not give that to everyone. If we are righteous in His eyes, we enjoy life and we pass His judgment. What is more important than to know God?
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