2 I thought to myself,
“Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile.”
But I found that it also is futile.
1. Qoholet put himself into a test for pleasure.
self-indulgent pleasure x2 in v.2b, in between this 2 is another word related to pleasure, "partying" in v.2a. This kind of pleasure is the partying kind of pleasure.
(NET) The term שִׂמְחַה (simkhah, “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.
2. The purpose of the test is to see if it is worthwhile and the answer is negative (folly=vapor, breath, all was vanity and the pursuit of wind, BDB)
BDB-welfare, prosperity, happiness
But welfare to whom? (NET) Qoheleth sought to discover (רָאָה) whether merrymaking offered any value (טוֹב) to mankind.
Merrymaking for sure brings happiness, but for how long and how wide is the effect?? That is doubtful. Are the width and length of happiness something worthy for our considering? Or no?
Reflection: When people said they only wish their child to be happy. Perhaps, they only thinking about not giving unnecessary pressure to success on their kids. But is happiness the ultimate goal? Isnt it something build in our nature? In other words, we should just let our nature drives us? Or we should direct our happiness searching nature into a certain direction. If width and length of happiness that we want to consider then we have to think like Qoholet.
Is vapor-kind of pleasure or merry pleasure kind of pleasure good even to the individual? When the vapor is gone how shall we handle that?
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