J' ''iKi (BukeiaettB i' i5 PAUL HAUPT r^-^J tki 1- h 1 1 .1' i^'ti'l ^^ftimFB M UNIVERSITY LIBRARY liWi^Eft^lt^ or CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO U m^k CALIFORNIA LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CAUPORNI^ SAN DIEGO Z^( (^ooft of 6ccfe6ta0te0 HAUPT COPYRIGHT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1905 BY FALL HAUPT ^^,.,s THE BOOK OF (Bccfma^k^ A NEW METRICAL TRANSLATION With an Introduction and Explanatory Notes PAUL HAUPT, LL. D. W. W, Spence Professor of the Semitic Languages in the Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, Md. SOLE AGENTS FOR EUROPE KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER & CO. Ltd. Publishers and Boohsellcrs DRYDEN HOUSE, 43. GERRARD STREET LONDON, W. Copprtg^f PAUL HAUPT PRINTED BY Z-^e ^xiibinwaib Company BALTIMORE, MD., L'. S. A. [Reprinted from the American Journal of Philology, No. 102] TO l^orace ^ow^atb jfuntcee AS A SMALL TOKEN OF GRATEFUL APPRECIATION AND REGARD ^cdmaette The Book of Ecclesiastes " is unparalleled in the whole range of Biblical Literature. Ernest Renan spoke of it as the only charming book that was ever written by a Jew. Heinrich Heine called it the Canticles of Skepticism, while Franz Delitzsch thought it was entitled to the name of the Canticles of the Fear of God. From the earliest times down to the present age Ecclesiastes has attracted the attention of thinkers. It was a favorite book of Frederick the Great, who referred to it as a Mirror of Princes. But Biblical students of all ages have experienced some difficulties about this remarkable production. Some in the Jewish Church denied the inspired character of the work, until the s\'nod of Jabneh (90 A. D.) decided in favor of the canonicity of the Book. The genuine portions of Ecclesiastes are out of place in the Canon. Their author is not a theologian, but a man of the world, probably a physician, with keen observation, penetrating insight, and vast experience. - I believe that the genuine portions of hxclesiastes were written by a prominent Sadducean physician in Jerusalem, who was born at the beginning of the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes (175-164) and died in the first decade of the reign of Alexander Jann;tus (104-78 n. c.).^ Ecclesiastes may have been a son of Da\'id, just as Jesus and HillcM 2 -^■'%-^^^Hf- 3ntrol)Ucfton -^jB^fen-:— were sons of David; he may even have been a king in Jerusalem, if we take A^i//o- to mean /u-ad of a scliool.'- The term king is used in this way in the Talmud (Gitt. 62^; Ber. 64^). The Book was probably published after the death of the author, who may have worked on it for more than forty years. Nietzsche would have called it cins der erlcbtcstcn B'uchcr. The three or four interpolations ^ suggesting that this pessimistic poem was a work of the wise king of Israel, Solomon ben-David (about 950 b. c.) may be due to the friends of the author, who edited the book.^ On the other hand, there are a great many Pharisaic interpolations directly opposing the Epicurean ^ teaching set forth in the poem. The genuine portions of Fxclesiastes are Sadducean and Epicurean ; Stoic doctrines are found almost exclusively in the Pharisaic interpolations.^ Ecclesiastes must have been a Sadducee; for he doubts the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the body (3, 21). He must have been a physician; otherwise he could not have given the enumeration of the symptoms of senile decay in the beautiful allegorical description at the end oi the Book. He must have been born under the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes (175-164); for in 4, 13-16 he says that he saw the general enthusiasm for the poor Init zvise youth (/. c, Alexander Balas) who succeeded (150 B.C.) to the throne of the old and foolish king (i. i\, Antiochus Epiphanes). 9 Ecclesiastes also states, at the end of c. 9, that he saw the successful defense of the small place (Bethsura) against the great king (Antiochus Eupator, 163 b. c.).'° Schopenhauer" says that no one can fully appreciate Ecclesiastes until he is seventy, and we may safely assume that Ecclesiastes had reached the age of three score years and ten when he finished his work. If we suppose that he was born in the first year of the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, he would have been eight years old at the beginning of the Maccabean rising in 167 b. c, and twelve at the time of the siege of Bethsura in 163 b. c.'° If he was in Bethsura with his family during the siege, it would not 3n(robucfton be surprising that this event made a strong imj^ression on him. At the time of the nuptials of Alexander Balas in 150,9 he would have been 25, or 22 at the beginning (153) and 30 at the end (145) of Alexander's meteoric career. He ma}' ha\-e completed his Book at the age of 75, in 100 B. c, but he may not have published it during his lifetime, and his friends and disciples, who desired to make known this remarkable legacy, may ha\'e deemed it imprudent to publish it under the name of its author; therefore they tried to make it appear to be a work of King Solomon,*^ especially as several passages might ha\e been referred to the king then reigning, rh., Alexander Jannaius (104-78 B. c.).'^ The pessimistic poem may have caused such a sensation that it was impossible to suppress it. The Pharisaic authorities therefore decided to save the attractive book for the Congregation but to pour some water into the author's strong wine. '3 This official recension, which was not castrated but figleaved, may have been prompted by the apocryphal book known as the Wisdom of Solomon, '•♦ which was composed at Alexandria about 50 b. c. The Wisdom of Solomon [cf. especially c. 2) is directed against Ecclesiastes, and the Pharisaic authorities may have deemed it necessary to clear Jerusalem of the suspicion of Epicureanism. ^ They may have been afraid that the Egyptian Jews might eventually abandon their annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem, preferring to worship at the Temple founded at Leontopolis by Onias IV. about 160 B. c.'5 This Jewish Temple in Egypt existed until y^) '^- D., when it was closed by the Romans after the destruction of Jerusalem. The confusion of the traditional text of Ecclesiastes may be partly accidental, partly intentional.'^ The original manu- script may have been left by the author without a final revision ; he may have left a number of parallels and variants '^ without indicating his final preference. This confusion was increa.scd by the editorial changes introduced by the friends of the author, who published the work after his death. ^ It was further increased b}- the polemical interpolations of 4 — *-f^^^&^ '^nttobuction -^n^^^-^ — the orthodox Pharisaic editors, who finally admitted the Book into the Canon of the Sacred Scriptures in 90 a. d. Several of the most objectionable statements are less offensive if preceded '^ or followed '^ by orthodox glosses and scattered through less questionable sections; but combined in their proper order they would have been intolerable. ^° For the same reason some of the love-songs in the so-called Song of Solomon seem to have been cut up and dislocated, because in their original order certain erotic allusions would have been too plain and would not have lent themselves to any allegorical interpretation for the purpose of edification.^' A dislocated and bandaged arm has no force. ^^ We have, of course, no mathematical evidence, and I do not claim to have been present when the editorial changes were made, but my theory explains all the features of this remarkable Book. I came to my conclusions fourteen years ago, after having interpreted the Book in the Old Testament Seminary of the Johns Hopkins University for three years (1888- 1 891), and when I examined my notes again last winter ^3 i found hardly anything requiring modification; in fact, I rediscovered several things which I had found in 1890. My views concerning the Old Testament have undergone considerable modifications during the past fifteen years, ever since I took up the idea of publishing a new edition of the Bible ; but with regard to Ecclesiastes my first impression has remained the same in all essential points, although my notes of 1890 had become so unfamiliar to me that I regarded them just as objectively as though they had been compiled by somebody else. Certainly, nothing that has appeared during the past fourteen years, neither the commentary of Wildeboer'^'^ nor the translations of Riietschi^s and Siegfried, ^^ have induced me to deviate from my original opinion. The arrangement of the text is practi- cally the same which I made in 1890, a specimen of which was published in the Johns Hopkins University Circulars for June, 1891,^^ and reprinted in the Oriental Studies'^ (Boston, I894).==« — »'^«^'«Sc 3n 6). He does not deny (5, 2) the existence of God but he disbelieves a moral order of the universe ; divine influence on this world, where there is so much imperfection and evil, seems to him impossible (see especially section II). In the same way he doubts the immortality of the soul (3, 21); death ends all consciousness (9^ 10). He by no means commends nothing but eating, and drinking, and pleasure (8, 15 ; 2, 24; 5, 18; ^y^ 3, 12); he also preaches the gospel of work (3, 22; 9j 10). Cf. below, n. 4 on III ; n. 9 on VIII. Ecclesiastes' Epicurean Ceterum censeo that nought is good for man but eating, and drinking, and pleasure (8, 15 ; 2, 24; 5, 18; cf. 3, 12) is condemned by Jesus (Luke 12, 20) in a section which contains several allusions to the Book of Ecclesiastes {cf. Luke 12, 18 and Eccl. 2, 4; Luke 12, 2ob and Eccl. 2, 18^, and above all, Luke 12, 27 = Matt. 6, 29 {Solomon in all his glory'). Note also vv. 29. 30. M?/ iu£Te(jpiCe(y&e (Luke 12, 29) means: Do not be at sea {cf. Thuc. 8, 16) i. e., in a state of uncertainty, do not go astray {cf Pol. 5, 70, 10). The Peshita renders: Let not your mind stray in these things {we-ld nifh^ ri'ydnkhdn be-hdlcn). In the Talmud, Epikuros means ' freethinker ; ' it is there a synonym of the earlier term Sadducee ' righteous,' which seems to be a euphemism for 'unrighteous; ' cf. nn. 31-34 to my paper on Ps. i, in Hebraica, 19, 139 and below, n. i on II. (8) Cf. c. g. below, n. 23 on VI. (9) See below, n. 9 on III. Winckler {cf. above, n. 2) is right in identifying the old atid foolish king with Antiochus Epiphanes, but the poor and wise youth is according to Winckler not Alexander Balas, but Demetrius I. Contrast below, n. 13 on III. (10) See below, n. 6 on VI. (11) See below, n. 43 on VIII. (12) For instance, 4, 14; 10, 16; 3, 16.. Beth-hassiirhn, the house of outcasts (4, 14) is generally considered to be equivalent to beth-hd' dsiirim, the house of prisoners, and this interpretation may have been common soon after the publication of the Book. Alexander Jannaeus had been shut up in prison by his elder brother and predecessor Aristobulus (104/3 B.C.), the first Hasmonean King of the Jews, whose coronation is glorified in Ps. 2 ; see n. 22 to my paper in ZDMG 58, 629, cited below, at the end ofn. 27. Neither Baumann (ZDMG 58, 587-595) nor Sievers (ZDMG 58, 864-866) have paid any attention to my remarks on Ps. 2 in Hebraic a, 19, 134 — 146 and Johns Hopkins University Circulars, No. 163, p. 56, n. 17 {cf. ibid., p. 90). Aristobulus' widow. Queen Salma Alexandra, was 37 years old when she married his step-brother Alexander Jannaeus, and he was 24. Alexander Jannaeus was also said -^•°»«§es:^ (Tlotce on 3« we find 3 + 2 beats. The final section of the Book must be divided into two halves, just as I did in my lecture on Ecclesiastes published in 1894 (see above, n. 2). Each of these two halves consists of 3 and 5 couplets, respectively. Also section III must be divided into two halves, and each half consists of two stanzas, each stanza comprising two triplets. The opening section, on the other hand, consists of three stanzas, each stanza comprising four couplets. Cf. my strophic reconstruction of Moses' Song of Triumph {Hebraica, 20, 155) and the Songof Hannah (ZDMG 58, 620). In the older poetical books of the Old Testament the end of a line generally coincides with the end of a clause, but in Ecclesiastes we find a number of cases in which the end of a clause forms the beginning of the following line or hemistich. In modern poetry, as well as in Greek and Roman poems, this is, of course, quite common ; but in Hebrew poetry it is comparatively rare. In the opening pair of hemistichs for instance (i, 2) we find 3x2 (or 4 + 2) beats instead of the regular 3-1-3 beats ; in the same way we have in the second double- hemistich of section II (9, 2) 3X 2 beats instead of 3 + 3 beats, unless we prefer to call this a transposition of the cesura; / 14-18 i. ii 7 ■■ V,/3 7-10 i-iii 8a : VI, V II. 12 II, ii. iii 2, I-II : VII, i-vi 8b : V, £ 13- 14 VI, vi 12a : VI, iii 9 : ii 15^ vii, I 12b VII, vii 10 I, vi 15'' 3 13-17 VI, iii-v II III, iv l6a : 2a 18 : VII, vi 12a : VII, 7 l6b. 17 - 19-243 vii-ix 12b : a 1 8a vii, 2b 24^-26 ni 7, I. 2a : III, V 1 8b 9, 2 3,1-8 9 10 II : I, ix-xii 2b-4 5 : I V 10, la lb I ■■ II. vii, 3 VI, a 6 7 IV, i 2-3 4 : VI, 12. 13 14 15" 16 VII, ^^ VI, 7 I, Tl 8-10 II. 12 III, vi VI, 5-7 8-Ioa : i VIII, vi. vii 13- 14 7 lob : VI, KK IV, e I5-l8a II, vi. vii II : VIII, vii ii 1 8b VIII, :; 12. 13 : VI, 17 18-22 e 19 VI, p 14a III, I'P ii-iv 20 21. 22 II, '/ IV, ^- 14b 15 ■■ IV, fi ■■ V, 7 4. 1-3 V. vi V, i 23. 24 25 VI, V 1? 16. 17 18 III, ^' 4 26-28 : VIII, V 19a : III, 77 5 6 : 7.8 • 7 ii vi. vii 29 : 8, I VI, 7 19b 20 : VI, ^« IV, ,- 9-12 : ^ 2-6 IV, f II, 1-3 VIII, iv.v 13-16 : III, vii. viii 7 : VIII, A 4 viii 8 : f 5 s 5, 1-2 i. ii 9a : VI, rt 6 viii 3 -■ ii ■ 9b IV, s^ 7.8ba IV, A' 4-6 : iii. iv 10 : II, V 8b/3 VIII, xvi, 2b 7a : /? II-13 : ^ 9. loa ix 7b 6 14 : iv lob xi 8.9 : IV. ^ 15 ■■ VII, x 10-12 : V, iii-v i6a : VI, ;/ 12, T-sa : x-xiv 13- 14 ■■ X i6b : VII, f- 6, lo'' What has happened existed ^ aforetime; what a man will be, is (fore)known. I, lo Is there aught whereof we may say, lo, this is a thing that is new. It was (known) in those ages aforetime that passed before we were born.^ II Whatever is past is forgotten,^" and so will it be in the future; It will not be remembered by those who happen to live in the future. Vll VIU 3, I / 5" All lasts but a while," and transient'^ is everything under the sky : Transient are births and deaths, '^ transient are planting, uprooting.* Transient are slaying and healing, transient are razing and building, Transient are rending- and sewin^ transient are scattering' and gathering.' Transient are keeping and scattering,'* transient are seeking '5 and leaving,'^ Transient are affection, '^ aversion,' transient are love and hatred. Transient are warfare and peace, transient are weeping and laughter. Transient are wailing and triumph,'^ transient are silence and speaking! XI Xll {v) I, 9 What has happened,-" will happen (again); what was done,*^ (again) will be done.'^^ 3, 15a What has happened, '^^ will happen (again); what is to hap, happened aforetime.*^ (•?) 2 what is planted (<) S'' stones ('>) 5b from affection (AA) i^ 9 Nought new is there under the sun. (1^'^) 3, 15 aforetime 11. 9, 2 Precisely as all thin<^s are [transient], i so the same fate happens to all : The ri vi a bad one may live long, though wicked.^ 16 Be therefore not over-righteous, neither show thyself over- wise j ' 17 Be thou not over-wicked, neither be thou a fool.' Why wilt thou ruin thyself vii and die before thy time? 18* Well is it to hold on to this, and not to withdraw from that. 10, i^ More precious than wisdom' and honor^ [at times] '° is somewhat of folly.' (t?) 8, II Since judgment does not (always) follow with speed, on deeds that are evil, The mind of the sons of men is full " in their hearts '^ to do evil. 12 But ^^ if a sinner sin hundreds of times, and lengthen the days of his life, Yet am I (fully) assured, it is well with those who fear God.'^'*'* 13 And it will not be well with the wicked, and he will not lengthen his days,"" Who bears no fear in his heart, of God, (nor keeps His commandments). (t) 7, 15 All this have I seen in the days of my vanity '* (Xk) 8, 12 since {im) who fear Him 9, ia3 because the righteous and the wise ' ajtd their works are in the hand of God {vv^ 13 like a shadow 1* — »-*«#e6»- (Bccf«0ta6(«e -50%*§6»i-« — rs III. 5, I Take heed to thy feet ' whenever i thou goest to the house of God ; To draw nigh to Hsten [to homihes] ^ is better than fools giving sacrifices ; 3 For they never know [what they do, and never cease] to do evil. 2 Be not rash with thy mouth, ii and in thy mind be not hasty To utter a word before God ; " let the words (of) thy (mouth) be few ! ^ For God, He is in Heaven,* and thou art (here) upon earth. 4 Whenever thou makest a vow,'' iii put thou not off its fulfilment;* For no one takes pleasure in fools. Whatever thou vowest, fulfil ! 5 Far better it is not to vow than vow and not to fulfil. 6 Let not thy mouth bring on' guilt iv and then say,^ It is but an error; Lest "anger be roused at thy statement, and the work of thy hands be distrained.^ 6, n "Too much talking multiplies vanities, — thereof what profit has man ? (n) 5, 2 therefore (/3) 3 P'or as dreams come from mucli occupation, so statements of fools from mucli talkin^.pp 7a In many a dream there are vanities, and (to) vanities (leads) much talking. (7) 4 to God (f5) 7b for fear God (*) 6 thy person (:) 6 before the messenger (of the Temple) ('/) God's (i9) 6, 11 for {pp) 10, I4» a fool talks much i6 — »<4<^^:s- Bcdeei&eUe -^m^^^- — 7, I Far better than flavor is favor,^ v and the day of death than of birth, 2'^ And to enter a house of mourning' than enter a house of feasting, 5 To hear the rebuke of a wiseman than hst to the song of fools.' 8 Better is ending than starting, vi than haughtiness better is patience. ^ 9 Be not hasty in spirit to worry; this ^ abides in the bosom of fools. 10 'How comes it,' ask not, 'that the pasf* was better far than the present ? ' " 4, 13 A youth, poor and wise, is better ^ vii than a king who is old and foolish. And never knows how to take warning, [but through pride of his heart is exalted;]^ (') 7 2b Since to all men this is the ending, let the Hving lay it to heart. 3 Far better is worry than laughter, a sad-faced man is in tune." 4 The mind of the wise is with mourners, the mind of a fool is with mirth. (k) 6 Like the crackling of nettles'^ under kettles, so is the laughter of fools. <^<^ (?) 9 worry (//) 10 times (i') thou enquires! not wisely about this (f) 10,16 Woe, thou land whose king is a boy !'^ whose princes eat" in the morning." 17 Hail, thou land whose king is highborn, whose princes eat" at due seasons I"" (aa) 7> 6 this, too, is vanity {tt) 10, 19a With laughter they are feasting, and wine gladdens life. (vv) 17 for strength, and not for drinking'* 4, 14 Though (t)hc (youth)" be the issue of outcasts '5 and born fi\)ni the poor of his kingdom.^ 15 The hving who walk under the sun, viii I noted, were all for the youth ■" 16 No end there was of the people before whom he stood (as a leader). But anon they cease to admire him ; this, too, is vanity and a striving for wind.'° IV. 10, 5 One evil I saw under the sun i is a blunder "on the part of the ruler: 6 The fools' are lifted on high, while worthies'^ remain in low station.' 7 I have noted servants on horseback, and princes going on foot.'' 3, 16 ''In the place of justice is wickedness; ii in the place of righteousness, outrage. 18 ' I said to myself in my heart, * for men's sake this is (permitted) That they may^ see and perceive that their very selves are beasts. (") 4, 14 who ascended the throne'* (^) 15 the second'" who stepped in his place'^ (n) 10, 5 proceeding d'i) 6 rich men (} ) 7 like servants ('') 3, 16 I saw repeatedly under the sun (f) 17 I said (to myself) in my heart: the righteous as well as the wicked By God will [surely] be judged; for a term " to every thing ' And to every deed has He set ; 15b God looks after ''^ him who is inirsued.'^ (C) 18 may be caused by God to i8 ^-i«#^»s- (Bccfcetaefea -s^fa^-*— 3, 19 "One fate is to man and to beast : iii as one dies, so dies the other; And all possess the same soul,^ there is no pre-eminence in man ; ' 20 'From dust arose (one and) all, and to dust shall all again turn. 3' 21 Who knows if the soul' of man iv ascends on high (to heaven) ? (Who can tell) if the soul' of beasts descends below to Hades ? '» — 22 I have noted that nothing is better than the pleasure one^ takes in his work-S*^ 4, I When I saw again (and again) v all oppressions" under the sun,^ And the tears of (all) the oppressed, with no one to right their wrongs;^ The oppressors with power supreme,^ with no one to right their wrongs;^ {v) 19 For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. («?) over the beasts (() 20 to the same place all are wending" («) 19 for all is vanity (A) 22 man (//) 22 for this is his portion; For who can bring him to see what is to happen hereafter?'^ 10,. 14'' Man cannot know aught of the future ; who can tell him what will happen hereafter? (1') 4. I that are practiced (•f) 7> 7 Though oppression may madden a wiseman, a gift"* may corrupt the mind. 8, 9b Sometimes a man acts the tyrant over others to his (own) disadvantage." Bcctteiaette "9 4, 2 Then I praised the (lot of the) dead" vi more than that of the hving who still are,"" 3 And happier than both [I consider] him who is not yet come into being, Who never has seen (all) the /^ doings that are done (here) under the sun.' 5, 8 Whenever oppression of the needy, deprivation of justice and right In any province thou notest, be not alarmed at the matter. A higher one watches the high one, and over all is the Most High. 9 After all '' a country will profit — a civilized''* land — by a king." 8, 2 I [say], Observe the king's command If only for the oath of God.'" Do not be rash Nor take a stand For he can do WHio can ask him : 5 Who lives the law A wise mind knows 6 Though one's distress 10, 4 Should the ruler's wrath -^ Leave not thy place, Composure abates ^* 2o Not even in bed Nor in thy chamber For birds of air And things with wings 7, 21 But pay no heed Or thou wilt hear 22 At ^* times (indeed) That thou thyself (o) 4, 2 who were already dead and run from him, in bad affairs ;^^ just as he likes, "« What doest thou?" will find no harm;^'* due time and way,^*^^ lie heavy on him. be stirred against thee, nor run from him; the greatest wrongs. curse thou the king, curse one in power; " may carry words, may tell the tale!^ to ever>' word.TV thy servant curse thee, thine own heart knows hast cursed thy fellows. (tt) living (a«) 8, 4 since the word of the king is supreme*' (/5/3) 6 there is due time and way for all things (//) 7. 21 which they say in) 3 evil ((5(5) 22 many I ^-i»Hs|**>- (Eccfcetaetce -^m^s^^^*^- 6, 3 If of children a man have a hundred, vii ■^and the days of his years be many,'° And he have not plenty of happiness/ an abortion is luckier than he is;" 5 Though it never has seen the sun,**" it is far better off than that man.^ V. 4, 4 I have seen" that (the end of) all toiling, i and whatever in work is efficient, Is (mere) competition with neighbors -^ this, too, is vanity and a striving for wind. 6 '^A handful' with quiet is better ii than double handfuls^ with toiling. {o) 6, 3 and he live a great many years (r) and also if he have no burial''' ('') 4 Though in vain it comes and goes,"'" and its name is covered with darkness. (0) 5 and felt (anything) (,t) 6 And if he should live a thousand years twice, and « enjoy happiness, are not all going to the same place? II, 7 Sweet is the light, and it is fair for the eyes to enjoy the sun. 8 But Ci live one for many a year, and be glad from beginning to end,^^ Let him bear ever in mind that many a dark ^^ day will come. (") 4- 4 I (/?) 6, 7 All the toil of a man is to eat," yet his appetite never is filled. (} ) 4, 5 With folded arms stands the fool, and his own flesh he consumes." 10, i8 Through sloth the rafters fall in, the house through idleness" leaks. («) 6, 6 not (^n II, 8 in case (rr) 10, i8 of the hands -^•^"^^^6- (Sccf«0ta0tce ->j^*ge**'«^- 6, 9 Better that which is seen with the eyes^ than day-dreams ■» 'and a strivin<^f for wind.' 5, lo Never sated ^ is he who loves money; iii and he who dehghts in abundance, His income will never suffice himjS this, too, is vanity and a striving for wind. 11 Whenever possessions increase, iv Those also increase who consume them; What profit then has the possessor save the looking thereon witli his eyes?^ 12 The sleep of the plowman is sweet, v whether scanty or ample his fare; But the rich man's superabundance will not allow him to slumber. 4, 7 Again (and again) have I noted vi a vanity 7 under the sun: 8 A man without a companion, with never a son or a brother. And yet he toils on without ceasing, vii his eyes are never sated with riches ; [He thinks not,] for whom am I toiling, denying myself (every) pleasure?"* 10, 15 Fools' toil '" may keep a man busy,'* who knows not the way to the town.'-* (f5) 6, 9 this, too, is vanity (e) 8b What (drawback) is there to a poorman who tactfully deals with the world?'® (C) 5, 10 with money ('/) 4, 8 this, too, is vanity and hard work (»9) 4, 9 Two are better than one; for well their toil is rewarded." 10 If [both] should happen to fall, the one can raise up the other ; 6, I There is an evil' I have seen under the sun, viii and it Hes very heavy on men : 2 A man to whom has been given' (great) wealth, and treasures, and honor; Whereby in nought is he lacking ix of all the desires of his heart; But he is not allowed^ to enjoy it — a stranger (comes and) enjoys it.** 5, 13 An(other) sore evil I noted:" x (it is) wealth guarded (close) by its owner,^ 14 But" lost in spite of hard labor, so that nothing" is left^ for his son.'' 18^ Lo, this is what I have noted, xi which is (truly) good and befitting :'° 4, But woe unto him who falls with no one (near) to upraise him! 11 Again, when two sleep together, they are warm ; but how is it, when single?^* 12 And if one man make an attack, two surely will withstand him.i'*' [sore evil (0 6, I which (/v) 2 by God {?■) by God [u) this is vanity and a {^) 5. 13 under the sun {i) to (the time of) his misfortune {o) 14 this wealth (tt) at all {p) 15 As he came forth from his mother's womb, Again all naked, as he came, he goes.^* Nought at all can he take along, in spite of toil, not a handful.™ 16 This evil, too, is grievous : precisely as he came, he goes. What profit has he who toils for wind? (w) 4, 12 And a threefold cord is not quickly broken 5, To eat, and drink, and be merry in spite of all our toiling.'^ VL I, 14 T hav'e taken (due) note of all doings' ' i that are done (here) under the sun;" And lo, each one is a vanity,- and [all] is a striving for wind. 15 The crooked cannot be straightened, what is lackinij can not be made efood/ (tr) 5, i8b Wherewith he toils under the sun the numbered-' days of his life, Which have been allotted by God ; for this is (all of) his portion. 19 But every man to whom are given** Wealth and treasures, with leave to taste v^them, And carr>' off his portion, and enjoy his toiling, (Must always hold it) a gift of God.-- 20 He will not think -/"^ of his days of life, When God absorbs -'^ his mind with pleasure. (a) I, 12 I, Ecclesiastes,** who (once) was King® Over Israel in Jerusalem, 13 Set my heart to seek and sift,'" By wisdom, all done ' under heaven. It is a sore task which God has given To sons of men, whereon to fret. 3, ID The task I have seen, which God has given To sons of men, whereon to fret. 8, 93 All this have I seen, and set my heart On all the doings done' under the sun. (,,3) 9, laaAll this I laid to heart, and all this saw my heart. {y) 7. 13 Consider the work of God: who straightens a* what He has made crooked? 14 In days that are happy, be happy; in unhappy, consider that God (*0) 5. ^9 ^y Go^ (xx) sometliing of {} ) 8, 17 all the doings of God ((5(5) 3, II God (") 7, 23 I thought I would be wise {iC) 24 deep* -^"t-el^Ke- i)his mind fails him (>'»') 13 evil 26 —^^'f-e^msf^ ^cdteiaetee ^^i©^-^ a, i6 The wiseman is not remembered no more than the fool, for ever." 17 So Hfe became to me hateful, disgust overcame me at'* the doings That are done (here) under the sun ; all is vanity and a striving for wind. 9, 13 I once saw (an instance of) wisdom 5 vi under the sun, which deeply impressed me : 14 A small town there was, with few in it, and a powerful king came against it. And to it laid siege, and erected against it powerful bulwarks.^ 15^ Now there was in the town a poor wiseman vii who dehvered the place by his wisdom/ 16* And I thought,"^ above valor is wisdom,^ 18^ "above weapons of war is wisdom ;"'' 15^ But the people bore not in remembrance that man so poor (and so wise).^ (1") 2, i6b inasmuch as in future days ever>'thing will have been forgotten; and how does the wiseman die? — just as the fool ! (p) 7> 19 -^ Wiseman's wisdom is stronger than ten rulers who aref^ in the city. { '7 ^"d illness and vexation (99) 8, i6b in his eyes 30 — ^^<^^»- (Bccheiaeiitf -nnm^a-i-^— ^ VIII. 9, 7 Go, eat thy bread with pleasure, i and drink thy wine with cheer ; " 8 And white be (all) thy garments,^ and oil for the head unfailing.' 9 Be happy ^ with a woman '^ thou lov^est, ii through all the days of thy vanity ; 3* For this is thy portion in life, .in thy toiling' under the sun. lo Whatever thy hand may find iii to do with thy strength — do it ! * For work there is none, nor planning, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in Sheol.^" 1 Send thy breadcorn across the" water, iv though it take many days, — thou wilt regain it ; 2 But apportion it 'twixt seven or' eight (ships) ;^ for what' may happen, thou knowest not.^ (a) 9, 7 when God has sanctioned thy doings (/?) 8 throughout all time (} ) 9 whom (f5) 9 Allotted to thee under the sun (through) all the days of thy vanity.^ (e) wherewith thou art toiling (:) lo whither thou art going {v) 4 because for him who is associated with all the living, there is some hope ; for indeed ' ' a living dog is better than a dead lion. ' ' 5 Though the living know that they must die, the dead do not know anything, and they have no reward any more ; for their 6 memory is forgotten — their love as well as their hate,'^'^ and their passions are all over, and nevermore have they any share in anything that is done under the sun (i9) II, I face of the (0 2 even to (k) evil on the earth (/) 8, 7 As he knows not what will happen; who can tell him when it will happen? 9, lb P Man knows not all that is in store for^ him (nn) 9, iba love as well as hatred vin «-» «j»e@a f Cccfeetaetee ^ gsj» »» - II, 3 If clouds be full [of water], v they pour down rain on the earth ; If southward*^ a tree should fall,*' wherever it" fall, there it lies.^ 10, S Whoso digs a pit may fall in it,^ vi who pulls down," — a snake may bite ;^ 9 Who quarries stones may be hurt therewith ; who cleaves wood, may be injured. lo^ If the [edge of the] iron be blunt,'' vii it needs more strength [in the using]. ^ II If the snake, before charming, should bite, his charms avail not the charmer. '° 11, 4 Who watches the u^ind will not sow, viii who looks to the clouds will not reap ; " 6 So scatter thy seed in the morning, withhold not thy hand at evening. '^p 31 (/") II, 3 ornorthward (v) the tree ii) 8, S No man has control of the wind,/Si3 nor is any control of the death-day. Just as no release is in war ; •'* nor will wickedness save its adherents. II, 5 Inasmuch as thou dost not know the (future) course of the wind, Or the bones in the womb of the pregnant,*" even so canst thou never know [Every] work (and action) of God who does (and ordains) all this. {") 10, S a wall" {-) 10 that is, if he has not ground the (ax-)head if)) II, 6 For thou knowest not which will thrive, yy Or whether both will be good alike. (/?/?) 8,8 tocheck the wind (yv)ii,6 theone or the other 32 -^■^^l^fs- Bcciteiaette ^s^^s*-*— II, 9 Take pleasure, O youth, in thy boyhood, '3 ix in the days of thy youth be"' joyous I'' lo^ Cast worrying out of thy mind, but keep away ills from thy body!^"*" la, I Remember thy well '^ in* thy youth, x ere the days of evil approach, And the years draw nigh wherein, thou wilt say, I have no pleasure. 2 Ere the sun become obscured, xi and the light, and the moon, and the stars; The clouds return after rain, II, lo^ for boyhood and black hair are vanities/^ 12, 3 When the keepers of the house '^ are trembling, xii and the men of strength '^ are bending ; (a) II, 9 thy mind (r) Just walk in the ways of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes ; " But know that for all these things to judgment God will bring thee! (v) 7, 26 I find more bitter than death a woman *^ who is (all) snares ;*5 He who is good«« will escape her ;^^ but he who is sinful, be caught. 27 Lo, this I have found out,')') (counting) one by one,** to reach the result:*^ 28 One man in a thousand I found ; *® but a woman, ever sought By my soul, but never found," among them all I found not. {(t>) 12, I in the days of (66) 7, 26 and her heart a great net, and her arms fetters («) before God (CC) iSbFor he who fears God will escape them all** (w) 27 said Ecclesiastes*" viii — »*^«Be- (Eccfcetaetee -^im^^*-*— 33 12, The grinders '9 quit work, though they are fewj Those who look through the windows''° are [darkened. 4 And barred are the doors of egress,^' xiii since low is the sound of the mill;" And we rise at the birds' first cheep, ^^ though all daughters of music be muffled. ^'^ 5^ Whatever is high, we fearj's xiv and every walk is a terror. ^^ The almond tree blossoms ;^7 and inert ^^ lies the chrysalis, ^^ till the soul 3° emerges.^' 6 Ere the cord of silver 3^ be snapped, xv and the golden bowl 33 be shivered, The pitcher at the fountain be shattered, 3^ and the wheel 35 at the well breaks down.^ 5^ For he"'' goes to his home everlasting, 3^ xvi and the mourners 37 go about m the street. 8 O vanity!"^ all is vanity! II, s'' and all that is coming is vanity!*"" (x) 12, 7 the dust shall return to the earth (to become) what it was ; but the soul *^ shall return to God who gave it (1/') s^man (u) 8 said Ecclesiastes" (ww) 9 In addition to the fact that Ecclesiastes *" was a wise man, he continually taught the people knowledge,^' thinking out, and 10 composing, and arranging many lines.^ Ecclesiastes tried to find pleasing^' words, but what is written is correct.^'' <*>* 11 Words of the wise are like points of goads, But (firm) as nails" are the verses of a poem.''^** 12 Besides, my son, be on your guard against these (sayings);^ endless is the making of books -^^ in great numbers; but too much reading wearies the flesh.'''' 13 Let us hear the end of all this talk : Fear God and keep His 14 commandments; that is (what) every man (ought to do)." God will bring all doings into the judgment upon all that is hidden,^ be it good or evil. [leader.*^ (i?)?)l2,io words of truth (") 11 driven in (««) they were given by one 34 ^«<#«#^s> (Tlotce on Bcdteiaeiis -^fm^^i-'— (Uo^ee on (Bccfeeiae^ee. I. (i) The Greek word Ecclesiastes (Heb. Koheleth) does not denote an ecclesiastic or preacher, but one who addresses an ecclesia, or as- sembly, a public speaker (Lat. contionator) or lecturer ( French r(^;//d?r^«- cier) especially a public teacher of philosophy; cf. 12, 9 (VIII, ww). (2) Lit, breath of breaths, i. e., How utterly transitory is every- thing. The Heb. term hebl means primarily breath, then anything as un- substantial as a breath, anything that is in vain, i. e., vanishes as easily as a breath ; hence a vain pursuit, a fruitless effort {cf. n. 10 on III). All is vain, without any real value, unsubstantial and idle, fruitless, ineffec- tual, useless, futile, unavailing. Ecclesiastes uses the term vanity also in the sense of a fact illustrating the vanity of everything, e. g. 8, 14 (II, iv): A vanity done on this earth is, and 4, 7 (V, vi): I have noted a vanity under the sun. Cf. n. $ on VI. (3) Lit., snorting. This refers to the horses [Phocbi anheli eqici, Ovid, Metamorph. 15, 418) of the chariot of the sun (2 K 23, 11). The Heb. verb does not mean 'to pant from fatigue.' (4) Lit., to the place whither the streams are going, there they return to go. (5) Lit., wearying themselves; cf. n. 14 on V. (6) Lit., the eye is not satisfied with seeing, and the ear is not filled with hearing. (7) Overruling necessity, destiny. (8) Lit., his name was called, an old Babylonian phrase for to exist The cuneiform account of Creation begins: At the time when the heavens above were not called, nor the earth below had a name. A name is the expression of the impression ; cf. Gen. 2, 19. (9) Lit., it was already in the ages that were before us. . (10) Lit., there is no remembrance of former things. (11) Lit., to all there is a while, /. e., a (short) space of time ; cf. n. II on IV. (12) Prop., temporary; lit., to everything there is a time. Nothing is timeless, termless, interminable. (13) Just as the sea is never full, owing to the constant evaporation (Job 36, 27 ; JAOS 17, 162) of the water, although all streams run into it, so deaths counterbalance births. If the number of births increases, the mortality among the infants increases ; if a great many people die, owing to epidemics, wars, famines, &c., this loss is offset by a marked increase in the number of marriages and births ; so births and deaths are transient just as all other human actions. The power of conception and " — »4«§^«f (tiotte on €ccf<6td0fee •«^«s*'«— 35 the capability of parturition last but a certain time (about thirty years), and mortality is greater in certain periods of life : it is high among in- fants ; then it decreases up to the thirteenth year, when it begins to in- crease again. Even the greatest mortality in the most deadly epidemics lasts but a limited period. The Black Death in the xivth century raged for three years, 134S-1351, but was followed by a period of great bles- sings with a marked increase in the birth-rate. In the times of the Mac- cabees a philosopher in Palestine might have observed the same phe- nomena which we find in Germany after the Thirty Years' War (1618- 1648). The first three decades (170-143) of the Maccabean period (167-63 B. c.) might be called, in some respects, the Thirty Years' War of Palestine. (14) Dropping, casting off. (15) For instance, a lost sheep (Ps. 119, 176); r/. n. 12 on IV. (16) To perish in the wilderness, &c. Abandoning, forsaking. (17) Lit., embracing and being distant. (18) Lit., e.xulting, leaping for joy. (19) This may mean 'head of a school.' (20) In nature. (21) By men ; r/. i, 14; 8, 19* (VI, i and a). (22) Holderlin's Empedokles says, Ge/i ! Fi'irchfe nichts, Es kehret alles wicder, Und was geschehen soil, ist schon geschehen. II. (i) Righteous=orthodo.x, wise = godfearing ; wicked = unorthodox, freethinker, Hellenizer ; fool = agnostic, atheist; cf. Pss. 14, i; iii, 10 (see also n. 15 on V and n. 36 on VI). In Dan. 12, 3 the faithful (ortho- dox) Jews are called they that are wise (or of understandbig) ; cf. v. 10. The Book of Daniel was written about 164 b. c. when Ecclesiastes was perhaps ten years old. (2) Lit., I returned and saw, /. e., I saw again (and again) ; I saw re- peatedly; cf. IV, V; V, vi. (3) Cf. note 2 on section I and n. 3 on VI. (4) Lit., to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. (5) Cf. Isaiah 57, 2 ; Wisdom of Solomon 3, 3. (6) That is, the holy city of Jerusalem. The Arabic name of Jeru- salem is el-Kuds, Holiness. (7) For instance, Judas Maccabaeus ( i Mace. 9, iS) and his elder bro- ther Simon (i Mace. 16, 16). (8) Cf. Job 21, 7-15 ; 12, 6 ; Jer. 12, i. (9) Dignity. (10) Cf. e. g., I Mace. 2, 41 ; Matt. 12, i ff.; Luke 14, 5. (11) Big, prone. (12) Lit., in them. (13) Socrates was convinced that no one could harm a righteous man, since God would not forsake him ; cf. 3, 15b (IV, f) and nn. 12. 23 on IV. ( 14) In spite of the short duration of my life ; (/ n. 3 on VIII. (15) Cf. 6, 12a (VII, vv). 36 — »<#«#^S«- (Uotce on ^cckeiaette -^a^i»i»«— in III. ( 1 ) Do not keep running to the Temple heedlessly, merely out of habit, or out of regard for other people. Consider when thou goest to the Temple, whither, why, and wherefore thou art going. (2) Expounding the Scriptures. (3) Cy. I S 15, 22 ; Is. I, II. 16; Mic. 6, 6-8. (4) Ecclesiastes believed that God was not only distinct from the world, but also separated from it. According to Epicurus {r/. above, n. 7 to the Introduction) the gods resided in the interniiindia, the spaces between the worlds. The Heb. word for heaven means also ether, tipper air; cf. the birds of heaven, i. e. the air, e. g. in 10, 20 (IV, f). (5) If a man made a vow which he afterwards repudiated, on the plea that he had made a mistake, he was liable to attachment ; his prop- erty might be seized as security for the payment of the vow and held as a pledge until satisfaction be made. (6) That is, high favor with the people ; a good reputation is better than the finest flavor {cf. our the odor of his good name and a name of evil savor, a malodorous reputation) sweeter than the most precious perfume; cf. Cant, i, 3: thy name is (thrice-) clarified perfume; see my Book of Canticles [cf n. 21 on the Introduction) n. 21 on No. 7. There is a paronomasia in the Hebrew : Tov-^sein inisshnn Idz' ; cf. be- low, n. 12. (7) Qniet submission to the will of fate {cf. I, vi), unresisting acquies- cence, resignation. (8) Cf. 2 Mace. S, 17. (9) This poor and wise youth is the young king Alexander Balas of Syria ( 150-145 b. c. ) who was a great friend of the Jews ( i Mace. 10, 47). The old and foolish king, on the other hand, is the arch-enemy of the Jews, Antiochus Epiphanes (175-164). Old = patrician, aristocratic; cf. elder = prince, chief and our old man. For wise = religious, friend of the Jewish religion, and foolish = irreligious, see n. i on II. Alexander Balas was a boy of very humble origin (Justin says, sortis extrei)iae JHvenis), but pretended to be a son of Antiochus Epiphanes, and his claims were supported (Justin says, totius ferme orientis viribus sub- cinctus) not only by Attains II. Philadelphus (159-138) of Pergamum, Ariarathes V. Philopator (162-130) of Cappadocia, and Ptolemy VI. Philometor (181-145) of Egypt, but also by the Jews under the Maccabee Jonathan (161-143) and even by the Roman Senate. Ps. 45 seems to be the Heb. version of the Greek carmen nnptiale which Jonathan presented at the wedding of Alexander Balas and the Egyptian princess Cleopatra, which was celebrated at Ptolemais in 150 B. c. (i Mace. 10, 58). It is important to note that this poem does not allude to the ancestry of the groom, only his personal virtues are extol- led, while the bride is advised to forget her father's house (the famous dynasty of the Ptolemies) and to submit to the King, should he desire her beauty. This marriage was not a love-match but a political union : three years after the wedding Cleopatra left her young husband and mar- Ill ^*4«§«Ss- (Jlotee on Bccheiaetee -^nm^-^ — 37 ried his antagonist, Demetrius II. Nicator, the son of Demetrius I. Soter who is alluded to in Fs. 45 (v. 7 ) as the rival of the groom. Ps. 45 is to be rendered as follows : A love-song with skill I indite, i lb reciting a poem on the King ; la My mind overflows with good thoughts, ic a ready scribe's pen is my tongue. 2 Thy beauty is fairer than human, ii thy lips with grace are bedewed ; Therefore men« bless thee for ever, 3b and give to thee honor and praise. 3a Gird thou thy sword on thy hip, iii 4 1 (- O hero 1 hail to thee ! ride For truth's sake and humble rightness,* and wonders thy right hand will show thee. 5a Thine arrows- so sharp -} do thou notch, ]■ iv 5c and under thee nations will fall ; 5b The foes of the King will perish, [and, like a snake, lick the dust.]** 6 Thy throned is for ever and ever, v a sceptre of right is ythy kingdom ; f 7 Thou lovest right, and wrong thou hatest, hast therefore vanquished^ thy rival.J I2( )With tribute gladden thy face vi the richest, -{ with gold of Ophir ; } ? 9 But thy brightest gem« is the princess who stands at thy right as thy consort, -j }■ 8 (With) myrrh, with cassia, and aloes vii are (fragrant) all of her garments ; From the ivory palace (resound) [the harps and lutes] (to) salute her. i3(^)The princess -j }- in brocaded garments viii with gold most richly embroidered ; 14 The noble virgin is brought to the King, -Ji }- escorted by her own playmates. <* * That is, for the Jewish cause. *^^* O^. Mic. 7, 17. t Balas was an impostor. JThat is, Demetrius I. (see below, n. 16). The literal translation of this line is: therefore God, thy (7orf, has anointed thee zc//// the oil of gladness above thy fellow. gThatis, Rhodesia; see Johns Hopkins University Circulars, No. 163, p. 53. n. 21. 38 -^^"^'&^m^ (Tloke on Bcckei&etie •m^^S'^' — 10 Oh hearken^ and incline thine ear, ix forget thy race and thy father's house ! 11 Should the King desire thy beauty, submit ; for he is thy lord. 16 In place of thy fathers, thy sons, — x the princes of earth thou wilt make them ; 17 Thy name will they make ever* famous, ^extolled wilt thou beM forever.* (a) 2 God (3) 6 O God (7) the sceptre of (J) 7 through God, thy God, with the oil of triumph (e) 13 in all the treasure (^) 12 that is, the Tyrian (1) 13 within (i?) 15 Thej- are brought with joy and rejoicing ; thej- enter the palace of the king. (0 10 O maiden and see («) 17 and ever (/.) 17 therefore (m) by the peoples The general enthusiasm for Alexander Balas did not last long : his own father-in-law, Ptolemy VI. of Eg>'pt turned against him, and he was defeated by Demetrius II. in 145 b. c. He fled to Arabia, and five days after the battle his head was brought to Ptolemy — an illustration of Ec- clesiastes' saying : 'tis all \-anity and a striving for wind. Transient are seeking and leaving, transient are affection, aversion, Transient are love and hatred, transient are wailing and triumph ! (10) That is, a vain pursuit, a fruitless effort (not vexatio7i of spirit) ; cf. Hos. 12, I : Ephraim strives for wind and pursues the eastwind, i. e., they strive for what is unattainable, beyond reach. Cf. above, n. 2 on I. (11) That is, in the right mood, in the proper frame of mind, lit., in the badness {i.e., sadness) of the face the heart (/. e., the mind) is good. Contrast VIII, i. (12) Lit., thorns. There is a word-play {cf above, n. 6, and n. 8 on IV) between sir 'pot' and sirhn 'thorns' in the Hebrew {K^-qol hassirhn taht-has'sir). The term sirini may denote the thorny burnet {poterium spinostan) which is a most combustible fuel. Thorny and prickly plants abound in Palestine. (13) This gloss appears to refer to Alexander Balas, who gave him- self to self-indulgence, just as his antagonist Demetrius I. and Demetrius I.'s uncle, Antiochus Epiphanes were drunkards. Justin says: Alexan- druui insperatae opes et alienae felicitatis ornaine?iia velut capfuin infer scortoriim greges desideni in regia tenebant. With the Jews, however. Cf. my notes on the Hebrew text in Hebraica, 19, 136. Ill — »*e§^»- Qtofee on ^cchei&eUe -sg a^^ * 39 Balas was popular ( I Mace. 10, 47) in spite of his doubtful origin and his failings. The present gloss expresses a different opinion. (14) Feast. (15) Lit., from a house of outcasts (Ewald, Verworfc7te) he came forth to reign. The Hebrew term stirim suggests the name of the Syrians and the idea of apostasy or heathenism. (i6j The first was Demetrius I. (162-150 d. c. ). Balas reigned 150- 145. The glossator has evidently overlooked the brief reign of the young son and successor of Antiochus Epiphanes, Antiochus V. Eupa- tor, who reigned 164-162. Similarly Strabo XVI, 2, 40 (p. 762) disre- gards the brief reign of Aristobulus I. (104/3) and states that Alexan- der Jannaeus was the first Hasmonean ruler who assumed the regal title, although Aristobulus styled himself King of the Jews. Cf. n. 12 on the Introduction. (17) Cf. Dan. II, 20. 21. (18) Carousing. IV. (i) At the time of the Syrian dominion under Antiochus Ejiiphanes and his successors many unworthy persons, who betrayed the Jewish cause and sympathized with the Greeks, attained great prominence, while the noblest of the faithful Jews were humiliated. Cf. e. g. \ Mace. 7. 9 ; 9. 25 ; 2 Mace. 4, 8. 13. 19. 25. For fools see n. i on II. (2) Lit., spirit; cf. n. 48 on VIIL (3) Contrast 12, 7=VIII, x ; also 2 Mace. 7, 9. 14. 36 ; 12, 44 ; 14, 46. (4) Lit., earth, i. e., the netherworld; cf. my note on Exod. 15, 12 {Hebraica, 20, 161). (5) Constant occupation is a blessing in this world; cf. nn. 4 and 12 on VIIL (6) That is, the wrongs inflicted 7ipon them. (7) Lit, and in the hands of their oppressors power. (8) That is, the wrongs inflicted by them. The Heb. has in both cases : and there was no menahhem for them ; but menahhcm means in the first case comforter, in the second case avenger. The German Troster means not only comforter, but also a club or rod for inflicting punishment. Cf. n. 12 on III. (9) Similar pessimistic ideas are repeatedly expressed by Greek writers; cf. Theognis, 425-428 ; Soph., Oed. Col., 1225-1228. In Cicero, Tusc, I, 48 we read: Non nasci homifii longe optimum esse, proximiim autem quam primtim mori. Even Socrates regarded death as a recoven,' from a disease. (10) Numerous progeny and longevity was the ancient Hebrew ideal of happiness. Cf. Pss. 127, 5; 128, 3 {Hebraica, 11, 143, 150)— Exod. 20, 12 ; Deut. 5, 16; Ephes. 6, 2 ; Deut. 4, 40 ; 6, 2 : 22, 7 ; i K 3, 14. (11) O^ n. II on I. (12) Lit., seeks, /. e., takes care ; He does not leave them in tlie lurch ; cf. n. 15 on I. (13) Persecuted; cf. n. i. 40 -^°^^^S5- QXot<0 on Bcciiei&etee -^^^^^4^— ' iv (14) This addition may be based on the Horatian Ojn/ies eodein cogi- mur (published about 23 b. c. ). (15) Lit., look at that which be will be after him ; cf. VI, y ; VII, ff ; VIII, /^. Socrates declared that he did not know what was in store for us after death, but he cherished the hope of a life beyond. (16) Or bribe {cf. e. g. i Mace. 2, 18). Oppression, persecution, adversity often develop the sterling qualities of men, while favor (especi- ally bribes) leads to corruption. (17) Schiller says, Allzustraff gespannt, zerspringt der Bogen. Well- hausen quotes this phrase at the beginning of c. 17 of his Israelitische und Ji'idische Geschichte (Berlin, 1904) p. 258, to characterize the condi- tions preceding the Maccabean rising in 167 b. c. (18) Lit., tilled, cultivated. (19) In spite of all drawbacks a monarchy is best suited to an agri- cultural country with a settled population. Cf. e. g. Joseph., Ant.^ xvi, 9, I ; xvii, 2, I. Even Herod was a good ruler up to a certain point. (20) The oath of allegiance; cf. Joseph., Ant., xv, 10, 4; xvii, 2, 4; see also Matt. 22, 21 ; Rom. 13, i. Socrates strongly emphasized the necessity of obedience to the state and its laws. (21) Conspiracy, &c. Cf. e. g. Joseph., Ant., xv, 8, 3. (22) Who can criticize his actions? Even kings under Roman sover- eignty {reges socii) had absolute power of life and death over their sub- jects. (23) Lit., who observes the law will experience no evil. A law-abid- ing citizen will be unmolested, cf. n. 13 on II. (24) There will be a day of reckoning ; but premature rebellion is unwise. (25) Lit, if the ruler's spirit should rise against thee. (26) Lit., causes to rest, stop. (27) Lit., a rich man; cf. gloss /^. Rich {cf Lat. rex and German Reich = empire) meant originally powerful, mighty, noble, ruling. (28) Herod the Great employed a great many spies; often he went out himself at night, in disguise, in order to ascertain the feelings of the Jews toward his government; cf. Joseph., Ant., xv, 10, 4; 8, 4. (29) Not to have a burial was considered one of the greatest of calami- ties. At the end of the Babylonian Nimrod Epic we read : He whose dead body is left in the field, his spirit finds no rest in the earth ; he whose spirit has no one to take care of him, must eat the dregs of the pot, the remnants of food that lie in the street. Cf. i Mace. 7, 17; 2 Mace. 5, 10 ; 13, 7- (30) Lit., it comes in(to) vanity and goes in(to) darkness. (31) Lit., rejoice in them all. (32) Cf. n. 20 on VII. (33) The present German Emperor is said to have written in the Golden Book of Munich : Supreina lex regis voluntas, an autocratic modification of the Ciceronian Salus piiblica supreina lex \ r/". Juvenal's Hoc volo, sicjubeo ; sit pro ratione voluntas. — *<*e^^B«- (Tlo<«6 on (Eccfc6ta6«>* — 41 (i) ISIore accurately, />«/;«, flat of the hand. (2) More exactly, hollows of the hand. (3) Lit., the sight of the eyes, i. e., what is within our reach. (4) Lit., wandering of the soul, /. e., e.xtravagant wishes, castles in the air. We must strive for what is within reach, not for that which is beyond it. (5) Lit., will have no income. (6) There is no permanent gain, it vanishes under his eyes ; he can not enjoy it all, he can feast his eyes thereon only as long as it lasts. (7) <3^ n. 2 on I. (8) Lit., there is no end to all his toil. (9) Lit., and if he has begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand. (10) This can hardly be a Heb. imitation of the Greek phrase na'/Mv Kayadov. The meaning of the Greek term is different ; /ca/.of Ka.ya-&6q is a gentleman, and Ka'/Sov aa-^n-dov means a noble act. Cy. n. 57 on VIIL (11) Lit., for his mouth. (12) Inactivity and indifference are foolish and suicidal. (13) An absurd enterprise, a fool's or gawk's errand. (14) Lit., may weary him, cf. n. 5 on L (15) That is, one who is so stupid that he does not know how to go to town. Is. 35, 8 affords no parallel ; ih&re f 00/ s is equivalent to ««- godly, cf. n. i on II. The phrase seems to be proverbial like our who does not know enough to come in when it rains, or the French // ne troti- verait pas de I'eau h la riviire, or the German (a blockhead) niit deni man IViinde einrennen k'dnnte. (16) Lit., who knows how to walk before the living, i. e., possesses savoir-faire and savoir-vivre. (17) Nietzsche would have said: Zweisiedler sind besser daran als Einsiedler. If a man stands alone, he cannot enjoy the result of his work so well as the man who can share his pleasure with someone near him. If a man is successful in his toil, and can use his gain to make his family or his friends happy, he will have a better reward than the solitary man. Even honors and recognition afford less satisfaction if we have no one near us to share our pleasure. (18) Lit., but the one, how can he be warm? (19) Cf. Job I, 21 ; Ps. 49, 17 ; I Tim. 6, 7. (20) Lit., which he may take away in his hand. (21) Seen. 4 on \TI. (22) <7^ 3, 13 (VII, »?>?). (23) Engro.sses, occupies; see the last paragraph of n. 47 to my paper Babylonian Elements in the Levitic Ritual {Journal of Biblical Literature, 19, 71). LXX, o -dmq nepimrq aiiTov ; Vulgate, Deus occupet deliciis cor ejus. VI. (i) Cf. n. 21 on I. (2) See n. 2 on I. (3) Lit., wherefore have I been so very wise? (4) Lit., evil ujion me were. 42 — *>4«^^S5- (Itofee on (Eccfcetaotce -^m^si-^— vi (5) Lit., also this I saw as wisdom under the sun, and it was great to me. Wisdom means also a wise act, just as vanity is used for a vain pursuit; cf.n.2 on I, and n. i on II. (6) This refers to the unsuccessful siege of Bethsura, a small but strongly fortified place on the boundary between Judea and Idumea, commanding the road from Jerusalem to Hebron ; cf. i Mace. 6, 31 ; 2 Mace. 13, 19. The son of Antiochus Epiphanes, Antiochus V. Eupator, who was but ten years old, marched against Bethsura in 163 b. c, but his efforts were fruitless. (7) The name of the wise defender of Bethsura has been forgotten, but the name of the traitor Rhodocus is recorded; cf. 2 Mace. 13, 21. Wellhausen, op. cit. (see n. 17 on IV) p. 261, n. i says, the Jews would have forgotten Judas Maccabaeus, if the Books of the Maccabees had not been preserved by the Church. (8) See n. i on I. (9) See n. 19 on I. (10) Study and explore. - (11) (T/. n. 15 on IV. (12) Devices, theories, speculations. (13) Cf. Deut. 4, 2 ; 12, 32; Prov. 30, 6; Rev. 22, 18. 19. (14) Eccl. I, I says: /« Jerusalem ; cf. n. 9 and II, v. 00. (15) Imbibed. (16) Socrates' conception of wisdom was the knowledge that he knew nothing ; and Dubois-Reymond said at the conclusion of his address on the Grenzeti des Naturerketvtens (delivered at Leipzig in 1872) : Ignora- bimus. (17) Lit., beautiful in its time. Socrates was convinced that what- ever the deity decrees must be good. (18) Lit, He has put obscurity (dimness) in their heart (mind). We must read ha^lhrt ; cf. Talm. be-ha'^lem (or be'^a/hn=bS-he<^alem) 'unconsciously' and ndlvfifia ettI ttjv KapSlav avruv Kdrai, 2 Cor. 3, 15. (19) Lit., far from me. (20) Theoretically. (21) Practical experience. (22) Theoretical. (23) This polemical interpolation extolling wisdom reflects the Stoic philosophy, which regarded the wise man as the impersonation of per- fection. (24) Lit., wisdom is good with an inheritance, /. e., just as good as an inheritance (so AV, margin). (25) Lit., those who see the sun. The meaning of the passage is : If a man acquires wisdom, he is as well equipped as a man who has in- herited a fortune. Wisdom is even preferable to money: it ennobles life and makes it worth living. A poor wise man may be happier than a rich fool. Money may be lost, but wisdom is a treasure which moths and rust cannot consume (Matt. 6, 19; Luke 12, 33). For Schopen- hauer's misapplication of this passage see n. 15 to my lecture cited in n. 2 to the Introduction ; f/^ n. 43 on VIII. (26) That is, in the right (proper) place. It does not mean that the heart of the wise man beats on the right side of the body. (f. the Ger- man phrase das Herz auf dem rechten Fleck habefi and our right- hearted. VI — s^-^^Ks- (Uofce on ^cctceiaeke -)J2^*g3*«— 43 (27) According to the beliefs of the ancient Hebrews the heart is the seat of the intellect. His heart is at the right means therefore : his mind is sound (sane, rational, sensible). (28) That is, in the wrong place. Left-hand=inauspicious ; left-hand- ed=awkward, unskilful; left-witted~dull, stupid. (29) Lit., in the way (errand) whicii the fool goes. In i K 18, 22 he has a way ( AV, he is in a journey) means he has some business ; ef. also Is. 58, 13: 7wt doing thy own ze'(y.y=pursuing thy business ; Jud. 18, 5 our way which we ,^c=the errand on which we are going, /. e., our undertaking. (30) Heb. + the mouth of. Contrast the last line of II, ii. (31) Confuse, entangle, involve in trouble. (32) Lit., better (than). (33) Lit., are above the shout of the ruler among the fools. (34) The fragrant ointment of the dealer in aromatic spices and per- fumes ; see my Book of Canticles {cf. n. 21 on the Introduction) nn. 7-10 on No. I. (35) That is, unfathomable. (36) Cf.x\.\on II. Socrates identified virtue with knowledge; he believed that no one consciously did wrong, but only through imperfect cognition. Nietzsche says, many actions are called bad which are merely stupid. VIL (i) Lit., what is it doing? (2) That is, to stimulate, lit., draw, attract (lure). (3) Lit., do; cf. Greek tv -ixiirrtiv and below, n. 25, and n. 57 on VIII. (4) That is, limited, few ; AV, margin, the number of the days, i. e., the few days {cf. AV, margin, Is. 10, 19). Shakespeare says: The sands are numbered that make up my life. Cf. the German Seine Tage sind gezdh/t, also 2 Mace. 6, 25 (for Swete's did/iniov. for MS. uKatpeov, read, with Fritzsche, aii°<— viii VIII. (i) As though you were continually feasting and rejoicing; c/. Ps. 23, 5 ; Prov. 27, 9 ; Is. 61, 3 ; Luke, 7, 46. Contrast 7, 3 (III, 0- (2) Lit., see {i. e., enjoy) life. C/. 2 Mace. 14, 25 {h/afirjaev, evard- ■Btjaev, eKoivuv/fffEV P'lov). (3) Temporary existence, fleeting life ; cf. II, i. (4) Here Ecclesiastes preaches the gospel of work; see also n. 5 on IV. (5) Do not be too anxious about the future. You must run some risk if you want to succeed in this world. Act like a merchant who sends his grain to distant lands across the sea. Do not be timid, but cautious. Do not put all your eggs into one basket, do not ship all your goods in one bottom. Be prepared for all contingencies, for we cannot control the future. (6) Unforeseen occurrences out of the range of ordinary calculation are liable to happen at any time ; but if you do not dare to run any risk, you can accomplish nothing. (7) Even the commonest occupations are attended with risk. (8) Snakes abound in Palestine and are often found in dilapidated buildings the stones of which are not unfrequently used for new houses. Hillah on the Euphrates e. g. is built entirely with bricks from the ruins of Babylon. (9) Lit., its wielder must put forth more strength. The risk is not so great, but then it requires a greater effort. (10) Do not lock the stable door after the steed is stolen. All your precautions help you nothing if you miss the proper moment. (11) You must not be over-cautious, otherwise you will never ac- complish anything. (12) Work whenever you can ; cf. above, n. 4. (13) These lines form the basis of the well-known German students' song Gaudeamus igittir, originally a penitential song of two stanzas. Stanzas ii and iii are found in a manuscript of 1267; stanzas i-iii were probably known about 1717. The tune, which is a saraband, can hardly have originated prior to 1750. (14) Amuse yourself while you are young. Pluck those flowers of pleasure which grow alongside the path ot life. Be no hermit or ascetic, but do not ruin your health! Cf. the German (or rather, Swiss) song: Freut euch des Lebetts, weil noch das Ldmpcheti gl'uht ; pfli'icket die Rose, eh' sie verbluht! (by H. G. Nageli, of Zurich, 1793). (15) That is, thy wife; cf. Prov. 5, 15-18. In modern Palestinian love-songs a girl is often termed a fountain or a well ; cf. my Book of Canticles (see n. 21 on the Introduction) n. 36 on No. 8. The meaning of the passage is : Do not neglect your lawful wife ! Try to build up a family while you are in the full possession of your manly vigor ! fi6) The sun is the sunshine of childhood when everything seems bright and happy ; the moon is symbolical of the more tempered light of boyhood and early manhood, while the stars indicate the sporadic mo- VIII —-i^mff (Jlofee on Bccheiaetee -ai smptt '* 45 merits of happiness in mature age. More and more the number of rainy days increases, but seldom interrupted by bright moments ; and when, we are going down the hill, there is no sunshine after the rain, but the clouds return, and everything seems painted gray on gray. (17) The hands. (18) The bones, especially the backbone. (19) The teeth. (20) The eyes begin to lose their luster, and sight becomes dim. (21) Lit., the doors toward the street are closed, /. e., the exits are barred : secretions are insufficient, or vitiated, or cease ; he begins to suffer from retention ( ischuria ) and intestinal stenosis. (22) His digestion is impaired. (23) His sleep is short ; he awakens when the birds begin to chirp at daybreak. (24) He is unable to hear sounds distinctly, and becomes hard of hearing. (25) He hates to climb a hill, or to go upstairs, because he is short of breath. (26) Lit., fears are on the way, /. c, he dreads a walk even on level ground. (27) His hair turns hoarj'. Dr. Post, of Beirut, says of the blossoms of the almond tree : Although the petals are pale pink toward the base, they are usually whitish toward their tips, and the general effect of an almond tree in blossom is white. Bodenstedt in his Tausend und ein Tag im Orient (2, 237) speaks of the white blossoms of the almond tree as falling down like snow-flakes. (28) Lit., becomes a burden. (29) The Heb. term is generally used for locusts in one of their stages of development. It may have been loosely applied to many kinds of in- sects, just as bug is sometimes used here in America. (30) Lit., the poor one. In the same way we read in Ps. 22, 21 : From the jaws of the lion save me, my wretched ( life) from the unicorns. Cf. Wellhausen's translation in the Polychrome Bible. (31) Lit., breaks through. The soul is freed from the body, as the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis. The Greek word psyche means not only soul but also butterfly. (32) The spinal chord. (33) The brain. (34) The heart loses its power to propel the blood through the body. (35) The waterwheel, i. iL, xiii, 8, 4). The soldiers of Alexander Jan- naeus (see n. 12 on the Introduction) were Pisidians and Cilicians. In the army of Herod the Great (37-4 b. c. ) there were numerous Thra- cians, Germans, and Gauls (Joseph., Anf., xv, 8, 4). The meaning of the present passage is : Just as no one can avert the wind, so no one can avert his death-day. There is no exemption, just as there is no discharge from the ranks, no furlough in time of war. Even the righteous must yield to the inexorable law of death, and wickedness will certainly not exempt those who are given to it, for the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6, 23). (40) Cf. 2 Mace. 7, 22. (41) According to Winckler this may be an allusion to Alcimus who commanded that the inner court of the sanctuary should be pulled down (i Mace. 9, 54) ; see, however, n. 3 on the Introduction. (42) Do what you feel inclined to, and enjoy what pleases your eye. This ironical addition is based on Num. 15, 39. (43) This passage is an interpolation. Ecclesiastes was no miso- gynist ;