1 All this I took to heart, and my heart saw it all: that the upright and the wise and their works are in the hand of God; and men may not be certain if it will be love or hate; all is to no purpose before them.
Gregory of Neocaesarea · AD 270 Now I thought at that time that all men were judged worthy of the same things. And if any wise man practised righteousness, and withdrew himself from unrighteousness, and as being sagacious avoided hatred with all (which, indeed, is a thing well pleasing to God), this man seemed to me to labour in vain.
Jerome · AD 420 "For all this I noted and I sought to ascertain all this: that the righteous and the wise together with their actions are in the Hand of God; whether love or hate man does not know; all preceded them.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 The security of salvation requires that the matter be so effected that it not fall into doubt; and there is no one who is certain of the goodness and faith of the minister, and even the same person is not certain concerning himself whether he is worthy of love or of hatred: therefore, if the Sacraments could be dispensed only by the good, no one would be certain of the receptio…
2 Because to all there is one event, to the upright man and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him who makes an offering and to him who makes no offering; as is the good so is the sinner; he who takes an oath is as he who has fear of it.
Jerome · AD 420 Except that our belief in Christ raises us up to heaven and promises eternity to our souls, the physical conditions of life are the same for us as for the brutes.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 "But all things are reserved for the future." Here the third point is noted, namely the reason for uncertainty, which arises from this, that in the present, recompense is not made according to merits, but is reserved for the future. And therefore he says thus: "Man does not know...
3 This is evil in all things which are done under the sun: that there is one fate for all, and the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; while they have life their hearts are foolish, and after that--to the dead.
Jerome · AD 420 "This is an evil about all things that are done under the sun: that the same fate awaits all Therefore the heart of man is full of evil; and madness is in their heart while they live; and after that, they go to the dead. "Symmachus interprets this in his usual clearer way, saying, "but even the heart of mankind is filled with wickedness and impudence like their heart in life".
Bonaventure · AD 1257 "This is the worst" etc. Here the fourth is touched upon, namely the origin of vain security, because great security arises from this lack of distinction, which is the occasion of many sins.
4 For him who is joined to all the living there is hope; a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Do not, I pray thee, in such a question trust to humility only or to gravity, which are often deceived. Better by far is a living dog in this problem than a dead lion. For a living saint may correct what had not been corrected by another who came before him.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 Secondly, it is shown how pleasure arises from this. "No one lives forever." He has now shown how the vanity of false security arises from indistinction; here secondly he shows how pleasure arises from security: and indeed he does this in the following order.
5 The living are conscious that death will come to them, but the dead are not conscious of anything, and they no longer have a reward, because there is no memory of them.
Jerome · AD 420 "For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all; there is no more reward for them, their memory is forgotten. Their love, their hate, their jealousy have already perished- nor will they ever again have a share in whatever is done beneath the sun.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 And he proves this first with regard to the act of cognition. "For the living know that they are to die": at least of this they are certain: 2 Kings 14: "We all die, and like waters that flow down into the earth, which do not return." Or: "to die," that is, given over to the necessity of death; Romans 8: "The body is dead because of sin." "For the dead know nothing further," be…
6 Their love and their hate and their envy are now ended; and they have no longer a part for ever in anything which is done under the sun.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 With regard to the act of affection he says: "Love also and hatred and envy have likewise perished," because they are not affected as before in life.
7 Come, take your bread with joy, and your wine with a glad heart. God has taken pleasure in your works.
Cyril of Jerusalem · AD 386 For this reason Solomon also, in Ecclesiastes, covertly alluding to this grace, says, "Come hither, eat your bread with joy," that is, the mystical bread. "Come hither," he calls, a saving, beatific call. "And drink your wine with a merry heart," that is, the mystical wine. "And let oil be poured out upon your head": you see how he hints also of the mystical chrism.
Jerome · AD 420 "Go, eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a glad heart, for God has already approved your deeds. Let your garments always be white, and your head never lack oil. "Regarding the passage until that verse where he says: 'like fish caught in a fatal net, like birds seized in a snare, so are men caught in the moment of disaster when it falls upon them suddenly'. [Eccl.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 "Go therefore and eat" etc. Here the third point is touched upon, namely the commendation of present delight, to the embracing of which he exhorts first according to taste; whence he says: "Go therefore and eat your bread with joy": by bread is understood everything that pertains to food. "And drink your wine with gladness": by wine, everything that pertains to drink.
8 Let your clothing be white at all times, and let not your head be without oil.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 No one, therefore, can hear the Word of God unless he has first been sanctified, that is, unless he is "holy in body and spirit," unless he has washed his garments. For a little later he shall go in to the wedding dinner, he shall eat from the flesh of the lamb, he shall drink the cup of salvation. Let no one go in to this dinner with dirty garments.
Jerome · AD 420 Because they can do no more under the sun, now he introduces the idea of human madness and habit, whereby men of this world encourage themselves in turn to enjoy good things; and prosopopoiian, using this in the manner of rhetoricians and poets, saying: "O man, since there is nothing for you after death, and death herself hears not my complaint, and while you live this brief li…
Bonaventure · AD 1257 Then according to sight he says: "At all times let your garments be white," so that you may appear comely in clothing; "and let not oil be lacking from your head," so that you may appear comely in appearance. In this manner those adorn themselves who wish to be pleasing in the sight of men.
9 Have joy with the woman of your love all the days of your foolish life which he gives you under the sun. Because that is your part in life and in your work which you do under the sun.
Didymus the Blind · AD 398 The time of the days has an end and a definite number. The psalmist as well says, "Lord, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is." …The days of life which are given under the sun are days of vanity.
Jerome · AD 420 "Enjoy life with the wife you love through all the fleeting days of your life that He has granted you under the sun, all of your futile existence; for that is your compensation in life and in your toil which you exert under the sun.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 Then according to touch he says: "Enjoy life with the wife whom you love." This enjoyment is described in Proverbs 7: "Come, let us be inebriated with breasts and enjoy the desired embraces, until the day dawns." And this not only once, but "all the days of the life of your instability, which are given to you under the sun." Truly our life is unstable, according to that passage…
10 Whatever comes to your hand to do with all your power, do it because there is no work, or thought, or knowledge, or wisdom in the place of the dead to which you are going.
Pacian of Barcelona · AD 391 Remember, my brethren, that there is no confession in the grave; nor can penance be granted when the time for repentance is past. Hurry while you are still alive.
Jerome · AD 420 "Whatever you are able to do with your strength, do it. For there is neither doing, nor reckoning, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave where you are going. "Do whatever you are presently able to do, and toil at it, because when you go down to the world of the dead there will be no place for repentance.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 And because no other reward is to be expected, man ought to take from this as much as he can. Thus he says: "Whatever your hand is able to do, work at it earnestly," that is, while you have time, do not wait for the future.
11 And again I saw under the sun that the reward goes not to him who is quick, or the fruits of war to the strong; and there is no bread for the wise, or wealth for men of learning, or respect for those who have knowledge; but time and chance come to all.
Didymus the Blind · AD 398 Those who believe that human things are guided by providence do not ascribe anything accomplished by humans to their own effort. "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Jerome · AD 420 "Once more I saw under the sun that the race is not won by the swift; nor the battle by the strong, nor does bread come to the wise, riches to the intelligent, nor favour to the learned; but time and death will happen to them all. "He who is bound by manacles and by heavy lead chains is oppressed: "for wickedness sits upon a talent of lead" [Zach.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 Second, carelessness arises from the appearance of a defect in the governance of providence; which appearance is shown in two ways. "I turned to another thing" etc. As was said above, carelessness is found among the wicked: first, because the retribution of justice seems to be lacking; second, because the governance of providence seems to be lacking.
12 Even man has no knowledge of his time; like fishes taken in an evil net, or like birds taken by deceit, are the sons of men taken in an evil time when it comes suddenly on them.
Athanasius of Alexandria · AD 373 Now as these things are written in the Scriptures, the case is clear, that the saints know that a certain time is measured to every person, but that no one knows the end of that time is plainly intimated by the words of David, "Declare unto me the shortness of my days." What he did not know, that he desired to be informed of.
Jerome · AD 420 " For man does not even know his time, like fish caught in a fatal net, like birds seized in a snare, so are men caught in the moment of disaster when it falls upon them suddenly. "I have already said above, that while men are yet unknowing, either disaster or death befalls them.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 "Man does not know his end," etc. Here is touched upon the deficiency of governance with respect to the termination of death, because it is determined for no one, neither when nor how he must die. And it seems that such or such a death happens by chance.
13 This again I have seen under the sun as wisdom and it seemed great to me.
Jerome · AD 420 "This, too, I have observed about wisdom under the sun, and it affected me profoundly: there was a small town with only a few inhabitants; and a mighty king came upon it and surrounded it, and built great siege works over it. Present in the city was a poor wise man who by his wisdom saved the town. Yet no one remembered that poor man.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 Second, the defect of order in the governance of providence is shown in particular, and this in three ways. "This wisdom also I have seen under the sun." He determined above the deficiency of the governance of providence in general; here he intends to show in particular, namely concerning prelacy, because the wise are despised and fools are promoted.
14 There was a little town and the number of its men was small, and there came a great king against it and made an attack on it, building works of war round about it.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 "A small city" etc. Here is noted the deficiency of power, and this with respect to resisting the assailant: therefore he says: "A small city, and few men in it." "The siege was completed." And because it was small and had few men, therefore it was weak for defending itself: whence Jehoshaphat said in 2 Chronicles 20: "In us there is not so great strength that we can resist thi…
15 Now there was in the town a poor, wise man, and he, by his wisdom, kept the town safe. But no one had any memory of that same poor man.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 "And there was found in it" etc. Here is noted the succor of wisdom, where there was a deficiency of power: therefore he says: "And there was found in it a poor man," and thus powerless: "and wise, and he delivered the city by his wisdom." An example of this, how a wise person delivered, is found concerning Judith in her book, how she delivered Bethulia from Holofernes by her w…
16 Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is not respected, and his words are not given a hearing.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 If riches and poverty are from the Lord, how can either poverty or riches be an evil? Why then were these things said? They were said under the Old Covenant, where there was much account made of wealth, where there was great contempt of poverty, where the one was a curse and the other a blessing. But now it is no longer so.
Jerome · AD 420 "So I said: wisdom is better than might, although a poor man's wisdom is despised and his words go unheeded. "Although no one remembers a poor wise man, and everyone is happy, and admires power and riches; I however admire this despised wisdom according to all of the interpretations given above, and the words which none thinks worthy to be heard.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 The contempt and oblivion of the wise man has been shown; here is shown secondly the commendation of the despised one. He commends wisdom, however, by a threefold preeminence: first, by setting it above the strength of power; second, above the defense of armor; third, above the height of worldly glory. He therefore first sets forth wisdom above strength by his own judgment.
17 The words of the wise which come quietly to the ear are noted more than the cry of a ruler among the foolish.
Jerome · AD 420 "The gentle words of the wise are heard above the shouts of a king over fools. "Whosoever you see in the Church declaiming and arousing applause by whatever refinery or charm, he who shakes off his laughter and incites the crowd to feigned happiness, know that this is a sign of foolishness, equally of him who speaks, and of those who listen to him.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 And that the words of the wise man are to be heard, he adds: "The words of the wise are heard in silence," that is, they are worthy to be heard in silence.
18 Wisdom is better than instruments of war, but one sinner is the destruction of much good.
Jerome · AD 420 "And wisdom is better than weapons, but a single rogue can ruin a great deal of good. "Now he also takes wisdom in preference to strength and says that it is worth more in battle than weapons. But if there is one fool, however small and worthless, he will repeatedly destroy riches and great wealth by his stupidity.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 "Wisdom is better," etc. Here secondly he sets forth wisdom above the defense of armor, saying: "Wisdom is better than weapons of war," because weapons of war are for protection; likewise wisdom protects.