Chapter II.
(Verse 1.). I said in my heart etc. Here the third point is touched upon, namely the turning to pleasure on account of the weariness of contemplation. For since in contemplating there was labor and affliction, he therefore thought to abandon this and turn himself to delights, in which there is pleasure. On account of which he says: I said in my heart, that is, I came to this consideration on account of the spiritual affliction in contemplating. Whence the word is a consideration not of wisdom, but of sloth, which, not finding rest within, seeks it without. I said therefore: I will go and abound in delights and enjoy good things. I will go, by withdrawing from the true good: Psalm: "Man has become a spirit going forth and not returning." I will abound in delights, as regards the multitude of pleasures, namely carnal ones as opposed to spiritual: Song of Songs 7: "How beautiful you are, dearest, in delights." From these he departed to carnal ones: Isaiah 22: "The Lord called to weeping and mourning" etc., and after: "Behold joy and gladness, slaughtering rams" etc. And I will enjoy good things, as regards rest: for one enjoys that in which the appetite finds rest: Wisdom 2: "Come, let us enjoy the good things that are, and let us use creation as in youth swiftly"; and Proverbs 7: "Come, let us enjoy the desired embraces." But because this consideration was blameworthy and reprehensible, he therefore rebuked himself, because present pleasure is not true pleasure, but deception: therefore he adds: And I saw that this also was vanity: because it neither endures nor refreshes, but fails and deceives.
(Verse 2.). On account of which he says: I counted laughter an error, because it leads man astray: and to joy I said: why are you vainly deceived? because namely the one rejoicing in it is deceived. Laughter is outward, and joy is inward. Laughter deceives, because it offers good and in the end evil; Proverbs 14: "Laughter shall be mingled with sorrow, and mourning takes hold of the ends of joy": and James 4: "Let your laughter be turned into mourning," because Luke 6: "Woe to you who laugh, for you shall weep."
This laughter is the laughter of the frenzied, because it is erroneous and momentary. Likewise also inward joy deceives: Job 21: "They rejoice at the sound of the organ: they spend their days in good things and in a moment they descend to hell": and Job 20: "The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment."
(Verse 3.) I thought in my heart etc. Here the fourth point is touched upon, namely the return to the consideration of useful things, and this by returning from pleasure to sobriety. On account of which he says: I thought in my heart to withdraw my flesh from wine, because it inclines in a wondrous manner toward pleasure; whence Ephesians five: "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is luxury"; and Proverbs twenty: "Wine is a luxurious thing, and drunkenness tumultuous: whoever delights in these things shall not be wise." Therefore he thought to abandon the incitement to pleasure, that I might transfer my mind to wisdom, that is, to the consideration of wise things, and that I might abandon the consideration of foolish things, such as was the preceding consideration; whence he says: And that I might avoid foolishness: and this toward the exhortation of wisdom; Proverbs one: "How long, O little ones, will you love childishness, and fools desire those things that are harmful?" And this not only on account of one's own benefit, but the common benefit; therefore he says: That I might see what is useful for the children of men: and this in the present life, whence he also adds: What deed is needful, that is, what is opportune to do, under the sun during the number of the days of their life. This he saw and declared at the end of the book: "Fear God and keep his commandments: this is the whole of man."
This is useful: to keep the commandments of God, because it is said below in chapter eight: "He who keeps the commandment shall experience no evil"; and Proverbs nineteen: "He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul; but he who neglects his way shall die."
The remission of iniquity: Second Timothy two: "If anyone shall cleanse himself from these, he shall be a sanctified vessel, useful to the Lord, prepared for every good work." - The instruction of truth: Second Timothy three: "All doctrine divinely inspired is useful for instructing in justice," so that man may be just.
The exercise of piety: First Timothy four: "Exercise yourself unto piety: for bodily exercise is profitable for little, but piety is profitable for all things."
Useless things: the proud transgression of the law of God: Second Chronicles twenty-four: "Why do you transgress the commandment of the Lord, which will not profit you?" Wisdom without teaching: Ecclesiasticus twenty: "Hidden wisdom and an unseen treasure, what profit is there in both?" Teaching without life: Luke fourteen: "Salt is good; but if the salt lose its savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned" etc. Contentious disputation: Second Timothy two: "Do not contend in words: for it is profitable for nothing."
QUESTIONS.
It is asked concerning this statement: He who adds knowledge adds also sorrow.
To the contrary: 1. "All men by nature desire to know"; but desire, if it is fulfilled, delights the soul: therefore, etc.
2. Likewise, either he speaks of true wisdom, and this is false, because Wisdom 8: "Her conversation has no bitterness." If of curious wisdom, this is false, because there is great delight for them when they can know something.
I respond: it must be said that it can be understood of both. Of curious wisdom it is true, because, just as with riches avarice and the appetite for having grows, so for the curious person the appetite for learning grows. But if of the knowledge of truth: insofar as it implies savor, it delights; insofar as it implies cognition, it occasionally saddens, either on account of the uncleanness of one's own conscience, or on account of beholding the perversity of others.
Second, he manifests his curiosity in works of opulence, and first describes it with respect to artificial works, which are ordered to riches, and this indeed for a fourfold reason.
I made my works great, etc. He determined above the curiosity in the consideration of wisdom; here he intends to determine the curiosity in mechanical works, which regard those things that pertain to the body, whereas the former regard those things that pertain to the spirit. The first are liberal, the second, artificial.
And this part has two sections: because first it treats of artificial works, which are ordered to riches; second, of those which are ordered to delights, at: I made for myself singers.
Therefore he describes his curiosity in those things which pertain to the possession of riches in this order: first, with respect to the acquisition of stable possessions; second, with respect to the multiplication of servants; third, with respect to the increase of flocks and animals; fourth, with respect to the accumulation of minerals; in which four nearly all the delights of worldly people consist.
(Verses 4, 5, 6.) First, therefore, he expresses his curiosity with respect to the possession of stable things, namely houses for dwelling, vineyards and gardens for eating, and pools for irrigating. Therefore he says: I made my works great, that is, I made great things: 3 Kings 10: "King Solomon was made great above all the kings of the whole earth." And he expresses individually: I built myself houses, because he built many: whence 3 Kings 9: "After Solomon had built two houses: the house of the Lord and the house of the king," he built a house for the daughter of Pharaoh; and that was of curiosity and reprehensible: whence Isaiah 5: "Woe to you who join house to house." I planted vineyards, namely for drink: Genesis 9: "Noah planted a vineyard, and drinking the wine was made drunk."
I made gardens and orchards and planted them with trees of every kind, for food: Song of Songs 6: "I went down into my garden to see the fruits of the valleys and to look whether the vineyard had flourished and the pomegranates had budded."
And because these things needed to be irrigated, he therefore adds: And I built for myself pools of water, that is, places in which there is a collection of waters; and this, so that I might irrigate the forest of sprouting trees, namely through irrigation, because it is said in Job twelve: "If he withholds the waters, all things will be dried up." Such pools were necessary in the land of promise on account of the scarcity of water; Deuteronomy eleven: "The land which you shall enter to possess is mountainous and level, awaiting rains from heaven."
(Vers. 7.). I possessed servants. Here is touched upon secondly the curiosity regarding the multitude of those serving, because in both sexes; whence he says: I possessed servants and handmaids; and also in every age; whence: And I had a great household; Third Kings ten: "The queen of Sheba, seeing the wisdom of Solomon and the foods of his table, the dwellings of his servants and the ranks of his ministers, had no more spirit in her."
(Vers. 7.). Herds also. Here is touched upon thirdly the curiosity regarding the gathering of livestock and animals, both great and small, when he says: Herds also and great flocks of sheep, supply: I had; beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem. And that he had many is evident, because he consumed many; whence Third Kings four: "The food of Solomon for each day was ten fat oxen and twenty pasture oxen and a hundred rams, besides the hunting of stags, roe deer," etc.
(Vers. 8.). I heaped up for myself. Here is touched upon fourthly the curiosity regarding the heaping up of minerals, when he says: I heaped up for myself gold and silver, as regards metals, and the wealth of kings and provinces, as regards precious stones and gems; Third Kings ten: "Each one brought gifts to Solomon: vessels of silver and gold, garments and weapons of war," and afterwards: "And he made it so that there was as great an abundance of silver in Jerusalem as of stones."
Spiritually this Solomon, who magnified his works, is Christ the Lord, who is the peaceful king, whose works are great; whence in the Psalm: "How magnificent are your works, O Lord; you have made all things in wisdom," etc. Christ, moreover, magnifies his spiritual works, inasmuch as he makes servants great and many, both with respect to the active life and with respect to the contemplative life.