I. The first question here concerns what he says: What is man, that he can follow God?
On the contrary: 1. Ecclesiasticus 23: It is a great glory to follow the Lord ".
2. Likewise, Job 23: (My foot has followed his steps ".
I respond: it must be said that there is a following by equality, and this has been given to no creature; and because Satan wanted this, he fell. There is again a following by subjection and obedience, and this indeed man can do, but not just anyone—only those to whom it has been given by God through grace, and whom he himself draws; and therefore no one can do it by himself without God's help.
II. There is a question about what he says: What does it profit me, that I devoted greater effort to wisdom?
Because according to this it seems that he dissuades from study, the contrary of which he often urges; and Proverbs 27: "Apply yourself to wisdom, my son," etc.
I respond: it must be said that devoting effort to wisdom can be in two ways: for the advantage of the present life, or for the reward of eternal glory. For the advantage of the present life, wisdom profits before death, because it directs man in his works; but in death it profits nothing, because the learned man dies just as the unlearned, nor is his life prolonged. But if for the advantage of eternal life, thus he does not die, but rather lives.
It is useful for the working of good: Sirach 21: "Wise doctrine is a golden ornament," etc.
It is useful for the avoidance of evil: Sirach 3: A wise and understanding heart will abstain from sins.
It is useful for the increase of grace: Proverbs 4: She will give to your head increases of graces.
It is useful for the increase of glory: Proverbs 3: The wise shall possess glory.
Thus therefore he discourages studying wisdom for present advantage and curiosity, but rather for eternal salvation; and therefore he reproves himself, because he had labored for curiosity and worldly vanity.
III. There is a question about what he says: There will be no remembrance of the wise man like that of the fool.
Against this: 1. Proverbs 10: The memory of the just is with praises, and the name of the wicked shall rot. 2. Likewise, Sirach 39: His memory shall not depart, and his name shall be sought out, etc. I respond: to this some say that he speaks in the person of the carnal man, whence he says what is simply false, but true according to the estimation of carnal men.
But this does not fully resolve the matter, because he ought not to assert the position of carnal men, but rather to refute it. Therefore it must be said that one can speak of the memory of the wise man and the fool either with respect to God, or with respect to men. If we speak with respect to God, there is certainly a remembrance of the good wise man, who devotes himself to wisdom for the glory of God; but with respect to men, the memory of both the good and the evil passes away, for the most part, because men remember few things.
But if of the evil wise man and vain one, there is no memory, neither with respect to God nor with respect to men, indeed his name passes away like the name of the fool: and therefore it is foolish to labor in wisdom for the sake of the fame of one's name. But Ecclesiastes speaks of the vain wise man, who has his eye on earthly things, and he speaks of human memory, not divine.
IV. Likewise, an inquiry is made concerning what he says: My life wearied me as I beheld all evils under the sun.
Against this: Genesis 1: God saw all things that he had made, and they were very good: therefore they are not evil; indeed, this is heretical.
I respond: it must be said that, as the Apostle says in Romans 7: The law is holy, and the commandment holy, yet by occasion the commandment was deadly to those not having grace and wrought death: just as creatures are very good for the just and those who love God and work together unto good and are good in themselves, yet for the impious, sinners, and the foolish, all things are turned into evils by occasion: whence Wisdom 14: The creatures of God are for a temptation and a snare to the feet of the unwise: and Sirach 39: All these things shall be turned into evils for the impious and sinners.
He specifically reproves his own curiosity, secondly, with regard to study directed toward wealth, again with a fourfold argument.
Again I detested etc. He reproved above his own curiosity concerning the works of wisdom: here secondly he reproves his own curiosity concerning the works of human industry directed toward wealth, that is, the artificial works of the mechanical arts. And indeed he does this in this order. First, he reproves his own curiosity on account of the uncertainty of a good succession: second, on account of laborious solicitude: third, he prefers present pleasure to this: fourth, he condemns that solicitude itself through the equity of divine judgment.
(Verses 18. 19. 20. 21.). He argues therefore first that he was curious about acquiring earthly things on account of the uncertainty of good offspring, because he himself could not always possess those things and feared having a useless successor. Therefore he says: Again I detested all my industry, that is, my curious diligence, with which I most studiously labored under the sun, namely to increase these goods: Jeremiah 6: "From the least even to the greatest, all are given to avarice."
And the reason for the loathing is introduced: Who shall have an heir after me, whom I know not whether he will be wise or foolish. Literally, Solomon had as heir Rehoboam, a foolish son, who, following the counsel of the young men, caused the kingdom to be divided, 3 Kings 12. And he shall have dominion over my labors, in which I toiled, as regards the body; and was solicitous, as regards the soul. Concerning this toil, Genesis 3: "In the sweat of your face you shall eat your bread"; concerning solicitude, Matthew 6: "Be not solicitous for your soul, what you shall eat, or for your body, what you shall put on." And that is exceedingly vain; whence he says: And is there anything so vain? Supply: as to labor solicitously for a fool and an idler, as if to say: no.
From the consideration of this vanity, therefore, he ceased from curiosity; whence he says: Wherefore I ceased, and my heart renounced laboring under the sun, that is, for temporal goods. I ceased, in deed; and my heart renounced, in will. But the miser does not cease on this account, below in chapter 4: "There is one alone, and he has not a second, and yet he does not cease to labor."
And he repeats the reason why he ceased: For when another labors in wisdom, in the heart; and in doctrine, in the mouth; and in solicitude, in deed; he leaves what was acquired to an idle man. And from this he concludes vanity: and this therefore is vanity and a great evil: vanity indeed, because riches are left to a useless man, but a great evil; whence Hugh says: "It is a great evil that what one man is worn down by in labor, another should abuse idly and illicitly"; evil, because to a squanderer; Jeremiah 51: "Their works are vain," etc.; Deuteronomy 28: "Let there be no strength in your hand; let a people whom you know not eat the fruit of your land and all your labors."