Ecclesiastes 2 · The Lantern

I said in my heart: 'Come now, I will try thee with mirth, and enjoy pleasure'; and, behold, this also was vanity.

Judging, therefore, that it stood thus with this matter, I decided to turn to another mariner of life, and to give myself to pleasure, and to take experience of various delights.

"I said to myself: Come, I will experiment with joy and enjoy pleasure. That, too, turned out to be futile." After I detected that pain and labour were in the essence of wisdom and the accumulation of knowledge, and nothing else except vain and endless struggle, I felt joyful that I would overflow with excess, accrue riches, amass great wealth, and take temporary pleasures befo…

The world also, by displaying sweetness, inflames to lust, just as wine by its sweetness draws to gluttony and through this to lust: whence in 3 Esdras 3: Wine, which prevails over all who drink it, seduces the mind.

I said of laughter: 'It is mad'; and of mirth: 'What doth it accomplish?'

Those who live under discipline should avoid very carefully even such intemperate action as is commonly regarded lightly. Indulging in unrestrained and immoderate laughter is a sign of intemperance, of a want of control over one's emotions, and of failure to repress the soul's frivolity by a stern use of reason.

Let your rejoicing of the heart in God be calm and moderate, in accordance with the words of the apostle: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice." In another place, he says, "The fruit of the spirit is joy." Such happiness does not disturb the mind with the base act of laughter but lifts the soul to the place of rest that is above where you can hear "Enter into the…

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.

I searched in my heart how to pamper my flesh with wine, and, my heart conducting itself with wisdom, how yet to lay hold on folly, till I might see which it was best for the sons of men that they should do under the heaven the few days of their life.

I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;

I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit;

I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the wood springing up with trees;

With reference to the natural sense, you find it said in Ecclesiastes, "I made for myself pools of water to water from them a flourishing woodland." And do not be concerned that he said "pools" instead of "a well," because Moses said "the Well of Room-enough." For the man who has transcended this world with a pious mind is freed of all care and anxieties.

"I constructed pools from which to irrigate a grove of young trees. "The wood in glades and in forests, which is not fruit-bearing, are not nourished by rain from the sky, not by such rain waters but by water which is collected in pools from rivers. Even low-lying Egypt is situated low in the land like a vegetable patch, and is irrigated by waters, which come from Ethiopia.

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 12: "If he withholds the waters, all things will be dried up." Such pools were necessary in…

I acquired men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem;

What is such a gross example of arrogance in the matters enumerated above—an opulent house, and an abundance of vines, and ripeness in vegetable plots, and collecting waters in pools and channeling them in gardens—as for a human being to think himself the master of his own kind?

"I bought slaves, male and female, and natives too; I also owned more possessions, both cattle and sheep, than all of my predecessors in Jerusalem." If we want Ecclesiastes, as we have said before, to refer to the person of Christ here too, then we are able to say "his slaves" who have the spirit of fear in servitude and desire more spiritual things in life than they already ha…

"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;" 3 Kings 10: "The queen of Sheba, seeing the wisdom of Solomon and the foods of his table, the dwellings of his servants and the ran…

I gathered me also silver and gold, and treasure such as kings and the provinces have as their own; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, women very many.

What is more harmful than gold mixed with earth in those locations where the Creator had originally placed it? What is more advantageous for you than the earth's bounty which the Creator has made? Do not fruit trees contribute to your nourishment? Then why do you violate the bounds of authority?

"I amassed even silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and the provinces; I provided myself with various singers and musical instruments, and with every human luxury- chests and chests of them." Divine scripture always places silver and gold above speech and meaning.

"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; 3 Kings 10: "Each one brought gifts to Solomon: vessels of silver and gold, garments and weapons of war," and afterward…

So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stood me in stead.

And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart had joy of all my labour; and this was my portion from all my labour.

"Heart" does not here signify the organ but reason. In a different passage [we read]: "Blessed are the pure in heart." This means with regard to reason. And: "Listen to me, you stubborn of heart." The heart thus understood does not need to be "kept from pleasure." It derives pleasure from appropriate views and meditations based on knowledge.

They nourish their hearts in self-indulgence who, according to the word of Ecclesiastes, do not prevent their heart from enjoying every wish and from delighting itself in the things which they have prepared. And they count it their due if they themselves make use of their own labors, having no care for the support and solace of the poor.

"And all things which they desired" etc. Here the fourth point is touched upon, namely his pleasure in fully enjoying those delectable things which he had prepared; and because there is a certain pleasure which has its origin from without, and a certain one from interior conception, he notes both in himself.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

When tracing formless letters in water, this act of writing only has existence while we perform it because our hand always follows the water's surface and smoothes over the impressions just made. Our exertions and energy on behalf of pleasure are similar.

"Then I looked at all things that I had done and the energy I had expended in doing them. "He who does all things with diligence and wariness is able to say this.

He reproves his own curiosity on account of the vanity he discovered, which consists in mutability. He found therefore vanity and affliction in the works which he had done with curiosity, on account of diligent consideration; for which reason he says: "And when I turned to all the works which my hands had made," that is, had diligently considered, according to that word of the…

And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness and folly; for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

He teaches human wisdom, namely, the following of true wisdom and presents those things which have substance and are not subject to vanity. Indeed, this is the summit of human wisdom. In my opinion true wisdom and counsel are simply another kind of wisdom which provides for creation by which God makes all things.

" Then I turned my attention to appraising wisdom with madness and folly - for what can man who comes after the king do?" This seems to discuss heavenly matters until the place where he says, "the eyes of a wise man are in his head".

He indicates the diligence of his consideration in treating those things in which he had studied. For this reason he says: "I passed over to contemplate wisdom," as regards things to be chosen: "and errors and folly," as regards things to be avoided.

Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

And what is the use of understanding, thou wilt say, to the poor man? As might be expected thou art ignorant; for neither doth the blind man know what is the advantage of light. Listen to Solomon, saying, "As far as light excelleth darkness, so doth wisdom excel folly." But how shall we instruct him that is in darkness?

"And I perceived that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. "I am allowed, he says, to see through that very wisdom of mankind, which is mixed with uncertainty. Nor is it possible, he adds, for it to flow into our minds so clearly as it does into the king and our creator.

"I saw that wisdom excels folly as much as light differs from darkness." Therefore wisdom is light: light, I say, descending from above from the Father of lights, from whom is every best gift and every perfect gift. This light descends to illuminate our cognitive power, to gladden our affective power, and to strengthen our operative power.

The wise man, his eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness. And I also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

And first of all, let us understand that the structure of the human body is like that of the world. Just as the sky towers over the air, the earth, and the sea, which are like certain members of the world, so too we see that the head stands out above the other parts of our body and is the most excellent of all, like the sky among the elements, like a citadel among the other for…

[Daniel 2:28] "But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries." Therefore it is only in vain that thou inquirest (other MSS have: "that he inquire") of men as to something which is known only to God in heaven. Also, by indirectly drawing Nebuchadnezzar away from the worship of many gods, Daniel directs him to the knowledge of the one (true) God.

"The eyes of the wise man are in his head," namely for directing: "the fool walks in darkness," as though he had no eyes in his head.

Then said I in my heart: 'As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?' Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will long ago have been forgotten. And how must the wise man die even as the fool!

So I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

Therefore incline to him of whom the psalmist says, "He has not taken his soul in vain." To speak now of the troubles of this life, the person has taken his soul in vain who is constructing the things of the world and building the things of the body. We arise each day to eat and drink; yet no one is filled so that he does not hunger and thirst after a short time.

"So I hated life, for I was depressed by all that goes on under the sun, because everything is vain and a vexation of the spirit." The world has been given over to unkindness [Cfr I John. 5, 19.] and the apostle moans about the tabernacle saying "I am a wretched man, who will free me from the body of this death?" [Rom.

And from this he concludes: "Therefore I was weary of my life," as if he refused to live on account of weariness, as Job 10: "My soul is weary of my life": on account of occasions of sin: Genesis 27, Rebecca said: "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth." On account of labors: Numbers 21: "The people began to be weary of the journey and the labor, and they spoke…

And I hated all my labour wherein I laboured under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

If the whole earth is not worth the kingdom of heaven, surely he who has left a few fields leaves nothing, as it were; even if he has given up a house or much gold, he ought not to boast nor grow weary.

"Thus I hated all my achievements labouring under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who succeeds me. And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? - And he will control all my possessions which I toiled and have shown myself wise under the sun. This, too, is vanity.

He reproves his own curiosity concerning the works of human industry directed toward wealth. He argues 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.

And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.

For there is a man whose labour is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

For what hath a man of all his labour, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboureth under the sun?

For all his days are pains, and his occupation vexation; yea, even in the night his heart taketh not rest. This also is vanity.

There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy pleasure for his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of G-d.

For who will eat, or who will enjoy, if not I?

We exhort, therefore, the widows and orphans to partake of those things that are bestowed upon them with all fear and all pious reverence, and to return thanks to God who gives food to the needy, and to lift up their eyes to him. For, "Which of you shall eat, or who shall drink without him?

And he proposes himself as an example of this to confirm it: "Who shall so devour," as regards concupiscence: "and abound in delights," as regards abundance: "as I?" As if to say: no one: 3 Kings 4: "Now the provision of Solomon for each day was thirty measures of fine flour and sixty measures of meal, ten fat oxen and twenty pasture oxen" etc.

For to the man that is good in His sight He giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He giveth the task, to gather and to heap up, that he may leave to him that is good in the sight of G-d. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes2