Ecclesiastes 2 · The Lantern

I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is 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 doeth

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 sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

"I," however, said Ecclesiastes, "have sought the good proper to youth and every other stage of life. We are never satiated; rather, appetite is common to us all while passion flowers with enjoyment and is not circumscribed by the attainment of its desire." But inasmuch as we perceive the good in pleasure, any delight sets desire aflame, for pleasure is united to desire and is…

It is not the acuity of the mind but rather the disposition of the soul, being employed beneficially or shamefully in making use of the gift, which is to be praised or condemned.

"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.

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

The confession about planting vines encompasses a great catalogue of effects on the person. The text includes in its meaning the full extent and nature of the effects caused by wine.

But what is vain? Let us hear the Preacher himself, what he saith; "I planted me vineyards, I gat me men singers and women singers, I made me pools of water, I had great possession of herds and flocks, I gathered me also silver and gold, and I saw that these are vanity." And again, "Vanity of vanities, all things are vanity." Hear also what the Prophet saith, "He heapeth up ric…

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.

I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth 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 got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before

Among those things he includes is an expensive home, many vineyards, beautiful gardens, pools and orchards, do we find a person who regards himself as lord over his fellow man? "I obtained servants, maidens, servants born to me in my house." Do you see here a pride which makes false pretensions? Such words as these rise up against God.

"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 the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments,

What hope is there, that someone who lives amid so much gold will thereby become wise, sagacious, reflective, learned, a friend of God, prudent, pure, passionfree, detached and aloof from all that draws him toward evil?

"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 remained

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

As is well known, the person who toils for something in his heart suffers if he does not succeed with it. Ecclesiastes thus wants to say: I did not fail in any of the things I hoped for in my toil.

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 vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

People who write in water are engaged in drawing the shapes of the letters in the liquid by writing with the hand, but nothing remains of the shape of the letters, and the interest in the writing consists solely in the act of writing (for the surface of the water continually follows the hand, obliterating what is written).

"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 therefore teaches what human wisdom is, that to follow the real wisdom—which he also calls counsel, which brings about what truly is and has substance, and is not thought of as among futile things—to follow that is the sum of human wisdom. But real wisdom and counsel, on my reckoning, is none other than the Wisdom that is conceived of as before the universe.

" 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.

Here the second point is noted, namely the discovered preeminence of wisdom over folly, because it surpasses it, as it were, beyond all proportion. For which reason he says: "And I saw that wisdom so far exceeded folly," that is, was nobler, "as light differs from darkness." And this comparison is fitting, since wisdom illuminates, and folly blinds or darkens.

The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth

In Ecclesiastes there is a curious saying. To the undiscerning it will seem meaningless, but it is precisely for the wise man that Ecclesiastes says: "The wise man's eyes are in his head." In what head? Every man, even a madman and a fool, has fleshly eyes on his fleshly head.

If we think about "eyes" in the visible sense, then (one can say) that both the foolish and the wise have eyes in their head. The wise [person], insofar as he is wise, turns upwards to Christ, his head. Thus it is written: "Christ is the head of every man." The head of the wise is the mind; therefore it is written: "But we have the mind of Christ."

The fourth aspect of the zeal of wisdom is the elevation of desire. This gives worth to other endeavors, so that forgetting what is behind, we strain forward to what is before. "The wise man has eyes in his head. — The heart of a wise man is in his right hand." Now, the zeal of wisdom consists in this, that our endeavor be directed toward nothing but God who is "all delight."

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

For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

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…

Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after

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 shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; 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 man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more

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 God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes2