2 I said H559 of laughter, H7814 It is mad: H1984 and of mirth, H8057 What H2090 doeth H6213 it?
Even in laughter H7814 the heart H3820 is sorrowful; H3510 and the end H319 of that mirth H8057 is heaviness. H8424
It is better H2896 to go H3212 to the house H1004 of mourning, H60 than to go H3212 to the house H1004 of feasting: H4960 for H834 that is the end H5490 of all men; H120 and the living H2416 will lay H5414 it to his heart. H3820 Sorrow H3708 is better H2896 than laughter: H7814 for by the sadness H7455 of the countenance H6440 the heart H3820 is made better. H3190 The heart H3820 of the wise H2450 is in the house H1004 of mourning; H60 but the heart H3820 of fools H3684 is in the house H1004 of mirth. H8057 It is better H2896 to hear H8085 the rebuke H1606 of the wise, H2450 than for a man H376 to hear H8085 the song H7892 of fools. H3684 For as the crackling H6963 of thorns H5518 under a pot, H5518 so is the laughter H7814 of the fool: H3684 this also is vanity. H1892
And in that day H3117 did the Lord H136 GOD H3069 of hosts H6635 call H7121 to weeping, H1065 and to mourning, H4553 and to baldness, H7144 and to girding H2296 with sackcloth: H8242 And behold joy H8342 and gladness, H8057 slaying H2026 oxen, H1241 and killing H7819 sheep, H6629 eating H398 flesh, H1320 and drinking H8354 wine: H3196 let us eat H398 and drink; H8354 for to morrow H4279 we shall die. H4191
Ye that put far away H5077 the evil H7451 day, H3117 and cause the seat H7675 of violence H2555 to come near; H5066 That lie H7901 upon beds H4296 of ivory, H8127 and stretch H5628 themselves upon their couches, H6210 and eat H398 the lambs H3733 out of the flock, H6629 and the calves H5695 out of the midst H8432 of the stall; H4770 That chant H6527 to the sound H6310 of the viol, H5035 and invent H2803 to themselves instruments H3627 of musick, H7892 like David; H1732 That drink H8354 wine H3196 in bowls, H4219 and anoint H4886 themselves with the chief H7225 ointments: H8081 but they are not grieved H2470 for the affliction H7667 of Joseph. H3130
That G1519 he G980 no longer G3371 should live G980 the rest G1954 of his time G5550 in G1722 the flesh G4561 to the lusts G1939 of men, G444 but G235 to the will G2307 of God. G2316 For G1063 the time G5550 past G3928 of our life G979 may suffice G713 us G2254 to have wrought G2716 the will G2307 of the Gentiles, G1484 when we walked G4198 in G1722 lasciviousness, G766 lusts, G1939 excess of wine, G3632 revellings, G2970 banquetings, G4224 and G2532 abominable G111 idolatries: G1495 Wherein G1722 G3739 they think it strange G3579 that ye G5216 run G4936 not G3361 with them to G1519 the same G846 excess G401 of riot, G810 speaking evil of G987 you:
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ecclesiastes 2
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
Solomon having pronounced all vanity, and particularly knowledge and learning, which he was so far from giving himself joy of that he found the increase of it did but increase his sorrow, in this chapter he goes on to show what reason he has to be tired of this world, and with what little reason most men are fond of it.
Ecc 2:1-11
Solomon here, in pursuit of the summum bonum-the felicity of man, adjourns out of his study, his library, his elaboratory, his council-chamber, where he had in vain sought for it, into the park and the playhouse, his garden and his summer-house; he exchanges the company of the philosophers and grave senators for that of the wits and gallants, and the beaux-esprits, of his court, to try if he could find true satisfaction and happiness among them. Here he takes a great step downward, from the noble pleasures of the intellect to the brutal ones of sense; yet, if he resolve to make a thorough trial, he must knock at this door, because here a great part of mankind imagine they have found that which he was in quest of.
Ecc 2:12-16
Solomon having tried what satisfaction was to be had in learning first, and then in the pleasures of sense, and having also put both together, here compares them one with another and passes a judgment upon them.
Ecc 2:17-26
Business is a thing that wise men have pleasure in. They are in their element when they are in their business, and complain if they be out of business. They may sometimes be tired with their business, but they are not weary of it, nor willing to leave it off. Here therefore one would expect to have found the good that men should do, but Solomon tried this too; after a contemplative life and a voluptuous life, he betook himself to an active life, and found no more satisfaction in it than in the other; still it is all vanity and vexation of spirit, of which he gives an account in these verses, where observe,