Ecclesiastes 8

1 the boldness of his face shall be changed. Or, “and the harshness (or ‘hardness,’ as R.V.) of his face is changed”; i.e., if his aspect was gloomy wisdom makes it serene and bright.

2 in regard of the oath of God. Referring to the oath of allegiance, in which the name of God was invoked: see 2 Kings xi. 17; 1 Chron. xi. 3; xxix. 24; and ep. Ezek. xvii. 13-16, where Zedekiah is denounced for breaking his oath to the king of Babylon.

3 to go out of his sight. Or, to depart from him; i.e., by rebellion.

4. Where the word of a king is, etc. Rather, “Inasmuch as the word of a king is powerful,” etc.

5 a wise man’s heart discerneth, etc. The meaning may be, that he keeps in view the season of judgement and retribution.

6. Because to every purpose, etc. Rather, “For to every undertaking there is a season and judgement, for the evil (‘misery,’ R.V.) of man is great upon him.”

8. There is no man that hath power over the spirit, etc. “[As] there is no man who has power over the wind to restrain the wind, and there is [to man] no control over the day of death, and there is no exemption in war, so wickedness will not deliver its possessor.” Wickedness, however high-handed, will have its punishment.

9 to his own hurt. Rather, “to his hurt”; i.e., the hurt of the person ruled.

10. And so I saw, etc. Referring to these hurtful tyrants who went on till they died. “And so I saw [these] bad men buried, and they came [to the grave]; and they that had done right departed from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city”: ep. R.V. and marg.

11. Because sentence, etc. This apparent failure of justice emboldens transgressors to continue in their course.

14. There is a vanity, etc. In this and the next verse there is a recurrence to the topic on which so much has been said already—the inexplicable inequalities in human life, and the wisdom of temperate enjoyment rather than of unavailing speculation.

15 of his labour. Rather, “in his labour,” as R.V.

17. I beheld all the work of God. i.e., His administration of the affairs of the world.

1 as my brother. i.e., one whom she might caress in public as well as in private, without impropriety.

2. Who would instruct me. Perhaps, “thou shouldest teach me”: see R.V. marg.

the juice of my pomegranate. The sherbet made with pomegranate juice is particularly esteemed for its agreeable and cooling acidity.

5. Who is this that cometh up, etc.? See note on iii. 6.

I raised thee up. Rather, as R.V., “I awakened thee.” The words of the bridegroom recall the first hours of their love, under this tree, and by her own early home.

6. Set me as a seal. Denoting intimate and inviolable union.

jealousy. It is evident, from the connexion, that the word “jealousy” is only used here to express strong and intense love. Love is strong as death, inasmuch as it conquers all; and it is tenacious (Heb., “hard,” not precisely “cruel,” as A.V. and R.V.), like the grave, which never relaxes its hold.

7 it would utterly be contemned. Or, “with scorn should he (the man who would propose such an exchange) be scorned.”

8 sister. The brothers of the bride (i. 6), to whom the disposal of their sister belonged (see

Gen. xxiv. 50), are now introduced as having objected to her marriage (8, 9); to which she replies that she has arrived at maturity, and has pledged herself to Solomon (10-12). All this is related by the bride, to show the determination and constancy of her affection from the beginning.

when she shall be spoken for. i.e., when she shall be asked in marriage.

9. If she be a wall. i.e., if she be inaccessible—unwilling to receive suitors—we will ornament her in reward for her modesty.

If she be a door. i.e., If she be disposed to give a ready reception to suitors, we will keep her in strict seclusion.

10. I am (or “was,” R.V. marg.) a wall. She replies to the brothers in their own style; and asserts that the modesty and reserve which rendered her inaccessible to the addresses of others had the more surely won the favour of her accepted suitor.

as one that found favour. The bride here uses the word from which the names Solomon and Shulamith (or rather Shelomith) are derived—“peace.”

12. My vineyard, which is mine. See i. 6, and note. The bride employs the Baal-hamon vineyard as a parable of her own case, “My vineyard is before me,” i.e., is in my charge. But Solomon, she declares, is welcome to the profits of his vineyard. She yields to him her affection disinterestedly and in return for his love.

two hundred. This is probably a plea that her brothers may have some reward for their former care of her.

13 hearken to thy voice. Rather, “are listening for thy voice.”

14. Make haste, my beloved. At the bridegroom’s desire, the bride sings a verse which shows that she cannot forget the incidents of their earlier love (see ii. 15, and note). The song repeats that in ii. 17: only the hills of separation exist no more.

UPON this book, more than any other in the Old Testament except perhaps Deuteronomy, the searchlight of criticism, or critical scholarship, has been directed. The result has been to make clearer than ever two main facts about it: (1) Its prophetic, or Divinely inspired character, and (2) The Messianic nature of many of its predictions. Even accepting the view that there was a second writer, who composed the later chapters of the book—a view now taken by the great majority of Christian scholars—the latest date at which any of the book was written is not less than 530 years before Christ. Isaiah himself prophesied from 740 to 701 B.C., more than 120 years before the Babylonian captivity which he foretold (xxxix. 5, 7). Such a prediction and its fulfilment can only be explained by a supernatural vision revealed to him. And the predictions of Emmanuel (vii. 14), of the Prince of Peace and His unending dominion (ix. 6, 7), of the Servant of the Lord (xlii. 1-7), of His sufferings and final victory (liii.), and of His message of salvation (lxi. 1-3), however much they may have had partial fulfilment in persons or in the nation, have found their complete fulfilment only in the Lord Jesus Christ. This complete picture of the Saviour, be it remembered, was drawn, even accepting the latest date above indicated, more than 500 years before Jesus lived on earth.

It was the 61st chapter that our Lord applied to Himself in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke iv. 17-19), and it was from the 53rd chapter that Philip, conversing with the Ethiopian treasurer, “preached unto him Jesus” (Acts viii. 32-35).

The contents of the book may briefly be summarised under three heads:

1. Practical exhortations.—Isaiah takes no narrow view of the preacher’s office. He is a true preacher of righteousness. He denounces wickedness, individual and national (i. 4, 21, 23). Even the vanities of feminine attire do not escape his notice (iii. 16-24). The covetousness of the rich and their oppression of the poor he exposes unsparingly (v. 7, 8). Religion, with him, is something more than ritual observances and temple worship; it is above all, as God instructed him, a matter of conduct and right dealing between man and man (i. 13-17). But amid all rebuke of sin, he speaks of mercy for the sinner (i. 18;

iv. 4-6; xii. 1, 2; xxix. 24; lv. 7), and of hope and comfort for all faithful servants of God (xxv. 4, 8; xxvi. 3, 4; xxxii. 17, 18; xxxv. 1, 2, 10; xl. 29-31; xlii. 16; xliii. 2; li. 11).