25 I applied H5437 mine heart H3820 to know, H3045 and to search, H8446 and to seek out H1245 wisdom, H2451 and the reason H2808 of things, and to know H3045 the wickedness H7562 of folly, H3689 even of foolishness H5531 and madness: H1947
Knowing G1097 this G5124 first, G4412 that G3754 there shall come G2064 in G1909 the last G2078 days G2250 scoffers, G1703 walking G4198 after G2596 their G846 own G2398 lusts, G1939 And G2532 saying, G3004 Where G4226 is G2076 the promise G1860 of his G846 coming? G3952 for G1063 since G575 G3739 the fathers G3962 fell asleep, G2837 all things G3956 continue G3779 G1265 as they were from G575 the beginning G746 of the creation. G2937 For G1063 this G5124 they G846 willingly G2309 are ignorant of, G2990 that G3754 by the word G3056 of God G2316 the heavens G3772 were G2258 of old, G1597 and G2532 the earth G1093 standing out G4921 of G1537 the water G5204 and G2532 in G1223 the water: G5204 Whereby G1223 G3739 the world G2889 that then was, G5119 being overflowed G2626 with water, G5204 perished: G622 But G1161 the heavens G3772 and G2532 the earth, G1093 which are now, G3568 by the same G846 word G3056 are G1526 kept in store, G2343 reserved G5083 unto fire G4442 against G1519 the day G2250 of judgment G2920 and G2532 perdition G684 of ungodly G765 men. G444 But, G1161 beloved, G27 be G2990 not G3361 G5209 ignorant G2990 of this one G1520 thing, G5124 that G3754 one G3391 day G2250 is with G3844 the Lord G2962 as G5613 a thousand G5507 years, G2094 and G2532 a thousand G5507 years G2094 as G5613 one G3391 day. G2250 The Lord G2962 is G1019 not G3756 slack G1019 concerning his promise, G1860 as G5613 some men G5100 count G2233 slackness; G1022 but G235 is longsuffering G3114 to G1519 us-ward, G2248 not G3361 willing G1014 that any G5100 should perish, G622 but G235 that all G3956 should come G5562 to G1519 repentance. G3341
And G2532 through G1722 covetousness G4124 shall they with feigned G4112 words G3056 make merchandise G1710 of you: G5209 whose G3739 judgment G2917 now of a long time G1597 lingereth G691 not, G3756 and G2532 their G846 damnation G684 slumbereth G3573 not. G3756 For G1063 if G1487 God G2316 spared G5339 not G3756 the angels G32 that sinned, G264 but G235 cast them down to hell, G5020 and delivered G3860 them into chains G4577 of darkness, G2217 to be reserved G5083 unto G1519 judgment; G2920 And G2532 spared G5339 not G3756 the old G744 world, G2889 but G235 saved G5442 Noah G3575 the eighth G3590 person, a preacher G2783 of righteousness, G1343 bringing in G1863 the flood G2627 upon the world G2889 of the ungodly; G765 And G2532 turning G5077 the cities G4172 of Sodom G4670 and G2532 Gomorrha G1116 into ashes G5077 condemned G2632 them with an overthrow, G2692 making G5087 them an ensample G5262 unto those that after should G3195 live ungodly; G764 And G2532 delivered G4506 just G1342 Lot, G3091 vexed G2669 with G5259 the filthy G766 conversation G391 of the wicked: G113 (For G1063 that righteous man G1342 dwelling G1460 among G1722 them, G846 in seeing G990 and G2532 hearing, G189 vexed G928 his righteous G1342 soul G5590 from day G2250 to G1537 day G2250 with their unlawful G459 deeds;) G2041 The Lord G2962 knoweth G1492 how to deliver G4506 the godly G2152 out of G1537 temptations, G3986 and G1161 to reserve G5083 the unjust G94 unto G1519 the day G2250 of judgment G2920 to be punished: G2849
Righteous H6662 art thou, O LORD, H3068 when I plead H7378 with thee: yet let me talk H1696 with thee of thy judgments: H4941 Wherefore doth the way H1870 of the wicked H7563 prosper? H6743 wherefore are all they happy H7951 that deal very H899 treacherously? H898 Thou hast planted H5193 them, yea, they have taken root: H8327 they grow, H3212 yea, they bring forth H6213 fruit: H6529 thou art near H7138 in their mouth, H6310 and far from H7350 their reins. H3629
For all this I considered H5414 in my heart H3820 even to declare H952 all this, that the righteous, H6662 and the wise, H2450 and their works, H5652 are in the hand H3027 of God: H430 no man H120 knoweth H3045 either H1571 love H160 or hatred H8135 by all that is before H6440 them. All things come alike to all: there is one H259 event H4745 to the righteous, H6662 and to the wicked; H7563 to the good H2896 and to the clean, H2889 and to the unclean; H2931 to him that sacrificeth, H2076 and to him that H834 sacrificeth H2076 not: as is the good, H2896 so is the sinner; H2398 and he that sweareth, H7650 as he that feareth H3373 an oath. H7621 This is an evil H7451 among all things that are done H6213 under the sun, H8121 that there is one H259 event H4745 unto all: yea, also the heart H3820 of the sons H1121 of men H120 is full H4390 of evil, H7451 and madness H1947 is in their heart H3824 while they live, H2416 and after H310 that they go to the dead. H4191
And moreover I saw H7200 under the sun H8121 the place H4725 of judgment, H4941 that wickedness H7562 was there; and the place H4725 of righteousness, H6664 that iniquity H7562 was there. I said H559 in mine heart, H3820 God H430 shall judge H8199 the righteous H6662 and the wicked: H7563 for there is a time H6256 there for every purpose H2656 and for every work. H4639
I said H559 in mine heart, H3820 Go to now, H3212 I will prove H5254 thee with mirth, H8057 therefore enjoy H7200 pleasure: H2896 and, behold, this also is vanity. H1892 I said H559 of laughter, H7814 It is mad: H1984 and of mirth, H8057 What H2090 doeth H6213 it? I sought H8446 in mine heart H3820 to give H4900 myself H1320 unto wine, H3196 yet acquainting H5090 mine heart H3820 with wisdom; H2451 and to lay hold H270 on folly, H5531 till I might see H7200 what was that good H2896 for the sons H1121 of men, H120 which they should do H6213 under the heaven H8064 all H4557 the days H3117 of their life. H2416
And I gave H5414 my heart H3820 to seek H1875 and search out H8446 by wisdom H2451 concerning all things that are done H6213 under heaven: H8064 this sore H7451 travail H6045 hath God H430 given H5414 to the sons H1121 of man H120 to be exercised H6031 therewith. I have seen H7200 all the works H4639 that are done H6213 under the sun; H8121 and, behold, all is vanity H1892 and vexation H7469 of spirit. H7307 That which is crooked H5791 cannot H3201 be made straight: H8626 and that which is wanting H2642 cannot H3201 be numbered. H4487 I communed H1696 with mine own heart, H3820 saying, H559 Lo, I am come to great estate, H1431 and have gotten H3254 more wisdom H2451 than all they that have been before H6440 me in Jerusalem: H3389 yea, my heart H3820 had great H7235 experience H7200 of wisdom H2451 and knowledge. H1847 And I gave H5414 my heart H3820 to know H3045 wisdom, H2451 and to know H3045 madness H1947 and folly: H5531 I perceived H3045 that this H1571 also is vexation H7475 of spirit. H7307
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ecclesiastes 7
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 7 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 7
Solomon had given many proofs and instances of the vanity of this world and the things of it; now, in this chapter,
Ecc 7:1-6
In these verses Solomon lays down some great truths which seem paradoxes to the unthinking part, that is, the far greatest part, of mankind.
Ecc 7:7-10
Solomon had often complained before of the oppressions which he saw under the sun, which gave occasion for many melancholy speculations and were a great discouragement to virtue and piety. Now here,
Ecc 7:11-22
Solomon, in these verses, recommends wisdom to us as the best antidote against those distempers of mind which we are liable to, by reason of the vanity and vexation of spirit that there are in the things of this world. Here are some of the praises and the precepts of wisdom.
Ecc 7:23-29
Solomon had hitherto been proving the vanity of the world and its utter insufficiency to make men happy; now here he comes to show the vileness of sin, and its certain tendency to make men miserable; and this, as the former, he proves from his own experience, and it was a dear-bought experience. He is here, more than any where in all this book, putting on the habit of a penitent. He reviews what he had been discoursing of already, and tells us that what he had said was what he knew and was well assured of, and what he resolved to stand by: All this have I proved by wisdom, v. 23. Now here,