VANITY OF WORLDLY PLEASURES In chapter one the author explains that even in human knowledge and wisdom there is no satisfaction. Now he declares that he had experienced the delights of senses and did not find true happiness and satisfaction. He also set his heart upon wealth and "it was vanity and vexation of spirit." He feels his heart was in need of freedom from both. 2 1. Pursuit after pleasure is vain 1-3. 2. Pursuit after riches is vain 4-11. 3. Pursuit after human wisdom is vain 12-19. 4. Pursuit after labor is vain 20-23. 5. Enjoy the ordinary God-given pleasures of life [24-26]. PURSUIT AFTER PLEASURE IS VAIN [1-3] Qoheleth attempted to find an answer in frantic pleasure. He turned to the carnal delights as a possible source of satisfaction. He examined the worth of the sensual pleasures of the table, symbolized by wine. These brought him pleasures for the moment, but no enduring satisfaction. "I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove you with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. (2) I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What does it?" [1,2]. Solomon said in his own hearts: "Instead of discussing matters with philosophers and statesmen, try to laugh, eat, drink wine, cast away care and to be happy, as the foolish rich man says, "I will say to my soul, Soul, you have much goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry" Luk. 12:19. Here we notice the following: 1. He said to "laughter": "It is mad," for it cannot change his heart to true happiness. Inner joy is one thing and laughter is another. It is mad to concentrate on the appearance while inside sorrow and grief reign. 2. He calls it mad, for it incites him to be far from God, the true Joy. It is said, "They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ... therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of Your ways" Job 21:12,14. 3. Sin destroys the heart and cast away joy from it; laughter cannot restore heart, therefore the author says, "What does it?" In another place he says,"He sings songs to an heavy heart" Prov. 25:20. 4. Finding himself not happy in that which pleased his fancy, he resolved next to try that which would please the plate. "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". [1-3] 3 5. He did not indulge in the use of wine without being concerned with wisdom. He wanted to find out whether such a pleasure provides a satisfying purpose of life. He desired to manage himself wisely in the use of his pleasures, so that he should not become their slave, and they should not do him any prejudice nor misfit him to be a competent judge of them. In fact those who give themselves to wine and at the same time acquaint their hearts with wisdom deceive themselves, for "wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise" Prov. 20:1. They look like he who worship God and mamon at the same time. PURSUIT AFTER RICHES IS VAIN [4-11] The author provided himself with luxuries, buildings, slaves, silver, gold and peculiar treasure of kings. It is not the heady flower-children escapism in which the Greeks were tempted to indulge (see Wis. 2:1-9). This is the more substantial Jewish way of displaying power by banquets and sumptuous building projects - in short, becoming a patron of the arts. {1. The Collegeville Bible Commentary, p. 816.] 1. He gave himself much to building, both in the city and the country. We read of Solomon's buildings (1 Kings 9:15-19), and they were all great works. "I made me great works; I built me houses" [4]. He started his reign by building the house of God, and then he built many buildings for himself (1 Kings 9:15-19). He was not like those who dwelt in their ceiled houses, and this house lied waste (Hag. 1:4). He also employed many poor men and needy to their advantages, but he was proud as he said, "I made me great works" [4]. 2. He took to love a garden, which is to some as bewitching as building. " I planted me vineyards: (5) I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all {kind of} fruits" [4, 5]. 3. He laid out a great deal of money in water-works, ponds, and canals, not for sport and diversion, but for use, as he said," I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that brings forth trees" [6]. 4. When he proposed to himself to do great works he must employ many hands, and therefore procured servants and maidens. He says, "I got {me} servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house" [7]. 5. Like his father he had great cattle, herds and flocks (1 Chron. 27:29, 31). "also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me"[7]. 6. He grew very rich. "I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the province" [8]. It is said,"and the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that {are} in the vale, for abundance" 1 Kings 10:27. He was not covetous, but he used to give alms and as he said: "there is that scatters, and yet increases" Prov.11:24. 7. He had all sorts of melody and music, vocal and instrumental. "I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts" [8]. It fits the situation of Solomon, who had 300concubines in addition to 700 wives (1Kings 11:3). 8. He enjoyed, more than even any man did, a composition of rational and sensitive pleasures at the same time. In the midst of these entertainments his wisdom remained with him [9], yet his judgment and conscience gave no check to his pleasures, nor hindered him from extracting the very quintessence of the delights of sense [10]. "So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. (10) 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 labor: and this was my portion of all my labor" [9, 10]. 4 9. We have, at length, the judgment he liberty gave of all this: " Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and, behold, all {was} vanity and vexation of spirit, and {there was} no profit under the sun" [11]. 2:6 + For the man who has transcended this world with a pious mind is freed of all care and anxieties. There Ecclesiastes says "pools" with reason, for he sees that there is no abundance under the sun, but if anyone wishes to abound, let him abound in Christ. St. Ambrose 1. Isaac, or the Soul, 4:25. (Fathers of the Church) The phrase "peculiar treasure" (s"qulla) means basically "property" but is used generally for valuable property. Thus Israel was called God's peculiar people (Exod. 19:5), a people whom God has especially chosen and values. PURSUIT AFTER HUMAN WISDOM IS VAIN [12-19] The author returns to the folly of trying to find satisfaction in merely human wisdom [1:16-18]. He makes a comparison between wisdom and folly. He admits that even secular wisdom is better than folly, for it has certain uses in that it keeps one from unnecessary suffering, but in the end it is no value, since the same fate overtakes the wise man and the fool. Both of them die and are forgotten. "And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what {can} the man {do} that comes after the king? {even} that which has been already done. (13) Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness. (14) The wise man's eyes {are} in his head; but the fool walks in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happens to them all. (15) Then said I in my heart, As it happens to the fool, so it happens even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also {is} vanity. (16) 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 dies the wise {man}? as the fool. (17) 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. (18) Yea, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. (19) And who knows whether he shall be a wise {man} or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This {is} also vanity" [12-19]. "The wise man has his eyes in his head" [14]. Eyes here means understanding.The wise man can at least see and understand what lies ahead of him, and can choose the path that will give him the most happiness. + "The wise man has his eyes in his head." In what head? Every man, even the blockhead and the fool, has his bodily eyes in his bodily head. But "the wise man has his eyes" (those of which I have already spoken, which are enlightened by the Lord's commandment) "in his head," in Christ, since "Christ is the head of a man," the apostle says. The thinking faculty is in Christ. Origen 1. Dialogue with Hraclides, 160-2. 2:13 + And what is the use of understanding, you wilt say, to the poor man? As might be expected you art ignorant; for neither does the blind man know what is the advantage of light. Listen to Solomon, saying, "As far as light excel darkness, so the wisdom excel folly." But how shall we instruct him that is in darkness? For the love of money is darkness, permitting nothing that is to appear as it is, but otherwise, For much as one in darkness, though he should see a golden vessel, though a precious stone, though purple garments, supposes them to be nothing, for he sees not their beauty; so also he that is in covetousness, knows not as he ought the beauty of those things that are worthy of our care. 5 St. John Chrysostom 1. Homilies on Matthew, 83:3. 2:14 + Moreover, the heart is "on the top", because "the eyes of a wise man are in his head." St. Ambrose 1. The Prayer of Job and David, 4:7:28. (Fathers of the Church). 6 2:16 + Wait for the Lord. You will not be waiting for one who can deceive or be deceived, nor for one who will be unable to find the wherewithal to give. He who has promised is the Almighty, He who has promised is faithful, He who has promised is true. Wait for the Lord, do manfully. Do not yield to exhaustion; do not be among those of whom we are told: Woe to them that have lost patience! St. Augustine 1. On Ps. 26. (ACW). Eccl. 2: 16 + But the real troubles of the wicked ought to be endured for the society of the good. The Scripture says to him: "Woe that have lost patience." St. Augustine 1. On Ps. 100. PURSUIT AFTER LABOR IS VAIN [20-23] He was disgusted not only with life, but also with human toil, for he saw that it is valueless.The obvious fact that the fruits of man's hard work will fall into the lap of another, and that this other may even be fool and careless, or perhaps to one who had done nothing to deserve them. What he saw when he turned caused him to despair of all the labor which he had done, for he felt that the road he had traveled had not been worth the effort and discomfort it required. "Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I took under the sun. (21) For there is a man whose labor {is} in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that has not labored therein shall he leave it {for} his portion. This also {is} vanity and a great evil. (22) For what has man of all his labor, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he has labor under the sun? (23) For all his days {are} sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart takes not rest in the night. This is also vanity" [21-23]. PRACTICAL ADVICE: ENJOY THE ORDINARY GOD-GIVEN PLEASURES OF LIFE [24-26] The author adjusts his mind to the realities of life and concludes that the best response man can give is to accept the circumstances of existences and to enjoy life while he can, looking to every thing , even eating and drinking as a divine gift, without forgetting to work. This statement is inspired by Ecclesistes' belief that God Himself has it (life) ordained and planned this way. [1. Nelson: A New Catholic Comm., p. 515.] Only in God does life have meaning and true pleasure. Without Him nothing satisfies, but with Him we find satisfaction and enjoyment. True pleasure comes only when we acknowledge and revere God [12:13]. "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 labor. This also I saw, that it {was} from the hand of God. (25) For who can eat, or who else can hasten {hereunto}, more than I? (26) For {God} gives to a man that {is} good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he gives 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" [24-26]. It was not exactly escapism which Qoheleth embraced, but thankfulness. [1. The Collegeville Bible Commentary, p. 816.] + For when he says in another book, which is called Ecclesiastes, "There is no good for a man, except that he should eat and drink," what can he be more credibly understood to say, than what belongs to the participation of this table which the Mediator of the New Testament Himself, the Priest after the order of Melchizedek, furnishes with His own body and blood? St. Augustine 1. City of God 17:20. 1 Eccl 3: 5 + Now that out of the hard stones of the Gentiles God has raised up children unto Abraham, they begin to be "holy stones rolling upon the earth." (Zech. ix. 16, LXX) St. Jerome 1. Letter 22:19. Eccl 3: 1, 2 + We brought forth young under the law with Moses, let us die under the Gospel with Christ. We planted in marriage, let us by chastity pluck up that which was planted. "A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing: a time of love, a time to hate: a time for war, and a time for peace." And at the same time he warns us not to prefer the law to the Gospel; nor to think that virgin purity is to be placed on a level with marriage: "Better," he says, "is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof." St. Jerome 1. Against Jovinianus, 1:29.
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