Ecclesiastes 2 commentary

ECCLESIASTES 2 COMME TARY
EDITED BY GLE PEASE
Pleasures Are Meaningless
1 I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with
pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved
to be meaningless.
BAR ES, “Solomon’s trial of God’s second gift, namely, riches, and the enjoyment
which riches supply; this brought him to the sane result (compare Ecc_1:12).
Comparing Solomon’s action with Luk_12:16-21, it must be remembered that
Solomon’s object was the acquisition of wisdom, not self-indulgence, and that he did not
fail to look forward to the certainty of death overtaking him.
CLARKE, “I will prove thee with mirth - This is well expressed by the author so
often referred to. Having tried speculative knowledge in vain, passion and appetite
whisper: -
“From the rugged thorny road
Of wisdom, which so ill repays thy toil,
Turn back, and enter pleasure’s flowery paths.
Go, take thy fill of joy, to passion give
The reins; nor let one serious thought restrain
What youth and affluence prompt.”
GILL, “I said in mine heart,.... He communed with his heart, he thought and
reasoned within himself, and came to this resolution in his own mind; that since he
could not find happiness in natural wisdom and knowledge, he would seek for it
elsewhere, even in pleasure; in which, he observed, some men placed their happiness; or,
however, sought for it there: or, "I said to my heart", as the Syriac version;
Go to now; or, "go, I pray thee" (u) listen to what I am about to say, and pursue the
track I shall now point out to thee;
I will prove thee with mirth; with those things which will cause mirth, joy, and
pleasure; and try whether any happiness can be enjoyed this way, since it could not be
had in wisdom and knowledge. Jarchi and Aben Ezra render it, "I will mingle", wine with
water, or with spices; or, "I will pour out", wine in plenty to drink of, "with joy", and to
promote mirth: but the Targum, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, interpret it as
we do, and which sense Aben Ezra makes mention of;
therefore enjoy pleasure; which man is naturally a lover of; he was so in his state of

innocency, and this was the bait that was laid for him, and by which he was drawn into
sin; and now he loves, lives in, and serves sinful pleasures; which are rather imaginary
than real, and last but for a season, and end in bitterness: but such sordid lusts and
pleasures are not here meant; Solomon was too wise and good a man to give into these,
as the "summum bonum"; or ever to think there could be any happiness in them, or even
to make a trial of them for that purpose: not criminal pleasures, or an impure, sottish,
and epicurean life, are here intended; but manly, rational, and lawful pleasures, for no
other are mentioned in the detail of particulars following; and, in the pursuit of the
whole, he was guided and governed by his wisdom, and that remained in him, Ecc_2:3.
It may be rendered, "therefore see good" (w); look upon all the good, pleasant, and
delectable things of life; and enjoy them in such a manner as, if possible, happiness may
be attained in them;
and, behold, this also is vanity; it will be found, by making the experiment, that
there is no solid and substantial happiness in it, as it was by himself.
HE RY, “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.
I. He resolved to try what mirth would do and the pleasures of wit, whether he
should be happy if he constantly entertained himself and others with merry stories and
jests, banter and drollery; if he should furnish himself with all the pretty ingenious turns
and repartees he could invent or pick up, fit to be laughed over, and all the bulls, and
blunders, and foolish things, he could hear of, fit to be ridiculed and laughed at, so that
he might be always in a merry humour. 1. This experiment made (Ecc_2:1): “Finding that
in much wisdom is much grief, and that those who are serious are apt to be melancholy,
I said in my heart” (to my heart), “Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth; I will try if
that will give thee satisfaction.” Neither the temper of his mind nor his outward
condition had any thing in them to keep him from being merry, but both agreed, as did
all other advantages, to further it; therefore he resolved to take a lease this way, and said,
“Enjoy pleasure, and take thy fill of it; cast away care, and resolve to be merry.” So a man
may be, and yet have none of these fine things which he here got to entertain himself
with; many that are poor are very merry; beggars in a barn are so to a proverb. Mirth is
the entertainment of the fancy, and, though it comes short of the solid delights of the
rational powers, yet it is to be preferred before those that are merely carnal and sensual.
Some distinguish man from the brutes, not only as animal rationale - a rational animal,
but as animal risibile - a laughing animal; therefore he that said to his soul, Take thy
ease, eat and drink, added, And be merry, for it was in order to that that he would eat
and drink. “Try therefore,” says Solomon, “to laugh and be fat, to laugh and be happy.”
JAMISO , “Ecc_2:1-26. He next tries pleasure and luxury, retaining however, his
worldly “wisdom” (Ecc_3:9), but all proves “vanity” in respect to the chief good.
I said ... heart — (Luk_12:19).
thee — my heart, I will test whether thou canst find that solid good in pleasure which

was not in “worldly wisdom.” But this also proves to be “vanity” (Isa_50:11).
CALVI , “I will prove thee with mirth - This is well expressed by the author so often referred
to. Having tried speculative knowledge in vain, passion and appetite whisper: -
"From the rugged thorny road
Of wisdom, which so illREPAYS thy toil,
Turn back, and enter pleasure's flowery paths.
Go, take thy fill of joy, to passion give
The reins; nor let one serious thought restrain
What youth and affluence prompt."
COFFMA , “"Therefore enjoy pleasure" (Ecclesiastes 2:1). "In these verses, the king tried to
find the "summum bonum" in pleasure."[1] However, this also proved to be a futileSEARCH ;
and he pronounced it also as "vanity." As Robert Burns stated it, "Pleasures are like poppies
spread; You seize the stem, the bloom is shed"!
K&D, ““I have said in mine heart: Up then, I will prove thee with mirth, and enjoy thou
the good! And, lo, this also is vain.” Speaking in the heart is not here merely, as at
Ecc_1:16-17, speaking to the heart, but the words are formed into a direct address of the
heart. The Targ. and Midrash obliterate this by interpreting as if the word were ‫ה‬ָ ֶ ַ‫נ‬ ֲ‫,א‬ “I
will try it” (Ecc_7:23). Jerome also, in rendering by vadam et affluam deliciis et fruar bonis,
proceeds contrary to the usual reading of 'ָֽ‫ן‬ ֶ‫א‬ Niph. of ְ‫,נסך‬ vid., at Psa_2:6), as if this could mean,
“I will pour over myself.” It is an address of the heart, and ‫ב‬ is, as at 1Ki_10:1, that of the means: I
will try thee with mirth, to see whether thy hunger after satisfaction can be appeased with mirth.
‫ה‬ ֵ‫א‬ ְ‫וּר‬ also is an address; Grätz sees here, contrary to the Gramm., an infin. continuing the ִ‫שׂ‬ ְ ;
ūrēh, Job_10:15, is the connect. form of the particip. adj. rāěh; and if reēh could be the
inf. after the forms naqqēh, hinnāqqēh, it would be the inf. absol., instead of which ‫אוֹת‬ ְ‫וּר‬
was to be expected. It is the imper.: See good, sinking thyself therein, i.e., enjoy a cheerful life.
Elsewhere the author connects ‫ראה‬ less significantly with the accus. - obj., Ecc_5:17; Ecc_6:6;
Ecc_2:24.
This was his intention; but this experiment also to find out the summum bonum proves itself a
failure: he found a life of pleasure to be a hollow life; that also, viz., devotedness to mirth, was to
him manifestly vanity.
PULPIT, “Dissatisfied with the result of the pursuit of wisdom, Koheleth embarks on a course of

rightly interpreted, imply, translating, Vadam et offluam delieiis.The SeptuagintCORRECTLY
gives, δεῦρο δὴ πειράσω σε ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ. It is like the rich fool's language in Christ's
parable, "I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease,
eat, drink, be merry" (Luke 12:10). Therefore enjoy pleasure;literally, see good (Ecclesiastes 6:6).
"To see" is often used figuratively in the sense of "to experience, or enjoy." Wright compares the
expressions, "see death" (Luke 2:26), "see life" (John 3:36). We may find the like inPsalms
34:13; Jeremiah 29:32; Obadiah 1:13 (comp. Ecclesiastes 9:9). The king now tries to find
the summum bonum in pleasure, in selfish enjoyment without thought of others. Commentators, as
they saw Stoicism in the first chapter, so read Epieureanism into this. We shall have occasion to
PULPIT 1-11, “The vanity of pleasure-an experiment in three stages.
I. THE WAY OF SENSUOUS ENJOYMENT. (Est_2:1, Est_2:2.) In this first stage Solomon,
whether the real or the personated king, may be viewed as the representative of mankind in
general, who, when they cast aside the teachings and restraints of religion, exclude from their minds
the thought of a Divine Being, erase from their bosoms all convictions of duty, and refuse to look
into the future, commonly addict themselves to pleasure, saying, "Enjoyment, be thou my god;"
prescribing to themselves as the foremost task of their lives to minister to their own gratification, and
adopting as their creed the well-known maxim, "Let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we die"
(1Co_15:32).
1. The investigation was vigorously conducted. The Preacher was in earnest, not merely thinking in
his heart, but addressing it, rather like the rich farmer in the parable (Luk_12:19) than like the singer
in the psalm (Psa_16:2), and stirring it up as the brick makers of Babel did one another: "Go to
now!" (Gen_11:3, Gen_11:4). That the investigation was so conducted by the real Solomon may be
inferred from the preserved details of his history (1Ki_10:5; 1Ki_11:1, 1Ki_11:3); that it has often
been so conducted since, not merely in fiction, as by Goethe's 'Faust,' but in actual life, as by
'Abelard and Heloise' in the eleventh century, admits of demonstration; that it is being at present so
conducted by many whose principal aim in life is not to obey the soul's noblest impulses, but to
hamper the body's lower appetite, is palpable without demonstration.
2. The result has been clearly recorded. The Preacher found the way of pleasure as little fitted to
conduct to felicity as that of wisdom; discovered, in fact, that laughter occasioned by indulgence in
sensual delights was only a species of insanity, a kind of delirious intoxication which stupefied the
reason and overthrew the judgment, if it did not lead to self-destruction, and that no solid happiness
ever came out of it, but only vanity and striving after wind. So has every one who has sought his
chief good in such enjoyment found. They who live in pleasure are dead while they live (1Ti_5:6)—
dead to all the soul's higher aspirations; are self-deceived (Tit_3:3); and will in the end have a rude

awakening, when they find that their short-lived pleasures (Heb_11:25) have only been nourishing
them for slaughter (Jas_5:5).
II. THE WAY OF BANQUETING AND REVELRY. (Est_2:3.) In this second stage of the
experiment, neither Solomon nor the Preacher (if he was different) stood alone. The path on which
the ancient investigator now depicts himself as entering had been and still is:
1. Much traveled. The number of those who abandon themselves to wine and wassail, drunkenness
and dissipation, chambering and wantonness, may not be so great as that of those who join in the
pursuit of pleasure, many of whom would disdain to partake of the intoxicating cup; but still it is
sufficiently large to justify the epithet employed.
2. Appallingly fatal. Apart altogether from the rightness or the wrongness of total abstinence, which
the Preacher is not commending or even thinking of, this much is evident, that no one need hope to
secure true happiness by surrendering himself without restraint to the appetite of intemperance. Nor
is the issue different when the experiment is conducted with moderation, i.e.without losing one's
self-control, or abandoning the search for wisdom. Solomon and the Preacher found that the result
was, as before vanity, and a striving after wind.
3. Perfectly avoidable. One requires not to tread in this way in order to perceive whither it leads.
One has only to observe the experiment, as others are unfortunately conducting it, to discern that its
goal is not felicity.
III. THE WAY OF CULTURE AND REFINEMENT. (Est_2:4-11.) In the third stage of this
experiment the picture is drawn from the experiences of Solomon—whether by Solomon himself or
by the Preacher is immaterial, so far as didactic purposes are concerned. Solomon is introduced as
telling his own story.
1. His magnificence had been most resplendent.
(1) His works were great. He had prepared for himself buildings of architectural beauty, such as "the
house of the forest of Lebanon, the pillared hall [porch], the hall of judgment, the palace intended for
himself and the daughter of Pharaoh" (1Ki_7:1-12); he had strengthened his kingdom by the
erection of such towns as Tadmor in the wilderness, the store-cities of Hamath and Baalath, with
the two fortresses of Beth-heron the Upper and Beth-heron the Nether (2Ch_8:3-6); he had planted
vineyards, of which Baal-hamon, with its choicest wine, was one (SoEst_8:11), and perhaps those
of Engedi (So Est_1:14) others; he had caused to be constructed, no doubt in connection with his
palaces, gardens and orchards, with all kinds of fruit trees, and "pools of water to water therefrom
the forest where trees were reared" (So Est_4:13; Est_6:2).

(2) His possessions were varied. In addition to those above mentioned, he had slaves, male and
female, purchased with money (Gen_37:28), and born in his house (Gen_15:3; Gen_17:12), with
great possessions of flocks and herds. The number of the former was so large as to excite the
Queen of Sheba's astonishment (1Ki_10:5), while the abundance of the latter was proved both by
the daily provision for Solomon's household (1Ki_4:22, 1Ki_4:23), and by the hecatombs sacrificed
at the consecration of the temple (1Ki_8:63).
(3) His wealth was enormous. Of silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of the kings and of the
provinces, he had amassed a heap. The ships of Hiram had fetched him from Ophir four hundred
and twenty talents of gold (1Ki_9:28); the Queen of Sheba presented him with one hundred and
twenty talents of gold (1Ki_10:10); the weight of gold which came to him in one year was six
hundred and sixty-six talents (1Ki_10:14); while as for silver "the king made it to be in Jerusalem as
stones" (1Ki_10:27). "The peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces" may either signify such
rare and precious jewels as were prized by foreign sovereigns and states and presented to him as
tribute; or describe Solomon's wealth as royal and. public, in contradistinction from that of private
citizens.
(4) His pleasures were delicious. He had singing-men and singing-women to regale his jaded
senses with music at court banquets, after the manner of Oriental sovereigns; while over and above
he had "the delights of the sons of men," or "concubines very many "—"a love and loves" (Wright),
"mistress and mistresses" (Delitzsch). Clearly Solomon had conducted the experiment of extracting
happiness from worldly glory under the most favorable circumstances; hence special interest
attaches to the result he obtained. What was it?
2. His misery was most pronounced. Although he had had every gratification that eye could desire,
heart wish, or hand procure, he had found to his chagrin that true happiness eluded him like a
phantom; that all was vanity and a striving after wind; that, in fact, there was no profit of a lasting
kind to be derived from pleasure in its highest any more than in its lowest forms.
Learn:
1. The way of pleasure, however inviting, is not the way of safety or the way of peace.
2. While it cannot impart happiness to any, it may lead to everlasting misery and shame.
3. The pursuit of pleasure is not only incompatible with religion, but even at the best its sweets are
not to be compared with religion's joys.

EXPOSITORS BIBLE 1-11, “Not content with this general verdict, however, he recounts the details
of his experiment, that he may deter us from repeating it. Speaking in the person of Solomon and
utilising the facts of his experience, Coheleth claims to have started in the quest with the greatest
advantages; for "what can he do who cometh after the king whom they made king long ago?" He
surrounded himself with all the luxuries of an Oriental prince, not out of any vulgar love of show and
ostentation, nor out of any strong sensual addictions, but that he might discover wherein the secret
and fascination of pleasure lay, and what it could do for a man who pursued it wisely. He built
himself new, costly palaces, as the Sultan of Turkey used to do almost every year. He laid out
paradises, planted them with vines and fruit trees of every sort, and large shady groves to screen off
and to temper the heat of the sun. He dug great tanks and reservoirs of water, and cut channels
which carried the cool vital stream through the gardens and to the roots of the trees. He bought men
and maids, and surrounded himself with the retinue of servants and slaves requisite to keep his
palaces and paradises in order, to serve his sumptuous tables, to swell his pomp: i.e., he gathered
together such a train of ministers, attendants, domestics, indoor and outdoor slaves, as is still
thought necessary to the dignity of an Oriental "lord." His herds of flocks, a main source of Oriental
wealth, were of finer strain and larger in number than had been known before. He amassed
enormous treasures of silver and gold, the common Oriental hoard. He collected the peculiar
treasures "of kings and of the kingdoms"; whatever special commodity was yielded by any foreign
land was caught up for his use by his officers or presented to him by his allies. He hired famous
musicians and singers, and gave himself to those delights of harmony which have had a peculiar
charm for the Hebrews of all ages. He crowded his harem with the beauties both of his own and of
foreign lands. He withheld nothing from them that his eyes desired, and kept not his heart from any
pleasure. He set himself seriously and intelligently to make happiness his portion; and, while
cherishing or cheering his body with pleasures, he did not rush into them with the blind eagerness
"whose violent property fore does itself" and defeats its own ends. His "mind guided him wisely"
amid his delights; his "wisdom helped him" to select, and combine, and vary them, to enhance and
prolong, their sweetness by a certain art and temperance in the enjoyment of them.
"He built his soul a lordly pleasure house,
Wherein at ease for aye to dwell:
He said ‘Oh, Soul, make merry and carouse,
Dear Soul, for all is well!’"

Alas, all was not well, though he took much pains to make and think it well. Even his choice delights
soon palled upon his taste, and brought on conclusions of disgust. Even in his lordly pleasure house
he was haunted by the grim, menacing spectres which troubled him before it was built. In the
harem, in the paradise he had planted, under the groves, beside the fountains, at the sumptuous
banquet, -a bursting bubble, a falling leaf, an empty wine cup, a passing blush, sufficed to bring
back the thought of the brevity and the emptiness of life. When he had run the full career of
pleasure, and turned to contemplate his delights and the labour they had cost him, he found that
these also were vanity and vexation of spirit, that there was no "profit" in them, that they could not
satisfy the deep, incessant craving of the soul for a true and lasting Good.
Is not his sad verdict as true as it is sad? We have not his wealth of resources. Nevertheless there
may have been a time when our hearts were as intent on pleasure as was his. We may have
pursued whatever sensuous, intellectual, or aesthetic excitements were open to us with a growing
eagerness till we have lived in a whirl of craving and stimulating desire and indulgence, in which the
claims of duty have been neglected and the rebukes of conscience unheeded. And if we have
passed through this experience, if we have been carried for a time into this giddying round, have we
not come out of it jaded, exhausted, despising ourselves for our folly, disgusted with what once
seemed the very top and crown of delight? Do we not mourn, our after life through, over energies
wasted and opportunities lost? Are we not sadder, if wiser, men for our brief frenzy? As we return to
the sober duties and simple joys of life, do not we say to Mirth, "Thou art mad!" and to Pleasure,
"What canst thou do for us?" Yes, our verdict is that of the Preacher, "Lo, this too is vanity!"
BARRICK 1-9, “People often claim that education resolves almost every conceivable
problem that
individuals and communities face. If only everyone had a better and higher education, so
the argument goes, there would be no political instability, international tension, teen
pregnancies, and hospital wards filled with patients suffering from stress and chronic
depression. A college or university degree in hand, graduates are supposedly prepared to
storm the heights of mankind’s loftiest advancements to solve the worst of mankind’s
problems. Solomon certainly does not find that human wisdom can supply the solution to
his personal depression. Life’s most profound and psyche-wracking problems remain
unresolved after the best of man’s wisdom tackles them. Thus, Solomon turns to another
potential means for defeating depression and death: unfettered pleasure.
In Pursuit of Pleasure (2:1–9)
Pleasure for Solomon involves play (2:1–3), property and parks (vv. 4–6), and
possessions (vv. 7–8)—or, put another way, entertainment, edifices, and earnings. He

has already tried erudition.
Ancient Near Eastern peoples expected their kings to accomplish much during their
reigns. Their own inscriptions tend to list their accomplishments as evidence that they
had ruled well and had provided the benefits their subjects required for a healthy and
happy existence. Much of it sounds a lot like politics in our own day:
I (am) Mesha, son of Chemosh-[. . .], king of Moab, . . .
And I built Baal-meon, making a reservoir in it, and I built Qaryaten. . . .
It was I (who) built Qarhoh, the wall of the forests and the wall of the citadel; I also built
its gates and I built its towers and I built the king’s house, and I made both of its
reservoirs for water inside the town. . . . And I cut beams for Qarhoh with Israelite
captives. I built Aroer, and I made the highway in the Arnon (valley); I built Beth-
bamoth, for it had been destroyed; I built Bezer—for it lay in ruins . . .1
Hammurabi, king of Babylon (ca. 1728–1686 BC), commemorates his accomplishments
by means of various dating formulas employed to refer to each year of his reign. He
1
W. F. Albright, trans., “The Moabite Stone,” in Ancient Near Eastern Texts, 320–21.
Date of inscription: approximately 830 BC (cf. 2 Kgs 3:4 and its mention of Mesha).
Barrick, Ecclesiastes 14 identifies each of his 43 years as king by what he established,
constructed, or restored, or whom he defeated. The following provides a partial listing:
1. Hammurabi (became) king. . . .
3. He constructed a throne . . .
4. The wall of (the sacred precinct) Gagia was built.
5. He constructed . . .
9. The canal (called) Hammurabi-hegal (was dug). . . .
25. The great wall of Sippar was built . . . .
33. He redug the canal (called) “Hammurabi-(spells)-abundance-for-the-people, the
Beloved-of-Anu-and-Enlil,” (thus) he provided Nippur, Eridu, Ur, Larsa, Uruk (and) Isin
with a permanent and plentiful water supply . . .
34. He built the temple . . . for Anu, Inanna and Nana.2
In light Mesha’s and Hammurabi’s claims, Solomon’s list of accomplishments
(Eccl 2:4–9) run according to expectations. The difference, however, consists of the fact
that Mesha and Hammurabi speak as though they are fully satisfied with their lives, but
Solomon confesses that all such accomplishments bring him no lasting satisfaction. Why
the difference? Solomon worships the true God while Mesha and Hammurabi worship
idols. Their idolatry causes them no loss of sleep, but Solomon’s does. One who knows
the true and living God can never be satisfied merely with what this world offers.
Solomon knows better than to pin his hope on things under the sun.
An interpretive problem. Ancient versions and modern translations alike exhibit
uncertainty in the translation of 2:8. The NKJV’s translation (“musical instruments of all
kinds”) contrasts with that of NAU and NRSV (“many concubines”). The Hebrew words

are somewhat obscure, but some scholars have related them to a word meaning “breast,”
indicating a colloquialism for women who provide pleasure.3
The Hebrew could be
related to an Akkadian term meaning “mistress” or “lady.”4
A letter from Pharaoh
Amenhotep III (ca. 1417–1353 BC) to Milkilu prince of Gezer demanding 40 concubines
employs a very similar term in a Canaanite explanatory note. In order to make certain that
the prince and his court understood the Egyptian term for concubine, the scribe inserted
the Canaanite word.5
Some Jewish versions prefer to follow the Mishnah’s rendering of
the term as a “chest” or “treasure chest.”6
Judges 5:30 uses a very similar phraseology (“A maiden, two maidens”).7
The
phrase involves a singular and a dual form of the noun that could also be translated
“womb”—“a womb, two wombs.” Applying the same grammatical treatment to 2:8
results in something like “a breast, even [two] breasts.” Finally, the text indicates that
2
A. Leo Oppenheim, trans., “Texts from Hammurabi to the Downfall of the Assyrian
Empire,” in Ancient Near Eastern Texts, 269–70. Date of inscription: approximately
1750 BC. 3 Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, New American
Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1993), 292. ERV, RSV, and TEV offer
this interpretation. 4 Roland E. Murphy, Ecclesiastes, Word Biblical Commentary
(Dallas: Word Books, 1992), 17. See, also, Derek Kidner, “The Search for Satisfaction,
Ecclesiastes 1:12–2:26,” in Reflecting with Solomon: Selected Studies on the Book of
Ecclesiastes, ed. by Roy B. Zuck (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994), 252
fn 5. 5 W. F. Albright and George E. Mendenhall, trans., “The Amarna Letters: RA,
xxxi” in Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, 2nd ed., ed. by James
B. Pritchard (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1955), 487. 6
Thus, the NJPS translation, “as well as the luxuries of commoners—coffers and coffers
of them.” 7 Judg 5 is a very ancient Hebrew poem. That Eccl 2:8 employs a similar
construction proves antagonistic to the view that Ecclesiastes was written late in Hebrew
history. Cf. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, 259 fn 32. Barrick,
Ecclesiastes 15 “the pleasures of men” relates to what follows—one more piece of
evidence tipping the scale in favor of the translation “many concubines.”
WELLS OF LIVING WATER, “Verses 11-26
Vanity and Vexation under the Sun
Ecclesiastes 2:11-26
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
We shall introduce ourSTUDY with quotations from our booklet on Ecclesiastes. Solomon had
tried everything which his heart could desire; and we find his statement thus: "And whatsoever mine
eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy."

Suppose that the man of today, who can have every wish gratified, should, from his untold riches
satisfy his every desire; suppose withal that he had untold wisdom to guide his hand. Would all joy
be his? What was Solomon's experience? He spared no pains to satisfy his heart. He drank from
every cup of joy that the world affords, drank to the depth, drank till he could drink no more; and
what did he find? Was he satisfied? Happy? Alas, no! A thousand times, no! "All was vanity and
vexation of spirit."
Solomon found nothing "under the sun," nothing in all that the world of men loves and longs for,
nothing but vanity.
Solomon thus sums up the story of his utter disappointment.
1. "Therefore I hated life" (Ecclesiastes 2:17 ).
2. "Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 2:18 ).
3. "Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair" (Ecclesiastes 2:20).
Such words are almost theWAITINGS of a suicide I caused my heart to despair! "I hated life!"
And in all of this Solomon stands not alone. How many, alas, have found the same bitter dregs at
the bottom of pleasure's cup!
Young people, you who are following hard after the pleasant things done "under the sun," beware!
There is no enduring rest or peace or joy in them. The moment that you think yourself ready to cry
"Eureka I have found it!" that moment comes the great collapse. There is nothing "under the sun"
that can satisfy the soul of man. No great works, no wondrous houses, no Edenic paradises, no
surplus of servants, no gathering of treasures, no grand operas, no "everything his eyes desire"
nothing "under the sun" can satisfy the soul of man.
"All is vanity and vexation of spirit." Come then andJOIN our Christ-bought band and sing with
us:
"Take the world, but give me Jesus,
That dear One, who loves me so,
Gladly all I leave to follow Jesus
In the world below."
Moses forsook Egypt, its honors, wealth, and pleasures, that he might "suffer affliction with the
children of God" will you? Moses "esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the
treasures in Egypt" do you? Moses "had respect unto the recompence of theREWARD " do you?
Paul said: "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord"
would you? Paul said: "I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may
win Christ" Will you?
Remember that only "In [His] presence is fullness of joy; at [His] right hand there are pleasures for
evermore."
When all you count as loss,
To gladly bearYOUR cross;
God then makes up to you,
And blesses what you do.
When you leave friends andHOME ,
For God afar to roam,
God will your lossREPAY ,
And prove your friend for aye.
I. A MAN MUST LEAVE HIS LABOR WHEN HE DEPARTS THIS LIFE (Ecclesiastes 5:15-16 )
We will here take up the answer to the first question which Solomon asked. That question was:
"What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?"
InORDER to answer this question we are following Solomon's own conclusions. These are given

in nine statements. The first statement is the theme ascribed to us. Our Scripture says, "As he
came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of
his labour, which he may carry away in his hand."
Be a man's labor ever so successful,ACCORDING to this there would be nothing of it after
death, so far as the laborer personally is concerned. Must the man who dies in Christ also leave
everything behind him? Can he take nothing of it with him? Of course, language such as Solomon's
has no vision of the possibility of laying up treasures in Heaven. The wisdom of this world does not
know the meaning of "Great is your reward in Heaven," or, "My reward is with Me, to give every
man according as his work shall be."
The man "under the sun" recognizes nothing in eternity which can in any way be affected by our
present state. Life to him is vanity. He came in naked; he goes out naked. HeWINS his crowns,
and gains his riches, only to leave them. Thus it is that he cried, "This also is a sore evil, that in alt
points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?"
A dying man said, "I regret that my life was given over to me toMAKING MONEY ." That man felt
just as Solomon did: there is nothing beyond the sun as far as our present experience is
concerned.
II. THE MAN UNDER THE SUN MUST LEAVE HIS LABOR TO THOSE WHO FOLLOW
(Ecclesiastes 2:18-19 )
When Solomon thought of this it was too much for him. In fact, he began to hate everything he had
ever done, because, as he said, "I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who
knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool?"
The fact is that when Solomon died, the great kingdom which he had builded was wrecked and
divided between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. As the years came and went, all of his greatness
vanished. His temple was thrown down, and it has lain in ruins more than two thousand years. The
city in which he moved has been trodden under the foot of Gentiles even to this day.
When we think of him in his mighty labors wrought in wisdom and knowledge and equity, we cannot
but bemoan his lot, for those who had not labored,ENTERED into his possessions.
Do you marvel that the wise man cried, "This also is vanity and a great evil"? When the man of this
world dies, his children and heirs take over his estate, and all too frequently they throw it to the
winds. Such inherited wealth often leads to pampered wantonness, and lustful licentiousness.
Some one has said that riches have been to many a youth no more than a toboggan slide to hell.
III. THE MAN "UNDER THE SUN" FINDS HE IS ENVIED BY HIS NEIGHBOR (Ecclesiastes
4:4 ;Ecclesiastes 4:3 )
We know that Solomon, himself, was greatly envied. He had succeeded beyond the attainments of
any who had lived before him. He was the richest man of the world. For all of this he found himself
maligned, misrepresented, and, perhaps, despised of many.
"The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh." He who puts forth no pains, refuses
to improve his talents, beyond a doubt holds envious derision against the man who financially
makes good. We grant there is no reason in many cases for the poor man to criticize the rich.
Some rich men have hearts of iron. Some climb to the heights of their success upon their tyranny
toward the poor. However, it is not always so. Be the rich and successful true, or be they false, they
willFIND PEOPLE disputing their rightful heirship. They reach the height of their wealth only to
be the target of their neighbors' envy and criticism. As Solomon said, "This is also vanity and
vexation of spirit."
IV. THE MAN "UNDER THE SUN" WHO LOVES MONEY; HIS LABOR IS NEVER SATISFIED
(Ecclesiastes 5:10 )
"He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase:
this is also vanity."
Did you ever meet a man who had enough? If you did, he was some one who had but little. The
more we obtain of wealth, or of honor, the more we crave.
We who are poor think, perhaps, that if we had a good job with a fineINCOME , we would be
content. However, when we get a good job, we want a better one. When we have a lucrative wage,

we long for a larger, and so it goes.
When once the love ofMONEY BEGINS to grip us, we will never be satisfied. We want to
mount higher and higher in the airship of our ambition until we have passed over all others around
us.
Here is the expression of Solomon, and it is worth reading: "There is no end of all his labour, neither
is his eye satisfied with riches; * * This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail."
V. THE MAN "UNDER THE SUN" FINDS IN ALL HIS LABOR SORROW AND TRAVAIL
"For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night."
God told Adam, "in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread." The fool may refuse to sweat, but the
man who succeeds never folds his hands. He never allows the grass to grow under his feet. He is
full of travail. From morning until night he is struggling on his way toward the cherished goal of his
labor "under the sun." He knows that riches and idleness do not go together. He knows that wealth
and weariness are not companions. On and on he moves putting every other thing under his feet,
that he may attain the quest of his spirit, even the success of his labors.
Commercialism is ruled by greed and gain, therefore, the man whoENTERS it and begins to
slave, will sooner or later find himself convinced that every word which Solomon said is true. All his
days will be full of sorrow, and grief.
VI. THE MAN "UNDER THE SUN" NEVER HAS TIME TO REST IN THE NIGHT (Ecclesiastes
2:23 )
"Yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night." He may go to bed, his body may succumb to weariness,
but his heart will not be at rest.
The rich man usually holds in his hand, and under his power, the fate of many a widow, and of
many a struggling investor. Every one wants to invest a little money with him. No wonder the rich
cannot sleep. He knows there are thousands depending upon him. He fears that the markets may
fall. Famine, fire, and flood are ever specter-like hovering over him.
It was for this cause that Solomon wrote, "The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat
little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep."
VII. THE MAN "UNDER THE SUN" DISCOVERS WHEN GOODS INCREASE THEY INCREASE
THAT EAT THEM (Ecclesiastes 5:11 )
Let any poor man inherit a fortune, or let him through his labors pile up a fortune, he will not only
find himself envied on the part of many. Withal, he will find that scores are hovering around his door
seeking to partake of his riches, and to eat at his table. If some one courts his daughter, he cannot
but fear that he is courting hisBANK book. If some one is exceptionally nice to him, he will
wonder if they love him, or his wealth. So it goes, day in and day out, He is pursued by those who
seek his patronage and his favor, this also is vanity.
VIII. THE MAN "UNDER THE SUN" OFTENTIMES CANNOT ENJOY HIS OWN WEALTH
When we watch the rich we will often find that all the benefit they get out of their money is "the
beholding of them with their eyes." They cannot convert their wealth into food or raiment, for who
could wear, or eat, all that their money stands for? What is their advantage over the poor? The rich
man cannot sleep; the poor man can. The rich man is envied because of his wealth; the poor man is
not. The rich man must leave his all; the poor man has nothing to leave.
Do you wonder that a man of wealth cries out with Solomon, "All is vanity"?
IX. THE MAN "UNDER THE SUN" WHO IS RICH HAS NO POWER TO ENJOY HIS RICHES
(Ecclesiastes 6:2 )
"A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul
of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is
vanity, and it is an evil disease." We have known this to be true of more than one rich man. For
awhile he lived sumptuously every day, butSOON he was a dyspeptic.

His arduous toils, his irregular appetites, his careworn brain, his high-tensioned nerves, all caused
his heart to succumb. He found himselfTRAVELING the way of "Les Miserables," holding his
stomach in his hands.
With this lesson before us, and with Solomon's conclusions of his own life, and the lives of others
who are rich, shall we also seek after vanity? If so, let us remember that the love ofMONEY is
the root of all evil, which, while some have coveted it, they have brought upon themselves much
sorrow.
Think you that it is worth the strain,
The turmoil and the strife,
Though all the world should beYOUR gain,
If you should lose your life?
Your days on earth will soon be gone,
The future now you face,
What will you have when night comes on,
And you have closed your race?
What will it profit by and by,
The things which you have done,
Unless, beyond the deep blue sky,
You meet them one by one?
BEGIN to lay up treasures now,
Where ne'er the thief breaks through;
Then, sorrow will notCLOUD your brow,
When earth you bid adieu.
AN ILLUSTRATION
Vanity. Oh, vanity, how little is thy force acknowledged or thy operations discerned! How wantonly
dost thou deceive mankind under different disguises! Sometimes thou dost wear the face of pity;
sometimes of generosity; nay, thou hast the assurance to put on those glorious ornaments which
belong only to heroic virtue. Fielding.
Vanity. It was prettily devised of Aesop, the fly sat upon the axletree of the chariot-wheel, and said,
"What a dust do I raise!" So are there same vain persons that, whatsoever goeth alone or moveth
upon greater means, if they have never so little hand in it, they think it is they that carry it. Bacon.
Vanity. I would much rather fight pride than vanity, because pride has a stand-up way of fighting.
You know where it is. It throws its black shadow on you, and you are not at a loss where to strike.
But vanity is that delusive, that insectiferous. that multiplied feeling, and men that fight vanities are
like men that fight midgets and butterflies. It is easier to chase them than to hit them.
PAUL APPLE, “TITLE: LIVI G IT UP WILL ALWAYS LET YOU DOW – PAUL
APPLE
BIG IDEA: THE FUTILITY OF PLEASURE A D MATERIALISM
CONTEXT:
Transition from seeking meaning in Intellectualism and Education
He has already acknowledged that education is a grind = much grief
Solomon bounces to the other end of the spectrum -- maybe there
is some secret of the good life that I am missing by being too
intellectual -- I don't want to go overboard and get into the

realm of the crazy and the insane; but I'll try letting my hair
down and going with the flow and just seeking pleasure
Possible Titles for this message:
1) WHEN YOU LIVE FOR THE PLEASURES OF TODAY -- YOU ARE LEFT
WITH A HANDFUL OF SMOKE
2) FUN UNDER THE SUN = NONE WHEN LIFE IS DONE
.3) SOMETIMES THE MAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING HAS NOTHING
REVIEW: Images from last week:
Cut to the chase, don't chase the wind
In pursuing life apart from Jehovah, Solomon ran into a wall
"under the sun" = not including God in the equation
like blowing bubbles
like spending your life shoveling smoke
life is not always a bowl of cherries, sometimes it is the pits
life is like a black hole -- sucking the meaning out of life
chasing dandelion seeds in the wind
Important to keep these pictures in your mind
INTRODUCTION:
overall topic of PLEASURE (vs.1) approached from 2 angles: (:2)
1) Party Animal approach -- (laughter)
2) Top Dog approach – (pleasure)
These overlap (not mutually exclusive) -- this passage is not
intended for a strict analytical outline -- Solomon just
bombards us with one attempt at living the good life after
another -- This outline is my attempt to group his
point-by-point listing of life's pleasures
same Hebrew word "pleasure" is used in this passage in general
sense to cover the entire topic (vs. 1), and then in a more
restricted sense when contrasted with "laughter" in vs.2
1) "laughter" -- Party Animal Approach
humor, joking around in sport; jesting; poking fun at someone
10:19 "A feast is made for laughter"; eating, drinking, and having a merry old time
Evaluation: It is madness; craziness; zany; off-the-wall
2) "pleasure" -- Top Dog Approach
root = common verb: rejoice, be glad in heart -- more broad and
higher level -- whatever makes the heart glad
We are to serve the Lord with gladness (Ps. 100:2)
also associated with festivals and feasts -- usually religious
more thought, purpose, heart commitment involved -- a heavier
type of pleasure vs. laughter which is a more light-hearted form
of pleasure
I. PARTY ANIMALS WILL HAVE TO WAKE UP SOMETIME AND FACE THE
PAIN OF REALITY / SPUDS MCKENZIE = ugly dog on Budweiser beer
commercials -- whenever there was a party, he was there --
drinking the beer, eating the chips, carousing with the girls

Solomon was the ultimate Party Animal -- surprising given what
we know about is background:
-- Father David = a man after God's own heart
-- given the greatest gift of insight and wisdom God has ever
bestowed on a man
-- involved in works of spiritual significance -- like the
building of the Temple
Party animals tend to burn themselves out in 2 directions:
1) in a Feeding Frenzy -- Selfish Indulgence
2) in a Fun Fantasy -- Pure Escapism
A. Feeding Frenzy -- feeding one's appetites to please
yourself-- totally selfish
1) Wine, drugs, narcotics -- addictive vs.3-4 "vineyards"
Best possible drinks (stimulants)
What are they searching for? Some type of fix that will
satisfy; Their testimony = "My life apart from these artificial
stimulants is empty and boring and meaningless"
"while my mind was guiding me wisely" (vs. 3)...
"my wisdom also stood by me" (vs 9)
-- Yet maintaining his wits about him as best as possible -- not
stone-drunk; not hallucinating; this is an intelligent pursuit
of the test of pleasure; this is high-brow; this is upper middle
class and then some; "Know when to say when"; "Drink
responsibly";
Limitations of his investigation:
a) limited by his nature -- looking at human endeavors
not looking at things from God's perspective
b) limited by space -- earthly sphere
not looking at things from a spiritual perspective
c) limited by time -- few years we have to spend here on earth
not looking at things from an eternal perspective
Limitations lead him to a sense of desperation to get on with
the task of experimentation -- there is no time to lose in
searching for the key to life, the key to happiness;
sense that life is passing him by and he doesn't want to miss out
2) Best possible food -- variety, good taste "fruit trees"
"flocks and herds"
"Beef -- It's what's for dinner" -- no bland vegetarian diet
here; forget the cholesterol, full speed ahead; Go out and
slaughter the best fatted calf you can find, marinate it, and
cook it up
Sometimes we forget how rich we are in comparison to people in
other countries and to people of previous generations
Look at the selection in our local grocery store -- we are

limited by our own budget but are we approaching this area of
what we eat and drink from the Party Animal Perspective (What
will make me feel the best at this moment in time?) or from
God's perspective?
3) Best possible sex -- variety and abundance of sexual
partners (1 Kings 11:1-3)
labelled particularly : "the pleasures of men"
But this message is not a 12 step program for deliverance from
alcoholism or from gluttony or from sexual addictions -- this
message is about the underlying philosophy that drives us to
seek satisfaction in pleasures themselves apart from God
Problems with feeding our appetites: (Hubbard: The Snares of
Pleasure)
a) Pleasure always promises more than it can produce
THE PARADOX OF HEDONISM: THE MORE YOU HUNT FOR
PLEASURE, THE LESS OF IT YOU FIND
b) Pleasure satisfies only during the act itself
requires repetition and intensification -- bigger dose of
drugs-- like the potato chip commercial:"I bet you can't eat
just one"; Instead of being satisfied, we are thirsting for the
next dose
Danger of coming under the control of something -- being addictd
to something.
What type of self-control, What type of self-discipline do I
show?
Banowksy:
"Pleasure is a hard master, an appetite that grows on what it
feeds. It is a physiological fact that a stimulated muscle
reflexively demands greater stimulation, and people become
enslaved by their passions in much the same way. With each
overindulgence, the level of physical and emotional expectation
gradually rises so that an increasingly greater thrill is required to satisfy the urge. Without
finding full
satisfaction, the hunger need settles into the monotony of
filling and emptying. One begins by seeking pleasure to fill his
boredom and ends by being bored with pleasures."
c) We get bored -- cf. cry of kids minutes after having the
time of their lives:"I'm bored ... We never do anything that is
any fun. I don't know what to do. There is no one to play with
me"
d) If we don't get bored, we get frustrated -- unable to gain
the goal
Bottom line: we can't take too many days of a feeding frenzy --
Reminds me of:
Berenstein Bears "Too Much Birthday!"
Proverbs: too much honey makes you sick

Shakespeare: "If all the years were playing holidays, to sport
would be as tedious as to work"
B. Fun Fantasy -- "Let the good times roll"
1) Humor -- "laughter" stand up comedians
everybody likes a good laugh -- but at who's expense??
often at your expense and you don't even realize it!
2) Entertainers -- "male and female singers" (vs. 8)
SPORTS
TV
HOBBIES
cf. How our society has adopted the pleasure-ethic instead of
the old Puritan work-ethic
We live to play; we work to be able to finance our playing; We
live for the weekend -- for our leisure time; We try to get away
with doing the bare minimum
ASIDE: Goal is to insulate yourself from the pain of reality;
numb yourself; distract yourself from the harsh realities of
your meaningless existence
II. EVEN THE TOP DOGS WILL END UP WHIMPERING INSTEAD OF
GROWLING / RED DOG IMAGE (beer commercials featuring Red Dog)
Solomon was the ultimate Top Dog -- "PLEASURE" vs.2
Conclusion: What will it accomplish?
ASIDE: THE TOP DOG MENTALITY THRIVES ON COMPETITION -- desire
to be #1
A. TOP DOG IN ARCHITECTURE -- the ultimate achiever
Mega Building Projects -- Bigger and Better
"I enlarged my works; I built houses for myself"
not talking about the Temple -- that was built for God to God's
specifications
other royal residences completed later in life (1 kings 7:10-12;
919); Palace in Jerusalem took 13 years in building
Danger of Pride of accomplishment -- cf. Nebuchad.in Daniel 4:30
"Look what I've done; Look what I've built" mentality (cf. Luke
15:10)
B. TOP DOG IN HORTICULTURE -- the ultimate artist; the ultimate
environmentalist
Works of Beauty -- creative; aesthetically pleasing
"I made gardens and parks for myself"
vineyards (Song of Sol. 8:11; cf. David's vineyards 1 Chron.
27:27)
"I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a
forest of growing trees"
word used for parks (pardesim) -- Greek word = paradise
Luxurious gardens were charac. of royalty and nobility in ancity
Near East (no simple ChemLawn application)
creates almost a secular Garden of Eden; a man-made paradise

Problem: There is no paradise if God is not present
cf. people devoting their lives to the environment -- that's
already been tried
1 Kings 4:33 Solomon spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in
Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows on the wall; he spoke also
of animals and birds and creeping things and fish" (a little bit
of the zooologist in him also)
Remember: Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on
the heart; Any ability we have to create artistic beauty is a
gift from God anyway -- Direct the glory to Him
ASIDE: note emphasis on selfishness in all of these pursuits
-"for myself" -- not for any humanitarian or philanthropic
purposes -- not out to make the world a better place for others
C. TOP DOG IN EMPIRE BUILDING -- the ultimate boss
accumulating slaves -- power, control
people to satisfy your every whim -- certainly he did not have
any workload which he did not choose to bear
"I bought male and female slaves, and I had homeborn slaves."
Some people devote their lives to climbing the ladder of power
and control -- the money might not be the main thing to them;
What gives them pleasure is the opportunity to command others
Remember Matt. 20:25-26 You know that the rulers of the
Gentiles lord it over them, and their great maen exercise
authority over them. It is not so among you, but whoever wishes
to become great among you shall be your servant"
That does not mean that you won't be in a position of authority
with a large area of responsibility (cf. the Apostle Paul) -but
you won't view and treat those under you as slaves -- rather
your desire is to serve them
Transition: slaves also viewed as objects of wealth
D. TOP DOG IN POSSESSIONS AND WEALTH -- the ultimate owner
"I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in
Jerusalem. Also, I collected for myslf silver and gold, and the
treasure of kings and provinces."
Remember: the rich man in the parable --
Luke 12:15-34 "and he began reasoning to himself..." (many
important principles in this parable)
"take your ease; eat, drink and be merry" (vs.19)
Is our security in our wealth and possessions?
Remember the principles of Accountability and Stewardship;
pursue what is really important in life = furthering the kingdom
of God
Faith should free us up not to be anxious about our material
well-being
E. TOP DOG IN FAME AND POPULARITY -- the ultimate politician
"Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me

in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me"
I'm sure he was getting a big head by now; but didn't completely
lose touch with reality
Hebrew -- unusual force here: "I was great, and I added"
Solomon loved those visits from the Queen of Sheba and other
visiting dignitaries
Remember: we are not called to be man-pleasers, but those who
please the Lord who has bought us with His own blood
III. SUMMARY OF HIS PERSPECTIVE DURING THIS TEST IN THE
REALM OF PLEASURE
Formula for spiritual disaster: "all that my eyes desired I did
not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure"
"eyes"-- outward aspects of his pleasure
"heart" -- inward
Getting dangerously close to the awful possibility that Nothinghas meaning!
Sadly, this is the conclusion that the honest humanist must
face-- The unsaved around us are wrestling with this perspective
all of the time -- even though they won't admit that
Goal: trying to lift himself above the monotony of the routine
of life by being the ultimate Party Animal or the Top Dog in
some area
Remember one of the signs of the evil last days:
"men will be lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God" -- 2 Tim. 3:4
The parable of the sower: the seed that fell among thorns was
choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life and
could bring no fruit to perfection (Luke 8:14)
Amos 6 -- Woe to those who are at ease in Zion...who recline on
beds of ivory
1 Tim. 5:6 the widow that lives in pleasure is dead while she liveth
What does this say about the world's concept of Retirement??
IV. EVALUATION OF THE RESULTS
the morning after; reflecting back
"I considered" "I faced" -- to look someone in the eye (Job
6:28) "face the facts" "turn one's attention"
A. TEMPORARY PLEASURE
If we know all of the above, why is temporary pleasure so attractive??
After we have sucked dry all of the fizz of life -- What is left
of any substance??
Remember example of Moses -- Heb. 1:25
"choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God,
than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season...for he had
respect unto the recompense of the reward!"
WHEN YOU LIVE FOR THE PLEASURES OF TODAY YOU ARE LEFT WITH A
HANDFUL OF SMOKE INSTEAD OF REWARDS FOR ETERNITY
B. ETERNAL FUTILITY -- Black Hole
That is how Solomon was thinking as he reflected back on his

experiences. It was fun to be a Party Animal. He enjoyed the
fame of being the Top Dog. But it was all madness and
accomplished nothing.
CONCLUSION: Bitter Disillusionment
Our ultimate happiness cannot come from trying to have fun or
from trying to create some type of environment that pleases us--
our connection to God and what is important in light of eternity
is the key
Application:
Don't envy the wicked their riches and comforts and pleasures;
Be bold to evangelize -- the need is there
Practice Contentment -- Godliness with contentment is great gain
Remember that there is a Day of Reckoning:
1 Cor. 3:10-15 -- we will be left with only a handful of smoke after all the
pleasures pursued for their own enjoyment have been burned away
2 "Laughter," I said, "is foolish. And what does
pleasure accomplish?"
CLARKE, “I said of laughter, It is mad - Literally “To laughter I said, O mad one!
and to mirth, What is this one doing?”
Solomon does not speak here of a sober enjoyment of the things of this world, but of
intemperate pleasure, whose two attendants, laughter and mirth are introduced by a
beautiful prosopopoeia as two persons; and the contemptuous manner wherewith he
treats them has something remarkably striking. He tells the former to her face that she is
mad; but as to the latter, he thinks her so much beneath his notice, that he only points at
her, and instantly turns his back.
GILL, “I said of laughter, it is mad,.... The risible faculty in man is given him for
some usefulness; and when used in a moderate way, and kept within due bounds, is of
service to him, and conduces to the health of his body, and the pleasure of his mind; but
when used on every trivial occasion, and at every foolish thing that is said or done, and
indulged to excess, it is mere madness, and makes a man look more like a madman and a
fool than a wise man; it lasts but for a while, and the end of it is heaviness, Ecc_7:6. Or,
"I said to laughter, thou art mad" (x); and therefore will have nothing to do with thee in
the excessive and criminal way, but shun thee, as one would do a mad man: this
therefore is not to be reckoned into the pleasure he bid his soul go to and enjoy;
and of mirth, what doth it? what good does do? of what profit and advantage is it to
man? If the question is concerning innocent mirth, the answer may be given out of

Pro_15:13; but if of carnal sinful mirth, there is no good arises from that to the body or
mind; or any kind of happiness to be enjoyed that way, and therefore no trial is to be
made of it. What the wise man proposed to make trial of, and did, follows in the next
verses.
HE RY, “The judgment he passed upon this experiment: Behold, this also is vanity,
like all the rest; it yields no true satisfaction, Ecc_2:2. I said of laughter, It is mad, or,
Thou art mad, and therefore I will have nothing to do with thee; and of mirth (of all
sports and recreations, and whatever pretends to be diverting), What doeth it? or, What
doest thou? Innocent mirth, soberly, seasonable, and moderately used, is a good thing,
fits for business, and helps to soften the toils and chagrins of human life; but, when it is
excessive and immoderate, it is foolish and fruitless. (1.) It does no good: What doeth it?
Cui bono - of what use is it? It will not avail to quiet a guilty conscience; no, nor to ease a
sorrowful spirit; nothing is more ungrateful than singing songs to a heavy heart. It will
not satisfy the soul, nor ever yield it true content. It is but a palliative cure to the
grievances of this present time. Great laughter commonly ends in a sigh. (2.) It does a
great deal of hurt: It is mad, that is, it makes men mad, it transports men into many
indecencies, which are a reproach to their reason and religion. They are mad that indulge
themselves in it, for it estranges the heart from God and divine things, and insensibly
eats out the power of religion. Those that love to be merry forget to be serious, and, while
they take the timbrel and harp, they say to the Almighty, Depart from us, Job_21:12,
Job_21:14. We may, as Solomon, prove ourselves, with mirth, and judge of the state of
our souls by this: How do we stand affected to it? Can we be merry and wise? Can we use
it as sauce, and not as food? But we need not try, as Solomon did, whether it will make a
happiness for us, for we may take his word for it, It is mad; and What does it? Laughter
and pleasure (says Sir William Temple) come from very different affections of the mind;
for, as men have no disposition to laugh at things they are most pleased with, so they are
very little pleased with many things they laugh at.
JAMISO , “laughter — including prosperity, and joy in general (Job_8:21).
mad — that is, when made the chief good; it is harmless in its proper place.
What doeth it? — Of what avail is it in giving solid good? (Ecc_7:6; Pro_14:13).
CALVI , “I said of laughter, It is mad - Literally "To laughter I said, O mad one! and to mirth,
What is this one doing?"
Solomon does not speak here of a sober enjoyment of the things of this world, but of intemperate
pleasure, whose two attendants, laughter and mirth are introduced by a beautiful prosopopoeia as
two persons; and the contemptuous manner wherewith he treats them has something remarkably
striking. He tells the former to her face that she is mad; but as to the latter, he thinks her so much
beneath his notice, that he only points at her, and instantly turns hisBACK .
COFFMAN, “"I said of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth it" (Ecclesiastes 2:2)?
Solomon had touched on this once before. See comment on Proverbs 14:13: "Even in laughter the
heart is sorrowful; and the end of mirth is heaviness." "The pleasure addict cannot escape `the
morning after,' nor the revulsion of satiety."[2] "The rhetorical question at the end of this verse has
negative intent."[3] It simply means that mirth and laughter accomplish absolutely nothing.
K&D, ““To laughter I said: It is mad; and to mirth: What doth it issue in?” Laughter and

mirth are personified; meholāl is thus not neut. (Hitz., a foolish matter), but mas. The
judgment which is pronounced regarding both has not the form of an address; we do not
need to supply ‫ה‬ ָ ፍ and ְ ፍ, it is objectively like an oratio obliqua: that it is mad; cf. Psa_49:12. In
the midst of the laughter and revelling in sensual delight, the feeling came over him that this was
not the way to true happiness, and he was compelled to say to laughter, It has become mad (part.
Poal, as at Psa_102:9), it is like one who is raving mad, who finds his pleasure in self-destruction;
and to joy (mirth), which disregards the earnestness of life and all due bounds, he is constrained
to say, What does it result in? = that it produces nothing, i.e., that it brings forth no real fruit;
that it produces only the opposite of true satisfaction; that instead of filling, it only enlarges the
inner void. Others, e.g., Luther, “What doest thou?” i.e., How foolish is thy undertaking! Even if
we thus explain, the point in any case lies in the inability of mirth to make man truly and lastingly
happy, - in the inappropriateness of the means for the end aimed at. Therefore ‫ה‬ ָ‫ּשׂ‬‫ע‬ is thus meant
just as in ‫י‬ ִ‫ר‬ ְ‫פ‬ ‫שׂה‬ ָ‫ע‬ (Hitz.), and ‫,מעשׂה‬ effect, Isa_32:17. Thus Mendelssohn: What profit does thou
bring to me? Regarding ‫ּה‬‫ז‬;‫ּה‬ ‫ה־‬ ַ‫מ‬ = mah-zoth, Gen_3:13, where it is shown that the
demonstrative pronoun serves here to sharpen the interrogative: What then, what in all
the world!
After this revelling in sensual enjoyment has been proved to be a fruitless experiment,
he searches whether wisdom and folly cannot be bound together in a way leading to the
object aimed at.
NISBET, “THE LOUD LAUGH THAT SHOWS THE VACANT MIND’
‘I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?’
Ecc_2:2
Solomon says of the mirthful man, of the man who makes others laugh, that he is a madman. We
need not suppose that all laughter is indiscriminately condemned, as though gloom marks a sane
person and cheerfulness an insane. ‘Rejoice evermore’ is a Scriptural direction, and blithe-
heartedness ought to be both felt and displayed by those who know that they have God for their
Guardian and Christ for their Surety. It is the laughter of the world which the wise man calls
madness.
I. That conflict of which this creation is the scene, and the leading antagonists in which are
Satan and God, is a conflict between falsehood and truth.—And it is in consequence of this that
so much criminality is everywhere in ScriptureATTACHED to a lie, and that those
on whom a lie may be charged are represented as more especially obnoxious to the anger of God.
Now, whilst the bold and direct falsehood gains for itself general execration, mainly perhaps
because felt to militate against the general interest, there is a ready indulgence for the more
sportive falsehood which is rather the playing with truth than the making a lie. Here it is that we shall
find laughter which is madness, and identify with a madman him by whom the laughter is raised.

The man who passes off a clever fiction, or amusingly distorts an occurrence, or dexterously
misrepresents a fact, may say that he only means to be amusing; but as he can hardly fail to lower
the majesty of truth in the eyes of his neighbour, there may be ample reason for assenting to the
wise man’s decision,’ I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?’
II. But it is not perhaps till laughter is turned upon sacred things that we have before us the
madness in all its wildness and injuriousness.—The man who in any way exercises his wit
upon the Bible conveys undoubtedly an impression, whether he intend it or not, that he is not a
believer in the inspiration of the Bible; and he may do far more mischief to the souls of his fellow-
men than if he engagedOPENLY in assaulting the great truths of Christianity.
III. The great general inference from thisSUBJECT is that we ought to set a
watch upon our tongues, to pray God to keep the door of our lips. ‘LetYOUR
speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt.’
—
Canon Melvill.
Illustration
‘Luther says, “Many a one arranges all his matters with much toil and trouble, that he may have
repose and peace in his old age, but God disposes otherwise, so that he comes into affairs that
cause his unrest then to commence. Many a one seeks his joy in lust and licentiousness, and his
life is embittered ever after. Therefore, if God does not give joy and pleasure, but we strive after it,
and endeavour to create it of ourselves, no good will come of it, but it is, as Solomon says, all
vanity. The best gladness and delight are those which one does not seek (for a fly may easily fall
into our broth), but that which God gives to our hand.” ’
PULPIT, “I said of laughter, It is mad. Laughter and mirth are personified, hence treated as
masculine. He uses the term "mad" in reference to the statement in Ecclesiastes 1:17, "I gave my
heart to know madness and folly." Septuagint, "I said to laughter,ERROR ( περιφοράν);"
Vulgate, Risum reputavi errorem. Neither of these is as accurate as the Authorized Version.Of
mirth, What doeth it? What does it effect towards real happiness and contentment? How does it
help to fill the void, to give lasting satisfaction? So we have in Proverbs 14:13, "Even in laughter the
heart is sorrowful; and the end of mirth is heaviness;" though the context is different. The Vulgate
renders loosely,Quid frustra deeiperis?
CHARLES SIMEON, “THEEMPTINESSOF WORLDLYMIRTH
Ecc_2:2. I said of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth it?

WHO is it that has ventured to speak thus respecting that which constitutes, in the world’s
estimation, the great happiness of life? Was he an ignorant man? or one who from envy decried a
thing which he was not able to attain? or an inexperienced man, who had no just means of forming
a judgment? or an irritated man, who vented thus his spleen against an object that had disappointed
him? Or was he one whose authority in this matter we are at liberty to question! No: it was the
wisest of the human race, who had more ample means of judging than any other of the children of
men, and had tried the matter to the uttermost: it was Solomon himself, under the influence of the
Spirit of God, recording this, not only as the result of his own experience, but as the declaration of
Jehovah, by him, for the instruction of the world in all future ages. He had been left by God to try the
vain experiment, whether happiness was to be found in any thing but God. He tried it, first, in the
pursuit of knowledge; which, to a person of hisENLARGED mind, certainly
promised most fair to yield him the satisfaction which he sought. But partly from the labour requisite
for the attainment of knowledge; partly from discovering how little could be known by persons of our
finite capacity; partly also from the insufficiency of knowledge to satisfy the innumerable wants of
man; and partly from the disgust which had been created in his mind by the insight which his
wisdom gave him into the ignorance and folly of the rest of mankind; he left it upon record, as his
deliberate judgment, that “in much wisdom is much grief; and that he who increaseth knowledge,
increaseth sorrow [Note: Ecc_1:18.].” He then turned to pleasure, as the most probable source of
happiness: “I said in my heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth: therefore enjoy pleasure.” But
being equally disappointed in that, he adds, “Behold, this also is vanity [Note: ver. 1.].” Then, in the
words of my text, he further adds, “I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?”
In discoursing on this subject, I shall,
1. Shew what that is which he here pronounces to be “vanity”—
It becomes us, in considering such weighty declarations us that before us, to attain the most precise
and accurate views of the terms employed; neither attenuating the import of them on the one hand,
nor exaggerating it on the other.
We are not, then, to understand the text as decrying all cheerfulness—
[The Christian, above all people upon earth, has reason to be cheerful. And religion in no way tends
to destroy the gaiety of the human mind, but only to direct it towards proper objects, and to restrain
it within proper bounds. The ways of religion are represented as “ways of pleasantness and peace.”
And “the fruits of the Spirit are, love, joy, peace:” all of which suppose a measure of hilarity, and the
innocence of that hilarity, when arising from a becoming source, and kept within the limits of
sobriety and sound wisdom. Doubtless that tumultuous kind of joy which is generally denominated

mirth, and which vents itself in immoderate laughter, is altogether vain and bad: but a placidity of
mind, exercising itself in a way of brotherly love and of cheerful benevolence, can never be
censured as unprofitable, much less can it be condemned as verging towards insanity.]
Neither, on the other hand, are we to restrict the text to licentious and profane mirth—
[That needed not to be stigmatized in so peculiar a manner: because the fully of such mirth carries
its own evidence along with it. We need only to see it in others: and if we ourselves are not
partakers of it, we shall not hesitate to characterize it by some opprobrious or contemptuous name.
We need neither the wisdom of Solomon, nor his experience, to pass upon it the judgment it
deserves.]
The conduct reprobated in our text is, the seeking of our happiness in carnal mirth—
[Solomon particularly specifies this: “I said in my heart. Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth.” I will
see whether that will afford me the happiness which I am in pursuit of. And we may suppose, that, in
the prosecution of this object. he summoned around him all that was gay and lively in his court, and
all that could contribute towards the attainment of it. We mayTAKE A SURVEY of
the state of society in what may be called the fashionable world, and see how the votaries of
pleasure spend their time. They go from one vanity to another, hoping that in a succession of
amusements they shall find a satisfaction which nothing else can impart. Plays, balls, concerts,
routs, the pleasures of the field, of the race-course, of the card-table, form a certain round of
employment, which those who travel in it expect to find productive of happiness, of such happiness
at least as they affect. And this. I conceive, is what Solomon intended particularly to reprobate as
fully and madness. Of course, we must include also in the same description the more vulgar
amusements to which the lower classes resort. All, according to their taste, or the means afforded
them for enjoyment, whilst they pursue the same object, are obnoxious to the same censure. The
degree of refinement which may be in their pursuits makes no difference in this matter. Whatever it
be which calls forth their mirth and laughter, it is equally unprofitable and equally insane. So
Solomon judged; and]
We now proceed—
II. ToCONFIRM his testimony—
Let us take a candid view of this matter: let us consider pleasure in its true light: let us consider its
aspect on us,
1. As men—

[As men, we possess faculties of a very high order, which we ought to cultivate, and which, when
duly improved, exalt and dignify our nature. But behold the votaries of pleasure; how low do they
sink themselves by the depravity of their taste, and the emptiness of their occupations! A man
devoid of wisdom may abound in mirth and laughter as well as he: and there will be found very little
difference in their feelings; except, as the more enlarged men’s capacities are for higher objects, the
keener sense will they have of the emptiness of their vain pursuits. In truth, we may appeal even to
themselves in confirmation of what Solomon has said: for there are no persons more convinced of
the unsatisfying nature of such pursuits, than those who follow them with the greatest avidity. But let
Scripture speak: “She that liveth in pleasure is dead whilst she liveth [Note: 1Ti_5:6.].” It is the fool
alone that can say, “Let us eat, drink, and be merry [Note:Luk_12:19.].”]
2. As sinners—
[As sinners we have a great work to do; even to call to mind, and to mourn over, the sins of our
whole lives, and to seek reconciliation with our offended God — — — The time, too, which is
afforded us for this is very short and very uncertain — — — And, oh! what an issue awaits our
present exertions; even heaven with all its glory, or hell with all its inconceivable and everlasting
terrors! Have persons so circumstanced any time for mirth, or any disposition to waste their
precious hours in laughter? Is it not much more suitable to them to be engaged according to the
direction of St. James, “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; letYOUR laughter be
turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness; humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he
shall lift you up [Note: Jam_4:9-10.]?” — — —]
3. As the redeemed of the Lord—
[What redeemed soul can contemplate the price paid for his redemption, and laugh? Go, my
Brother, to Gethsemane, and see thy Saviour bathed in a bloody sweat. Go to Calvary, and behold
him stretched upon the cross. Hear his heart-rending cry, “My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken
me?” See the sun himself veiling his face in darkness, and the Lord of glory bowing his head in
death: and then tell me, whether you feel much disposition for mirth and laughter? or whether such
a state of mind would become you? Methinks, I need add no more. Your own consciences will attest
the justice of Solomon’s remarks. But if there be an advocate for mirth yet unconvinced, then I put it
to him to answer that significant question in my text, “What doeth it?”]
APPLICATION —
1. Are any disposed to complain that I make religion gloomy?

[Remember, it is of carnal mirth that I have spoken: and of that, not in its occasional sallies, from a
buoyancy of spirit, and in combination with love, but of its being regarded as a source of happiness,
and of its constituting, as it were, a portion of our daily employment. And if I wrest this from you, do I
leave you a prey to melancholy? Go to religion; and see whether that do not furnish you with mirth
and laughter of a purer kind: with mirth that is not unprofitable, with laughter that is not mad? The
very end of the Gospel is, to “give you beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment
of praise for the spirit of heariness:” and if you believe in Christ, it is not merely your privilege, but
your duty to rejoice in him, yea, to “rejoice in him with joy unspeakable and glorified.” If the Church,
onACCOUNT of temporal deliverances, could say, “Then was our mouth filled with
laughter, and our tongue with singing [Note: Psa_126:1-2.]:” much more may you, on account of the
salvation which has been vouchsafed to you. Only, therefore, let the grounds of your joy be right,
and we consent that “your mourning be turned into dancing, and that to the latest hour of your lives
you put off your sackcloth and gird you with gladness [Note: Psa_30:11.].” Instead of pronouncing
such mirth madness, we will declare it to be your truest wisdom.]
2. Are there those amongst you whoACCORD with Solomon?
[Remember, then, to seek those as your associates who are like-minded with you in this respect.
Affect not the company of those who delight in laughter, and in carnal mirth; for they will only draw
you from God, and rob you of the happiness which you might otherwise enjoy. If they appear happy,
remember that “their mirth is like the crackling of thorns under a pot [Note:Ecc_7:6.]:” it may make a
blaze for a moment; but it soon expires in spleen and melancholy. Be careful, too, to live nigh to
God, and in sweet communion with your Lord and Saviour: for if you draw back from God in secret,
you will, in respect of happiness, be in a worse condition than the world themselves: for whilst you
deny yourselves the pleasure which you might have in carnal things, you will have no real pleasure
in spiritual exercises. But be true to your principles, and you never need envy the poor worldlings
their vain enjoyments. They drink of a polluted cistern, that contains nothing but what is insipid and
injurious, and will prove fatal to their souls; but you draw from the fountain of living waters, which
whosoever drinks of, shall live for ever.]
BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, “Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth.
The threefold view of human life
Three views of human life are given in this remarkable chapter.
I. The theatrical view of life (Ecc_2:1-11). The writer seeks to prove his heart with mirth
and laughter; he treats his flesh with wine; he gathers peculiar treasure; he is enamoured
of greatness, magnificence, and abundance; he delights in architecture, scenery,
literature, music, song. Everything is spectacular, dazzling, wonderful. This is a very
misleading idea of the world in which we find ourselves.
1. It is partial. Nothing whatever is said here of the problems which challenge us—of

duty, enterprise, discipline, work, sacrifice, suffering; nothing about character or
conduct. It really leaves out two-thirds of life, and the noblest two-thirds.
2. It is exaggerated. It contemplates great works, great possessions, and great fame.
Life is largely made up of commonplace tasks, homely faces, uneventful days,
monotonous experiences.
3. It is selfish. You see throughout how prominent the individual is. It is all “I.” The
writer never thinks of other people except as they may enhance his pleasure, or be
spectators of his glory.
4. It is superficial. There is not a word about conscience, righteousness,
responsibility. Now beware of the theatrical view of life—of the great, the gaudy, the
glistering. True life, as a rule, is simple, sober, and severe. Beware of companions
who would represent life to you in a gay and voluptuous light. Beware also of your
reading, and see that it does not give a false and delusive idea of the life that awaits
you. The world is not a theatre, not a magician’s cave, not a carnival; it is a temple
where all things are serious and sacred.
II. The sepulchral view of life (Ecc_2:12-23). Men usually start with the rosy ideal of life,
and then finding its falsity—that there are tears as well as laughter—they sink into
vexation and despair, and paint all things black as night. But the world is not emptiness;
it is a cup deep and large, delightful and overflowing. Fulness, not emptiness, is the sign
of the world. There is the fulness of nature—of intellectual life—of society—of practical
life—the manifold and enduring unfolding of the interests and movements and fortunes
of humanity. There is the fulness of religious life. A true man never feels the world to be
limited, meagre, shallow. God is no mockery, and He will not mock us.
III. The religious view of life (Ecc_2:24-26).
1. The purification and strengthening of the soul will secure to us all the brightness
and sweetness of life.
2. And as the Spirit of Christ leads to the realization of the bright side of the world, so
shall it fortify you against the dark side. Carry the Spirit of Christ into this dark side,
and you shall rejoice in tribulation also. In one of the illustrated magazines I noticed
a picture of the flower-market of Madrid in a snowstorm. The golden and purple
glories were mixed with the winter’s snow. And in a true Christian life sorrow is
strangely mingled with joy. Winter in Siberia is one thing, winter in the flower-
market of the South is another thing; and so the power of sorrow is broken and
softened in the Christian life by great convictions, consolations, and hopes. Do not
accept the theatrical view of life; life is not all beer and ski[ties, operas, banquets,
galas, and burlesques. Do not accept the sepulchral theory of life; it is absolutely
false. Toequeville said to Sumner, “Life is neither a pain nor a pleasure, but serious
business, which it is our duty to carry through and conclude with honour.” This is a
true and noble conception of life, and it can be fulfilled only as Christ renews and
strengthens us. (W. L. Watkinson.)
The pleasures of sin and the pleasures of Christ’s service contrasted
I. What are the pleasures of sin?
1. They are present pleasures; now and here; not in the dim distance; not in the next
world, but in this.

2. They are varied and many: adapted to every taste, capacity, age, condition.
3. They fall in with the desires and cravings of our carnal nature.
4. They possess the power to excite in a wonderful degree,—the fancy, the mind, the
passions,—ambition, lust, pride, etc.
II. What are the pleasures or rewards of Christ’s service?
1. They are real and substantial, not fictitious and imaginary or deceptive.
(1) A good conscience.
(2) A contented mind.
(3) Rational enjoyment and satisfaction.
(4) Elevation of being.
(5) A quiet, growing consciousness of God’s approval.
(6) A sweet sense of living and breathing in a sphere of sanctified thought and
life, illumined by the sunlight of Heaven, and vocal with the joys and harmonies
which proceed from Calvary.
2. They are not all in the future. No small part of them are here, and enjoyed day by
day. Heaven is the ultimate state of blessedness, the final reward in Christ’s service.
But heaven is begun in every reconciled, sanctified soul at once and progresses to the
consummation.
3. Christ’s service is soul-satisfying. It touches, elevates, expands, gives dignity to,
and harmonizes and gladdens man’s highest nature.
4. The pleasure, the reward of Christ’s service is enduring. It fears no death, knows
no end. It is perpetual, everlasting, ever augmenting. (J. M. Sherwood, D. D.)
A strange experiment
He now resolves to abandon the “studious cloisters.” For their quiet he will substitute the
excitement of feverish pleasure. But this tremendous reaction from the joys of the
philosopher to coarser animal pleasure is not easy. He has to goad his mind before it is
ready for this new and low direction. He has to say to his heart, “Go to now, I will prove
thee with mirth.” What a fall is here, from the contemplation of high themes of truth, the
works of God and man, to merely sensual pleasure! But the experiment is brief. It would
be. For a man of wisdom could not be long in discovering the utter worthlessness of
sensual gratification; sharp and swift comes the conclusion: “I said of laughter, It is mad,
and of mirth, What doeth it?” It has sometimes been the question of thoughtful people
how the wise man could bring himself to try this second experiment, the effort to find
happiness in “the lust of the flesh” and “the lust of the eye.” This, it is usually thought, is
the delight of fools. But that a man who could say he “had seen the works that are done
under the sun,” whose philosophy had ranged over new things until they were seen to be
the old things recurrent, who could truly say that he had “gotten more wisdom than all
they that had been before him in Jerusalem,”—for such an one to fly from philosophy to
pleasure, from meditation to mirth, is accounted phenomenally strange. But it is not.
Across just such extremes does the restless spirit fly that has not yet learned that
happiness is not the creature of circumstance, but the outgrowth of the life. And how it
magnifies this inner character of happiness to reflect that even wisdom pursued for its

own sake may be seen to be so hollow that the soul will fly to the farthest distance from
it, inferring that even sensual folly may be a relief from the emptiness of knowledge! (C.
L. Thompson, D. D.)
Ecclesiastes 2:2
I said of laughter, It is mad.
The wit and the madman
If you were asked who had sat for the portrait of a madman, you would be disposed to
look out for some monster, some scourge of our race, in whom vast powers had been at
the disposal of ungoverned passions, and who had covered a country with weeping and
with desolate families; and at first we might be readily tempted to conclude that Solomon
employed somewhat exaggerated terms when he identified laughter with madness.
Neither need we suppose that all laughter is indiscriminately condemned; as though
gloom marked a sane person, and cheerfulness an insane. “Rejoice evermore” is a
scriptural direction, and blithe-heartedness ought to be both felt and displayed by those
who know that they have God for their Guardian, and Christ for their Surety. But it is the
laughter of the world which the wise man calls madness; and there will be no difficulty in
showing you, in two or three instances, how close is the parallel between the maniac and
the man by whom this laughter is excited. We would first point out to you how that
conflict, of which this creation is the scene, and the leading antagonists in which are
Satan and God, is a conflict between falsehood and truth. The entrance of evil was
effected through a lie; and when Christ promised the descent of the Holy Ghost, whose
special office it was to be to regenerate human kind, to restore their lost purity, and
therewith their lost happiness, He promised it under the character of the Spirit of truth;
as though truth were all that was needed to the making of this earth once more a
paradise. And it is in accordance with this representation of that great struggle, which
fixes the regards of higher orders of intelligence, as being a struggle between falsehood
and truth, that so much criminality is everywhere in Scripture attached to a lie, and that
those on whom a lie may be charged, are represented as thereby more especially
obnoxious to the anger of God. “A lying tongue,” says the wise man, “is but for a
moment”: as though sudden vengeance might be expected to descend upon the liar, and
sweep him away ere he could reiterate the falsehood. And if there be thus, as it were, a
kind of awful majesty in truth, so that the swerving from it is emphatically treason
against God and the soul, it follows that whatever is calculated to diminish reverence for
truth, or to palliate falsehood, is likely to work as wide mischief as may well be imagined.
You are all ready without hesitation to admit that nothing would go further towards
loosening the bonds of society than the destroying the shame which now attaches to a lie;
and accordingly you would rise up as by one common impulse to withstand any man or
any authority which should propose to shield the liar, or to make his offence
comparatively unimportant. But whilst the bold and direct falsehood thus gains for itself
the general execration, mainly perhaps because felt to militate against the general
interest, there is a ready indulgence in the more sportive falsehood, which is rather the
playing with truth than the making a lie. Here it is that we shall find laughter which is
madness, and identify with a madman him by whom the laughter is raised. There is very
frequently a departure from truth in that mirthful discourse to which Solomon refers. In
amusing a table, and causing light-heartedness and gaiety to go round the company, men
may be teaching others to view with less abhorrence a lie, or diminishing in them that

sanctity of truth which is at once an admirable virtue and essential to the existence of any
other. I do not fear the influence of one whom the world denounces as a liar; but I do of
one whom it applauds as a wit. I fear it in regard of reverence for truth—a reverence
which, if it do not of itself make a great character, must be strong wheresoever the
character is great. The man who passes off a clever fiction, or amusingly distorts an
occurrence, or dextrously misrepresents a fact, may say that he only means to be
amusing, and that nothing is further from his thoughts than the doing an injury; but
nevertheless, forasmuch as it can hardly fail but that he will lower the majesty of truth in
the eyes of his neighbour, there may be equally ample reason for assenting to the wise
man’s decision—“I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?” But we have
not yet given the worst case of that laughter which may be identified with madness. It is
very true, that whatever tends to diminish men’s abhorrence of a lie, tends equally to the
spreading confusion and wretchedness, and may therefore be justly classed amongst
things which resemble the actings of a maniac. It is also true that this tendency exists in
much of that admired conversation whose excellence virtually lies in its falseness; so that
the correspondence is clear between the wit and the madman. But it is not perhaps till
the laughter is turned upon sacred things that we have before us the madness in all its
wildness and in all its injuriousness. The man who in any way exercises his wit upon the
Bible conveys undoubtedly an impression, whether he intend it or not, that he is not a
believer in the inspiration of the Bible; for it is altogether insupposable that a man who
really recognized in the Bible the Word of the living God, who felt that its pages had been
traced by the very hand which spread out the firmament, should select from it passages
to parody, or expressions which might be thrown into a ludicrous form. It may be true
that he does this only in joke, and with no evil design; he never meant, he may tell you,
when he introduced Scripture ridiculously, or amused his companions by sarcastic
allusions to the peculiarities of the pious—he never meant to recommend a contempt for
religion, or to insinuate a disbelief in the Bible, and perhaps he never did; but
nevertheless, even if you acquit him of harmful intention, and suppose him utterly
unconscious that he is working a moral injury, he who frames jokes on sacred things, or
points his wit with scriptural allusions, may do far more mischief to the souls of his
fellow-men than if he engaged openly in assaulting the great truths of Christianity. If you
have heard a text quoted in a ridiculous sense, or applied to some laughable occurrence,
you will hardly be able to separate the text from that occurrence; the association will be
permanent; and when you hear the text again, though it may be in the house of God, or
under circumstances which make you wish for the most thorough concentration of
thought on the most awful things, yet will there come back upon you- all the joke and all
the parody, so that the mind will be dissipated and the very sanctuary profaned. And
hence the justice of identifying with madness the laughter excited by reference to sacred
things. Now, the upshot of the whole matter is, that we ought to set a watch upon our
tongues, to pray God to keep the door of our lips. “Death and life are in the power of the
tongue.” Of all the gifts with which we have been entrusted, the gift of speech is perhaps
that through which we may work most of evil or of good, and nevertheless it is that of
whose right exercise we seem to make least account. It appears to us a hard saying, that
for every idle word which they speak men shall give an account at the last, and we
scarcely discern any proportion between a few syllables uttered without thought and
those retributive judgments which must be looked for hereafter; but if you observe how
we have been able to vindicate the correctness of the assertion of our text, though it be
only the idle talker whose laughter is declared to be madness, effecting the same results,
and producing the same evils as the fury of the uncontrolled maniac, you will see that a
word may be no insignificant thing—that its consequences may be widely disastrous, and
certainly the speaker is answerable for the consequences which may possibly ensue,

however God may prevent their actual occurrence. The fiction may not make a liar, and
the jest may not make an infidel, but since it is the tendency of the fiction to make liars,
and the tendency of the jest to make infidels, he who invents the one, or utters the other,
is as criminal as though the result had been the same as the tendency. (H. Melvill, B. D.)
LOYAL YOUNG, “
Solomon's first test of things that might be supposed
to be profitable, was of mirth, pleasure, laughter, wine and
folly. His plan was to test these, still however acquaint-
ing his heart with wisdom. Who can imagine the hilarity
that pervaded his court at the time specified ! Probably,
to make his experiment perfect, the wits and merry-makers
of all Palestine were collected and entertained at the royal
palace, by his bounty and at his expense. Certainly Sol-
omon's household was prodigious ; and some of the mem-
bers may have been mere courtiers and gay companions,
while others were charioteers, artizans and other workmen.
" Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of
fine flour, and three-score measures of meal, ten fat oxen,
and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred
sheep, besides harts, and roe-bucks, and fallow-deer, and
fatted fowl." 1 Kings iv. 22, 23. To consume such an
amount of provisions it would take probably thirty or
forty thousand persons.
As Solomon and his courtiers feasted and made merry,
the people generally caught the contagion of the court.
" Judah and Israel were many as the sand which is by the
sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry."
1 Kings iv. 20. No doubt, God was to a great extent
forgotten in Solomon's court; and inten^perance, to some
extent, prevailed. It was a scene of mirth, pleasure,
laughter, feasting, folly ! The courts of princes have often
been the scenes of similar folly. The courts of Henry
VIII. of England, and of Louis XIV. of France, were
remarkable for the stupendousness of their folly.

EBC, “The Quest in Pleasure.
2. But if we cannot reach the object of our Quest in Wisdom, we may, perchance, find it
in Pleasure. This experiment also the Preacher has tried, tried on the largest scale and
under the most auspicious conditions. Wisdom failing to satisfy the large desires of his
soul, or even to lift it from its depression, he turns to mirth. Once more, as he forthwith
announces, he is disappointed in the result. He pronounces mirth a brief madness; in
itself, like wisdom, a good, it is not the Chief Good; to make it supreme is to rob it of its
natural charm.
Not content with this general verdict, however, he recounts the details of his experiment,
that he may deter us from repeating it. Speaking in the person of Solomon and utilising
the facts of his experience, Coheleth claims to have started in the quest with the greatest
advantages; for "what can he do who cometh after the king whom they made king long
ago?" He surrounded himself with all the luxuries of an Oriental prince, not out of any
vulgar love of show and ostentation, nor out of any strong sensual addictions, but that he
might discover wherein the secret and fascination of pleasure lay, and what it could do
for a man who pursued it wisely. He built himself new, costly palaces, as the Sultan of
Turkey used to do almost every year. He laid out paradises, planted them with vines and
fruit trees of every sort, and large shady groves to screen off and to temper the heat of the
sun. He dug great tanks and reservoirs of water, and cut channels which carried the cool
vital stream through the gardens and to the roots of the trees. He bought men and maids,
and surrounded himself with the retinue of servants and slaves requisite to keep his
palaces and paradises in order, to serve his sumptuous tables, to swell his pomp: i.e., he
gathered together such a train of ministers, attendants, domestics, indoor and outdoor
slaves, as is still thought necessary to the dignity of an Oriental "lord." His herds of
flocks, a main source of Oriental wealth, were of finer strain and larger in number than
had been known before. He amassed enormous treasures of silver and gold, the common
Oriental hoard. He collected the peculiar treasures "of kings and of the kingdoms";
whatever special commodity was yielded by any foreign land was caught up for his use by
his officers or presented to him by his allies. He hired famous musicians and singers, and
gave himself to those delights of harmony which have had a peculiar charm for the
Hebrews of all ages. He crowded his harem with the beauties both of his own and of
foreign lands. He withheld nothing from them that his eyes desired, and kept not his
heart from any pleasure. He set himself seriously and intelligently to make happiness his
portion; and, while cherishing or cheering his body with pleasures, he did not rush into
them with the blind eagerness "whose violent property fore does itself" and defeats its
own ends. His "mind guided him wisely" amid his delights; his "wisdom helped him" to
select, and combine, and vary them, to enhance and prolong, their sweetness by a certain
art and temperance in the enjoyment of them.
"He built his soul a lordly pleasure house,
Wherein at ease for aye to dwell:
He said ‘Oh, Soul, make merry and carouse,
Dear Soul, for all is well!’"
Alas, all was not well, though he took much pains to make and think it well. Even his
choice delights soon palled upon his taste, and brought on conclusions of disgust. Even
in his lordly pleasure house he was haunted by the grim, menacing spectres which
troubled him before it was built. In the harem, in the paradise he had planted, under the

Ecclesiastes 2 commentary

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Ecclesiastes 2 commentary

Similar to Ecclesiastes 2 commentary (20)

More from GLENN PEASE

More from GLENN PEASE (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Ecclesiastes 2 commentary