*H A man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and honour, and his soul wanteth nothing of all that he desireth: yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but a stranger shall eat it up. This is vanity and a great misery.
Ver. 2. Thereof. "Di tibi divitias dederunt artemque fruendi." Hor. i. Ep. 4. — The proper use of riches is rare. C. — Misery. Riches do not make people happy. W.
*H If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, and attain to a great age, and his soul make no use of the goods of his substance, and he be without burial: of this man I pronounce, that the untimely born is better than he.
Ver. 3. Than he, since the latter has injured no one, nor experienced any evil in the world, (C.) by his own fault; (M.) whereas the miser has both hurt himself and others, and has neglected to make himself friends of the mammon of iniquity.
*H For he came in vain, and goeth to darkness, and his name shall be wholly forgotten.
Ver. 4. He. The infant, though some explain it of the miser. C.
*H All the labour of man is for his mouth, but his soul shall not be filled.
Ver. 7. Mouth. We are always providing food. S. Jer. — The rich are wholly bent on pleasure; or the poor cannot get a sufficiency.
*H What hath the wise man more than the fool? and what the poor man, but to go thither, where there is life?
Ver. 8. Life. The wise poor shall be blessed. Heb. "the poor knowing how to walk before the living," (H.) in society (C.) among the saints. H.
*H Better it is to see what thou mayst desire, than to desire that which thou canst not know. But this also is vanity, and presumption of spirit.
Ver. 9. Know. Enjoyment has the advantage over hope. Heb. "better is the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul," which denotes her desires. C. — Presumption. Heb. "vexation." H.
*H He that shall be, his name is already called: and it is known, that he is a man, and cannot contend in judgment with him that is stronger than himself.
Ver. 10. He, &c. This is plainly spoken of Christ, whose name was given before he was born; (S. Jer. W.) or men resemble each other in all ages, (C. i. 9. C.) being proud, fragile, &c.
* Footnote * 1_Kings 13 : 14
But thy kingdom shall not continue. The Lord hath sought him a man according to his own heart: and him hath the Lord commanded to be prince over his people, because thou hast not observed that which the Lord commanded.* Footnote * 3_Kings 13 : 2
And he cried out against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said: O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord: Behold a child shall be born to the house of David, Josias by name, and he shall immolate upon thee the priests of the high places, who now burn incense upon thee, and he shall burn men's bones upon thee.*H There are many words that have much vanity in disputing.
Ver. 11. Disputing. Are we better acquainted with nature than former ages? This is another subject of confusion. C.