Chapter XII (1)

REMEMBER now thy Creator in │ But remember thy Creator in
the days of thy youth, while │ the days of thy choice youth,
the evil days come not, nor │ while these evil days come not,
the years draw nigh, when thou │ and these years approach, of
shalt say, I have no pleasure │ which thou shalt say there is
in them; │ nothing for me in THEM of happy
│ providence;

XII. (1.) =And remember with respect to thy Creators= (but בורא is ‘creating’――see Isaiah xl. 28, xli. 5, xlv. 7, 18, where the participle poel occurs; hence, according to the strict meaning, it ought to be _thy creatings_) =in days of thy choosings= (with the same meaning as before; the sentence is doubtless intentionally equivocal) =until not come days of the evil= (‘the evil days’ is quite correct, but then we must remember the emphasis falls on ‘evil,’ not ‘days’), =and are caused to draw near years= (not ‘the years,’ which spoils the pathos of the passage――years are opposed to days above) =which thou sayest there is nothing to me= (emphatic) =in them of delight= (but not without a shade of the technical meaning, ‘providence’――as man grows older he _expects_ no delight; no great good fortune can come to him).

2 While the sun, or the │ before, too, is darkened the
light, or the moon, or the │ sun, and the light, and the
stars, be not darkened, nor │ moon, and the stars; and the
the clouds return after the │ storm-cloud returns after the
rain: │ tempest.

(2.) =Until not darkened= (_i.e._ before this happens) is =the sun,= and =the light= (referring back to chapter xi. 7), =and the moon, and the stars, and return the clouds= (_storm_-clouds) =after the rain= (the tempestuous rain, _i.e._ storm succeeds storm).

3 In the day when the │ In a day when sore moved are
keepers of the house shall │ the keepers of the house,
tremble, and the strong men │ and the mighty mortals sadly
shall bow themselves, and the │ perplex themselves, and the
grinders ¹cease because they │ grinding maids are idle because
are few, and those that look │ there is little to grind, and
out of the windows be darkened,│ the ladies look into gloom
│ through the windows;
¹ _Or_, fail because they │
_grind_ little. │

(3.) =In a day= (not _the_ day, which again spoils the pathos. Koheleth is now going to give specimens of evil days) =when disturbed are,= (occurs only Esther iii. 9, and Habakkuk ii. 7, pilpel. This word, שיזעו, has been said to be a late one, but זעוה occurs Deuteronomy xxviii. ♦25; the idea is ‘commotion,’ when they are or may be in commotion) =the keepers of the house, and perplex themselves= (see chapter i. 15, vii. 13), =the men= (אנושי, ‘weak men’) of =the strength= (it is quite consistent with the character of the writer to join such terms as these together, with an oblique sarcasm hidden beneath them), =and cease= (here only, a so-called late word) =the grinding maids, because they are diminished, and are dark the gazers= (feminine) =in the windows= ((1.) the keepers are the slaves; (2.) the strong men the masters; (3.) the grinding maids the women servants; (4) the gazers are the ladies――compare Judges v. 28; thus is comprised the whole family.)

♦ “5” replaced with “25”

4 And the doors shall be │ and closed are the doors in the
shut in the streets, when the │ street in the failing sound of
sound of the grinding is low, │ the mill, and one starts at the
and he shall rise up at the │ note of a sparrow, and hushed
voice of the bird, and all the │ are all the daughters of song.
daughters of musick shall be │
brought low; │

(4.) =And shut are the doors in the street, in the failing voice of the grinding,= (or ‘grinding maid’), =and rises up= (as there is no nominative we must take it as impersonal, ‘one rises up’) =to a voice of the sparrow, and brought low= (see Isaiah ii. 9, and also xxix. 4, where the word is used of a muttering voice) =all daughters of the song.=

5 Also _when_ they shall │ Moreover, the height is
be afraid of _that which is_ │ dreaded, and great fears are
high, and fears _shall be_ │ in the way, and the almond
in the way, and the almond │ tree [the harbinger of spring]
tree shall flourish, and the │ is despised, and the little
grasshopper shall be a burden, │ grasshopper [of summer] is as
and desire shall fail: because │ a burden, and desire itself has
man goeth to his long home, │ fled, for man has departed to
and the mourners go about the │ his long home, and mourners go
streets: │ round the market:

(5.) =Moreover= (this marks a transition in the catalogue of ills, the former were external evils――these come from within) =also from the height they fear; and terrors in the way; and the almond is despised; and burdens itself the grasshopper; and scattered the desire.= (This passage has exercised translators and commentators from the earliest times. The LXX. read――καίγε ἀπὸ ὕψους ὄψονται, καὶ θάμβοι ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, καὶ ἀνθήσει τὸ ἀμύγδαλον, καὶ ♦παχυνθῇ ἡ ἀκρίς, καὶ διασκεδασθῇ ἡ καππάρις――‘and they shall look from the height, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the locust shall increase, and the caper berry shall be scattered.’ Here B. read εἰς τὸ ὕψος, ‘into the height.’ Aquila, τρόμῳ τρομήσουσιν, ‘they shall tremble a trembling;’ and καὶ καρπεύσει ἡ καππάρις, ‘the caper-berry shall fructify.’ Now Symmachus, quoted by Jerome, read――‘Super hæc etiam de eccelso videbunt, et error erit in via, et obdormiet vigilans, et dissolvetur spiritus fortitudo.’ The last words are, however, preserved in Greek――καὶ διαλυθῇ ἡ ἐπίπονος. ‘On these they look from the height, and error will be in the way, and the watchful will fall asleep, and the courage of the spirit will be dissolved.’ The Syriac reads――(‡ Syriac phrase)――‘and also from the height they fear, and shall be terrified in the way, and the watch shall rush upon him, and the almond flourish, and the grasshopper be increased, and the caper shall burst, and desire shall cease.’ We think that, with these different versions before us, all of which have preserved portions of the original, we shall be able to conjecture the meaning of the text. It is just possible that originally the text read מגביה, and which might have been altered by displacing the י, and putting it on to the beginning of the next word; for otherwise it is hard to suppose that the LXX. would go out of their way to alter a reading the meaning of which, as it stands, is so obvious. B. seems to have preserved this original reading. The difference to the sense, however, is not great, as this looking upwards is evidently the effect of fear, as is shown by the next clause. This begins with the word וחתחתים――a reduplicated and therefore emphasized form of חתת, to ‘be dismayed,’ or ‘distracted,’ as in the sense of ‘broken in pieces;’ hence the rendering of Aquila: ‘These intense tremblings in the way’――which word ‘way’ surely we may interpret in the ethical sense so common in this book of ‘way of life’――are the natural result of ‘looking with fearfulness into the height.’ Compare chapter iii. 21.

♦ “πανχυνθῆ” replaced with “παχυνθῇ”

The next clause is still more obscure. The word ינאץ has, in all other places, the meaning ‘to be despised,’ or, in piel, to ‘provoke.’ The hiphil occurs here only, and is rendered, contrary to all analogy, ‘flourish.’ This is virtually to alter the text; and though the LXX. support this rendering, it is clear, from its various readings, that the Greek text has also been tampered with. The original meaning has apparently been preserved by Symmachus, and by the alternative rendering of the Syriac. Then as to ‘the almond tree,’ השקד: the word occurs Genesis xliii. 11, Numbers xvii. 8 (23), Jeremiah i. 11, _all_. This last passage gives probably the clue. The almond is the first tree to blossom in the coming spring, and is its harbinger; it is, as it were, in a hurry to welcome it; but this harbinger of spring is despised. As to the interpretation that the almond blossom is an allegorical description of the white hairs of an old man, it may be answered that the almond blossom is pink, not white.

The next clause――‘The grasshopper shall be a burden’――may be explained by noticing that the word חגב occurs Numbers xiii. 33, Isaiah xl. 22, as the type of something small or insignificant. The only other two places, viz. Leviticus xi. 22, 2 Chronicles vii. 13, where the word occurs, show that this creature was edible, but might become a plague. יסתבל, the hithpael of סבל, occurs here only; ‘burdens itself’ is the exact meaning. The English Version no doubt gives here the true sense.

The next clause――‘Desire shall fail’――may be explained in the same way. The word תפר, the hiphil of פרר, has always the meaning to ‘break,’ ‘disannul’――see Numbers xxx. 13, Job xv. 4, and hophal, Zechariah xi. 11. Evidently Symmachus, with the reading διαλυθῇ ἡ ἐπίπονος, has preserved the true meaning; for by ἐπίπονος he has rendered the word אביונה, which occurs here only. Now we have no right to seek a strange signification for this word when fair sense can be made according to the ordinary derivations. אביון occurs frequently in the sense of ‘a poor person’――the root being אבה, ‘to wish,’ or ‘desire.’ Jerome translates, as we see――‘Et dissolvetur spiritus fortitudinis’――‘the spirit or breath of the brave is dissolved,’ which is _ad sensum_; so that we may take אביונה as simply an abstract of אביון, with the meaning of ‘wishfulness,’ or ‘longing.’ Thus the reading of the LXX. is explained: Capers are provocatives of desire or appetite, and hence their Hebrew name. The ἐπίπονος of Symmachus occurs only once again, at Isaiah liii. 3, where it represents the Hebrew מכאבות, ‘griefs’ (see Field’s most instructive note, Hexaplar _in loc._). Thus we venture to offer the following as a probable explanation of this passage:――‘Besides, they look with dread on high, and great dismay is in the way, and the almond tree (as a symbol of anticipation) is despised, and the grasshopper (as a symbol of what is small and light) is burdensome, and the caper-berries (as the symbol of desires or longings) are scattered.’ In the last clause the metaphorical out-tops the literal meaning, as the Authorized Version renders, rightly abandoning the LXX. at this point.) =For= (or ‘so’) =advances= (הלך, recalling chapter i.) =the man= (in the ordinary technical meaning of humanity) =to= (‘towards,’ LXX. εἰς, in its primary sense of motion to a place) =a house of his age= (עלמו, having its ordinary sense of ‘the age,’ or αἰὼν, as the LXX. render. The Authorized Version’s ‘long home’ is a beautiful paraphrase: his ‘brief home’ is his _house_; his ‘long home’ his _tomb_), =and go round in the street= (which the LXX. render ἐν ἀγορᾷ, ‘in the market’) =the mourners= (those who mourn for the dead).

6 Or ever the silver cord │ or ever the silver line runs
be loosed, or the golden bowl │ out, or the golden oil bowl is
be broken, or the pitcher be │ removed, or the pitcher is
broken at the fountain, or the │ shattered at the fountain, or
wheel broken at the cistern. │ wheel runs down at the well, or
│ the dust returns to the earth
7 Then shall the dust return │ where it was, or the spirit is
to the earth as it was: and │ returning to the Almighty, its
the spirit shall return unto │ giver;
God who gave it. │

(6. 7.) =Until not= (marking another break in the comparison) =is loosed= (according to the Kri, but this is only a conjecture of the Masorets; if correct, the niphal occurs here only, but the chetib, ירחק, means ‘to be far from;’ and thus the LXX. render by ἀνατραπῇ, ‘turned back,’ and this appears to be correct) =a cord of the silver= (the Hebrew idiom for our ‘the _silver_ cord.’ If we understand this to mean the silver cord from which the lamp is suspended, we shall perceive the allusion), =and is broken= (תרץ, so far as the unpointed text is concerned, might be feminine third future Kal of רוץ, ‘to run’――see Genesis xxix. 12. The LXX. render by συνθλιβῇ, which occurs Sira xxxi. 14 only; but it also may be from רצץ――see Judges ix. 53. B. reads συντριβῇ; but this is an error, the origin of which is the similarity of the two words and the occurrence of them both in the same sentence), =a bowl= (גלת, used by Zechariah to denote the reservoir which contained the oil for the golden candlestick of the temple, Zechariah iv. 2, 3. The LXX. render ἀνθέμιον, which also occurs Exodus xxxviii. 16, ‘for the round ornaments;’ compare also Joshua xv. 19, Judges i. 15, where the word evidently signifies a reservoir for irrigation; גלה also occurs 1 Kings vii. 41, etc. If the ‘golden bowl of the lamp’ be taken as the most probable meaning, it will admirably suit the context), =of the gold= (the idea then is apparently that of a golden lamp bowl suspended by a silver cord; the lamp would be let down daily at least; the golden bowl would then run down and be taken away to be replenished); =and is shivered= (see Leviticus vi. 28 (21)) =a pitcher upon= (or over) =the spring= (occurs Isaiah xxxv. 7, xlix. 10, and is evidently a spring gushing out of the ground, as opposed to בור, which is a sunken well or cistern), =and= is =run= (but the word is niphal, and the LXX. render συντροχάσῃ, ‘run down to’) =the wheel= (with the article, because the special wheel is meant which stands over the cistern) =towards= (אל, the preposition is different) =the well; and returns the dust upon the earth as it was, and the spirit is returning= (both futures, but one written full, the other contracted; there is perhaps a slight distinction――one also follows, the other goes before, its verb) =to= (אל; LXX. πρὸς) =the Deity who= (but full relative, as compared with the contracted form above) =gave it= (feminine, to agree with רוח; but, as we have so often seen, this close agreement gives a peculiar meaning; it is especially the divine _gift_).

8 ¶ Vanity of vanities, │ so――evanescence of evanescence,
saith the Preacher; all _is_ │ says the Preacher, the whole is
vanity. │ evanescent.

(8.) =Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher= (with the article, the Preacher as such, generic), =the whole is vanity=.

We must notice, in interpreting these last verses that the acts described are all such as take time, indeed but a short time, to accomplish, and occur frequently. The string of the lamp will be loosed almost daily, and the lamp taken away; and surely no more poetical or impressive metaphor of death can be discovered than a lamp with oil-bowl gone. Next we have the shattered pitcher――an accident which may happen at any time; and then the bucket running down into the well, which is a comparatively frequent occurrence, and may well bring vividly before our minds the disappearance of one who was just before familiarly among us. That the bucket might be drawn up again full of living water is necessarily not mentioned, but is one of those hidden sarcastic promises in which the book delights. The last two clauses are joined together by the simple ‘and;’ but there is clearly at this point a transition from simile to metaphor, which the Authorized Version notices. If indeed one likes to take it so, the simile is true enough of dust and wind, but the last clause discloses a deeper meaning. After all, the promises of a resurrection are but scarcely hidden behind the apparent hopelessness of the conclusion arrived at.

The interpretation which makes the whole of this passage a metaphorical description of old age, comes from no more authoritative source than Hagadic interpretation, as embodied in the Chaldee Targum. There is no proof that any allegory was intended, and the literal meaning is not only to the purpose, but exceedingly touching and beautiful. The arrangement of clauses, also, is highly artificial, which may be seen by counting them as marked off by the recurring forms ‘or ever,’ ‘also,’ and the like.

│ SECTION V.――_Epilogue._
│
9 And ¹moreover, because the │ But there is something yet to
Preacher was wise, he still │ come: for the Preacher _was_
taught the people knowledge; │ wise; he yet taught knowledge
yea, he gave good heed, and │ with respect to men generally;
sought out, _and_ set in order │ and, pondering, he tracked out
many proverbs. │ the solution of [these] enigmas
│ to the utmost.
¹ _Or_, the more wise the │
Preacher was. │

(9.) =And for the rest= (for now is to be added something over and above, to form a supplement to what went before; compare 1 Kings xiv. 19 both for the Hebrew and Greek. As the word וְיֹתֵ֕ר stands first, it is the subject: whether we point it as noun or participle will not make much difference to the sense, but the Masoretic pointing is best; they also, with great taste, put a large distinctive accent on the word. The meaning is, ‘there is something yet to be added;’) =that he was= (the contract-relative with subject verb) even a =Koheleth= (_i.e._ a preacher or gatherer) who was =wise, yet= (the LXX. render καὶ ὅτι, ‘nevertheless,’ but their rendering is very remarkable and we will discuss it at length presently) =taught knowledge= (and in the sense so common in this book, of the knowledge how to act under a given set of circumstances) =with respect to the people= (not as usually understood that he taught the people knowledge, but taught knowledge with regard to the people, the _collected_ body of humanity; compare chapter iv. 16) =and he gave heed, and he sought out= (Deuteronomy xiii. 4; Psalms cxxxix. 1) =an order= (chapter i. 15, viii. 18; this is the third time of occurrence of this root, which is peculiar to this book. The Masorets point as piel pret., it might however be a noun, as the LXX. render it, and we shall see reason presently for adopting this interpretation) =of parables the many.=

10 The Preacher sought to │ The Preacher, indeed, sought
find out ¹acceptable words: │ to discover the reasons for a
and _that which was_ written │ providence, but what he _has_
_was_ upright, _even_ words of │ written is the real matter of
truth. │ truth.
│
¹ _Hebrew_ words of delight. │

(10.) =Sought Koheleth to find words of providence= (דבר and חפץ, both in their usual technical senses) =and written= (full participial form) =uprightness, words of truth.= (The passage is very obscure; the LXX. render καὶ περισσὸν ὅτι ἐγένετο ὁ ἐκκλησιαστὴς σοφὸς [καὶ] ὅτι ἐδίδαξεν γνῶσιν σὺν τὸν ἄνθροπον καὶ οὖς ἐξιχνιάσεται κόσμιον παραβολῶν. Πολλὰ, κ.τ.λ. ‘and for the rest, because the Preacher was wise, and because he taught knowledge with respect to the man, and his ear will trace out the orderly arrangement of parables.’ Now, some curious features in this rendering deserve notice――the word κόσμιον occurs 1 Timothy ii. 9, and iii. 2; it is used as a neuter, ‘orderliness.’ Again, את העם is rendered σὺν τὸν ἄνθρωπον. B. omits and A² includes in brackets the καὶ, so marked, in the text; A² reads ἔτι; F.X. omit σὺν; F. reads [for ἄνθρωπον] λαὸν; E. ἐξιχνίασε; and D. κόσμον. Thus it appears probable that the LXX. read יחקר and as this future follows the past, we have the sense of the imperfect: they also translated σὺν τὸν ἄνθρωπον, because they considered העם as used generically――see chapter iv. 16, and in the same sense. If, however, the Hebrew text were altered, which would be done simply by lengthening the jud י into van ו, the rendering of the LXX. would become unintelligible, and hence the variations, especially that of E. Then אזן, which is really nominative to יחקר, and emphatic as standing before it, came to be regarded as a verb and pointed piel, the only instance of such pointing that occurs, and then accenting וְחִקֵּ֔ר with zakeph, the Masorets made these two words a parenthesis, and pointed תִּקֵּן as a piel pret., instead of a noun as do the LXX.; they then make הרבה singular agree with the plural משלים, which would, according to the usage of this book, be distributive. On the whole, however, it seems very probable that the LXX. have preserved the right reading, or at least the meaning of the passage; this meaning is, ‘and for the rest, because Koheleth _was_ a wise man, still he taught knowledge with respect to the people, and his ear [_i.e._ judgment, for the word contains the idea of weighing as in a balance] was seeking out an orderly meaning [or solution] of parables;’ by parables he means doubtless the mysterious facts cited. The next verse takes this thought up thus: ‘Very much sought Koheleth in order to find words of providence――and written correctly words of truth.’ If the reading were really וכתוב, and not, as we may conjecture, יכתוב, we should then read ‘he was writing,’ which it must be confessed makes excellent sense. The LXX. render here [καὶ] γεγραμμένον εὐθύτητος λόγους ἀληθείας, in the accusative, governed by ἐζήτησεν, and the meaning is therefore, ‘sought ... a thing written of right [even] words of truth.’ This agrees altogether with the context, and also is cognate with what follows).

11 The words of the wise │ These reasons of the wise are
_are_ as goads, and as nails │ like goads, but they are like
fastened _by_ the masters of │ stakes as well, deeply fixed,
assemblies, _which_ are given │ dominating over the herd,
from one shepherd. │ appointed so by a shepherd,
│ who is the only one.

(11.) =The words of= (but as דברי is repeated, we have ‘those words of’) =wise men as goads= (דברי חכמים כדרבנות; the play is manifest between דבר and דרב, but דרבנות occurs here only, note also its two accents, and the noun in a concrete form at 1 Samuel xiii. 21) =and as nails= (the particle of comparison being repeated, gives the idea ‘but as nails as well,’ but מַשְֹמְרֹות, spelt with the letter sin, occurs here only; only one instance of a piel participle of the very common verb שמר occurs, viz. Jonah ii. 8 (9), but the noun משמר is also quite common; see 1 Chronicles ix. 23, where למִשׁמָרוֹת occurs in the sense of ‘by wards’) =planted masters of assemblies= (אספה, occurs as a feminine noun Isaiah xxiv. 22; LXX. συναγωγὴν. This word has a curious history, which will further illustrate its meaning at this place. The reading of the Hexapla at Isaiah xxiv. 22 is: Οʹ. καὶ συνάξουσι ※ συναγωγὴν αὐτῆς ※ εἰς δεσμωτήριον καὶ ἀποκλείσουσιν εἰς ὀχύρωμα. Σ. καὶ ἀθροισθήσονται ἀθροισμὸν δεσμίου καὶ συγκλεισθήσονται εἰς συγκλεισμόν, showing a difficulty about the word which in the Hexapla is included between ♦asterisks. Here the Peshito renders Koheleth by (‡ Syriac word) ‘masters of thresholds,’ and uses this same word at Exodus xii. 22, 23, and Deuteronomy vi. 9; hence they understood the allusion to be to the stake set across the entrance of the fold to prevent the cattle from straying out. That this reading will explain Isaiah xxiv. 22 is evident enough, and that it will explain this passage also will be seen if we look upon these goads as both compelling the oxen to labour, and, as the Syriac renders, forming the stakes which close the entrance to the lair); =are given from a shepherd, one only= (notice that אחד stands emphatically at the end of the sentence, and must mean, therefore, ‘the shepherd, who is the only one.’ This verse has greatly perplexed commentators: a diligent perusal of the ancient versions, and following the hint given by the Syriac above, will show us what is the real meaning. The LXX. read πεπυρωμένοι A¹. D. E. X., which A², B alter to πεφυτευμένοι, and which Aquila follows; probably πεπυρωμένοι was a misreading of πεπαρμένοι, from πάρω, ‘to infix;’ Symmachus reads πεπηγότες ‘constructed on,’ see Hebrews viii. 2. All the ancient Greek versions consider בעלי as a preposition, and render by παρὰ τῶν; the LXX. render אספות by συναγμάτων; B. συνθεμάτων; Aquila συνταγμάτων; Syriac Hexapla (‡ Syriac phrase); Symmachus συναχθέντων, otherwise συναντημάτων; Syriac (‡ Syriac phrase), all which words have nearly the same meaning. The Syriac also gives here, from Theodotion, what is possibly a rendering of this place, but may be intended for παρεωραμένῳ, in verse 14, (‡ Syriac phrase), _i.e._ ἀόρατοι, ‘unseen things.’ The Peshito rendering, perhaps, may give us the clue――these ‘collections’ or ‘collectanea’ are the instances of human life adduced by Koheleth, and it is men [like a herd of oxen driven by goads, and confined by stakes] over which these wise words are masters; and this we think will make all clear. The meaning of the passage will be: ‘These words of wise men are like goads, by which the ox is incited to labour, but then they are like stakes [_i.e._ to which the ox may be tied, or, of which a fence might be made to confine him] as well, planted around the persons brought together, [or the herd, and so infixed as masters of the assembly]; they are given from the shepherd [or herdsman’――for the word has both senses] ――‘who is the only one;’ or, since מֵרֶֹעֶה is ambiguous, and pointed מִרְעֶה means ‘pasture,’ they give pasture only. Thus the metaphor is kept up and the equivoke maintained).

♦ referencing the “※” symbol

12 And further, by these, │ But as to anything else from
my son, be admonished: of │ these, my son, be warned:
making many books _there is_ │ making of many treatises would
no end; and much ¹study _is_ │ lead to no result, and much
a weariness of the flesh. │ study would but weary the body.
│
¹ _Or_, reading. │

(12.) =But for the rest= (repeating the formula of verse 9, and hence a further extension of the same idea), =from them= (emphatic, ‘but for anything else that these wise words can do’ is the meaning) =my son, be admonished: makings= of =books= (ספרים used for the sake of the alliteration with אספות above) =the many= (_i.e._ too many) =is nothing of an end= (_i.e._ gives no result) =and study= (להג occurs here only, LXX. μελέτη) =the much= (too much) =wearies= (compare chapter i. 8) =the flesh=. (Thus even wisdom itself is no cure for the ills of humanity. The catalogue of human ills and the instances of human evanescence would form too large a volume for humanity to master, so that in this case also the world itself would not contain the books which should be written. The grand result of all however is easily obtained, and follows.)

13 ¶ ¹Let us hear the │ The end of the matter, even
conclusion of the whole │ all that hath been heard,
matter: Fear God, and keep his │ is this: WITH REGARD TO THE
commandments: for this _is_ │ ALMIGHTY, FEAR HIM; AND WITH
the whole _duty_ of man. │ REGARD ALSO TO HIS COMMANDMENTS,
│ KEEP THEM, FOR THIS IS
¹ _Or_, The end of the │ EVERYTHING TO HUMANITY.
matter, _even_ all that │
hath been heard, _is_. │

(13.) =The conclusion= (compare chapter iii. 11, vii. 2) of the =word= (_i.e._ the final reason), =the whole= (with article in its usual sense), =is heard= (niphal), =with respect to the Deity, fear; and with respect to his commandments, keep= (notice the emphatic את, which, however, the LXX. do not render by σὺν, because the article and position give the emphasis required) =for this= is =all the man= (_i.e._ the whole duty, happiness, etc., of humanity).

14 For God shall bring every │ For with respect to every
work into judgment, with every │ act, the Almighty will bring
secret thing, whether _it be_ │ to adjustment all that is
good, or whether _it be_ evil. │ mysterious, whether it be a
│ good or an evil.

(14.) =For with respect to all working= (or doings, notice the prefixed מ) =the Deity= (noun before the verb) =is bringing into judgment upon all the hidden= (niphal participle, but עלם has not lost its meaning, it is the hidden past and future, hence the LXX. παρεωραμένῳ, ‘overlooked,’ compare 1 Kings x. 3), =if it be good or if evil= (if it be a good act or an evil one either. That is, God will bring all these mysteries into orderly adjustment, and in the sequel vindicate his holiness and justice).

Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις θεῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη ἐν ἀνθρόποις
ε ὐ δ ο κ ί α――LUKE ii. 14.

♦ERRATA.

♦ All Errata and Addenda items have been corrected in the text.

Page 7, NOTES, column 2 line 14, _for_ ‘hiphil’ _read_ ‘niphal.’

Page 19, TEXT, line 10, _for_ ‘he’ _read_ ‘He.’

Page 31, NOTES, column 2, line 6, _for_ ‘ratio’ _read_ ‘oratio.’

ADDENDA.

Page 9, NOTES. _At end of Note on verse 17, after_ ‘spirit,’ _add_: It may be observed that רעיון occurs in the Chaldee of Daniel――see Daniel ii. 29, 30; iv. 19 (16); v. 6, etc., always in the sense of a ‘_painful_ reflection,’ but in later Chaldee and Syriac as ‘a reflection’ of any kind. As the sense in which Koheleth uses the word is the nearest to the root-meaning, is it not an evidence, so far, of earlier composition of his book?

Page 12, NOTES. _At end of Note on verse 5 add_: It should have been mentioned that פרדס is also considered to afford an indication of late composition. It is said to be a Persian word; it occurs, however, Nehemiah ii. 8; Canticles iv. 10. The word admits of Semitic derivation, from פרד, ‘to divide,’ ‘cut off in portions,’ ‘lay out.’ If it be really an exotic, no date of introduction is more probable than that of Solomon. It is also to be noted that in the context it _follows_ the word ‘gardens,’ which is quite natural if it were intended to denote a foreign luxury recently introduced.

Page 15, NOTES. _At end of Note on verse 12 add_: This most obscure passage may perhaps receive some light from a further discussion of the word כבר and other forms derived from the same root. The feminine or abstract occurs Genesis xxxv. 16, xlviii. 7, and 2 Kings v. 19, joined with ארץ, rendered in the Authorized Version a ‘little’ way. The verb occurs in hiphil, Job xxxv. 16, xxxvi. 31, translated ‘multiplied,’ ‘in abundance;’ and in the hiphil form, with the characteristic _jud̄_ inserted――Job viii. 2, xv. 10, etc.; Isaiah x. 13, xvii. 12, etc.――in the sense of ‘full of years,’ ‘overflowing,’ and the like. A diligent comparison of these meanings shows that ‘fulness,’ in the sense of ‘completeness,’ must be the root-meaning; and hence, when applied to time, the LXX. render ἤδη, ‘already.’ With this meaning agree also the Arabic and Syriac, see Fuerst, Lexicon, _s. voc_. The meaning then of the word is, the ‘_complete_ present.’ With regard to the use of the root מלך in the sense of counsel, it occurs once in Hebrew, viz. Nehemiah v. 7, and once in biblical Chaldee, Daniel iv. 27 (24). This meaning is common, as remarked in the note, in Aramaic. The fair inference from this is, that the root-meaning of the Hebrew word is ‘to counsel,’ just as the root-meaning of the word Apostle is ‘one sent.’ These senses are just what the context requires. Koheleth turns round to see wisdom in comparison with, or contradistinction to, false hopes and false prudence, and asks how the man, that is, humanity, can tell the one from the other. His words are ‘what is,’ not ‘_who_ is the man,’ etc., equivalent to――‘in what way can humanity enter upon the results of the counsel,’ ‘or the king,’――the equivoke being, we believe, intentional, and the contracted relative giving a conditional turn to the sentence――‘with respect to that which at present he performs it.’ It would have been better if the word =with= had been printed in the notes with a small letter, as the division hardly amounts to a period, though the connexion is not close. The suffix of the verb refers back through the relative pronoun to counsel, and might be well rendered into English thus――‘In respect of which he at present takes that counsel.’ The LXX., contrary to their custom, omit ἤδη, because it is perhaps sufficiently included in ἐπελεύσεται, or because τὰ ὅσα ἤδη ἐποίησαν αὐτήν would not have been intelligible. It is evident this all squares with the context. Koheleth, as Solomon, discovered that with all his wisdom he could not practically discern the difference between this true wisdom and that false prudence which led him to accumulate only to be disappointed in his successor.

Page 19, NOTES. _At end of Note on verse 25 add_: The phrase ומי יחוש חוץ ממני requires further elucidation. The reading ממנו, supported by the LXX., is also confirmed by Hebrew MSS. The literal rendering is――‘and who hastens outside him.’ This the LXX. translate καὶ τίς πιέται πάρεξ αὐτοῦ, ‘who drinks,’ etc. There is a reading of A², φείσεται, ‘spares.’ The former is supported by Peshito, Arabic, and Theodotion――the latter by Aquila, Symmachus, and Jerome. If the Greek text alone had to be considered, φείσεται would, as the harder reading, be entitled to the preference. It is readily seen, however, that it arose from a conjectural alteration of the Hebrew text into חוס, for which there is no authority; neither will the meaning to ‘spare’ make any sense in the context. As the root occurs frequently, we are driven to the conclusion that the rendering of the LXX. was by design. Schleusner’s conjecture that πίεται is used in the signification of ‘sensibus frui,’ is no doubt correct――compare Habakkuk i. 8, as also Isaiah xxviii. 16. Considered as _ad sensum_, this rendering gives the idea of the Hebrew text correctly.

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=LECTURES ON THE REUNION OF THE CHURCHES.= By JOHN J. IGN. VON
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♦ duplicated word removed “a”

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=A DOMINICAN ARTIST=; a Sketch of the Life of the Rev. Père
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“_It would indeed have been a deplorable omission had so exquisite a biography been by any neglect lost to English readers, and had character so perfect in its simple and complete devotion been withheld from our admiration.... But we have dwelt too long already on this fascinating book, and must now leave it to our readers._”――LITERARY CHURCHMAN.

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“_We strongly recommend it to our readers. It is a charming biography, that will delight and edify both old and young._”――WESTMINSTER GAZETTE.

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“_The annals of a cloistered life, under ordinary circumstances, would not probably be considered very edifying by the reading public of the present generation. When, however, such a history presents the novel spectacle of a royal princess of modern times voluntarily renouncing her high position and the splendours of a court existence, for the purpose of enduring the asceticism, poverty, and austerities of a severe monastic rule, the case may well be different._”――MORNING POST.

=HENRI PERREYVE.= By A. GRATRY, Prêtre de l’Oratoire, Professeur
de Morale Evangélique à la Sorbonne, et Membre de l’Académie
Française. Translated, by special permission, by the Author of
“A Dominican Artist,” “Life of S. Francis de Sales,” &c., &c.
With Portrait. Crown 8vo. 7s. 6d.

“_... A most touching and powerful piece of biography, interspersed with profound reflections on personal religion, and on the prospects of Christianity.... For priests this book is a treasure. The moral of it is the absolute necessity of ‘recollectedness’ to the higher, and especially the true priestly life._”――CHURCH REVIEW.

“_The works of the translator of Henri Perreyve ♦from, for the most part, a series of saintly biographies which have obtained a larger share of popularity than is generally accorded to books of this description.... The description of his last days will probably be read with greater interest than any other part of the book; presenting as it does an example of fortitude under suffering, and resignation, when cutoff so soon after entering upon a much-coveted and useful career, of rare occurrence in this age of self-assertion. This is, in fact, the essential teaching of the entire volume.... The translator of the Abbé Gratry’s work has done well in giving English readers an opportunity of profiting by its lessons._”――MORNING POST.

♦ “form” replaced with “from”

“_Those who take a pleasure in reading a beautiful account of a beautiful character would do well to procure the Life of ‘Henri Perreyve.’... We would especially recommend the book for the perusal of English priests, who may learn many a holy lesson from the devoted spirit in which the subject of the memoir gave himself up to the duties of his sacred office, and to this cultivation of the graces with which he was endowed._”――CHURCH TIMES.

“_It is easy to see that Henri Perreyve, Professor of Moral Theology at the Sorbonne, was a Roman Catholic priest of no ordinary type. With comparatively little of what Protestants call superstition, with great courage and sincerity, with a nature singularly guileless and noble, his priestly vocation, although pursued, according to his biographer, with unbridled zeal, did not stifle his human sympathies and aspirations. He could not believe that his faith compelled him ‘to renounce sense and reason,’ or that a priest was not free to speak, act, and think like other men. Indeed, the Abbé Gratry makes a kind of apology for his friend’s free-speaking in this respect, and endeavours to explain it. Perreyve was the beloved disciple of Lacordaire, who left him all his manuscripts, notes, and papers, and he himself attained the position of a great pulpit orator._”――PALL MALL GAZETTE.

=THE LAST DAYS OF PÈRE GRATRY.= By PERE ADOLPHE PERRAUD, of the
Oratory, and Professor of La Sorbonne. Translated by special
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=S. FRANCIS DE SALES, BISHOP AND PRINCE OF GENEVA.= By the Author
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&c., &c. Crown 8vo. 9s.