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Song Page for
Ecclesiastes 2 |
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Lyrics
1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.
17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
21 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.1
Bible
Commentary
Solomon, having made trial
of natural wisdom and knowledge in its utmost extent, and found it
to be vanity, proceeds to the experiment of pleasure, and tries
whether any happiness was in that, Ecclesiastes 2:1. As for that
which at first sight was vain, frothy, and frolicsome, he dispatches
at once, and condemns it as mad and unprofitable, Ecclesiastes 2:2;
but as for those pleasures which were more manly, rational, and
lawful, he dwells upon them, and gives a particular enumeration of
them, as what he had made full trial of; as good eating and
drinking, in a moderate way, without abuse; fine and spacious
buildings; delightful vineyards, gardens, and orchards; parks,
forests, and enclosures; fish pools, and fountains of water; a large
retinue, and equipage of servants; great possessions, immense riches
and treasure; a collection of the greatest rarities, and curiosities
in nature; all kinds of music, vocal and instrumental, Ecclesiastes
2:3; in all which he exceeded any that went before him; nor did he
deny himself of any pleasure, in a lawful way, that could possibly
be enjoyed, Ecclesiastes 2:9. And yet on a survey of the whole, and
after a thorough experience of what could be found herein, he
pronounces all vanity and vexation of spirit, Ecclesiastes 2:11; and
returns again to his former subject, wisdom; and looks that over
again, to see if he could find real happiness in it, being sadly
disappointed in that of pleasure, Ecclesiastes 2:12. He indeed
commends wisdom, and prefers it to folly, and a wise man to a fool;
Ecclesiastes 2:13; and yet observes some things which lessen its
value; and shows there is no happiness in it, the same events
befalling a wise man and a fool; both alike forgotten, and die in
like manner, Ecclesiastes 2:15. And then he takes into consideration
business of life, and a laborious industry to obtain wealth; and
this he condemns as grievous, hateful, and vexatious, because, after
all a man's acquisitions, he knows not to whom he shall leave them,
whether to a wise man or a fool, Ecclesiastes 2:17. And because a
man himself has no rest all his days, nothing but sorrow and grief,
Ecclesiastes 2:22; wherefore he concludes it is best for a man to
enjoy the good things of this life himself; which he confirms by his
own experience, and by an, antithesis between a good man and a
wicked one, Ecclesiastes 2:24.2
References and notes
1. King James Authorized Version
2.
John Gill's Exposition of the Bible - http://eword.gospelcom.net/comments/ecclesiastes/gill/ecclesiastes2.htm
3. Matthew Henry Bible Commentary Complete - http://eword.gospelcom.net/comments/ecclesiastes/mh/ecclesiastes2.htm
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 About
Ecclesiastes 2 |
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Music Composed |
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The music was composed in 2005 |
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Music
for Ecclesiastes 2 |
 Click
on image for song preview of Ecclesiastes 2.
Ecclesiastes 2 features on the CD album
Ecclesiastes. |
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Synopsis of Ecclesiastes 2 |
Solomon having
pronounced all vanity, and particularly knowledge and
learning, which he was so far from giving himself joy of
that he found the increase of it did but increase his
sorrow, in this chapter he goes on to show what reason he
has to be tired of this world, and with what little reason
most men are fond of it.
I. He shows that there is no true happiness and satisfaction
to be had in mirth and pleasure, and the delights of sense
(v. 1-11). II. He reconsiders the pretensions of wisdom, and
allows it to be excellent and useful, and yet sees it
clogged with such diminutions of its worth that it proves
insufficient to make a man happy (v. 12-16).
III. He enquires how far the business and wealth of this
world will go towards making men happy, and concludes, from
his own experience, that, to those who set their hearts upon
it, "it is vanity and vexation of spirit," (v. 17-23), and
that, if there be any good in it, it is only to those that
sit loose to it (v. 24-26).3 |
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