Perishes full#

'All,' being here defined by the article, must refer to the cases which he has mentioned or proceeds to mention.

Koheleth gives his own experience of an anomalous condition which often obtains in human affairs. All things have I seen in the days of my vanity. Warnings against excesses, and praise of the golden mean, which is practical wisdom and the art of living happily. The same problem in the moral order of the Universe furnishes a theme for the discussions of the Book of Job. The thought is the same as that of Psalms 73, and the Debater has not as yet entered, as the Psalmist did, into the sanctuary of God, and so learnt to “understand the end of these men” ( Psalm 73:17). Ecclesiastes 3:19, that there is one event to the righteous and the wicked, but that there is an apparent inversion of the right apportionment of good and evil. Here indeed those disorders present themselves in their most aggravated form. The righteous are “of all men most miserable ” ( 1 Corinthians 15:19) the ungodly “prosper in the world” and “come in no peril of death, but are lusty and strong,” Psalm 73:4 (P. Ecclesiastes 2:14 Ecclesiastes 2:16, the disorders and anomalies of the world. there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness] The writer looks back on what he calls “the days of his vanity,” his fleeting and profitless life, and notes, as before in ch. (u) 'illa omnia', Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Tigurine version, Gejerus 'omnia haec', Mercerus 'universa haec', Rambachius.Ĭambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 15. There is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness not eternally no truly just man ever perished, who is made so by the righteousness of Christ imputed to him for though the righteous man is said to be scarcely saved, yet he is certainly saved: it can be true only in this sense of one that is only outwardly righteous, that trusts to his own righteousness, in which he may perish but this is to be understood temporally and corporeally one that is really just may perish in his name, in his substance, as well as at death, and that on account of his righteousness he may lose his good name and character, and his substance, for righteousness's sake yea, his life also, as Abel, Naboth, and others this is the case 'sometimes', as Aben Ezra observes, not always: or a just man, notwithstanding his righteousness, dies, and sometimes lives but a short time which sense the antithesis seems to require Īnd there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness is very wicked, and yet, notwithstanding his great wickedness, lives a long time in the world see Job 21:7.

Perishes full#

What goes before and follows after, the various changes men are subject unto, both good and bad these he had made his observations upon, throughout the course of his life, which had been a vain one, as every man's is, full of evil and trouble see Ecclesiastes 6:12 perhaps the wise man may have some respect to the times of his apostasy and which might, among other things, be brought on by this observing good men afflicted, and the wicked prosper, which has often been a stumbling to good men Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAll things have I seen in the days of my vanity. The suggestion that these verses are intended to advocate a middle course between sin and virtue is at variance with the whole tenor of the book. But rather it is good for thee to grasp these seeming anomalies if thou ponder them they will tend to impress on thee that fear of God which is a part of wisdom, and will guide thee safely through all the perplexities of this life' (compare Ecclesiastes 8:12-13). To set up thy judgment in opposition to His would imply an excess of wickedness and folly, deserving the punishment of premature death. He says in effect, 'Do not think that thou couldest alter the two instances (described in Ecclesiastes 7:15) of such crooked work so as to make it straight, that thou art more righteous or more wise than He is Who ordained these events. Solomon states how the wise man should regard the 'crooked Ecclesiastes 7:13 work of God' when it bears upon him. The meaning may be best explained by a paraphrase. Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe days of my vanity - This does not imply that those days of vanity were ended (see Ecclesiastes 1:12 note).