Verse 1 IX. (1) No man knoweth.— If this verse stood by itself we should understand, “Man cannot know whether he will experience marks of the Divine favour, or the reverse;” but taking Ecclesiastes 9:6 into account, we understand of a man’s own love or hatred the objects of which he cannot tell beforehand. By all.— Rather, all is before them.
Verse 2 ( 2 ) He that sweareth.— Zechariah 5:3 .
Verse 3 (3) We have again the sentiments expressed in Ecclesiastes 2:14-16 ; Ecclesiastes 3:19 ; Ecclesiastes 5:15 ; Ecclesiastes 6:12 .
Verse 4 (4) There is a various reading here in the Hebrew. Our translators, following the older translators, adopt the reading of the margin. That of the text gives, instead of “joined,” a word signifying “chosen;” the best sense that can be given to which is to translate, “For who is excepted,” joining it with the previous verse, beginning this one, “To all the living,” &c. With regard to the statement of the following verses, comp. Psalms 6:3 and the marginal references there given. The shepherd’s dog is spoken of Job 30:1 , and watchdogs Isaiah 56:10 . Elsewhere in the Old Testament the dog is an unclean animal living or dead.
Verses 6-7 (6, 7) Now. —Rather, long ago.
Verse 7 (7) Accepteth. —The thought has been expressed before ( Ecclesiastes 2:24 ; Ecclesiastes 8:15 ), that earthly enjoyment is to be received as given by God’s favour.
Verse 8 (8) 2 Samuel 12:20 ; 2 Samuel 14:2 ; Psalms 45:8 ; Psalms 104:14 ; Revelation 7:9 .
Verse 10 (10) Thy hand findeth.— Leviticus 12:8 ; Judges 9:33 ; and margin, reff. The grave.— Sheol ( John 9:4 ).
Verse 11 (11) Romans 9:16 . Chance. —Elsewhere only in 1 Kings 5:4 .
Verse 12 (12) Proverbs 7:23 ; Ezekiel 12:13 ; Hosea 7:12 .
Verse 14 (14) Idle attempts have been made to find a historic reference in this passage. What is here told is so like the story ( 2 Samuel 20:0 ) of the deliverance of Abel-beth-Maachah by a wise woman, whose name, nevertheless, has not been preserved, that we cannot even be sure that the writer had any other real history in his mind.