SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:17
¶ Aborrecí por tanto la vida, porque toda obra que se hace debajo del sol me era fastidiosa; por cuanto todo era vanidad y aflicción de espíritu.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 2:17
Verse 17. Therefore I hated life - µyyjh ta et hachaiyim, the lives, both of the wise, the mad man, and the fool. Also all the stages of life, the child, the man, and the sage. There was nothing in it worth pursuing, no period worth re-living and no hope that if this were possible I could again be more successful.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 17. Therefore I hated life , etc.] Not strictly and simply understood, since life is the gift of God; and a great blessing it is, more than raiment, and so dear to a man, that he will give all he has for it: but comparatively, in comparison of the lovingkindness of God, which is better than life; or in comparison of eternal life, which a good man desires to depart from this world, for the sake of enjoying it. The sense seems to be this, that since the case of wise men and fools was equal, he had the less love for life, the less regard to it, the less desire to continue in it; no solid happiness being to be enjoyed in anything under the sun: though some think that he was even weary of life, impatient of it, as Job, Jonah, and others have been. The Targum is, “I hate all evil life:” Alshech interprets it of the good things of this world, which were the cause of hurt unto him; and Aben Ezra understands, by life, living persons; because the work that is wrought under the sun [is] grievous unto me ; which was either wrought by himself; particularly his hard studies, and eager pursuits after knowledge and wisdom, which were a weariness to his flesh; or which were done by others, especially evil ones: so the Targum, “for evil to me is an evil work, which is done by the children of men under the sun in this world;” for all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit ; (see Gill on “ Ecclesiastes 1:14”).
Matthew Henry Commentary
The vanity and vexation of mirth, sensual pleasure, riches, and pomp (Eccl. 2:1-11) Human wisdom insufficient. (Eccl. 2:12-17) This world to be used according to the will of God. (Eccl. 2:18-26) Eccl. 2:1-11 Solomon soon found mirth and pleasure to be vanity. What does noisy, flashy mirth towards making a man happy? The manifol devices of men's hearts, to get satisfaction from the world, and their changing from one thing to another, are like the restlessness of a ma in a fever. Perceiving it was folly to give himself to wine, he nex tried the costly amusements of princes. The poor, when they read such description, are ready to feel discontent. But the remedy against all such feelings is in the estimate of it all by the owner himself. All was vanity and vexation of spirit: and the same things would yield the same result to us, as to Solomon. Having food and raiment, let u therewith be content. His wisdom remained with him; a stron understanding, with great human knowledge. But every earthly pleasure when unconnected with better blessings, leaves the mind as eager an unsatisfied as before. Happiness arises not from the situation in whic we are placed. It is only through Jesus Christ that final blessednes can be attained.
Eccl. 2:12-17 Solomon found that knowledge and prudence were preferabl to ignorance and folly, though human wisdom and knowledge will not make a man happy. The most learned of men, who dies a stranger to Chris Jesus, will perish equally with the most ignorant; and what good can commendations on earth do to the body in the grave, or the soul i hell? And the spirits of just men made perfect cannot want them. S that if this were all, we might be led to hate our life, as it is all vanity and vexation of spirit.
Eccl. 2:18-26 Our hearts are very loth to quit their expectations of great things from the creature; but Solomon came to this at length. The world is a vale of tears, even to those that have much of it. See what fools they are, who make themselves drudges to the world, which afford a man nothing better than subsistence for the body. And the utmost he can attain in this respect is to allow himself a sober, cheerful us thereof, according to his rank and condition. But we must enjoy good in our labour; we must use those things to make us diligent and cheerfu in worldly business. And this is the gift of God. Riches are a blessin or a curse to a man, according as he has, or has not, a heart to make good use of them. To those that are accepted of the Lord, he gives jo and satisfaction in the knowledge and love of him. But to the sinner he allots labour, sorrow, vanity, and vexation, in seeking a worldl portion, which yet afterwards comes into better hands. Let the sinne seriously consider his latter end. To seek a lasting portion in the love of Christ and the blessings it bestows, is the only way to tru and satisfying enjoyment even of this present world __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ושׂנאתי 8130 את 853 החיים 2416 כי 3588 רע 7451 עלי 5921 המעשׂה 4639 שׁנעשׂה 6213 תחת 8478 השׁמשׁ 8121 כי 3588 הכל 3605 הבל 1892 ורעות 7469 רוח׃ 7307
