SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:8
Me allegué también plata y oro, y tesoro preciado de reyes y de provincias; me hice de cantores y cantoras, y todos los deleites de los hijos de los hombres, instrumentos músicos y de todas suertes.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 2:8
Verse 8. The peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces - 1. The tares levied off his subjects. 2. The tribute given by the neighbouring potentates. Both these make the "peculiar treasure of kings;" taxes and tribute. Men singers and women singers - This includes all instrumental and vocal performers. These may be called the delights of the sons of men.
Musical instruments, and that of all sorts. - For these seven words, there are only two in the original, twdw hd shiddah veshiddoth. These words are acknowledged on all hands to be utterly unknown, if not utterly inexplicable. Some render them male and female captives; others, cups and flagons; others, cooks and confectioners; others, a species of musical compositions derived from a celebrated Phoenician woman named Sido, to whom Sanchoniatha attributes the invention of music. Others, with more probability, wives and concubines; of the former of whom Solomon had seven hundred, and of the latter, three hundred; and if these be not spoken of here, they are not mentioned at all; whereas music, and every thing connected with that, was referred to before. The author of Choheleth paraphrases thus: - "To complete This scene of earthly bliss, how large a span Of that which most delights the sons of men Fell to my portion! What a lovely train Of blooming beauties, by connubial ties, By purchase, or the gifts of neighbouring kings, Or spoils of war, made mine." If, after all this, I may add one conjecture, it shall be this; hd sadeh, in Hebrews is a field, and occurs in various parts of the Bible. twd sadoth is fields, 1 Sam. xxii. 7, the points in such a case are of no consideration.
May not Solomon be speaking here of farms upon farms, or estates upon estates, which he had added by purchase to the common regal portion? We know that a king of Israel (Ahab) once desired to have a vineyard (Naboth's) which he could not obtain: now, Solomon having spoken before of gardens, orchards, and vineyards, why may he not here speak of supernumerary estates? Perhaps every man who critically examines the place will be dissatisfied, and have a conjecture of his own.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. I gathered me also silver and gold , etc.] In great quantities: the weight of gold which came to him in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents; (see 1 Kings 9:14,28 10:14,22, 27); and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces ; whatsoever was valuable and precious, such as is laid up in the cabinets of kings, as jewels and precious stones; and everything rare and curious, to be found in all provinces of the earth, or which were brought from thence as presents to him; the Targum is, “and the treasures of kings and provinces, given to me for tribute:” wherefore, if any pleasure arises from these things, as do to the virtuosi, Solomon enjoyed it. Moreover, among the treasures of kings were precious garments of various sorts, as were in the treasury of Ahasuerus f61 ; and when Alexander took Shushan, he found in the king’s treasures, of Hermionic purple, to the value of five thousand talents, which had been laid up there almost two hundred years f62 ; and to such treasure Christ alludes, ( Matthew 6:19); I got me men singers and women singers ; the harmony and music of whose voices greatly delight; (see 2 Samuel 19:35); the Targum interprets it both of instruments of music for the Levites to use in the temple, and of singing men and women at a feast: and such persons were employed among other nations f63 , on such occasions, to entertain their guests; and are called the ornaments of feasts f64 ; as were also “choraules”, or pipers f65 ; and the delights of the sons of men; [as] musical instruments, and that of all sorts ; such as David his father invented; and to which he might add more, and indeed got all that were to be obtained; see ( Amos 6:5). The two last words, rendered “musical instruments, of all sorts”, are differently interpreted; the Targum interprets them of hot waters and baths, having pipes to let out hot water and cold; Aben Ezra, of women taken captive; Jarchi, of chariots and covered wagons; the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, of cup bearers, men, and women, that pour out wine and serve it; and the Vulgate Latin version, of cups and pots, to pour out wine. It seems best to understand it of musical instruments, or of musical compositions f66 ; sung either with a single voice, or in concert; which, according to Bochart f67 , were called “sidoth”, from Sido, a Phoenician woman of great note, the inventor of them or rather from giving unequal sounds, which, by their grateful mixture and temperament, broke and destroyed one another.
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
כנסתי 3664 לי גם 1571 כסף 3701 וזהב 2091 וסגלת 5459 מלכים 4428 והמדינות 4082 עשׂיתי 6213 לי שׁרים 7891 ושׁרות 7891 ותענוגת 8588 בני 1121 האדם 120 שׁדה 7705 ושׁדות׃ 7705
