SEV Biblia, Chapter 7:26
y he hallado más amarga que la muerte a la mujer cuyo corazón es redes y lazos; y sus manos ligaduras. El que agrada a Dios escapará de ella; mas el pecador quedará preso en ella.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 7:26
Verse 26. And I find more bitter than death the woman - After all his investigation of the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness, he found nothing equally dangerous and ruinous with the blandishments of cunning women. When once the affections are entangled, escape without ruin is almost impossible. Whoso pleaseth God - The man who walks with God, and he alone, shall escape this sore evil: and even he that fears God, if he get with an artful woman, may be soon robbed of his strength, and become like other men. A bad or artful woman is represented as a company of hunters, with nets, gins, &c., to catch their prey.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 26. And I find more bitter than death the woman , etc.] This was the issue of his diligent studies and researches, and the observations he had made; this was what he found by sad and woeful experience, and which he chose to take particular notice of; that he might not only expose this vanity among others, and caution men against it, even the love of women, which at best is a bitter sweet, as the poet calls it, though here adulterous love is meant; but having this opportunity, might express his sincere repentance for this folly of his life, than which nothing had been more bitter to him, in the reflection of his mind upon it: death is a bitter thing, and terrible to nature, ( 1 Samuel 15:32); but to be ensnared by an adulterous woman is worse than that; it brings not only such diseases of body as are both painful and scandalous, but such horrors into the conscience, when awakened, as are intolerable, and exposes to eternal death; (see Proverbs 5:3,4). By “the woman” is not meant the sex in general, which was far from Solomon’s intention to reflect upon and reproach; nor any woman in particular, not Eve, the first woman, through whom came sin and death into the world; but an adulterous woman: (see Proverbs 5:4). Some interpret this of original sin, or the corruption of nature, evil concupiscence, which draws men into sin, and holds them in it, the consequence of which is death eternal; but such who find favour in the eyes of God are delivered from the power and dominion of it; but obstinate and impenitent sinners are held under it, and perish eternally. Jarchi, by the woman, understands heresy; and so Jerom and others interpret it of heretics and idolaters: it may very well be applied to that Jezebel, the whore of Rome, the mother of harlots, that deceives men, and leads them into perdition with herself, ( Revelation 17:4,5,8 18:23); and who is intended by the harlot, and foolish and strange woman, in the book of Proverbs, as has been observed; whose heart [is] snares and nets, [and] her hands [as] bands ; all the schemes and contrivances of a harlot are to ensnare men by her wanton looks and lascivious gestures; which are like snares laid for the beasts, and likeness spread for fishes, to take them in; and when she has got them, she holds them fast; it is a very difficult thing and a very rare one, ever to get out of her hands; so Plautus makes mention of the nets of harlots: the same holds true of error and heresy, and of idolatry, which is spiritual adultery; the words used being in the plural number, shows the many ways the adulterous woman has to ensnare men, and the multitudes that are taken by her; see ( Revelation 13:3,10,14); whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her : or, “who is good before God”, or “in his sight” f183 ; (see Gill on “ Ecclesiastes 2:26”); to whom he gives his grace and is acceptable to him; such an one as Joseph was shall escape the snares and nets, the hands and bands, of such a woman; or if fallen into them, as Solomon fell, shall be delivered out of them, as it is observed by various interpreters: nothing but the grace of God, the true fear of God, the power of godliness and undefiled religion, can preserve a person from being ensnared and held by an impure woman; not a liberal nor religious education, not learning and good sense, nor any thing else; if a man is kept out of the hands of such creatures, he ought to esteem it a mercy, and ascribe it to the grace and goodness of God; but the sinner shall be taken by her ; a hardened and impenitent sinner, that is destitute of the grace and fear of God; who is habitually a sinner, and gives up himself to commit iniquity; whose life is a continued series of sinning; who has no guard upon himself, but rushes into sin, as the horse into the battle; he becomes an easy prey to a harlot; he falls into her snares, and is caught and held by her; see ( Proverbs 22:14).
Matthew Henry Commentary
The benefit of a good name; of death above life; of sorrow above vai mirth. (Eccl. 7:1-6) Concerning oppression, anger, and discontent (Eccl. 7:7-10) Advantages of wisdom. (Eccl. 7:11-22) Experience of the evil of sin. (Eccl. 7:23-29)
Eccl. 7:1-6 Reputation for piety and honesty is more desirable than all the wealth and pleasure in this world. It will do more good to go to funeral than to a feast. We may lawfully go to both, as there is occasion; our Saviour both feasted at the wedding of his friend i Cana, and wept at the grave of his friend in Bethany. But, considerin how apt we are to be vain and indulge the flesh, it is best to go to the house of mourning, to learn the end of man as to this world Seriousness is better than mirth and jollity. That is best for us whic is best for our souls, though it be unpleasing to sense. It is bette to have our corruptions mortified by the rebuke of the wise, than to have them gratified by the song of fools. The laughter of a fool i soon gone, the end of his mirth is heaviness.
Eccl. 7:7-10 The event of our trials and difficulties is often bette than at first we thought. Surely it is better to be patient in spirit than to be proud and hasty. Be not soon angry, nor quick in resentin an affront. Be not long angry; though anger may come into the bosom of a wise man, it passes through it as a way-faring man; it dwells only in the bosom of fools. It is folly to cry out upon the badness of ou times, when we have more reason to cry out for the badness of our ow hearts; and even in these times we enjoy many mercies. It is folly to cry up the goodness of former times; as if former ages had not the lik things to complain of that we have: this arises from discontent, an aptness to quarrel with God himself.
Eccl. 7:11-22 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, yea better. I shelters from the storms and scorching heat of trouble. Wealth will no lengthen out the natural life; but true wisdom will give spiritual life, and strengthen men for services under their sufferings. Let u look upon the disposal of our condition as the work of God, and at las all will appear to have been for the best. In acts of righteousness, be not carried into heats or passions, no, not by a zeal for God. Be no conceited of thine own abilities; nor find fault with every thing, no busy thyself in other men's matters. Many who will not be wrought upo by the fear of God, and the dread of hell, will avoid sins which rui their health and estate, and expose to public justice. But those tha truly fear God, have but one end to serve, therefore act steadily. I we say we have not sinned, we deceive ourselves. Every true believer i ready to say, God be merciful to me a sinner. Forget not at the sam time, that personal righteousness, walking in newness of life, is the only real evidence of an interest by faith in the righteousness of the Redeemer. Wisdom teaches us not to be quick in resenting affronts. Be not desirous to know what people say; if they speak well of thee, it will feed thy pride, if ill, it will stir up thy passion. See that tho approve thyself to God and thine own conscience, and then heed not what men say of thee; it is easier to pass by twenty affronts than to aveng one. When any harm is done to us, examine whether we have not done a bad to others.
Eccl. 7:23-29 Solomon, in his search into the nature and reason of things, had been miserably deluded. But he here speaks with godl sorrow. He alone who constantly aims to please God, can expect to escape; the careless sinner probably will fall to rise no more. He no discovered more than ever the evil of the great sin of which he ha been guilty, the loving many strange women, I Kin. 11:1. A woma thoroughly upright and godly, he had not found. How was he likely to find such a one among those he had collected? If any of them had bee well disposed, their situation would tend to render them all nearly of the same character. He here warns others against the sins into which he had been betrayed. Many a godly man can with thankfulness acknowledg that he has found a prudent, virtuous woman in the wife of his bosom but those men who have gone in Solomon's track, cannot expect to fin one. He traces up all the streams of actual transgression to the fountain. It is clear that man is corrupted and revolted, and not as he was made. It is lamentable that man, whom God made upright, has foun out so many ways to render himself wicked and miserable. Let us bles Him for Jesus Christ, and seek his grace, that we may be numbered with his chosen people __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ומוצא 4672 אני 589 מר 4751 ממות 4194 את 853 האשׁה 802 אשׁר 834 היא 1931 מצודים 4685 וחרמים 2764 לבה 3820 אסורים 612 ידיה 3027 טוב 2896 לפני 6440 האלהים 430 ימלט 4422 ממנה 4480 וחוטא 2398 ילכד׃ 3920
