The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

  2:1, 2 test. The investigation or test was crucial for Solomon. But the test was not scientific; rather it was a practical experiment to see what worked. He was interested in what a given act accomplished.

  2:3 gratify. In further tests on the human level, Solomon overemphasized human gratification at the expense of God’s glory.

  2:4–8 Cf. 1 Kin. 4–10 for an amplified account of Solomon’s riches.

  2:8 musical instruments. This Heb. word occurs only here in the OT. The meaning is indicated in an early Egyptian letter that used a similar Canaanite word for “concubines.” This fits Solomon’s 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kin. 11:3). Most likely this should be translated “harem,” which would refer to Solomon’s many women (cf. 1 Kin. 11:3).

  2:10 reward. Solomon’s portion in life. This was what he received for all his activity and effort.

  2:11 no profit. “Vanity” is defined in this context. The futility of the labor process is that Solomon had nothing of enduring and satisfying substance to show for it. Wisdom is no guarantee that one will achieve satisfaction, even in accomplishments comparable to Solomon’s. To expend God-given resources for human accomplishment alone is empty.

  2:12–17 Human wisdom suffers another crucial shortcoming—it leaves both the wise and the fool empty-handed at the threshold of death.

  2:14 fool walks in darkness. The fool is not one who is mentally deficient, but is morally bankrupt. It is not that he cannot learn wisdom, but that he won’t. He refuses to know, fear, and obey God.

  2:17 because the work that was done. Since it had no more lasting value than the folly of a fool, Solomon viewed even the great reward of his labor as a source of pain.

  2:18–22 Cf. 4:7, 8

  2:18 hated all my labor. Solomon left the kingdom divided to Jeroboam and his son Rehoboam, both of whom squandered their opportunities (1 Kin. 12–14).

  2:21 heritage. The portion of one’s life that he must leave behind at death.

  2:24 Nothing is better. Even with the limitations of this present life (cf. 3:12, 13, 22; 5:18, 19; 8:15; 9:7), humanity should rejoice in its temporal goodness. from the hand of God. Solomon’s strong view of God’s sovereignty brings comfort after an honest critique of what life in a cursed world entails.

  2:25 more than I. Lit. “outside of Him” (i.e., God), or “without Him.”

  2:26 give to him who is good. The qualifier “in His sight” makes God’s prerogative the standard.

  Ecclesiastes 3

  3:1–8 a season, a time. Not only does God fix the standard and withhold or dispense satisfaction (2:26), but He also appoints “seasons” and “times.” Earthly pursuits are good in their proper place and time, but unprofitable when pursued as the chief goal (cf. vv. 9, 10).

  3:9, 10 Earthly pursuits (vv. 1–8) are unprofitable when considered as life’s chief good, which was never intended by God.

  3:11 everything. Every activity or event for which a culmination point may be fixed. beautiful. Fitting or appropriate. The phrase echoes “…and God saw that it was good” (Gen. 1:31). Even in a cursed universe, activity should not be meaningless. Its futility lies in the fickle satisfaction of man and his failure to trust the wisdom of sovereign God. put eternity in their hearts. God made men for His eternal purpose, and nothing in post-Fall time can bring them complete satisfaction.

  3:12 to rejoice, and to do good. These words capture the goal of Solomon’s message which he echoes and elaborates on in 11:9, 10 and again in 12:13, 14.

  3:13 enjoy the good of all his labor. In accepting everything as a gift of his Creator, even in a cursed world, man is enabled to see “good” in all his work (cf. 2:24, 25; 5:19).

  Eccl. 3:13

  Solomon Reflects on Genesis

  Toward the end of his life, the penitent King Solomon pondered life in the wake of the Fall and the outworking of man’s sin. Solomon drew the following conclusions, possibly from his own study of Genesis:

  1. God created the heavens and earth with laws of design and regularity (Eccl. 1:2–7; 3:1–8; cf. Gen. 1:1–31; 8:22).

  2. Man is created from dust and returns to dust (Eccl. 3:20; 12:7; cf. Gen. 2:7; 3:19).

  3. God placed in man His life-giving breath (Eccl. 12:7; cf. Gen. 2:7).

  4. As God ordained it, marriage is one of life’s most enjoyable blessings (Eccl. 9:9; cf. Gen. 2:18–25).

  5. Divine judgment results from the Fall (Eccl. 3:14–22; 11:9; 12:14; cf. Gen. 2:17; 3:1–19).

  6. The effect of the curse on creation is “vanity,” i.e., futility (Eccl. 1:5–8; cf. Gen. 3:17–19).

  7. Labor after the Fall is difficult and yields little profit (Eccl. 1:3, 13; 2:3; 3:9–11; cf. Gen. 3:17–19).

  8. Death overcomes all creatures after the Fall (Eccl. 8:8; 9:4, 5; cf. Gen. 2:17; 3:19).

  9. After the Fall, man’s heart is desperately wicked (Eccl. 7:20; 7:29; 8:11; 9:3; cf. Gen. 3:22; 6:5; 8:21).

  10. God withholds certain knowledge and wisdom from man for His wise, but unspoken, reasons (Eccl. 6:12; 8:17; cf. Gen. 3:22).

  3:14 fear before Him. Acknowledging God’s enduring and perfect work becomes grounds for reverence, worship, and meaning. Apart from God, man’s works are pitifully inadequate. The theme, “the fear of God,” also appears in 5:7; 8:12, 13; 12:13.

  3:17 God shall judge…for there is a time. The culminating issue of Solomon’s “appointed time” discussion is that there is a time for judgment (cf. John 5:28, 29). God’s judgment is a central theme in Solomon’s message for this book (cf. 11:9; 12:14). Even where the word “judgment” is absent, the greater issue of divine retribution is often pervasive.

  3:18, 19 what happens. The ultimate fate of man and beast is to die. Solomon isn’t looking at eternal destinies, but rather at what all earthly flesh shares in common.

  3:20 from the dust…to dust. Genesis 3:19 is alluded to in the broadest sense, i.e., all of living creation will die and go to the grave. Neither heaven nor hell is considered here.

  3:21 the spirit. Man’s breath or physical life appears on the surface to be little different than that of an animal. In reality, man’s soul differs in that God has made him eternal (cf. v. 11).

  3:22 after him. Once again, death becomes the overshadowing reality.

  Ecclesiastes 4

  4:1–3 The oppressiveness of some lives renders death more appealing.

  4:3 evil work. Earthly life can be so disheartening as to make non-existence preferable.

  4:4 envied by. The lack of satisfaction with life leads some to conclude that everyone else has it better.

  4:5 folds his hands…consumes his own flesh. Even the man who settles into idleness, living on what he takes from others, is self-tormented, and never satisfied (cf. Is. 9:20; 44:20).

  4:7–12 The futility of labor alone without satisfaction and without any heir to experience its value is addressed (cf. 2:18–22, a complementary message). Life is better with companionship.

  4:13–16 The cherished popularity of kings is precarious and short-lived.

  4:15 second youth. This refers to the legitimate successor to the “old king,” as opposed to the “poor youth” who rises on his ability to reign.

  Ecclesiastes 5

  5:1–7 A prelude to the book’s concluding admonition to approach God with reverence.

  5:1 the house of God. The temple Solomon built in Jerusalem (cf. 1 Kin. 8:15–21).

  5:2 heaven…earth. Because God is in heaven and man is on earth, rash promises and arguments before Him are foolish.

  5:4, 5 vow and not pay. Promises made to God have serious implications. The OT background for this admonition is found in Deut. 23:21–23; Judg. 11:35. Ananias and Sapphira learned the hard way (cf. Acts 5:1–11).

  5:6 mouth cause your flesh to sin. Don’t vow something that your fleshly desire will cause you to break. messenger. The priest in the house of God (cf. Mal. 2:7). Both priests and prophets are called messengers, commissaries who deliver and report back messages for the Heavenly King (cf. Is. 6:1–13). Don
’t tell them your broken vow was a small thing.

  5:7 fear God. Cf. 3:14; 8:12, 13; 12:13.

  5:8, 9 Officials have an unfair advantage to attain wealth.

  5:10 The love of money is never satisfied (cf. 1 Tim. 6:9, 10).

  5:11 They increase who eat them. This refers to the rich man’s dependents.

  5:12–17 Earthly treasures are precarious and bring disadvantages; they produce anxiety (v. 12) and pain (v. 13). They disappear through bad business (v. 14) and are left at death (v. 15). They can even produce fear (v. 17).

  5:18–20 In contrast to the anxiety of those just described (vv. 12–17), for those who consider God as the source of wealth, there are pleasures, riches, and the ability to enjoy them (see 2:24).

  5:18 fitting. The same word translated in 3:11 “beautiful.” Once again, Solomon uses an admonition to enjoy the richness of life that God gives.

  5:19 the gift of God. To understand this is to enjoy the satisfaction of His good gifts.

  5:20 God keeps him busy. When a person recognizes the goodness of God, he rejoices and does not dwell unduly on the troubles detailed in the previous context.

  Ecclesiastes 6

  6:2 God does not give him power to eat. The LORD gives and takes away for His own purposes. So, the blessings of God cannot be assumed or taken for granted. But they should be enjoyed with thankfulness while they are available.

  6:3–6 Not having a burial, as in the case of King Jehoiakim (Jer. 22:18, 19), indicated complete disrespect and disregard for one’s life. To die without mourners or honors was considered worse than being born dead, even if one had many children and a full life.

  6:3 This is hyperbole.

  6:7–12 Lack of soul satisfaction comes from working only for what is consumed (v. 7), seeing little difference in the end between the wise and foolish (v. 8), not knowing the future (v. 9), realizing that God alone controls everything (v. 10), and true understanding of the present and future is limited (vv. 11, 12).

  Ecclesiastes 7

  7:1 good name. Where a man has so lived to earn a good reputation, the day of his death can be a time of honor.

  7:2–6 The point of this section is to emphasize that more is learned from adversity than from pleasure. True wisdom is developed in the crucible of life’s trials, though the preacher wishes that were not the case when he writes “this is also vanity” (v. 6).

  7:10 former days. In the midst of trouble and discontent, it is easy to lose touch with reality.

  7:12 wisdom is a defense. Wisdom is better than money because it provides the fulfilled life.

  7:13 make straight what He has made crooked. Man should consider God’s activity because God is sovereign, decreeing and controlling everything under the sun (cf. 1:15).

  7:14 prosperity…adversity. God ordains both kinds of days and withholds knowledge of the future.

  7:15–18 The focus on the nature of righteousness is made clear in the statement “For he who fears God will escape them all” (v. 18).

  7:15 perishes…prolongs. The fact that some righteous men die young and some wicked men live long is enigmatic (cf. 8:11, 12).

  7:16 overly righteous…overly wise. Solomon has already exhorted his readers to be righteous and wise (cf. v. 19). The warning here is against being self-righteous or pharisaical.

  7:19 Wisdom strengthens. The measure of wisdom is its ability to bring good outcomes in life.

  7:20 does good and does not sin. Solomon gave great emphasis to the general effects of sin (cf. Gen. 3:1–24) and also pointed out the universality of personal transgressions. Paul may have recalled this passage when he wrote Rom. 3:10.

  7:21, 22 people say. Since you have many offensive words to be forgiven, don’t keep strict accounts of other’s offensive words against you.

  7:23, 24 “I will be wise”…Who can find it out? The already wise king resolves to be even wiser. But upon further investigation, the limitations of wisdom become apparent. Some things are unknowable. This realization quickly dampens his enthusiasm.

  7:26 The woman. This is the seductress about whom Solomon warns young men in Proverbs (Prov. 2:16–19; 5:1–14; 6:24–29; 7:1–27). Elsewhere, Solomon exalts the virtues of man’s lifetime companion (Eccl. 9:9; cf. Prov. 5:15–23; 31:10–31).

  7:27–29 Empirical acquisition of knowledge, that is man seeking righteousness through his many schemes, fails. Only God can make man upright.

  7:29 many schemes. The same word is translated “intent” and reflects the evil imaginations of all human beings since Adam and Eve.

  Ecclesiastes 8

  8:2, 3 your oath to God. This refers to Israel’s promises to serve King Solomon (1 Chr. 29:24).

  8:5, 6 time and judgment. Solomon returns to the message of 3:19 regarding a time for judgment. Knowing that God has appointed a time for judgment gives day to day living a clear purpose.

  8:7 what…when. God has appointed a time for everything but man knows neither the time nor the outcome. These uncertainties can increase his misery.

  8:8 spirit. “Wind” may be the better translation for the word “spirit.” Death is as precarious and uncontrollable as the wind.

  8:10 the place of holiness. This refers to the temple at Jerusalem (cf. 5:1). vanity. Lessons that should be gained from the death of the hypocritically wicked are quickly forgotten.

  8:11 the sentence. The gracious delay of God’s retribution leads to further disobedience. This delay, in actuality, in no way diminishes the certainty of final judgment.

  8:12, 13 those who fear God…the wicked. There is no real advantage for the wicked, although at times it might seem so (cf. 5:7; 12:13, 14). Temporal patience does not eliminate eternal judgment.

  8:14 vanity. Temporally speaking, God generally rewards obedience and punishes disobedience. Solomon regards the exceptions to this principle as vanity or enigmatic and discouraging (see Ps. 73).

  8:15 enjoyment. In no way does Solomon commend unbridled, rampant indulgence in sin, which is implied in Christ’s account of the man whose barns were full. That man may have justified his sin by quoting this passage (cf. Luke 12:19). His focus here is on the resolve to enjoy life in the face of the injustice which surrounded him (see 2:24).

  8:16, 17 the work of God. God’s work is wonderful, but at times incomprehensible.

  Ecclesiastes 9

  9:1 in the hand of God. There will be no inequities in the final judgment of the righteous or the wicked, because God remembers both in perfect detail.

  9:2, 3 one thing happens to all. Death because of universal depravity.

  9:7 eat…drink. See notes on 2:24.

  9:9 the wife. Cf. Prov. 5:15–19 and Solomon’s Song.

  9:11 time and chance. Wisdom cannot guarantee good outcomes because of what appear to be so many unpredictable contingencies.

  9:12 his time. The time of his misfortune, especially death (cf. 11:8, “days of darkness”; 12:1, “difficult days”).

  9:13–15 Wisdom may not receive its due in this life.

  9:16 This is true because he lacks status and position.

  Ecclesiastes 10

  10:1–20 Solomon draws together assorted examples of the wisdom he has both scrutinized and touted.

  10:2 right…left. This proverb is based on the fact that, commonly, the right hand is more deft than the left.

  10:3 fool. See note on 2:14. walks. A person lacking wisdom will manifest that in daily conduct.

  10:5 It is a great and far-reaching evil when leaders make bad judgments.

  10:6, 7 the rich…princes. Life presents some strange ironies and is not, in this world, always fair.

  10:8–10 digs…does not sharpen. Dangers and uncertainties abound in life.

  10:10 wisdom brings success. A little wisdom will ease the efforts of life. Even though life’s experiences often don’t turn out the way one would have hoped, wise living usually produces a good outcome. This is a very important conclusion for Solomon’s testing of wisdom.

  10:12–14 words. Man
demonstrates wisdom in words as well as works. Foolish words yield unfavorable outcomes.

  10:15 to go to the city. A proverb for ignorance with regard to the most ordinary matters, which extends even to spiritual realities. If a fool can’t find the town, how could he possibly locate God?

  10:18 the building…the house. This is likely an analogy for the kingdom of a lazy monarch.

  10:19 money answers everything. The partying king of v. 18 thinks he can fix all the disasters of his inept reign by raising taxes.

  Ecclesiastes 11

  11:1 Cast your bread. Take a calculated and wise step forward in life, like a farmer who throws his seed on the wet or marshy ground and waits for it to grow (cf. Is. 32:20).

  11:2 Give. Be generous while there is plenty, and make friends while time remains, because one never knows when he might need them to return the favor.

  11:7—12:8 Solomon crystallizes the book’s message. Death is imminent and with it comes retribution. Enjoyment and judgment, though strange partners, come together in this section because both clamor for man’s deepest commitment. Surprisingly, one does not win out over the other. In a world created for enjoyment but damaged by sin, judgment and enjoyment/pleasure are held in tension. With too much pleasure, judgment stands as a threatening force; with too much judgment, enjoyment suffers. In the final analysis, both are prominent themes of life that are resolved in our relationship to God, the primary issue of life and this book.

  11:3–6 The world is full of things over which one has no control including the purposes of God. There is no virtue in wishful wondering, but there is hope for those who get busy and do their work.

  11:7 light. Good times in contrast to “darkness” (v. 8), meaning bad times. Cf. 12:1.

  11:9 Rejoice…judgment. The two terms seem to cancel out the other. How can this be explained? Enjoy life but do not commit iniquity. The balance that is called for insures that enjoyment is not reckless, sinful abandonment. Pleasure is experienced in faith and obedience, for as Solomon has said repeatedly, one can only receive true satisfaction as a gift from God.