The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

  11:10 vanity. Enjoy childhood and youth while you can because life is fleeting.

  Ecclesiastes 12

  12:1 Remember…your Creator…difficult days. Remember you are God’s property, so serve Him from the start of your years, not the end of your years, when service is very limited.

  12:2–6 Solomon uses the imagery of aging, incorporating elements of a dilapidated house, nature, and a funeral procession to heighten the emphasis of 11:7—12:1.

  12:2 sun…moon…clouds. Youth is typically the time of dawning light, old age the time of twilight’s gloom.

  12:3 keepers of the house tremble. The hands and arms which protect the body, as guards do a palace, shake in old age. strong men bow down. The legs, like supporting pillars, weaken. grinders. Teeth. those that look through the windows. Eyes.

  12:4 doors. Lips that do not have much to say. sound of grinding. This refers to little eating, when the sound of masticating is low. rises up. Light sleep. daughters of music. The ear and voice that once loved music.

  12:5 afraid of height. For fear of falling. almond tree blossoms. A white blossoming tree among dark trees speaks of hair. mourners. The funeral is near.

  12:6, 7 Here are the images of death.

  12:6 silver cord is loosed. Perhaps this pictures a lamp hanging from a silver chain, which breaks with age, smashing the lamp. Some suggest this refers to the spinal cord. golden bowl. Possibly this refers to the brain. pitcher…fountain…wheel. Wells required a wheel with a rope attached in order to lower the pitcher for water. Perhaps this pictures the fountain of blood, the heart. loosed…broken…shattered…broken. All of these actions portray death as tragic and irreversible.

  12:7 dust…spirit. Solomon recalls Gen. 2:7 and 3:19 as he contemplates the end of the aging process. spirit…who gave it. The sage ends his message with the culmination of a human life. “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away” (Job 1:21; 1 Tim. 6:7).

  12:7, 8 This gloomy picture of old age does not negate the truth that old age can be blessed for the godly (Prov. 16:31), but it does remind the young that they will not have the ability to enjoy that blessing of a godly old age and a life of strong service to God if they do not remember their Creator while young (v. 1).

  12:9–14 Solomon’s final words of advice.

  12:11 goads…well-driven nails. Two shepherd’s tools are in view: one used to motivate reluctant animals, the other to secure those who might otherwise wander into dangerous territory. Both goads and nails picture aspects of applied wisdom. one Shepherd. True wisdom has its source in God alone.

  12:12 books. Books written on any other subject than God’s revealed wisdom will only proliferate the uselessness of man’s thinking.

  12:13, 14 Fear God. Solomon’s final word on the issues raised in this book, as well as life itself, focus on one’s relationship to God. All of the concern for a life under the sun, with its pleasures and uncertainties, was behind Solomon. Such things seemed comparatively irrelevant to him as he faced the end of his life. But death, in spite of the focused attention he had given to it in Ecclesiastes, was not the greatest equalizer. Judgment/retribution is the real equalizer as Solomon saw it, for God will bring every person’s every act to judgment. Unbelievers will stand at the Great White Throne judgment (cf. Rev. 20:11–15) and believers before Christ at the Bema judgment (cf. 1 Cor. 3:10–15; 2 Cor. 5:9, 10). When all is said and done, the certainty and finality of retribution give life the meaning for which David’s oft-times foolish son had been searching. Whatever may be one’s portion in life, accountability to the God, whose ways are often mysterious, is both eternal and irrevocable.

  Ecclesiastes 1

  1:1 a Prov. 1:1

  1:2 b Ps. 39:5, 6; 62:9; 144:4; Eccl. 12:8

  1:2 c (Rom. 8:20, 21)

  1:2 1 Or Absurdity, Frustration, Futility, Nonsense; and so throughout the book

  1:3 d Eccl. 2:22; 3:9

  1:2 2 labors

  1:4 e Ps. 104:5; 119:90

  1:5 f Ps. 19:4–6

  1:3 3 Is eager for, lit. panting

  1:6 g Eccl. 11:5; John 3:8

  1:7 h (Ps. 104:8, 9; Jer. 5:22)

  1:8 i Prov. 27:20; Eccl. 4:8

  1:5 4 wearisome

  1:9 j Eccl. 3:15

  1:11 k Eccl. 2:16

  1:13 l (Eccl. 7:25; 8:16, 17)

  1:13 m Gen. 3:19; Eccl. 3:10

  1:8 5 Or afflicted

  1:15 n Eccl. 7:13

  1:16 o 1 Kin. 3:12, 13; Eccl. 2:9

  1:13 6 Lit. seen

  1:17 p Eccl. 2:3, 12; 7:23, 25; (1 Thess. 5:21)

  1:18 q Eccl. 12:12

  Ecclesiastes 2

  2:1 a Luke 12:19

  2:1 b Prov. 14:13; (Eccl. 7:4; 8:15)

  2:1 c Eccl. 1:2

  1:16 7 gladness

  2:3 d Eccl. 1:17

  2:3 e (Eccl. 3:12, 13; 5:18; 6:12)

  2:1 1 Lit. to draw my flesh

  2:4 f 1 Kin. 7:1–12

  2:3 2 irrigate

  2:6 3 Lit. sons of my house

  2:8 g 1 Kin. 9:28; 10:10, 14, 21

  2:7 4 Exact meaning unknown

  2:9 h Eccl. 1:16

  2:9 i 2 Chr. 9:22

  2:8 5 Lit. increased

  2:10 j Eccl. 3:22; 5:18; 9:9

  2:9 6 Lit. portion

  2:11 k Eccl. 1:3, 14

  2:12 l Eccl. 1:17; 7:25

  2:12 m Eccl. 1:9

  2:13 n Eccl. 7:11, 14, 19; 9:18; 10:10

  2:14 o Prov. 17:24; Eccl. 8:1

  2:14 p Ps. 49:10; Eccl. 9:2, 3, 11

  2:16 q Eccl. 1:11; 4:16

  2:18 r Ps. 49:10

  2:10 7 Lit. portion

  2:22 s Eccl. 1:3; 3:9

  2:23 t Job 5:7; 14:1

  2:24 u Eccl. 3:12, 13, 22; Is. 56:12; Luke 12:19; 1 Cor. 15:32; (1 Tim. 6:17)

  2:21 8 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; some Heb. mss., LXX, Syr. without Him

  2:26 v Job 32:8; Prov. 2:6; James 1:5

  2:26 w Job 27:16, 17; Prov. 28:8

  Ecclesiastes 3

  3:1 a Eccl. 3:17; 8:6

  3:2 b Job 14:5; Heb. 9:27

  2:25 9 Lit. to bear

  3:4 c Rom. 12:15

  3:5 d Joel 2:16; 1 Cor. 7:5

  3:7 e Amos 5:13

  3:7 f Prov. 25:11

  3:8 g Prov. 13:5; Luke 14:26

  3:9 h Eccl. 1:3

  3:10 i Eccl. 1:13

  3:11 j Job 5:9; Eccl. 7:23; 8:17; Rom. 11:33

  3:12 k Eccl. 2:3, 24

  3:13 l Eccl. 2:24

  3:14 m James 1:17

  3:15 n Eccl. 1:9

  3:2 1 Lit. seeks

  3:15 2 what is pursued

  3:16 o Eccl. 5:8

  3:15 3 justice

  3:16 4 Wickedness

  3:17 p Gen. 18:25; Ps. 96:13; Eccl. 11:9; (Matt. 16:27; Rom. 2:6–10; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Thess. 1:6–9)

  3:16 5 desire

  3:19 q Ps. 49:12, 20; 73:22; (Eccl. 2:16)

  3:20 r Gen. 3:19; Ps. 103:14

  3:21 s Eccl. 12:7

  3:17 6 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. Who knows whether the spirit … goes upward, and whether … goes downward to the earth?

  3:22 t Eccl. 2:24; 5:18

  3:22 u Eccl. 2:10

  3:22 v Eccl. 6:12; 8:7

  3:21 7 portion or lot

  Ecclesiastes 4

  4:1 a Job 35:9; Ps. 12:5; Eccl. 3:16; 5:8; Is. 5:7

  3:22 8 Lit. At the hand

  4:2 b Job 3:17, 18

  4:3 c Job 3:11–22; Eccl. 6:3; Luke 23:29

  4:5 d Prov. 6:10; 24:33

  4:6 e Prov. 15:16, 17; 16:8

  4:8 f Prov. 27:20; Eccl. 5:10; (1 John 2:16)

  4:8 g Ps. 39:6

  4:8 h Eccl. 2:18–21

  4:1 1 Lit. a second

  4:8 2 Lit. evil task

  4:8 3 The youth

  4:14 4 Lit. to all before whom he was to be

  Ecclesiastes 5

  5:1 a Ex. 3:5; Is. 1:12

  5:1 b (1 Sam. 15:22); Ps. 50:8; Prov. 15:8; 21:27; (Hos. 6:6)

  5:2 c Prov. 20:25

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sp; 5:2 d Prov. 10:19; Matt. 6:7

  5:3 e Prov. 10:19

  5:4 f Num. 30:2; Deut. 23:21–23; Ps. 50:14; 76:11

  5:4 g Ps. 66:13, 14

  5:5 h Prov. 20:25; Acts 5:4

  5:6 i Prov. 6:2

  5:6 j 1 Cor. 11:10

  4:16 5 Lit. voice

  5:7 k (Eccl. 12:13)

  5:8 l Eccl. 3:16

  5:8 m (Ps. 12:5; 58:11; 82:1)

  5:6 1 wresting

  5:13 n Eccl. 6:1, 2

  5:8 2 Lit. bad business

  5:15 o Job 1:21; Ps. 49:17; 1 Tim. 6:7

  5:16 p Eccl. 1:3

  5:16 q Prov. 11:29

  5:17 r Ps. 127:2

  5:18 s Eccl. 2:24; 3:12, 13; (1 Tim. 6:17)

  5:18 t Eccl. 2:10; 3:22

  5:14 3 Lit. portion

  5:19 u (Eccl. 6:2)

  5:19 v Eccl. 2:24; 3:13

  5:18 4 Lit. portion

  Ecclesiastes 6

  6:1 a Eccl. 5:13

  6:2 b Job 21:10; Ps. 17:14; 73:7

  6:2 c Luke 12:20

  5:19 5 disease

  6:3 d 2 Kin. 9:35; Is. 14:19, 20; Jer. 22:19

  6:3 e Job 3:16; Ps. 58:8; Eccl. 4:3

  6:2 1 Or miscarriage

  6:6 f Eccl. 2:14, 15

  6:7 g Prov. 16:26

  6:9 h Eccl. 11:9

  6:3 2 What the eyes see

  6:9 3 Lit. soul

  6:10 i Eccl. 1:9; 3:15

  6:10 j Job 9:32; Is. 45:9; Jer. 49:19

  6:12 k Ps. 102:11; James 4:14

  6:12 l Ps. 39:6; Eccl. 3:22

  6:9 4 Lit. the number of the days

  6:12 5 futile

  Ecclesiastes 7

  7:1 a Prov. 22:1

  7:1 b Eccl. 4:2

  7:2 c (Ps. 90:12)

  7:3 d (2 Cor. 7:10)

  6:12 6 Vexation or Grief

  7:3 1 well or pleasing

  7:5 e Ps. 141:5; (Prov. 13:18; 15:31, 32)

  7:3 2 listen to

  7:6 f Eccl. 2:2

  7:5 3 Lit. sound

  7:7 g Ex. 23:8; Deut. 16:19; (Prov. 17:8, 23)

  7:6 4 destroys

  7:8 h Prov. 14:29; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 4:2

  7:9 i Prov. 14:17; James 1:19

  7:11 j Eccl. 11:7

  7:12 k Eccl. 9:18

  7:12 l Prov. 3:18

  7:7 5 A protective shade, lit. shadow

  7:12 6 advantage or profit

  7:13 m Job 12:14

  7:14 n Deut. 28:47

  7:12 7 alongside

  7:15 o Eccl. 8:12–14

  7:16 p Prov. 25:16; Phil. 3:6

  7:16 q Rom. 12:3

  7:17 r Job 15:32; Ps. 55:23

  7:18 s Eccl. 3:14; 5:7; 8:12, 13

  7:14 8 Lit. come forth from all of them

  7:19 t Prov. 21:22; Eccl. 9:13–18

  7:20 u 1 Kin. 8:46; 2 Chr. 6:36; Prov. 20:9; Rom. 3:23; 1 John 1:8

  7:23 v Rom. 1:22

  7:18 9 tested

  7:24 w Job 28:12; 1 Tim. 6:16

  7:24 x Rom. 11:33

  7:25 y Eccl. 1:17

  7:26 z Prov. 5:3, 4

  7:23 10 Lit. He who is good before God

  7:27 a Eccl. 1:1, 2

  7:28 b Job 33:23

  7:29 c Gen. 1:27

  7:29 d Gen. 3:6, 7

  Ecclesiastes 8

  8:1 a Prov. 4:8, 9; Acts 6:15

  8:1 b Deut. 28:50

  7:26 11 Lit. strength

  8:2 c Ex. 22:11; 2 Sam. 21:7; 1 Chr. 29:24; Ezek. 17:18; (Rom. 13:5)

  8:3 d Eccl. 10:4

  8:4 e 1 Sam. 13:11, 13; Job 34:18

  8:1 1 Lit. knows

  8:6 f Eccl. 3:1, 17

  8:5 2 is great upon him

  8:7 g Prov. 24:22; Eccl. 6:12

  8:8 h Ps. 49:6, 7; Job 14:5

  8:8 i Deut. 20:5–8

  8:10 j Eccl. 2:16; 9:5

  8:6 3 Some Heb. mss., LXX, Vg. praised

  8:11 k Ps. 10:6; 50:21; Is. 26:10

  8:12 l Is. 65:20; (Rom. 2:5–7)

  8:12 m (Deut. 4:40; Ps. 37:11, 18, 19; Prov. 1:32, 33; Is. 3:10; Matt. 25:34, 41)

  8:14 n Ps. 73:14

  8:14 o Eccl. 2:14; 7:15; 9:1–3

  8:15 p Eccl. 2:24

  8:17 q Job 5:9; Ps. 73:16; Eccl. 3:11; Rom. 11:33

  Ecclesiastes 9

  9:1 a Deut. 33:3; Job 12:10; Eccl. 8:14

  8:10 4 Lit. put

  9:2 b Gen. 3:17–19; Job 21:7; Ps. 73:3, 12, 13; Mal. 3:15

  9:1 1 LXX, Syr., Vg. good and bad,

  9:5 c Job 14:21; Is. 63:16

  9:5 d Job 7:8–10; Eccl. 1:11; 2:16; 8:10; Is. 26:14

  9:7 e Eccl. 8:15

  9:9 f Eccl. 2:10

  9:2 2 Lit. See life

  9:10 g (Col. 3:17)

  9:10 h Rom. 12:11; Col. 3:23

  9:11 i Jer. 9:23; Amos 2:14, 15

  9:11 j 1 Sam. 6:9

  9:12 k Eccl. 8:7

  9:12 l Prov. 29:6; Luke 12:20, 39; 17:26; 1 Thess. 5:3

  9:14 m 2 Sam. 20:16–22

  9:9 3 LXX, Syr., Vg. bulwarks

  9:16 n Eccl. 7:12, 19

  9:16 o Mark 6:2, 3

  9:18 p Josh. 7:1–26; 2 Kin. 21:2–17

  Ecclesiastes 10

  9:14 4 Lit. Flies of death

  10:1 1 Tg., Vg. omit putrefy

  10:3 a Prov. 13:16; 18:2

  10:4 b Eccl. 8:3

  10:4 c 1 Sam. 25:24–33; Prov. 25:15

  10:1 2 Lit. healing, health

  10:6 d Esth. 3:1

  10:4 3 exalted positions

  10:7 e Prov. 19:10; 30:22

  10:8 f Ps. 7:15; Prov. 26:27

  10:6 4 Lit. is a successful advantage

  10:11 g Ps. 58:4, 5; Jer. 8:17

  10:10 5 Lit. master of the tongue

  10:12 h Prov. 10:32; Luke 4:22

  10:12 i Prov. 10:14; Eccl. 4:5

  10:14 j (Prov. 15:2); Eccl. 5:3

  10:14 k Eccl. 3:22; 8:7

  10:16 l Is. 3:4, 5; 5:11

  10:17 m Prov. 31:4; Is. 5:11

  10:18 n Prov. 24:30–34

  10:11 6 Lit. rafters sink

  10:19 o Judg. 9:13; Ps. 104:15; Eccl. 2:3

  10:20 p Ex. 22:28; Acts 23:5

  Ecclesiastes 11

  11:1 a Is. 32:20

  11:1 b (Deut. 15:10; Prov. 19:17; Matt. 10:42; 2 Cor. 9:8; Gal. 6:9, 10; Heb. 6:10)

  11:2 c Ps. 112:9; Matt. 5:42; Luke 6:30; (1 Tim. 6:18, 19)

  11:2 d Mic. 5:5

  11:2 e Eph. 5:16

  11:5 f John 3:8

  11:5 g Ps. 139:14

  10:18 7 Or spirit

  11:7 h Eccl. 7:11

  11:8 i Eccl. 9:7

  11:8 j Eccl. 12:1

  11:9 k Num. 15:39; Job 31:7; Eccl. 2:10

  11:9 l Eccl. 3:17; 12:14; (Rom. 14:10)

  11:5 1 Impulses

  11:9 2 As you see to be best

  11:10 m 2 Cor. 7:1; 2 Tim. 2:22

  11:10 n Ps. 39:5

  11:9 3 vexation

  11:10 4 Prime of life

  Ecclesiastes 12

  12:1 a 2 Chr. 34:3; Prov. 22:6; Lam. 3:27

  12:1 b 2 Sam. 19:35

  11:10 5 Lit. evil

  12:4 c 2 Sam. 19:35

  12:5 d Job 17:13

  12:5 e Gen. 50:10; Jer. 9:17

  12:1 1 So with Qr., Tg.; Kt. removed; LXX, Vg. broken

  12:7 f Gen. 3:19; Job 34:15; Ps. 90:3

  12:7 g Eccl. 3:21

  12:7 h Num. 16:22; 27:16; Job 34:14; Is. 57:16; Zech. 12:1

  12:8 i Ps. 62:9

  12:9 j 1 Kin. 4:32

  12:6 2 arranged

  12:9 3 Lit. delightful

  12:10 4 Lit. masters of assemblies

  12:12 k Eccl. 1:18

  12:13 l (Deut. 6:2; 10:12); Mic. 6:8

  12:14 m Eccl. 11:9; Matt. 12:36; (Acts 17:30, 31; Rom. 2:16; 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:10)

  Introduction to Song of Solomon

  Title

  The Greek Septuagint (LXX) and Latin Vulgate (Vg.) versions follow the Hebrew (Masoretic Text) with literal translations of the first two words in 1:1—”Song of Songs
.” Several English versions read “The Song of Solomon,” thus giving the fuller sense of 1:1. The superlative, “Song of Songs” (cf. “Holy of Holies” in Ex. 26:33, 34 and “King of Kings” in Rev. 19:16), indicates that this song is the best among Solomon’s 1,005 musical works (1 Kin. 4:32). The word translated “song” frequently refers to music that honors the Lord (cf. 1 Chr. 6:31, 32; Pss. 33:3; 40:3; 144:9).

  Author and Date

  Solomon, who reigned over the united kingdom 40 years (971–931 B.C.), appears 7 times by name in this book (1:1, 5; 3:7, 9, 11; 8:11, 12). In view of his writing skills, musical giftedness (1 Kin. 4:32), and the authorial, not dedicatory, sense of 1:1, this piece of Scripture could have been penned at any time during Solomon’s reign. Since cities to the N and to the S are spoken of in Solomon’s descriptions and travels, both the period depicted and the time of actual writing point to the united kingdom before it divided after Solomon’s reign ended. Knowing that this portion of Scripture comprises one song by one author, it is best taken as a unified piece of poetic, Wisdom literature rather than a series of love poems without a common theme or author.

  Background and Setting

  Two people dominate this true-life, dramatic love song. Solomon, whose kingship is mentioned 5 times (1:4, 12; 3:9, 11; 7:5), appears as “the beloved.” The Shulamite maiden (6:13) remains obscure; most likely she was a resident of Shunem, 3 mi. N of Jezreel in lower Galilee. Some suggest she is Pharaoh’s daughter (1 Kin. 3:1), although the Song provides no evidence for this conclusion. Others favor Abishag, the Shunammite who cared for King David (1 Kin. 1:1–4, 15). An unknown maiden from Shunem, whose family had possibly been employed by Solomon (8:11), seems most reasonable. She would have been Solomon’s first wife (Eccl. 9:9), before he sinned by adding 699 other wives and 300 concubines (1 Kin. 11:3).

  Minor roles feature several different groups in this book. First, note the not-infrequent commentary by “the daughters of Jerusalem” (1:4b, 8, 11; 3:6-5:9; 6:1, 10, 13a; 7:1-5; 8:5a), who might be part of Solomon’s household staff (cf. 3:10). Second, the affirmation of 5:1b would most likely be God’s blessing on the couple’s union. Third, the Shulamite’s brothers speak (8:8, 9).

  The setting combines both rural and urban scenes. Portions take place in the hill country N of Jerusalem, where the Shulamite lived (6:13) and where Solomon enjoyed prominence as a vinegrower and shepherd (Eccl. 2:4-7). The city section includes the wedding and time afterward at Solomon’s abode in Jerusalem (3:6-7:13).

  The first spring appears in 2:11-13 and the second in 7:12. Assuming a chronology without gaps, the Song of Solomon took place over a period of time at least one year in length, but probably no longer than two years.