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Commentary on Ecclesiastes 7 verses 23–29
Solomon had hitherto been proving the vanity of the world and its utter insufficiency to make men happy; now here he comes to show the vileness of sin, and its certain tendency to make men miserable; and this, as the former, he proves from his own experience, and it was a dear-bought experience. He is here, more than any where in all this book, putting on the habit of a penitent. He reviews what he had been discoursing of already, and tells us that what he had said was what he knew and was well assured of, and what he resolved to stand by: All this have I proved by wisdom, Ecc 7:23. Now here,
I. He owns and laments the deficiencies of his wisdom. He had wisdom enough to see the vanity of the world and to experience that that would not make a portion for a soul. But, when he came to enquire further, he found himself at a loss; his eye was too dim, his line was too short, and, though he discovered this, there were many other things which he could not prove by wisdom.
1.His searches were industrious. God had given him a capacity for knowledge above any; he set up with a great stock of wisdom; he had the largest opportunities of improving himself that ever any man had; and, (1.) He resolved, if it were possible, to gain his point: I said, I will be wise. He earnestly desired it as highly valuable; he fully designed it as that which he looked upon to be attainable; he determined not to sit down short of it, Pro 18:1. Many are not wise because they never said they would be so, being indifferent to it; but Solomon set it up for the mark he aimed at. When he made trial of sensual pleasures, he still thought to acquaint his heart with wisdom (Pro 2:3), and not to be diverted from the pursuits of that; but perhaps he did not find it so easy a thing as he imagined to keep up his correspondence with wisdom, while he addicted himself so much to his pleasures. However, his will was good; he said, I will be wise. And that was not all: (2.) He resolved to spare no pains (Ecc 7:25): "I applied my heart; I and my heart turned every way; I left no stone unturned, no means untried, to compass what I had in view. I set myself to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, to accomplish myself in all useful learning, philosophy, and divinity." If he had not thus closely applied himself to study, it would have been but a jest for him to say, I will be wise, for those that will attain the end must take the right way. Solomon was a man of great quickness, and yet, instead of using that (with many) as an excuse for slothfulness, he pressed it upon himself as an inducement to diligence, and the easier he found it to master a good notion the more intent he would be that he might be master of the more good notions. Those that have the best parts should take the greatest pains, as those that have the largest stock should trade most. He applied himself not only to know what lay on the surface, but to search what lay hidden out of the common view and road; nor did he search a little way, and then give it over because he did not presently find what he searched for, but he sought it out, went to the bottom of it; nor did he aim to know things only, but the reasons of things, that he might give an account of them.
2.Yet his success was not answerable or satisfying: "I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me; I could not compass it. After all, This only I know that I know nothing, and the more I know the more I see there is to be known, and the more sensible I am of my own ignorance. That which is far off, and exceedingly deep, who can find it out?" He means God himself, his counsels and his works; when he searched into these he presently found himself puzzled and run aground. He could not order his speech by reason of darkness. It is higher than heaven, what can he do? Job 11:8. Blessed be God, there is nothing which we have to do which is not plain and easy; the word is nigh us (Pro 8:9); but there is a great deal which we would wish to know which is far off, and exceedingly deep, among the secret things which belong not to us. And probably it is a culpable ignorance and error that Solomon here laments, that his pleasures, and the many amusements of his court, had blinded his eyes and cast a mist before them, so that he could not attain to true wisdom as he designed.
II. He owns and laments the instances of his folly in which he had exceeded, as, in wisdom, he came short. Here is,
1.His enquiry concerning the evil of sin. He applied his heart to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness. Observe, (1.) The knowledge of sin is a difficult knowledge, and hard to be attained; Solomon took pains for it. Sin has many disguises with which it palliates itself, as being loth to appear sin, and it is very hard to strip it of these and to see it in its true nature and colours. (2.) It is necessary to our repentance for sin that we be acquainted with the evil of it, as it is necessary to the cure of a disease to know its nature, causes, and malignity. St. Paul therefore valued the divine law, because it discovered sin to him, Rom 7:7. Solomon, who, in the days of his folly, had set his wits on work to invent pleasures and sharpen them, and was ingenious in making provision for the flesh, now that God had opened his eyes is as industrious to find out the aggravations of sin and so to put an edge upon his repentance. Ingenious sinners should be ingenious penitents, and wit and learning, among the other spoils of the strong man armed, should be divided by the Lord Jesus. (3.) It well becomes penitents to say the worst they can of sin, for the truth is we can never speak ill enough of it. Solomon here, for his further humiliation, desired to see more, [1.] Of the sinfulness of sin; that is it which he lays the greatest stress upon in this inquiry, to know the wickedness of folly, by which perhaps he means his own iniquity, the sin of uncleanness, for that was commonly called folly in Israel, Gen 34:7; Deu 22:21; Jdg 20:6; Sa2 13:12. When he indulged himself in it, he made a light matter of it; but now he desires to see the wickedness of it, its great wickedness, so Joseph speaks of it, Gen 39:9. Or it may be taken there generally for all sin. Many extenuate their sins with this, They were folly; but Solomon sees wickedness in those follies, an offence to God and a wrong to conscience. This is wickedness, Jer 4:18; Zac 5:8. [2.] Of the folly of sin; as there is a wickedness in folly, so there is a folly in wickedness, even foolishness and madness. Wilful sinners are fools and madmen; they act contrary both to right reason and to their true interest.
2.The result of this enquiry.
(1.)He now discovered more than ever of the evil of that great sin which he himself had been guilty of, the loving of many strange women, Kg1 11:1. This is that which he here most feelingly laments, and in very pathetic expressions. [1.] He found the remembrance of the sin very grievous. O how heavily did it lie upon his conscience! what an agony was he in upon the thought of it - the wickedness, the foolishness, the madness, that he had been guilty of! I find it more bitter than death. As great a terror seized him, in reflection upon it, as if he had been under the arrest of death. Thus do those that have their sins set in order before them by a sound conviction cry out against them; they are bitter as gall, nay, bitter as death, to all true penitents. Uncleanness is a sin that is, in its own nature, more pernicious than death itself. Death may be made honourable and comfortable, but this sin can be no other than shame and pain, Pro 5:9, Pro 5:11. [2.] He found the temptation to the sin very dangerous, and that it was extremely difficult, and next to impossible, for those that ventured into the temptation to escape the sin, and for those that had fallen into the sin to recover themselves by repentance. The heart of the adulterous woman is snares and nets; she plays her game to ruin souls with as much art and subtlety as ever any fowler used to take a silly bird. The methods such sinners use are both deceiving and destroying, as snares and nets are. The unwary souls are enticed into them by the bait of pleasure, which they greedily catch at and promise themselves satisfaction in; but they are taken before they are aware, and taken irrecoverably. Her hands are as bands, with which, under colour of fond embraces, she holds those fast that she has seized; they are held in the cords of their own sin, Pro 5:22. Lust gets strength by being gratified and its charms are more prevalent. [3.] He reckoned it a great instance of God's favour to any man if by his grace he has kept him from this sin: He that pleases God shall escape from her, shall be preserved either from being tempted to this sin or from being overcome by the temptation. Those that are kept from this sin must acknowledge it is God that keeps them, and not any strength or resolution of their own, must acknowledge it a great mercy; and those that would have grace sufficient for them to arm them against this sin must be careful to please God in every thing, by keeping his ordinances, Lev 18:30. [4.] He reckoned it a sin that is as sore a punishment of other sins as a man can fall under in this life: The sinner shall be taken by her. First, Those that allow themselves in other sins, by which their minds are blinded and their consciences debauched, are the more easily drawn to this. Secondly, it is just with God to leave them to themselves to fall into it. See Rom 1:26, Rom 1:28; Eph 4:18, Eph 4:19. Thus does Solomon, as it were, with horror, bless himself from the sin in which he had plunged himself.
(2.)He now discovered more than ever of the general corruption of man's nature. He traces up that stream to the fountain, as his father had done before him, on a like occasion (Psa 51:5): Behold, I was shapen in iniquity. [1.] He endeavoured to find out the number of his actual transgressions (Ecc 7:27): "Behold, this have I found, that is, this I hoped to find; I thought I could have understood my errors and have brought in a complete list, at least of the heads of them; I thought I could have counted them one by one, and have found out the account." He desired to find them out as a penitent, that he might the more particularly acknowledge them; and, generally, the more particular we are in the confession of sin the more comfort we have in the sense of the pardon; he desired it also as a preacher, that he might the more particularly give warning to others. Note, A sound conviction of one sin will put us upon enquiring into the whole confederacy; and the more we see amiss in ourselves the more diligently we should enquire further into our own faults, that what we see not may be discovered to us, Job 34:32. [2.] He soon found himself at a loss, and perceived that they were innumerable (Ecc 7:28): "Which yet my soul seeks; I am still counting, and still desirous to find out the account, but I find not, I cannot count them all, nor find out the account of them to perfection. I still make new and amazing discoveries of the desperate wickedness that there is in my own heart," Jer 17:9, Jer 17:10. Who can know it? Who can understand his errors? Who can tell how often he offends? Psa 19:12. He finds that if God enters into judgment with him, or he with himself, for all his thoughts, words, and actions, he is not able to answer for one of a thousand, Job 9:3. This he illustrates by comparing the corruption of his own heart and life with the corruption of the world, where he scarcely found one good man among a thousand; nay, among all the thousand wives and concubines which he had, he did not find one good woman. "Even so," says he, "When I come to recollect and review my own thoughts, words, and actions, and all the passages of my life past, perhaps among those that were manly I might find one good among a thousand, and that was all; the rest even of those had some corruption or other in them." He found (Ecc 7:20) that he had sinned even in doing good. But for those that were effeminate, that passed in the indulgence of his pleasures, they were all naught; in that part of his life there did not appear so much as one of a thousand good. In our hearts and lives there appears little good, at the best, but sometimes none at all. Doubtless this is not intended as a censure of the female sex in general; it is probable that there have been and are more good women than good men (Act 17:4, Act 17:12); he merely alludes to his own sad experience. And perhaps there may be this further in it: he does, in his proverbs, warn us against the snares both of the evil man and of the strange woman (Pro 2:12, Pro 2:16; Pro 4:14; Pro 5:3); now he had observed the ways of the evil women to be more deceitful and dangerous than those of the evil men, that it was more difficult to discover their frauds and elude their snares, and therefore he compares sin to an adulteress (Pro 9:13), and perceives he can no more find out the deceitfulness of his own heart than he can that of a strange woman, whose ways are movable, that thou canst not know them. [3.] He therefore runs up all the streams of actual transgression to the fountain of original corruption. The source of all the folly and madness that are in the world is in man's apostasy from God and his degeneracy from his primitive rectitude (Ecc 7:20): "Lo, this only have I found; when I could not find out the particulars, yet the gross account was manifest enough; it is as clear as the sun that man is corrupted and revolted, and is not as he was made." Observe, First, How man was made by the wisdom and goodness of God: God made man upright; Adam the first man, so the Chaldee. God made him, and he made him upright, such a one as he should be; being made a rational creature, he was, in all respects, such a one as a rational creature should be, upright, without any irregularity; one could find no fault in him; he was upright, that is, determined to God only, in opposition to the many inventions which he afterwards turned aside to. Man, as he came out of God's hands, was (as we may say) a little picture of his Maker, who is good and upright. Secondly, How he was marred, and in effect unmade, by his own folly and badness: They have sought out many inventions - they, our first parents, or the whole race, all in general and every one in particular. They have sought out great inventions (so some), inventions to become great as gods (Gen 3:5), or the inventions of the great ones (so some), of the angels that fell, the Magnates, or many inventions. Man, instead of resting in what God had found for him, was for seeking to better himself, like the prodigal that left his father's house to seek his fortune. Instead of being for one, he was for many; instead of being for God's institutions, he was for his own inventions. The law of his creation would not hold him, but he would be at his own disposal and follow his own sentiments and inclinations. Vain man would be wise, wiser than his Maker; he is giddy and unsettled in his pursuits, and therefore has many inventions. Those that forsake God wander endlessly. Men's actual transgressions are multiplied. Solomon could not find out how many they are (Ecc 7:28); but he found they were very many. Many kinds of sins, and those often repeated. They are more than the hairs on our heads, Psa 40:12.
Although a perfect apprehension of the truth is at present far removed from us by reason of the infirmity of the flesh, yet it is possible, as the Preacher himself has said, to perceive the madness of the impious, and having found it, to say that it is “more bitter than death.” Therefore for this reason, as perceiving this and able to find it out, I have written, knowing that to the faithful the detection of impiety is a sufficient information wherein piety consists. For although it is impossible to comprehend what God is, yet it is possible to say what he is not.
“My heart took a circuit to know the joy of the impious man and to examine carefully and to seek wisdom and a mode of calculating and to know joy through the impious man and trouble and disquietude, and I find that it is bitterer than death”—not because death is bitter, but because it is bitter for the impious one. And yet life is bitterer than death. For it is a greater burden to live for sin than to die in sin, because the impious person increases his sin as long as he lives, but if he dies, he ceases to sin.
In many passages of divine instruction, thoughts and mindsets are called “women” of those who have them, both in a positive and in a negative sense. So it is said, for example, “Sophia gives birth to a man’s insight,” and, “Your wife is like a good vine, your sons like offshoots of olive trees.” Out of this woman male offshoots emerge, nourishment for fire and light, since the blessing from these plants gives nourishment for fire and light. In the negative sense again it is said, “Do not pay attention to a bad woman; honey runs from the lips of every prostitute who makes your throat sweet only for a brief time. Later you will find it more bitter than bile.” … If you want to understand it in an allegorical sense the bad and frivolous thought is a temptation. It is sophistical and heretical; it is like an evil woman.
"I
applied my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason
of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and
madness. And I find that woman is more
bitter than death, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands are as bands:
whoever pleases God shall escape her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. "The Septuagint here has: "I even applied my heart
that I should know". Symmachus has
interpreted this saying, 'I have looked into all things with my reasoning to
know, to distinguish and to find out.'
Since therefore Ecclesiastes had said above that he had tried to know
all wisdom and the more he sought it the more it eluded him, now he says even
that he sought out another thing in his wisdom, for wickedness precedes all
things in human affairs, and that affair is first and foremost in impiety,
stupidity, madness, and insanity. He
also says that he found woman to be the cause of all evil, since through her,
death came into the world and took the most prized spirits of men. And even for all adulterers, it is like there
is a coat of mail on their heart, the heart that makes the souls of adolescents
soar upwards. And when this happens to
the mind of a wretched lover, it pushes him into first position, and he is not
allowed to look back at his feet, but like a snare or noose it ensnares the
heart of a youth. 'For he has chains
around his wrists', which Aquila interpreted as being, 'for his hands are in
chains'. For he can convince, but he
doesn't have the strength and can't pull himself to those who are
unwilling. Those things destroy him, who
was righteous and good before God; but the sinner who has been captured will be
led down to his death. Let us not think
that Solomon held this opinion about women thoughtlessly, he speaks only those
things that he has experienced. For this
reason he fears God, since women have captured him. And these interpretations are very
literal. But according to the spiritual
understanding of this passage, either we should take every sin made in general,
and call it 'woman' and 'wickedness', for example, she who sits behind the façade
of woman in Zechariah above the talent of lead. [Cfr. Zech. 5, 7.] Or we can take woman to be the devil
metaphorically on account of effeminate men; or indeed idolatry, and so that we
might proceed more closely, the church or heretics, which calls the fool to
itself by reasoning, so that he receives stolen bread, and stolen water, the
false sacrament, and is led to be baptised in polluted water.
Solomon seems to me very wise in bestowing upon an indecent woman the face of every heresy and then saying about her that it is necessary to repudiate and to flee such a woman, “who is a hunter’s snare, and her heart is a net, and in her hands are bonds.” The good man before the face of God will be rescued from her and the sinner will be ensnared by her.
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SUMMARY
Ecclesiastes 7:26 presents Qoheleth's stark and profound discovery: a form of moral and spiritual peril, personified as a woman, whose destructive influence is far more grievous and agonizing than physical death itself. This verse delineates a clear dichotomy, asserting that those who live in a manner pleasing to God are divinely safeguarded from such entanglements, while those who persist in sin are inevitably ensnared and brought to ruin. It serves as a potent warning, underscoring the critical necessity of divine wisdom and righteousness in navigating the treacherous complexities of life's moral landscape.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ecclesiastes 7:26 is rich in literary devices that amplify its cautionary message. Most prominently, Personification is employed, where abstract concepts of folly, temptation, and moral corruption are embodied in "the woman." She is not necessarily a literal individual but a powerful symbolic representation of destructive influences that ensnare and ruin. Her "heart" and "hands" are given agency, acting as instruments of capture. This is further reinforced by vivid Metaphor, as her "heart [is] snares and nets" and her "hands [as] bands." These metaphors draw imagery from hunting and imprisonment, portraying her deceptive and binding power, emphasizing the inescapable nature of her influence once one falls prey. The phrase "more bitter than death" is a striking Hyperbole, underscoring the extreme anguish and devastation caused by such entanglement, suggesting a spiritual demise more profound than physical death. Finally, the verse utilizes stark Antithesis or Contrast by juxtaposing the fate of "whoso pleaseth God" with "the sinner." This sharp distinction highlights the divergent outcomes based on one's relationship with the divine, underscoring the critical choice between righteousness and unrighteousness and their respective, profound consequences.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ecclesiastes 7:26 is deeply embedded in the wisdom tradition, articulating a core theological principle that a life lived in alignment with God's will provides protection from spiritual and moral peril, whereas deviation leads to inevitable entanglement and ruin. The "woman" here transcends a mere gendered figure; she is a potent symbol of idolatry, spiritual adultery, and the seductive power of sin that draws one away from God. This concept resonates profoundly with the Old Testament's frequent warnings against turning away from the Lord to pursue false gods or immoral practices, which are consistently portrayed as a form of spiritual prostitution or unfaithfulness to the covenant. The verse thus serves as a powerful reminder of the dire consequences of covenant unfaithfulness and the absolute necessity of seeking God's approval and living in His favor above all else.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ecclesiastes 7:26 offers a timeless and urgent warning that transcends its specific cultural context, urging us to cultivate profound spiritual discernment in a world perpetually rife with seductive influences. The "woman" in this verse can be understood as a powerful symbol for any pervasive temptation, deceptive ideology, or unholy relationship that promises immediate gratification or worldly advantage but ultimately leads to spiritual bondage, moral decay, and a profound, soul-crushing bitterness. This could manifest as the allure of illicit pleasure, the deceptive promise of worldly success achieved at the expense of integrity, or even spiritual teachings that subtly draw us away from the foundational truths of God's Word. Our primary defense against such insidious snares lies not in our own strength, cleverness, or self-will, but in actively and consistently seeking to "please God" through unwavering obedience, fervent prayer, diligent study of His Word, and a heart wholly devoted to Him. This verse calls us to a life of vigilant self-awareness and spiritual watchfulness, recognizing that sin, in its myriad guises, is a cunning hunter. Only by walking intimately and closely with God can we truly escape its sophisticated snares and nets, thereby preserving our freedom, spiritual vitality, and eternal well-being.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is "the woman" in Ecclesiastes 7:26 a literal woman or a symbol?
Answer: While the verse uses the specific imagery of "the woman," biblical scholars widely interpret her as a powerful personification of folly, temptation, and moral corruption rather than exclusively referring to a literal female individual. This "woman" embodies the seductive and destructive nature of sin in its various forms, particularly as it relates to illicit desires, idolatry, or any pursuit that draws one away from God and His wisdom. The wisdom literature, especially the book of Proverbs, frequently employs this personification to warn against the dangers of ungodly influences and choices, contrasting them with the life-giving path of true wisdom (e.g., Proverbs 9:13-18).
What does it mean to "please God" in this context?
Answer: To "please God" (Hebrew: ṭôwb liphne Ha'Elohim, literally "good before the face of God") means to live in a manner that is righteous, upright, and obedient to His commands. It implies a life characterized by integrity, discernment, and a conscious, consistent effort to walk in His ways, seeking His favor and approval above all else. This is not about earning salvation through works, but about cultivating a relationship of trust, faith, and obedience that results in divine protection, guidance, and blessing, enabling one to navigate the moral complexities of life successfully. This concept is foundational to biblical faith, as seen in passages like Hebrews 11:6.
What are the consequences for "the sinner" who is "taken by her"?
Answer: The consequence for "the sinner" who is "taken" (Hebrew: lâkad, meaning "to catch" or "capture") by this destructive influence is spiritual and moral bondage, profound ruin, and ultimately, a life that Qoheleth describes as "more bitter than death." This implies a loss of true freedom, a hardening of the heart against God's truth, and entanglement in patterns of sin that lead to deep despair, separation from God, and often devastating earthly consequences. It's a vivid depiction of the spiritual slavery that results from choosing a path contrary to divine wisdom, as highlighted in Romans 6:23.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ecclesiastes 7:26, with its stark contrast between the one who pleases God and escapes the snare of destructive folly and the sinner who is captured, finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "woman" personifying sin and spiritual death represents the very power from which all humanity desperately needs deliverance—the pervasive bondage of sin and its bitter, eternal consequences. Christ, as the very embodiment of divine Wisdom (compare 1 Corinthians 1:30), is the only one who perfectly "pleased God" in every aspect of His sinless life, ministry, and sacrificial obedience (as affirmed by the Father at His baptism in Matthew 3:17). Through His perfect life, His atoning death on the cross, and His glorious resurrection, Jesus decisively broke the "bands" of sin and death, offering true and lasting escape to all who place their faith in Him. He became the ultimate "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), delivering us from the bitter consequences of our own sin and the cunning snares of the enemy. Therefore, those who are "in Christ" are no longer "sinners" destined to be taken and ruined, but are declared righteous through His imputed righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), enabling them to truly "escape" and live a life that is genuinely pleasing to God through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life who frees us from every spiritual trap and leads us to abundant life (John 14:6).