V. 1. These are the words of Ecclesiastes, 1) the son of David, king of Jerusalem.
The title Ecclesiastes or "Preacher" is, I believe, to refer more to the name of the book than to that of the author, so that it should be understood that these were words spoken publicly by Solomon in some assembly of his princes and others. For since he was a king, it was neither his office nor his duty that he taught, but that belonged to the priests and Levites. Therefore I believe that this was spoken by Solomon in some assembly of his own, or to his table companions, or even during the meal, in the presence of some great and distinguished people, after he had thought long and hard about the nature and vanity of human things, or rather of human aspirations (affectuum), which he afterwards uttered in such a way (as it is wont to happen) in the presence of those people, and thereafter it is caught and collected by those very chiefs (magistris) of the commonwealth or church. Therefore they also confess at the end [Cap. 12, 11.] that they received this from One Shepherd and 2) together-.
1) In Latin, instead of the preceding words, which are also found in the Vulgate, there is only the word: Oonoio, that is, sermon.
2) st is missing in the Erlanger.
have brought. So also someone among us, sitting at the table, could talk about human affairs, and others would like to catch what would be said. So it is a public sermon that they heard from Solomon; after this sermon they liked to nine this book Koheleth; not that Solomon himself was a preacher, but because this book preaches as if it were a public sermon.
V. 2. It is all vanity, said the preacher, it is all vanity.
So far, we have come to know the concept and the purpose of the book to some extent, otherwise the difficulty will be mainly in the Hebrew words and idioms, of which there are especially many in the books of Solomon. For Solomon has a special way of speaking, and he wants to appear more delicate than his father David [Cap. 12, 10.], and his speech is much more pictorial and decorated with more figures of speech. He does not speak after the manner of the people, but of the court of princes (aulice); David's speech is simpler and yet does not lack passable images. Solomon, however, has introduced the courtly way of speaking, and just as the courtiers are wont to corrupt the simple manner of speech of the fathers, especially in writing, so also Solomon, lest he be
as the common people seem to speak, somewhat departed from the simplicity of the fathers, and from Moses, who is the very simplest, and yet has many excellent images, like David, but common.
"It is all vanity" [in Latin vanitas vanitatum, vanity above all vanity] is a Hebrew way of speaking. For since the Hebrews have neither superlative nor comparative, they must express the superlative or even the comparative by a cluster of words (compositionem). Thus they say: Song of Songs (Canticum canticorum - the Song of Songs), that is, the highest and most excellent song which Solomon made. Vanity of vanities (vanitas vanitatum), that is, the greatest and highest vanity and entirely a complete vanity. All this he says not against the things themselves, but against the human heart, which misuses things to its detriment. But the fact that the words "vanity of vanities" are doubled, and that "everything is vanity" is added, is a fullness of words peculiar to Solomon.
By this beginning, however, he indicates, as it were, the theme of the whole book and the subject of which he wishes to speak, saying that he speaks of the highest and greatest vanity, how men are quite vain in all their undertakings, that they are not satisfied with what is present, of which they have no use; but neither can they enjoy what is to come; they pervert everything, even the best, into misery and vanity, through their fault, not that of things. But that this is the brief epitome of the book, you can easily see from what follows, where you see that he speaks of the vanity that men have in their works and undertakings, not in the things themselves.
V. 3. What does man gain more from all his toil under the sun?
Namely, what does he have but vanity? That is, men are drawn hither and thither by their strivings and pretensions, and what have they in such great endeavors? nothing but vanity, for they have vain strivings, "there is no profit. For they enjoy neither the present nor that which is not there, because their heart is not
They float between heaven and earth and do nothing at all. Because actually the word "vanity" means
[vanitas] that which we express by the word "nothing. You collect treasures, riches, violence 2c., and yet all this is nothing. Gold is something, but it is nothing to you who do not use it.
Therefore, we must take the words "of his toil" as spoken with a special emphasis. By this word he indicates that he will not deal with the works of God, in which there is holiness and salvation, as there are all creatures, but with the works of men, who let themselves be guided and driven by their own suggestions, in order to limit their misery and their laborious undertakings.
He is not talking about the work of the hands, which is commanded by God, Genesis 3:19: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread", but about our efforts and attempts, with which we strive to produce what we like. For the word amal [XXX] signifies rather sorrow and lamentation than a work, namely, such toil with which men labor and toil in vain. For it is an exceedingly miserable toil when one is so concerned with taking counsel and carrying out undertakings, and yet accomplishes absolutely nothing. Therefore he says: "What does man have more" 2c., that is: that man undertakes many things in order to carry out his plans, what does he have from this undertaking and from this effort but the most trivial vanity?
Under the sun.
Since he wants to describe the realm of vanity, yes, also the place of this realm, he calls this whole realm of vanity the being (negotium) under the sun, speaking in a special way, which we do not otherwise read in the Scriptures, so that he thereby excludes the divine works, which God Himself works, even in us, and commanded that we should perform them, which are rather above the sun, and apart from the doings of men. For the sun rises for man to go out to his work, Ps. 104:23,
that it is the light of the world, that it serves in bodily things. Under this sun, I say, these vain endeavors are carried on, with which men toil.
This again is to be remembered, in order to control the futile thought, according to which one has interpreted this of the vanity of the creatures. The creatures are indeed subject to vanity, as Paul testifies in Rom. 8, 20, but they are still good things, otherwise he would have said that the sun is vain; but he takes the sun, because he says: "Under the sun." So he is not talking about the works of God, which are good, true, and above the sun, but about the works that are under the sun, which we do in this bodily life on earth.
V. 4: One generation perishes and another comes, but the earth remains forever.
You see that he does not mention the works under the sun, but the things and creatures of God himself, as there are the generations of men, the sun, the water, the earth, and he generally understands the four elements, because also the philosophers have distinguished four elements in such a way, in which everything has its being, what is there in the world. They placed fire above the three other elements, and Solomon seems to take the sun for this elementary fire, so that he interprets with these words how he wants the words "under the sun" to be understood, so that the brief epitome of this saying is: the things of the world, as, the sun, the air, the water 2c., in which men have their being, remain constant by their certain law; they go, they return, they move 2c. as they are ordained, they have certain changes, they do not waver, neither do they err, but do what they ought, as the sun moves in its way and with certain motion 2c. But men, who have their being in these four elements, stable things, I say, cannot do so, but they waver, waver, are quite inconstant through the variety of their undertakings and desires, not satisfied with their limits, affairs, occupations 2c. Therefore, they do not interpret correctly those who are under the perishing
The first one is understood by the Jews, the second one by the Christians, since he is talking about the constant succession of the generations or the times (saeculorum).
V. 5, 6: The sun rises and sets and returns to its place to rise again. The wind goes to the south, and comes around to the middle power, and again to the place where it began.
Solomon continues with the description of the realm and the place of vanity, and proves the constancy of the sun from its perpetual and constant rising and setting and course. After that Solomon wants to indicate that the wind or the air follows the urge of the running sun, because this he makes in general the mistress and ruler of the elements. This sun, I say, has the wind, and directs everything by its government, and influences (temperat) by its course the air, the water, the wind 2c. When it rises, it makes the air another, as we see; when it sets, again another. So also under different circumstances it exerts different effects on the water 2c. For when the sun sets, the earth becomes moist, the water cold, the air humid 2c. Yes, also the whole creature in general is influenced in various ways at the setting and the going out of the sun.
And runs to her place (Et ad locum suum anhelans).
The verb Schaaph for which 1) our [Latin] interpreter has badly put revertitur 2) means to take breath. Hence it is indicated that the sun, by the exceedingly great impetuosity with which it moves, is, as it were, the cause of all winds and all breath, just as someone, when he runs, sets the air in motion and quickens the breathing. Anhelare is thus: to be driven by an exceedingly rapid movement from the east to the west, and from there again to the east, which happens every day and every night.
The fast-moving wind or all-around breeze (raptatus ventus vel cir-
1) Instead of: pro, in the editions should probably read: pro Huo.
2) Erlanger: overtitur instead of: revortitur.
cumiens spiritus), that is: when the sun returns to the exit, that it rises there, it carries the wind away with it and has the wind in its hand. This is all a verbosity of Solomon, with which he recently wants nothing else than that the sun rises and sets daily, and that the wind is caused by its rapid movement.
V. 7 All the waters flow into the sea, but the sea does not fill up; they flow back to the place where they came from.
Aristotle disputes where the springs and the winds come from, and he is very laborious to investigate this, and with him many others. But nowhere does one find what Solomon says here, that all rivers come from the sea, and in turn fill the sea, placing the sea as the origin and beginning of all waters and rivers, from which they gush and burst forth through hidden passages, while most philosophers assume that in general every river has its origin under the earth, from which it gushes forth. But the opinion of Solomon is true that all bubbles of all springs and rivers flow out of the sea 1) and flow back to it. But these are exceedingly great wonders. First of all in the course and the movement of that tremendously great light, of which has already been said, then in that the rivers pour into the sea and the sea nevertheless does not become fuller. Otherwise, if only the Elbe had flowed from the beginning of the world, it would have been able to fill the whole circle of air, up to the circle of the moon. Now, however, since it has flowed for more than five thousand years, it still remains in its banks and does not overflow.
So he says that everything goes on in its order, and in constant movement one follows the other, as the sun moves without ceasing and never stops. So also the air is always in motion, so also the streams pour without ceasing into the sea, and the sea again into rivers and springs through hidden passages of the earth and veins of the mountains; it becomes as it were destil
leaches and seeps through. "And the earth is a right leach, by which the waters are purified." Thus you see that Solomon has summarized in a few words the wonderful arrangement and movement of the four elements among each other, since he names the earth, the sun, the wind and the waters.
But I believe that Solomon wants this, that he draws us by the image (allegoria) of the change of these things in nature to the thing which he treats, and applies that [image] as it were as a likeness from us, as if he wanted to say: as all these things remain unchangeable (in suis vicibus) 2c., so also all ours. The sun never tires in its ceaseless course, and the waters run into the sea, yet are not exhausted 2c. So it is also with the people. They do not cease to imitate their forefathers, who were vain; as they were vain, so we are vain. No one improves himself by the example of others or becomes more careful by the danger of others. Julius [Caesar] was busy with the most trivial undertakings, Cicero was busy with eloquence, but what was the end of his great effort? The very least, for he did not obtain what he wanted. If he had made use of eloquence, not according to his own ideas, but according to the circumstances and the benefit of the people, he would have been a blessed man. We also follow the examples of those 2c. Therefore, all men's attempts go up and down like this; they go, return, and remain as they have always been. Thus in these words, as I have said, there is not only a description of the realm of vanity, but also a likeness and a picture of the human attempts.
V. 8: Everything is so full of trouble that no one can talk. 2)
This text the sophists have corrupted, thinking that here the studies of the philosophers are punished, by which they investigate the nature and causes of things, as if this were evil and inexplicable. But it
1) Wittenberger and Erlanger: mure instead of: muri.
2) In Latin: Oinnis eansn üittieili" s "t^ noquv HnisHuam sxptionrs vereis potest.
is not evil to investigate the nature and properties of things. Then also the things or things of the world are the most obvious; so much is lacking in them that they should be difficult.
This is the opinion: he wants to speak of human vanity, but these vanities are so many, and they are so great, that he thinks he cannot speak enough of them. It is, he says, not to be talked out how great the vanity of men is, that Persius also exclaims: O how great is the nothingness in the things of the world (o quantum est in rebus inane). And another poet [Horace] says: No one is satisfied with his fate, and no one has learned to remain in the position of life he has been given. 1) Vanity extends too far to be enumerated in all the affairs of men. Therefore, I will say little of vanity when you look at the greatness of it. The vanity is so great that I cannot obtain it by any speech; the thing is too great for those to grasp, or for me to set forth: "It is too great and too much." It is difficult to describe the manifoldness of human desires and aspirations, what Julius desires, what Alexander desires, what Solomon desires, what Cato desires, what Scipio desires, what Pompey desires. For the movements of the heart are too great for words to express. But he proves what he has said with an example.
The eye never sees enough, and the ear never hears enough.
That bites, the man has eyes and senses which do not come to rest. If I were to begin to tell you about the activities of these, everything that we eagerly seek with our eyes or ears, then I would at the same time begin an infinite work. If the eye is never satisfied, how could I attain all the vanity of man with words? In short [Jer. 17:9, Vulg.], "The human heart is evil, and no one can fathom it." So great is the diversity of the inclinations and desires of men, that the eyes are never satisfied to desire one thing and another.
1) Dgl. Col. 1380.
And if they obtain it, the heart is still not satisfied. The heart is an ever yawning maw; it desires everything, and even if it obtained everything, it would still desire more. Look at Alexander the Great. When he ruled over almost the whole world, he sighed when he heard that there were several worlds, and said: "And I have not yet conquered one! Thus his heart clearly desires countless worlds. Who here, however eloquent he might be, could attain by words the exceedingly vain aspirations of this heart? It is this vanity and insatiability of the human heart unspeakable. "What he has, he does not like; what he does not have, he longs for." The words, "The eye never sees its fill," you interpret in a general way, not as those interpreted them: It does not see its fill of heaven.
V. 9-11. What is it that has happened? The very thing that will come to pass hereafter. What is it that has been done? The same thing that will be done again hereafter; and there is nothing new under the sun. Does anything happen of which one would like to say, "Behold, this is new"? For it was also done before in times past, which were before us. It is not remembered how it was before; so also that which is to come after will not be remembered by those who are to come after.
Here again the sophists deceive by understanding this of things themselves, while he clearly indicates that he is speaking of inclinations and desires, since he says: "The eye never sees its fill" 2c. For hearing and seeing are the senses which feel things most, and are moved by things. Therefore, this is the opinion:
What is it that has been? 2c. (Quale est, quod fuit? etc.)
That is, after you have accomplished what you wanted, your mind does not rest; you are just as minded after you have obtained the thing as when you had not yet obtained the thing. The heart is never satiated. After Alexander has gained the whole world, he has no more than before, because his heart is no longer sated; just as he did nothing before his undertaking, so he does nothing afterwards.
Julius [Caesar] intended to put the state in order, Brutus intended the same, and neither of them accomplished it. This is what he says: "What is it that has been? The very same thing that will happen." 1) That is, always the same mind is there, which is never satiated. What the heart wants, and is anxious to have or to have, is precisely what it already has. In short, "What one has today, he wants more tomorrow." This restless and insatiable desire and vanity of the human heart is thus indicated, which cannot be satisfied by present things, whatever they may be. What I have accomplished today is nothing; even if I have achieved or accomplished something, I am still not satisfied and always want to do other things. This is how all men do it, this is what Julius did, this is what Pompey did, this is what Alexander did. And what those have done, all do; they desire the future, they are weary of the present. Therefore, remember that in these words he is speaking of human activity, not of the things that are to be created or of those that are created, because he is always speaking of what happens under the sun in this kingdom of the world. Therefore it follows:
Nothing new happens under the sun. Does anything happen of which you want to say, "Behold, this is new"?
This passage tormented the sophists very much, because they read in the holy scriptures that many new things have happened. For Christ's birth is new, a virgin mother is something new. Likewise [Isa. 65, 17.], "I will create new heavens and a new earth." And [Revelation 21:5], "I will make all things new." Likewise [Deut. 16:30], "The LORD will make a new thing in the land. "2c. These sayings have caused them to commit great folly here, to rhyme both with each other, what Solomon says here, and what those sayings say. But this happened out of ignorance of Solomon's way of speaking, because they did not pay attention to what he wanted, since he was
1) It seems to us that instead of: ynoü knetum 68t should be read: ^nocl kutnrnin 68t. After that we have translated, because so the Latin Bible text reads.
says, "Under the sun." For if it is understood from the things themselves and from the works of GOD, it is not true. For GOD always makes new things, but we make nothing new, because the old Adam is the same in all of them; our ancestors abused of things just as we abuse of them. The same attitude that Alexander had, Julius also had, likewise the emperors and all kings, likewise also me. Just as they could not be satisfied, neither can we; they were godless, so are we; we desire to satisfy all the senses, but are unable to do so because the heart is insatiable. Therefore we do nothing new under the sun, there are no new heart movements in man, but we always remain the same, and do not abstain from presumption, even if we are warned by the example of those people. The human heart should be satisfied with the present and stifle the desire for the future; because this does not happen, it is rightly a quite vain vanity. This is why he says: "There is nothing new under the sun", that is, nothing new happens among men, but God makes 2) many new things.
But he says afterwards in this very chapter [v. 16]: "I have more wisdom than all the kings who have been before me", was this not something new? Quite so. But this was a gift of God, therefore very new. But all men have the same aspirations, and you will not find your man who was of a new mind. Others have built, like us; have waged wars, like us. And as those with their striving and efforts did not obtain what they wanted, neither do we; but God, by His works and gifts, creates many and great and ever new things.
One does not remember how it was done before.
That is, people follow their desires, and 3) seek to carry out their aspirations, and are not moved by the examples of the ancestors, that those have done nothing; no one pays attention to that.
2) Erlanger: keil instead of: kaeit.
3) 6t is missing in the Erlanger.
the undertakings of Alexander and Julius were in vain; Brutus was not moved by the example of Dion, who in an unfortunate manner sought to carry out his plots, to recall Dionysius and to order his commonwealth. This is, as it were, the theme of the whole book about which he wants to speak, namely of human vanity, which undertakes many things and achieves nothing, that is, of the inconstancy and insatiability of the human heart.
I, Ecclesiastes, was king over Israel in Jerusalem, and I set my heart to search wisely all that is done under heaven.
So far, we have heard the general theme, or that of which this book is about, in which he has set himself to deal with the unfortunate efforts and endeavors of men, by which they seek to strengthen and carry out their plots, which God thwarts, since He always resists them. Here he now begins to enumerate peculiar (particularia) things, wanting to conclude by dialectical introduction of individual things (inductione) that general sentence with which he had begun the book, namely: "It is all quite vain" 2c. And this vanity or lamentation is increased by the fact that man, although he sees that the endeavors of former men have come to naught, and that their efforts have been in vain, and that they have labored in vain, still does not allow himself to be instructed. For the flesh is so utterly unintelligent, so utterly blind is reason, that it cannot be corrected by any examples.
However, he starts from himself and sets himself up as an example of vanity. I, he says, have endeavored to order the kingdom wisely and well, but have not accomplished it, even though I was appointed king by God. For it is known that this king was praised and distinguished in the holy scriptures because of his divine wisdom, 1 Kings 3, 11. f. "Because you (says God) have asked these things, and do not ask for long life, nor for riches, 2c., behold, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, that your like shall not be found before you.
and will not arise after you." This is a great testimony to the wisdom of this king, and yet this so wise and understanding king did not accomplish what he wanted. He did not succeed in this endeavor, and rightly so, for God did not give him this wisdom so that he would be able to do everything. GOD did not say: I will give you wisdom which others will hear 2c. Therefore, Solomon had more trouble and work from this wisdom than success. He saw that it was pleasing to God to order the kingdom correctly and to tell the people what was right, but no one followed, neither the princes nor the people.
Therefore, he says, "Since I have not succeeded in my attempts and they have not been obeyed, what will happen to others who are less wise? First of all, he says, I appeal to my experience. I, Preacher, have been king of the Israelites. All the words are emphatic and glorious: I am king, and yet I judge nothing. For who will resist the King who is the Lord of all? Then I am not merely a king, nor over any people, but of the people of God, in whom were many holy men, prophets, teachers of the law 2c. Finally, a king: "in Jerusalem," namely the holy place that God chose to dwell there. Now, if such a powerful, free, wise king, who has the most holy people, in the most holy city, where GOD is present and GOD's Word is present, nevertheless cannot carry out his good and holy counsels, what shall we say of others?
V.13. And I set my heart to seek and search wisely all that is done under heaven.
Again, one has to stay with what Solomon is talking about. He does not speak of the deeds of God, which are not limited under the sun, but are everywhere, but of those that go on and are done by men under heaven, which is the place and kingdom assigned to us. For the works of GOD are above and under heaven and everywhere. They are therefore the works which we do according to our own counsel and according to our own strength, of which He says: "I have given my
heart to arrange everything in the best way, so that I would have a kingdom that would be provided with the best order; but only so much was arranged as God worked. In the rest, where God did not lay His hand, I stopped to work my plots, to apply my wisdom and efforts, so that everything would be taken care of in the right way, but in vain. For I have done nothing but miserably toiled and martyred myself, as follows:
God has given such unfortunate trouble to the children of men that they have to torture themselves inside.
That means: God gave me this thought as a punishment, so that I would finally learn that I should not trust in my wisdom, and that everything is in vain, no matter how wisely it is attacked, if God does not want it. I could not stand it when there was some mistake or some error 2c. Therefore, it was quite right for me to be tormented by this thought, so that it would instruct me to turn everything over to His will, and I would realize that my wisdom was nothing. But it is an unfortunate trouble, because we do not want to give way to divine wisdom, and want to be wiser, and do not suffer what God's wisdom suffers, and do not surrender to his will.
By the way, the remembrance and research itself, by which we would like to be advised to the community, is not only not evil, but also godly. This is certainly a good man who wishes that the whole world would be helped. He who is so minded and speaks to himself: If only God would that this city and the prince would keep themselves right, he does not think evil and does not have an evil disposition. For to be concerned that the commonwealth be ordered and preserved is certainly a very good virtue and the highest virtue among men. This very good research, I say, by which I wanted to advise the community, was vain, had no success, but brought me grief. Cicero, Demosthenes, very wise men, wanted to help the commonwealth to the best welfare, and nevertheless only entangled it more in all evil. Thus, God destroyed the wisdom of these people. Thus
This book condemns the sorrow and concern to help things with our own counsel and wisdom, whether they be public or private matters.
Look at Adam, Abraham, Isaac and all the holy fathers, as soon as they started to rely on their own suggestions, without the word of God, immediately everything went back, "and came to nothing". For if God does not precede men with His word, they do no good. Without God's action and word we can do nothing, even if we begin. Thus Eve and Adam were wrong when they said when Cain was born [Gen. 4:1], "I have the man, the Lord," because it was a human thought without the Word, they had the glorious hope that this one would be the seed. He will be raised and appointed heir of the whole world. But soon Cain killed his brother; then all their remembrance fell away and became vain. Thus Isaac lacks his firstborn, Esau. Saul is vainly anxious to deliver his kingdom to his sons. So also David, since he preferred Absalom. Thus God scoffs at thoughts and counsels that are not based on His word, and rightly so. For why do we want to dictate to him and add to his wisdom?
Therefore, we should learn to submit to God's counsels and abstain from worries and thoughts that God has not commanded. There is nothing more certain, and nothing more pleasing to God, than if we abstain from our counsels and base ourselves on His word; there we will find enough to do. He has commanded us faith, love and the cross. With these, I say, we can happily occupy ourselves; the rest we shall do as it comes before our hands, and leave to him the care of success. But now, because we despise His word, God punishes us again so that we struggle in vain. For God resists that which is not done, neither good nor evil, which the wise and the rulers think of by setting aside the word, as it says in the 33rd Psalm, v. 10: "The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to naught.
Therefore, where there is the most apparent wisdom and the most diligent activity, God makes the most mei-
1398 xxi, 3i-34. interpretations on Ecclesiastes. W. v, 2058-2063. 1399
This is obviously happening in our times, when the princes and bishops of Germany have achieved nothing through so many imperial diets and so many councils. But even so, God cannot bring us to submit our counsels to Him. Therefore it is called an unholy toil, that is, one that torments and tortures (not that these things, wisdom, counsel 2c., böfe 1), according to the ordinary way of speaking in Scripture, as Matt. 6:34: "It is enough for every day to have its own plague." But this plague or trouble God gave to men, not to destroy them, but to dissuade them from their foolish wisdom and counsels, and to instruct us that our wisdom is nothing. Cicero has indeed written many wise things, but when we read them and undertake to put them into practice, everything goes the way of cancer and nothing is accomplished, because we attack them according to our advice. For even the right wisdom does not bring anything about, but the will of God, so that we learn to pray: "Your will be done" 2c.
V. 14. 15. I looked at all the doings under the sun, and behold, they were all vain and pitiful. Crookedness cannot be made bad, nor can error be counted.
This is a confirmation of the previous statement. Not only have I experienced this vanity in my own example, but I have also looked at all others, and have recognized that their counsels have failed as well as mine; just as my own counsels do not work out well for me, so I have seen that they do not work out well for anyone in the whole world. The counsels of the wise are equally thwarted as those of the foolish. Therefore, with these words the attitude is rejected which is called "the good opinion," as it is commonly said, "I have meant well." But nothing is a good opinion except that which is governed by the Word of God, and which begins from faith; all other opinions, even those which are contrary to the
1) In the original edition: mal", that is inalue, related from res; so also the Jena. Wittenberg and Erlangen: maln.
The best ideas, which seem to be very good, are deceptive and do a great deal of harm. This is also testified by Cicero, who himself experienced that the best thought out turns out to be the worst. And God is quite right when he thus thwarts our counsels, because even if only a few succeed, people soon become puffed up and arrogate honor to themselves, which is against the honor of God, who alone wants to be honored 2c.
The crooked cannot go bad, nor the wrong be counted.
He adds the reason why everything causes misery through vain care and sorrow. For, he says, the faults are innumerable, which cannot be remedied, whose greatness and quantity defeat all human counsel. Therefore he wants to say: I know by my wisdom what is useful and suitable, but what can I do against these things? The crookedness and corruption in human affairs are so great that they can never be set right. Look at the Roman Empire; although it was ruled wisely, it could never find nor bring about a lasting peace through its counsels, but in the place of one defeated enemy, many took its place, and if there were not external wars, internal unrest arose until the state perished. This is what has happened to all men; let every man look at the course of his life, and if at any time in his life everything has turned out as he had imagined, let him accuse this book of falsehood.
Therefore, the best thing would be to put everything in GOtte's home and follow those who say: "Let it go the way it goes, there is no other way, deun it goes. This also reminds the German saying: "You are much too geel around the beak that you should make old peelers pious". Therefore you see that princes who want to reform and correct everything in the best possible way often do a lot of harm. In human affairs it is not possible to act so well that everything is done in the right way, and not very many evils remain. Therefore, the right thing to do is to walk in the faith that allows God to rule and pray that
The kingdom of God comes, meanwhile tolerating and suffering all evil, but commanding it to Him who judges rightly, as Christ did not trust Himself to men [John 2:24], but bore all men's infirmities and evils. When it was announced to him that John the Baptist had been killed, he kept silent about this horrible deed, went into the wilderness [Matth. 14, 13], gave food to the people, "did not accept it"; he preached the word alone and carried out his ministry. So it is the right Christian wisdom that one should submit to the government of God and entrust the matter to the one who judges rightly. A Christian can punish sin with God's word, but he should not intervene with his hand if he has not been forced to do so by God, or if he has been commanded to do so by the word. Therefore, if you are alone and cannot make everything right and straight, command Him who has more power and who alone is able to do everything.
V. 16-18. I said in my heart, Behold, I am become glorious, and have more wisdom than all that were before me in Jerusalem; and my heart hath learned and experienced many things. And my heart also gave out that I learned wisdom, and foolishness, and prudence sapientiam et scientiam, et stultitiam, et imprudentiam). But I became aware that this is also effort. For where there is much wisdom, there is much sorrow; and he who must teach much must suffer much.
It is almost the same as what he said above. I, he says, have often thought how it is that my undertakings and counsels do not succeed, since I have become glorious and have more wisdom than all 2c. For besides the divine wisdom with which he was endowed by God, he also shone forth with an admirable human or worldly wisdom, so much so that even the order of his servants was an object of wonder to the queen of Arabia [2 Chron. 9:4].
Wisdom and prudence.
"Prudence" (scientia) does not generally denote a speculative knowledge, but a practical and experiential knowledge, a right conduct (discretionem) in the execution of things, which we call experience and practice in things, as it is said in the 119th Psalm [v. 66.]: "Teach me sound manners and knowledge" (scientiam). "Wisdom" is the knowledge by which I see how a community must be ordered and governed, which prudence or experience then directs according to the existing things and circumstances, according to a certain manner, as the things and the times entail 2c.
Thorosity and lack of understanding.
Namely, so that I would keep these away from me and my kingdom, but promote those [wisdom and prudence]. But what happens? I have learned that this, too, is tribulation of the spirit and useless worry, which does not achieve its purpose. Therefore, the wisest thing is to compose oneself in such a way that one can bear everything. Why?
For where there is much wisdom, there is much grief.
"He who sees much and knows how it should go" cannot avoid being annoyed and thinks: "Oh, how hopelessly, how shamefully it goes on" in the world! 2) But where does this anger and indignation come from other than from much wisdom? For he who knows much has many causes to be angry, since he must see many annoying things every day. He who has closed eyes knows nothing and is not indignant. Therefore learn to be silent, command the government and pray: Lord, your will be done. Otherwise you will wear out your heart and your body, and spoil the time and your life.
1) In the Erlanger inoderstur instead of rnodsratur.
2) The words in speech marks in this sentence are in the original German language.