Cap. 4, 17. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and come that thou mayest hear. This is better than the sacrifice of fools, for they know not what evil they do.
The fifth chapter begins here, because it is a new teaching. What happens to the unintelligent when they read this book is what happens to the wicked when they hear the Gospel preached. For when they hear that righteousness by faith and Christian liberty are preached, but righteousness by works is denied, they at once make the
Conclusion: So we do not need to do good works, indeed, we want to sin, because faith is enough. On the other hand, when works are preached as the fruit of faith, they immediately attach justification to them, and thereby seek to attain salvation. Thus, God's word is always followed by the two pieces, presumption and despair, so that it is exceedingly difficult to stay on the middle road. It is the same with this booklet. For when
the unintelligent hear this teaching, that we should have a calm and quiet heart, that we must render all things unto God, they conclude: If all things are in the hand of God, then we are in the hand of God.
we do not want to work anything; as others are lacking on the other side, that they are too worried, and want to measure and govern everything in any way. But we must take the middle road. We should work diligently and do what we can, according to the word of God, but we should not measure our work according to our efforts, but attribute all our doings, counsel and success to divine wisdom.
Therefore, it seems to me that Solomon is issuing a warning and a salutary exhortation at this point to those who do not walk on the middle road, but are either too casual about work or too concerned about it, advising them to let themselves be governed by God's word and to work diligently in the meantime.
Keep your foot when you go to the house of God.
The house of God or the temple is not instituted for the sake of sacrifice as well as for the sake of preaching, so that the people of God might gather there to hear the word of His God, as a prince summons his own, not only that they might eat and drink, but that they might hear His word etc. Therefore, where the preaching of the word of God is not, neither is the assembly (conventus) of the people of God or the house of God. He now commands rather that one should keep the foot than the heart, namely, lest they be offended when they hear such teaching. See that you do not go astray, he says, when you hear this teaching, as the prophet also says in Psalm 73:2], "I would have stumbled with my feet." For every word of God, whether it is about the peace of conscience or about outward peace, is followed by trouble, "because it is a sign that is contradicted, since it is set for the fall and rising of many" [Luc. 2, 34.], as Christ also says [Matth. 11, 6. 1: "Blessed is he who does not take offense at me." In short, the word is a vexation and a foolishness to the flesh.
Therefore he says: "You hear what I teach, but see to it that you do not get angry and make a nuisance for yourself - that you, when you hear one
You must have a calm heart, and your efforts are vain, you do not say, so I do not want to work anything, or think that one must take care of nothing, or again, you are not too anxiously worried, and want to govern everything by your reason. Human worries, thoughts and counsels don't do anything, like Plato's world regiment (Politia). But if you want to avoid all troubles, surrender yourself to the words and works of God, and leave your thoughts and counsels aside and throw them from you, "let it be said to you, hold out your ears", come that you may hear. For nowhere is our path safe in all human and divine affairs unless we give ourselves wholly to the word and work of God, and thereby persevere without all wavering of mind.
That is better than the fools' sacrifice.
This is added proverbially to confirm this saying. "Hearing the word" stands higher or is better than all the gifts, services and sacrifices of fools. This he says for this reason, that he may exalt hearing and obedience to the word above all works. For it is quite proper that we hear the counsel of our God above all things, as often as we come together in the house of God. But the wicked toil with works, and leave God's counsel in suspense.
And here you see what "a fool" means in Hebrew, namely not such a person whom we call a stick-fool (morionem), but such a one who does not hear God's word or does not believe it from the heart, although he may otherwise be a very clever man, because these people do not know God, nor what God is, much less care about it, but are directed here and there by their worries, and care for what should not be cared for. Their concern is that they sacrifice. But you take the best part, hear the word of God and be careful not to get angry.
For they know not what evil they do.
With these words he himself interprets who "the fools" are. For surely no one is so evil that he would do evil if he knew it was so evil in the sight of God. Dar-
He calls those people fools, ignorant, blind, who do many things as if they were good, and with great earnestness, but do not know that these sacrifices, which they perform with such great effort, are completely ungodly. Thus Christ called the Pharisees blind men, who offered many sacrifices, labored with works, but left faith and love in abeyance, not even knowing of them, calling good that which was evil, and again. He therefore rightly calls them fools.
But you see that the highest and best conduct in the service of God is called foolish and wicked. For he speaks of the sacrifice, which those perform in the best opinion and with great earnestness, because it was done with setting aside the word of God. Therefore, stay with the word, so that you do not neglect this and follow your own judgment and fall for the sacrifices of fools, as those have done who have fallen for the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience and other vows, and have set aside the word of God. All of these 1) have taken offense at the beautiful appearance, and their feet have slipped.
Cap. 5, 1. 2. Do not be quick with your mouth, and do not let your heart be hasty to speak anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few. For where there is much sorrow, there come dreams; and where there are many words, there is heard the fool.
This is one part of those who are angry and deviate to the right, who toil too much and ponder over God's counsel, as some say: If we are to do nothing but believe, we will do no works at all. So these say: If our counsels are nothing, what shall we do? Why did God create us like this? Why does he give success to this but not to that? etc. Therefore Solomon warns us here not to follow such thoughts, nor to follow these disputators, but to stick to the word and do it,
1) So the Wittenbergers: oinnos; Erlangers: üovainsk.
what he prescribes for us here. Therefore, we should not give way to the anxious concern of these people, nor to the carelessness of those people, but remain on the right path and on the middle road.
Before God.
That is, in the house of God, in the place where the word is taught, where God is worshipped and preached, you shall not be quick to speak, that is, you shall not be a doctor, and you shall not teach, but be taught. But as soon as the wicked have heard God's word, they immediately bark and grumble against it, some to the left, but others to the right. On the left, the papists argue; on the right, our zealots. Both are quick to speak before God, since they want to establish their teachings as divine. Therefore, do not follow your own words or the words of others, but listen to 2) the Lord, as also Jacobus says [Cap. 3, 1: "Do not forbid anyone to be a teacher." So the meaning is this: be neither your own teacher, nor the teacher of others, but let the word of God alone be your teacher. [Matth. 23, 8:] "For one is your Master, Christ", who is in heaven; him you shall hear.
For where there is much worry, there come dreams etc.
There are two proverbs which he applies to his saying. For it happens that where there are many worries and thoughts during the day, many dreams follow at night, as also the physicians consider. He applies this general saying thus: If thou thinkest anxiously and disputest how things shall be governed, and wilt be troubled and anxious about all things, nothing shall follow but dreams, out of which nothing shall come when thou awakest, that is, finally thou shalt know that it is vain. 1 Tim. 1, 7: "They understand not what they say, or what they set." In such a way, when we and others prescribe many things to men, nothing comes of it; but it is much more so when we prefer our thoughts and counsels to the word of God.
And where there are many words, there one hears the fool.
That is to say, to argue in many ways, to be too clever, to want to tell everyone what to do, to instruct everyone, indicates a fool. "A fool can be recognized when he wants to be clever. A hasty wisdom and a hastened righteousness never turn out well, as he also said: I hate a child with precocious (praecoci) wisdom. Therefore he reminds us that we should not dispute, but listen and do. And this text could be understood in two words: Hear and be silent. For whoever is able to listen, of him we say in a German proverb that he will be wise. But he who wants to be regarded as being able to help things with many words and disputations is a fool and only hinders things more. So these are excellent sayings for the right conduct (moros), and which can be said against those who want to bring about nourishment by their conduct, or who want to prescribe a rule for the works of God etc. So also Jude, v. 8, calls such people "dreamers" who want to help the church without the word.
For God is in heaven, and you on earth.
That is, be mindful of how you are constituted: God is such a great majesty in heaven, but you are a worm on earth. You are not able to speak about divine works according to your judgment, rather let God speak; do not dispute about God's counsel and do not take it into your head to direct things according to your counsel. It is God who is able to direct things and also to carry them out, for He is in heaven. All this we say in German: "Not many words; shut up!" You cannot set GOtte a rule. These therefore sin on the left side, who do not want to hear God's word, but want to help things themselves, yes, teach the Lord what he should do. He rejects them thus: "Listen, be silent and do what God commands and what he puts before your hand; if you do not do this, you will fall into trouble and become a dreamer and a fool.
V. 3. 4. When you make a vow to God, do not try to keep it, for he has no pleasure in fools. What you vow, keep. It is better that you vow nothing, than that you do not keep what you vow.
This passage is very highly raised in the church and under the rule of the papacy, and this is almost the only saying with which they drift on the monastic vows and erect the same. We have written about this matter in more detail elsewhere. We are not disputing whether one should keep vows or not, but whether those are in truth vows, which they boast as such. Jerome and Lyra also agree that a vow must be such that it is possible and brings glory to God. They call a foolish vow such as picking up a straw from the earth, scratching the head with the finger. And Moses enumerates the kinds of vows, and what things may be vowed, namely, a field, a house, food, clothing, one's own body; all these are in our power. Thus the Jews vowed their souls or bodies to the priests, that they would serve them at any and all times. Moreover, Moses has no eternal vow except the one he calls "the vowed" (anathema), namely the vow that one would bring it to death, Deut. 27, 28. f., which had to be killed, whether the thing vowed was man or cattle, as Jephthah did. Judg. 11, 30. f. 39. Therefore, if the monks want to assert eternal vows, they would have to be strangled immediately, since they want to defend their vows from Moses. Otherwise, all possible vows are also temporal, so that you can vow the body to the Lord; likewise a field, a meadow, a garment, for some time, etc. that the priest or the Levite may use it. This way of pledging was very useful for the Levites, so that they could be fed the easier and better, and God made provisions about these things so that He would provide for them in this way.
But our vows are quite foolish, not to mention ungodly, because we vow poverty and obedience, which in the Evan-
gelio are commanded and belong to all Christians. But the vow of perpetual chastity (virginitatis) is an impossible one, therefore these vows are also void according to the judgment of Jerome and Lyra. Moreover, this passage of Solomon seems to me to clearly concern those who are on the right side, who, having heard that their conduct is of no use, do not want to do anything after that. For a fool thinks like this: If I can do nothing with my cares and my undertakings, I will do nothing; even that which I have vowed I will not keep etc. Against these despisers he says: Do what God has commanded; I do not make you free from work, but command that you do what God has commanded. But He commands that if you have vowed something, you should keep what you have vowed. Therefore, if you have vowed something and have that with which you can keep it, you must keep it. Summarize all this in this way: Listen, be silent and do what the Lord commands.
For he has no pleasure in fools.
Now he confirms this saying by a divine threat. But he speaks of these fools according to the way of the Scriptures, who despise God's word or do not care about it: "Do not be reprobate, do not cast it to the winds," for you will not remain unpunished, but your certain punishment awaits, as it is wont to come upon those in whom God does not delight and whom he is angry with. For He is also angry with you.
V. 5. 6. Do not let your mouth deceive your flesh, and do not say before the angel, "I am innocent. God may be angry with your voice, and condemn all the works of your hands. Where there are many dreams, there is vanity and many words; but fear God.
This is a confirmation of the same saying, whereby he warns that they should not be obstinate and do nothing, as he warned before, they should not be too anxiously anxious and want to rule everything according to their reason. He says: "Do not speak so carnally, so sacrilegiously, so foolishly, that you listen to your flesh, but speak according to the word of God. Neither say: This
is done out of ignorance or is a minor sin, namely, if I also do not work, if I do not perform what I have vowed, as the careless people who have a wide conscience tend to do with sin, thinking that God does not care about sins, nor does He require good works from us; but you do not excuse it, nor do you disregard it, if you sin. For this is where heresies come from, that they throw the word of God to the wind, and persist in doing so, as if it were not sin; and they are so full of spirit that they think they have no need of the ministry of the word. This certainty or negligence is indicated by the Hebrew word XXXX, which is also in the title of the 7th Psalm and in the title of the hymn Habakkuk [Cap. 3]. For it signifies ignorance, but not such as we call lack of knowledge (inscitiam) etc., but that which we would more properly call inconscientiam, if this were a Latin word, that is, "If one is not aware of a thing, or has no conscience of it," so that it must be referred not to the angel, but to the one who speaks the words, who thus says: I am not aware of anything evil, God will not punish me.
Before the angel.
For God governed this people through the mediation of angels, as it is said in the letter to the Galatians [Cap. 3, 19.] that the law was given by the angels, through the hand of the mediator. And Moses says to the people [Ex. 23:20], "Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared," commanding them the angel as the leader of the people. After this manner Solomon speaks, "Speak not before the angel," etc. namely, whom God has given to be our leader. So "before the angel" is the same as "before God", "God may be angry at your voice" etc. that is, see to it that you are not a despiser of the vow, and become unhappy in all that you undertake.
Then he closes this whole passage almost in the same way and with the same saying as above [P. 2.]. There are only dreams and vanity etc. For where there are many sorrows, there follow
many dreams, and where there are many counsels and thoughts, there is much vanity. Therefore fear God, be content with the word, and let him rule according to his counsel. For he is in heaven, thou on earth, as above [v. 1.] Thou shalt work indeed, but let him govern thy works, and expect him to give the prospering. For what do you do with all your words, counsels and thoughts but heartache? For where there are many words, there are also many dreams, and again. This is a generally valid sentence (universalis) simply the other way round: Where many thoughts or considerations are, there are many dreams, and where many dreams are, there are also many words and thoughts.
Therefore, the summa is: Fear God, that is, have reverence for him and hold him high in your heart. Thus Paul commands [Eph. 5:33] the woman to fear the man, that is, to hold him in such esteem that she does not easily commit anything that might offend him. So we too should fear God, that is, hold Him in honor, and not do or commit anything that might anger Him. He wants to say: Do not keep company with those who are too anxious, nor with those who are too casual. Do not be an ungodly reprobate, but neither be a presumptuous counselor and scrutator.
Now here is the end of this teaching and the admonition that one should not get angry in the course of this life. He says: Do not dispute about it, but do not despise it either, but hold God in honor and think that it is God's work etc. For God does all this so that He may disgrace our counsels and our flesh, and show that He is God etc. For the flesh either tortures itself too much, or does not take these things into consideration at all. Thus, in the middle of his speech, Solomon is concerned that he should avoid trouble, lest someone take offense at his teaching, and either not take up the matter, or even be presumptuous. Therefore, he exhorts us to keep our vows, to fear the Lord and to keep his commandments.
"Vows," however, is not understood by Scripture to mean ceremonial things alone, but so calls the whole service of God, as it does in the 50th Psalm,
V. 14, means, "Pay your vows to the Most High." Likewise the word when the Jews said [Ex. 19:8], "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do." That was the highest vow. So you, who have promised the Lord that you will do His will, remain firm in this vow, and leave everything else in order, of which God does not want you to investigate or take care. Now he returns to the register of human affairs.
V. 7, 8: If you see the poor wronged and justice and righteousness torn away in the land, do not be surprised at the nobility, for there is still a high guardian over the high, and there are still higher ones over the two. Over this is the king in all the land, to build the field.
After he has spoken of godliness, he returns very finely to the register of vanities, and often repeats the same, as is customary in sermons. He now says: "I have said that you should fear God, for otherwise you will do no good, rather you will say that there is no God, if you are not fortified by the fear of God and the knowledge of the truth, because you will see injustice against the poor, and how justice is perverted. Here you will grumble about how unjust it is and say: Where is God? Why does he suffer this? He strengthens us against these thoughts and grievances. You, he says, fear God, and remember, "It has its judge." If you cannot correct the judge, think that this is the way of the world, and that no one can bring about that all judges are just; that stands alone with God and the highest King.
No one understands this but those who have been in public office. I have seen and experienced in the monastery how many unsuitable people were appointed for the administration of the business or were appointed to the offices, which cannot be changed. Thus our Staupitz, since he wanted and wished to fill all offices with the best people, was still not able to do so. "One must (he said) plow with the horses one has." He who does not have horses must, as the saying goes, plow with oxen. So it goes in the.
human affairs. Sometimes there is a good prince, but he cannot make all the judges better, nor can he make all the praesides and judges good and just, and yet he must have persons in authority. So wise men are anxiously concerned and see to it that the common people are well ordered and obedient, but they grumble and complain about the violence and injustice of the judges etc.
When you see this, think that this is the vanity of the world, and do not flee from the world into the desert like the monks. For these have done likewise, as when the husbandman, having wild horses, would leave them, when by his stopping and care he should have made them not so wild. Thus, some house fathers are very strict drivers to work, but nevertheless they do nothing but bring everything into confusion by their unreasonableness. It is said that Emperor Frederick the Third used this famous saying: He who cannot overlook cannot govern. To this add this: He who cannot overlook does not know how to live. If you want to live in the world, learn to see this.
Should we do nothing? Not at all. One should be active and work, but what you cannot do, overlook. Thus a wise householder must overlook many things and not want to know what is annoying. For it is not possible for everything to be done right without all injustice. Therefore, this book teaches calmness and peace of heart in the affairs of this life, that when you hear or see evil, you do not become indignant, but say, "This is the accident and the course of this world. "There is no other way here." Again, when thou seest good, thou shalt say, Praise be to God, who so governs affairs that He does not merely cause evil to happen or be done, but adds good to evil. Do what you can; the rest command God and suffer, as the proverb says: "He who cannot lift a heavy stone, let him lie", and let him who can lift this stone. Therefore, if you see evil in princes, that the authorities abuse the authority they have received, that judges pronounce judgment in an ungodly manner,
If the people murmur and the sages dispute, etc. think: God will correct this.
Do not be surprised at the nobility.
He wants to make our heart still. Do not be surprised, he says, when you see such things, "but be content. You will not improve this, for you can neither help nor advise these things. Therefore fear God and command Him, and you will have peace. He who does not do this has nothing but heartache.
For there is still a high guardian over the high.
That is, do not torment yourself if you cannot change it; leave it to a higher judge. What the inferior cannot do, let him think that it is due to the superior. If a prince is evil, bring it before the highest prince, God. So, even if I am in great distress because of the sacramentalists and the rotten spirits who disturb the Church of God and stain the Gospel, what can I do? I bring the matter home to the right judge, God, in whose hands all things stand. Although I am sorry that souls are so miserably deceived and seduced, I can do nothing more than to resist them according to my office and say: "Let go, it is enough of error, turn back. If you have advised another in this way, then command him, according to the words of Paul [Titus 3:10]: "Avoid a heretical man, when he has been admonished once and again" etc. Likewise [2 Tim. 3, 13.): "With wicked men it becomes the longer the worse", and they will not escape their judge. "Every man has his judge. If the magistrate does not do it, the bailiff or captain does it." If the latter also does not judge, the prince judges. Now if the prince neglects to do it, the emperor will do it; if the emperor neglects to do it, 2) God will not neglect nor neglect to do it. This is it that he says, "Moreover, over these is the king in all the land." Solomon had no higher authority than the king. "Let the king execute" what you cannot.
1) Erlanger: üoa instead of: die.
To build the field.
This seems to be a statement (epithet) about the king's authority, by which it is indicated what kind of office he presides over and what it is that the temporal power has to deal with. For this purpose, he says, the authority is appointed, that it may cultivate the land, that it may avenge the injustice and evil done to the subjects. The king has the sword, so that he may protect the innocent and punish the guilty. For God does not allow any wrongdoing in the country that he does not punish through the authorities. If a lower one does not do it, a higher one does it, that is, the wrongdoer finally comes under the power of the sword. But it is a beautiful thing that the king is called a cultivator of the land, which indicates not only the cultivation of the land, but also the preservation of the whole temporal regime, which is done by laws, courts, and so forth. For it is the duty of a king to both protect and nurture, and to bring about the goods and riches of the people. The cultivation of the land brings about the goods; the warrior state or the sword protects them, keeps harmful people in check, so that the others can build the field and do what they owe. Thus it is up to the king both to acquire goods and to preserve them, for if he does not defend, the others cannot cultivate the land. Thus he strengthens us against the aversions and at the same time teaches that our counsels are vain. I, he says, am king by God's will. Even if I am not able to improve everything, I still do what I can. The other I must suffer, lest the whole land become desolate, and in the meantime I command it to the supreme judge, God, who has all the power of the sword. So shall others also do, each in his office, what he is able, and command the rest to the higher power.
V. 9, 10: He who loves money will never be satisfied with it; he who loves riches will have no use for it. This is also vain. For where there is much good, there are many who eat it; and what is he worth who has it, without looking at it with his eyes?
This belongs to what he said in the first chapter [v. 8.]: "The ear never hears enough, and the eye never sees enough." For here the vanity of the heart and of human desires is treated. One world is not enough for Alexander. So it goes in all other affairs, honors, riches etc. For so it is with the miserable human life that the miser can be an example for all. He has money and yet does not get enough of it; indeed, he does not enjoy the money he has, and only thirsts for other money that is not yet available. What, then, is the miser but a heart that always reaches out for what it does not have and turns away from what it does have? Thus, miserliness is a vanity of the heart. Would it not be better to be content with the present and to throw away the concern for the future? The servants of war are more blessed people than the miser, even though they are full of all vices and shameful deeds and lead a very hard life. For otherwise all men are stingy, except those in whom other equally bad vices stifle this vice of avarice. But only the godly have this grace, that they are content with what they have and use it with thanksgiving and joy. The miser does not have a larger mouth or a larger body than the godly poor man, nor can he digest more, and yet the latter is content with little, indeed he is rich; but the latter, in the midst of riches, is poor and full of greed. This is said and held up in a wholesome and godly way, but the flesh surely despises everything that is said or done.
Where there is much good etc.
An apt saying. The miser is not satiated, but scrapes together more and more. For whom? The stingy man wants a spendthrift. For though he has an immense amount of money, yet it is consumed, either while he lives, or after he dies, and has nothing of it but trouble and heartache. King Solomon has houses full of gold and silver, but who uses this good? The courtiers. He himself has only clothing and food from it. For who uses in the courts of the goods of the prince?
sten? The horsemen, the scribes, the thrasones and great good-for-nothings. Therefore, the gathering together of wealth is nothing other than gathering together many devourers. Why do you worry so much about gathering everything together? Be content with what you have; but if you gather goods together, they will not be given to you without the devourers, if not in this life, certainly after death. Of all your goods you have nothing but that you fill your mouth and your body and clothe your body. But if wealth comes to you, use your share, let the rest be enjoyed by others, and let the care of gathering and gathering be taken from you. If you do not do this, it will still be so; for here you hear, "where there is much good, there are many who eat it.
And what will be geneußt, who has it etc.
This is an apt mockery of avarice. It is a saying of Horace: 1)
Congestis undique saccis Indormis inhians, et tanquam parcere sacris Cogeris, aut pictis tanquam gaudere tabellis.
He says: Poor among great riches. Solomon has quite the same opinion. The miser has only the good, that he looks at the florins as I look at a painted picture, besides which he has nothing. The miser cannot use money for the purpose for which it was made, namely, to eat, drink, and clothe himself, and with the rest to serve others. For for this purpose wine and grain grow, for this purpose gold and silver etc. are given to us, so that we may use them in this way. But the flesh does not care for this, but rather despises it and follows its vents. That is why it leads a very miserable life, without rest and peace.
V. 11. To him who labors, sleep is sweet, whether he has eaten little or much; but the abundance of the rich makes him not sleep.
Solomon goes on to condemn wealth, that is, the worries and efforts to gather and maintain riches. For the more riches the miser collects, the more
1) Cf. col. 1446.
more is his heart or his desire provoked. The miser always has more need, and is poor under riches. Yes, avarice is such a monster (says Sallust) that it is diminished neither by abundance nor by want, and as that poet says: 2) Crescit amor nummi, quantum ipsa pecunia crescit.
(The love of money increases the more money itself increases).
Among these plagues of the miser, he lists another. Even though the miser satisfies himself, he cannot sleep. Thus the life of the miser is miserable in every way, that he has no rest either by day or by night. But it is so arranged by nature that a body which is moderately refreshed sleeps sweetly and rests. For drunken men neither sleep nor wake; they are neither dead nor alive. And he that laboureth with moderate labour sleepeth lightly and softly, though he have little to eat, as it is said (Ps. 104:23.), "Man goeth to his work until the even." But the stingy delay labor until night, and wear out and break the body. But since the body of the miser is overfilled with food and broken by laborious work, but the spirit with worries, it does not let him sleep.
Since Solomon says: "To him who works", he commands that one works and does not forbid that one acquires wealth. And since he says: "Sweet is sleep", he demands a moderate work, which exercises the body, but does not spoil it. Therefore he demands work, but rejects desire and worry, because the blessing of the Lord makes one rich (Proverbs 10:22). Immeasurably great work does not make rich, as the 127th Psalm, v. 2, says: "It is in vain that you rise up early" etc., likewise: "To his friends he gives it sleeping." Thus Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon became rich through God's gift and blessing; but they used their riches in such a way that they also helped others with them. Therefore, do not throw away your riches, do not abolish the magisterial offices, as Epicurus taught, do not cast away your wife, do not drive away your servants,
2) 4uv6nat XIV, 139.
but work and suffer. We must be in the midst of people and goods, not casting off worldly affairs from us, but suffering what God lays out for us. Where God has placed you, there you shall remain, only you shall not want to rule things by your own counsel. Everything that does not go out evil to you, consider it profit. For it is so in this life that we must expect evil daily, but the good is there and comes out of our expectation. But when it comes, we should thank God for it as for a special blessing. If you are blessed with a chaste wife and obedient children, you should thank God. If an authority governs the community well and rightly, if a field yields a good return, etc., consider all this as profit. But if the opposite happens, do not agonize over it too much.
So Solomon does not want to pull us out of worldly affairs, but to bring us into them, so that we should not make of Solomon a Crates or Diogenes, who were foolish despisers of wealth and the world. For it is an ungodly word of the philosophers: xxx β1 ^
^αζ [live in seclusion]. For seeing that this world and affairs were not rightly managed, they thought it best to live in seclusion and not to mix in the affairs and public affairs, lest they should be compelled to see and suffer such unjust things. For this saying of Solomon, that one must use things and suffer them, was hidden and unknown to all philosophers. But we, who have Solomon as our teacher, should do what we can, but what we cannot, we should let go.
V. 12, 13: It is an evil plague that I have seen under the sun, to keep wealth to the hurt of him that hath it. For the rich man perishes with great sorrow, and if he has begotten a son, nothing remains in his hand.
This, too, is a very vain plague in human life. It is not an evil that is common to all, but it is nevertheless common, namely, that wealth is kept to the detriment of the one who has it and the one who has received it.
has collected. For Solomon not only complains that there is heartache in such things, but also that such things must be seen in the world, even though he himself is free of them. For how many in our time have been secretly killed in their own homes for the sake of wealth? Did not the Duke of Bavaria in our time have a great quantity of gold, a tower full of gold? But this gold became a cause of war for the duke and a calamity for the whole country. And hardly any prince has left behind great riches without it being used to the detriment of the entire fatherland. Thus Julius Caesar used the money in the treasury at Rome to the ruin of the city. Our bishops have accumulated treasures, but only to the misfortune of serving no one with them; this has incited the peasants. Now they are continuing to gather and to exploit the people, but they will not let up until people come to take it away from them, and they themselves will fall into ruin.
Should we throw away our riches? By no means; rather, they should be brought to us, especially the princes, but in such a way that we ourselves enjoy them and help others. Because this does not happen, God allows the goods in which they trust to ruin those who have them as a punishment. Thus Ezekiel prophesies against the godless and miserly Jews [Cap. 22, 13. ff.] that because they did not reach out to the poor, they would be led away captive and perish with their riches. The same happens to our rich miserly men, the bishops and the despisers of the gospel; because they do not want to let their gold and their riches serve the poor, so the soldiers and the fiscus will come and take away what Christ does not get. 1)
They perish with great lamentation.
He who has wealth suffers great plague; daily he stands in danger, at home from thieves, abroad from robbers; he is caught and killed. The merchants know this little song very well.
1) Cf. Walch, St. Louis ed. vol. XX, 2177, s 50. Ibid, vol. II, 1817, s 88.
And if he has begotten a son, nothing remains in his hand.
The cause is this [Ezek. 16, 49.], because Sodom and Gomorrah have everything in full, but do not help the poor, therefore the Lord turns them back etc. The miser gathers together, another one will do what is gathered. The miser thinks: my son shall have these goods; but behold, God sends robbers or thieves to rob him of all his goods, so that neither he nor his son will have anything left. Therefore, one should stop with work, but expect the blessing from the Lord, and reach out to the poor, yes, all our work should be like that of the people who sing and work in the harvest, so that in the midst of the work and the sweat we may be joyful, and so minded that we could also lose everything with equanimity, and so think: I will indeed work for myself and my children; if God provides something, let us use it; if anything is left over, then my son shall have it after me; but if nothing is left over, then God will feed him, just as He fed me.
V. 14, 15: As he came naked from his mother's womb, so he goes back as he came, taking nothing of his work in his hand with him when he goes. This is an evil plague, because he goes as he came. What helplessness is there in him, that he has worked in the wind?
This is also in the book of Job in the first chapter, v. 21: "I came naked from my mother's womb" etc., likewise in Paul 1 Tim. 6, 7: "We have brought nothing into the world, neither shall we bring anything out." Even the richest man can boast of nothing else than that he has eaten and drunk of his goods (inde) as long as he has lived etc. Since we cannot take anything away with us, we should share it with others, use the wealth as the flowing water, as the air. We should think thus: As I, when I die, must leave my wealth, so will I leave it, while I live. Why, then, should I gather it with so great a care, since we have but a mouthful of it?
can have? I use water in this way: I wash myself, others also wash themselves. "What we do not (need, we let) flow." So we use fire, so we use air. And of wealth thou shalt so use, that thou be but the steward.
What does it help him that he has worked into the wind?
"Working into the wind" is a Hebrew way of speaking that Paul imitated 1 Cor. 9, 26. "I do not fence as he who sweeps into the air." And 1 Cor. 14:9, "Ye shall speak into the wind." But it denotes the same thing as speaking in vain. Thus Solomon says, "The miser hath wrought into the wind," that is, in vain. "It is labor in vain."
V. 16. All his life he ate in darkness, and in great sorrow, and sickness, and grief.
Again, a Hebrew way of saying, "He ate in darkness," instead of: He ate in sadness. But the same is taken from the moods and the face of men. For when the heart is sad, the eyes are, as it were, covered with a cloud; but when it is happy, the countenance is, as it were, illuminated by rays and a new light. This way of speaking is frequent in the Psalms, that light is taken for joy, darkness for sorrow, as Ps. 27, 1: "The Lord is my light and my salvation." Likewise Ps. 13, 4: "Enlighten my eyes" etc. "To eat in darkness" is therefore to lead a laborious life in sadness. A miserly workman, indeed all miserly men, constantly find something that displeases them, that offends them, because they are full of cares and sorrows. They cannot eat their bread cheerfully; they are always complaining, they always find something in their household that causes them heartache. In this way, only evil troubles are brought to the prince and the authorities; now an incomprehensible authority person tortures himself and consumes himself with worries, because he does not see his efforts and endeavors going well. But a man of understanding says thus: I advise and do as much as I can, but what I cannot improve I suffer and must suffer; meanwhile I leave it to
GOtte, who alone knows how to improve everything according to his will and to make our advice prosper.
So it is also burdensome for us to hear that among such a large number of preachers there are so few faithful and good ones who have the cause at heart. But what shall we do? Shall we be indignant and consumed with sadness? This will not help us any more. But we command the cause of GOtte etc. Therefore we must accustom our ears and eyes to hear and see the evil we do not want. Nor shall we think to see or hear the good that delights us. Such things this world does not bring. He who does not want to be annoyed anywhere will find more things to annoy him than all the people. Therefore we are to be armed against all evil, that we may know that this is the course of this life etc.
V. 17-19. Therefore I consider it good to eat and drink, and to be of good cheer in all the work that a man does under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him; for this is his portion. For to whom God gives riches and goods and power, that he may eat and drink of them for his portion, and be merry in his labor; this is the gift of God. For he does not think much of the miserable life, because God delights his heart.
This is the conclusion of this whole book or disputation, which is also set up above in the second and third chapters, and you see
Here, Solomon does not reject goods, nor does he forbid that we acquire goods, or food, or drink, but he calls these gifts of God, so that he may teach us to lay aside our cares, so that we may expect all this from God through faith, and, if God wills, lose it patiently, just as Abraham returned his son to God. Therefore, we should not throw away goods, for they are not given by God for us to throw them away or to abstain from them, but rather to use them and to give them abundantly to the needy. This saying is the right interpretation of this whole book, that Solomon wants to forbid vain cares, so that we may cheerfully enjoy the present, unconcerned about the future, so that we do not let slip the present and the right moment that is given to us. "For this is his portion," etc., meaning, "This is what he gets out of it." "For he thinks not much of the miserable life," that is, his heart is not troubled with care and sorrow, either for the past or for what is to come.
Because God delights his heart.
Thus he has joy in his work here and enters paradise here in the midst of all evils. On the other hand, the wicked and the miserly and all those who do not use the things of this life according to this example begin to be martyred here and cast down to hell etc.
1) Wittenberg and Jena: in doe; Erlanger: cheese.