Cap. 11:9 So rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart be of good cheer in your youth.
After describing a rare bird, namely such a man who has lived all the time of his life with a cheerful heart and has laughed at the incoming evils or the wickedness of the world, he now adds an admonition. Therefore, says he, thou youth, who knowest not the world, if thou wilt live cheerfully, hear what I write and teach thee, lest thou go too far. Live in such a way that you are a despiser of the world and overcome its wickedness. And here you see what he calls "despising the world"; not that we flee the world or men, but have our intercourse in the world in the midst of dangers, but in such a way that we keep a calm and quiet heart even in all kinds of adversities. Therefore he says: If you want to reach this goal, that you have a calm heart in the midst of adversities, then get used to the adversities, and that from childhood; because then you will surely expect any dangers.
And let your heart.gnter be things.
That is, cheerfully enjoy the pleasant things when they are there; do not let adversity, when it comes, make you despondent. This is how youth should be taught and instructed, and if young people do not follow such a reminder, they will never accomplish anything worthy of a man. For youth is inflamed with passions and inexperienced, and this inexperience prevents them from later bearing or yielding to the malice and ingratitude of the world. Therefore, Solomon is a very good teacher of youth. He does not forbid mirth or revelry, as the foolish teachers, the monks, did. For this is nothing other than making young people into insensate lumps, and (as the most monastic monk Anselm also said) planting a tree in a narrow pot. In this way, they locked their own in a cage, as it were, and prevented them from seeing people and talking to them, so that they learned nothing or experienced nothing, while yet
nothing is more dangerous for youth than loneliness.
The mind must be taught with good attitudes and opinions, so that the young people are not corrupted by living together and dealing with bad people; but in the body they must have to deal with the affairs. They must see and hear the world, but there must be a good teacher. Therefore, sadness and loneliness must be avoided by young people. Young people need joy as much as they need food and drink. For the body thrives on a cheerful mind. And education must begin not with the body but with the mind, lest the latter be neglected. When the hearts are properly instructed, the bodies are easily governed. Therefore, youth must be taught to be cheerful, and young people must do everything with a cheerful heart; only care must be taken that they are not corrupted by the lusts of the flesh. For drunkenness, carousing, and lechery are not the gladness of heart of which he speaks here, but rather make the heart sad.
Do what your heart desires and what pleases your eyes; and know that God will bring you to judgment for all this.
This passage has caused me to think that this whole text, from the beginning of the chapter, is ironically spoken, because it is almost as if it were ill-spoken that someone should do what his heart desires; but one must remain with the matter of which it deals and with the context of the text. He means to say, therefore, that if the heart is rightly instructed, no joy or gladness will harm, if it be only a right joy, and not a corrupting or even afflicting gladness, of which we said just before. "And please your eyes," that is, what presents itself to your eyes, enjoy it; do not let yourself be referred to things to come, lest you become like the monks, some of whom, like the monk Sylvanus, taught that one should not even look at the sun. They wanted to deprive the young people of sight, hearing, speech and all the senses,
and lock them up like birds in a box, these completely godless and misanthropic people. But you, when there is something pleasant to see, to hear etc., enjoy it, only do not sin against God. Do not make laws for yourself in these things, but enjoy all things only with the fear of God. See that you do not follow the perverse lusts of the world, which corrupt your heart. This is how far the one part goes.
Cap. 11, 10. Put away sadness from your heart, and put away evil from your body, for childbed and youth are vain.
As if to say: As I will keep thee by the fear of God, that thou follow not shameful and hurtful lusts; so will I keep thee from being troubled with sadness, and from being pressed down by adversities. Therefore, tear out anger from your heart, that is, get into the habit of not being angry and not being overcome by indignation when you see that everything is very evil. When something distressing occurs, know that it is so in the world. Let others envy, hate, but do not do it, for this destroys a pleasant life, as Proverbs says [Proverbs 14:30], "Envy is pus in legs"; for envy is a gnawing and consuming disease. Keep your heart whole for me, and do not corrupt it by the excessive pleasures of the world, nor by sadness etc.
Remove the evil from your body.
That is, remove everything that can hurt your body; not that he forbids you to mortify the flesh, but your affliction is in vain if you toil and trouble yourself with such things. Therefore do not frown so, but assume a cheerful countenance; only see to it that you fear God. For a cheerful mine indicates a cheerful heart. And as I want you to be joyful in heart, so I also want your body to be well.
Because childhood and youth is vain.
That is, remember that you are a youth and are completely in a life of vanity.
You will find yourself in the middle of the world. For youth is vain in itself and is carried away by many passions. Therefore, be wise and do not pour oil on the fire, as they say. Do not love things, nor deceive yourself about them, but be happy and enjoy them. And get used to it in youth, so that you may know it in old age. For those who have lived quietly and sweetly in youth will also come to a sweet old age.
Cap. 12:1 Remember your Creator in your youth, before the evil doge come, and the years come, when you shall say, They please me not.
All this, he says, I say for this reason, because I want you to be free from all youthful lusts, to honor God and to use the things that are given to you by Him. "Before the evil days come," that is, before you grow old. For old age is in itself a disease, though no other disease is added to it. For the aged lose freshness of mind and body. But he describes old age with many words and images: old age has only evil days and is not fit for regiment.
V. 2: Before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars become dark, and the clouds return after the rain.
The light signifies happiness, the darkness gloom and misfortune, as [Ps. 112, 4.]: "To the pious the light rises in the darkness." Therefore he wants to say: "Before the unhappy time of old age comes, when neither the sun is pleasing nor the light is pleasant, the clouds return after the rain, that is, there is a constant sadness and gloom. In the other ages of life, in youth, in manhood etc., there is a certain alternation of joy, and after the storm comes again cheerful weather, after the gloom cheerfulness; but with the old people rain follows the clouds, "one misfortune upon another, one weather upon another." So also the poets have said that old age is sad.
V. 3. at the time when the keepers in the house tremble.
These are descriptions and paintings of old age. He wants to say: Get used to the ills of old age.
Live in the fear of God before the guardians of the house tremble, that is, before the hands tremble. For the hands are the protectors of the body, just as Aristotle also calls the hand the most excellent tool, because it does various services, serves all the other members, while the other members have their special services. But our body is a kind of house, in which one can find the worldly and the house regiment, whose king is the head, the hands the guardians etc.
And bend the strong.
That is, when the thighs stagger, the knees shake. For strength is attached to the bones and the legs, as Ps. 147:10: "The Lord hath no pleasure in any man's legs."
And the millers stand idle that so little has been made of them.
Old age is toothless. The teeth are now the millers of the food, because the mouth is the mill. "It grinds badly where the teeth have fallen out."
And darken the faces through the windows.
That is, when the eyes can see little in front of them. For old age has dark eyes. Because all the sensory powers decrease in old people.
V. 4. and the doors of the street are closed, and the miller's voice is hushed.
That is, the mouth is hanging and trembling, for the mouth is the door of the heart. Matth. 15, 19: "Out of the heart come evil thoughts" etc. Then the throat encloses the voice, so that it becomes small; that is, the doors are closed. For the two lips are the doors or the gate through which our heart goes out, as through a door into the street. This door is closed in old people, so that they cannot sing, cannot shout, cannot speak, and can hardly catch their breath.
And awakens when the bird finget, and bends down all the daughters of the song.
That is, they not only talk with difficulty, but they also do not sleep well. Because
Since the juices have dried up, which happens with old people, the root and cause of sleep is missing. For sleep gets its nourishment from these juices. Therefore they become awake at every bird call, while the young people are fast asleep. Not only the crowing of roosters or the barking of dogs, but also thunderclaps do not awaken them.
All daughters of song.
That is, both ears. A Hebrew expression, like a son of help, a child of light, a child of darkness, of which above (Cap. 10, 17] was said above. Thus the ears are called "the daughters of song," that is, those who have to do with song, or who hear song. These daughters of song bend down, "they wither," that is, they become heavy with old people, and the ears become deaf, are not delighted by the hearing of music.
V. 5: That even the high ones fear and shrink from the way.
That is, an old man walks with his shoulders and head bent. For the height of the body is the head and the shoulders. This height, I say, fears, that is, it is bowed. He wants to say: Old people walk like those who are afraid, wherever they go, because they walk with bowed head and bowed shoulders, which is also what those who are afraid tend to do.
When the almond tree blossoms.
That is, when the head turns gray. For the almond tree is full of white blossoms before other trees. Therefore, he takes this image of a graying old man from this blossoming almond tree.
And the locust is loaded.
That is, such an old man is similar to the locust. "The whole body is nothing but skin and bones." The bones protrude and the body is exhausted, and is nothing but a picture of death.
And all desire (capparis) passes away.
That is, when the pleasure ceases. For so I will rather use the Hebrew word [XXXXXX,
capparis, caper]. By this, however, he does not mean sexual pleasure, which ceases primarily with old people, but also all respectable pleasure, as if he wanted to say: An old man cannot enjoy any pleasurable thing, but is unfit for anything. The intercourse with him and his conversations are not sweet, but he is a living corpse. Therefore, you see that he is speaking here of the worn-out old age that is no longer fit for anything, not of the one that is still capable of doing something.
(For man departs, abiding forever [in domum aeternitatis suae], and the accusers walk about in the alley).
He inserts this passage, which forces us to understand this chapter on old age. He wants to say: Nothing remains but that man goes to his eternal house, that is, to the grave. For the grave is his eternal house or his world, because he goes there, from where he does not return. Meanwhile, we mourn him who is carried to the grave. "With weeping and wailing they carry him to the grave." Therefore, fear God before you come to old age, for then you will have nothing but to be carried to the grave with lamentations.
V. 6: Before the silver cord is taken away, and the golden fountain runs out.
That is, before food and drink cease, which is compared here to a silver rope and a round gold body or a golden wheel or ring. For as a wheel or a circle runs back again and again into the same circle and returns, so food and drink also run back again and again, and are in truth the silver rope, because only on these our life depends and is maintained by them.
And the bucket shall break at the spring, and the wheel shall break at the spring.
That is, before the breath and life cease. "The bucket" is our body, which is always in need of being repaired; "the wheel at the well" is the stomach and other members that serve to nourish the body.
V. 7 For the dust must return to the earth as it was.
Here Solomon looks at the passage Gen. 2, 7, as if he wanted to say: After death, dust returns to the earth as it was before. We have all been dust, therefore in death we become dust again as we were before.
But the spirit comes back to God who gave it.
Here, too, he looks at the passage Gen. 2, 7: "God breathed into man's nostrils the living breath." He does not indicate where the spirit goes, but says that it comes back to God from whence it came. For as we do not know from whence (ande) God made the spirit, so we do not know whither it returns.
L. 8. It is all vain, said the preacher, all vain.
He concludes the book with the same statement with which he had begun it, and adds a praise of his teaching and an admonition that we should not be distracted by strange and various teachings, but stick to what is prescribed. For this is a great pity, that where God has raised up His Word and good teachers, soon heretics and godless teachers arise, who by a kind of emulation turn the people away to themselves. This was also the concern of the apostles, that they would keep us in the right doctrine. For the right doctrine and the Word of God must also suffer this perversion. When God has awakened His word, heretics and apes are soon there, imitating the word. Moses ordered the worship and certain ceremonies; soon his apes followed and set up idols. So it is with the arts: if a man is a good poet, he must suffer his bitter reprovers (zoilos); if he is a good craftsman, these drones follow him. Thus all good arts have their imitators, that is, corrupters. But this is the very worst, that
1) Thus the Wittenbergers: saus. Jenaer and Erlanger: 8UN.
the crowd follows those fools and takes them for true masters, 2) as Christ says of them [Matth. 24, 11]: "They will deceive many. This is what Solomon is complaining about here.
V. 9. This same preacher was not only wise, but he also taught the people good doctrine, and discerned, and searched, and set forth many sayings.
That is, the preacher could not get any further than being wise and teaching right; but he did not succeed, people did not follow him. He was an industrious man, he researched how to arrange every detail correctly, he taught diligently, he arranged many things in an excellent and glorious way; but where are the people who hear and receive it? Apart from words, nothing else follows. For either there is a lack of listeners, or godless teachers and peddlers are successful.
V. 10 He sought to find pleasant words, and wrote rightly the words of truth.
That is, he endeavored to benefit with proper and wholesome words, or, as Paul says [1 Thess. 2:13], with words that are worthy of all reverence, and he wrote out the words of truth correctly. He has not shrouded his teaching in darkness, as those imitators are wont to do who, because they do not understand rightly, do not teach rightly. For this is the sign that someone understands a thing, if he can teach of it rightly, says Aristotle. And when Demosthenes was asked how someone would speak well or rightly, he answered: if he said nothing that he did not know well. For he who understands something well can also speak well of it. But it is a praise of the author, as if he wanted to say: He has taught well and clearly, so that someone can recognize from his book what he should think, do, or not do.
These words of the wise are spears and nails, written by the masters of the assemblies, and given by One Shepherd. Beware, my son, of others more; for much bookmaking is no end, and much preaching wearies the body.
2) Wittenberger and Jenaer: vsrogarti liess; Erlanger: vsris artiÜeidns.
Here he exhorts us not to be turned away by various and strange teachings, as if he wanted to say: You have an excellent master and teacher, beware of new teachers. For the words of this teacher are thorns or spikes, that is, they stick, "they are stapled". Such are also the words of David and the prophets. "The words of Hümpel are like the foam on the water." And from this passage I draw the supposition (conjicio) that in this people some people were appointed, whose office it was to survey the books, and to collect the true histories into the yearbooks of the Hebrews; and the remaining books they were to put in order, so that they thus gave prestige to the books, and approved them as such, which were worth reading.
So there were many authors (autores) who wrote [holy] books (Biblia). But from all of them only those books are accepted and approved, which we call today the Bible (Biblia). Therefore he says: See then, my son, that you adhere to these books which are accepted, but despise the rest, because they were also despised by these wise men. For it happens that when one good book is published, ten other bad ones are also published, as it also happens to us. But the words of the wise are true and firm, "to which one may and should adhere". For they are firmly hammered nails; they have their standing from the men of the congregation. Other books are not like this.
And given by One Shepherd.
That is, a king, who is the shepherd, has ordered the wise men to acknowledge and approve the books. These, I say, have acknowledged the Holy Spirit in this book and have recommended it to the people. In the same way, the Gospels were accepted and approved by the fathers, that is, the fathers approved the Holy Spirit in them. But from this it is not necessary to conclude that the Church is, or that the Fathers are, above the Gospel, any more than it follows: I recognize the true and living God and His word, therefore I am above God and His word, just as he who acknowledges the prince is not above the prince.
not recognizes, also he not over the parents, who recognizes the parents. 1) So also here. These men do not teach this Shepherd, but they receive from One Shepherd. So also I make a distinction among the books and say: This epistle is apostolic, this one is not apostolic. But this is nothing else than that I bear witness to the truth. Now follows the exhortation:
Beware, my son, of others more.
That is, follow the books approved by those who have the Holy Spirit and have recognized them as those given by the One Master and Shepherd.
For much bookmaking is no end.
Here he shows the unfortunate tendency of human nature that all imitate these men and the best writers, but they do it very clumsily and to great harm. He now wants to say: You have to create in the world, where you will find countless books, with which they try to benefit the people; but you stay with the certain number "and keep to the Scriptures", as said above.
And much preaching wears out the body. 2)
He does not say this of the plague which the writer has for his person, but of that which the disciples or the hearers have, as if he wanted to say: They do nothing else with their many writings and books, but that they plague the people, whom they wanted to advise, namely [2 Tim. 3, 7.]: "They learn forever, and can never come to the knowledge of the truth." This, I say, is the fruit of these books, that they confound consciences and trouble people. Therefore, one must stand firm and remain with the teaching of the One Teacher. One must adhere to one, or to a few, who have the right form of doctrine; beware of the rest, who only deal with it by being regarded as having brought up something new, and are thought to be more learned than others, as now.
the Sacramentarians and the like. Jacobus therefore rightly says [Cap. 3, 1.]: "Do not let any man forbear to be a teacher."
V. 13. Let us hear the main summa of all teaching: Fear God and keep His commandments.
That is: Summa Summarum is this: Fear God and serve Him, and have Him before your eyes, then you will keep everything that I have presented in this book. For if anyone does not fear God, he will not be able to keep any of these things. He has given examples of such people who live wisely and in a good way, but because they live without the fear of God, when misfortune comes, they are not accustomed to it and grieve; but those who fear God can even despise all evils and adversities when they come, and thank God when they do not come.
For this belongs to all people.
That is, what concerns all people and is useful to all. In every other way of life, profit is sought; in this, godliness. Paul expresses the same in this way [Titus 3:8, 9]: "These things are useful to men, but abstain from idle gossip."
V. 14. For God will bring all works into judgment that is hidden, whether good or evil.
That means: Everything will finally come before the court, may it be good or evil. The useless talkers, the blasphemers, the fools will finally be disgraced, and their teachings will not stand. Thus is that Zoi-
1) We have taken here insolssco in this meaning, because the ordinary meaning of the word: "they rise", does not want to fit here.
lus [who disparaged Homer] was finally thrown down alive from a rock, but Homer has remained the prince of poets to this day, even against the will of all people who are equal to Zoilus or even more unworthy than he. In the same way, all other good writers, especially in sacred doctrine, have remained to this day by God's counsel or by God's power. 2)
That is hidden.
This is hypocrisy. For these monkeys give themselves a good appearance, both in life and in doctrine. So also the 26th Psalm, v. 4. says: "I do not sit with vain people" (absconditis), that is, with those whom Christ calls Matth. 23, 28.] hypocrites, but Paul [2 Tim. 3, 5.], "who have the appearance of a godly being." Therefore God will judge every work, so that what is righteous (genuinum) remains, after all false appearance is taken away, with which those have hidden their work. He does not speak of the last judgment, but according to the branch of the Scriptures and in general of any judgments, whether of those by which the heretics are judged and overthrown, or of any ungodly. Everything has its judgment and its time, which God has set, and they must suffer it. This is how the pope is being tried today, and he is almost judged. Likewise, Arius and all other heretics have been brought to trial, and the Lord has exposed their shame (pudenda), as Peter says [1 Pet 2:12]: at the time when it will come to light.
2) Jonas rendered this sentence in his translation as follows: "So now and so many hopelessly foolish books of Cochläi, Eckii, Fabri, Emsers are forgotten by enemies and friends, the Lutheran doctrine has remained".