Ecclesiastes 11:10 - Exposition

Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart. The writer reiterates his advice concerning cheerfulness, and then proceeds to inculcate early piety. Kaas, rendered "sorrow," has been variously understood. The Septuagint has θυμόν , the Vulgate gram ; so the margin of the Authorized Version gives "anger," and that of the Revised Version "vexation," or "provocation." Wordsworth adopts this last meaning (relating to 1 Kings 15:30 ; 1 Kings 21:22 ; 2 Kings 23:26 , etc; where, however, the signification is modified by the connection in which the word stands), and paraphrases, "Take heed lest you provoke God by the thoughts of your heart." Jerome affirms that in the term "anger" all perturbations of the mind are included—which seems rather forced. The word is better rendered, low spirits, moroseness, discontent. These feelings are to be put away from the mind by a deliberate act. Put away evil from thy flesh . Many commentators consider that the evil here named is physical, not moral, the author enjoining his young disciple to take proper care of his body, not to weaken it on the one hand by asceticism, nor on the other by indulgence in youthful lusts. In this ease the two clauses would urge the removal of what respectively affects the mind and body, the inner and outer man. But the ancient versions are unanimous in regarding the "evil" spoken of as moral. Thus the Septuagint gives πονηρίαν , "wickedness;" the Vulgate, malitiam . Similarly the Syriac and Targum. And according to our interpretation of the passage, such is the meaning here. It is a call to early piety and virtue, like that of St. Paul ( 2 Corinthians 7:1 ), "Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Do not, says Koheleth, defile thy body by carnal sins ( 1 Corinthians 6:18 ), which bring decay and sickness, and arouse the wrath of God against thee . For childhood and youth are vanity. This time of youth soon passes away; the capacity for enjoyment is soon circumscribed; therefore use thy opportunities aright, remembering the end. The word for "youth" ( shacharuth ) occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament, and is probably connected with shachon , "black," used of hair in Le 13:31. Hence it means the time of black hair, in contradistinction to the time when the hair has become grey. The explanation which refers it to the time of dawn ( Psalms 110:1-7 :8) seems to be erroneous, as it would then be identical with" childhood." The Septuagint renders it ἄνοια , "folly;" the Vulgate, voluptas, "pleasure;" the Syriac, "and not knowledge, but the word cannot be rightly thus translated. The two terms are childhood and manhood, the period during which the capacity for pleasure is fresh and strong. Its vanity is soon brought home; it is evanescent; it brings punishment. Thus Bailey, 'Festus'—

"I cast mine eyes around, and feel

There is a blessing wanting;

Too soon our hearts the truth reveal,

That joy is disenchanting."

And again—

"When amid the world's delights,

How warm soe'er we feel a moment among them—

We find ourselves, when the hot blast hath blown,

Prostrate, and weak, and wretched."