SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:8
mas si el hombre viviere muchos años, y en todos ellos hubiere gozado alegría; si después trajere a la memoria los días de las tinieblas, que serán muchos, todo lo que le habrá pasado, dirá haber sido vanidad.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 11:8
Verse 8. If a man live many years - And even have prosperity through the whole; yet the days of darkness-times of affliction, weakness, and perhaps old age, will be many. If he die not a violent death, which no man can wish, he will die a lingering death; and this is ordinarily attended with many pains, and many sorrows; therefore let him prepare to meet his God; and to carry this thought through life, that all must terminate in death. The writer of Ecclesiasticus, chap. vii. 36, has a good saying, similar to this: "Whatsoever thou takest in hand, remember thy END; and thou shalt never do amiss;" ouk amarthseiv, thou wilt not sin.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. But if a man live many years , etc.] Enjoying light and life, and beholding the sun with much delight and pleasure. The days of men on earth, or under the sun, are but few at most; but some live many days, in comparison of others; they come to a good old age, as Abraham did; and to their graves like a shock of corn fully ripe; and arrive to, or beyond, the common term of human life; [and] rejoice in them all ; in and throughout the many years he lives, even all his days; that is, is blessed with a plentiful portion of the good things of life, and enjoys them in a free and comfortable manner, with moderation and thankfulness; partakes of the good of his labour, and rejoices in his works, in the fruit and effects of them, through the blessing of divine Providence; not only is blessed with many days, but those days good ones, days of prosperity: such a man is in a happy case; and especially if he is possessed of spiritual joy, of joy in the Holy Ghost; if he rejoices in Christ, and in what he is to him, and has done for him; and having professed him, and submitted to his ordinances, goes on his way, rejoicing. Some render it, “let him rejoice in them all” f265 ; a good man has reason to rejoice always, throughout the whole course of his life; because of the goodness of divine Providence to him; because of the blessings of grace bestowed on him; and because of his good hope of eternal glory and happiness. The Targum is, “in all these it becomes him to rejoice, and to study in the law of the Lord;” yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many ; or, “they may be” f266 ; meaning either, that though persons may live long, and enjoy much health and prosperity; yet, in the midst of all, they should consider, that it is possible that days of adversity and distress may come upon them, and continue; and therefore should not please themselves, as Job did, that they shall die in their nest in the height their prosperity, since they know not what days of evil may come, and how long they will last; or, however, they should remember the night of death, that is hastening, the land of darkness, and the shadow of death, they are going to; the dark grave, they will soon be laid in, where they will remain many days; many more than those in which they have lived, enjoying the light of the sun, even till the heavens shall be no more; though these days will not be infinite, they will have an end, and there will be a resurrection from the dead: and particularly if a man is a wicked man, that has lived a long and prosperous life, he should not only remember the above things; but also that outer darkness, that blackness of darkness reserved for him, the darkness of eternal death, which will be his portion for evermore. The Targum is, “he shall remember the days of the darkness of death, and shall not sin; for many are the days that he shall lie dead in the house of the grave.” All that cometh [is] vanity ; Aben Ezra interprets this of every man that comes into the world, as in ( Ecclesiastes 1:2,4); whether high or low, rich or poor, in prosperity or adversity; man, at his best estate, is vanity: let a man therefore be in what circumstances he will, he should not take up his rest here; all that comes to him, everything that befalls him, is vanity. The wise man keeps in view the main thing he proposed, to prove that is vanity, all in this life; for what is to come hereafter, in a future state of happiness, cannot come under this name and character.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Exhortation to liberality. (Eccl. 11:1-6) An admonition to prepare for death, and to young persons to be religious. (Eccl. 11:7-10) Eccl. 11:1-6 Solomon presses the rich to do good to others. Giv freely, though it may seem thrown away and lost. Give to many. Excus not thyself with the good thou hast done, from the good thou has further to do. It is not lost, but well laid out. We have reason to expect evil, for we are born to trouble; it is wisdom to do good in the day of prosperity. Riches cannot profit us, if we do not benefi others. Every man must labour to be a blessing to that place where the providence of God casts him. Wherever we are, we may find good work to do, if we have but hearts to do it. If we magnify every littl difficulty, start objections, and fancy hardships, we shall never go on, much less go through with our work. Winds and clouds of tribulatio are, in God's hands, designed to try us. God's work shall agree with his word, whether we see it or not. And we may well trust God to provide for us, without our anxious, disquieting cares. Be not weary in well-doing, for in due season, in God's time, you shall reap, Gal. 6:9.
Eccl. 11:7-10 Life is sweet to bad men, because they have their portio in this life; it is sweet to good men, because it is the time of preparation for a better; it is sweet to all. Here is a caution to think of death, even when life is most sweet. Solomon makes a effecting address to young persons. They would desire opportunity to pursue every pleasure. Then follow your desires, but be assured tha God will call you into judgment. How many give loose to every appetite and rush into every vicious pleasure! But God registers every one of their sinful thoughts and desires, their idle words and wicked words If they would avoid remorse and terror, if they would have hope an comfort on a dying bed, if they would escape misery here and hereafter let them remember the vanity of youthful pleasures. That Solomon mean to condemn the pleasures of sin is evident. His object is to draw the young to purer and more lasting joys. This is not the language of on grudging youthful pleasures, because he can no longer partake of them but of one who has, by a miracle of mercy, been brought back in safety He would persuade the young from trying a course whence so few return If the young would live a life of true happiness, if they would secur happiness hereafter, let them remember their Creator in the days of their youth __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
כי 3588 אם 518 שׁנים 8141 הרבה 7235 יחיה 2421 האדם 120 בכלם 3605 ישׂמח 8055 ויזכר 2142 את 853 ימי 3117 החשׁך 2822 כי 3588 הרבה 7235 יהיו 1961 כל 3605 שׁבא 935 הבל׃ 1892
