Ecclesiastes 6
Commentary from 7 fathers
a man to whom God shall give wealth, and substance, and honour, and he wants nothing for his soul of all things that he shall desire, yet God shall not give him power to eat of it, for a stranger shall devour it: this is vanity, and an evil infirmity.
ἀνήρ, ᾧ δώσει αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς πλοῦτον καὶ ὑπάρχοντα καὶ δόξαν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὑστερῶν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ πάντων, ὧν ἐπιθυμήσει, καὶ οὐκ ἐξουσιάσει αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ φαγεῖν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἀνὴρ ξένος φάγεται αὐτόν· τοῦτο ματαιότης καὶ ἀρρωστία πονηρά ἐστι.
мꙋ́жъ, є҆мꙋ́же да́стъ бг҃ъ бога́тство и҆ и҆мѣ́нїе и҆ сла́вꙋ, и҆ нѣ́сть лиша́ѧй дꙋшѝ свое́й ѿ всѣ́хъ, и҆́хже вожделѣ́етъ, и҆ не да́стъ є҆мꙋ̀ бг҃ъ вла́сти ѿ негѡ̀ ꙗ҆́сти, ꙗ҆́кѡ чꙋ́ждь мꙋ́жъ ꙗ҆́сти и҆́мать ѿ негѡ̀. И҆ сїѐ сꙋета̀ и҆ недꙋ́гъ ѕо́лъ є҆́сть.
Let none of us entertain the desire for possessions, for what gain is it to acquire those things which we cannot take with us? Why not rather acquire those that we can take: prudence, justice, temperance, fortitude, understanding, charity, love of the poor, faith in Christ, gentleness, hospitality? If we obtain these, we shall find them there before us preparing a welcome for us in the land of the meek. LIFE OF ST.
Life of St. Anthony 17
What good is there for a person in this life? He lives in darkness and cannot be satisfied in his desires. And if he is sated with riches, he loses the enjoyment of his rest, because he is forced to guard the possessions he has acquired through his wretched greed. Thus he possesses them in greater wretchedness, seeing that they can do him no good. For what is more wretched than to be tormented with guarding them and derive no advantage from their abundance?
Death as a Good 2:4
If a man beget a hundred [children], and live many years, yea, however abundant the days of his years shall be, yet [if] his soul shall not be satisfied with good, and also he have no burial; I said, An untimely birth is better than he.
ἐὰν γεννήσῃ ἀνὴρ ἑκατὸν καὶ ἔτη πολλὰ ζήσεται, καὶ πλῆθος ὅ,τι ἔσονται αἱ ἡμέραι ἐτῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ οὐ πλησθήσεται ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγαθωσύνης, καί γε ταφὴ οὐκ ἐγένετο αὐτῷ, εἶπα· ἀγαθὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτὸν τὸ ἔκτρωμα,
А҆́ще роди́тъ мꙋ́жъ сто̀ (ча̑дъ) и҆ лѣ̑та мнѡ́га поживе́тъ, и҆ мно́зи бꙋ́дꙋтъ дні́е лѣ́тъ є҆гѡ̀, и҆ дꙋша̀ є҆гѡ̀ не насы́титсѧ ѿ благосты́ни, и҆ погребе́нїѧ не бы́сть є҆мꙋ̀, рѣ́хъ: бла́гъ па́че є҆гѡ̀ и҆́звергъ,
For he came in vanity, and departs in darkness, and his name shall be covered in darkness.
ὅτι ἐν ματαιότητι ἦλθε καὶ ἐν σκότει πορεύεται, καὶ ἐν σκότει ὄνομα αὐτοῦ καλυφθήσεται.
ꙗ҆́кѡ въ сꙋетѣ̀ прїи́де и҆ во тьмꙋ̀ и҆́детъ, и҆ во тьмѣ̀ и҆́мѧ є҆гѡ̀ покры́етсѧ:
Moreover he has not seen the sun, nor known rest: there is [no more rest] to this one than another.
καί γε ἥλιον οὐκ εἶδε καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω, ἀνάπαυσις τούτῳ ὑπὲρ τοῦτον.
и҆ со́лнца не ви́дѣ, нижѐ разꙋмѣ̀, поко́й семꙋ̀ па́че тогѡ̀:
Though he has lived to the return of a thousand years, yet he has seen no good: do not all go to one place?
καὶ εἰ ἔζησε χιλίων ἐτῶν καθόδους καὶ ἀγαθωσύνην οὐκ εἶδε, μὴ οὐκ εἰς τόπον ἕνα πορεύεται τὰ πάντα;
и҆ поживѐ ты́сѧщꙋ лѣ́тъ сꙋгꙋ́бѡ, и҆ благосты́ни не ви́дѣ: є҆да̀ не во є҆ди́но мѣ́сто всѧ̑ и҆́дꙋтъ;
All the labour of a man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite shall not be satisfied.
Πᾶς μόχθος ἀνθρώπου εἰς στόμα αὐτοῦ, καί γε ἡ ψυχὴ οὐ πληρωθήσεται.
Ве́сь трꙋ́дъ человѣ́чь во ᲂу҆ста̀ є҆гѡ̀, и҆ дꙋша̀ є҆гѡ̀ не и҆спо́лнитсѧ.
To the corrupting power of riches [the Lord] made the enormity of voracious appetite antecedent; indeed, the former generates the latter.
On Fasting 6
7–8"All man's toil is for his mouth, yet his wants are never satisfied. What advantage then has the wise man over the fool? What less has the pauper who knows how to conduct himself among the living? "All that men toil at in this world is consumed by the mouth and taken to be digested in the stomach after it has been ground down by the teeth. And when a little bit has pleased the palette, it seems to create a desire, so long as it is held in the mouth. But when it has passed down to the stomach the difference between foods is no longer distinguishable. And after all these things the spirit of a man who eats is not filled up; or then he desires again what he has eaten, and is as wise as the fool without food, who does not know how to live, and the poor man asks for nothing else but for how he is to sustain the organs of his meagre body, and not die through starvation. Or because the spirit takes no gain from the food of the body, and food is of equal use to a wise man and a fool, and the pauper wanders therefrom, to where he has seen wealth to be. This is better understood regarding a man of the church, who learned in the heavenly Scriptures, holds all his toil in his mouth yet his spirit is not filled, for he always desires to learn. And in that respect the wise man has more than the fool, since when he feels himself to be poor, he presses that pauper, who is called blessed in the Gospel, to understand those things which are of life, and walks the restricted and narrow path, which leads to life, and he is poor from wicked deeds and knows where Christ, (who is life) is to be found.
Commentary on Ecclesiastes
Everything that human labor produces in this world is consumed by the mouth, ground by the teeth, and sent to the stomach for digestion. Even when a bite to eat delights the palate, it seems to give pleasure only for as long as it remains in the mouth, for when it passes into the belly, it can no longer be distinguished from other food. The soul of the diner is afterwards not fulfilled, because he will again desire what he has just eaten, since neither the wise nor the foolish is able to live without food, and the poor seeks nothing other than to sustain his frail body and to avoid starvation. Moreover, the soul derives no benefit from the refreshment of the body. Food is common to both the wise and the foolish, and the poor tend to go where they perceive wealth. It is better to understand this teaching as referring to the ecclesiastical person whose labor is in his mouth because he is learned in the heavenly Scriptures but whose soul is not fulfilled because he desires always to learn more.
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 6:7
The rich man reveals the great burning in his tongue when he says, “Send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, since I am tormented in this flame.” The unbelieving people keep the words of the law in their mouths but refuse to act on them. The burning will be greater in the place where they manifested that they knew what to do, but that they were unwilling to do it. Solomon said concerning those who are knowledgeable but remiss, “All the toil of a man is in his mouth, but his soul will not be filled.” Whoever labors only for this, to know what he should say, fasts with an empty heart from the nourishment that should provide him with knowledge.
Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 40
A person's true life is not found here on earth, for he claims that it is found elsewhere. This, then, is the great advantage humankind has over the animal: The animal does not live on after death, while a person begins to live only when he has completed this visible life through bodily death.
Dialogues, Book 4, Chapter 4
Moreover he is shown to burn more in his tongue, when he says: "Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, to cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame." The unbelieving people held the words of the law in their mouth, which they scorned to keep in deed. Therefore he will burn more there, where he showed himself to know what he was unwilling to do. Wherefore it is well said of the learned and negligent through Solomon: "All the labor of man is in his mouth, but his soul will not be filled," because whoever labors only to know what he ought to say, fasts with an empty mind from the very refreshment of his knowledge.
Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 40
For [what] advantage has the wise man over the fool, since [even] the poor knows how to walk in the direction of life?
ὅτι τίς περισσεία τῷ σοφῷ ὑπὲρ τὸν ἄφρονα; διότι ὁ πένης οἶδε πορευθῆναι κατέναντι τῆς ζωῆς.
Ꙗ҆́кѡ ко́е и҆з̾ѻби́лїе (человѣ́кꙋ) мꙋ́дромꙋ па́че безꙋ́мнагѡ; поне́же ни́щь позна̀ ходи́ти проти́вꙋ живота̀.
The sight of the eyes is better than that which wanders in soul: this is also vanity, and waywardness of spirit.
ἀγαθὸν ὅραμα ὀφθαλμῶν ὑπὲρ πορευόμενον ψυχῇ· καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης καὶ προαίρεσις πνεύματος.
Бла́го видѣ́нїе ѻ҆́чїю па́че ходѧ́щагѡ дꙋше́ю. И҆ сѐ сꙋ́етствїе и҆ произволе́нїе дꙋ́ха.
"Better is what the eyes see than what is imagined. That, too, is futility and a vexation of the spirit." Symmachus interpreted this clearly, he says: "it is better to make provision, than to walk about as it pleases you". That is, it is better to do all things according to what you know to be right in your mind, which is the eye of the soul, than to follow the desire of your heart. For this is to wander in spirit, just as Ezekiel says: "he who walks by the desire of his heart" [Ezek. 11, 21.]. For indeed he denounced that man is proud and only pleases himself and says he is better, who makes provision for all days, than he, whom nothing pleases, unless he has made it himself. Nothing is worse than him, and more vane than any breath. And again here "vexation of the spirit" has been interpreted by Theodotion and Aquila as 'suffering of the soul'. Symmachus too has "affliction of the spirit". More precisely we must remember that in Hebrew 'spirit' and 'breath' are similar in usage - that is "ruha".
Commentary on Ecclesiastes
If anything has been, its name has already been called: and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is stronger than he.
Εἴ τι ἐγένετο, ἤδη κέκληται ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐγνώσθη ὅ ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ οὐ δυνήσεται κριθῆναι μετὰ τοῦ ἰσχυροτέρου ὑπὲρ αὐτόν·
А҆́ще что̀ бы́сть, ᲂу҆жѐ и҆менова́сѧ и҆́мѧ є҆гѡ̀, и҆ позна́сѧ, є҆́же є҆́сть человѣ́къ и҆ не возмо́жетъ сꙋди́тисѧ съ крѣпча́йшимъ па́че себє̀:
There are two sorts of names: some names designate those things which by nature have a body; others designate those which by nature are without a body. The names of those with a body designate the characteristics of such a being, such as its size, color and structure.… The names of those without a body reveal a quality of their state of existence, such as their being worthy of praise or condemnation. But if the first class of names is applied in a straightforward manner, such is not the case with the second class. [With the second class] there are two options: the being has the ability of self-determination of either to incline toward virtue and honor in its knowledge of the Creator, which is the case with angels, archangels, thrones and dominions; or to incline toward evil and increase in its ignorance of the Creator, as is the case with Satan and any other world ruler of the present darkness. …Let us not ask, “Why was I placed in this body? Or why was I not made an angel? Does not God show partiality? Do we not have free will?” All these questions simply multiply vanity. How can the creature say to its Creator, “Why did you make me like this?” Or, how can a creature answer back to God? Let all those kinds of discussions cease. Instead, let those discussions prevail which guide us towards virtue and knowledge. All that is present in this age of shadows is called vanity and shadows, and all that belongs to this life will be covered with the darkness, becoming obsolete upon departing this life.
Scholia on Ecclesiastes 52:6.10-12
"What has been was already named, and it is known that he is but a man. He cannot contend with one who is mightier than him." Clearly this is predicting the arrival of the Saviour, since he writes 'he will be'; before he was seen in body his name was already written in the Scriptures and was known by prophets and holy men of God, since he was a man; and similar to this, since he is a man, he is not able to walk with his Father. And in the Gospel it says: "the Father, who sent me, is greater than me." [Ioh. 14, 28.] In the following passages it teaches not to ask more than is written for us by Him, so that a man may not wish to know more than is attested in the Scriptures. For although we are ignorant of our condition and our life passes us by like a shadow, and our future is undecided, it is not useful for us to strive for more than we are able to attain. Some think that this passage means that God already knows the names of all the men, who will be in the future, and who will be enclosed within the body of mankind. Nor is a man able to reply to his creator, and ask why he has been made in this way or that. For however much more we seek, our vanity and our unnecessary words are exposed all the more. Our choice does not come free from the foreknowledge of God, but precedes the causes, why any one thing is done in a particular way.
CHAPTER 7
Commentary on Ecclesiastes
For there are many things which increase vanity. What advantage has a man?
ὅτι εἰσὶ λόγοι πολλοὶ πληθύνοντες ματαιότητα. τί περισσὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ;
ꙗ҆́кѡ сꙋ́ть словеса̀ мнѡ́га ᲂу҆множа̑ющаѧ сꙋетꙋ̀.
for who knows [what is] good for a man in his life, [during] the number of the life of the days of his vanity? and he has spent them as a shadow; for who shall tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
ὅτι τίς οἶδεν ἀγαθὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ ἀριθμὸν ζωῆς ἡμερῶν ματαιότητος αὐτοῦ; καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὰ ἐν σκιᾷ· ὅτι τίς ἀπαγγελεῖ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, τί ἔσται ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον;
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is abundant with man:
ΕΣΤΙ πονηρία, ἣν εἶδον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ πολλή ἐστιν ἐπὶ τὸ ἄνθρωπον·
Є҆́сть лꙋка́вствїе, є҆́же ви́дѣхъ под̾ со́лнцемъ, и҆ мно́го є҆́сть над̾ человѣ́комъ: