Ecclesiastes 2:8

8 I also piled up silver and gold from the royal treasuries of the lands I ruled. Men and women sang to entertain me, and I had all the women a man could want. ¹

Ecclesiastes 2:8 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 2:8

I gathered me also silver and gold
In great quantities: the weight of gold which came to him in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents; see ( 1 Kings 9:14 1 Kings 9:28 ) ( 1 Kings 10:14 1 Kings 10:22 1 Kings 10:27 ) ; and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces;
whatsoever was valuable and precious, such as is laid up in the cabinets of kings, as jewels and precious stones; and everything rare and curious, to be found in all provinces of the earth, or which were brought from thence as presents to him; the Targum is,

``and the treasures of kings and provinces, given to me for tribute:''

wherefore, if any pleasure arises from these things, as do to the virtuosi, Solomon enjoyed it. Moreover, among the treasures of kings were precious garments of various sorts, as were in the treasury of Ahasuerus ^F12; and when Alexander took Shushan, he found in the king's treasures, of Hermionic purple, to the value of five thousand talents, which had been laid up there almost two hundred years ^F13; and to such treasure Christ alludes, ( Matthew 6:19 ) ; I got me men singers and women singers;
the harmony and music of whose voices greatly delight; see ( 2 Samuel 19:35 ) ; the Targum interprets it both of instruments of music for the Levites to use in the temple, and of singing men and women at a feast: and such persons were employed among other nations ^F14, on such occasions, to entertain their guests; and are called the ornaments of feasts ^F15; as were also "choraules", or pipers ^F16; and the delights of the sons of men; [as] musical instruments, and
that of all sorts;
such as David his father invented; and to which he might add more, and indeed got all that were to be obtained; see ( Amos 6:5 ) . The two last words, rendered "musical instruments, of all sorts", are differently interpreted; the Targum interprets them of hot waters and baths, having pipes to let out hot water and cold; Aben Ezra, of women taken captive; Jarchi, of chariots and covered wagons; the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, of cup bearers, men, and women, that pour out wine and serve it; and the Vulgate Latin version, of cups and pots, to pour out wine. It seems best to understand it of musical instruments, or of musical compositions ^F17; sung either with a single voice, or in concert; which, according to Bochart ^F18, were called "sidoth", from Sido, a Phoenician woman of great note, the inventor of them or rather from giving unequal sounds, which, by their grateful mixture and temperament, broke and destroyed ^F19 one another.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 Targum Sheni in Esther vi. 10.
F13 Plutarch. in Alexandro, p. 686. Vid. Homer. Iliad. 24. v. 224-234.
F14 Vid. A. Geli. Noct. Attic. l. 19. c. 9. Homer. Odyss. 8. v. 62, 73, 74. & 9. v. 5-7.
F15 Homer. Odyss. 21. v. 430.
F16 Vid. Gutberleth. Conjectanea p. 162, &c.
F17 Vid. Gusset. Comment. Heb. p. 832.
F18 Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 6. c. 13. col. 847.
F19 Buxtorf. in voce (ddv) , See Weemse's Christian Synagog. p. 144.

Ecclesiastes 2:8 In-Context

6 I dug ponds to irrigate them.

7 I bought many slaves, and there were slaves born in my household. I owned more livestock than anyone else who had ever lived in Jerusalem.

8 I also piled up silver and gold from the royal treasuries of the lands I ruled. Men and women sang to entertain me, and I had all the women a man could want.

9 Yes, I was great, greater than anyone else who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and my wisdom never failed me.

10 Anything I wanted, I got. I did not deny myself any pleasure. I was proud of everything I had worked for, and all this was my reward.

Cross References

• 1. 2.8 1 Kings 10.10, 14-22.