And I gave my heart to know wisdom
Which is repeated, for the confirmation of it, from ( Ecclesiastes
1:13 ) , and that it might be taken notice of how assiduous
and diligent he had been in acquiring it; a circumstance not to
be overlooked; and to know madness and folly:
that he might the better know wisdom, and learn the difference
between the one and the other, since opposites illustrate each
other; and that he might shun madness and folly, and the ways
thereof, and expose the actions of mad and foolish men: so Plato
F19 says, ignorance is a disease, of
which there are two kinds, madness and folly. The Targum,
Septuagint, and all the Oriental versions, interpret the last
word, translated "folly", by understanding, knowledge, and
prudence; which seems to be right, since Solomon speaks of
nothing afterwards, as vexation and grief to him, but wisdom and
knowledge: and I would therefore read the clause in connection
with the preceding, thus, "and the knowledge of things boasted
of", vain glorious knowledge; "and prudence", or what may be
called craftiness and cunning; or what the apostle calls "science
falsely so called", ( 1 Timothy
6:20 ) ; see ( Proverbs
12:8 ) ( Daniel 8:25 ) ; I
perceived that this also is vexation of spirit;
(See Gill on
Ecclesiastes 1:14); the reason follows.
F19 In Timaeo, p. 1084.
