Chuándàoshū 2:25

25 Lún dào chī yòng , xiǎng fú ,shuí néng shēng guo wǒ ne .

Chuándàoshū 2:25 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 2:25

For who can eat?
&c.] Who should eat, but such a man that has laboured for it? or, who has a power to eat, that is, cheerfully, comfortably, and freely to enjoy the good things of life he is possessed of, unless it be given him of God? see ( Ecclesiastes 6:1 Ecclesiastes 6:2 ) ; or who else can hasten [hereunto] more than I?
the word "chush", in Rabbinical language, is used of the five senses, seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and tasting: and R. Elias says ^F3, there are some that so interpret it here, "who has [his] sense better than I?" a quicker sense, particularly of smelling and tasting what be eats, in which lies much of the pleasure of eating; and this is of God; which interpretation is not to be despised. Or, "who can prepare?" according to the Arabic sense of the word ^F4; that is, a better table than I? No man had a greater affluence of good things than Solomon, or had a greater variety of eatables and drinkables; or had it in the power of his hands to live well, and cause his soul to enjoy good; or was more desirous to partake of pleasure, and hasten more to make the experiment of it in a proper manner; and yet he found, that a heart to do this was from the Lord; that this was a gift of his; and that though he abounded in the blessings of life, yet if God had not given him a heart to use them, he never should have really enjoyed them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 In Tishbi, p. 109.
F4 Vid. Rambachium in loc.

Chuándàoshū 2:25 In-Context

23 Yīnwei tā rì rì yōulǜ , tāde laókǔ chéngwéi chóu fán . lián yè jiān xīn yĕ bú ān . zhè yĕ shì xū kōng .

24 Rén mò jiàng rú chī hē , qiĕ zaì laólù zhōng xiǎng fú . wǒ kàn zhè yĕ shì chūyú shén de shǒu .

25 Lún dào chī yòng , xiǎng fú ,shuí néng shēng guo wǒ ne .

26 Shén xǐyuè shuí , jiù gĕi shuí zhìhuì , zhīshi , hé xǐlè . wéiyǒu zuì rén , shén shǐ tā laókǔ , jiào tā jiāng suǒ shōujù de , suǒ duījī de , guī gĕi shén suǒ xǐyuè de rén . zhè yĕ shì xū kōng , yĕ shì bǔ fēng .