Chuándàoshū 2:8

8 Wǒ yòu wèi zìjǐ jīxù jīn yín , hé jūnwáng de cáibǎo , bìng ge shĕng de cáibǎo . yòu dé chàng gē de nánnǚ , hé shìrén suǒ xǐaì de wù , bìng xǔduō de fēi pín .

Chuándàoshū 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.

Chuándàoshū 2:8 In-Context

6 Wā zào shuǐ chí , yòng yǐ jiāo guàn nèn xiǎo de shùmù .

7 Wǒ mǎi le pú bì , yĕ yǒu shēng zaì jia zhōng de pú bì . yòu yǒu xǔduō niú qún yáng qún , shēng guo yǐqián zaì Yēlùsǎlĕng zhòngrén suǒyǒude .

8 Wǒ yòu wèi zìjǐ jīxù jīn yín , hé jūnwáng de cáibǎo , bìng ge shĕng de cáibǎo . yòu dé chàng gē de nánnǚ , hé shìrén suǒ xǐaì de wù , bìng xǔduō de fēi pín .

9 Zhèyàng , wǒ jiù rì jiàn chāngshèng , shēng guo yǐqián zaì Yēlùsǎlĕng de zhòngrén . wǒde zhìhuì réngrán cún liú .

10 Fán wǒ yǎn suǒ qiú de , wǒ méiyǒu liú xià bù gĕi tāde . wǒ xīn suǒ lè de , wǒ méiyǒu jìnzhǐ bù xiǎngshòu de . yīn wǒde xīn wèi wǒ yīqiè suǒ laólù de kuaìlè . zhè jiù shì wǒ cóng laólù zhōng suǒ dé de fēn .