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.