Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ecclesiastes 7:17

COM commentary-section · status:draft · license:PD

17. over much wicked —so worded, to answer to "righteous over much. " For if not taken thus, it would seem to imply that we may be wicked a little. "Wicked" refers to "wicked man" ( Ecclesiastes 7:15 ); "die before thy time," to "prolongeth his life," antithetically. There may be a wicked man spared to "live long," owing to his avoiding gross excesses ( Ecclesiastes 7:15 ). Solomon says, therefore, Be not so foolish (answering antithetically to "over wise," Ecclesiastes 7:16 ), as to run to such excess of riot, that God will be provoked to cut off prematurely thy day of grace ( Ecclesiastes 7:16- : ). The precept is addressed to a sinner. Beware of aggravating thy sin, so as to make thy case desperate. It refers to the days of Solomon's "vanity" (apostasy, Ecclesiastes 7:16- : ), when only such a precept would be applicable. By litotes it includes, "Be not wicked at all. " return to ' Top of Page ' <a name="verse-18" class="com-number"

Pericope (part_of)

• part_of pericope/per-ecc-7-005

절 (explains)

bible-text/ecc-7-17

Source

• source-manifest/jfb — Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (PD)
• evidence_grade: T_theological