Pleasure
What is pleasure? King Solomon does an experiment to determine what pleasure does for a person.
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“In this passage the Teacher describes his grand experiment into pleasure and its total failure.” (Garrett, Duane A., The New American Commentary, Volume 14, Ecclesiastes. [Nashville: Broadman Press], 291)
1. Solomon is doing an “experiment by a dialogue with his heart. He proposes a test, the goal of which is to determine if pleasures provide an adequate justification for human existence.” (Garrett, 291)
2. “Laughter was insanity, and fun accomplished nothing. Here he warns that partaking of pleasure does not of itself give meaning to existence.” (Garrett, 291)
3. “He wanted to know if rationally controlled indulgence in pleasure gave meaning to life. He did not become a drunk. His experiment was an experiment in pleasure, not debauchery.” (Garrett, 291)
“People who live for pleasure often exploit others to get what they want, and they end up with broken relationships as well as empty hearts. People are more important than things and thrills.” (Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary Old Testament Wisdom and Poetry. [Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004], 488)
Possessions
4. “These were hobbies with Solomon.” (McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume III. [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983], 113)
5-6. “He had irrigation.” (McGee, 113)
7. “He not only had works, but he also had workers (7a). He had two kinds of slaves: those he purchased and those born in his household.” (Wiersbe, 488)
8. He had the “ability to collect the treasure of kings and provinces (v. 8a). He enjoyed hearing male and female singers (v. 8b) as a connoisseur of fine arts. And he partook of the sexual pleasures of his harem (v. 8c).” (The Moody Bible Commentary, The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, [Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL, 2014], 975)
9. “His claim that he retained his wisdom is an assurance to the reader that he did not go berserk in his quest for luxury and pleasure.” (Garrett, 292)
10. “The Teacher felt he had earned the right to enjoy himself. He had worked hard for all of this.” (Garrett, 292)
11. His “verdict on his search is that none of the pleasures provided any meaning in life.” (Moody, 975)
References
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
In this article Scripture quotations taken from KJV.
Garrett, Duane A., The New American Commentary, Volume 14, Ecclesiastes. Nashville: Broadman Press
McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume III. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983
The Moody Bible Commentary, The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL, 2014
Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary Old Testament Wisdom and Poetry. Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004
