Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that [is] thy portion in [this] life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
Ver. 9. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest.] As Isaac, the most loving husband in Scripture, did with his Rebecca, whom he loved Gen 24:67 not only as his country woman, kinswoman, a good woman, &c., but as his woman; not with an ordinary or Christian love only, but with a conjugal love, which indeed is that which will make marriage a merry age, sweeten all crosses, season all comforts. She is called the wife of a man's bosom because she should be loved as well as the heart in his bosom. God took one of man's ribs, and, having built it into a wife, laid it again in his bosom, so that she is flesh of his flesh, yea, she is himself, as the apostle argues, and therehence enforceth this duty of love. Eph 5:28-31 Neither doth he satisfy himself in this argument, but adds there blow to blow, so to drive this nail up to the head, the better to beat this duty into the heads and hearts of husbands.
All the days of the life of thy vanity.] Love and live comfortably together, as well in age as in youth, as well in the fading as in the freshness of beauty.
Which he hath given thee,] i.e., The wife (not the life) which he hath given thee; for marriages are made in heaven, as the heathens also held. God, as he brought Eve to Adam at first, so still he is the paranymph that makes the match and unites their affections. "A prudent wife is of the Lord," Pro 18:22 for a comfort, as a froward is for a scourge.
All the days of thy vanity,] i.e., Of thy vain, vexatious life, the miseries whereof to mitigate God hath given thee a suitable mate to compassionate and communicate with thee, and to be a principal remedy, for Optimum solarium sodalitiara, no comfort in misery can be comparable to good company, that will sympathise and share with us.
For that is thy portion.] And a very good one too, if she prove good, as, if otherwise, Aristotle a saith right: He that is unhappy in a wife hath lost the one half, at least, of his happiness on earth.
And in thy labour which thou takest, &c.] They that will marry shall have trouble in the flesh. 1Co 7:28 Let them look for it, and labour to make a virtue of necessity. As there is rejoicing in marriage, so there is a deal of labour - i.e., of care, cost, and cumber. Is it not good therefore to have a partner, such a one as Sarah was to Abraham - a piece so just cut for him as answered him right in every joint?
a Arist. in Rhetor.