I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
Illustration more at large of Ecclesiastes 2:1-2. First, he tries mirth in its coarsest form, intoxication of the senses.
Verse 3. Sought - after search into many plans.
To give myself unto wine - literally, to draw my flesh (body) to wine (including all banquetings). Image from a bound captive drawn after a chariot in triumph (Romans 6:16; Romans 6:19; 1 Corinthians 12:2); or, one 'allured' (2 Peter 2:18-19); or 'indulge my body with wine.'
Yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom - literally, 'and my heart (still) was behaving, or guiding itself, with wisdom' (Gesenius). Compare end, Ecclesiastes 2:9. 'I assayed:' so the Hebrew х tuwr (H8446)] of "I sought" means. Solomon did not give loose to lust as a mere sensualist: but, retaining his wisdom, he tested, by personal trial, what solid good sensual enjoyments can give. Such experiments in sinful pleasures are forbidden by God (Numbers 15:39), and entail His sure vengeance (cf. Proverbs 31:4-5).
Folly - namely, pleasures of the flesh, termed "mad" (Ecclesiastes 2:2).
All the days of their life. The shorter that life lasts, the more important it is speedily to know what is the true end and chief good of life (see margin, and Ecclesiastes 6:12; Job 15:20).
Verse 4. I made me great works ... houses - not including the temple, which he did not build for himself, (1 Kings 7:1-8; 1 Kings 9:1; 1 Kings 9:19; 1 Kings 10:18, etc.) Here he passes from the experiment in the lusts of the flesh to the lust of the eye and the pride of life, thus including "all that is in the world" (1 John 2:16).
Vineyards - (Song of Solomon 8:11.)
Verse 5. Gardens - Hebrew ( pardeeciym (H6508)), paradises, a foreign word; Sanskrit, 'a place enclosed with a wall;' Armenian and Arabic, a pleasure ground with flowers and shrubs near the king's house or castle.' An earthly paradise can never make up for the want of the heavenly (Revelation 2:7).
Verse 6. Pools - artificial, for irrigating the soil (Genesis 2:10; Nehemiah 2:14; Isaiah 1:30). Three such reservoirs are still found, called Solomon's cisterns, a mile and a half from Jerusalem. Ritter says, The blessing which everywhere in the East irrigation diffuses is seen peculiarly in the paradisaic Etham, the narrow but lovely valley of Wady Urtas. This was probably the garden of Solomon, so rich in pools, described in Canticles as a pleasure garden with the noblest fruit trees.
The wood that bringeth forth trees - rather, 'the grove that flourisheth with trees' (Lowth).
Verse 7. I ... had servants born in my house - these were esteemed more trustworthy servants than those bought (Genesis 14:14; Genesis 15:2-3; Genesis 17:12-13; Genesis 17:27; Jeremiah 2:14), called sons of one's handmaid (Exodus 23:12; cf. this among the items of wealth, Genesis 12:16; Job 1:3).
Above all that were in Jerusalem before me - not only Saul and David, but also the Jebusite kings up to Melchisedec.
Verse 8. The peculiar treasure [Hebrew, cªgulat (H5459), something of special value; that which men lay by; keimeelion] of kings and of the provinces - contributed by them as tributary to him (1 Kings 4:21; 1 Kings 4:24); a poor substitute for, the wisdom whose 'gain is better than fine gold' (Proverbs 3:14-15). (See 1 Kings 10:27; 2 Chronicles 1:15; 2 Chronicles 9:20).
Singers - so David (2 Samuel 19:35).
Musical instruments ... of all sorts - introduced at banquets (Isaiah 5:12; Amos 6:5-6); rather х shidaah (H7705) wªshidowt (H7705)], a princess and princesses, from an Arabic root. One regular wife or queen (Esther 1:9), Pharaoh's daughter (1 Kings 3:1); other secondary wives, "princesses," distinct from the "concubines" (1 Kings 11:3; Psalms 45:10; Song of Solomon 6:8). (Weiss, Gesenius.) Had these been omitted, the enumeration would be incomplete. Hengstenberg makes Solomon's wives and concubines to be included in 'the delight (or caresses) of the sons of men;' and translates the last clause, 'plenty of all sorts'-literally, multitude and great multitude, from the Arabic.
Verse 9. Great - opulent (Genesis 24:35; Job 1:3; see 1 Kings 10:23).
Also my wisdom remained - (Ecclesiastes 2:3) along with my other possessions. We should therefore the more confidently have expected him to have a heart fully satisfied, if earthly things could make one so.
Verse 10. My heart rejoiced in all my labor - in procuring pleasures. It cost me much labour in obtaining the material of pleasure: I therefore gave myself up wholly to the joy so obtained.
This - evanescent "joy" was my only 'portion out of all my labour' (Ecclesiastes 3:22; Ecclesiastes 5:18; 1 Kings 10:5).
Verse 11. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour ... and, behold, all (was) vanity ... and (there was) no profit under the sun - no "profit" as to the chief good. "Wisdom" (worldly common-sense, sagacity), which still, "remained with me" (Ecclesiastes 2:9), showed me that these could not give solid happiness. "Behold" marks the unexpectedness and startling nature of the fact. When the joy called on the taste, nothing remained but the remembrance of labour without profit.