There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
(There is) no end of all the people, (even) of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Notwithstanding that "all the people" ("all the living which walk under the sun," Ecclesiastes 4:15) now worship the rising sun, the heir- apparent, I reflected that 'there were no bounds (no stability; as even in the days of so great a king as David, Absalom and Sheba son of Bichri successively found it easy to steal away the hearts of the people to rebel, 2 Samuel 15:6; 2 Samuel 20:1), no check on the caprice and love of innovation, "of all that have been before them," i:e., the past generation; so "they also that come after," i:e., the next generation, "shall not rejoice in him," namely, Rehoboam. The parallel, "shall not rejoice," fixes the sense of 'no bounds,' no permanent adherence, though now men rejoice in him. So De Dieu explains. The English version means, There is no end to the number of all the people who, before both kings, the old and the young one, have been ready to become tired of the reigning king, and to court his successor. Hope and novelty combine to recommend the successor-two powerful springs in human nature.