The objectionable character of the book is not to be denied. To do this were to mistake its peculiar meaning, as Köster has done, who finds too much in it that is positive, and maintains that the book "teaches us what is permanent in nothingness;" or as Ewald, who thinks the happiness it recommends is an ideal of life. But Jerome, in his commentary on Eccl. xii. 13, says, "The Hebrews say, that this book ought to be obliterated, as well as other writings of Solomon, which have become obsolete, and have been lost, -and for this reason, that he asserts the creatures of God are all vain, and thinks the whole of no value, and because he prefers food and drink, and transient pleasures, before all things. But the book deserves to be placed among the divine volumes for that sentence alone, in which he condenses the whole contents and meaning of the book, and says that the end of his discourses is very easy to be heard, and contains nothing difficult, namely, that we should fear God and keep his commandments." The book denies the im

the fourth chapter, of wisdom in its application to the affairs of life. Umbreit, (Uebers. p. 13, sqq., Coheleth script. p. 44, sqq.,) to verify his arrangement, makes use of arbitrary transpositions. Herder, Eichhorn, Friedländer, and Knobel, justly maintain there is a free course of ideas in it, [not restricted by a formal plan.] Herder (1. c. p. 178) and Eichhorn (§ 661) give the contents and design of the book correctly, yet Knobel's modification thereof may be accepted. "Koheleth wished to prove the nothingness of human life, and then to lead a life conformable thereto." The following give the design of the book erroneously or one-sidedly, and too definitely: Des Vœux, Critical Essay of Ecclesiastes. J. F. Jacobi, Vorwürfen gerettete Prediger Buch; 1779. J. D. Michaelis, Poet. Entwurf. d. Pred. Buch; 2d ed. 1762. Kleuker, Salomon. Denkwürdigkeit; 1785. Döderlein, 1. c. p. viii. Zirkel, Untersuch. p. 76. Schmidt, Sal. Pred. p. 23. Paulus, 1. c. p. 209. Gaab, Beiträge, &c. p. 48. Hanlein, On the Traces of a Belief in Immortality in Ecclesiastes, in his Theol. Journal, vol. iv. pt. iv. p. 278, sq. Bertholdt, p. 2248. Rhode, L. c. p. 223, sqq. Umbreit, l. c. p. 35. Ewald, Hohes

lied. p. 153, sq. Köster, 1. c. 105, sqq., and particularly Kaiser, 1. c.

a See Pesikta Rabbati, fol. 33, c. 1. Midrash, Cohel. fol. 311, c. 1. Vajikra Rab. sect. 28, fol. 161, c. 2: Voluerunt sapientes, &л0×QÚпт8IV,

mortality of the soul, and this denial is not affected by the passage, (xii. 7,) "And the dust returns to the earth as it was, but the breath of life to God, who gave it." This denial is not mere poetry.

§ 284.

ITS AGE AND AUTHOR.

To follow the letter of the book, it is ascribed to Solomon. Tradition and common opinion favor this hypothesis. The statement in Baba Bathra and Shalsheleth Hakkabala, that Isaiah wrote his own book, the Proverbs, Canticles, and Ecclesiastes, does not deny that Solomon was the author."

But if it is probable that Solomon wrote some of the Proverbs, and that their spirit is conformable to that of his age, then this book can neither belong to the same author, nor the same age, for its spirit is entirely different. This hypothesis is favored by the obvious fiction, and the introduction of Solomon saying, "I the preacher was king over Israel at Jerusalem. I did great things. I builded me houses, and planted me vineyards," &c.; "Besides this, since the preacher was wise, he taught the people knowledge, investigated, and inquired, and set in order many proverbs," &c. (i. 12, ii. 4, xii. 9.)'

librum Coheleth, quod deprehenderunt in eo verba quæ ad hæresin vergant. Compare Carpzov, p. 222. Tr. Schab. fol. 30. On the silence of the New Testament and the Fathers respecting it, see Knobel, p. 101, sqq.

a

Baba Bathra, fol. 15, c. 1. (See above, § 14, and Hakkabala, fol. 66, c. 2.) Grotius (on xii. 11) was the first to deny that Solomon was the author. Even Jahn does the same, p. 849. But the following defend the genuineness of the book: Carpzov, p. 207; Schelling, Salomon quæ supersunt, Præf. p. 10; Van der Palm, p. 34; and others.

⚫ Döderlein, (Schol. in Libr. V. T. poet. p. 187; Uebers. p. 161,) Schmidt,

This theory is favored, also, by the later character of the language, which is strongly Aramaan." Besides, it bears other marks of a recent and unfortunate age, which had made some advance in religious and literary cultivation."

We shall not be far out of the way, if, with Rosenmüller, Knobel, and Ewald, we date the composition of the book in the last time of the Persian period, or the beginning of the Macedonian, when literary fictions of this kind were common."

(Sal. Pred. p. 204,) Bertholdt, (p. 2250, sq.,) and Umbreit, (Coheleth, p. 94,) consider the epilogue (xii. 9-14) spurious, but on grounds perfectly worthless. Here the author appears very properly, and speaks of the sage whom he has introduced in the fiction. Besides, he is spoken of in the third person. (vii. 27.) The language of this part does not differ from the rest of the book, as Schmidt maintains, who finds Græcisms in it, but only by misunderstanding. (verse 9.) Comp. Van der Palm, p. 83, sqq.

iii. 15, iv. 2, et al.

; ii. 21, iv. 4, v. 10. ; xi. 6, x. 21. †?!; iii. 1. 7; x. 8.

; viii. 1. 30; xii. 3. ; viii. 11. i, world; iii. 11. , prefix, perhaps fifty times. ; i. 9, iii. 15, 22, vi. 10, vii. 24. ", with finite verb; ii. 12, 13, 15, 20, iii. 18, iv. 4, et al. The use of Elohim. Many things approach the Talmudic usage: 1; i. 3, ii. 26, iv. 8, v. 13, et al.; ii. 25. ; ii. 25, et al. See Gesenius, in vol. i., Appendix, D. Hartmann, Linguistische Einleit. in d. B. Koheleth, in Winer's Zeitschrift, vol. i. p. 29, sqq. Knobel, p. 70, sqq.

Ewald (p. 181) adduces some passages in proof of the political condition of the age, which prove nothing. What has been brought forward by Schmidt (p. 299, sq.) and Jahn (p. 853) from viii. 2, x. 4-7, 16, 17, 20, iv. 13 -16, in proof of an earlier age, from Manasseh to Hezekiah, (725-696 B. C.) is of little assistance. See Bertholdt, p. 2218, sq.

с

Bertholdt and Zirkel bring it down still later.

The latter finds allusion

to the Sadducees and Pharisees in the book; but see, against this, Eichhorn, Allg. Bib. vol. iv. p. 904, sqq. J. E. C. Schmidt, p. 278, sqq., and 306, sqq. Bertholdt, p. 2221, sqq. But Knobel thinks the views of the Pharisees and Sadducees began to develop themselves in the time when this was written.

CHAPTER VI.

THE BOOK OF JOB."

§ 285.

STYLE AND SPIRIT OF THE BOOK.

THIS book is closely connected in character with Ps. xxxvii. and lxxiii. Its subject is the common Hebrew

"Catena Græc. Patrum in b. Job., collectore Niceta, Heraclea Metropolita, ex duobus MSS. Biblioth. Bodlejanæ codd., Græce nunc primum in lucem edita et Latine versa op. et st. Patricii Junii. Accessit ad calcem textus Jobi ouznous, justa veram et germanam LXX. Seniorum interpretat., ex Biblioth. Reg. MS. cod.; Lond. 1637, fol.

Mart. Buceri Comment. in Libr. Job.; Arg. 1528, fol.

Jo. Ecolampadii Exegem. in Job. et Dan.; Bas. 1532, 4to., and often. Victorin. Strigelii Liber Jobi, ad Ebr. Veritatem recogn. et Argumentis atque Schol. illustr.; Lips. 1566; Neostad. 1571.

Joa. Merceri Comm. in Job., Genev. 1573, fol., cum Comm. in Librr. Sal., Lug. Bat. 1651, fol.

C. Sanctü Commentarius in Jobum; Lug. Bat. 1625, fol.

Jo. Drusii Nova Versio et Scholia in Job.; Amst. 1636, 4to.

Seb. Schmidii in Libr. Job., Comm.; Arg. 1670, 4to.

Jo. Henr. Michaelis, Notæ uberr. in Libr. Jobi, Uberr. Annotatt. in Hagiogr. vol. ii.

Animadverss. philol. in Jobum, &c., Auct. Alb. Schultens; Traj. ad Rh. 1708, 8vo. Opp. min.; Lug. Bat. 1769, 4to.

Liber Jobi cum nova Vers. ad Hebr. Fontem et Comment. perpetuo. Cur. et ed. Alb. Schultens; Lug. Bat. 1737, 2 vols. 4to.

Liber Jobi in versiculos metrice divisus, cum vers. Alb. Schultens notisque ex ejus comm. excerptis. Ed. atque annotatt. suas ad metrum præc. spectantes adj. Ricard. Grey; Lond. 1741.

Alb. Schultensii Comm. in Jobum. In Comp. redegit, Observatt. crit. atque exeg. adspersit G. J. L. Vogel. Tom. i. ii.; Hal. 1773, 1774.

Observatt. miscell. in libr. Job., quibus verss. et interprett. passim epicrisis instituitur, &c. Præmissa est crit. disquisitio, ubi operis totius indoles et scriptoris consilium expenditur. Cum examine oraculi celebratiss. de Goële. (Auct. Dav. Renat. Boullier;) Amst. 1758, 8vo. Ewald, 1. c. vol. iii.

E. F. C. Rosenmülleri Schol. in V. T. pt. v.

doctrine of final causes, contending with doubts. The inspired soul of the poet must triumph over these doubts, to which the author of Ecclesiastes had yielded. He conquers them, not by rationalism," but by resignation and faith. This spirit of the book, and its form,— that of a dialogue,- borrowed from the assemblies of sages, render it closely similar to the Greek tragedies; and it may be called the Hebrew tragedy. It is characteristic of the Hebrews, that they represent the tragic idea by words and thoughts, rather than by action."

Ueberss. und Erkll. von S. Grynäus, 1767; J. D. Cube, 1769-1771, vol. iii.; Eckermann, 1778; Moldenhauer, 1780, 1781, 2 vols. 4to.; Hufnagel, 1781; Kessler, 1784; H. A. Schultens und H. Muntinghe. Aus d. Holländ. m. Zuss. u. Anmerkk.; J. P. Bergs von K. F. Weidenbach, 1797; Pape, 1797; Block, (metrical,) 1797; Eichhorn, 1800, A. Bibl. vol. x. p. 579, sqq., 2 A. 1824; Stuhlmann, 1804; Gaab, 1809; J. R. Schärer, 1818, 2 vols.; E. G. A. Böckel, 1821; L. F. Melsheimer, 1823; Umbreit, 1824, 2 A. 1832; Gerh. Lange, (metrical,) 1831; Köster, (strophic,) 1832.

See Elench. Interprett. vor Rosenmüller's Schol. vol. i. und Umbreit's Uebers.

[A Translation of the Book of Job, &c., in Broughton's Works, vol. ii. p. 246, sqq. Heath's Essay towards a new English Version, &c.; 1756, 4to. The Book of Job in English Verse, by T. Scott; Lond. 1773, 8vo. An Improved Version, with Notes, by Gardner; Lond. 1796, 8vo. The Book of Job metrically arranged ...... and newly translated, &c., by Bishop Stock; Bath, 1805, 4to. The Book of Job, translated by Elizabeth Smith; Lond. 1810, 8vo. The Book of Job, literally translated, by John Mason Good; Lond. 1812, 8vo. An Exposition, &c., by J. Caryl; Lond. 1669, 2 vols. fol. Elihu, or an Inquiry into the principal Scope, &c., of the Book of Job, by Walter Hodges; Lond. 1750, 4to. A Dissertation on the Book of Job, its Nature, &c., by J. Garnett, 2d ed.; Lond. 1751, 4to. A Commentary on the Book of Job, by Chappelow; 1752, 2 vols. 4to. A critical Dissertation on the Book of Job, by Peters; Lond. 1757, 4to. See, also, Warburton, Divine Legation, b. vi. sect. ii. A New Translation of the Book of Job, by G. R. Noyes, 2d ed.; Boston, 1838, 1 vol. 12mo.] Vernunflelei.

The ancients compared it, too closely, to a tragedy; e. g. Beza, Observatt. in Job. Proœm. p. 2, sq. Jo. Gerhard, Exeges. Loci i. de SS. § 140. Mer