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A Metaphrase of the Book of Ecclesiastes

Gregory Thaumaturgus

Chapter 8

About this work

A concise paraphrastic rendering of Ecclesiastes that presents the book’s reflections on transience, wisdom, labor, judgment, and the proper ordering of human life before God.

Author: Gregory Thaumaturgus
Date: 3rd century
Origin: Pontus
Genre: Commentary

The precise authorship and textual history of the metaphrase warrant external verification.

Moreover, wisdom, when it is found

‹ Chapter 7 Chapter 9 ›

in

a

man

,

shows

itself

also

in

its

possessor’s

face

,

and

makes

his

countenance

to

shine

;

as

,

on

the

other

hand

,

effrontery

convicts

the

man

in

whom

it

has

taken

up

its

abode

,

so

soon

as

he

is

seen

,

as

one

worthy

of

hatred

.

And

it

is

on

every

account

right

to

give

careful

heed

to

the

words

of

the

king

,

and

by

all

manner

of

means

to

avoid

an

oath

,

especially

one

taken

in

the

name

of

God

.

It

may

be

fit

at

the

same

time

to

notice

an

evil

word

,

but

then

it

is

necessary

to

guard

against

any

blasphemy

against

God

.

For

it

will

not

be

possible

to

find

fault

with

Him

when

He

inflicts

any

penalty

,

nor

to

gainsay

the

decrees

of

the

Only

Lord

and

King

.

But

it

will

be

better

and

more

profitable

for

a

man

to

abide

by

the

holy

commandments

,

and

to

keep

himself

apart

from

the

words

of

the

wicked

.

For

the

wise

man

knows

and

discerneth

beforehand

the

judgment

,

which

shall

come

at

the

right

time

,

and

sees

that

it

shall

be

just

.

For

all

things

in

the

life

of

men

await

the

retribution

from

above

;

but

the

wicked

man

does

not

seem

to

know

verily

that

as

there

is

a

mighty

providence

over

him

,

nothing

in

the

future

shall

be

hid

.

He

knoweth

not

indeed

the

things

which

shall

be

;

for

no

man

shall

be

able

to

announce

any

one

of

them

to

him

duly

:

for

no

one

shall

be

found

so

strong

as

to

be

able

to

prevent

the

angel

who

spoils

him

of

his

life

;

neither

shall

any

means

be

devised

for

cancelling

in

any

way

the

appointed

time

of

death

.

But

even

as

the

man

who

is

captured

in

the

midst

of

the

battle

can

only

see

flight

cut

off

on

every

side

,

so

all

the

impiety

of

man

perisheth

utterly

together

.

And

I

am

astonished

,

as

often

as

I

contemplate

what

and

how

great

things

men

have

studied

to

do

for

the

hurt

of

their

neighbours

.

But

this

I

know

,

that

the

impious

are

snatched

prematurely

from

this

life

,

and

put

out

of

the

way

because

they

have

given

themselves

to

vanity

.

For

whereas

the

providential

judgment

of

God

does

not

overtake

all

speedily

,

by

reason

of

His

great

long

-

suffering

,

and

the

wicked

is

not

punished

immediately

on

the

commission

of

his

offences

,

—

for

this

reason

he

thinks

that

he

may

sin

the

more

,

as

though

he

were

to

get

off

with

impunity

,

not

understanding

that

the

transgressor

shall

not

escape

the

knowledge

of

God

even

after

a

long

interval

.

This

,

moreover

,

is

the

chief

good

,

to

reverence

God

;

for

if

once

the

impious

man

fall

away

from

Him

,

he

shall

not

be

suffered

long

to

misuse

his

own

folly

.

But

a

most

vicious

and

false

opinion

often

prevails

among

men

concerning

both

the

righteous

and

the

unrighteous

.

For

they

form

a

judgment

contrary

to

truth

regarding

each

of

them

;

and

the

man

who

is

really

righteous

does

not

get

the

credit

of

being

so

,

while

,

on

the

other

hand

,

the

impious

man

is

deemed

prudent

and

upright

.

And

this

I

judge

to

be

among

the

most

grievous

of

errors

.

Once

,

indeed

,

I

thought

that

the

chief

good

consisted

in

eating

and

drinking

,

and

that

he

was

most

highly

favoured

of

God

who

should

enjoy

these

things

to

the

utmost

in

his

life

;

and

I

fancied

that

this

kind

of

enjoyment

was

the

only

comfort

in

life

.

And

,

accordingly

,

I

gave

heed

to

nothing

but

to

this

conceit

,

so

that

neither

by

night

nor

by

day

did

I

withdraw

myself

from

all

those

things

which

have

ever

been

discovered

to

minister

luxurious

delights

to

men

.

And

this

much

I

learned

thereby

,

that

the

man

who

mingles

in

these

things

shall

by

no

means

be

able

,

however

sorely

he

may

labour

with

them

,

to

find

the

real

good

.

Notes

1
λίαν.
2
ψυχήν.
3
πρόνοια.