(2.) Until not darkened (i.e. before this happens) is the sun, and the light (referring back to chapter xi. 7), and the moon, and the stars, and return the clouds (storm-clouds) after the rain (the tempestuous rain, i.e. storm succeeds storm).
3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders [¹]cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
[¹] Or, fail because they grind little.
In a day when sore moved are the keepers of the house, and the mighty mortals sadly perplex themselves, and the grinding maids are idle because there is little to grind, and the ladies look into gloom through the windows;
(3.) In a day (not the day, which again spoils the pathos. Koheleth is now going to give specimens of evil days) when disturbed are, (occurs only Esther iii. 9, and Habakkuk ii. 7, pilpel. This word, שיזעו, has been said to be a late one, but זעוה occurs Deuteronomy xxviii. [♦]25; the idea is ‘commotion,’ when they are or may be in commotion) the keepers of the house, and perplex themselves (see [chapter i. 15], [vii. 13]), the men (אנושי, ‘weak men’) of the strength (it is quite consistent with the character of the writer to join such terms as these together, with an oblique sarcasm hidden beneath them), and cease (here only, a so-called late word) the grinding maids, because they are diminished, and are dark the gazers (feminine) in the windows ((1.) the keepers are the slaves; (2.) the strong men the masters; (3.) the grinding maids the women servants; (4) the gazers are the ladies——compare Judges v. 28; thus is comprised the whole family.)
[♦] “5” replaced with “25”