(8.) I gathered for myself, moreover, silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and the provinces. I made for myself (i.e. procured) men-singers and women-singers, the delights of the sons of men, outpouring and outpourers. (The different meanings given to these two last words, שדה ושדות, which occur here only, are various, scarcely a commentary or version agreeing. The LXX. translate a ‘butler’ and ‘female cup-bearers,’ the Vulgate ‘pitchers and vases,’ Ginsburg ‘a concubine and concubines’; but the most probable etymology seems to give the idea of ‘overflowing’ to the word in some sense or other. It is possible then to take the words generally, and interpret them as referring to the overflow, not only of the generous wines, but of all the delights of which wine is a type, as in the words ‘The feast of reason and the flow of soul,’ or like Milton’s——
‘Did ever mortal mixture of earth’s mould
Breathe such divine enchanting ravishment?’
The arrangement of these different objects of pleasure is somewhat artificial, as will be seen on examining the grouping.)
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
So I was great and increased more than all that were ever before me in Jerusalem, yet notwithstanding my wisdom remained fast with myself,
(9.) And I was great (rightly the Authorized Version, ‘so,’ referring back to verse 4) and increased more than all (all now becomes the key-word, which occurs seven times) which was (singular, giving the sense than ‘any was’) before me in Jerusalem; also (אף, affirms strongly, see Job iv. 19, ‘but beside,’ for without this provision of a wise enjoyment the experiment was necessarily a failure:) my wisdom remained (i.e. stood; it is usual to say that עמדה is feminine to agree with חכמה; perhaps it would be equally correct to say that it was an instance of two abstract ideas in apposition, giving the sense ‘was still a thing standing’) with myself (emphatic, and the eighth repetition of this word).