14 For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.
For from a prison-house of plotters he comes forth to reign, and beside in his kingdom is the birthplace of meanness.
(14.) For from the house of rebels (הסורים is considered a contraction for האסורים, ‘prison;’ but, to say the least, this is a violation of the critical canon, which bids us prefer the harder reading. That the derivation from סור, ‘to turn aside,’ hence ‘revolters,’ is contrary to the pointing, is not a valid objection, because the Masorets pointed as they did to explain a difficulty; so also the LXX., who read δεσμῶν and δεσμίων. If possible, we ought to preserve intact the unpointed text. The exact and literal meaning is, as the text stands, ‘from the house of the turners-aside,’ i.e. those conspirators and wicked men, sycophants, who will be flattering him to promote their own interest, and this was exactly Solomon’s case) he goes out to reign, for (the second כי, with the meaning ‘so’) also (‘moreover;’ this particle, as we have seen, usually introduces an additional reason, confirming the one which went before) in his kingdom is begotten ([♦]נולד, noled, a play upon ילד, jeled, above) want (רש is poverty in the sense of indigence and meanness; compare 1 Samuel xviii. 23, and Proverbs xix. 1, 7, 22; as, however, רש has the form of a concrete, we must remember that it involves the idea of a poor man, hence there is a sarcastic ambiguity, heightened by alliteration. Take the LXX. and Masorets’ sense, which is merely to allow the obvious play between הסורים and האסורים, and the sentiment is true, and, curiously enough, equally corresponds with the history).
[♦] “נלד” replaced with “נולד”
The following passage is one of great difficulty, but a very careful attention to its precise wording and the equivoke it contains, may perhaps afford a solution.
15 I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.
I have observed of all lives whatsoever, as they are progressing in this work-day world, in regard to any successors which may arise in their places,