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Selected Verse: Ecclesiates 7:7 - Strong Concordance
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
Ec 7:7 |
Strong Concordance |
Surely oppression [06233] maketh a wise man [02450] mad [01984]; and a gift [04979] destroyeth [06] the heart [03820]. |
|
King James |
Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
oppression--recurring to the idea (Ecc 3:16; Ecc 5:8). Its connection with Ecc 7:4-6 is, the sight of "oppression" perpetrated by "fools" might tempt the "wise" to call in question God's dispensations, and imitate the folly (equivalent to "madness") described (Ecc 7:5,6). WEISS, for "oppression," translates, "distraction," produced by merriment. But Ecc 5:8 favors English Version.
a gift--that is, the sight of bribery in "places of judgment" (Ecc 3:16) might cause the wise to lose their wisdom (equivalent to "heart"), (Job 12:6; Job 21:6-7; Job 24:1, &c.). This suits the parallelism better than "a heart of gifts"; a benevolent heart, as WEISS. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Rather, oppression (or extortions) maketh a wise man foolish; and a bribe etc. If a wise man, being in a high position, exercises oppression (see Psa 62:10), or practices extortion, he becomes a fool in so doing. This verse is a warning against impatience in the exercise of power or the acquisition of riches. |
Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
Without further trying to explain the mystery of the כי, we translate this verse: "... For oppression maketh wise men mad, and corruption destroyeth the understanding." From the lost first half of the verse, it appears that the subject here treated of is the duties of a judge, including those of a ruler into whose hands his subjects, with their property and life, are given. The second half is like an echo of Exo 23:8; Deu 16:19. That which שׁחד there means is here, as at Pro 15:27, denoted by מתּנה; and עשׁק is accordingly oppression as it is exercised by one who constrains others who need legal aid and help generally to purchase it by means of presents. Such oppression for the sake of gain, even if it does not proceed to the perversion of justice, but only aims at courting and paying for favour, makes a wise man mad (הולל, as at Job 12:17; Isa 44:25), i.e., it hurries him forth, since the greed of gold increases more and more, to the most blinding immorality and regardlessness; and such presents for the purpose of swaying the judgment, and of bribery, destroys the heart, i.e., the understanding (cf. Hos 4:11, Bereschith rabba, chap. lvi.), for they obscure the judgment, blunt the conscience, and make a man the slave of his passion. The conjecture העשׁר (riches) instead of the word העשׁק (Burger, as earlier Ewald) is accordingly unnecessary; it has the parallelism against it, and thus generally used gives an untrue thought. The word הולל does not mean "gives lustre" (Desvoeux), or "makes shine forth = makes manifest" (Tyler); thus also nothing is gained for a better connection of Ecc 7:7 and Ecc 7:6. The Venet. excellently: ἐκστήσει. Aben Ezra supposes that מתנה is here = דּבר מת; Mendelssohn repeats it, although otherwise the consciousness of the syntactical rule, Gesen. 147a, does not fail him. |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
A gift - A bribe given to a wise man, deprives him of the use of his understanding. So this verse discovers two ways whereby a wise man may be made mad, by suffering oppression from others, or by receiving bribes to oppress others. And this also is an argument of the vanity of worldly wisdom that is so easily corrupted and lost. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Oppression maketh a wise man mad - This has been translated with good show of reason, "Surely oppression shall give lustre to a wise man: but a gift corrupteth the heart."
The chief difference here is in the word יהולל yeholel, which, from the root הלל halal, signiffes to glister, irradiate, as well as to move briskly, to be mad, furious, in a rage; and certainly the former meaning suits this place best. We cannot think that the wise man - he that is truly religious, (for this is its meaning in the language of Solomon), can be made mad by any kind of oppression; but as he trusts in God, so in patience he possesses his soul. |
1 Why, seeing times [06256] are not hidden [06845] from the Almighty [07706], do they that know [03045] him not see [02372] his days [03117]?
6 Even when I remember [02142] I am afraid [0926], and trembling [06427] taketh hold on [0270] my flesh [01320].
7 Wherefore do the wicked [07563] live [02421], become old [06275], yea, are mighty [01396] in power [02428]?
6 The tabernacles [0168] of robbers [07703] prosper [07951], and they that provoke [07264] God [0410] are secure [0987]; into whose hand [03027] God [0433] bringeth [0935] abundantly.
16 And moreover I saw [07200] under the sun [08121] the place [04725] of judgment [04941], that wickedness [07562] was there; and the place [04725] of righteousness [06664], that iniquity [07562] was there.
8 If thou seest [07200] the oppression [06233] of the poor [07326], and violent [01499] perverting of judgment [04941] and justice [06664] in a province [04082], marvel [08539] not at the matter [02656]: for he that is higher [01364] than the highest [01364] regardeth [08104]; and there be higher [01364] than they [05921].
5 It is better [02896] to hear [08085] the rebuke [01606] of the wise [02450], than for a man [0376] to hear [08085] the song [07892] of fools [03684].
4 The heart [03820] of the wise [02450] is in the house [01004] of mourning [060]; but the heart [03820] of fools [03684] is in the house [01004] of mirth [08057].
5 It is better [02896] to hear [08085] the rebuke [01606] of the wise [02450], than for a man [0376] to hear [08085] the song [07892] of fools [03684].
6 For as the crackling [06963] of thorns [05518] under a pot [05518], so is the laughter [07814] of the fool [03684]: this also is vanity [01892].
8 If thou seest [07200] the oppression [06233] of the poor [07326], and violent [01499] perverting of judgment [04941] and justice [06664] in a province [04082], marvel [08539] not at the matter [02656]: for he that is higher [01364] than the highest [01364] regardeth [08104]; and there be higher [01364] than they [05921].
16 And moreover I saw [07200] under the sun [08121] the place [04725] of judgment [04941], that wickedness [07562] was there; and the place [04725] of righteousness [06664], that iniquity [07562] was there.
10 Trust [0982] not in oppression [06233], and become not vain [01891] in robbery [01498]: if riches [02428] increase [05107], set [07896] not your heart [03820] upon them.
6 For as the crackling [06963] of thorns [05518] under a pot [05518], so is the laughter [07814] of the fool [03684]: this also is vanity [01892].
7 Surely oppression [06233] maketh a wise man [02450] mad [01984]; and a gift [04979] destroyeth [06] the heart [03820].
11 Whoredom [02184] and wine [03196] and new wine [08492] take away [03947] the heart [03820].
25 That frustrateth [06565] the tokens [0226] of the liars [0907], and maketh diviners [07080] mad [01984]; that turneth [07725] wise [02450] men backward [0268], and maketh their knowledge [01847] foolish [05528];
17 He leadeth [03212] counsellors [03289] away spoiled [07758], and maketh the judges [08199] fools [01984].
27 He that is greedy [01214] of gain [01215] troubleth [05916] his own house [01004]; but he that hateth [08130] gifts [04979] shall live [02421].
19 Thou shalt not wrest [05186] judgment [04941]; thou shalt not respect [05234] persons [06440], neither take [03947] a gift [07810]: for a gift [07810] doth blind [05786] the eyes [05869] of the wise [02450], and pervert [05557] the words [01697] of the righteous [06662].
8 And thou shalt take [03947] no gift [07810]: for the gift [07810] blindeth [05786] the wise [06493], and perverteth [05557] the words [01697] of the righteous [06662].