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to laughter I said, 'a distraction,' and to joy, 'What does this accomplish?'" Considering worldly joy, he says, I examined whether it has any good; and I saw that even this rejoicing on account of wealth, perhaps abundance, or glory, or any of the things in the world, is vanity; indeed, I said to such joy (for he calls joy laughter) and to such gladness, 'You are a distraction, and depart from me, what does this accomplish?' instead of, 'Why do you prepare me to rejoice in such things?' For the pleasure produced through such things is vanity, and nothing else. "And I examined whether my heart would draw my flesh like wine." The drink, having been swallowed by the drinker, is unseen. I considered, therefore, he says, whether in human prosperities and enjoyments the mind can be so courageous as to make the fleshly desire disappear, like some wine that has been swallowed. "And my heart guided in wisdom, and to lay hold on joy, until I might know what is the good for the sons of men, which they shall do under the sun, the number of the days of their life." Solomon, having received wisdom from God, and an outpouring of heart, like the sand of the sea, became most keen in his mind; for he was able to touch upon divine words, and to speak great mysteries, which indeed he also appears to do. And he was able, with the sharpness of his thought, to use his mind skillfully concerning all that he wished; for just as someone having beautiful eyes, with the same activity of the eyes, at one time uses them for what is necessary, and at another time looks licentiously, the cause not being the activity of the eyes, but the disposition of the soul; so also he whose mind has been illumined by God, if he uses the gift for what is necessary, he contemplates divine things; but if he is dragged down to earthly things, he darkens the gift; nevertheless, he applies himself to these things also with natural skill. For it is not the sharpness of the mind, but the disposition of the soul, which, having used the gift either praiseworthily or blameworthily, is praised or blamed. I have given 93.496 therefore, he said, my heart, that is, my mind, and I considered what might be the good among men, and what those in the world might do to be in pleasure and gladness through all their life. Therefore, having considered such human things, and using a certain soul-related wisdom, he has given himself over to do what he enumerates next. ................. ................. I magnified my work, not the work of God, but my own. For no one is able to add anything to the divine works. I built houses for myself, Having found an idiom in the dialect, 'I built for myself,' and 'I made for myself,' he uses it in the narration of the text. I planted vineyards for myself. Using royal authority, and an abundance of wealth, he proceeded through every kind of possession. I made for myself gardens and parks. A garden is properly called that which bears vegetables; but a park, that which is planted with various trees. Wherefore he says, And I planted in them every kind of fruit tree. I made for myself pools of water, to water from them a wood sprouting with trees. Diligently working on the parks, the tall plants, which the earth nourishes automatically on the mountains, such as firs, or willows, or oaks, or pines, he planted these around the parks. Wherefore he also mentions a man-made wood, for which he also needed much water "I acquired male and female slaves, and home-born slaves were mine." For as the home-born slaves were not sufficient for the service of his buildings, he necessarily also acquired slaves bought with silver. "And I had great possession of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem." I surpassed, he says, all the kings before me in flocks and herds, or even in all the things mentioned before; for either can be understood. "I gathered for myself also silver, and also gold." Since many have possession, but do not have money stored up, he has added the abundance of these also. "And the special treasures of kings and of the provinces." But I also had, he says, tributary kings, and provinces producing revenues; for in Scripture, the fruitful lands were named provinces, according to that in

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γέλωτι εἶπον περιφορὰν, καὶ τῇ εὐφροσύνῃ, Τί τοῦτο ποιεῖς;" Τὴν κοσμικὴν, φησὶ, χαρὰν ἀναλογιζόμενος κατεσκεψάμην, εἰ ἀγαθόν τι ἔχει· καὶ εἶδον ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ χαίρειν διὰ πλούτου, τυχὸν περιουσίαν, ἢ δόξαν, ἤ τι τῶν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, ματαιότης ἐστί· ἀμέλει, εἶπον τῇ τοιαύτῃ χαρᾷ (γέλωτα γὰρ τὴν χαράν φησι) καὶ τῇ τοιαύτῃ εὐφροσύνῃ, Περιφέρου, καὶ ἀπόστα ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, τί τοῦτο ποιεῖς; ἀντὶ τοῦ, Τί παρασκευάζεις με ἐπὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις χαίρειν; Καὶ γὰρ ματαιότης ἐστὶ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἡ διὰ τῶν τοιούτων ἐγγινομένη ἡδονή. "Καὶ κατεσκεψάμην εἰ ἡ καρδία μου ἑλκύσει ὡς οἶνον τὴν σάρκα μου." Τὸ πόμα ὑπὸ τοῦ πίνοντος καταποθὲν ἀφανές. Ἐλογισάμην οὖν, φησὶν, εἰ ἐν ταῖς ἀνθρωπίναις εὐημερίαις καὶ ἀπολαύσεσι δύναται ὁ νοῦς οὕτως ἀνδρεῖος εἶναι, ὡς ἐξαφανίζειν οἷά τινα οἶνον καταποθέντα, τὴν σαρκικὴν ἐπιθυμίαν. "Καὶ καρδία μου ὡδήγησεν ἐν σοφίᾳ, καὶ τοῦ κρατῆσαι ἐπὶ εὐφροσύνῃ, ἕως οὗ εἰδῶ ποῖον τὸ ἀγαθὸν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὃ ποιήσουσιν ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, ἀριθμὸν ἡμερῶν ζωῆς αὐτῶν." Ὁ Σολομὼν σοφίαν δεξάμενος παρὰ Θεοῦ, καὶ χύσιν καρδίας, ὡς τὴν ψάμμον τῆς θαλάσσης, ὀξυδερκέστατος γέγονε τὴν διάνοιαν· ἠδύνατο μὲν γὰρ θείων ἅπτεσθαι λόγων, καὶ μεγάλα λαλεῖν μυστήρια, ὅπερ δὴ καὶ ποιῶν φαίνεται. Ἠδύνατο δὲ καὶ τῇ τῆς νοήσεως ὀξύτητι, περὶ πάντα ἃ ἐβούλετο, δεξιῶς τῇ νοήσει χρήσασθαι· ὥσπερ γάρ τις ὡραίους ἔχων ὀφθαλμοὺς τῇ αὐτῇ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἐνεργείᾳ, ποτὲ μὲν εἰς δέον κέχρηται, ποτὲ δὲ ἀκολάστως ὁρᾷ, οὐ τῆς ἐνεργείας τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αἰτίας οὔσης, ἀλλὰ τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν διαθέσεως· οὕτω καὶ ὁ λαμπρυνθεὶς ὑπὸ Θεοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν, εἰ μὲν εἰς δέον χρήσοιτο τῷ δώρῳ, θεῖα πράγματα περιαθρεῖ· εἰ δὲ καθελκυσθῇ περὶ τὰ γήϊνα, ἀμαυροῖ περὶ τὴν δωρεάν· πλὴν εὐφυῶς καὶ περὶ ταῦτα ἐπιβάλλεται. Οὐ γὰρ ἡ ὀξύτης τοῦ νοῦ, ἀλλ' ἡ διάθεσις τῆς ψυχῆς, ἡ καὶ ἐπαινετῶς ἢ ψεκτῶς κεχρημένη τῷ δώρῳ, ἐπαινεῖται ἢ ψέγεται. ∆έδωκα 93.496 οὖν, ἔφη, τὴν καρδίαν μου, τουτέστι τὸν νοῦν μου, καὶ ἐλογισάμην ποῖον ἄρα εἴη τὸ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἀγαθὸν, καὶ τί ποιοῦντες οἱ ἐν κόσμῳ, δύνανται δι' ὅλης τῆς ἑαυτῶν ζωῆς ἐν ἡδονῇ εἶναι, καὶ εὐφροσύνῃ. Οἷα τοίνυν ἀνθρώπινα λογισάμενος, καὶ ψυχικῇ τινι τῇ σοφίᾳ χρώμενος, ἐπιδέδωκε ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸ ποιῆσαι ἃ ἑξῆς καταλέγει. ................. ................. Ἐμεγάλυνα ποίημά μου, οὐ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ποίημα, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐμαυτοῦ. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ τοῖς θείοις ποιήμασι προσθεῖναί τι δύναται. Ὠκοδόμηκά μοι οἴκους, Ἰδίωμα εὑρὼν ἐν διαλέκτῳ, τὸ Ὠκοδόμηκά μοι, καὶ τὸ Ἐποίησά μοι, κέχρηται αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ τῆς λέξεως ἀπαγγελίᾳ. Ἐφύτευσά μοι ἀμπελῶνας. Ἐξουσίᾳ βασιλικῇ χρώμενος, καὶ πλούτου περιουσίᾳ, διὰ παντὸς εἴδους κτημάτων ἤρχετο. Ἐποίησά μοι κήπους καὶ παραδείσους. Κῆπος κυρίως ὁ λάχανα φέρων λέγεται· παράδεισος δὲ, ὁ δένδροις διαφόροις καταπεφυτευμένος. ∆ιό φησιν, Καὶ ἐφύτευσα ἐν αὐτοῖς ξύλον πάγκαρπον. Ἐποίησά μοι κολυμβήθρας ὑδάτων, τοῦ ποτίσαι ἀπ' αὐτῶν δρυμὸν βλαστῶντα ξύλα. Φιλοτίμως τοὺς παραδείσους ἀπεργαζόμενος, τὰ ὑψίκομα φυτὰ, ἅπερ ἡ γῆ τοῖς ὄρεσιν αὐτομάτως τρέφει, οἷον ἐλάτας, ἡ ἰτέας, ἢ δρῦς, ἢ πεύκας, ταῦτα τοῖς παραδείσοις περιεφύτευε. ∆ιὸ καὶ δρυμοῦ μέμνηται χειροποιήτου, ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ πλείστων ὑδάτων ἐδεῖτο "Ἐκτησάμην δούλους καὶ παιδίσκας, καὶ οἰκογενεῖς ἐγένοντό μοι." Ὡς γὰρ οὐκ ἀρκούντων τῶν οἰκογενῶν εἰς τὴν τῶν κτισμάτων αὐτοῦ ὑπηρεσίαν, ἀναγκαίως καὶ ἀργυρωνήτους οἰκέτας ἐκτήσατο. "Καί γε κτῆσις βουκολίου καὶ ποιμνίου ἐγένετό μοι πολλὴ ὑπὲρ πάντας τοὺς γενομένους ἔμπροσθέν μου ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ." Ὑπερηκόντισα, φησὶ, πάντας τοὺς πρὸ ἐμοῦ βασιλεῖς ἐν ποιμνίοις καὶ βουκολίοις, ἢ καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς προειρημένοις· ἑκάτερος γὰρ δύναται νοεῖσθαι. "Συνήγαγόν μοι καί γε ἀργύριον, καί γε χρυσίον." Ὡς πολλῶν κτῆσιν μὲν ἐχόντων, ἀπόθετα δὲ οὐκ ἐχόντων χρήματα, προστέθηκεν καὶ τὴν τούτων εὐπορίαν. "Καὶ περιουσιασμοὺς βασιλέων καὶ τῶν χωρῶν." Ἀλλὰ καὶ βασιλεῖς, φησὶν, ὑποφόρους ἔσχον, καὶ χώρας γεννήματα ποιούσας· αἱ γὰρ χῶραι ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ, αἱ καρποφόροι ὠνομάσθησαν, κατὰ τὸ ἐν