Ecclesiastes 4:15
"I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead."

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

I considered all the living which walk under the sun,.... All men that were then alive, who were capable of walking upon the earth; even all of them that were under the heavens, in every land and nation, under whatsoever dominion or government: these, and their manners, Solomon had particularly observed, and made his remarks upon, by which it appeared how fickle the minds of the populace were under every government, and how precarious and uncertain were the honour and dignity of princes; with the second child

that shall stand up in his stead: the heir and successor or every prince, that shall rise up and take the throne of his father or predecessor, and reign in his stead. The wise man observed how the people commonly behaved towards him; how that they generally stood best affected to him, than to the reigning prince; worshipped the rising sun, courted his favour and friendship, soothed and flattered him; expressing their wishes to see him on the throne, and treated with neglect and contempt their lawful sovereign. Some, contrary to the accents, connect this with the word "walk" (h); that walk with the second child, join themselves to him, converse with him, and show him great respect and honour: and there are others that, by this second child, understand the poor and wise child, that succeeds the old and foolish king, whom yet, in time, the people grow weary of; such is the levity and inconstancy of people, that they are not long pleased with princes, old or young, wise or foolish. The Targum interprets this of the foresight Solomon had, by a spirit of prophecy, of those that rebelled against his son Rehoboam, and of those that cleaved unto him, who was his second, and reigned in his stead. Noldius (i) thinks Solomon refers to the history of his friend Hiram, king of Tyre, whose kingdom, in his and in his son's time, was very large, flourishing, and opulent, but in a following reign not so; and he renders and paraphrases the words thus, ""I saw all the works under the sun; with Baleazarus, the son of a friend" (Hiram, for rendered "second", is the same as "a friend"), "who shall stand" or "reign after him: there is no end of all the people",'' &c. the kingdom in those two reigns being flourishing; yet posterity shall not rejoice in him, in Abdastratus, the grandson of Hiram, destroyed by the four sons of his nurse (k). (h) So the Tigurine version, Vatablus, Cocceius, Gejerus. (i) Concord. Part. Ebr. No. 1023. (k) Meander apud Joseph. Contr. Apion. l. 1. s. 18.

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (13 words)

H7200 רָאָה
Definition:

7, compareריחspectacleDeuteronomy 1:12; Sabeanראיsee, expectDHMZMG xxix (1875), 506,599; Arabicsee, so Ethiopicᵑ7רֵו,רֵיוָאhumanappearance, features, etc. (compare Hebrewרְָאִי2)); —Qal1141Perfect3mas 7, compareריחspectacleDeuteronomy 1:12; Sabeanראיsee, expectDHMZMG xxix (1875), 506,599; Arabicsee, so Ethiopicᵑ7רֵו,רֵיוָאhumanappearance, features, etc. (compare Hebrewרְָאִי2)); —Qal1141Perfect3mas

Possible Meanings:
  • vision (semantic_range)
H0853 אֵת
Definition:

33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34: 33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34:

Possible Meanings:
  • sign (semantic_range)
H3605 כֹּל
Definition:

8 Kt.),noun masculinethe whole, all(Moabite, Phoenician,id.; Aramaicכּוֺל,; Arabic; Sabeanכל, compare DHMEpigr. Denk. 36-38; EthiopicAssyriankullatu) — absoluteכֹּל, constructכֹּלGenesis 2:5,16,20 #NA 8 Kt.),noun masculinethe whole, all(Moabite, Phoenician,id.; Aramaicכּוֺל,; Arabic; Sabeanכל, compare DHMEpigr. Denk. 36-38; EthiopicAssyriankullatu) — absoluteכֹּל, constructכֹּלGenesis 2:5,16,20 #NA

H2416 חַי
Definition:

Fromchayah; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figurat Fromchayah; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figurat

H1980 הָלַךְ
Definition:

26+;הָלָ֑ךְ2 Samuel 8:6+; 3 pluralהָֽלְכוּGenesis 14:24+;(הֶ)הָֽלְכוּאJoshua 10:24(Ges§ 23, 3; 138, 3 b Köi. 414 f.), etc.;Imperfectrarelya.3masculine singularיִהֲלֹךְJeremiah 9:34t. Job, Psalms;וַיַּ 26+;הָלָ֑ךְ2 Samuel 8:6+; 3 pluralהָֽלְכוּGenesis 14:24+;(הֶ)הָֽלְכוּאJoshua 10:24(Ges§ 23, 3; 138, 3 b Köi. 414 f.), etc.;Imperfectrarelya.3masculine singularיִהֲלֹךְJeremiah 9:34t. Job, Psalms;וַיַּ

Possible Meanings:
  • toll (semantic_range)
H8478 תַּחַת
Definition:

4(Cooke320), Syriac); —1asadverb accusativeGenesis 49:25(=Deuteronomy 33:13) the deepרֹבֶצֶת תָּ֑חַתthat couchethbeneath; more usually withמִן,מִתָּחַתliterallyoff(מִן1c)the under part = beneath,Exodu 4(Cooke320), Syriac); —1asadverb accusativeGenesis 49:25(=Deuteronomy 33:13) the deepרֹבֶצֶת תָּ֑חַתthat couchethbeneath; more usually withמִן,מִתָּחַתliterallyoff(מִן1c)the under part = beneath,Exodu

Possible Meanings:
  • underneath (semantic_range)
  • below (semantic_range)
  • instead of (semantic_range)
H8121 שֶׁמֶשׁ
Definition:

14and masculineGenesis 19:23(AlbrZAW xv (1895), 324)sun; — absolute׳שׁJoshua 10:12+,שָׁ֑מֶשׁJudges 20:43+; suffixשִׁמְשֵׁךְIsaiah 60:20,שִׁמְשָׁךְJeremiah 15:9; plural suffixשִׁמְשֹׁתַ֫יִךְIsaiah 54:1 14and masculineGenesis 19:23(AlbrZAW xv (1895), 324)sun; — absolute׳שׁJoshua 10:12+,שָׁ֑מֶשׁJudges 20:43+; suffixשִׁמְשֵׁךְIsaiah 60:20,שִׁמְשָׁךְJeremiah 15:9; plural suffixשִׁמְשֹׁתַ֫יִךְIsaiah 54:1

Possible Meanings:
  • minister (semantic_range)
H5973 עִם
Definition:

compare √ענד), without difference of meaning (עמיin PentateuchGenesis 31:31;Genesis 39:7,12,14;Exodus 33:12;Leviticus 26:21,23,27,40 [H]Numbers 22:19; Joshua-Kings 13 t.;Psalm 42:9;Psalm 86:17;Job 10: compare √ענד), without difference of meaning (עמיin PentateuchGenesis 31:31;Genesis 39:7,12,14;Exodus 33:12;Leviticus 26:21,23,27,40 [H]Numbers 22:19; Joshua-Kings 13 t.;Psalm 42:9;Psalm 86:17;Job 10:

H3206 יֶלֶד
Definition:

8child, son, boy, youth; —יֶּ֫לֶדabsoluteGenesis 4:23+; constructJeremiah 31:20;יָ֫לֶדGenesis 21:16+; pluralיְלָדִיםGenesis 33:1+; constructיַלְדֵיExodus 2:62t.;יִלְדֵיֿIsaiah 57:4; suffixיְלָדַיGenes 8child, son, boy, youth; —יֶּ֫לֶדabsoluteGenesis 4:23+; constructJeremiah 31:20;יָ֫לֶדGenesis 21:16+; pluralיְלָדִיםGenesis 33:1+; constructיַלְדֵיExodus 2:62t.;יִלְדֵיֿIsaiah 57:4; suffixיְלָדַיGenes

H8145 שֵׁנִי
Definition:

13+, etc. (שֵׁנִי82t. +Nehemiah 3:30, readשֵׁנִית; readוְהַשֵּׁנִיalso1 Chronicles 6:13forושני);בַּשָּׁנָההַשֵּׁנִיתGenesis 47:18+, etc. (שֵׁנִית72t. +Nehemiah 3:30see above),׳שִׁבְעַת יָמִים שׁLeviti 13+, etc. (שֵׁנִי82t. +Nehemiah 3:30, readשֵׁנִית; readוְהַשֵּׁנִיalso1 Chronicles 6:13forושני);בַּשָּׁנָההַשֵּׁנִיתGenesis 47:18+, etc. (שֵׁנִית72t. +Nehemiah 3:30see above),׳שִׁבְעַת יָמִים שׁLeviti

Possible Meanings:
  • second (semantic_range)
H0834 אֲשֶׁר
Definition:

1according to TsepreghiDiss. Lugd. p. 171MühlauBö. Lb. ii. 79 n.StaMorg. Forsch. 1875, 188; Lb. § 167HomZMG 1878, 708 ff.Müll§ 153SayceHebraica. ii. 51LagM. i. 255 &especially KraeHebraica. vi. 298 ff 1according to TsepreghiDiss. Lugd. p. 171MühlauBö. Lb. ii. 79 n.StaMorg. Forsch. 1875, 188; Lb. § 167HomZMG 1878, 708 ff.Müll§ 153SayceHebraica. ii. 51LagM. i. 255 &especially KraeHebraica. vi. 298 ff

Possible Meanings:
  • Asher (semantic_range)
  • happy one (semantic_range)
  • Felix (semantic_range)
  • the tribe (semantic_range)
H5975 עָמַד
Definition:

27+, 3 feminine singularעָֽמְדָה2 Kings 13:6+, etc.;ImperfectיַעֲמֹדExodus 21:21,יַעֲמוֺדNahum 1:6+,יַעֲמָדֿ1 Samuel 16:22+; 1 singularאֶעֱמֹ֑דָהHabakkuk 2:1,וָאֶעֱמֹד2 Samuel 1:10; 3masculine pluralי 27+, 3 feminine singularעָֽמְדָה2 Kings 13:6+, etc.;ImperfectיַעֲמֹדExodus 21:21,יַעֲמוֺדNahum 1:6+,יַעֲמָדֿ1 Samuel 16:22+; 1 singularאֶעֱמֹ֑דָהHabakkuk 2:1,וָאֶעֱמֹד2 Samuel 1:10; 3masculine pluralי

Possible Meanings:
  • standing-place (semantic_range)
H8478 תַּחַת
Definition:

4(Cooke320), Syriac); —1asadverb accusativeGenesis 49:25(=Deuteronomy 33:13) the deepרֹבֶצֶת תָּ֑חַתthat couchethbeneath; more usually withמִן,מִתָּחַתliterallyoff(מִן1c)the under part = beneath,Exodu 4(Cooke320), Syriac); —1asadverb accusativeGenesis 49:25(=Deuteronomy 33:13) the deepרֹבֶצֶת תָּ֑חַתthat couchethbeneath; more usually withמִן,מִתָּחַתliterallyoff(מִן1c)the under part = beneath,Exodu

Possible Meanings:
  • underneath (semantic_range)
  • below (semantic_range)
  • instead of (semantic_range)

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