Cap. 8, Vers. 16-17
Commentarius in Ecclesiasten · Capitulum VIII
Tertio, de indistinctione bonorum et malorum, de qua agitur dupliciter.
Et apposui cor meum etc. Ostensum est, quomodo vanitas securitatis oritur ex sublimatione malorum et etiam ex depressione bonorum. Hic tertio ostenditur, quomodo oritur ex indistinctione horum et illorum. Quia enim mali non possunt distingui a bonis, ideo sunt securi; et quoniam haec securitas ortum habet ex huiusmodi indistinctione, et ipsa etiam est principium voluptatis; ideo habet pars ista duas partes. Primo ostenditur, quomodo ex indistinctione oritur securitas; secundo, quomodo ex securitate voluptas, ibi13: Nemo est, qui semper vivat etc.
p. 71 #### Primo ostenditur, quomodo inde nascitur securitas.
Primum ergo hoc ordine describitur: primo ergo notatur discernendi cassa sollicitudo; secundo vero, discretionis incertitudo; tertio, incertitudinis ratio; quarto notatur ex hoc vanae securitatis origo.
(Vers. 16. 17.). Insinuatur igitur primo discernendi cassa sollicitudo, quae sollicitudo fuit diligens; unde dicit: Et apposui cor meum, id est, intellectum applicui; ut scirem sapientiam, quantum ad invisibilia, et intelligerem distinctionem eorum quae versantur in terra, quantum ad visibilia, quia ad Romanos primo1: « Invisibilia Dei per ea quae facta sunt, a creatura mundi intellecta conspiciuntur ». Et ista sollicitudo cassa est, quia, quantumcumque homo laboret, non potest invenire; ideo subdit: Est homo, qui diebus et noctibus somnum non capit oculis, immo laborat continue ad inquirendum; supra tertio: « Vidi afflictionem, quam dedit Deus filiis hominum, ut distendantur in ea »; et subdit: « Cuncta fecit bona et mundum tradidit disputationi eorum »; et licet tantum laboret, nihil proficit. — Ideo subdit: Et intellexi, quod omnium operum Dei nullam possit homo invenire rationem, eorum, scilicet operum, quae fiunt sub sole; Ecclesiastici quadragesimo tertio2: « Ne laboretis, non enim comprehendetis ». Et quanto plus laboraverit ad quaerendum, tanto minus inveniet; unde in Psalmo: « Accedet homo ad cor altum, et exaltabitur Deus », id est elongabitur; Augustinus: « Altus est Deus; elevas te, et fugit a te; humilias te, et venit ad te ». Etiam si dixerit sapiens, se nosse, non poterit reperire, id est, si se credat scire, minus intelligit, quia dicitur ad Romanos primo3: « Dicentes, se esse sapientes, stulti facti sunt »; supra septimo: « Dixi: sapiens efficiar, et ipsa longius recessit a me ». Et repetit sollicitudinem, addens, quod fuit curiosa; adhibere enim sollicitudinem, ubi non est utilitas, est curiositas4.
Ideo dicit: Omnia haec tractavi in corde meo, ut intelligerem curiose5; et hoc reprehenditur Ecclesiastici tertio6: « In supervacuis rebus noli scrutari multum, et in pluribus operibus eius ne fueris curiosus ». Et sic patet distinguendi sollicitudo, quae fuit diligens et cassa, et ideo curiosa.
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Thirdly, on the indistinction of the good and the evil, which is treated in two ways.
And I applied my heart etc. It has been shown how the vanity of security arises from the raising up of the evil and also from the casting down of the good. Here, thirdly, it is shown how it arises from the indistinction of these and those. For since the evil cannot be distinguished from the good, they are therefore secure; and since this security has its origin from such indistinction, and is itself also the beginning of pleasure, therefore this part has two parts. First it is shown how security arises from indistinction; secondly, how pleasure arises from security, there13: There is no man that liveth always etc.
p. 71 #### First it is shown how security is born from it.
The first, then, is described in this order: first, then, is noted the fruitless solicitude of discerning; secondly, the uncertainty of discernment; thirdly, the reason of the uncertainty; fourthly is noted from this the origin of vain security.
(Vers. 16. 17.). First, then, is intimated the fruitless solicitude of discerning, which solicitude was diligent; whence he says: And I applied my heart, that is, I applied my understanding; to know wisdom, as regards invisible things, and to understand the distinction of the things that are busied upon earth, as regards visible things, since to the Romans, the first1: « The invisible things of God are clearly seen, from the creation of the world, being understood by the things that are made ». And this solicitude is fruitless, because, however much a man labours, he cannot find; therefore he adds: There is a man that day and night taketh no sleep with his eyes, nay rather, he labours continually at inquiring; above, the third: « I have seen the trouble which God hath given the sons of men, to be exercised in it »; and he adds: « He hath made all things good, and hath delivered the world to their consideration »; and though he labour so much, he profits nothing. — Therefore he adds: And I understood that man can find no reason of all the works of God, of those, namely of the works, that are done under the sun; Ecclesiasticus, the forty-third2: « Labour not, for you shall not comprehend ». And the more he shall labour to seek, so much the less shall he find; whence in the Psalm: « Man shall come to a high heart, and God shall be exalted », that is, shall be removed far off; Augustine: « God is high: thou liftest thyself up, and he flees from thee; thou humblest thyself, and he comes to thee ». Yea, though the wise man shall say that he knoweth it, he shall not be able to find it, that is, if he believes that he knows, he understands less, since it is said to the Romans, the first3: « Saying that they were wise, they became fools »; above, the seventh: « I said: I will be made wise: and it departed farther from me ». And he repeats the solicitude, adding that it was curious; for to apply solicitude where there is no usefulness is curiosity4.
Therefore he says: All these things have I treated in my heart, that I might understand curiously5; and this is reproved in Ecclesiasticus, the third6: « In superfluous things search not much, and in his many works be not curious ». And thus the solicitude of distinguishing is clear, which was diligent and fruitless, and therefore curious.
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- 13Cap. 9, 4.Chapter 9:4.
- 1Vers. 20. — Sequuntur Eccle. 3, 10: Vidi afflictionem etc., et 11: Cuncta etc.V. 20. — There follow Eccle. 3:10: I have seen the trouble etc., and 11: All things etc.
- 2Vers. 34. — Seq. locus est Ps. 63, 7. et 8. August., Serm. 177. in Appendice (alias 175. de Tempore) n. 2: « Altus est Deus, erigis te, et fugit a te; humilias te, et descendit ad te ». Eadem sententia exhibetur in Enarrat. in Ps. 33. enarrat. 2. n. 23; in Ps. 50. n. 21; in Ps. 74. n. 2; in Ps. 85. n. 2. et in Ps. 137. n. 11.V. 34. — The following place is Ps. 63:7 and 8. Augustine, Sermon 177 in the Appendix (otherwise 175 de Tempore) n. 2: « God is high: thou raisest thyself up, and he flees from thee; thou humblest thyself, and he comes down to thee ». The same sentence is set out in the Enarrationes in Psalmos: on Ps. 33, second enarration, n. 23; on Ps. 50, n. 21; on Ps. 74, n. 2; on Ps. 85, n. 2; and on Ps. 137, n. 11.
- 3Vers. 22. — Sequitur Eccle. 7, 24.V. 22. — There follows Eccle. 7:24.
- 4Cfr. supra pag. 18, nota 6.Compare above, p. 18, note 6.
- 5Cum omnibus codd., Hugone a S. Charo et Lyrano attribuimus verba: Omnia haec etc.. cap. VIII, v. 17; sed Vulgata eisdem incipit cap. IX.With all the codices, Hugh of Saint-Cher and Lyra, we attribute the words Omnia haec [All these things] etc. to chapter VIII, v. 17; but the Vulgate begins chapter IX with them.
- 6Vers. 24. Pro multum et ne fueris Vulgata multipliciter et non eris.V. 24. For multum [much] and ne fueris [be not] the Vulgate has multipliciter [in many ways] and non eris [thou shalt not be].