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Ecclesiastes, and presumably connected with it. If Ecclesiastes is untrue, we should
expect to find that "Proverbs" being inspired Scripture, the errors are there corrected.
This is not the case however. Where Proverbs speaks of the same things as Ecclesiastes,
it uses similar words and leads in the same direction. It will be observed that Koheleth
refers in this chapter to "the words of the wise", saying that they are as "goads". "The
words of the wise" come in the introduction of the book of Proverbs, and are immediately
followed by that section of Proverbs that were written FOR Solomon. If we turn to The
Companion Bible we shall find the structure of this section FOR Solomon set out on
page 865, Part 3: The section covers chapters 1: - 10: and there is a fivefold alternation
of A | Wisdom's call, and B | The Foreign Woman.
This seems a strange theme, yet who knowing the sad end of Solomon's career can but
see the reason for the repeated warning? What has this to do with Koheleth and his
book? Look at the structure already given. What is the central member of the seven
references (C | 7: 27)? "What Koheleth found." What did he find? He found by
bitter experience what he might have known by simply believing the words of the wise
inspired for his guidance:--
"I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her
hands as bands: whose pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken
by her."
This is in entire harmony both with the introductory proverbs for Solomon's guidance,
and also with the proverbs written by Solomon:--
"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord"
(18: 22).
"A prudent wife is from the Lord" (19: 14).
With what theme does the book of Proverbs close? It closes with an acrostic in which
for every letter of the Hebrew alphabet is written a verse in praise of the "virtuous
woman" in whom the heart of her husband doth safely trust. Should this theme appear to
be strange, let the reader turn to the other book of Solomon. The Song of Solomon shows
us the faithful Shulamite and her shepherd lover in vivid contrast with Solomon and his
threescore queens and fourscore concubines and virgins without number
(Song of Sol. 6: 8). This number we find increased in I Kings 11: 3, "And he had seven
hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines", 1,000 in all. This gives
added point to his words in Eccles. 7: 28, "One man among a thousand have I found;
but a woman among all these have I not found".
The "conclusion of the whole matter" refers all happiness under the sun to fearing
God and keeping His commandments. Solomon found written across his own life, and
that of others, "vanity" by reason of failure in this particular. Lives differ, but
experiences lead to the same conclusion. Whoever transgresses the commandment of
God must of necessity wreck his career. In the case of Solomon the warning concerning
"outlandish women" was ignored, and bitter was his experience. In another case warning
concerning wealth, business, the world, etc. is ignored, and the same expression
summarizes the result.