Now although the eyes are similarly spoken of elsewhere, as, for instance, in Psalm 132. 4, which consists of memorable words uttered by Solomon's father, and is, mutatis mutandis, verbally identical with Proverbs 6. 4, yet no such extensive and minute similarity can be shown to exist between Ecclesiastes and any of the nonSolomonic Scriptures as that which is here adduced in support of the Solomonic authorship of Ecclesiastes.

This series of comparisons has been confined to passages so resembling one another as to admit of being discussed from the standpoint of the English version, without special reference to the original Hebrew. Further comparisons however must, for obvious reasons, have the Hebrew text as their basis.

The Scripture cannot be broken.

Identity of Words.

Characteristic Words and Phrases.

SOME words and phrases are pre-eminently characteristic of certain books, either through being peculiar to them, or through occurring with much more frequency in them than in other books. Thus the expression ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, the kingdom of heaven, is peculiar to the Gospel of Matthew; and the phrase on nn, under the sun, is peculiar to the Book of Ecclesiastes. So likewise the verb TIσTEVEw, to believe, occurs more than twice as often in the Gospel of John as in the Synoptic Gospels conjointly; and it occurs with similar frequency in his first Epistle, thus constituting one of the evidences of the fact that the Gospel and the Epistle had a common authorship.

Now a simple comparison of Ecclesiastes with Proverbs, Canticles, and the historical scriptures of Solomon's life and reign, is sufficient to disclose a multitude of words and phrases common to Ecclesiastes and to these Solomonic writings, and so used in them and in it as to yield a powerful chain of arguments in proof of the Solomonic authorship of Ecclesiastes. Several of these words may now be considered.

E

66 Evidence of the Solomonic Authorship.

(1.) Street, Shuk pr.

pa, street, may be first mentioned, as being found in Proverbs, Canticles, and Ecclesiastes, but nowhere else in the Hebrew Scriptures.

PROV. 7.8. Passing through the street beside her corner.
SONG 3. 2. I will rise now, and go about the city in the

streets.

Ec. 12. 4. The doors shall be shut in the street.

5. The mourners go about in the street.

in Job 20. in Leviticus Hence the

Of course numerous other words might be adduced, occurring severally each of them in two or three books, written respectively by two or three different authors, as the verb 9, 28. 7, Song 1. 6, and the noun 7. 18, 19. 7, Isaiah 65. 4, Ezekiel 4. 14. occurrence of p, street, in each of the three books ascribed to Solomon, and nowhere else, is here mentioned, not as by itself sufficient to prove identity of authorship, but as one of several items which collectively establish such identity, like a number of threads or fibres which, though separately slender, form a strong rope when plaited together. It may be further noticed that not only the noun, but the noun with the preposition 2, in, prefixed to it, is common to all the passages, and that, while the singular pa is found both in Proverbs 7. 8, and in Ecclesiastes 12. 4, 5, the verb p, to go about, is used along with the noun both in Ecclesiastes 12. 5 and in Song 3. 2.

Identity of Words.

(2.) Delight, Ta'anúgy.

67

This rare noun occurs like pa in the three books ascribed to Solomon, being found once in each of them-Proverbs 19. 10, Song 7. 7 (6), Ecclesiastes 2. 8. Unlike however, it is not confined to these three books, but occurs also twice in the prophecy of Micah (1. 16, 2. 9). The verbal root y is as old as Deuteronomy 28. 56, and is found also in Psalm 37. 4, 11, and elsewhere.

(3.) Orchard, Pardes D.

Of three passages in which the Persian word Doccurs, one is in Ecclesiastes 2. 5, and another in Song 4. 13; while the third is in Nehemiah 2. 8.

(4) Pre-eminence, Mōthār ni.

Although, already mentioned in page 35, is peculiar to Ecclesiastes, the cognate form rib, pre-eminence or plenteousness, found once in Ecclesiastes (3. 19), is found twice in Solomon's Proverbs (14 23, 21. 5), but nowhere else in the Hebrew Scriptures.

(5.) Slothfulness, 'Atslah y

The verb by, to be slothful, occurs only once, and that as early as Judges 18. 9, Be not slothful to

occurs עַצְלוּת The derivative noun אל-תעצלו ללכת :20

go:

in Proverbs 31. 27 only; but, with the exception of these two passages, one of which is early and

68 Evidence of the Solomonic Authorship.

the other possibly late, the root by is confined to Ecclesiastes and the Proverbs of Solomon, by, slothful, being found fourteen times in his Proverbs, while y is found in Proverbs 19. 15, and also in Ecclesiastes 10. 18 (already quoted in page 60), where the dual Dy seems to be used with an intensive signification.

(6.) To embrace, Chābak pan.

Of fourteen passages containing the root pan, the large proportion of eight are in the three books ascribed to Solomon, namely,

Four in his Proverbs

The verb pan in 4. 8, 5. 20.

The noun pan in 6. 10, 24. 33.

Two in Canticles-2. 6, 8. 3.
Two in Ecclesiastes-3. 5 twice.

4. 5, already compared, in page 60, with
Proverbs 6. 10 and 24. 33.

The six other passages are Genesis 29. 13, 33. 4, 48. 10, 2 Kings 4. 16, Job 24. 8, Lamentations 4. 5.

(7.) Sweet, Mathōk pinp.

Of eleven passages containing the adjective pinn, sweet, six are in the three books ascribed to Solomon, namely—

Three in his Proverbs-16. 24, 24. 13, 27. 7.
One in his Song-2. 3.

Two in Ecclesiastes-5. 11, II. 7.

The five other passages are Judges 14. 14, 18,