In Hebrew culture, the ultimate symbol of manhood was the shepherd. It was a lonely work and required a quiet and watchful temperament. You learned not to expect much from sheep. While there is a place for the artistic exploration and wandering of the soul, it is for rebuilding the commitment of the shepherd to face the ugly reality of this fallen world. The greatest danger is the foolish young man clinging to his childhood and silly dreams of what might be. Grow up; it’s time to see clearly what is and understand it fully. Solomon was hoping to quiet the boisterous folly of young men in royal service by shooting holes in their boyhood games.
More than mere Hebrew parallelism, the first four verses here wander around a common theme. The first line sounds almost cute in Hebrew, as the words reverse similar sounds. The symbolism is very complex: a good reputation versus expensive perfumed ointment. Both have multiple associations that can be contrasted. Being considered wise and decent is better than being rich. The former is actually much harder to get and keep than the latter. If you die with friends who miss you, it’s worth more than an expensive funeral. More than echoing the sentiments of the previous chapter — that it’s a blessing to die at birth compared to living on this cursed fallen plane of existence — the symbols of birth versus death fill out the meaning of having a good name. People who live through adversity and face it with endurance get a good reputation, while simple worldly possessions have no reflection on your moral qualities. Newborns, wealthy or poor, aren’t remarkable for anything yet, despite the social ritual of talking nice about babies.
Children need a lot of careful education. Boredom is the mark of an empty soul. Frequent boredom indicates someone who is so empty they are utterly dependent on others even for their emotions. Cultivate a sense of contemplation, of paying attention and always seeking improvement. If you waste too much time seeking relief for boredom, you are no better than the silly fools who waste their lives in moral depravity. Don’t hang out with people like that. Don’t be consumed with ambition, because it is a symptom of moral depravity; at best it is a little boy building sand castles in his mind. Avoid developing the habit of oppressing others or taking bribes. Wait your turn, lest your foolish mouth offer the hardest lessons of life. Don’t fantasize about the old days that never were.
The best inheritance is moral wisdom. It allows you to shepherd those who don’t have so much. Money might protect your hide, but wisdom protects your soul. It allows you to make the most of both wealth and poverty. You can’t change what God has established in this world, so stop trying. Learn to deal with what this world throws at you, because your plans mean nothing against God’s. Sure, wisdom may not give a long life and plenty of evil folks live way too long. Long life by itself means nothing. Don’t pick too hard over the external details of orthodoxy and ritual purity. At the same time, don’t act like the Law means nothing. Don’t place too much emphasis on mere conduct or your life will be pointless and your death will come unexpectedly. Avoid the extremes. Focus on understanding your calling from God, not trying to organize reality for Him.
You can’t trust yourself, so don’t expect too much from even the highest ranking in the kingdom. Righteousness is a very elusive quality among humans. Let people vent; pay more attention to what they do than what they say. You’ve said plenty of things yourself that you couldn’t back up. Do you think God honors every blessing or curse that falls from human lips? Even with all his vast wisdom, Solomon could not understand this world completely. Some things will always be out of our reach.
Solomon was rather surprised to discover that among royalty and nobles you are likely to see more of the worst than much of the best of humanity. While good men were seemingly more rare in the upper stratus of society than among the peasants, it was well nigh impossible to find a good woman in high society. Plenty were crafty and dangerous, grasping at power and luxury like demons. In his massive harem Solomon found not a single good woman. It was almost enough to make him abdicate.
God made us for better things, but we waste no time in chasing down the worst.
