Charles Ellicott Commentary Ecclesiastes 2:8

"I gathered me also silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I gat me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and that of all sorts." — Ecclesiastes 2:8 (ASV)

Peculiar treasure: The word is used concerning the Jewish people (Exodus 19:9; Psalms 135:4; Malachi 3:17; but generally 1 Chronicles 29:3). That Solomon had tributary kings is stated (1 Kings 4:21; 2 Chronicles 9:24; Psalms 72:10; Ezra 4:20). The word used for “provinces” here and in Ecclesiastes 5:8 occurs in reference to the provinces of the Persian Empire repeatedly in the Book of Esther, Ezra 2:1, Nehemiah 7:6, and Daniel 8:2 (Ezekiel 19:8). The word is almost entirely absent from the earlier books, except that it occurs where the “princes of the provinces” are mentioned (1 Kings 20:0).

Singers: Music was regarded as a necessary accompaniment of feasts (Isaiah 5:12; Amos 6:5). For David’s employment of professional singers, see 2 Samuel 19:35.

Delights:Song of Solomon 7:6; Proverbs 19:10; Micah 1:16; Micah 2:9.

Musical instruments: The Hebrew word used here occurs nowhere else, and commentators are consequently reduced to looking to its etymology for an explanation. Their guesses are so numerous that it would be wearisome to recount them. The interpretation adopted in our version is by no means one of the most probable.

The interpretation “concubines” is most favored by commentators, though they differ among themselves as to the grounds on which they justify this translation. And it does appear unlikely that this notorious feature of Solomon’s court would be omitted in an enumeration of his luxury. As can be seen from the margin, the words “of all sorts” have nothing corresponding to them in the original but are intended as an equivalent for a Hebrew idiom, in which a plural is intensified by prefixing a noun in the singular.