John Gill Commentary Ecclesiastes 4:15

"I saw all the living that walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second, that stood up in his stead." — Ecclesiastes 4:15 (ASV)

I considered all the living which walk under the sun

All men that were then alive, who were capable of walking upon the earth; even all of them that were under the heavens, in every land and nation, under whatsoever dominion or government. Solomon had particularly observed these and their manners, making remarks upon them. This showed how fickle the minds of the populace were under every government, and how precarious and uncertain were the honour and dignity of princes;

with the second child that shall stand up in his stead :

the heir and successor of every prince, that shall rise up and take the throne of his father or predecessor, and reign in his stead. The wise man observed how the people commonly behaved towards him. They generally stood best affected to him than to the reigning prince, worshipping the rising sun, courting his favour and friendship, soothing and flattering him. They expressed their wishes to see him on the throne and treated their lawful sovereign with neglect and contempt.

Some, contrary to the accents, connect this with the word "walk" ^F8, meaning that they walk with the second child, join themselves to him, converse with him, and show him great respect and honour. Others, by this second child, understand the poor and wise child that succeeds the old and foolish king, whom yet, in time, the people grow weary of. Such is the levity and inconstancy of people that they are not long pleased with princes, old or young, wise or foolish.

The Targum interprets this of the foresight Solomon had, by a spirit of prophecy, of those that rebelled against his son Rehoboam, and of those that cleaved unto him, who was his second, and reigned in his stead.

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``"I saw all the works under the sun; [with] Baleazarus, the son of a friend" (Hiram, for ( ynv) , rendered "second", is the same as (rbx) , "a friend"), "who shall stand" or "reign after him: there is no end of all the people",'' &c. the kingdom in those two reigns being flourishing; yet posterity shall not rejoice in him, in Abdastratus, the grandson of Hiram, destroyed by the four sons of his nurse ^F11 .

FOOTNOTES:

• F8: So the Tigurine version, Vatablus, Cocceius, Gejerus.
• F11: Meander apud Joseph. Contr. Apion. l. 1. s. 18.