in which Koheleth uses the word is the nearest to the root-meaning, is it not an evidence, so far, of earlier composition of his book? 18 For in much wisdom │ because, in increasing wisdom, _is_ much grief: and he │ there is an increase also of that increaseth knowledge │ disappointment, and what adds increaseth sorrow. │ to one’s knowledge adds to │ one’s sorrow. (18.) =For= (introducing a reason for this conclusion as follows) =in much wisdom is much grief= (grief in the sense of ‘vexation,’ caused by disappointment――see chapter ii. 23, vii. 3, 9, xi. 10, 1 Samuel i. 6. The LXX. translate by γνῶσις, ‘knowledge’! Is it possible that they intended to refer to Genesis ii. ♦17, using γνῶσις in a bad sense?) =and= he that =increases knowledge increases sorrow= (chapter ii. 23; Exodus iii. 7, of the Israelitish sorrows at the hands of their task-masters). ‘In a world like this much science is much sorrow, for it is the knowledge of penury, the statistics of starvation, the assurance that our case is desperate.’――[Hamilton.] ♦ “xvii.” replaced with “17” Even the wisdom of Solomon having failed to find any solution of the problem of human anxiety, he next tries mirth, but with no better success. This experiment takes only two verses to record, for it was but soon over. CHAPTER II. I SAID in mine heart, Go │ SAID then I in my heart, to now, I will prove thee │ Come now, I will try thee with with mirth, therefore enjoy │ mirth, and so get a sight of a pleasure: and, behold, this │ real-good; but see now, this is also _is_ vanity. │ altogether an evanescent thing. │ Of laughter, I said Delirium: II. (1.) =I said, even I= (the personal pronoun is not redundant, it indicates that Koheleth is recording his own experience), =in my heart= (this formula usually introduces in this book a thought more specious than true), =Come now, I will try thee with mirth and see into good= (_i.e._ still addressing his heart, ‘to see a real good;’ טוב is used in this book as a technical word, like _bonum_ in the _summum bonum_); =and behold= (stating a manifest fact) =also this= (emphatic, signifying this same mirth) is a =vanity= (an evanescent thing; joy or mirth then is too short-lived to be considered a real good). 2 I said of laughter, _It │ and of mirth, What will _that_ is_ mad: and of mirth, What │ do? doeth it? │