14 There is H3426 a vanity H1892 which is done H6213 upon the earth; H776 that there be just H6662 men, unto whom it happeneth H5060 according to the work H4639 of the wicked; H7563 again, there be H3426 wicked H7563 men, to whom it happeneth H5060 according to the work H4639 of the righteous: H6662 I said H559 that this also H1571 is vanity. H1892
All things have I seen H7200 in the days H3117 of my vanity: H1892 there is H3426 a just H6662 man that perisheth H6 in his righteousness, H6664 and there is a wicked H7563 man that prolongeth H748 his life in his wickedness. H7451
Wherefore do the wicked H7563 live, H2421 become old, H6275 yea, are mighty H1396 in power? H2428
For I was envious H7065 at the foolish, H1984 when I saw H7200 the prosperity H7965 of the wicked. H7563
Behold, these are the ungodly, H7563 who prosper H7961 in the world; H5769 they increase H7685 in riches. H2428 Verily I have cleansed H2135 my heart H3824 in vain, H7385 and washed H7364 my hands H3709 in innocency. H5356 For all the day H3117 long have I been plagued, H5060 and chastened H8433 every morning. H1242
For all this I considered H5414 in my heart H3820 even to declare H952 all this, that the righteous, H6662 and the wise, H2450 and their works, H5652 are in the hand H3027 of God: H430 no man H120 knoweth H3045 either H1571 love H160 or hatred H8135 by all that is before H6440 them. All things come alike to all: there is one H259 event H4745 to the righteous, H6662 and to the wicked; H7563 to the good H2896 and to the clean, H2889 and to the unclean; H2931 to him that sacrificeth, H2076 and to him that H834 sacrificeth H2076 not: as is the good, H2896 so is the sinner; H2398 and he that sweareth, H7650 as he that feareth H3373 an oath. H7621 This is an evil H7451 among all things that are done H6213 under the sun, H8121 that there is one H259 event H4745 unto all: yea, also the heart H3820 of the sons H1121 of men H120 is full H4390 of evil, H7451 and madness H1947 is in their heart H3824 while they live, H2416 and after H310 that they go to the dead. H4191
This is one H259 thing, therefore I said H559 it, He destroyeth H3615 the perfect H8535 and the wicked. H7563 If the scourge H7752 slay H4191 suddenly, H6597 he will laugh H3932 at the trial H4531 of the innocent. H5355 The earth H776 is given H5414 into the hand H3027 of the wicked: H7563 he covereth H3680 the faces H6440 of the judges H8199 thereof; if not, where, H645 and who is he?
How oft is the candle H5216 of the wicked H7563 put out! H1846 and how oft cometh H935 their destruction H343 upon them! God distributeth H2505 sorrows H2256 in his anger. H639 They are as stubble H8401 before H6440 the wind, H7307 and as chaff H4671 that the storm H5492 carrieth away. H1589 God H433 layeth up H6845 his iniquity H205 for his children: H1121 he rewardeth H7999 him, and he shall know H3045 it. His eyes H5869 shall see H7200 his destruction, H3589 and he shall drink H8354 of the wrath H2534 of the Almighty. H7706 For what pleasure H2656 hath he in his house H1004 after H310 him, when the number H4557 of his months H2320 is cut off in the midst? H2686 Shall any teach H3925 God H410 knowledge? H1847 seeing he judgeth H8199 those that are high. H7311 One dieth H4191 in his full H8537 strength, H6106 being wholly at ease H7946 and quiet. H7961 His breasts H5845 are full H4390 of milk, H2461 and his bones H6106 are moistened H8248 with marrow. H4221 And another dieth H4191 in the bitterness H4751 of his soul, H5315 and never eateth H398 with pleasure. H2896 They shall lie down H7901 alike H3162 in the dust, H6083 and the worms H7415 shall cover H3680 them. Behold, I know H3045 your thoughts, H4284 and the devices H4209 which ye wrongfully imagine H2554 against me. For ye say, H559 Where is the house H1004 of the prince? H5081 and where are the dwelling H4908 places H168 of the wicked? H7563 Have ye not asked H7592 them that go H5674 by the way? H1870 and do ye not know H5234 their tokens, H226 That the wicked H7451 is reserved H2820 to the day H3117 of destruction? H343 they shall be brought forth H2986 to the day H3117 of wrath. H5678 Who shall declare H5046 his way H1870 to his face? H6440 and who shall repay H7999 him what he hath done? H6213 Yet shall he be brought H2986 to the grave, H6913 and shall remain H8245 in the tomb. H1430 The clods H7263 of the valley H5158 shall be sweet H4985 unto him, and every man H120 shall draw H4900 after H310 him, as there are innumerable H4557 before H6440 him. How then comfort H5162 ye me in vain, H1892 seeing in your answers H8666 there remaineth H7604 falsehood? H4604
He evil entreateth H7462 the barren H6135 that beareth H3205 not: and doeth not good H3190 to the widow. H490 He draweth H4900 also the mighty H47 with his power: H3581 he riseth up, H6965 and no man is sure H539 of life. H2416 Though it be given H5414 him to be in safety, H983 whereon he resteth; H8172 yet his eyes H5869 are upon their ways. H1870 They are exalted H7426 for a little while, H4592 but are gone and brought low; H4355 they are taken out H7092 of the way H1870 as all other, and cut off H5243 as the tops H7218 of the ears of corn. H7641 And if it be not so now, H645 who will make H7760 me a liar, H3576 and make H7760 my speech H4405 nothing worth? H408
Again, I considered H7200 all travail, H5999 and every right H3788 work, H4639 that for this a man H376 is envied H7068 of his neighbour. H7453 This is also vanity H1892 and vexation H7469 of spirit. H7307
There is H3426 one H259 alone, and there is not a second; H8145 yea, he hath neither child H1121 nor brother: H251 yet is there no end H7093 of all his labour; H5999 neither is his eye H5869 satisfied H7646 with riches; H6239 neither saith he, For whom do I labour, H6001 and bereave H2637 my soul H5315 of good? H2896 This is also vanity, H1892 yea, it is a sore H7451 travail. H6045
There is H3426 an evil H7451 which I have seen H7200 under the sun, H8121 as an error H7684 which proceedeth H3318 from H6440 the ruler: H7989
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Ecclesiastes 8
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 8 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 8
Ec 8:1-17.
1. Praise of true wisdom continued (Ec 7:11, &c.). "Who" is to be accounted "equal to the wise man? … Who (like him) knoweth the interpretation" of God's providences (for example, Ec 7:8, 13, 14), and God's word (for example, see on Ec 7:29; Pr 1:6)?
face to shine—(Ec 7:14; Ac 6:15). A sunny countenance, the reflection of a tranquil conscience and serene mind. Communion with God gives it (Ex 34:29, 30).
boldness—austerity.
changed—into a benign expression by true wisdom (religion) (Jas 3:17). Maurer translates, "The shining (brightness) of his face is doubled," arguing that the Hebrew noun for "boldness" is never used in a bad sense (Pr 4:18). Or as Margin, "strength" (Ec 7:19; Isa 40:31; 2Co 3:18). But the adjective is used in a bad sense (De 28:50).
2. the king's—Jehovah, peculiarly the king of Israel in the theocracy; Ec 8:3, 4, prove it is not the earthly king who is meant.
the oath of God—the covenant which God made with Abraham and renewed with David; Solomon remembered Ps 89:35, "I have sworn," &c. (Ps 89:36), and the penalties if David's children should forsake it (Ps 89:30-32); inflicted on Solomon himself; yet God not "utterly" forsaking him (Ps 89:33, 34).
3. hasty—rather, "Be not terror-struck so as to go out of His sight." Slavishly "terror-struck" is characteristic of the sinner's feeling toward God; he vainly tries to flee out of His sight (Ps 139:7); opposed to the "shining face" of filial confidence (Ec 8:1; Joh 8:33-36; Ro 8:2; 1Jo 4:18).
stand not—persist not.
for he doeth—God inflicts what punishment He pleases on persisting sinners (Job 23:13; Ps 115:3). True of none save God.
4. God's very "word" is "power." So the gospel word (Ro 1:16; Heb 4:12).
who may say, &c.—(Job 9:12; 33:13; Isa 45:9; Da 4:35). Scripture does not ascribe such arbitrary power to earthly kings.
5. feel—experience.
time—the neglect of the right "times" causes much of the sinful folly of the spiritually unwise (Ec 3:1-11).
judgment—the right manner [Holden]. But as God's future "judgment" is connected with the "time for every purpose" in Ec 3:17, so it is here. The punishment of persisting sinners (Ec 8:3) suggests it. The wise man realizes the fact, that as there is a fit "time" for every purpose, so for the "judgment." This thought cheers him in adversity (Ec 7:14; 8:1).
6. therefore the misery, &c.—because the foolish sinner does not think of the right "times" and the "judgment."
7. he—the sinner, by neglecting times (for example, "the accepted time, and the day of salvation, 2Co 6:2), is taken by surprise by the judgment (Ec 3:22; 6:12; 9:12). The godly wise observe the due times of things (Ec 3:1), and so, looking for the judgment, are not taken by surprise, though not knowing the precise "when" (1Th 5:2-4); they "know the time" to all saving purposes (Ro 13:11).
8. spirit—"breath of life" (Ec 3:19), as the words following require. Not "wind," as Weiss thinks (Pr 30:4). This verse naturally follows the subject of "times" and "judgment" (Ec 8:6, 7).
discharge—alluding to the liability to military service of all above twenty years old (Nu 1:3), yet many were exempted (De 20:5-8). But in that war (death) there is no exemption.
those … given to—literally, the master of it. Wickedness can get money for the sinner, but cannot deliver him from the death, temporal and eternal, which is its penalty (Isa 28:15, 18).
9. his own hurt—The tyrannical ruler "hurts" not merely his subjects, but himself; so Rehoboam (1Ki 12:1-33); but the "time" of "hurt" chiefly refers to eternal ruin, incurred by "wickedness," at "the day of death" (Ec 8:8), and the "time" of "judgment" (Ec 8:6; Pr 8:36).
10. the wicked—namely, rulers (Ec 8:9).
buried—with funeral pomp by man, though little meriting it (Jer 22:19); but this only formed the more awful contrast to their death, temporal and eternal, inflicted by God (Lu 16:22, 23).
come and gone from the place of the holy—went to and came from the place of judicature, where they sat as God's representatives (Ps 82:1-6), with pomp [Holden]. Weiss translates, "Buried and gone (utterly), even from the holy place they departed." As Joab, by Solomon's command, was sent to the grave from the "holy place" in the temple, which was not a sanctuary to murderers (Ex 21:14; 1Ki 2:28, 31). The use of the very word "bury" there makes this view likely; still "who had come and gone" may be retained. Joab came to the altar, but had to go from it; so the "wicked rulers" (Ec 8:9) (including high priests) came to, and went from, the temple, on occasions of solemn worship, but did not thereby escape their doom.
forgotten—(Pr 10:7).
11. The reason why the wicked persevere in sin: God's delay in judgment (Mt 24:48-51; 2Pe 3:8, 9). "They see not the smoke of the pit, therefore they dread not the fire" [South], (Ps 55:19). Joab's escape from the punishment of his murder of Abner, so far from "leading him to repentance," as it ought (Ro 2:4), led him to the additional murder of Amasa.
12. He says this, lest the sinner should abuse the statement (Ec 7:15), "A wicked man prolongeth his life."
before him—literally, "at His presence"; reverently serve Him, realizing His continual presence.
13. neither shall he prolong—not a contradiction to Ec 8:12. The "prolonging" of his days there is only seeming, not real. Taking into account his eternal existence, his present days, however seemingly long, are really short. God's delay (Ec 8:11) exists only in man's short-sighted view. It gives scope to the sinner to repent, or else to fill up his full measure of guilt; and so, in either case, tends to the final vindication of God's ways. It gives exercise to the faith, patience, and perseverance of saints.
shadow—(Ec 6:12; Job 8:9).
14. An objection is here started (entertained by Solomon in his apostasy), as in Ec 3:16; 7:15, to the truth of retributive justice, from the fact of the just and the wicked not now receiving always according to their respective deserts; a cavil, which would seem the more weighty to men living under the Mosaic covenant of temporal sanctions. The objector adds, as Solomon had said, that the worldling's pursuits are "vanity" (Ec 8:10), "I say (not 'said') this also is vanity. Then I commend mirth," &c. [Holden]. Ec 8:14, 15 may, however, be explained as teaching a cheerful, thankful use of God's gifts "under the sun," that is, not making them the chief good, as sensualists do, which Ec 2:2; 7:2, forbid; but in "the fear of God," as Ec 3:12; 5:18; 7:18; 9:7, opposed to the abstinence of the self-righteous ascetic (Ec 7:16), and of the miser (Ec 5:17).
15. no better thing, &c.—namely, for the "just" man, whose chief good is religion, not for the worldly.
abide—Hebrew, "adhere"; not for ever, but it is the only sure good to be enjoyed from earthly labors (equivalent to "of his labor the days of his life"). Still, the language resembles the skeptical precept (1Co 15:32), introduced only to be refuted; and "abide" is too strong language, perhaps, for a religious man to apply to "eating" and "mirth."
16. Reply to Ec 8:14, 15. When I applied myself to observe man's toils after happiness (some of them so incessant as not to allow sufficient time for "sleep"), then (Ec 8:17, the apodosis) I saw that man cannot find out (the reason of) God's inscrutable dealings with the "just" and with the "wicked" here (Ec 8:14; Ec 3:11; Job 5:9; Ro 11:33); his duty is to acquiesce in them as good, because they are God's, though he sees not all the reasons for them (Ps 73:16). It is enough to know "the righteous are in God's hand" (Ec 9:1). "Over wise" (Ec 7:16); that is, Speculations above what is written are vain.