4 Where the word H1697 of a king H4428 is, there is power: H7983 and who may say H559 unto him, What doest H6213 thou?
Is it fit to say H559 to a king, H4428 Thou art wicked? H1100 and to princes, H5081 Ye are ungodly? H7563 How much less to him that accepteth H5375 not the persons H6440 of princes, H8269 nor regardeth H5234 the rich H7771 more than H6440 the poor? H1800 for they all are the work H4639 of his hands. H3027
Let every G3956 soul G5590 be subject G5293 unto the higher G5242 powers. G1849 For G1063 there is G2076 no G3756 power G1849 but G1508 of G575 God: G2316 G1161 the powers G1849 that be G5607 are G1526 ordained G5021 of G5259 God. G2316 Whosoever therefore G5620 resisteth G498 the power, G1849 resisteth G436 the ordinance G1296 of God: G2316 and G1161 they that resist G436 shall receive G2983 to themselves G1438 damnation. G2917 For G1063 rulers G758 are G1526 not G3756 a terror G5401 to good G18 works, G2041 but G235 to the evil. G2556 Wilt thou G2309 then G1161 not G3361 be afraid G5399 of the power? G1849 do G4160 that which is good, G18 and G2532 thou shalt have G2192 praise G1868 of G1537 the same: G846 For G1063 he is G2076 the minister G1249 of God G2316 to thee G4671 for G1519 good. G18 But G1161 if G1437 thou do G4160 that which is evil, G2556 be afraid; G5399 for G1063 he beareth G5409 not G3756 the sword G3162 in vain: G1500 for G1063 he is G2076 the minister G1249 of God, G2316 a revenger G1558 to execute wrath G3709 upon G1519 him that doeth G4238 evil. G2556
And it was told H5046 king H4428 Solomon H8010 that Joab H3097 was fled H5127 unto the tabernacle H168 of the LORD; H3068 and, behold, he is by H681 the altar. H4196 Then Solomon H8010 sent H7971 Benaiah H1141 the son H1121 of Jehoiada, H3077 saying, H559 Go, H3212 fall H6293 upon him. And Benaiah H1141 came H935 to the tabernacle H168 of the LORD, H3068 and said H559 unto him, Thus saith H559 the king, H4428 Come forth. H3318 And he said, H559 Nay; but I will die H4191 here. And Benaiah H1141 brought H7725 the king H4428 word H1697 again, H7725 saying, H559 Thus said H1696 Joab, H3097 and thus he answered H6030 me. And the king H4428 said H559 unto him, Do H6213 as he hath said, H1696 and fall H6293 upon him, and bury H6912 him; that thou mayest take away H5493 the innocent H2600 blood, H1818 which Joab H3097 shed, H8210 from me, and from the house H1004 of my father. H1 And the LORD H3068 shall return H7725 his blood H1818 upon his own head, H7218 who fell H6293 upon two H8147 men H582 more righteous H6662 and better H2896 than he, and slew H2026 them with the sword, H2719 my father H1 David H1732 not knowing H3045 thereof, to wit, Abner H74 the son H1121 of Ner, H5369 captain H8269 of the host H6635 of Israel, H3478 and Amasa H6021 the son H1121 of Jether, H3500 captain H8269 of the host H6635 of Judah. H3063 Their blood H1818 shall therefore return H7725 upon the head H7218 of Joab, H3097 and upon the head H7218 of his seed H2233 for ever: H5769 but upon David, H1732 and upon his seed, H2233 and upon his house, H1004 and upon his throne, H3678 shall there be peace H7965 for H5704 ever H5769 from the LORD. H3068 So Benaiah H1141 the son H1121 of Jehoiada H3077 went up, H5927 and fell H6293 upon him, and slew H4191 him: and he was buried H6912 in his own house H1004 in the wilderness. H4057
Behold, in this thou art not just: H6663 I will answer H6030 thee, that God H433 is greater H7235 than man. H582 Why dost thou strive H7378 against him? for he giveth not account H6030 of any of his matters. H1697
And G1161 I say G3004 unto you G5213 my G3450 friends, G5384 Be G5399 not G3361 afraid G5399 of them G575 that kill G615 the body, G4983 and G2532 after G3326 that G5023 have G2192 no G3361 G5100 more G4055 that they can do. G4160 But G1161 I will forewarn G5263 you G5213 whom G5101 ye shall fear: G5399 Fear G5399 him, which after G3326 he hath killed G615 hath G2192 power G1849 to cast G1685 into G1519 hell; G1067 yea, G3483 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 Fear G5399 him. G5126
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.