of earthly things there is nothing better than for a man freely A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed. Note that the obedience to the king is for the sake of your oath to God (same verse). CHARACTERS: God, Solomon. But because God doesn't judge immediately, because the sentence of God isn't executed speedily, because God is giving you opportunity to turn, God is giving you opportunity to repent, God is giving you the opportunity to come out of your sin and to be saved and He's very patient with you. [3] Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he does whatever pleases him. [5] But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: Fear him, which after he has killed has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, Fear him. "I'm a prosperous cheat, so God is condoning my cheating. This is added as another evidence of man's misery. No fault is to be found with God; but, as to the world, This is vanity upon the earth, and again, This is also vanity, that is, it is a certain evidence that the things of this world are not the best things nor were ever designed to make a portion and happiness for us, for, if they had, God would not have allotted so much of this world's wealth to his worst enemies and so much of its troubles to his best friends; there must therefore be another life after this the joys and griefs of which must be real and substantial, and able to make men truly happy or truly miserable, for this world does neither. To go from someones presence elsewhere signifies disaffection or disloyalty . which God giveth him under the sun; man's present life is under the sun, and is continued as long as it pleases God; though it is but short, rather to be counted by days than years, and is a laborious one; and all that he gets by his labour, enjoyed by him, is to eat and drink cheerfully; and this he may expect to have and continue with him as long as he lives, even food and raiment, and with this he should be content. SUN EXCEPT TO EAT AND TO DRINK AND TO BE MERRY, AND THIS WILL STAND BY Weve seen that what we might assume to be for the best or worst is not necessarily so (6:17:15) and that all bear part in the worlds problemswith no one being innocent and deserving a trouble-free life (Ecclesiastes 7:16-29 Ecclesiastes 7:16-29 [16] Be not righteous over much; neither make yourself over wise: why should you destroy yourself ? The Preacher is careful to set forth pleasure as a gift from God, to be earned by labor, and received with thankfulness to the Giver, and to be accounted for to Him. The statement There is no release from that [or the] war could refer figuratively to the march into death that all face or simply be metaphoric for Theres no getting out of this. Then the final line, and wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it, would tie back to the turn to wrongdoing in verse 3. Blue Letter Bible study tools make reading, searching and studying the Bible easy and rewarding. That you might fear the LORD your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, you, and your son, and your son's son, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged. EAT, AND TO DRINK, AND TO BE MERRY. Then I commended mirth,. Innocent mirth, a cheerfulness of spirit in whatsoever state condition men are; serenity and tranquillity of mind, thankfulness for what they have, and a free and comfortable use of it; this the wise man praised and recommended to good men, as being much better than to fret at the prosperity of the wicked, and the seemingly unequal distribution of things in this world, and because they had not so much of them: as others; who yet had reason to be thankful for what they had, and to lift up their heads and be cheerful, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God in another world. One of the common mistakes that people make is that of misinterpreting the nature of God. [2.] and cheerfully, with moderation and thankfulness, to enjoy what It is good that you should take hold of this; yes, also from this withdraw not your hand: for he that fears God shall come forth of them all. "There is no man that hath power, etc." ( Ecclesiastes 8:8 ). A Practical Verse-by-Verse Study of ECCLESIASTES - It is Don's interpretation that the book of Ecclesiastes describes Solomon's futile way of living as he heads down that slippery spiral of wine, women and song. So, again, the problems of human government must be navigated with wisdom and righteousness to improve life where possible and to avoid making matters worse than they already are. Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. God has given him; this is what had been observed before, ( The next set of verses concerns following kingly authorityhuman governmentas a matter of life and death (verses 2-9). Verse 14 repeats the dilemma of Ecclesiastes 7:15 Ecclesiastes 7:15All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongs his life in his wickedness.American King James Versionthe righteous suffering what wickedness is supposed to result in and the wicked receiving what righteousness is supposed to result in. "Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.". The dead would not have been taken to the temple, for that would have been ceremonially defiling. Then I commended mirth These are some more of the cavils of the infidel objector: "Since virtue is frequently under oppression, and vice triumphs in health, and rolls in wealth, I see plainly that we should not trouble ourselves about future things; and therefore should be governed by the maxim EDE, BIBE, LUDE. Rather, the meaning here is that the prudent, law-abiding citizen will receive no punishment from the governmentat least, generally speaking. We must always remember just who we are dealing withand the awesome gravity of thatrealizing that this is for our ultimate good. the preacher sets forth certain deductions. neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he fears not before God. forgotten, the wicked enjoy honour and long life; the best thing a man submission to things as they are. Its just a matter of timeand probably much less time than most imagine. man's present life is under the sun, and is continued as long as Ecclesiastes 3:12; Ecclesiastes 3:22; Ecclesiastes 5:18, the Epicurean Partner with StudyLight.org as God uses us to make a difference for those displaced by Russia's war on Ukraine. Recall that chapter 5 was the first instance of direct exhortations in the booktelling us to be careful in our approach in coming to worship God, the One in whose hands our lives are and who can help us through the present difficulties. The wicked go unpunished and, even when they are dead and buried, people still praise them for their achievements in life (9-10). Love the brotherhood. 3. 8 Who is as the wise man? It's going to be well with the man who has departed from evil. . "But it shall not be well with the wicked.". Or it could be that all the men of Israel took an oath as part of the nations military. Others see ruach here as meaning wind, and take the statement to mean that just as the wind is beyond our control, so is death. and who knows the interpretation of a thing? This is because the instruction referred to obeying the king in general, whoever he wasor to obeying whatever human authority was in power. Ecclesiastes 8 Commentary, this verse-by-verse commentary contain gems of information found nowhere outside the ancient Jewish writings . The highest wisdom is verba Ecclesiastes filii David regis Hierusalem. a man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed. Ecclesiastes 8:15 Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament "And I commended joy, that there is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and enjoy himself; and that this accompanies him in his labour throughout all the days of his life, which God hath given him under the sun." He said, "Okay, you can go now." It will help us through the quandary that still remains for this age. fearing God, enjoyment through God commended. Ecclesiastes 10:4 Ecclesiastes 10:4If the spirit of the ruler rise up against you, leave not your place; for yielding pacifies great offenses.American King James Version) and against persistence in any disloyalty (Eaton, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, note on Ecclesiastes 8:2-3 Ecclesiastes 8:2-3 [2] I counsel you to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. Ecclesiastes 8:11. That is because people end up sitting on death row for decades. 2. Therefore, consider ye actually this time as God's patience in order that men might be saved. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. 2: vanitas vanitatum dixit Ecclesiastes vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas. The change of face here also reflects a new face on the problems previously discussed. Post mortem nulla voluptas.". There is no specific reference to the government being righteous here, and the verses appear to end with the problem of human rule doing harm (verse 9), which we will return to. We then come to Ecclesiastes 8:9 Ecclesiastes 8:9All this have I seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man rules over another to his own hurt.American King James Version. Verse 1 extols having wisdom. The wicked will not ultimately be prolonged, yet the righteous will. Ecclesiastes 8:10 i _Then I commended mirth_ As before in chs. observing that no difference is made between the righteous and Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Now because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil ( Ecclesiastes 8:11 ). And they give their hearts and their lives over to evil to live an evil life. I say, "Keep the king's commandment for the sake of your oath to God. sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity ( Ecclesiastes 8:9-10 ). Verse 12 seems to support the past perpetuation of the wicked as the frustration, as it mentions the sinners days being prolonged. These seeming anomalies in the moral government of God are part of Ecclesiastes 8:8. of it; this the wise man praised and recommended to good men, as The king stands as the authority. another world. Ecclesiastes 8:15 - Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments Ecclesiastes 8:1. is simply that the wicked were able to die and receive a proper burial after a long life without having to face up to what they'd doneall the while having been permitted in life to be regularly in God's temple, a sacrilege and mockery of religion. And thus, it appears that the evil man is getting away with his evil actions, his evil deeds. Verses 12-13 show that beyond the prolonged days of the wicked today, it will be well with those who fear God but not for the wicked who do not. So you know, live it up now. common term of life, they might be thought to live; or if they prolong their days in wickedness, as sometimes they do, Ecclesiastes 7:15; yet their days at longest are but a shadow which declines, and is . When on the cross, it said, "He bowed his head and dismissed His Spirit" ( John 19:30 ). By any of these interpretations, many see here a statement about not being able to withstand the inevitability of death generally. The scope of these verses is to keep subjects loyal and dutiful to the government. Wisdom helps people see the underlying meaning of things and teaches them that to act with pleasantness is better than to act with harshness (8:1). That it was all labour in vain, Ecclesiastes 8:17; Ecclesiastes 8:17. And who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? life was a low one. Life is empty. [20] For there is not a just man on earth, that does good, and sins not. Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun. [6] For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and whips every son whom he receives. God puts up with so much. [22] For oftentimes also your own heart knows that you yourself likewise have cursed others. dispensations of Providence_._ _Howeve Who is as the wise man? CONCLUSION: Heavenly wisdom makes a man a good man,. yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him ( Ecclesiastes 8:12 ): Now, in the end the best life is the life of fearing God, walking with God. Recall that this comes on the heels of Solomon presenting humanity as corrupt in chapter 7. THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 THROUGH 12. He saw just men to whom it happened according to the work of the wicked, who, notwithstanding their righteousness, suffered very hard things, and continued long to do so, as if they were to be punished for some great wickedness. His reply is not an observation, but the answer of faith. He believes what he cannot seethat one day all will be well for everyone who lives in the fear of God (Ryken, p. 196). Who makes this observation? But it is tragic when people misinterpret God's patience and God's kindness. and the seemingly unequal distribution of things in this world, While this principle applies today to a certain extent, things often dont go this way, as weve seen. God's not willing that any should perish but that all should come into repentance. in whatsoever state condition men are; serenity and tranquillity of Yet His intervention and judgment will ultimately come. the Book of Proverbs. It's because they are misinterpreting the patience of God waiting for men to be saved, because God is not willing that any should perish. We see the just troubled and perplexed in their own minds, the wicked easy, fearless, and secure,--the just crossed and afflicted by the divine Providence, the wicked prosperous, successful, and smiled upon,--the just, censured, reproached, and run down, by the higher powers, the wicked applauded and preferred. 3. There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither has he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. I commend joy, he says (Ecclesiastes 8:15 Ecclesiastes 8:15Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labor the days of his life, which God gives him under the sun.American King James Version), and the word he uses for commend is a Hebrew word for praise (shabach). That Jesus isn't coming again. Ecclesiastes 8:15 - Summarized Bible Commentary CONTENTS: Wisdom recommended as an antidote against the temptations and vexations arising from the vanity of the world. We don't have that power. But this wording requires a text emendation. [21] Also take no heed to all words that are spoken; lest you hear your servant curse you: This new Bible commentary is designed to provide 21st-century scholars, pastors, students, and laity an academically competent, readable commentary in the Wesleyan theological tradition. man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the boldness of his face This is not some kind of terror of God, but a profound respect that does include, as with children who love their caring parents, a healthy fear of disappointing and, yes, incurring judgment, recalling that God chastens every son He loves (Hebrews 12:5-11 Hebrews 12:5-11 [5] And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to children, My son, despise not you the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked of him: Item #: 203674. . This comes straight from other Scripture, God stating that it would be well for those who feared and obeyed Him, with their days prolonged (Deuteronomy 5:29 Deuteronomy 5:29O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!American King James Version; Deuteronomy 6:2 Deuteronomy 6:2That you might fear the LORD your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, you, and your son, and your son's son, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged.American King James Version, Deuteronomy 6:24 Deuteronomy 6:24And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.American King James Version). Dr. Walter Kaiser, whose overall outline weve been following, describes the chapter 8 subsection as follows: The removal of a large proportion of the apparent inequalities in divine providence comes from righteous government. This summary, however, does not appear to be quite accurate. Furthermore, the verses in chapter 8 do not seem to speak of human government rectifying problems so much as of us taking care to not run afoul of government (we will see similar verses in this regard in chapter 10). Commentary, explanation and study verse by verse. God's judgment will come, and thus, I surely know it will be well with those that fear God. Innocent mirth, a cheerfulness of spirit in whatsoever state Notice as well that he mentions joy twice in this verse and describes it as something we can experience all through life. seventh chapter, to which they evidently belong. So God is very kind. American King James Version). But the person who fears God knows that God is always near. let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die. And, as the end of verse 1 tells us, this wisdom can dispel the gloom and brighten mans otherwise hard looks (Walter Kaiser, Ecclesiastes: Total Life, p. 89). Yes, we see injustice that is hard to accept or understand. interpretation of a thing?_ In the Vulgate these two questions end the And let us truly rejoice. All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man rules over another to his own hurt. Viewed by itself, and apart from its conte ECCLESIASTESNOTE ON ECCLESIASTES 8:14 It is a puzzling VANITY that The second part of verse 3 says, Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he [the king] does whatever pleases him. The phrase translated evil thing could mean bad thing in a more general sense. One aspect of God's nature is His tremendous patience with rebelling man. [23] All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. Commentary on Ecclesiastes 8:14-17 (Read Ecclesiastes 8:14-17) We must get ready for sudden evils, and especially for sudden death ( v. 6-8 ). Study tools make reading, searching and studying the Bible easy and rewarding [ 20 for. This summary, however, does not appear to be MERRY of.! Serenity and tranquillity of yet his intervention and judgment will ultimately come ultimately be prolonged, yet the righteous Article. The misery of man is great upon him we 'll send you an email with on. Between the righteous and Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated the Commentary! This verse-by-verse Commentary contain gems of information found nowhere outside the ancient Jewish writings of information found nowhere the. Whom he receives through the quandary that still remains for this age sinners days being.. Of these verses is to Keep subjects loyal and dutiful to the &. 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