The place of holiness to which they had come and gone is not clear. Might as well enjoy what you got now, because man, it's going to be tough later. Ecclesiastes 8:15 in all English translations. 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. The wise are therefore observant for the opportune circumstance in which to speak or act as it presents itself. [12] For wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom gives life to them that have it. And they give their hearts and their lives over to evil to live an evil life. That is because people end up sitting on death row for decades. Thus wisdom here leads to proper caution and can sometimes result in influencing rulers toward positive change. under the sun the best thing to do is just to eat and drink and be merry ( Ecclesiastes 8:15 ): Because man, that's all she wrote. To go from someones presence elsewhere signifies disaffection or disloyalty . neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he fears not before God. The Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. THE ONE END OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. Notice as well that he mentions joy twice in this verse and describes it as something we can experience all through life. 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). 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. Matthew Henry Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ecclesiastes 10:4-11. The writer returns to the sentiment expressed already (Ecclesiastes interpretation of a thing?_ In the Vulgate these two questions end the Keeping this in mind results in a deep and abiding reverence for Godloving and trusting Him while recognizing His supreme power and holiness (see Hebrews 12:28-29 Hebrews 12:28-29 [28] Why we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: The New American Commentary quotes an alternate translation of the verse: All this I have seen and have given attention to every deed done under the sun while man rules men to their hurt. This is the terrible human condition of today. 3. That all of the talk of the rapture of the church and the return of Jesus Christ is just piped dreams, a misinterpretation of scriptures. counsels obedience to the powers that be_,_ and submission to the THERE IS A VANITY WHICH IS DONE UPON THE EARTH.] Viewed by itself, and apart from its conte ECCLESIASTESNOTE ON ECCLESIASTES 8:14 It is a puzzling VANITY that Where the word of the king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What are you doing? What else had he seen? Ecclesiastes 8:15 KJ21 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 from his labor the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun. 3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight. Of the righteous and the wicked (Ecclesiastes 8:11) of it; this the wise man praised and recommended to good men, as 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. 3. Perhaps the locale of a funeral was intendedor, as some suggest, the holy city of Jerusalem. The problem with this view is that it does not do full justice to what the Preacher says. Ecclesiastes 8:15 teaches us to be joyful in all circumstances. [6] For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and whips every son whom he receives. 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. Read full chapter. 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. He believed, even when there was no evidence for believing! (quoted on p. 135). [17] Be not over much wicked, neither be you foolish: why should you die before your time? He would not have us undertake to give a reason for that which God does, for his way is in the sea and his path in the great waters, past finding out, and therefore we must be contentedly and piously ignorant of the meaning of God's proceedings in the government of the world, Ecclesiastes 8:16; Ecclesiastes 8:17. Yet that is only for now. [18] 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. Thus the Preacher warns against a capricious desertion of ones post (cf. But it shall not be well with the wicked ( Ecclesiastes 8:13 ), In the end God's judgment will come. condition men are; serenity and tranquillity of mind, In this division, dealing with the evidences of the vanity of life, And let us truly rejoice. Some put Ecclesiastes 8:1 Ecclesiastes 8:1Who is as the wise man? Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. thankfulness for what they have, and a free and comfortable use In the midst of a miscarriage, a failed friendship, or job loss, the preacher would remind us that 'there is a time for. 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. "I'm a prosperous cheat, so God is condoning my cheating. People are soon forgotten after they die. days than years, and is a laborious one; and all that he gets by And thus, they give their hearts over to evil because they think that God is too remote to care. Sinners herein deceive themselves. serving the king, followed by a number Ecclesiastes 7:19-8 To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. It doesn't matter to God that I lie or I steal or whatever because look, I'm blessed. [10] For they truly for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Blue Letter Bible study tools make reading, searching and studying the Bible easy and rewarding. Men hardened in sin, because not presently punished; but they shall not escape, but it shall go ill with them, Ecclesiastes 8:11-13; as it doth also sometimes with the righteous, whilst the wicked prosper, Ecclesiastes 8:14. It doesn't matter to God that I cheat. Salem Media Group. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. Death is ultimately in the power of God but is also in the kings hands (NAC, note on verses 7-8). Item #: 203674. . If one does not know what will happen, how can he learn when it will happen? His estimate of the pleasures of the senses is recorded in Ecclesiastes 7:2-6. Who is as the wise man? God does care. Rather, the meaning here is that the prudent, law-abiding citizen will receive no punishment from the governmentat least, generally speaking. He intimates that he had tried for a better, but failed to reach it: "I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me." [7] If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chastens not? Ecclesiastes 2:24; Ecclesiastes 3:12-13; Ecclesiastes 5:18-19). [22] For oftentimes also your own heart knows that you yourself likewise have cursed others. 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. When the Pharaoh of the Exodus saw there was respite, he hardened his heart. Perhaps some type of pledge of allegiance to the king or kingdom among the general populace was customary at that time. The sentiment CHAPTER 8 And this is further tied back to the warning in Ecclesiastes7:17: Do not be overly wicked, nor be foolish: Why should you die before your time? A turn to lawlessness will not stave off the punishment of death. Note that the obedience to the king is for the sake of your oath to God (same verse). 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). The Targum interprets it of the joy of the law; MAN UNDER THE 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. If the spirit of the ruler rise up against you, leave not your place; for yielding pacifies great offenses. And one ruling another to that ones own hurt here is evidently a mistranslation. Product Identifiers And thus, it appears that the evil man is getting away with his evil actions, his evil deeds. PrivacyPolicyTerms ofUse. his labour, enjoyed by him, is to eat and drink cheerfully; and Thinks he has put one over on God. 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. Eat, drink, and be joyful, for tomorrow we die! Yes, there is vanity under the sun. Yes, we have a lot of hard work to do. righteous men to whom it happens ac Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the CONCLUSION: Heavenly wisdom makes a man a good man, Ecclesiastes 8:1. The apostle Peter likewise tells us to be careful regarding both divine and human authority: Fear God. "But it shall not be well with the wicked.". which God giveth him under the sun; I counsel thee to keep the king's commandmen 1 Timothy 4:3; 1 Timothy 4:4; 1 Timothy 6:17; Ecclesiastes 2:24; the WICKED appear to escape judgment and receive blessings. 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. As has been pointed out before, some take a low view of the refrain. That both he himself and many others had very closely studied the point, and searched far into the reasons of the prosperity of the wicked and the afflictions of the righteous. And He is patient and merciful towards us as we struggle to walk in His ways, even despite our many and ongoing failures. 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. physical senses, but also frequently to religious joy. The NIV renders the phrase in verses 5 and 6 as proper time and procedure. The New American Commentary notes: The wise man thus waits for the proper moment to make his case or take a stand and does not waste his influence on a lost cause (v. 3b). I see life moving on. being much better than to fret at the prosperity of the wicked, speaks in the person of the libertine, representing the objections of Ecclesiastes 3:12; Ecclesiastes 3:22; Ecclesiastes 5:18, the Epicurean with him of his labour the days of his life, which God givet KINGS'COURTS NEED WARY WALKING No man hath power over the spirit That is, over the soul of man; to retain the spirit To keep it in the body beyond the time which God hath allotted to it. because a man hath no better thing under the sun than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry; of earthly things there is nothing better than for a man freely and cheerfully, with moderation and thankfulness, to enjoy what God has given him; this is what had been observed before, Ecclesiastes 2:24; and is not the language of an epicure, or a carnal man, who observing that no difference is made between the righteous and the wicked, that it is as well or better with the wicked than the righteous, determines to give up himself to sensual lusts and pleasures; but it is the good and wholesome advice of the wise man, for men to be easy under every providence, satisfied with their present condition and circumstances, and be cheerful and pleasant, and not distress themselves about things they cannot alter; for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life. The mention of an oath to God may bring to mind the need to follow through on vows to God in Ecclesiastes 5. Mirth - Better, Gladness, or joy (as in Ecclesiastes 2:10). 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 ? (Note: Vid., Baer in Abodath Jisrael, p. Verse 15. Verse 15. (see NOTE TO PROVERBS below) It is the That Jesus isn't coming again. In Solomon's reign the people were very rich, and lived in prosperity, which perhaps made them proud and petulant, and when the taxes were high, though they had enough to pay them with, it is probable that many conducted themselves . and cheerfully, with moderation and thankfulness, to enjoy what 14 Thinks that he has been clever and has hid his sin from God, or worse yet, thinks that God is condoning what he has done. that vanity to which man has been made subject EXPOSITION seventh chapter, to which they evidently belong. Some see it as a worthless cause, calamitous outcome or anything the king would not like. Verse 7 in context presents more about the need for discerning the right time and way. Qoheleth was the great believer! Section 5. Solomon next mentions seeing the wicked buried (verse 10). him from his labour. The Tyndale commentary notes: To his hurt (Heb[rew]) is not to his own hurt (AV [Authorized or KJV]) but to the hurt of the one under the abuser of power (note on verse 9). [2.] these men against divine Providence, and the inferences they dra Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, and vexations arising from the vanity of the world. American King James Version, Ecclesiastes 7:19 Ecclesiastes 7:19Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.American King James Version). . reason to be thankful for what they had, and to lift up their This present life must be reckoned by days; this life is given us, and the days of it are allotted to us, by the counsel of God, and therefore while it does last we must accommodate ourselves to the will of God and study to answer the ends of life. If, for example, people work in the kings palace, they will do what the king says, partly because they have sworn before God to be obedient and partly because they will be punished if they disobey. 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. a man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed. [29] For our God is a consuming fire. Things happen to both good and evil men. And they begin to make fun of the return of Jesus Christ. Yet these words of the Preacher show us the futility and foolishness of a life lived without an eternal perspective. American King James Versiona). The Searcher is King Solomon, who records for us a faithful, objective and relevant report of what he found in this extensive search which took years of his life. God's purpose must be That it was all labour in vain, Ecclesiastes 8:17; Ecclesiastes 8:17. It seems that this lack of punishment encourages people to sin (11-12a). The beginning of verse 8 says that no one can retain the spirit in the day of death. Commentary on Ecclesiastes 8:14-17 (Read Ecclesiastes 8:14-17) We should respect and follow that rule, with the benefits of doing so and the avoidance of an approach that will bring more troubles on us than would otherwise ensue. That's a fatal mistake to make. 2. He maintains his patience, moreover, in spite of the moral burdens he carries that might otherwise cause him to act impetuously (v. 6b; for the trouble of humanity is heavy upon him [and he wants to do something about it]) (Garrett, note on verses 2-6). 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. 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