8:1 Who
[is] as the wise [man]? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's
wisdom maketh his face a to shine, and b
the boldness of his face shall be changed.
(a) That is, gets him favour and prosperity.
(b) While before he was proud and arrogant, he
will become humble and meek.
8:2 I [counsel thee] to keep the king's c
commandment, and [that] in regard of the oath of God.
(c) That is, that you obey the king and keep the
oath that you have made for the same cause.
8:3d Be not
hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatever
pleaseth him.
(d) Do not withdraw from yourself lightly from
the obedience of your prince.
8:5 He who keepeth the
commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both e
time and judgment.
(e) That is, when time is to obey, and how far he
should obey.
8:6 Because to every purpose there is time and
judgment, therefore the f misery of man
[is] great upon him.
(f) Man by himself is miserable, and therefore
should do nothing to increase the same, but to work all things by wisdom and
counsel.
8:8 [There is] no man that hath
power g over the spirit to retain the
spirit; neither [hath 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.
(g) Man has no power to save his own life and
therefore must not rashly cast himself into danger.
8:9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart to
every work that is done under the sun: [there is] a time in which one man ruleth
over another to his own h hurt.
(h) As comes often to tyrants and wicked rulers.
8:10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come
and i gone from the k
place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done:
this [is] also vanity.
(i) That is, others as wicked as they.
(k) They who feared God and worshipped him as he
had appointed.
8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not l
executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them
to do evil.
(l) Where justice is delayed, there sin reigns.
8:14 There
is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are just [men], to whom it
happeneth according to the m work of the
wicked; again, there are wicked [men], to whom it happeneth according to the
work of the righteous: I said that this also [is] vanity.
(m) Who are punished as though they were wicked,
as in (Ecclesiastes
7:17)
8:15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no
better thing under the sun, than n 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.
Ecclesiastes 8 Bible Commentary
The Geneva Study Bible
(a) That is, gets him favour and prosperity.
(b) While before he was proud and arrogant, he will become humble and meek.
8:2 I [counsel thee] to keep the king's c commandment, and [that] in regard of the oath of God.
(c) That is, that you obey the king and keep the oath that you have made for the same cause.
8:3 d Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatever pleaseth him.
(d) Do not withdraw from yourself lightly from the obedience of your prince.
8:5 He who keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both e time and judgment.
(e) That is, when time is to obey, and how far he should obey.
8:6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the f misery of man [is] great upon him.
(f) Man by himself is miserable, and therefore should do nothing to increase the same, but to work all things by wisdom and counsel.
8:8 [There is] no man that hath power g over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither [hath 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.
(g) Man has no power to save his own life and therefore must not rashly cast himself into danger.
8:9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: [there is] a time in which one man ruleth over another to his own h hurt.
(h) As comes often to tyrants and wicked rulers.
8:10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and i gone from the k place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this [is] also vanity.
(i) That is, others as wicked as they.
(k) They who feared God and worshipped him as he had appointed.
8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not l executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
(l) Where justice is delayed, there sin reigns.
8:14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are just [men], to whom it happeneth according to the m work of the wicked; again, there are wicked [men], to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also [is] vanity.
(m) Who are punished as though they were wicked, as in (Ecclesiastes 7:17)
8:15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than n 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.
(n) See Geneva