Ecclesiastes, the Preacher

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- Chapter 8 -

Obey the king

The wisdom of a man shines in his countenance, and even the expression of a most powerful man will change.

I heed the mouth of the king, and the commandment of an oath to God.

You should not hastily withdraw from his presence, nor should you remain in an evil work. For all that pleases him, he will do.

And his word is filled with authority. Neither is anyone able to say to him: “Why are you acting this way?”

Whoever keeps the commandment will not experience evil. The heart of a wise man understands the time to respond.

For every matter, there is a time and an opportunity, as well as many difficulties, for man.

For he is ignorant of the past, and he is able to know nothing of the future by means of a messenger.

It is not in the power of a man to prohibit the spirit, nor does he have authority over the day of death, nor is he permitted to rest when war breaks out, and neither will impiety save the impious.

I have considered all these things, and I have applied my heart to all the works which are being done under the sun. Sometimes one man rules over another to his own harm.

Fear God

(Isaiah 8:11-15)

I have seen the impious buried. These same, while they were still living, were in the holy place, and they were praised in the city as workers of justice. But this, too, is emptiness.

For the sons of men perpetrate evils without any fear, because judgment is not pronounced quickly against the evil.

But although a sinner may do evil of himself one hundred times, and by patience still endure, I realize that it will be well with those who fear God, who revere his face.

So, may it not go well with the impious, and may his days not be prolonged. And let those who do not fear the face of the Lord pass away like a shadow.

God's ways are mysterious

There is also another vanity, which is done upon the earth. There are the just, to whom evils happen, as though they had done the works of the impious. And there are the impious, who are very secure, as though they possess the deeds of the just. But this, too, I judge to be a very great vanity.

And so, I praised rejoicing, because there was no good for a man under the sun, except to eat and drink, and to be cheerful, and because he may take nothing with him from his labor in the days of his life, which God has given to him under the sun.(a)

And I applied my heart, so that I might know wisdom, and so that I might understand a disturbance that turns upon the earth: it is a man, who takes no sleep with his eyes, day and night.(b)

And I understood that man is able to find no explanation for all those works of God which are done under the sun. And so, the more that he labors to seek, so much the less does he find. Yes, even if a wise man were to claim that he knows, he would not be able to discover it.

Footnotes

(a)8:15 No good for a man, etc:Some commentators think the wise man here speaks in the person of the libertine: representing the objections of these men against divine providence, and the inferences they draw from thence, which he takes care afterwards to refute. But it may also be said, that his meaning is to commend the moderate use of the goods of this world, preferably to the cares and solicitudes of worldlings, their attachment to vanity and curiosity, and presumptuously diving into the unsearchable ways of divine providence.(Challoner)

(b)8:16 This verse refers prophetically to the Antichrist.(Conte)

Obey the king

Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

I say, “Keep the king’s command!” because of the oath to God.

Don’t be hasty to go out of his presence. Don’t persist in an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him,

for the king’s word is supreme. Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”

Whoever keeps the commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time and procedure.

For there is a time and procedure for every purpose, although the misery of man is heavy on him.

For he doesn’t know that which will be; for who can tell him how it will be?

There is no man who has power over the spirit to contain the spirit; neither does he have power over the day of death. There is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver those who practice it.

All this I have seen, and applied my mind to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has power over another to his hurt.

Fear God

(Isaiah 8:11-15)

So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holiness. They went and were forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is vanity.

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.

Though a sinner commits crimes a hundred times, and lives long, yet surely I know that it will be better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him.

But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he lengthen days like a shadow, because he doesn’t fear God.

God's ways are mysterious

There is a vanity which is done on the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun than to eat, to drink, and to be joyful: for that will accompany him in his labor all the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth (even though eyes see no sleep day or night),

then I saw all the work of God, that man can’t find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won’t find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won’t be able to find it.