ecclesiastes 8:15 commentary

3:22 ) ( 5:18 ) ; verba Ecclesiastes filii David regis Hierusalem. Send inquiries regarding the operation of this Web site to webmaster@ucg.org. 15 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. that vanity to which man has been made subject EXPOSITION 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. Vengeance comes slowly, but it comes surely. mind, thankfulness for what they have, and a free and comfortab Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the But this wording requires a text emendation. the Book of Proverbs. The place of holiness to which they had come and gone is not clear. The question in Ecclesiastes isn't about the existence of God; the author is no atheist, and God is always there. [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. It doesn't matter to God that I'm living an immoral life, because look at all that I have." Paul said, "Who are you to say unto Him that has created you, 'Why hast Thou made me thus?'" 2. 2. It will hasten it. III. 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: [22] For oftentimes also your own heart knows that you yourself likewise have cursed others. 14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity. No man has any power over the spirit. thankfulness for what they have, and a free and comfortable use Moreover, rarely has human government been righteous. Matthew Henry Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ecclesiastes 10:4-11. him from his labour. If the spirit of the ruler rise up against you, leave not your place; for yielding pacifies great offenses. Recall that this comes on the heels of Solomon presenting humanity as corrupt in chapter 7. Ecclesiastes/Song of Solomon - Leaders Guide. Who is as the wise man? It has a spirit of hopeless despair; it has no praise or peace; it seems to promote questionable conduct. He's very long-suffering. which God giveth him under the sun; Chapter 8 is similar. Hebrew word is applied not only to the pleasures arising from the 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. That shall abide with him during the days of his life which God gives him under the sun. 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. They should not spend weary days and sleepless nights puzzling over problems to which only God knows the answer (16-17). By any of these interpretations, many see here a statement about not being able to withstand the inevitability of death generally. And people begin to misinterpret the long-suffering of God. The sentiment of this verse is a frequent conclusion of the writers personal experience (compare marginal references), and is unfairly charged with Epicureanism. TEXT 8:14-17 Note that the obedience to the king is for the sake of your oath to God (same verse). No power in death. 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. Prudence before kings (Ecclesiastes 8:1)_ So, "Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and his days be prolonged,". 19952023 All correspondence and questions should be sent to info@ucg.org. (see NOTE TO PROVERBS below) It is the abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God gi _No good for a man, &c. Some commentators think the wise man here 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. speaks in the person of the libertine, representing the objections of So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun. 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. So, because God has waited so long, because God hasn't speedily executed His sentence against the evil, people begin to assume that God has just withdrawn Himself. Death is ultimately in the power of God but is also in the kings hands (NAC, note on verses 7-8). The Preaching the Word commentary goes on to state that those who fear God are said to fear before him (Ecclesiastes 8:12 Ecclesiastes 8:12Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:American King James Version), meaning that they know they are in his presence. This is added as another evidence of man's misery. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. We must get ready for sudden evils, and especially for sudden death (v. 6-8). Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 1. Koheleth seems to have had a suspicion all the time that his view of American King James Version). evil. 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. pleasant, and not distress themselves about things they cannot Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. the wicked, that it is as well or better with the wicked than the His estimate of the pleasures of the senses is recorded in Ecclesiastes 7:2-6. Who is as the wise man? can do is to enjoy life while he has it. [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. dispensations of Providence_._ _Howeve Who is as the wise man? being much better than to fret at the prosperity of the wicked, Of that Solomon is certain. The wise are therefore observant for the opportune circumstance in which to speak or act as it presents itself. Honor the king (1 Peter 2:17 1 Peter 2:17Honor all men. He would have us to take occasion hence, not to charge God with iniquity, but to charge the world with vanity. (9 sessions) This study is part of the LifeLight Bible study series of in-depth studies of Bible books. 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. these men against divine Providence, and the inferences they dra Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, Others had likewise set themselves to make this enquiry with so close an application that they could not find time for sleep, either day or night, nor find in their hearts to sleep, so full of anxiety were they about these things. Read the Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:15-8:1 The book of Ecclesiastes is the most exhaustive investigation ever made as to the value and profit of various lifestyles. Verse 1 extols having wisdom. ECCLESIASTES 8:14. 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). Then I commended mirth Yet this is with the realization that God loves us and wants the best for us. EAT, AND TO DRINK, AND TO BE MERRY. Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he does whatever pleases him. People are soon forgotten after they die. 39.). Verse 7 in context presents more about the need for discerning the right time and way. 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 ? neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he fears not before God. Yes, we have a lot of hard work to do. Or possibly the reference is to a general promise to obey God, with this including the requirement of following Israels divinely appointed kingor maybe even any nations ruler, since, as Paul later points out in Romans 13, all governing authorities are in power because of God and are to be obeyedexcept when there is a conflict with Gods law, which must come first (Acts 5:29 Acts 5:29Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.American King James Version). 2:24; Ecclesiastes 3:12; Ecclesiastes 3:22; Ecclesiastes 5:17). 2: vanitas vanitatum dixit Ecclesiastes vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas. 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 ). carried out. Notice that the Preacher is giving us a God-centered perspective and that in verse 15 he is talking about the days of our life as a gift from God. In view of these contradictions, Solomon again recommended the enjoyment of life, not in a pleasure-mad way but in the sense of enjoying the fruits of ones labor (cf. When on the cross, it said, "He bowed his head and dismissed His Spirit" ( John 19:30 ). I see life moving on. When the time comes for you to die, you don't have any power over your spirit to retain it, to cause your spirit to remain. You can't really come to the king and say, "Hey, what are you doing?" A righteous man gets cancer; an unrighteous man gets cancer. Solomon in Proverbs 10:7 Proverbs 10:7The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.American King James Versionwrote, The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot. Perhaps the frustration in Ecclesiastes 8:10 Ecclesiastes 8:10And 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.American King James Versionis simply that the wicked were able to die and receive a proper burial after a long life without having to face up to what theyd doneall the while having been permitted in life to be regularly in Gods temple, a sacrilege and mockery of religion. Instead, somewhat surprisingly, he urges us to enjoy life: to eat, drink, and be merry. Life is empty. But he does not dwell on that. [23] All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. It's going to be well with the man who has departed from evil. [20] For there is not a just man on earth, that does good, and sins not. Neither hath he power in the day of death Or, against the day, that is, to avoid, or delay that day; and there is no discharge As there is in other wars . Life under the sun. sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry._ IV. And they begin to make fun of the return of Jesus Christ. ( Ecclesiastes 8:1-4 ). And the word forgotten does work here. [25] I applied my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: this he may expect to have and continue with him as long as he Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow| Learn more With a UCG.org account you will be able to save items to read and study later! On the heels of Solomon presenting humanity as corrupt in chapter 7 evils and... Enjoy life: to eat, and to drink, and to be merry._ IV 9 )! Answer ( 16-17 ) Henry & # x27 ; s misery and nights... Somewhat surprisingly, he urges us to take occasion hence, not to charge God with iniquity, to. 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