ecclesiastes 8:15 commentaryecclesiastes 8:15 commentary
And He died. 3: quid habet amplius homo de universo labore suo quod laborat sub sole. 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. 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. [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. with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth _There is a vanity which is done upon the earth_ Either by wicked John Gill's Exposition of the Bible. "There is no man that hath power, etc." ( Ecclesiastes 8:8 ). 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." It doesn't matter to God that I lie or I steal or whatever because look, I'm blessed. Though he be very confident of success, though he think to know it, yet he shall not; he cannot find it out. American King James Version). and is not the language of an epicure, or a carnal man, who [Compare 1 Corinthians 15:32 1 Corinthians 15:32If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantages it me, if the dead rise not? Note that the obedience to the king is for the sake of your oath to God (same verse). In fact, Solomon himself wrote elsewhere, The fear of the LORD prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened (Proverbs 10:27 Proverbs 10:27The fear of the LORD prolongs days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.American King James Version). There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are He's very long-suffering. This certainly ties back to the previous two subsections, where we were told that wisdom is a defense that gives life and that it strengthens those who have it (Ecclesiastes 7:11-12 Ecclesiastes 7:11-12 [11] Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun. 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: The mention of an oath to God may bring to mind the need to follow through on vows to God in Ecclesiastes 5. Life under the sun. But it shall not be well with the wicked ( Ecclesiastes 8:13 ), In the end God's judgment will come. [6] For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and whips every son whom he receives. Placing them at t _Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the ECCLESIASTES 8:14. ". a man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed. Add To Cart. Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. Verse 12 seems to support the past perpetuation of the wicked as the frustration, as it mentions the sinners days being prolonged. 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 . 2. As the same commentary notes: Somesay that the Preacher is simply making the best of a bad situation, that Solomon is a cynic. He would have us not to fret and perplex ourselves about it, or make ourselves uneasy, but cheerfully to enjoy what God has given us in the world, to be content with it and make the best of it, though it be much better with others, and such as we think very unworthy (Ecclesiastes 8:15; Ecclesiastes 8:15): Then I commended joy, a holy security and serenity of mind, arising from a confidence in God, and his power, providence, and promise, because a man has no better thing under the sun (though a good man has much better things above the sun) than to eat and drink, that is, soberly and thankfully to make use of the things of this life according as his rank is, and to be cheerful, whatever happens, for that shall abide with him of his labour. No man has any power over the spirit. The change of face here also reflects a new face on the problems previously discussed. American King James Version). God will judge. And it's probably true. 5: oritur sol et occidit et ad locum suum revertitur ibique renascens. One aspect of God's nature is His tremendous patience with rebelling man. He would not have us try to give a reason for what God does. 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. 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). 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. 3. equally puzzling that the RIGHTEOUS sometimes receive the treatmen CRITICAL NOTES. Under the sun, man, life is just very shallow and you live life in a very shallow level, and. The question in Ecclesiastes isn't about the existence of God; the author is no atheist, and God is always there. speaks in the person of the libertine, representing the objections of They will wait for a suitable opportunity to act, then act in such a way that, though they do not disobey the king, neither do they sin against their conscience (2-5).Despite the compromise he recommends, the writer knows that people remain uneasy about the outcome and about the future in general. The preacher begins this chapter with the praise of wisdom, from its excellency and usefulness, Ecclesiastes 8:1; and advises men, if they would live quietly and comfortably, to honour and obey the king that rules over them, and not be rebellious against him, since he has great power and authority . But he also knows that often the opposite is true (14). Concerning this Solomon here gives us his advice. 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). 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. Ecclesiastes 2:14; Where the verse says they were forgotten, many others render this they were praised, reasoning that the positive eulogizing of the wicked after all their evil must be the vanity or frustration mentioned. 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). CONCLUSION: Heavenly wisdom makes a man a good man,. Let us be ever thankful for the days of our lives. His survey now digresses to consider a wise man's responsibility when The next set of verses concerns following kingly authorityhuman governmentas a matter of life and death (verses 2-9). 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. Some think Solomon speaks of himself, that he was so eager in prosecuting this great enquiry that he could not sleep for thinking of it. The place of holiness to which they had come and gone is not clear. Honor the king.American King James Version). Our present life is a life under the sun, but we look for the life of the world to come, which will commence and continue when the sun shall be turned into darkness and shine no more. It seems that this lack of punishment encourages people to sin (11-12a). That is all the fruit he has for himself of the pains that he takes in the business of the world; let him therefore take it, and much good may it do him; and let him not deny himself that, out of a peevish discontent because the world does not go as he would have it. We come now to the last part of the books third major section, which began in chapter 6, dealing with explaining and applying the plan of God in light of it seeming to be unfair. However, some take visiting the holy place here as having occurred repeatedly during the life of the wicked people now being buried. For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear you God. Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. Ecclesiastes 8:15 "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." King James Version (KJV) < Previous Verse Next Verse > View Chapter Ecclesiastes 8:15 Context But in context the wording appears to continue the warning about not getting into trouble with the government. They know they have no control over life or death. This is because the instruction referred to obeying the king in general, whoever he wasor to obeying whatever human authority was in power. a man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.American King James Version;with the previous subsection, but it rather seems to be in answer to all the previous dilemma, ending with the bleak, sinful condition of man at the end of the last chapter. But ultimately, it will go only this way when God sets everything right. That's a fatal mistake to make. They should not spend weary days and sleepless nights puzzling over problems to which only God knows the answer (16-17). That shall abide with him during the days of his life which God gives him under the sun. the righteous often suffer, and the wicked prosper. By any of these interpretations, many see here a statement about not being able to withstand the inevitability of death generally. 39.). of the greatest virtue and merit: or, by God's providence, who s "SO. PrivacyPolicyTerms ofUse. Therefore, consider ye actually this time as God's patience in order that men might be saved. ECCLESIASTES 8:14, it is best to give a man's self up to eating and of it; this the wise man praised and recommended to good men, as [28] Which yet my soul seeks, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. man's present life is under the sun, and is continued as long as the wicked, that it is as well or better with the wicked than the 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. Wise and good men have, of old, been perplexed with this difficulty, how the prosperity of the wicked and the troubles of the righteous can be reconciled with the holiness and goodness of the God that governs the world. 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