1Wer ist wie der Weise, und wer versteht die Deutung der Dinge? Die Weisheit des Menschen erleuchtet sein Angesicht, und der Trotz seines Angesichts wird verwandelt. 2Ich sage: Habe acht auf den Befehl des Königs, und zwar wegen des Eides Gottes. 3Übereile dich nicht, von ihm wegzugehen, laß dich nicht ein in eine böse Sache, denn er tut alles, was er will; 4weil des Königs Wort eine Macht ist, und wer will zu ihm sagen: Was tust du? 5Wer das Gebot hält, wird nichts Böses erfahren, und eines Weisen Herz kennt Zeit und richterliche Entscheidung. 6Denn für jede Sache gibt es eine Zeit und eine richterliche Entscheidung; denn das Unglück des Menschen lastet schwer auf ihm; 7denn er weiß nicht, was werden wird; denn wer sollte ihm kundtun, wie es werden wird? 8Kein Mensch hat Macht über den Wind , den Wind zurückzuhalten; und niemand hat Macht über den Tag des Todes; und keine Entlassung gibt es im Kriege; und die Gesetzlosigkeit wird den nicht retten, der sie übt . 9Das alles habe ich gesehen, und habe mein Herz auf alles Tun gerichtet, welches unter der Sonne geschieht, zur Zeit, wo der Mensch über die Menschen herrscht zu ihrem Unglück. 10Und alsdann habe ich Gesetzlose gesehen, die begraben wurden und zur Ruhe eingingen; diejenigen aber, welche recht gehandelt hatten, mußten von der heiligen Stätte wegziehen und wurden in der Stadt vergessen. Auch das ist Eitelkeit. 11Weil das Urteil über böse Taten nicht schnell vollzogen wird, darum ist das Herz der Menschenkinder in ihnen voll, Böses zu tun; 12weil ein Sünder hundertmal Böses tut und doch seine Tage verlängert obgleich ich weiß, daß es denen, die Gott fürchten, wohlgehen wird, weil sie sich vor ihm fürchten; 13aber dem Gesetzlosen wird es nicht wohlgehen, und er wird, dem Schatten gleich, seine Tage nicht verlängern, weil er sich vor Gott nicht fürchtet. 14Es ist eine Eitelkeit, die auf Erden geschieht: daß es Gerechte gibt, welchen nach dem Tun der Gesetzlosen widerfährt, und daß es Gesetzlose gibt, welchen nach dem Tun der Gerechten widerfährt. Ich sagte, daß auch das Eitelkeit sei. 15Und ich pries die Freude, weil es für den Menschen nichts Besseres unter der Sonne gibt, als zu essen und zu trinken und sich zu freuen; und dies wird ihn begleiten bei seiner Mühe, die Tage seines Lebens hindurch, welche Gott ihm unter der Sonne gegeben hat. 16Als ich mein Herz darauf richtete, Weisheit zu erkennen, und das Treiben zu besehen, welches auf Erden geschieht (denn weder bei Tage noch bei Nacht sieht er den Schlaf mit seinen Augen), 17da habe ich bezüglich des ganzen Werkes Gottes gesehen, daß der Mensch das Werk nicht zu erfassen vermag, welches unter der Sonne geschieht, indem der Mensch sich abmüht es zu suchen, aber es nicht erfaßt. Und selbst wenn der Weise es zu erkennen meint , vermag er es doch nicht zu erfassen.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 (Ecc. 8:1-17)
Praise of true wisdom continued (
Eccl 7:11, &c.). "Who" is to be accounted "equal to the wise man? . . . Who (like him) knoweth the interpretation" of God's providences (for example,
Eccl 7:8,
Eccl 7:13-
Eccl 7:14), and God's word (for example, see on
Eccl 7:29;
Pro 1:6)?
face to shine-- (
Eccl 7:14;
Acts 6:15). A sunny countenance, the reflection of a tranquil conscience and serene mind. Communion with God gives it (
Exod 34:29-
Exod 34:30).
boldness--austerity.
changed--into a benign expression by true wisdom (religion) (
Jas 3:17). MAURER translates, "The shining (brightness) of his face is doubled," arguing that the Hebrew noun for "boldness" is never used in a bad sense (
Pro 4:18). Or as Margin, "strength" (
Eccl 7:19;
Isa 40:31;
2Cor 3:18). But the adjective is used in a bad sense (
Deut 28:50).
2 the king's--Jehovah, peculiarly the king of Israel in the theocracy;
Eccl 8:3-
Eccl 8:4, prove it is not the earthly king who is meant.
the oath of God--the covenant which God made with Abraham and renewed with David; Solomon remembered
Ps 89:35, "I have sworn," &c. (
Ps 89:36), and the penalties if David's children should forsake it (
Ps 89:30-
Ps 89:32); inflicted on Solomon himself; yet God not "utterly" forsaking him (
Ps 89:33-
Ps 89:34).
3 hasty--rather, "Be not terror-struck so as to go out of His sight." Slavishly "terror-struck" is characteristic of the sinner's feeling toward God; he vainly tries to flee out of His sight (
Ps 139:7); opposed to the "shining face" of filial confidence (
Eccl 8:1;
John 8:33-
John 8:36;
Rom 8:2;
1John 4:18).
stand not--persist not.
for he doeth--God inflicts what punishment He pleases on persisting sinners (
Job 23:13;
Ps 115:3). True of none save God.
4 God's very "word" is "power." So the gospel word (
Rom 1:16;
Heb 4:12).
who may say, &c.-- (
Job 9:12;
Job 33:13;
Isa 45:9;
Dan 4:35). Scripture does not ascribe such arbitrary power to earthly kings.
5 feel--experience.
time--the neglect of the right "times" causes much of the sinful folly of the spiritually unwise (
Eccl 3:1-
Eccl 3:11).
judgment--the right manner [HOLDEN]. But as God's future "judgment" is connected with the "time for every purpose" in
Eccl 3:17, so it is here. The punishment of persisting sinners (
Eccl 8:3) suggests it. The wise man realizes the fact, that as there is a fit "time" for every purpose, so for the "judgment." This thought cheers him in adversity (
Eccl 7:14;
Eccl 8:1).
6 therefore the misery, &c.--because the foolish sinner does not think of the right "times" and the "judgment."
7 he--the sinner, by neglecting times (for example, "the accepted time, and the day of salvation,
2Cor 6:2), is taken by surprise by the judgment (
Eccl 3:22;
Eccl 6:12;
Eccl 9:12). The godly wise observe the due times of things (
Eccl 3:1), and so, looking for the judgment, are not taken by surprise, though not knowing the precise "when" (
1Thess 5:2-4); they "know the time" to all saving purposes (
Rom 13:11).
8 spirit--"breath of life" (
Eccl 3:19), as the words following require. Not "wind," as WEISS thinks (
Pro 30:4). This verse naturally follows the subject of "times" and "judgment" (
Eccl 8:6-
Eccl 8:7).
discharge--alluding to the liability to military service of all above twenty years old (
Num 1:3), yet many were exempted (
Deut 20:5-
Deut 20:8). But in that war (death) there is no exemption.
those . . . given to--literally, the master of it. Wickedness can get money for the sinner, but cannot deliver him from the death, temporal and eternal, which is its penalty (
Isa 28:15,
Isa 28:18).
9 his own hurt--The tyrannical ruler "hurts" not merely his subjects, but himself; so Rehoboam (1Ki. 12:1-33); but the "time" of "hurt" chiefly refers to eternal ruin, incurred by "wickedness," at "the day of death" (
Eccl 8:8), and the "time" of "judgment" (
Eccl 8:6;
Pro 8:36).
10 the wicked--namely, rulers (
Eccl 8:9).
buried--with funeral pomp by man, though little meriting it (
Jer 22:19); but this only formed the more awful contrast to their death, temporal and eternal, inflicted by God (
Luke 16:22-
Luke 16:23).
come and gone from the place of the holy--went to and came from the place of judicature, where they sat as God's representatives (
Ps 82:1-
Ps 82:6), with pomp [HOLDEN]. WEISS translates, "Buried and gone (utterly), even from the holy place they departed." As Joab, by Solomon's command, was sent to the grave from the "holy place" in the temple, which was not a sanctuary to murderers (
Exod 21:14;
1Kgs 2:28,
1Kgs 2:31). The use of the very word "bury" there makes this view likely; still "who had come and gone" may be retained. Joab came to the altar, but had to go from it; so the "wicked rulers" (
Eccl 8:9) (including high priests) came to, and went from, the temple, on occasions of solemn worship, but did not thereby escape their doom.
forgotten-- (
Pro 10:7).
11 The reason why the wicked persevere in sin: God's delay in judgment (
Matt 24:48-
Matt 24:51;
2Pet 3:8-9). "They see not the smoke of the pit, therefore they dread not the fire" [SOUTH], (
Ps 55:19). Joab's escape from the punishment of his murder of Abner, so far from "leading him to repentance," as it ought (
Rom 2:4), led him to the additional murder of Amasa.
12 He says this, lest the sinner should abuse the statement (
Eccl 7:15), "A wicked man prolongeth his life."
before him--literally, "at His presence"; reverently serve Him, realizing His continual presence.
13 neither shall he prolong--not a contradiction to
Eccl 8:12. The "prolonging" of his days there is only seeming, not real. Taking into account his eternal existence, his present days, however seemingly long, are really short. God's delay (
Eccl 8:11) exists only in man's short-sighted view. It gives scope to the sinner to repent, or else to fill up his full measure of guilt; and so, in either case, tends to the final vindication of God's ways. It gives exercise to the faith, patience, and perseverance of saints.
shadow-- (
Eccl 6:12;
Job 8:9).
14 An objection is here started (entertained by Solomon in his apostasy), as in
Eccl 3:16;
Eccl 7:15, to the truth of retributive justice, from the fact of the just and the wicked not now receiving always according to their respective deserts; a cavil, which would seem the more weighty to men living under the Mosaic covenant of temporal sanctions. The objector adds, as Solomon had said, that the worldling's pursuits are "vanity" (
Eccl 8:10), "I say (not 'said') this also is vanity. Then I commend mirth," &c. [HOLDEN].
Eccl 8:14-
Eccl 8:15 may, however, be explained as teaching a cheerful, thankful use of God's gifts "under the sun," that is, not making them the chief good, as sensualists do, which
Eccl 2:2;
Eccl 7:2, forbid; but in "the fear of God," as
Eccl 3:12;
Eccl 5:18;
Eccl 7:18;
Eccl 9:7, opposed to the abstinence of the self-righteous ascetic (
Eccl 7:16), and of the miser (
Eccl 5:17).
15 no better thing, &c.--namely, for the "just" man, whose chief good is religion, not for the worldly.
abide--Hebrew, "adhere"; not for ever, but it is the only sure good to be enjoyed from earthly labors (equivalent to "of his labor the days of his life"). Still, the language resembles the skeptical precept (
1Cor 15:32), introduced only to be refuted; and "abide" is too strong language, perhaps, for a religious man to apply to "eating" and "mirth."
16 Reply to
Eccl 8:14-
Eccl 8:15. When I applied myself to observe man's toils after happiness (some of them so incessant as not to allow sufficient time for "sleep"), then (
Eccl 8:17, the apodosis) I saw that man cannot find out (the reason of) God's inscrutable dealings with the "just" and with the "wicked" here (
Eccl 8:14;
Eccl 3:11;
Job 5:9;
Rom 11:33); his duty is to acquiesce in them as good, because they are God's, though he sees not all the reasons for them (
Ps 73:16). It is enough to know "the righteous are in God's hand" (
Eccl 9:1). "Over wise" (
Eccl 7:16); that is, Speculations above what is written are vain.