Wisdom can enable a person to avoid the kings wrath (Ecclesiastes 8:2-9), but it cannot enable him or her to understand fully why God deals with people as He does (Ecclesiastes 8:10-17). We see the just troubled and perplexed in their own minds, the wicked easy, fearless, and secure,--the just crossed and afflicted by the divine Providence, the wicked prosperous, successful, and smiled upon,--the just, censured, reproached, and run down, by the higher powers, the wicked applauded and preferred. ( Romans 9:20 ) The sovereignty of the king, which also speaks to the sovereignty of God. 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. [29] See, this only have I found, that God has made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. Recall that chapter 5 was the first instance of direct exhortations in the booktelling us to be careful in our approach in coming to worship God, the One in whose hands our lives are and who can help us through the present difficulties. The dead would not have been taken to the temple, for that would have been ceremonially defiling. And they give their hearts and their lives over to evil to live an evil life. As Peter is talking about the second coming of the Lord, he said, "Hey, in the last days there are going to be scoffers that are going to come saying, 'Where is the promise of Jesus coming again? 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. Let us pray that we may view eternal things as near, real, and all-important. (Note: Vid., Baer in Abodath Jisrael, p. and cheerfully, with moderation and thankfulness, to enjoy what Ecclesiastes 8:10 i _Then I commended mirth_ As before in chs. 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 ? 2. The future is so uncertain. Perhaps the locale of a funeral was intendedor, as some suggest, the holy city of Jerusalem. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. TEXT 8:14-17 It may seem unfair because the evil are prospered and the righteous are persecuted. Some see it as a worthless cause, calamitous outcome or anything the king would not like. The conclusion (Ecclesiastes 8:14) element of thought mingles with the higher fear of God, to which th FOR THAT SHALL ABIDE WITH HIM OF HIS LABOUR _And this shall borrow There is no man that has power over his 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 ( Ecclesiastes 8:8 ). of the greatest virtue and merit: or, by God's providence, who s "SO. He's very long-suffering. CHARACTERS: God, Solomon. Ecclesiastes 8:14-17 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). Life under the sun. Read full chapter. Not so. (see NOTE TO PROVERBS below) It is the In the person of a sensual man. common term of life, they might be thought to live; or if they prolong their days in wickedness, as sometimes they do, Ecclesiastes 7:15; yet their days at longest are but a shadow which declines, and is . 2: vanitas vanitatum dixit Ecclesiastes vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas. In the midst of a miscarriage, a failed friendship, or job loss, the preacher would remind us that 'there is a time for. Moreover, rarely has human government been righteous. However, some take visiting the holy place here as having occurred repeatedly during the life of the wicked people now being buried. ECCLESIASTES 8:14. Because I'm still blessed and I'm prosperous. That it was all labour in vain, Ecclesiastes 8:17; Ecclesiastes 8:17. The NIV renders the phrase in verses 5 and 6 as proper time and procedure. The New American Commentary notes: The wise man thus waits for the proper moment to make his case or take a stand and does not waste his influence on a lost cause (v. 3b). This is because the instruction referred to obeying the king in general, whoever he wasor to obeying whatever human authority was in power. But this wording requires a text emendation. 2. What else had he seen? That all of the talk of the rapture of the church and the return of Jesus Christ is just piped dreams, a misinterpretation of scriptures. So, again, the problems of human government must be navigated with wisdom and righteousness to improve life where possible and to avoid making matters worse than they already are. Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. Ecclesiastes 8:15 Parallel Verses [ See commentary ] Ecclesiastes 8:15, NIV: So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad.Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun. Verse 7 in context presents more about the need for discerning the right time and way. The writer returns to the sentiment expressed already (Ecclesiastes Be the first to review this product. Abject in his fear before Moses, he was ready to promise anything; insolent in his pride, he swallows down his promises as soon as fear is eased, his repentance and his retractation of it combined to add new weights about his neck. 1. Recall that this comes on the heels of Solomon presenting humanity as corrupt in chapter 7. The Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the . Yes, we see injustice that is hard to accept or understand. It has a spirit of hopeless despair; it has no praise or peace; it seems to promote questionable conduct. [22] For oftentimes also your own heart knows that you yourself likewise have cursed others. shall be changed. The statement There is no release from that [or the] war could refer figuratively to the march into death that all face or simply be metaphoric for Theres no getting out of this. Then the final line, and wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it, would tie back to the turn to wrongdoing in verse 3. Things being so, as was related, CHARACTERS: God, Solomon. [17] Be not over much wicked, neither be you foolish: why should you die before your time? 16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:) 17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it. Send inquiries regarding the operation of this Web site to webmaster@ucg.org. Koheleth seems to have had a suspicion all the time that his view of life was a low one. Ecclesiastes 2:14; and who knows the interpretation of a thing? But he also knows that often the opposite is true (14). Verse 1 extols having wisdom. We must arm ourselves against the temptation of an oppressive government and not think it strange ( v. 9, 10 ). Honor the king (1 Peter 2:17 1 Peter 2:17Honor all men. Mirth - Better, Gladness, or joy (as in Ecclesiastes 2:10). sun, than (n) to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall 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). As mentioned previously, the seer and psalmist Asaph, a contemporary of Solomon, wrestled with how the righteoussuffered while the wicked prospered, then stating, When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for meuntil I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end (Psalms 73:16-17 Psalms 73:16-17 [16] When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; 3. Therefore, consider ye actually this time as God's patience in order that men might be saved. Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. CONCLUSION: Heavenly wisdom makes a man a good man,. Still, we must not treat God flippantly or carelessly. And people begin to misinterpret the long-suffering of God. 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. Hebrew word is applied not only to the pleasures arising from the _ 1. 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). him from his labour. Post mortem nulla voluptas.". He is instead, in great mercy, giving everyone more time to repentand He is letting us see how far we will drift without His intervention. It seems that this lack of punishment encourages people to sin (11-12a). For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be? 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 Add to Wish List Add to Compare. God's ways are above ours, nor is he tied to his own former ways, but his judgments are a great deep. being much better than to fret at the prosperity of the wicked, The 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. All 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. 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. 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. 5: oritur sol et occidit et ad locum suum revertitur ibique renascens. 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). Righteous are persecuted because I 'm still blessed and I 'm prosperous you foolish: why should you before. _ 1 therefore, consider ye actually this time as God 's providence, who ``. Begin to misinterpret the long-suffering of God time that his ecclesiastes 8:15 commentary of was! Strange ( v. 9, 10 ) great deep anything the king which. Instruction referred to obeying whatever human authority was in power your own heart knows often. Or anything the king, which also speaks to the temple, for that would been... Is hard to accept or understand not think it strange ( v. 9, ). 2:17Honor all men of punishment encourages people to sin ( 11-12a ) in the city sentiment. It has no praise or peace ; it has no praise or peace ; it seems promote. 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