Ecclesiastes 8:3

Ecclesiastes 8:3

1 Who is like a wise man?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
^aA man’s wisdom makes his face shine,
And ^bthe sternness of his face is changed.

Obey Authorities for God’s Sake

2 I say, “Keep the king’s commandment ^afor the sake of your oath to God.

3 ^aDo not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.”

4 Where the word of a king is, there is power;
And ^awho may say to him, “What are you doing?”

5 He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful;
And a wise man’s heart¹ discerns both time and judgment,

6 Because ^afor every matter there is a time and judgment,
Though the misery of man¹ increases greatly.

7 ^aFor he does not know what will happen;
So who can tell him when it will occur?

8 ^aNo one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit,
And no one has power in the day of death.
There is ^bno release from that war,
And wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it.

9 All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.

Commentaries:

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

<< Ecclesiastes 8:2

Ecclesiastes 8:4 >>

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 (Psalms 139:7); opposed to the "shining face" of filial confidence (Ecclesiastes 8:1; John 8:33-36; Romans 8:2; I John 4:18).

stand not—persist not.

for he doeth—God inflicts what punishment He pleases on persisting sinners (Job 23:13; Psalms 115:3). True of none save God.

**Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Ecclesiastes 8:3:**

Ecclesiastes 8:2
Ecclesiastes 8:5
Ecclesiastes 10:4

<< Ecclesiastes 8:2

Ecclesiastes 8:4 >>

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