Ecclesiastes 8:5

8:1-5 None of the rich, the powerful, the honourable, or the accomplished of the sons of men, are so excellent, useful, or happy, as the wise man. Who else can interpret the words of God, or teach aright from his truths and dispensations? What madness must it be for weak and dependent creatures to rebel against the Almighty! What numbers form wrong judgments, and bring misery on themselves, in this life and that to come!

Either the commandment of an earthly king, which should be kept, when agreeably to the laws of the nation, and not inconsistent with the commands of God; and such as do observe it "know no evil" (a), as it may be rendered, or no sorrow; they live peaceably and quietly, and enjoy the favour and protection of the government under which they are, and have praise of men; see Romans 13:3 ; or the commandments of the heavenly King, the singular being put for the plural; so the Targum, "whoso keepeth the commandments of the Lord shall know no evil in the world to come.'' Nor in this world neither; no evil befalls them; what may be thought to be so is for their good; though they know and are conscious of the evil of sin, and commit it, yet not willingly, and with love to it, and so as to make it the work of their lives; but lament it, repent of it, and forsake it, and do not feel the evil of punishment for it; yea, such enjoy much good; have much communion with God; large discoveries of his love; dwell in him, and shall at last dwell with him in the heavenly city; see John 14:21; and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment; he knows not only what is his duty to do, both with respect to God and men, to a temporal prince or the King eternal; but he knows also the most fit and convenient time of doing it; and lays hold on every opportunity that offers, and which may be called "redeeming time", Galatians 6:10; and he knows the right manner in which it should be performed, wi

Ecclesiastes 8:5 . Whoso keepeth the commandment — Solomon here passes to a new subject; shall feel no evil thing — Shall be delivered from those mischiefs which befall the disobedient. A wise man’s heart discerneth, &c. — Both when, and in what manner, he must keep the commands of God.

Feel - literally, know. The meaning is, "He who obeys the commandment (i. e., the word of the king, Ecclesiastes 8:4 ), will not be an accomplice in any act of rebellion; and if he be a wise man he discerns (literally knows) that the king's commandment or action is liable to correction, if it be wrong, in God's time and by God's judgment." Compare Ecclesiastes 3:11 , Ecclesiastes 3:17 .

5. feel—experience. time—the neglect of the right "times" causes much of the sinful folly of the spiritually unwise (Ec 3:1-11). judgment—the right manner [Holden]. But as God's future "judgment" is connected with the "time for every purpose" in Ec 3:17, so it is here. The punishment of persisting sinners (Ec 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 (Ec 7:14; 8:1).

The commandment; either, 1. Of the king, of which he hath hitherto spoken. Or, 2. Of God; for the word , or commandments, or law are oft used emphatically for the word, law , or command of God , as hath been formerly and frequently observed, and the commandment is put for the commandments, as is very usual. And so Solomon passeth from his former to a new subject. Shall feel no evil thing; shall be delivered from those mischiefs which befall the disobedient. Both time and judgment; both when, and how far, and in what manner he may or must keep the commands of the king or God. For the word here rendered judgment doth signify right , as Deu 21:17 , as also a cause or controversy , as Numbers 27:5 , and the manner or rule of actions, as Judges 13:12 . The sense is, A wise man knows both what he ought to do, and what are the fittest seasons for doing it, which he seeketh and embraceth.

5 . Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing ] The words are once again ambiguous. If the “commandment” is that of the king, they enjoin unhesitating servile obedience as in the interpretation (3) of Ecclesiastes 8:3 . If, according to the all but invariable use of the word in the O. T., we take it as the “commandment” of God, the meaning is in harmony with the interpretation (4) of the previous precept, and parallel with the French motto, “ Fais ton devoir, avienne que pourra ” (“Do thy duty, come what may”). Here again, it seems natural to assume an intentional ambiguity. A like doubt hangs over the words “shall feel (literally know ) no evil thing” which may mean either “shall be anxious about no moral evil,” or more probably “shall suffer no physical evil as the penalty of moral.” Can we not imagine the writer here also with a grave irony, uttering his Delphic oracles, and leaving men to choose their interpretation, according as their character was servile or noble, moved by “the fear of the Lord,” or only by the fear of men? a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment ] The “heart” as, for the most part, elsewhere in the Old Testament, includes the intellectual as well as the moral element in man’s nature. In the word “time” we have, as in ch. Ecclesiastes 3:1 , the καιρός or “season” on which Greek sages laid so great a stress.

What is meant is that the wise man, understanding the true meaning of the previous maxim, will not be impatient under oppression, but will bide his time, and wait in patience for the working of the Divine Law of retribution. This meaning is, however, as before, partially veiled, and the sentence might seem to imply that he should let his action depend on opportunities and be a time-server in the bad sense.

Verse 5. - Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing . This is an encouragement to obedience to royal authority (comp. Proverbs 24:21, 22 ; Romans 13:3 ). The context plainly shows that it is not God's commandment that is spoken of (though, of course, the maxim would be very true in this case), but the king's. Nor is it necessarily a servile and unreasoning obedience that is enjoined. Koheleth is dealing with generals. Such cases as that of Daniel and the three children, where obedience would have been sinful, are not here taken into consideration. "Shall feel," literally, "shall know," i . e . experience no physical evil. Quiet submission to the powers that be guarantees a peaceful and happy life. Ginsburg and others translate, "knoweth not an evil word," i . e . is saved from abuse and reproach, which seems somewhat meager, though the Septuagint gives, Οὐ γνώσεται ῤῆμα πονηρόν . The Vulgate is better, Non experietur quidquam malt. And a wise man's heart discerneth ( knoweth ) both time and judgment. The verb is the same in both clauses, and ought to have been so translated. The "heart" includes the moral as well as the intellectual faculties; and the maxim says that the wise man bears oppression and remains unexcited even in evil days, because he is convinced that there is a time of judgment coming when all will be righted ( Ecclesiastes 12:14 ).

The certainty of retributive justice is so strong in his mind that he does not resort to rebellion in order to rectify matters, but possesses his soul in patience, leaving the correction of abuses in God's hands. Septuagint, "The wise man's heart knoweth the time of judgment," making a hendiadys of the two terms. The Vulgate has tempus et responsionem , "time and answer." Ecclesiastes 8:5