1. Praise of true wisdom continued (@Ec 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, @Ec 7:8,13,14),
and God's word (for example,
see on Ec 7:29;
@Pr 1:6)?
face to shine--(@Ec 7:14 Ac 6:15). A sunny countenance, the
reflection of a tranquil conscience and serene mind. Communion with God
gives it (@Ex 34:29,30).
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 (@Pr 4:18). Or as Margin, "strength"
(@Ec 7:19 Isa 40:31 2Co 3:18). But the adjective is used in a bad
sense (@De 28:50).
2. the king's--Jehovah, peculiarly the king of Israel in the theocracy;
@Ec 8:3,4, 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 89:30-32); inflicted on Solomon himself; yet God not "utterly"
forsaking him (@Ps 89:33,34).
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
(@Ec 8:1 Joh 8:33-36 Ro 8:2 1Jo 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
(@Ro 1:16 Heb 4:12).
who may say, &c.--(@Job 9:12 33:13 Isa 45:9 Da 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 (@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).
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, @2Co 6:2), is taken by surprise by the judgment (@Ec 3:22 6:12 9:12). The godly wise observe the due times of things (@Ec 3:1), and so, looking for the judgment, are not taken by surprise, though not knowing the precise "when" (@1Th 5:2-4); they "know the time" to all saving purposes (@Ro 13:11).
8. spirit--"breath of life" (@Ec 3:19), as the words following
require. Not "wind," as WEISS
thinks (@Pr 30:4). This verse
naturally follows the subject of "times" and "judgment" (@Ec 8:6,7).
discharge--alluding to the liability to military service of all above
twenty years old (@Nu 1:3), yet many were exempted (@De 20:5-8).
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 28:15,18).
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" (@Ec 8:8), and the "time" of "judgment" (@Ec 8:6 Pr 8:36).
10. the wicked--namely, rulers (@Ec 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 (@Lu 16:22,23).
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 82:1-6), 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
(@Ex 21:14 1Ki 2:28,31). 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"
(@Ec 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--(@Pr 10:7).
11. The reason why the wicked persevere in sin: God's delay in judgment (@Mt 24:48-51 2Pe 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 (@Ro 2:4), led him to the additional murder of Amasa.
12. He says this, lest the sinner should abuse the statement "A
wicked man prolongeth his life" (@Ec 7:15).
before him--literally, "at His presence"; reverently serve Him,
realizing His continual presence.
13. neither shall lie prolong--not a contradiction to @Ec 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 (@Ec 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--(@Ec 6:12 Job 8:9).
14. An objection is here started (entertained by Solomon in his apostasy), as in @Ec 3:16 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" (@Ec 8:10), "I say (not 'said') this also is vanity. Then I commend mirth," &c. [HOLDEN]. @Ec 8:14,15 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 @Ec 2:2 7:2, forbid; but in "the fear of God," as @Ec 3:12 5:18 7:18 9:7, opposed to the abstinence of the self-righteous ascetic (@Ec 7:16), and of the miser (@Ec 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 (@1Co 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 @Ec 8:14,15. 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 (@Ec 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 (@Ec 8:14 Ec 3:11 Job 5:9 Ro 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" (@Ec 9:1). "Over wise" (@Ec 7:16); that is, Speculations above what is written are vain.