Wesley's Explanatory Notes
Ecclesiastes 8:2
The oath — Because of that oath which thou hast taken to keep all God's laws, whereof this of obedience to superiors is one.
The oath — Because of that oath which thou hast taken to keep all God's laws, whereof this of obedience to superiors is one.
Verse Ecclesiastes 8:2. _TO KEEP THE KING'S COMMANDMENT_] This sentence would be better translated, _I keep the mouth of the king_; I take good heed not to meddle with state secrets; and if I know, to...
OATH - A reference to the oath of allegiance taken to Solomon at his accession to the throne (the margin of 1 Chronicles 29:24)....
CHAPTER 8 _ 1. Prudence before kings (Ecclesiastes 8:1)_ 2. Of the righteous and the wicked (Ecclesiastes 8:11) 3. The conclusion (Ecclesiastes 8:14)...
MAXIMS ON WISDOM AND GOVERNMENT. Ecclesiastes 8:1. Wisdom (like prayer and self-sacrifice; _cf._ Luke 9:29) transfigures the countenance, it takes the hardness or coarseness out of the face. Ecclesia...
I COUNSEL THEE: or. say, then, in regard of-on account of....
_I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment_ The words in Italics "_counsel thee_," have nothing answering to them in the Hebrew, and the grammar of the sentence does not allow us to translate with...
I COUNSEL THEE TO KEEP, &C.— _I tell thee, observe thou the king's face; nay, mind it in regard to the oath: be not hasty:_ Ecclesiastes 8:3. _Go out of his presence; stay not whilst he gives wrong or...
C. ADMONITIONS TO USE WISDOM IN THE WORK OF SOLVING THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE 8:19:18 1. Work in submission to the king. Ecclesiastes 8:1-8 TEXT 8:1-8 1 Who is like the wise man and who knows the inter...
I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. THE KING'S COMMANDMENT - Yahweh, peculiarly the King of Israel in the theocracy: Ecclesiastes 8:3, prove it is...
OATH OF GOD] Ptolemy Soter, king of Egypt (305-285 b.c.), having transplanted certain JEWS from Palestine to Alexandria, caused them to swear allegiance to his successors. It is possible that the refe...
KINGS'COURTS NEED WARY WALKING 1-17. Be discreet in relation with a ruler. God's purpose must be carried out. His rule must be righteous, though this is often not seen in actual life. God's ways are...
THE TEACHER SEARCHES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OUR LIVES BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 8 THE WISE WAY TO OBEY THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE AUTHORITY – ECCLESIASTES 8:1-9...
The unconnected “I” with which this verse begins, indicates that some word has early dropped out of the text. The italics with which our translators fill _the_ gap no doubt give the right sense. It ma...
אֲנִי֙ פִּי ־מֶ֣לֶךְ שְׁמֹ֔ור וְ עַ֕ל דִּבְרַ
THIRD SECTION The Quest Of The Chief Good In Wealth, And In The Golden Mean Ecclesiastes 6:1; Ecclesiastes 7:1, and Ecclesiastes 8:1 IN the foregoing Section Coheleth has shown that the C
Ecclesiastes 8:1 THE QUEST IN THE GOLDEN MEAN. Ecclesiastes 7:1; Ecclesiastes 8:1 There be many that say, "Who will show us any gold?" mistaking gold for their god or good. For though th
In this division, dealing with the evidences of the vanity of life, the preacher sets forth certain deductions. The highest wisdom is submission to things as they are. Who knows anything? he asks. The...
I [counsel thee] to keep the king's (c) commandment, and [that] in regard of the oath of God. (c) That is, that you obey the king and keep the oath that you have made for the same cause....
_I. Protestants add, " counsel thee, to keep, &c. "Obey the king and God." (Haydock) (1 Peter ii. 17.) --- Solomon proposes his own example, or speaks in the name of the just. --- God. The law of Mose...
I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. (3) Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. (4) Whe...
THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 THROUGH 12. The Book of Ecclesiastes is, up to a certain point, the converse of the Book of Proverbs. (see NOTE TO PROVERBS below) It is the experience of a...
I [COUNSEL THEE] TO KEEP THE KING'S COMMANDMENT,.... Or, "to observe the mouth of the king" w; what he says, and do according to it when it is agreeably to the law of God, and according to the laws of...
I [counsel thee] to keep the king's commandment, and [that] in regard of the oath of God. Ver. 2. To keep the king's commandment.] Heb., Mouth - _i.e., _ the express word of command. Go not here by g...
Ecc. 8:2-5 Ecc. 8:2-5. There is a remarkable agreement between what is said in these verses and that which is said by the Apostle in Romans 13:1-5. Here verse 2 agrees with Romans 13:5; verses 3 and...
_I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment_ All his commands which are not contrary to the will of God, who must be obeyed rather than any man, even rather than a king. _In regard of the oath of G...
I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, such obedience being the course followed by true wisdom, AND THAT IN REGARD OF THE OATH OF GOD, for by such an oath the subject vows allegiance to the ki...
IN CIVIL RELATIONS...
"I SAY, 'KEEP THE COMMAND OF THE KING BECAUSE OF THE OATH BEFORE GOD'"."Obey the king, for you swore him loyalty before God" (Mof). For such oaths, see (2 Kings 11:17; Deut. Ecclesiastes 17:15; 1 Samu...
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 arigh...
I COUNSEL THEE; which verb is necessarily understood to make the sense full and complete. See the like defects of speech, PSALMS 120:7 ISAIAH 5:9, &c. TO KEEP THE KING'S COMMANDMENT; observe and obey...
Ecclesiastes 8:2 Keep H8104 (H8798) kings H4428 commandment H6310 sake H1700 oath H7621 God H430 I counsel -...
ADVICE WITH REGARD TO A WISE MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY IN SERVING THE KING (ECCLESIASTES 8:1). We must not interpret these verses without regard to what we know about this king. His instruction will surely...
CHAPTER 8 ADVICE WITH REGARD TO SERVING THE KING. THE PROBLEM OF THE DEATH OF THE WICKED. His survey now digresses to consider a wise man's responsibility when serving the king, followed by a number...
Ecclesiastes 7:19-8 Koheleth seems to have had a suspicion all the time that his view of life was a low one. He intimates that he had tried for a better, but failed to reach it: "I said, I will be wis...
CONTENTS: Wisdom recommended as an antidote against the temptations and vexations arising from the vanity of the world. CHARACTERS: God, Solomon. CONCLUSION: Heavenly wisdom makes a man a good man, e...
Ecclesiastes 8:1. _Who is as the wise man; and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing?_ In the Vulgate these two questions end the seventh chapter, to which they evidently belong. Placing them at t...
_I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God._ OBEDIENCE TO THE CIVIL GOVERNMENT Notwithstanding men differ so much in their several opinions concerning human...
ECCLESIASTES—NOTE ON ECCLESIASTES 8:1 More on Life “Under the Sun.” The Preacher continues his observations on life in a fallen world. He gives appropriate counsel for living wisely....
ECCLESIASTES—NOTE ON ECCLESIASTES 8:2 KEEP THE KING’S COMMAND. The verb “keep” here means “protect” or “keep watch over.” The king’s counselor should restrain the king from making foolish decisions on...
CRITICAL NOTES.— ECCLESIASTES 8:1. THE BOLDNESS OF HIS FACE SHALL BE CHANGED.] Folly, in the form of selfishness, imparts a fierce aspect to the features; but wisdom graces them with a superior refin...
EXPOSITION ECCLESIASTES 8:1 Section 5. There is no use in repining or rebelling; _true wisdom counsels obedience to the powers that be_,_ and submission to the dispensations of Providence_._ _Howeve...
Who is as the wise man? and who knows the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed. I counsel thee to keep the king's commandmen...
1 Chronicles 29:24; 1 Kings 2:43; 1 Peter 2:13; Ezekiel 17:13;...