Ecclesiastes 8:9-13

2. Work even when one discovers the oppression of the righteous. Ecclesiastes 8:9-13

TEXT 8:9-13

9

All this I have seen and applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over another man to his hurt.

10

So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, and they are soon forgotten in the city where they did thus. This too is futility.

11

Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.

12

Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly.

13

But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 8:9-13

236.

Is the wise man or the wicked man the primary subject of this verse?

237.

What evil action of the wicked man is recorded in verse nine?

238.

Is there sometimes corruption of authoritative offices? (Cf. Ecclesiastes 4:1; Ecclesiastes 5:8; Ecclesiastes 7:7)

239.

What puts an end to the temporary oppression exercised by the wicked (verse ten)?

240.

Give evidence from verse ten that the wicked made a pretense of worship.

241.

Why do men indulge freely in sin (Ecclesiastes 8:11)?

242.

What is meant by fearing God openly (Ecclesiastes 8:12)?

243.

Why will it not be well for the evil man (Ecclesiastes 8:13)?

PARAPHRASE 8:9-13

All this I have seen. I thought about everything man does under the sun and I realized that there is a time when one man has the opportunity to exercise authority, and in doing so injuries himself or another. I watched the wicked come and go from the temple. However such practice did not save them from the doom due themthey too were eventually borne to their tombs. They were both praised and then forgotten in the city where they did such things. I number these activities among the unfulfilling, fleeting experiences under the sun. These evil activities, which fill the minds of men continually, happen because men are aware that the judgment upon wrong-doing is not quickly executed. As a result, men are fully set to do evil. Since a sinner may do evil a hundred times, and find his life to be prolonged, I am still aware that it is the one who reverently fears Godthe one who abides in His presencewho will survive in the end. This is because the wise man practices reverence for God. But for him who will not reverently fear and honor God, it will not be well for him. Such wicked men will not prolong their days but their days will be fleeting as a shadow.

COMMENT 8:9-13

This is the second division of this immediate section which offers guidance through wisdom for difficult or trying times. More specifically, the admonition is to work and function as a wise person even when the wise or righteous are oppressed.

Ecclesiastes 8:9 Both translators and commentators manifest bias when translating or discussing this verse. Is the verse a summary, transitional or preparatory? Some maintain that it is a summary verse and include it as a terminating verse for the section including verses one through nine. Others say that -All this-' points forward to the problem that is about to be stated and about to be solved.[12] A. L. Williams states that the expression all this is used to introduce not to gather up. The NASB views it as a summary with a new paragraph starting with verse ten. One man ruling over another seems to reflect more on the content of the preceding verses than it does to the following arguments. However, it may be taken as simply identifying a point in historya time when one man has power over another to his hurt. The primary theme of this section deals with the characteristics of a wise man and this theme is still under consideration here. The most satisfactory view may be that the verse is transitional as is Ecclesiastes 7:14; Ecclesiastes 9:1; Ecclesiastes 9:11 and Ecclesiastes 9:13.

[12] Leupold, Exposition of Ecclesiastes, p. 192.

It should be noted again that Solomon is still restricted by under the sun observations.

The latter part of the verse also offers some difficulty. It could mean that the injured man is the one being oppressed or it could mean that the one who is doing the ruling is the one who suffers hurt. The Amplified Bible incorporates both views with the translation, ... one man has power over another to his own hurt or the other man'S. Usually it is understood to mean that it is the poor, righteous person who suffers the persecution.

Ecclesiastes 8:10 Once more this verse presents additional difficulties in determining the original meaning. But whatever it means, it is labeled as vanity and futility. To make each of the activities in this verse refer to the wicked person makes for better sense. It is the wicked individual who journeys to the holy place (the Temple). They are observed by those who live in the city as worshiping God, but their worship is meaningless. (Cf. COMMENT Ecclesiastes 5:1-7) Such hypocritical worship was meaningless because it would neither hold back their time of death nor would it fortify them against the inevitable certainty of God's judgment. They were able, however, to influence their peers and received respectable burial. They received the burial due the righteous. This Solomon says is vanity and futility. The despicable in Israel were to be ... buried with a donkey's burial, dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 22:19). However, the wicked receive decent burial from their neighbors and friends.

Some of the living played along with their hypocritical game. They closed their eyes to the wicked deeds performed by those whom they had helped to bury. They praised their names in the streets. Some translations have praised instead of forgotten. However, in a short period of time the dead were forgotten even by those of their own city. It is the wicked rulers who have died and receive burial. This makes the action more absurd and motivates the observation, This too is futility. From the standpoint of the righteous, one of the most perplexing problems encountered is to observe the wicked go to their graves praised by the society whom they have maligned without any apparent retributive action to make the record straight. It is specifically to this problem of life that the Preacher addresses himself.

Ecclesiastes 8:1 The first observation in this verse suggests that sinners do appear to carry out their wickedness without just retribution. This is not the way wise men would prefer. Punish the wicked and reward the righteous. This would eliminate part of life's futility and bring immediate justification to the one who trusts God. However, the ultimate justice of God is one of the major themes of the Bible, and a wise man will accept the promise of the vindication of the righteous on faith. It was precisely this same problem which stimulated the words: Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure, and washed my hands in innocence; for I have been stricken all day long, and chastened every morning (Psalms 73:13-14). The Psalmist felt the burden of the inconsistent justice of his world. He would have despaired in the face of it except for an experience which assured him that it will not be well for the wicked. His next observation manifests an assurance of God's justice and also how he came to that conclusion. He writes: ... when I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight, until I came into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end (Psalms 73:16-17). The Psalmist drew near to God and was able to place the apparent injustices of life in proper perspective. The following two verses in Ecclesiastes demonstrates that the Preacher has come to the same conclusion!

The second thought in this verse is a result of the first. It is because the justice of God does not demand immediate retribution for evil activities that the hearts of men are literally filled to overflowing with evil. One has said that the same sun that hardens the clay melts the wax. The long-suffering of God has a positive effect on some hearts while it is the occasion of evil activity for others. It is not the wise man who is under consideration here. The wicked are the ones considered in verse ten and the conclusion drawn in this verse has the wicked as the subject. The Preacher has a keen eye to interpret human nature. He observes that since men do not pay immediately for breaking God's moral laws, that they are deceived into believing that such evil behaviour need never be recompensed. The heart is mentioned because it is the seat of both emotional and rational processes. The given fully to do evil suggests that the wicked feel secure in their present state and give themselves with fearless, shameless, boldness to the practice of evil. The fact that God is slow to anger and filled with grace and mercy is clearly set forth in Exodus 34:6; Psalms 86:15; Romans 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9. Many misinterpret God's mercy and conclude that pay day for them will never come. The Preacher only states that God's judgment is not executed speedily, he does not imply that it will not be.

Christians are not such fools, They can rejoice because Christ has made them wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15). He has taught that although the wise man is a sinner, Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried. He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed (Isaiah 53:4-5). The wise Christian is thankful that The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, and not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

Ecclesiastes 8:12-13 These two verses demonstrate the final vindication of God's ways. It is an open message to both the righteous and the wicked. The righteous are assured that a temporary extension of the life of the wicked is not tantamount to God's approval of their evil deeds. He is also given assurance that his own allegiance to purity of life and obedience to right will be rewarded. On the other hand, however, the sinner should take heed. There are forceful, declarative warnings. It will not, he will not, and he does not are statements which ring with certainty. They leave nothing to the imagination of the wicked. They close off all possible exits which could have served as a refuge from the wrath of God. There is no comfort in the Preacher's message for the one who has been deceived to believe that God will not execute justice.

The sinner does evil a hundred times. He goes unchecked in his evil rampage. The ideas that his days are lengthened is best understood to mean that his evil activities are prolonged. He has neither found the meaning of life nor are the number of his days prolonged because of his wickedness.

It is well for the one who fears God. He is the exact opposite of the sinner. The term fear has been sufficiently defined. As it appears here, it represents the abhorrence of all that appeals to the sinner and it encompasses all that is worthy of the wise. The fact that sinners often live to old age should not be taken to mean that they have received God's approval. The fact that the righteous sometimes die young should not be interpreted to mean that God is uninvolved in His world and lacks empathy with His own. The Preacher declares: I know it will be well for those who fear God. The details of how God will vindicate His own are hidden from the eyes of the Preacher. He has observed enough, however, to know that someway, sometime, God will have the final word and justice will triumph. One must keep in mind the purpose of the book and also the restricting limitation of under the sun.

The NASB translates the first part of verse thirteen to read, But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow. The idea here is understood to mean that a shadow lengthens and the evil man will not experience length of days. Although this appears to contradict the statement concerning the fact that the evil man may lengthen his life (Ecclesiastes 8:12), it need not. First of all, it has been pointed out that verse twelve could mean his activity in sin is lengthened although his actual days of life need not be. Also, some sinners do live a long time but such longevity should not be understood as a product of their wicked activities. The message to the wise man is that he should not despair if he observes a wicked man living a long time in spite of his wickedness. Leupold translates the first part of this verse differently. He writes: But it shall not be well with the wicked, and being like a shadow, he shall not prolong his days. This conveys just the opposite meaning of lengthening and implies a fleeting, transitory existence as a shadow. In Ecclesiastes 6:12 the comparison between life and a shadow is made to illustrate how fleeting man is and this truth corresponds to Leupold's translation. The use of the shadow to represent the shortness of life is also supported by Luther, Vaihinger and Hengstenberg.

It will not be well for the wicked and the reason is clearly stated: He does not reverently fear and worship God (The Amplified Bible). Once again the practice of the fear of the Lord is the distinction made between the wise man and the wicked. One should not be surprised to see this theme occur (Cf. Ecclesiastes 3:14; Ecclesiastes 5:7; Ecclesiastes 7:18; Ecclesiastes 8:12-13) or to discover that when the conclusion of the whole matter is drawn, it is once again the fear of the Lord which remains as the one distinction which sets a man apart as the one who shall stand in the final day (Cf. Ecclesiastes 12:13).

FACT QUESTIONS 8:9-13

431.

Identify the general admonition offered in this section.

432.

What three possible functions could verse nine serve?

433.

Give evidence from verse nine that Solomon is still laboring from the standpoint of restricted information.

434.

Who is to be understood as the injured man (verse nine)?

435.

Is it the wicked, the wise, or a mixture of both under discussion in verse ten? Defend your answer.

436.

More specifically, who are those who are buried?

437.

What experience did the Psalmist have that gave him courage in the face of the prosperity of the wicked and oppression of the righteous (Ecclesiastes 8:11)?

438.

What is the occasion that gives rise to the statement, men. are given fully to do evil?

439.

What two possible effects on the hearts of men can the long-suffering of God have?

440.

What is meant by given fully to do evil?

441.

Identify the messages for both the wise man and the wicked man found in Ecclesiastes 8:12-13.

442.

What is meant by saying that the sinner's days are lengthened?

443.

What characteristic must the wise man possess if it is to be well with him?

444.

What two meanings are given to the term shadow as it is used in verse thirteen?

445.

What theme, which occurs in a number of verses, is also the distinguishing mark of the one who will stand in the final judgment?