EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Ecclesiastes 5:8
8You may see a place where poor people are suffering. Powerful people may be hurting them. Do not be surprised if you see that. The judges may not be doing what is right and fair. That happens because the government's officers have to obey people who are more important than them.
Ecclesiastes 5:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
- New International Version (NIV)If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still.
- English Standard Version (ESV)If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them.
Context of Ecclesiastes 5:8
6Do not say things that cause you to do something wrong. Do not say to the priest, ‘My promise was a mistake.’ That would make God angry with you. He might destroy everything that you have worked to get for yourself. 7If you dream all the time or if you talk all the time, that has no purpose. Instead, respect God and obey him. You may see a place where poor people are suffering. Powerful people may be hurting them. Do not be surprised if you see that. The judges may not be doing what is right and fair. That happens because the government's officers have to obey people who are more important than them. 9All of them take something for themselves from the land. The king himself receives his share of the crops. 10People who love money never have enough. They may get more and more valuable things, but they are never happy. This also has no purpose.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 5Ecclesiastes 5:8 word by word
אִם־עֹ֣שֶׁק רָ֠שׁ וְגֵ֨זֶל מִשְׁפָּ֤ט וָצֶ֙דֶק֙ תִּרְאֶ֣ה בַמְּדִינָ֔ה אַל־תִּתְמַ֖הּ עַל־הַחֵ֑פֶץ כִּ֣י גָבֹ֜הַּ מֵעַ֤ל גָּבֹ֙הַּ֙ שֹׁמֵ֔ר וּגְבֹהִ֖ים עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- If thou seestרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- the oppressionעֹ֫שֶׁק‛ôsheq · oppressionH6233
- of the poorרוּשׁrûsh · be poorH7326
- and violentגֵּזֶלgêzel · violenceH1499
- perverting of judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
- and justiceצֶ֫דֶקtsedeq · righteousnessH6664
- in a provinceמְדִינָהmedîynâh · provinceH4082
- marvelתָּמַהּtâmahh · to astoundedH8539
- not at the matterחֵ֫פֶץchêphets · pleasureH2656
- higherגָּבֹהַּgâbôhha gâbôhha · highH1364
- regardethשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: look atH8104
- than theyעַל‛al · uponH5921
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 5:8
- Ecclesiastes 3:16I saw something else that happens on the earth. Judges should choose what is right, but instead they choose what is wicked. They should decide what is fair, but they do evil things.
- Ecclesiastes 4:1I saw again all the ways that people are cruel on the earth. I saw some people who were crying because cruel people were hurting them. There was nobody who could help them. Nobody could rescue them from those cruel people.
- Psalms 12:5But the Lord says: ‘Now I will do something! I know the cruel things that wicked people do to poor people. When weak people cry with pain, I hear them. So I will make them safe, as they want me to do for them.’
- Psalms 55:9My Lord, make my enemies confused! Stop them from doing what they want to do. Everywhere that I look in the city, I see that they do cruel things to attack people.
- Psalms 58:11People who see it will say, ‘It is true! God helps good people! There is a God who judges people on earth in a fair way.’
- Proverbs 8:17I love those people who love me. Whoever looks for me will find me.
- Habakkuk 1:2Lord, how long must I call out to you for help? You do not listen to me! I shout aloud to you, ‘Violence is everywhere!’ but you do nothing to make us safe.
- Zechariah 8:6‘This may seem impossible to the few people that remain,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘But nothing is impossible to me,’ says the Lord Almighty.
- 1 John 3:13So, my Christian friends, do not be surprised when people who belong to this world hate you.
- Revelation 17:6I saw that the woman was like a drunk. She was like someone who had drunk the blood of God's people. She had killed them because they had told other people about Jesus. When I saw her, I was very surprised.
- Isaiah 10:5It will be very bad for Assyria! I will use its army to punish my people, because I am angry with them. Assyria will be like a stick that I use to beat my people. That is how I will show them my anger.
- Isaiah 46:10From the beginning, I say what will happen at the end. Long ago, I spoke about future things that have not yet happened. I say this: “My purpose will not change. I will do everything that I want to do.”
- Habakkuk 1:12Lord, you have always been God, since the beginning. You are the God that I worship as holy, and you will never die. Lord, you have chosen the Babylonians as your weapon to punish your people. You are a strong rock to protect us, but you have decided to use them to punish us.
- Acts 4:27Lord God, it has now happened like that. Herod and Pontius Pilate have met together here in Jerusalem. They met with Israelite people and with people of other nations. Together they made plans to kill your holy servant, Jesus. He is the one that you chose to be your Messiah.
- Romans 11:33Yes! God is very great! He has everything! He knows and he understands all things! Nobody can completely understand the things that he decides. Nobody can explain the ways in which he works.
- Isaiah 57:15The Mighty God is far higher than all others. He rules from above and he lives for ever. His name is holy. He says, ‘I live in a high and holy place. But I am also with anyone who is humble and who is sorry when he does wrong things. I will comfort people who are like that, and I will give them hope.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 5:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8If thou seest the oppression of the poor - For this was a frequent case under all governments; and especially in the provinces or colonies which being far from the seat of government, were generally oppressed by the sovereign's deputies. Marvel not at the matter - החפץ hachephets, the will, i.e., of God; which permits such evils to take place; for all things shall work together for good to them that love him. "Marvel not Ye righteous, if his dispensations…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Matter - Rather, purpose (as in the margin, and Ecclesiastes 3:1), referring either to the will of God or to the edict of an oppressive ruler. For he they - literally, for high watches over high and the highest over them, i. e., the king in the capital watches over the judge or governor in the province, and God over both. This seems more in harmony with the preceding verses, and more agreeable to the scope of this passage than to understand the passage…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-8Verses 4-8 When a person made engagements rashly, he suffered his mouth to cause his flesh to sin. The case supposes a man coming to the priest, and pretending that his vow was made rashly, and that it would be wrong to fulfil it. Such mockery of God would bring the Divine displeasure, which might blast what was thus unduly kept. We are to keep down the fear of man. Set God before thee; then, if thou seest the oppression of the poor, thou wilt not find…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-9for one official is watched by a superior, and others higher still are over them. The produce of the earth is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields: The New Living Translation sees these verses as saying that bureaucracy causes oppression instead of justice, even up to the king (see also 1 Samuel 8:11–18). This is not surprising because bureaucracies often work this way. Others interpret the verses to mean that the king and his officials…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. As in Ec 3:16, so here the difficulty suggests itself. If God is so exact in even punishing hasty words (Ec 5:1-6), why does He allow gross injustice? In the remote "provinces," the "poor" often had to put themselves for protection from the inroads of Philistines, &c., under chieftains, who oppressed them even in Solomon's reign (1Ki 12:4). the matter--literally, "the pleasure," or purpose (Is 53:10). Marvel not at this dispensation of God's will, as…Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 5:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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