Ecclesiastes 8:12

Ecclesiastes 8:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
• New International Version (NIV)Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him.

Context of Ecclesiastes 8:12

10I also saw that some wicked people receive honour after their death. Those wicked people had gone in and out of the holy place. People praised them in the city where they had done evil things. This also is difficult to understand. 11People who are guilty should receive their punishment quickly. If that does not happen, other people also want to do evil things. People who do lots of wicked things may live for a long time. But if someone respects and obeys God, they will surely enjoy a good life. 13Wicked people will surely not enjoy a good life. Their lives will be like a shadow that quickly disappears. They do not respect God, so they will not live for a long time. 14But this is something else that is difficult to understand: Sometimes righteous people suffer in the way the wicked people deserve. And sometimes wicked people enjoy the good things that righteous people deserve. I think that this is difficult to understand.

Ecclesiastes 8:12 word by word

אֲשֶׁ֣ר חֹטֶ֗א עֹשֶׂ֥ה רָ֛ע מְאַ֖ת וּמַאֲרִ֣יךְ ל֑וֹ כִּ֚י גַּם־יוֹדֵ֣עַ אָ֔נִי אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִהְיֶה־טּוֹב֙ לְיִרְאֵ֣י הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִֽירְא֖וּ מִלְּפָנָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Though a sinnerחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
• doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
• an hundred timesמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• be prolongedאָרַךְ'ârak · to prolongH748
• yet surely I knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• that it shall be wellטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• with them that fearיָרֵאyârê' · afraidH3373
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• which fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fear: revereH3372
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 8:12

• Ecclesiastes 5:16This is also a terrible thing to happen. People leave this earth with nothing, as they came into it with nothing. All their hard work has been useless, like someone who tries to catch the wind.
• Ecclesiastes 7:15In my short life on the earth I have seen these things which have no purpose: Sometimes righteous people may die when they are still young. They did good things, but they died. And sometimes wicked people continue to live for along time. They did evil things, but they continued to live.
• 1 Kings 2:5Do not forget what Zeruiah's son Joab did to me. He killed the two leaders of Israel's armies, Ner's son Abner and Jether's son Amasa. Joab killed them as if they were his enemies in a war. But there was no war. So he is guilty of their deaths when they had done nothing wrong. Their blood is on his belt and on his shoes.
• 1 Kings 21:25Ahab had decided to do everything that the Lord said was evil. He was more wicked than any other person who had lived. His wife Jezebel helped him to be like that.
• 1 Kings 22:34Then a Syrian soldier shot an arrow into the air. He did not try to shoot at anyone, but the arrow hit the king of Israel. The arrow went through a space in the king's armour. The king commanded the man who drove his chariot, ‘Turn the chariot around. Take me away from the battle. An arrow has hit me.’
• Proverbs 13:21Trouble chases sinners and it catches them. But righteous people will receive good things.
• Isaiah 65:20Never again will there be a baby who only lives for a few days. Old men will continue to live a long life. People will live until they are 100 years old and they will still seem young. If anyone dies before he is 100 years old, people will think that God has cursed him.
• Romans 2:5But you refuse to change the way that you live. You are not sorry about the wrong things that you have done. As a result, you cause God to become even angrier with you. So he will punish you even more on the day when he will judge everyone. On that day, he will show how angry he is against people who do bad things. Everyone will know that he judges people in a right way.
• Romans 9:22What does that teach us about God? Some people are like pots that are ready for God to destroy. God is angry with people like that. He is ready to show his power against them. But he has chosen to wait patiently. He keeps his anger for later.
• 2 Peter 2:9We know that the Lord God has done all these things in past times. He knows how to save people who respect him from their troubles. But he will continue to punish the people who refuse to obey him. He will keep them until the day when he will judge them.
• Ecclesiastes 7:18Remember both these things. Do not forget either of them. You can do that if you respect God and you obey him.
• Psalms 37:11Humble people will live safely in the land. They will live in peace and they will enjoy good things.
• Psalms 112:1Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! When someone respects the Lord with fear, God has blessed that person! He is happy to obey the Lord's commands.
• Psalms 115:13He will bless everybody who serves him, whether they are important people or not.
• Proverbs 1:32Silly people have turned away from me, and that will kill them. Fools like an easy life, and that will destroy them.
• Isaiah 3:10Tell the righteous people that they are in a good place. They will enjoy the results of the good things that they have done.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 8:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Though a sinner do evil a hundred times - If God bear so long with a transgressor, waiting in his longsuffering for him to repent and turn to him, surely he will be peculiarly kind to them that fear him, and endeavor to walk uprightly before him.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12His days be prolonged - i. e., in his wickedness Ecclesiastes 8:8. “I” is emphatic, as if to mark the opposition to the “sons of men” Ecclesiastes 8:11.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-13Verses 9-13 Solomon observed, that many a time one man rules over another to his hurt, and that prosperity hardens them in their wickedness. Sinners herein deceive themselves. Vengeance comes slowly, but it comes surely. A good man's days have some substance; he lives to a good purpose: a wicked man's days are all as a shadow, empty and worthless. Let us pray that we may view eternal things as near, real, and all-important.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-13Injustice is temporary and does not disrupt God's plans for justice (Ecclesiastes 3:16–17; 12:14). In the end, wickedness does not succeed.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. He says this, lest the sinner should abuse the statement (Ec 7:15), "A wicked man prolongeth his life." before him--literally, "at His presence"; reverently serve Him, realizing His continual presence.Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 8:12

• Fear of God
• Punishment
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Discern
• Discharge
• Feel
• Hasty
• Heart
• Set
• Death
• Number

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 8

• 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