EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Ecclesiastes 8:2
2You promised God that you would serve the king faithfully. So obey the king's commands.
Ecclesiastes 8:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
- New International Version (NIV)Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)I say: Keep the king's command, because of God's oath to him.
- New King James Version (NKJV)I say, “Keep the king’s commandment for the sake of your oath to God.
Context of Ecclesiastes 8:2
1This is what I know about people who are truly wise. They know how to explain things. Wisdom helps a person to be happy. It causes them to smile even when they have trouble. You promised God that you would serve the king faithfully. So obey the king's commands. 3If you are with the king, do not leave in a hurry. Do not join with people who plan turn against him. Remember that the king can do anything that he wants to do. 4The king's command has complete power. Nobody can tell him that he is wrong.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 8Ecclesiastes 8:2 word by word
אֲנִי֙ פִּי־מֶ֣לֶךְ שְׁמ֔וֹר וְעַ֕ל דִּבְרַ֖ת שְׁבוּעַ֥ת אֱלֹהִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 8:2
- Proverbs 24:2130. My child, respect and obey the Lord, and the king too. Do not be friends with people who turn against them.
- Romans 13:1Everyone must obey the government officers. It is God who gives the authority to rule. The people who rule have received their authority from God.
- 1 Peter 2:13Obey all people who have authority in this world. Obey them, because you are servants of the Lord Jesus. First of all, obey the king, who rules everyone.
- 1 Kings 2:43But you have not done what you promised to do in the Lord's name. You should have obeyed my command.’
- 1 Chronicles 29:24All King David's officers, his brave soldiers and all of his sons promised to serve King Solomon faithfully.
- Ezekiel 17:13He made an agreement with one man from the king of Israel's family. He made that man promise to serve Babylon's king. Then he could rule as king in Jerusalem. The king of Babylon also took away the leaders of Jerusalem as his prisoners.
- Romans 13:5So you must obey the people who have authority to rule. You must obey them not only so that they do not punish you. You must obey them because it is right to obey them. And you yourselves know that this is right.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 8:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2To 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 hide them. Or, I am obedient to the commands of the laws; I feel myself bound by whatever the king has decreed. In regard of the oath of God - You have sworn obedience to him; keep your oath, for the engagement was made in the presence of God. It appears that the Jewish princes and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Oath - A reference to the oath of allegiance taken to Solomon at his accession to the throne (the margin of 1 Chronicles 29:24).Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2because of your oath before God: Compare Ecclesiastes 5:2–6; 1 Kings 2:41–43.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. 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 Psa 89:35, "I have sworn," &c. (Psa 89:36), and the penalties if David's children should forsake it (Psa 89:30-32); inflicted on Solomon himself; yet God not "utterly" forsaking him (Psa 89:33, 34).Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 8:2
In the dictionaries
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
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