EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Ecclesiastes 8:4
4The king's command has complete power. Nobody can tell him that he is wrong.
Ecclesiastes 8:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
- New International Version (NIV)Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, "What are you doing?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)Where the word of a king is, there is power; And who may say to him, “What are you doing?”
Context of Ecclesiastes 8:4
2You 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. The king's command has complete power. Nobody can tell him that he is wrong. 5Trouble will not come to anyone who obeys the king's command. A wise person knows the right time to do things. He also knows the right way to do them. 6There is a right time for things to happen. There is a right way to do things. But trouble comes to people anyway.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 8Ecclesiastes 8:4 word by word
בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דְּבַר־מֶ֖לֶךְ שִׁלְט֑וֹן וּמִ֥י יֹֽאמַר־ל֖וֹ מַֽה־תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 8:4
- 1 Kings 2:25So King Solomon commanded Jehoiada's son Benaiah to kill Adonijah. So Adonijah died.
- Proverbs 19:12When the king is angry, he makes people afraid, like a lion that roars. But when he is pleased with you, that is like dew on fresh grass.
- Proverbs 20:2When the king is angry, he is as dangerous as a lion that roars. If you make him angry, you will lose your life.
- Proverbs 30:31Cockerels that shout proudly. Male goats. A king who has his army with him.
- Daniel 3:15Next time you hear the sound of the special music, you must obey my rule. You must bend down and you must worship the statue that I have built. If you do not worship the statue, my servants will throw you immediately into the middle of a very hot fire. There is no god who can save you from my power.’
- Luke 12:4You are my friends, so I tell you this: do not be afraid of those people who can kill only your body. After that, they can do nothing worse to you.
- 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.
- Job 33:12But now I tell you this, Job: You are not right! God is greater than any human.
- Job 34:18It is God who may say to a king, “You are useless!” He may say to rulers, “You are wicked!”
- Romans 9:20But you are only human. You have no authority to speak against God like that. God has made you. A pot cannot speak against the person who made it! It cannot ask him, ‘Why did you make me like this?’
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 8:4
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4It is pointless to plot against the king because he has great power and can do anything he wants.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. God's very "word" is "power." So the gospel word (Ro 1:16; He 4:12). who may say, &c.--(Job 9:12; 33:13; Is 45:9; Da 4:35). Scripture does not ascribe such arbitrary power to earthly kings.Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 8:4
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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