Ecclesiastes 8:5

Ecclesiastes 8:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.
• New International Version (NIV)Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.
• New King James Version (NKJV)He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful; And a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment,

Context of Ecclesiastes 8:5

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. Trouble 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. 7Nobody knows what will happen in the future. Nobody can tell us about it.

Ecclesiastes 8:5 word by word

שׁוֹמֵ֣ר מִצְוָ֔ה לֹ֥א יֵדַ֖ע דָּבָ֣ר רָ֑ע וְעֵ֣ת וּמִשְׁפָּ֔ט יֵדַ֖ע לֵ֥ב חָכָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whoso keepethשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: obeyH8104
• the commandmentמִצְוָהmitsvâh · commandmentH4687
• shall feelיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• no evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
• thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• and a wise man’sחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
• heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• both timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• and judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: customH4941

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 8:5

• Ecclesiastes 5:2You should not speak too soon. Think carefully before you make a promise to God. God is in heaven and you are here on the earth. So do not say too much.
• Exodus 1:17But the two women respected God. So they did not do what the king of Egypt had told them. They obeyed God and they let the boys live.
• Psalms 119:6When I remember all your commands, I will not be ashamed.
• Hosea 5:11Terrible trouble will come to Ephraim's people. They will receive great punishment. They deserve that because they chose to worship idols.
• Luke 20:25The men replied, ‘It is Caesar's picture and Caesar's name.’ Jesus then said to them, ‘So you should give to Caesar the things that belong to him. And give to God the things that belong to God.’
• Acts 4:19Then Peter and John replied to the leaders, ‘What do you think God wants us to do? Should we obey you? Or should we obey God? You decide!
• Acts 5:29Peter and the other apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than obey people.
• 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.
• 1 Peter 3:13If you always try to do good things, then nobody should hurt you.
• Ecclesiastes 2:14Wise people can see where they are going. Foolish people walk in the dark. But at the end of their lives, there is no difference. They both die.
• Ecclesiastes 10:2If you are wise, you know the right way to go. But a fool is stupid and he goes the wrong way.
• 1 Chronicles 12:32From Issachar's tribe, there were 200 officers and their relatives who obeyed their commands. Those officers understood that this was an important time for Israel. They knew what Israel should do.
• Proverbs 17:24A person who knows what is right can easily find wisdom. But a foolish person looks everywhere and never finds it.
• Luke 12:56You are hypocrites! You look at the earth and the sky, and you know what weather will come. So look at the special things that are happening near you now. They show you what will soon happen. But you do not understand what they are showing you. Why not?
• 1 Corinthians 2:14If someone does not believe in God, they cannot accept the message that comes from God's Spirit. They think that God's message is silly. They cannot even understand those things. Only God's Spirit can explain them to people.
• Philippians 1:9This is what I pray for you. I pray that you will continue to love each other more and more. I pray that you will know God better and better. I pray that you will understand all those things that are true.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 8:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Both time and judgment - It is a matter of great importance to be able to discern When and How both to speak and act; but when time and manner are both determined, the matter comes next. What shall I speak? What shall I do? When, how, and what answer to time, manner, and knitter. To discern all these, and act suitably, is a lesson for a philosopher, and a study for a Christian.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Feel - literally, know. The meaning is, “He who obeys the commandment (i. e., the word of the king, Ecclesiastes 8:4), will not be an accomplice in any act of rebellion; and if he be a wise man he discerns (literally knows) that the king‘s commandment or action is liable to correction, if it be wrong, in God‘s time and by God‘s judgment.” Compare Ecclesiastes 3:11, Ecclesiastes 3:17.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. feel--experience. time--the neglect of the right "times" causes much of the sinful folly of the spiritually unwise (Ec 3:1-11). judgment--the right manner [Holden]. But as God's future "judgment" is connected with the "time for every purpose" in Ec 3:17, so it is here. The punishment of persisting sinners (Ec 8:3) suggests it. The wise man realizes the fact, that as there is a fit "time" for every purpose, so for the "judgment." This thought cheers him…Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 8:5

• King
• Righteous
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Evil Thing
• Discern
• Discharge
• Feel
• Hasty
• Heart
• Set
• Synagogue, the Great

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