Revised Version 1895

Ecclesiastes 8

1Who is as thewiseכְּהֶ֣חָכָ֔םke.He.cha.KhamH2450manH120? and who knoweth theinterpretationפֵּ֣שֶׁרPe.sherH6592of athingדָּבָ֑רda.VarH1697? Aman’sH120wisdomחָכְמַ֤תcha.khe.MatH2451maketh hisfaceפָּנָ֔יוpa.NavH6440toshineתָּאִ֣ירta.'IrH215, and the hardness of hisfaceפָּנָ֖יוpa.NavH6440ischangedיְשֻׁנֶּֽא׃ye.shu.Ne'H8132.

2IcounselH6310thee,Keepשְׁמ֔וֹרshe.MorH8104theking’sמֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekhH4428commandH6310, and that inregardH8104of theoathשְׁבוּעַ֥תshe.vu.'AtH7621ofGodאֱלֹהִֽים׃'E.lo.HimH430.

3Benotאַל־'al-H408hasty to gooutH6440of hispresenceH6440;persistתַּעֲמֹ֖דta.'a.ModH5975notאַֽל־'al-H408in anevilרָ֑עRa'H7451thingבְּדָבָ֣רbe.da.VarH1697: for he doethwhatsoeverכָּל־kol-H3605pleaseth him.

4Becauseבַּאֲשֶׁ֥רba.'a.SherH834theking’sמֶ֖לֶךְMe.lekhH4428wordדְּבַר־de.var-H1697hath power; and who maysayיֹֽאמַר־yo.mar-H559unto him,Whatמַֽה־mah-H4100doest thou?

5Whoso keepeth thecommandmentמִצְוָ֔הmitz.VahH4687shallknowH3045noלֹ֥אlo'H3808evilרָ֑עRa'H7451thingדָּבָ֣רda.VarH1697; and awiseחָכָֽם׃cha.KhamH2450man’sH2450heartלֵ֥בlevH3820discerneth time andjudgmentוּמִשְׁפָּ֔טu.mish.PatH4941:

6for toeveryלְכָל־le.kholH3605purposeחֵ֔פֶץChe.fetzH2656there is a time andjudgmentוּמִשְׁפָּ֑טu.mish.PatH4941;becauseH3588the misery ofmanהָאָדָ֖םha.'a.DamH120isgreatרַבָּ֥הra.BahH7227uponעָלָֽיו׃'a.LavH5921him:

7for he knowethnotאֵינֶ֥נּוּ'ei.Ne.nuH369thatwhichכַּאֲשֶׁ֣רka.'a.SherH834shall be; for whocanמִ֖יmiH4310tellיַגִּ֥ידya.GidH5046himhowמַה־mah-H4100it shall be?

8There isnoH3808manאָדָ֞ם'a.DamH120that hath power over thespiritבָּר֙וּחַ֙ba.Ru.achH7307toretainH4422thespiritהָר֔וּחַha.Ru.achH7307;neitherH3808hath he power over thedayבְּי֣וֹםbe.YomH3117ofdeathהַמָּ֔וֶתha.Ma.vetH4194; and there isnoH3808dischargeמִשְׁלַ֖חַתmish.La.chatH4917in thatwarבַּמִּלְחָמָ֑הba.mil.cha.MahH4421:neitherH3808shallwickednessרֶ֖שַׁעRe.sha'H7562deliverH4422him that is given to it.

9Allכָּל־kol-H3605this have Iseenרָאִ֙יתִי֙ra.'I.tiH7200, andappliedוְנָת֣וֹןve.na.TonH5414myheartלִבִּ֔יli.BiH3820untoeveryלְכָֽל־le.kholH3605workמַעֲשֶׂ֔הma.'a.SehH4639that isdoneנַעֲשָׂ֖הna.'a.SahH6213underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478thesunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121: there is a timewhereinH834onemanH120hath power overanotherזֶ֤הzehH2088to his hurt.

10And withal Isawרָאִיתִי֩ra.'i.TiH7200thewickedרְשָׁעִ֨יםre.sha.'ImH7563buriedקְבֻרִ֜יםke.vu.RimH6912, and theycameוָבָ֗אוּva.Va.'uH935to the grave; and they that haddoneעָשׂ֑וּ'a.SuH6213rightH3651wentH1980awayH1980from theholyקָדוֹשׁ֙ka.do.VoshH6918placeוּמִמְּק֤וֹםu.mi.me.KomH4725, and wereforgottenוְיִֽשְׁתַּכְּח֥וּve.yish.ta.ke.ChuH7911in thecityבָעִ֖ירva.'IrH5892: this also isvanityהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892.

11BecauseH5921sentenceפִתְגָ֔םfit.GamH6599againstH5921anevilהָרָעָ֖הha.ra.'AhH7451workמַעֲשֵׂ֥הma.'a.SehH4639isnotאֵין־'ein-H369executedH7451speedilyמְהֵרָ֑הme.he.RahH4120, therefore theheartלֵ֧בlevH3820of thesonsבְּֽנֵי־be.nei-H1121ofmenהָאָדָ֛םha.'a.DamH120isfullyH4390setH4390in them todoH6213evilרָֽע׃Ra'H7451.

12ThoughH3588asinnerחֹטֶ֗אcho.Te'H2398doעֹשֶׂ֥ה'o.SehH6213evilרָ֛עra'H7451anhundredמְאַ֖תme.'AtH3967timesH6440, andprolongוּמַאֲרִ֣יךְu.ma.'a.RikhH748his days, yetsurelyH3588Iknowיוֹדֵ֣עַyo.De.a'H3045that it shall bewellגַּם־gam-H1571with them thatfearיִֽירְא֖וּyi.re.'UH3372Godהָאֱלֹהִ֔יםha.'E.lo.HimH430,whichH834fearH3372beforeH6440him:

13but it shallnotH3808bewellוְטוֹב֙ve.tOvH2896with thewickedלָֽרָשָׁ֔עla.ra.Sha'H7563,neitherH3808shall heprolongיַאֲרִ֥יךְya.'a.RikhH748hisdaysיָמִ֖יםya.MimH3117,whichH834are as ashadowכַּצֵּ֑לka.TzelH6738;becauseH834he fearethnotH3808beforeמִלִּפְנֵ֥יmi.lif.NeiH6440Godאֱלֹהִֽים׃'E.lo.HimH430.

14There is avanityהֶבֶל֮he.VelH1892whichאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherH834isdoneנַעֲשָׂ֣הna.'a.SahH6213uponH5921theearthהָאָרֶץ֒ha.'a.RetzH776; that there berighteousצַדִּיקִ֗יםtza.di.KimH6662menH7563, untowhomאֲשֶׁ֣ר׀'a.SherH834it happenethaccordingH5921to theworkכְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣הke.ma.'a.SehH4639of thewickedהָרְשָׁעִ֔יםha.re.sha.'ImH7563; again, there bewickedרְשָׁעִ֔יםre.sha.'ImH7563menH7563, towhomאֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherH834it happenethaccordingH5921to theworkכְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣הke.ma.'a.SehH4639of therighteousהַצַּדִּיקִ֑יםha.tza.di.KimH6662: Isaidאָמַ֕רְתִּי'a.Mar.tiH559that this also isvanityהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892.

15Then I commendedmirthהַשִּׂמְחָ֔הha.sim.ChahH8057,becauseH3588amanלָֽאָדָם֙la.'a.DamH120hathnoאֵֽין־'ein-H369betterט֤וֹבTovH2896thingH3588underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478thesunהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121,thanH2896toeatלֶאֱכ֥וֹלle.'e.KholH398, and todrinkוְלִשְׁתּ֖וֹתve.lish.TotH8354, and to bemerryוְלִשְׂמ֑וֹחַve.lis.Mo.achH8055: for that shall abide with him in his labourallH3117thedaysיְמֵ֥יye.MeiH3117of hislifeH3117whichH834Godהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha.'E.lo.HimH430hathgivenנָֽתַן־na.tan-H5414himunderתַּ֥חַתTa.chatH8478thesunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

16When Iappliedנָתַ֤תִּיna.Ta.tiH5414mineheartלִבִּי֙li.BiH3820toknowלָדַ֣עַתla.Da.'atH3045wisdomחָכְמָ֔הchokh.mahH2451, and toseeH7200the business that isdoneנַעֲשָׂ֖הna.'a.SahH6213uponעַל־'al-H5921theearthהָאָ֑רֶץha.'A.retzH776: (for also there is thatneitherH369dayבַּיּוֹם֙bai.yOmH3117norH369nightוּבַלַּ֔יְלָהu.va.Lay.lahH3915seethsleepשֵׁנָ֕הshe.NahH8142with hiseyesבְּעֵינָ֖יוbe.'ei.NavH5869:)

17then I beheldallכָּל־kol-H3605theworkמַעֲשֵׂ֣הma.'a.SehH4639ofGodהָאֱלֹהִים֒ha.'E.lo.HimH430, thatmanH120cannotלֹ֨אlo'H3808findלִמְצוֹא֙lim.tzO'H4672outH3045theworkהַֽמַּעֲשֶׂה֙ha.ma.'a.SehH4639that isdoneנַעֲשָׂ֣הna.'a.SahH6213underתַֽחַת־ta.chat-H8478thesunהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121:becauseH3588howeverאִם־'im-H518muchH834amanH120labour toseekלְבַקֵּ֖שׁle.va.KeshH1245itoutH3045, yet he shallnotוְלֹ֣אve.Lo'H3808findיִמְצָ֑אyim.Tza'H4672it;yeaH3588moreoverוְגַ֨םve.GamH1571,thoughH3588awiseהֶֽחָכָם֙he.cha.KhamH2450manH120thinkוְרָאִיתִי֮ve.ra.'i.TiH7200toknowלָדַ֔עַתla.Da.'atH3045it, yet shall henotלֹ֥אlo'H3808beableH3201tofindלִמְצֹֽא׃lim.Tzo'H4672it.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 8

Revised Version 1895 — 1895 — Public Domain