Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 8:3
Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
3. Be not hasty to go out of his sight ] The phrase is explained by Gen 4:16; Hos 11:2 as implying flight or desertion. Such a flight the Teacher looks on as an act of impatient unwisdom. It is better to bear the yoke, than to seek an unattainable independence. So those who have grown grey in politics warn younger and more impetuous men against the folly of a premature resignation of their office.
stand not in an evil thing ] The Hebrew noun (as so often elsewhere) may mean either “word” or “thing:” the verb may mean “standing” either in the attitude (1) of persistence, or (2) protest, or (3) of hesitation, or (4) of obedient compliance. Hence we get as possible renderings, (1) “Persist not in an evil thing;” i.e. in conspiracies against the king’s life or power. (2) Protest not against an evil ( i.e. angry) word. (3) Stand not, hesitate not, at an evil thing, i.e. comply with the king’s commands however unrighteous. (4) Obey not in an evil thing, i.e. obey, but let the higher law of conscience limit thy obedience. Of these (1) seems most in harmony with the context, and with O. T. usage as in Psa 1:1. Perhaps, however, after the manner of an enigmatic oracle, not without a touch of irony, requiring the discernment of a wise interpreter, there is an intentional ambiguity, allowing the reader if he likes, to adopt (3) or (4) and so acting as a test of character.
he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him ] The words paint a sovereignty such as Greek poets loved to hold up for men’s abhorence,
,
.
“The tyrant’s might in much besides excels,
And it may do and say whate’er it wills.”
Soph. Antig. 507.
Here also we have an echo of the prudential counsel of Epicurus, who deliberately preferred a despotic to a democratic government (Sen. Ep. xxix. 10), and laid it down as a rule, that the wise man should at every opportune season court the favour of the monarch ( ), Diog. Laert. x. 1, 121.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Stand not … – i. e., Do not persist in rebellion.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. Be not hasty] I consider the first five verses here as directions to courtiers, and the more immediate servants of kings.
Be steadily faithful to your sovereign. Do not stand in an evil thing. If you have done wrong, do not endeavour to vindicate yourself before him; it is of no use; his power is absolute, and he will do what he pleases. He will take his own view of the subject, and he will retain it. The language of a despotic sovereign was ever this, Sic volo sic jubeo, stat pro ratione voluntas; “I will this. I command that. No hesitation! My will is law!” Therefore it is added here, Where the word of a king is, there is power-influence, authority, and the sword. And who may say unto him, whether he acts right or wrong, What doest thou? Ec 8:4. No wonder in such governments there are so many revolutions; but they are revolutions without amendment, as it is one tyrant rising up to destroy another, who, when seated in authority, acts in the way of his predecessor; till another, like himself, do to him as he has done to the former. In our country, after a long trial, we find that a mixed monarchy is the safest, best, and most useful form of government: we have had, it is true, unprincipled ministers, who wished to turn our limited into an absolute monarchy; and they were always ready to state that an absolute monarchy was best. Granted; provided the monarch be as wise, as holy, and as powerful as GOD!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
To go out of his sight, Heb. to go from his face or presence, to wit, in dislike, or in discontent, withdrawing thyself from thy kings service or obedience, as malcontents use to do; for this will both provoke him, and lead thee by degrees into sedition or rebellion.
Stand not in an evil thing; if thou hast offended him, persist not in it, but humbly acknowledge thine offence, and beg his pardon and favour.
He doeth whatsoever pleaseth him; his power is uncontrollable in his dominions, and therefore thou canst neither resist nor avoid his fury.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. hastyrather, “Be notterror-struck so as to go out of His sight.” Slavishly”terror-struck” is characteristic of the sinner’s feelingtoward God; he vainly tries to flee out of His sight (Ps139:7); opposed to the “shining face” of filialconfidence (Ecc 8:1; Joh 8:33-36;Rom 8:2; 1Jn 4:18).
stand notpersist not.
for he doethGodinflicts what punishment He pleases on persisting sinners (Job 23:13;Psa 115:3). True of none saveGod.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Be not hasty to go out of his sight,…. But of the sight of the King of kings. Do not think to hide thyself from him, for there is no fleeing from his presence, Ps 139:7; it is best, when under some consternation, as the word y signifies, or under some fearful apprehension of his wrath and indignation, to fall down before him, acknowledge the offence, and pray for pardon: and to this purpose is the Targum,
“and in the time of the indignation of the Lord, do not cease to pray before him; being terrified (or troubled) before him, go and pray, and seek mercy of him;”
and with which agrees the note of Jarchi,
“be not troubled, saying that thou wilt go and free from his presence, to a place where he does not rule, for he rules in every place.”
Such who interpret this of an earthly king suppose this forbids a man going out from the presence of a king in a pet and passion, withdrawing himself from his court and service in a heat, at once;
stand not in an evil thing; having done it, continue not in it; but repent of it, acknowledge and forsake it, whether against God or an earthly king;
for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him; which best agrees with the King of kings, who does what he pleases, in heaven above and in earth below, both in nature, providence, and grace; see Job 23:13; though earthly kings indeed have long hands, as is usually said, and can reach a great way, and do great things, especially despotic and arbitrary princes, and it is very difficult escaping their hands. The Targum is,
“for the Lord of all worlds, the Lord will do what he pleases.”
y “ne consterneris”, Gejerus, and some in Rambachius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The warning, corresponding to the exhortation, now follows: One must not thoughtlessly avoid the duty of service and homage due to the king: “Hasten not to go away from him: join not in an evil matter; for he executeth all that he desireth.” Regarding the connection, of two verbs with one idea, lying before us in … , as e.g., at Zec 8:15; Hos 1:6, vid., Gesen. 142. 3 b. Instead of this sentence, we might use , as e.g., Aboth v. 8: “The wise man does not interrupt another, and hastens not to answer,” i.e., is not too hasty in answering. As with , to be with the king, Ecc 4:15 = to hold with him, so here means to take oneself away from him, or, as it is expressed in Ecc 10:4, to leave one’s station; cf. Hos 11:2: “They (the prophets of Jahve) called to them, forthwith they betook themselves away from them.” It is possible that in the choice of the expression, the phrase , “to be put into a state of alarm before any one,” Job 23:15, was not without influence. The indef. , Deu 17:1; Deu 23:10, cf. Deu 13:12; Deu 19:20, 2Ki 4:41, etc., is to be referred (with Rosenm., Knobel, Bullock, and others) to undertakings which aim at resisting the will of the king, and reach their climax in conspiracy against the king’s throne and life ( Pro 24:21). might mean: persist not in it; but the warning does not presuppose that the entrance thereon had already taken place, but seeks to prevent it, thus: enter not, go not, engage not, like ‘amad bederek , Psa 1:1; ‘amad babrith , 2Ki 23:3; cf. Psa 106:23; Jer 23:18. Also the Arab. ‘amada li = intendit, proposuit sibi rem , is compared; it is used in the general sense of “to make toward something, to stretch to something.” Otherwise Ewald, Elst., Ginsb., and Zckl.: stand not at an evil word (of the king), provoking him to anger thereby still more, – against Ecc 8:5, where , as generally (cf. Psa 141:4), means an evil thing, and against the close connection of , which is to be presupposed. Hitzig even: stand not at an evil command, i.e., hesitate not to do even that which is evil, which the king commands, with the remark that here a servilismus is introduced as speaking, who, in saying of the king, “All that pleaseth him he doeth,” uses words which are used only of God the Almighty, Joh 1:14; Psa 33:9, etc. Hengst., Hahn, Dale, and others therefore dream of the heavenly King in the text. But proverbs of the earthly king, such as Pro 20:2, say the very same thing; and if the Mishna Sanhedrin ii. 2, to which Tyler refers, says of the king, “The king cannot himself be a judge, nor can any one judge him; he does not give evidence, and no evidence can be given against him,” a sovereignty is thus attributed to the king, which is formulated in 3b and established in the verse following.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(3) I believe the rendering of our version to be correct, though some have taken it, Be not hasty: go out of his eight. The best commentary on this verse is Ecc. 10:4, which gives the meaning, When censured by the king, do not abandon the hope of retaining his favour, nor obstinately persist in what he condemns. I do not find adequate proof of the assertion of some commentators, that go out of his sight can mean withdraw allegiance from him, and so that the evil thing means a rebellious conspiracy. The advice, Be not hasty to rebel, instead of do not rebel, is inconsistent with the context.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Be not hasty, etc. But if the king be harsh and tyrannical? Then do not hasten to leave his service.
Stand not in an evil thing Hebrew, Rise not up for an evil word from him. Revolt is too grave a matter to be rashly undertaken, for power to do as he pleases is part of the definition of kingly power.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ecc 8:3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
Ver. 3. Be not hasty to go out of his sight. ] Turn not thy back discontentedly, fling not away in a chafe; for this will be construed for a contempt, as it was in the Earl of Essex, A.D. 1598. Dissension occuring between the queen and him about a fit man for governor of Ireland, he, forgetting himself, and neglecting his duty, uncivilly turned his back, with a scornful countenance. She waxing impatient, gave him a cuff on the ear, bidding him be gone with a vengeance. He laid his hand upon his sword; the Lord Admiral interposing himself, he swore a great oath, that he neither could nor would swallow so great an indignity, nor would have born it at King Henry VIII’s hands, and in great discontentment hasted from the court. But within a while after he became submissive, and was received again into favour by the queen, who always thought it more just to offend a man than to hate him. a The very Turks are said to receive humiliation with all sweetness, but to be remorseless to those that bear up. b
a Camden’s Elizabeth, fol. 494.
b Blunt’s Voyage, p. 97.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
stand not = do not take thy stand. Some codices, with one early printed edition, Syriac, and Vulg, read, “and stand not”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
not hasty: Ecc 10:4, Pro 14:29
stand: 1Ki 1:50-52, 1Ki 2:21-24, Isa 48:4, Jer 44:16, Jer 44:17, Act 5:8, Act 5:9
for: Pro 16:14, Pro 16:15, Pro 30:31, Dan 4:35, Dan 5:19
Reciprocal: Pro 30:32 – thou hast done
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8:3 {d} Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatever pleaseth him.
(d) Do not withdraw from yourself lightly from the obedience of your prince.