Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 8:6
Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man [is] great upon him.
6. Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore ] The English conjunctions misrepresent the sequence of thought, and we should read “ For to every purpose there is time and judgment, for the misery (or, better, the wickedness) of man ” The wise man waits for the time of judgment, for he knows that such a time must come, and that the evil of the man ( i.e. of the tyrant) is great upon him, weighs on him as a burden under which he must at last sink. This seems the most natural and legitimate interpretation, but the sentence is obscure, and has been very differently interpreted. (1) The evil of man (of the oppressor) is heavy upon him (the oppressed). (2) Though there is a time and a judgment, yet the misery of man is great, because (as in the next verse) he knows not when it is to come.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Because, therefore – , Or, as in Ecc 8:7, for.
The possibility of Gods time and judgment being in opposition to a kings purpose or commandment Ecc 8:5, suggests the thought that such discord is a misery (evil, Ecc 6:1) common to man (or, mankind).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 6. To every purpose there is time] chaphets, every volition, every thing that depends on the will of man. He has generally the opportunity to do whatever he purposes; and as his purposes are frequently evil, his acts are so too: and in consequence his misery is great.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
There is time and judgment; there is a fit way and season for the happy accomplishment of every business which a man designeth or undertaketh to do, which is known to God, but for the most part hidden from man, as is implied and may be gathered from the following words. See Poole “Ecc 3:1“.
Therefore; because there are very few who have that wisdom which is necessary to discern this, as was now said, Ecc 9:5, and most men do by their ignorance and loss of opportunities deprive themselves of many advantages, and expose themselves to manifold miseries.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. therefore the misery,&c.because the foolish sinner does not think of the right”times” and the “judgment.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Because to every purpose there is time and judgment,…. There is a fit season, and a right and proper manner of doing everything that is to be done; see Ec 3:1; which a wise man discerns; and which when a man hits upon, it prevents a great deal of mischief, which for want of it comes upon men, as the following clause shows; some refer this to the punishment of the wicked, and to a future judgment. So the Targum,
“to every business there is a time good and evil, and according to the judgment of truth the whole world is judged;”
and to the same purpose Jarchi,
“there is a time fixed for the visitation of the wicked, and there is judgment before the Lord; this is vengeance or punishment;”
therefore the misery of man [is] great upon him; he not observing the right time and manner of doing what he ought, brings much trouble upon himself; his days are few and full trouble, and every day has a sufficiency of evil in because of the evil of sin, the evil of misery presses upon him, and is a heavy burden on him Jarchi’s note is,
“when the wickedness of a man is great, then cometh his visitation.”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“For there is a time and decision for everything, for the wickedness of man becomes too great.” From Ecc 8:6 there follow four clauses with ; by such monotonous repetition of one and the same word, the author also elsewhere renders the exposition difficult, affording too free a space for understanding the as confirming, or as hypothetical, and for co-ordinating or subordinating to each other the clauses with . Presupposing the correctness of our exposition of Ecc 8:5, the clause Ecc 8:6 with may be rendered parenthetically, and that with in Ecc 8:6 hypothetically: “an end and decision the heart of the wise man will come to experience (because for everything there is an end and decision), supposing that the wickedness of man has become great upon him, i.e., his burden of guilt has reached its full measure.” We suppose thereby (1) that , which appears from the accent on the ult. to be an adj., can also be the 3rd pret., since before the tone has gone back to h (cf. Gen 26:10; Isa 11:1), to protect it from being put aside; but generally the accenting of such forms of hovers between the penult. and the ult., e.g., Psa 69:5; Psa 55:22; Pro 14:19. Then (2) that goes back to without distinction of persons, which has a support in Ecc 6:1, and that thus a great is meant lying upon man, which finally finds its punishment. But this view of the relation of the clauses fails, in that it affords no connection for Ecc 8:7. It appears to be best to co-ordinate all the four as members of one chain of proof, which reaches its point in Ecc 8:8, viz., in the following manner: the heart of a wise man will see the time and the judgment of the ruler, laying to his heart the temptation to rebellion; for (1) as the author has already said, Ecc 3:17: “God will judge the righteous as well as the wicked, for there is with Him a time for every purpose and for every act;” (2) the wickedness of man (by which, as Ecc 3:9 shows, despots are aimed at) which he has committed, becomes great upon him, so that suddenly at once the judgment of God will break in upon him; (3) he knows not what will be done; (4) no one can tell him how ( quomodo) it, the future, will be, so that he might in any way anticipate it – the judgment will overwhelm him unexpectedly and irretrievably: wickedness does not save its possessor.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The Certainty of Death. | |
6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. 7 For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be? 8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.
Solomon had said (v. 5) that a wise man’s heart discerns time and judgment, that is, a man’s wisdom will go a great way, by the blessing of God, in moral prognostications; but here he shows that few have that wisdom, and that even the wisest may yet be surprised by a calamity which they had not any foresight of, and therefore it is our wisdom to expect and prepare for sudden changes. Observe, 1. All the events concerning us, with the exact time of them, are determined and appointed in the counsel and foreknowledge of God, and all in wisdom: To every purpose there is a time prefixed, and it is the best time, for it is time and judgment, time appointed both in wisdom and righteousness; the appointment is not chargeable with folly or iniquity. 2. We are very much in the dark concerning future events and the time and season of them: Man knows not that which shall be himself; and who can tell him when or how it shall be? v. 7. It cannot either be foreseen by him or foretold him; the stars cannot foretel a man what shall be, nor any of the arts of divination. God has, in wisdom, concealed from us the knowledge of future events, that we may be always ready for changes. 3. It is our great unhappiness and misery that, because we cannot foresee an evil, we know not how to avoid it, or guard against it, and, because we are not aware of the proper successful season of actions, therefore we lose our opportunities and miss our way: Because to every purpose there is but one way, one method, one proper opportunity, therefore the misery of man is great upon him; because it is so hard to hit that, and it is a thousand to one but he misses it. Most of the miseries men labour under would have been prevented if they could have been foreseen and the happy time discovered to avoid them. Men are miserable because they are not sufficiently sagacious and attentive. 4. Whatever other evils may be avoided, we are all under a fatal necessity of dying, v. 8. (1.) When the soul is required it must be resigned, and it is to no purpose to dispute it, either by arms or arguments, by ourselves, or by any friend: There is no man that has power over his own spirit, to retain it, when it is summoned to return to God who gave it. It cannot fly any where out of the jurisdiction of death, nor find any place where its writs do not run. It cannot abscond so as to escape death’s eye, though it is hidden from the eyes of all living. A man has no power to adjourn the day of his death, nor can he by prayers or bribes obtain a reprieve; no bail will be taken, no essoine [excuse], protection, or imparlance [conference], allowed. We have not power over the spirit of a friend, to retain that; the prince, with all his authority, cannot prolong the life of the most valuable of his subjects, nor the physician with his medicines and methods, nor the soldier with his force, not the orator with his eloquence, nor the best saint with his intercessions. The stroke of death can by no means be put by when our days are determined and the hour appointed us has come. (2.) Death is an enemy that we must all enter the lists with, sooner or later: There is no discharge in that war, no dismission from it, either of the men of business or of the faint-hearted, as there was among the Jews, Deu 20:5; Deu 20:8. While we live we are struggling with death, and we shall never put off the harness till we put off the body, never obtain a discharge till death has obtained the mastery; the youngest is not released as a fresh-water soldier, nor the oldest as miles emeritus–a soldier whose merits have entitled him to a discharge. Death is a battle that must be fought, There is no sending to that war (so some read it), no substituting another to muster for us, no champion admitted to fight for us; we must ourselves engage, and are concerned to provide accordingly, as for a battle. (3.) Men’s wickedness, by which they often evade or outface the justice of the prince, cannot secure them from the arrest of death, nor can the most obstinate sinner harden his heart against those terrors. Though he strengthen himself ever so much in his wickedness (Ps. lii. 7), death will be too strong for him. The most subtle wickedness cannot outwit death, nor the most impudent wickedness outbrave death. Nay, the wickedness which men give themselves to will be so far from delivering them from death that it will deliver them up to death.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
GOD’S SCHEDULE IS UNREVEALED
Verses 6-8 describe the frustration and perplexity of man under the sun because he cannot discern in advance the schedule of the divine will which is steadily being fulfilled. No man can confine the desires and concerns of the human spirit, neither can he evade the appointed time of his death. He must await the unfolding of the will of God; Psa 49:6-7. However, man whose trust is above the sun has comforting assurance, Psa 34:7; Psa 34:15; Psa 34:17; Pro 3:5-6; Joh 14:1; Rom 8:28.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
CRITICAL NOTES.
Ecc. 8:6. Therefore.] Best rendered by Although. The meaning is, that notwithstanding the present misery of man, in the ways of Providence towards him, there are appointed times. Deep and wise purposes lie behind all this apparent confusion and disorder. Is great upon him.] The form of the word implying something laid upon him as a heavy burden.
Ecc. 8:7. When it shall be.] The marginal rendering is to be preferredhow it shall be
Ecc. 8:8. Neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.] Lit., its possessors. Opposition, though it may appear for a time to be victorious, will at length prove to be of no avail. This is the principal thought of the verse, and the fit conclusion of the entire section.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Ecc. 8:6-8
THE STERN DOMINION OF THE SUPREME KING
We now turn from earthly kings and their narrow dominions to consider the Great Ruler over all. There are aspects of His government terrible to man.
I. He Uses an Inflexible Method. (Ecc. 8:6.) In the government of God over nature and man, we observe a stern regularity which is calculated to inspire us with awe of some mysterious and inflexible power. All seems to us as one vast machine which moves on in invariable method, not knowing, not caring, what injuries it may inflict. In some moments of painful thought, it might seem to us that we are abandoned to the terror of some heartless and unsympathetic power. Some of these harsh aspects of Gods government are here indicated.
1. His purposes are already formed. He does not enter upon His work with rudimentary and imperfect ideas, waiting for a wider experience and more certain knowledge. He uses no methods of trial and error; learns not, as we are obliged to do, from failure and success. His purposes are formed once for all.
2. There is an appointed season for their development. The time is determined beforehand when the purposes of God shall be effected. They ripen slowly and await their proper season, nor can any human power force their growth.
3. They appear to be carried on regardless of human woes. Although the misery of man is great upon him, this inexorable dominion continues. The wheel within wheel in the system of nature and Providence may raise our admiration, but their terrible regularity of movement and certainty of effect seem to spurn away imploring misery, and threaten to crush hope. Yet the wise man will discern a reason behind all these harsh appearances. Therefore he submits and waits. There is a set time also to favour him.
II. He Hides from Man Future Destinies. (Ecc. 8:7.) No feeling does more to tame the human breast than our complete ignorance of the future. It is altogether hidden from us.
1. As to what it contains. He knoweth not that which shall be. He cannot tell what events shall take place, what new scenes and changes shall be unfolded in the course of time.
2. As to the manner of it. Who can tell him how it shall be? He who has studied the past history of mankind with intelligence and calm reflection, can predict the general principles which future events shall illustrate. But in what time and manner those events shall take place, no human sagacity can foresee. This ignorance of future destinies strengthens, in the good man, the feeling of dependence upon God. It makes faith in the love of God a necessity of the religious life. The way may be dark before us, but if we fear the Lord, He will guide us tenderly with more than a fathers care. The oppression of the future becomes light when we are strengthened by a sense of that loving kindness which is better than life.
III. He Appoints for Man the Inevitable Hour. (Ecc. 8:8.) However varied the fortunes of men, there is one event awaiting all.
1. When the high summons arrives no power or skill can resist it. Our breath of life is in the hands of God. He decrees the time when we shall breathe the last gasp, and when the hearts emotion shall be stilled. When He permits the last enemy to grasp us, there is no escape. Death knows no awe of rank, nor yields to bribes. That ruthless power cannot be softened by the voice of distressed affection, or forced to spare his victims by any arguments derived from the usefulness or beauty of their lives. No man has power to retain the spirit beyond its appointed time. Nothing can stay its flight when once it starts on the journey to God.
2. There are no grounds upon which we can procure exemption. On the eve of the battle, or when actually engaged in it, the soldier cannot obtain his discharge. No plea can avail him, no sacred demands of home or kindred. We are all under this inexorable law of war. When the stern command is issued, we must enter into the conflict; we can obtain no substitute, purchase no discharge. When summoned to enter the field in mortal conflict with the last enemy, there is no retreat.
3. Rebellious opposition will not avail us. Neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. Wicked men put forth wonderful energy in their evil deeds, but when Gods time of judgment arrives, it is in vain that they resist.
SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON THE VERSES
Ecc. 8:6. If, without the light of a better hope, we survey this scene of man, it would appear as if the Monarch of the world was indifferent to human miseries.
The skill and regularity displayed in Gods works and ways would be of little comfort to us, if we were not assured that behind all there is a loving heart.
God works out His purposes slowly, and (as it appears to us) regardless of the private griefs of menyea, even of their highest necessities. The world had to wait long ages for the crowning revelation of Gods mercy. Yet all this time men suffered the evils of ignorance, sorrow, and sin.
The degree of mischief, and disappointment, and wretchedness, arising amongst mankind from the want of wise consideration of seasons and circumstances, is beyond calculation. Were men in general more carefully attentive to these, a large proportion of the miseries of which they complain might readily be avoided. But some by their weakness, others by their heedlessness; some by their headstrong obstinacy, others by their excess of pliancy; some by impatient precipitation, others by procrastinating dilatoriness, and thousands in an endless variety of ways, are led to overlook time and judgment, and to bring distress upon themselves, or others, or both [Wardlaw].
Ecc. 8:7. Our ignorance of the future should teach us
1. To be superior to the fear of man. If we have God on our side, how little, after all, can weak and ignorant man do to harm us!
2. That we should not envy the temporary prosperity of others. How soon their fortunes may be wrecked, and the evil time come when riches cannot deliver!
3. That we should seek Divine guidance. God will show us, even through all the miseries of the present, what is the path of life.
It is true that no man can tell what shall be, and that neither can any one tell him when it shall be; but this is no reason why either the when or the what that may thus lie hidden in the inscrutable future should be to us a matter of no concern. It is not by being utterly careless and indifferent upon the subject that we can escape the evil that may be impending over us. It is true that we may aggravate that evil, or even create it when it has no actual existence, by tormenting ourselves with excessive or groundless anxieties and fears. As regards those futurities against which no foresight can provide, the part of true wisdom is to follow the counsel of our blessed Lord (Mat. 6:34) [Buchanan].
Ecc. 8:8. The Royal Preacher had spoken of the power of kings (Ecc. 8:4). Yet how limited is that power? They cannot resist the decree of the King of Terrors.
Death overwhelms the strength of man. It is the great terror of nature. The very thought of it must fill us with horror, unless we are conscious that the inward man is growing stronger day by day.
Man is sown in weakness herea weakness most sad and manifest in his closing hours; but he is raised in power, which, if blessed by the vision of God, will be the power of an endless life.
This is a field in which every man must advance; and every man must advance alone to single combat; and every man in succession must fall. The enemy to be encountered is himself invulnerable; and whether the struggle be short or long, and however successful for a time our efforts may be to parry or to cover ourselves from his deadly thrust, he will, sooner or later, find his way with certain aim and irresistible force to every heart [Wardlaw].
Death can only destroy the body of our humiliation. Our permanent and immortal essence remains unhurt.
Death meets us everywhere, and is procured by every instrument, and in all chances, and enters in at many doors. And all this is the law and constitution of nature, it is a punishment to our sins, the unalterable event of Providence, and the decree of heaven. The chains that confine us to this condition are strong as destiny, and immutable as the eternal laws of God [Jeremy Taylor].
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(6) The connecting particles here present difficulties which have not been satisfactorily solved; and it has even been conjectured that some words may have dropped out of the text. The first half of the verse repeats Ecc. 3:1; the second almost verbally Ecc. 6:1; on this account our translation misery is to be preferred to wickedness as some render it.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. Therefore Should be when, as it often implies time. A time of judgment comes when the misery of man becomes intolerable. The Hebrew suggests that the man is the cruel tyrant, and the misery is that which he causes to him, that is, to his subject.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ecc 8:6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man [is] great upon him.
Ver. 6. Because to every purpose there is time. ] Therefore the wise man seeketh after that nick of time, that punctilio of judgment, that he may do everything well, and order his affairs with discretion. A well chosen season is the greatest advantage of any action, which, as it is seldom found in haste, so it is too often lost in delay.
Therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
purpose. See note on Ecc 3:1.
there is = there exists. Hebrew. yesh.
therefore the misery = when the evil.
great = heavy.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Ecc 8:6-8
Ecc 8:6-8
REGARDING THE PROBLEM OF ANXIETY
“For to every purpose there is a time and judgment; because the misery of man is great upon him; for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell how it shall be? There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver him that is given to it.”
“The misery of man is great … for he knoweth not that which shall be” (Ecc 8:6-7). The misery which is mentioned here is of a particular kind, derived from man’s ignorance of the future. This ignorance is summarized in Ecc 8:8, under four uncertainties. The literal Hebrew for the first clause is, “Man’s evil is great upon him.” However, there is absolutely nothing in man’s ignorance of the future that causes him misery, unless he gives himself over to anxiety and worry because of it.
It is the glory of the New Testament revelation that men are relieved of all considerations that should result in their worrying and anxiety. (Mat 6:25-34; 1Pe 5:7). “But Solomon did not know God and did not know the hope that Christians have about the future.
The Christian may face the future with confidence and hope. Oh, to be sure, we do not know what a day may bring forth; but we know Him who does know! Furthermore, whatever happens to my loved ones, or my property, or my body, or my country, or anything else, nothing can happen to me! Why? The Christ himself has promised, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world”! (Mat 28:20).
I know not where his islands lift
Their fronded palms in air;
I only know I cannot drift
Beyond his loving care.
Ecc 8:6 b-7 here are rendered thus: “Although man is greatly troubled by ignorance of the future, who can tell him what it will bring”?
“There is no man that hath power, etc.” (Ecc 8:8). Here are given the four uncertainties mentioned above, the verse means that, “Not even great wealth will enable the wealthy to defy these limitations. No discharge in war regards the uncertainty that threatens one who may be drafted into a war by some absolute monarch. Of course, this is only one of a thousand evil things that might happen to any person. The mention of God in Ecc 8:13, below, supports the view of Eaton that, “Solomon eventually turns to a position of faith as the only remedy for all the uncertainty.
Ecc 8:6 The preposition for indicates that this is an extension of the line of reasoning established in verse five. The phrase restates the closing thought of the preceding verse. A proper time and procedure for every delight has been sufficiently demonstrated in chapter three. However, the statement, when a mans trouble is heavy upon him, needs explanation. Who is the man who is under the burden of trouble? Is he the good, wise man or the sinner who has departed from the side of the king? If it is the good man, then evil men have afflicted him and he must learn to patiently wait until the time and seasons of Gods providence bring about Gods justice. It is considered a heavy trouble because he is required to bear it until the appropriate time. On the other hand, if it is indeed the sinner who is under consideration, then the heavy trouble is just and he anquishes beneath it because he knows it is of his own doing. He knows that the judgment of God will eventually fall upon him. He has broken all the rules and departed from the kings cause; he finds himself standing in an evil matter. Now he must subscribe to punishment decreed by the king. This latter interpretation is most tenable as it fits best into the total context of the passage. Such an argument presses upon the mind of the one who would choose the road of wisdom that there are rewards indeed! Additional proof for this contention is found in the major premise of the passage: He who keep the royal command experiences no trouble.
Ecc 8:7 The evil mans suffering is compounded because he knows neither when he will be punished nor what will be his punishment. He knows only that it is due him and will be forthcoming. Behind the law in the land stands the authority of God. Kings exact Gods punishment and are thus a terror to those who do evil. However, kings may be bribed or influenced to compromise or act unjustly. In such instances the justice of God overrides the injustices of men. If not immediately, in due season (Cf. Ecc 8:11). This awareness weighs heavily upon the mind of the evil doer. He lives in constant fear as he does not know when or how his punishment will come. Solomon is careful not to insert the conditional if in his declaration. He is pressing for the inescapable: judgment is coming!
Ecc 8:8 The preceding interpretation appears to be logical in view of the closing fourfold argument Solomon now presents. He has contended that a wise man will live in harmony with the law of the land; in doing so he will neither bring the wrath of the king nor the wrath of God upon him. He now offers the closing arguments to sustain his contention:
(1) No man has the authority to restrain the wind with the wind.
The term translated wind in this first statement is also commonly translated spirit. It is improbable that one can arrive at sufficient proof to ascertain one or the other. It is obvious that the NASB translated ruach as wind. There is a rather equal distribution of views in both translations and interpretations. The primary purpose of the verse is best served when the lesson of the verse is determined, not necessarily whether the term is translated wind or spirit. On this same subject Jesus said, The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going (Joh 3:8). At least the truth taught in the two statements is the same: one cannot see or control the wind. But what is the intent of the observation? One conclusion is found in the fact that only God has control of the wind, man cannot hold back or control the wind even with the wind. The wind moves about according to an appointed order. Solomon described it as Blowing toward the south, then turning toward the north, the wind continues swirling along; and on its circular courses the wind returns (Ecc 1:6). Again he stated that we do not know the path of the wind (Ecc 11:5). The lesson seems to be that the evil man has no more control over his inevitable punishment which shall come upon him than he does over the wind. Both are in the hands of God. One is carried out through the laws of nature while the other is arranged on the basis of compensating for evil and is determined by the authority of the king. God is the author of both! This lesson-God is in control of the laws of ultimate justice just as He controls the wind and other laws of nature-is in harmony with the immediate and greater context of Ecclesiastes. It also justifies this emphasis that Solomon places on the uncontrollable nature of the wind.
If one feels compelled to interpret the term spirit as breath of life, rather than wind, as many authorities do (Cf. A. R. Fausset, E. W. Hengstenberg, J. P. Lange, H. C. Leupold, Et. Al.) then this phrase is a parallelism with the following part and simply restates the same thought. If this is the preferred interpretation, then the following discussion will explain the parallelism.
(2) No man has the authority . . . over the day of death.
What has been referred to in this discussion as the ultimate justice of God is the judgment facing every man when his spirit is finally released from his body. The Preacher knows that when this happens, the spirit will return to God (Ecc 12:7), At that time, the unequal judgments of this earth, the suffering of the innocent, the apparent escape of evil doers, will be brought to light. The crooked shall be made straight. The New Testament is also explicit on this matter: inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes judgment (Heb 9:27).
Many would restrain the spirit in the face of death if it were possible. Fortunes would be exchanged for a little more time. The epilogue of mens lives under such circumstances would see a rash of repentance and restitution. However, no man can decide to add a few days or years to his own life when death calls. It was true in Solomons time and it is still true today. Once again the Preacher is bringing into focus the distinction between the wise man and the fool. The wise man has no more control over his time of death than the fool does, but the wise man is prepared. He keeps the command of the king . . . and experiences no trouble.
It should be observed here for the Christian reader that Jesus teaches us to keep the command of the King and in so doing we shall find rest for our souls. (Cf. Jer 6:16; Mat 11:29).
(3) There is no discharge in time of war.
Just as one is bound by the rigors of death and must submit to its call, there is no escape from the demands of service placed upon one during the time of war. The analogy is made to illustrate once more that a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure (Ecc 8:5 b). The following excerpt from The Pulpit Commentary illustrates the principle Solomon refers to:
Thus we read that when Oeabazus, the father of three sons, petitioned Darius to leave one at home, the tyrant replied that he would leave him all three, and had them put to death. Again, Pythius, a Lydian, asking Xerxes to exempt his eldest son from accompanying the army of Greece, was reviled by the monarch in unmeasured terms, and was punished for his presumption by seeing his son slain before his eyes, the body divided into two pieces, and placed on either side of the road by which the army passed, that all might be warned of the fate awaiting any attempt to evade military service (Herod., IV, 84; vii, 38).
Although there were exemptions prior to the battle (Cf. Deu 20:5-8), none were made during the time of war. It is inappropriate to use this argument as evidence that Ecclesiastes had to be written late, during the Persian period, because Israel made some exceptions and there were none granted during the Persian rule. The point is not that every man had to be engaged in warfare, but once the battle is underway there is no escape or discharge. One is locked in as surely as he faces death and judgment. The lesson once again teaches that man should be on the side of right and refrain from joining in an evil matter.
(4) Evil will not deliver those who practice it.
The fourth and final reason stated in this verse has a parallel truth given in Ecc 8:13 where Solomon reminds his readers, But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.
What wickedness or evil cannot do, wisdom can. Wisdom does deliver those who practice it.
The tragedy of practicing evil is not only its failure to deliver one from the judgment of the King or the Lord, but their own wickedness will stand against them in the face of that judgment. The rich oppressors mentioned by James are examples of the severity of casting ones lot with the wicked. He writes, Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the Last Days that you have stored up your treasure (Jas 5:2-3)!
The wicked could raise the question: Deliver from what? The inference is strong regarding the necessity of escape. Once again the reader is reminded of the law of retribution that has been presented in this section as a major theme: One will reap what he sows. The severity of their evil demands severity of judgment. They shall not escape!
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
to every: Ecc 3:1, Ecc 3:11, Ecc 3:17, Ecc 7:13, Ecc 7:14
therefore: Ecc 11:9, Ecc 11:10, Ecc 12:1, Isa 3:11-14, Isa 22:12-14, Luk 13:25, Luk 17:26-30, Luk 19:42-44, Heb 3:7-11
Reciprocal: Job 10:13 – hid Job 24:1 – seeing Pro 13:23 – destroyed Pro 15:22 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ecc 8:6-7. Because to every purpose there is a time, &c. There is a fit way and season for the accomplishment of every business, which is known to God, but for the most part hidden from man. See notes on Ecc 3:1. Therefore the misery of man is great Because there are few who have wisdom to discern this, most men expose themselves to manifold miseries. For he knoweth not that which shall be Men are generally ignorant of future events, and of the success of their endeavours, and therefore their minds are disquieted, and their expectations frequently are disappointed, and they fall into many mistakes and miscarriages, which they might prevent if they foresaw the issues of things; who can tell when it shall be? No wise man, no astrologer, no soothsayer can discover this.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
8:6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the {f} misery of man [is] great upon him.
(f) Man by himself is miserable, and therefore should do nothing to increase the same, but to work all things by wisdom and counsel.