Advanced Commentary
Texts -- Ecclesiastes 8:1-4 (NET)
Pericope
NET
- Ecc 8:1-9 -- Human Government Demonstrates Limitations of Wisdom
Bible Dictionary
-
Instruction
[nave] INSTRUCTION From nature, Prov. 24:30-34; Eccl. 1:13-18; 3; 4:1; Matt. 6:25-30. See: Parables. From the study of human nature, Eccl. 3-12. By Object Lessons: The pot of maa, Ex. 16:32. The pillar of twelve stones at the f...
-
Citizenship
[nave] CITIZENSHIP. Duties of Ex. 22:28 Acts 23:5. Num. 27:20; Ezra 6:10; Ezra 7:26; Ezra 10:8; Prov. 16:14, 15; Prov. 24:21; Prov. 25:6, 7, 15; Eccl. 8:2-4; Eccl. 10:4, 20; Jer. 29:7; Matt. 17:24-27; Matt. 22:17-21 Mark 12:14-17...
-
King
[nave] KING Called King of kings, Ezra 7:12; Ezek. 26:7; Dan. 2:37. Divinely authorized, Deut. 17:15; 1 Sam. 9:16, 17; 16:12; 1 Chr. 22:10; 2 Chr. 2:11, 12; Prov. 8:15; Dan. 2:21, 37; 4:17; 5:20; Hos. 8:4; 13:11. How chosen: By d...
-
Prudence
[nave] PRUDENCE. Job 34:3, 4; Psa. 39:1; Psa. 112:5; Prov. 6:1, 2; Prov. 8:12; Prov. 11:13, 15, 29; Prov. 12:8, 23; Prov. 13:16; Prov. 14:8, 15, 16, 18; Prov. 15:5, 22; Prov. 16:20, 21; Prov. 17:2, 18; Prov. 18:15, 16; Prov. 19:2;...
-
Rulers
[nave] RULERS Appointed and removed by God. See: Government, God in. Chastised, Dan. 4. See: Nation. Monarchical, See: Kings. Patriarchal, Gen. 27:29, 37. Instances of Nimrod, Gen. 10:8-10. Abraham, Gen. 14:13-24; 17:6; 21:2...
-
Wisdom
[nave] WISDOM Of Joseph, Gen. 41:16, 25-39; Acts 7:10. Of Moses, Acts 7:22. Of Bezaleel, Ex. 31:3-5; 35:31-35; 36:1. Of Aholiab, Ex. 31:6; 35:34, 35; 36:1; of other skilled artisans, Ex. 36:2; of women, Ex. 35:26. Of Hiram, 1 K...
-
Oath
[nave] OATH, a solemn qualification. Used in solemnizing covenants: Between Abraham and the king of Sodom, Gen. 14:22, 23; and Abimelech, Gen. 21:22, 23; between Isaac and Abimelech, Gen. 26:26-29, 31. Abraham requires oath of his ...
-
Loyalty
[nave] LOYALTY Enjoined, Ex. 22:28; Num. 27:20; Ezra 6:10; 7:26; Job 34:18; Prov. 24:21; Eccl. 8:2; 10:4; Rom. 13:1; Tit. 3:1. Enforced, Ezra 10:8; Prov. 17:11. Disloyalty, 2 Pet. 2:10. See: Patriotism. Instances of Israelites...
-
HARDEN
[isbe] HARDEN - har'-d'-n (chazaq, qashah; skleruno): (1) "Harden" occurs most frequently in the phrase "to harden the heart," or "the neck." This hardening of men's hearts is attributed both to God and to men themselves, e.g. with...
-
HARD; HARDINESS; HARDDINESS; HARDLY
[isbe] HARD; HARDINESS; HARDDINESS; HARDLY - hard, har'-di-nes, hard'-nes, hard'-li (qasheh, pala'; skleros) : The senses in which hard is used may be distinguished as: (1) "Firm," "stiff," opposite to soft: Job 41:24, yatsaq, "to ...
-
ORDER
[isbe] ORDER - or'-der (`arakh, "to arrange"; tassein (> diatassein, taxis, tagma)): "Order" in Biblical phrases may indicate (1) arrangement in rows, (2) sequence in time, (3) classification and organization, (4) likeness or manne...
Arts
Resources/Books
Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)
-
I believe that the message of Ecclesiastes is essentially a positive one. This may seem strange since the vanity of various human endeavors is such a major theme of this book. Nevertheless the total statement that Solomon mad...
-
I. The introductory affirmation 1:1-11A. Title and theme 1:1-21. The title 1:12. The theme 1:2B. The futility of all human endeavor 1:3-111. The vanity of work 1:32. The illustrations from life 1:4-11II. The futility of work ...
-
Clues in the text indicate the value and purpose of 6:10-11:6. The phrases "does not know"and "cannot discover"occur frequently (6:12; 7:14, 24, 28; 8:17; 19:1, 12; 10:14; 11:2, 6). Also the recurrence of "it is good"(7:18) a...
-
He began by exposing our ignorance of the significance of adversity and prosperity (7:1-14; cf. Job). Both of these conditions, he noted, can have good and bad effects depending on how a person responds to them. Prosperity is...
-
Even though the righteous sometimes do not receive a reward in this life and the wicked prosper, it is still better to live righteously."Proper evaluation of a man's character helps to explain the apparent inequalities in div...
-
This chapter begins by lauding wisdom (v. 1), and it ends by showing that it has limitations (v. 17)."At every turn this chapter will face us with our inability to call the tune and master our affairs. On one level after anot...
-
In Solomon's day the king had far-reaching power over his subjects. Therefore it became imperative to avoid his wrath. We must keep this background in view because it lies behind what Solomon said in chapter 8.8:1 A wise man ...
-
Wisdom can enable a person to avoid the king's wrath (vv. 2-9), but it cannot enable him or her to understand fully why God deals with people as He does (vv. 10-17).8:10-14 There are two apparent inequities in verse 10. First...
-
In 1:12-6:9, Solomon demonstrated that all work is ultimately futile for two reasons. It does not yield anything really permanent under the sun. Moreover we can never be sure we will enjoy the fruits of our labor before we di...
-
In conclusion Solomon repeated his original thesis (v. 8; cf. 1:2) and his counsel in view of life's realities (vv. 13-14). In between these statements he set forth his source of authority for writing what we have in Ecclesia...
