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Texts -- Ecclesiastes 8:1-7 (NET)

Context
Human Government Demonstrates Limitations of Wisdom
8:1 Who is a wise person ? Who knows the solution to a problem ? A person’s wisdom brightens his appearance , and softens his harsh countenance . 8:2 Obey the king’s command , because you took an oath before God to be loyal to him. 8:3 Do not rush out of the king’s presence in haste – do not delay when the matter is unpleasant , for he can do whatever he pleases . 8:4 Surely the king’s authority is absolute; no one can say to him, “What are you doing ?” 8:5 Whoever obeys his command will not experience harm , and a wise person knows the proper time and procedure . 8:6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter , for the oppression of the king is severe upon his victim. 8:7 Surely no one knows the future, and no one can tell another person what will happen .

Pericope

NET
  • Ecc 8:1-9 -- Human Government Demonstrates Limitations of Wisdom

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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...
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