Ecclesiastes 7:15

Exceptions to the Law of Retribution

7:15 During the days of my fleeting life ¹  I have seen both ²  of these things:

Sometimes ³  a righteous person dies prematurely ⁴  in spite of ⁵  his righteousness,

and sometimes ⁶  a wicked person lives long ⁷  in spite of his evil deeds.

Psalms 73:3

73:3 For I envied those who are proud,

as I observed ⁸  the prosperity ⁹  of the wicked.

Psalms 73:11-13

73:11 They say, “How does God know what we do?

Is the sovereign one aware of what goes on?” ¹⁰ 

73:12 Take a good look! This is what the wicked are like, ¹¹ 

those who always have it so easy and get richer and richer. ¹² 

73:13 I concluded, ¹³  “Surely in vain I have kept my motives ¹⁴  pure

and maintained a pure lifestyle. ¹⁵ 

Malachi 3:15-18

3:15 So now we consider the arrogant to be happy; indeed, those who practice evil are successful. ¹⁶  In fact, those who challenge ¹⁷  God escape!’”

3:16 Then those who respected ¹⁸  the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord took notice. ¹⁹  A scroll ²⁰  was prepared before him in which were recorded the names of those who respected the Lord and honored his name. 3:17 “They will belong to me,” says the Lord who rules over all, “in the day when I prepare my own special property. ²¹  I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 3:18 Then once more you will see that I make a distinction between ²²  the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not.

[7:15]  ¹ tn The word “life” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness and clarity.

[7:15]  ² tn As is the case throughout Ecclesiastes, the term הַכֹּל (hakkol) should be nuanced “both” rather than “all.”

[7:15]  ³ tn Heb “There is.” The term יֵשׁ (yesh, “there is”) is often used in aphorisms to assert the existence of a particular situation that occurs sometimes. It may indicate that the situation is not the rule but that it does occur on occasion, and may be nuanced “sometimes” (Prov 11:24; 13:7, 23; 14:12; 16:25; 18:24; 20:15; Eccl 2:21; 4:8; 5:12; 6:1; 7:15 [2x]; 8:14 [3x]).

[7:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “perishes.”

[7:15]  ⁵ tn Or “in his righteousness.” The preposition בְּ (bet) on the terms בְּצִרְקוֹ (bÿtsirqo, “his righteousness”) and בְּרָעָתוֹ (bÿra’ato, “his evil-doing”) in the following line are traditionally taken in a locative sense: “in his righteousness” and “in his wickedness” (KJV, NASB, NIV). However, it is better to take the בְּ (bet) in the adversative sense “in spite of” (e.g., Lev 26:27; Num 14:11; Deut 1:32; Isa 5:25; 9:11, 16, 20; 10:4; 16:14; 47:9; Pss 27:3; 78:32; Ezra 3:3); cf. HALOT 104 s.v. בְּ 7; BDB 90 s.v. בְּ 3.7. NJPS renders it well: “Sometimes a good man perishes in spite of his goodness, and sometimes a wicked one endures in spite of his wickedness.” In a similar vein, D. R. Glenn (“Ecclesiastes,” BKCOT, 993–94) writes: “The word ‘in’ in the phrases ‘in his righteousness’ and ‘in his wickedness’ can here mean ‘in spite of.’ These phrases…argue against the common view that in 7:16 Solomon was warning against legalistic or Pharisaic self-righteousness. Such would have been a sin and would have been so acknowledged by Solomon who was concerned about true exceptions to the doctrine of retribution, not supposed ones (cf. 8:10–14 where this doctrine is discussed again).”

[7:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “There is.” The term יֵשׁ (yesh,“there is”) is often used in aphorisms to assert the existence of a particular situation that occurs sometimes. It may indicate that the situation is not the rule but that it does occur on occasion, and may be nuanced “sometimes” (Prov 11:24; 13:7, 23; 14:12; 16:25; 18:24; 20:15; Eccl 2:21; 4:8; 5:12; 6:1; 7:15 [2x]; 8:14 [3x]).

[7:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “a wicked man endures.”

[73:3]  ⁸ tn The imperfect verbal form here depicts the action as continuing in a past time frame.

[73:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “peace” (שָׁלוֹם, shalom).

[73:11]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “How does God know? Is there knowledge with the Most High?” They appear to be practical atheists, who acknowledge God’s existence and sovereignty in theory, but deny his involvement in the world (see Pss 10:4, 11; 14:1).

[73:12]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Look, these [are] the wicked.”

[73:12]  ¹² tn Heb “the ones who are always at ease [who] increase wealth.”

[73:13]  ¹³ tn The words “I concluded” are supplied in the translation. It is apparent that vv. 13-14 reflect the psalmist’s thoughts at an earlier time (see vv. 2-3), prior to the spiritual awakening he describes in vv. 17-28.

[73:13]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “heart,” viewed here as the seat of one’s thoughts and motives.

[73:13]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and washed my hands in innocence.” The psalmist uses an image from cultic ritual to picture his moral lifestyle. The reference to “hands” suggests actions.

[3:15]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “built up” (so NASB); NIV, NRSV “prosper”; NLT “get rich.”

[3:15]  ¹⁷ tn Or “test”; NRSV, CEV “put God to the test.”

[3:16]  ¹⁸ tn Or “fear” (so NAB); NRSV “revered”; NCV “honored.”

[3:16]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “heard and listened”; NAB “listened attentively.”

[3:16]  ²⁰ sn The scroll mentioned here is a “memory book” (סֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן, sefer zikkaron) in which the Lord keeps an ongoing record of the names of all the redeemed (see Exod 32:32; Isa 4:3; Dan 12:1; Rev 20:12-15).

[3:17]  ²¹ sn The Hebrew word סְגֻלָּה (sÿgullah, “special property”) is a technical term referring to all the recipients of God’s redemptive grace, especially Israel (Exod 19:5; Deut 7:6; 14:2; 26:18). The Lord says here that he will not forget even one individual in the day of judgment and reward.

[3:18]  ²² tn Heb “you will see between.” Cf. NRSV, TEV, NLT “see the difference.”