Ecclesiastes 8:9

“All this have I seen, etc.] Observed, taken notice of, and thoroughly considered; all that is said above, concerning the scarcity of good men and women, the fall of our first parents, the excellency of wisdom, the necessity and advantage of keeping the king’s commandment, the time and manner of doing it, the evil consequences that follow an inattention to these things, ignorance of what is to come, and the unavoidableness of death; and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun; not so much to mechanic works and manual operations performed by men, as to moral or immoral works, and chiefly the work of Providence with respect to good and bad men, the consequence of which were…”

“his own hurt--The tyrannical ruler "hurts" not merely his subjects, but himself; so Rehoboam (1Ki. 12:1-33); but the "time" of "hurt" chiefly refers to eternal ruin, incurred by "wickedness," at "the day of death" (Ecc 8:8), and the "time" of "judgment" (Ecc 8:6; Pro 8:36).”

“To his own hurt - Or, “to the hurt of the subject.” The case is still that of an unwise king whose command is obeyed Ecclesiastes 8:2 even to the hurt of the wise man who obeys him. return to 'Top of Page'”

“To his hurt - There are some kings, who use their power tyrannically, whereby they not only oppress their people, but hurt themselves, bringing the vengeance of God upon their own heads. Ecclesiastes 8:10”

“8:9-11 In this world, injustice often prevails. The apparent success of the wicked can be frustrating.”

“this: Ecc 1:14, Ecc 3:10, Ecc 4:7, Ecc 4:8, Ecc 7:25 there is: Ecc 5:8, Ecc 5:13; Exo 14:5-9, Exo 14:28; Deu 2:30; Kg2 14:10-12, Kg2 25:7 Ecclesiastes 8:10”

“"All that I have seen, and that, too, directing my heart to all the labour that is done under the sun: to the time when a man rules over a man to his hurt." The relation of the clauses is mistaken by Jerome, Luther, Hengst., Vaih., Ginsburg, and others, who begin a new clause with עת: "there is a time," etc.; and Zckl., who ventures to interpret עת וגו as epexegetical of כּל־מע וגו ("every work that is done under the sun"). The clause ונתון is an adverbial subordinate clause (vid., under Ecc 4:2): et advertendo quidem animum. עת is accus. of time, as at Jer 51:33; cf. Psa 4:8, the relation of 'eth asher, like מק שׁ, Ecc 1:7; Ecc 11:3. All that, viz., the wisdom of patient fidelity to duty,…”