Ecclesiastes 8

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

10. the wicked--namely, rulers ( Ecclesiastes 8:9 ).
buried--with funeral pomp by man, though little meriting it ( Jeremiah 22:19 ); but this only formed the more awful contrast to their death, temporal and eternal, inflicted by God ( Luke 16:22 Luke 16:23 ).
come and gone from the place of the holy--went to and came from the place of judicature, where they sat as God's representatives ( Psalms 82:1-6 ), with pomp [HOLDEN]. WEISS translates, "Buried and gone (utterly), even from the holy place they departed." As Joab, by Solomon's command, was sent to the grave from the "holy place" in the temple, which was not a sanctuary to murderers ( Exodus 21:14 , 1 Kings 2:28 1 Kings 2:31 ). The use of the very word "bury" there makes this view likely; still "who had come and gone" may be retained. Joab came to the altar, but had to go from it; so the "wicked rulers" ( Ecclesiastes 8:9 ) (including high priests) came to, and went from, the temple, on occasions of solemn worship, but did not thereby escape their doom.
forgotten--( Proverbs 10:7 ).

11. The reason why the wicked persevere in sin: God's delay in judgment ( Matthew 24:48-51 , 2 Peter 3:8 2 Peter 3:9 ). "They see not the smoke of the pit, therefore they dread not the fire" [SOUTH], ( Psalms 55:19 ). Joab's escape from the punishment of his murder of Abner, so far from "leading him to repentance," as it ought ( Romans 2:4 ), led him to the additional murder of Amasa.

12. He says this, lest the sinner should abuse the statement "A wicked man prolongeth his life" ( Ecclesiastes 7:15 ).
before him--literally, "at His presence"; reverently serve Him, realizing His continual presence.

13. neither shall lie prolong--not a contradiction to Ecclesiastes 8:12 . The "prolonging" of his days there is only seeming, not real. Taking into account his eternal existence, his present days, however seemingly long, are really short. God's delay ( Ecclesiastes 8:11 ) exists only in man's short-sighted view. It gives scope to the sinner to repent, or else to fill up his full measure of guilt; and so, in either case, tends to the final vindication of God's ways. It gives exercise to the faith, patience, and perseverance of saints.
shadow--( Ecclesiastes 6:12 , Job 8:9 ).

14. An objection is here started (entertained by Solomon in his apostasy), as in Ecclesiastes 3:16 , 7:15 , to the truth of retributive justice, from the fact of the just and the wicked not now receiving always according to their respective deserts; a cavil, which would seem the more weighty to men living under the Mosaic covenant of temporal sanctions. The objector adds, as Solomon had said, that the worldling's pursuits are "vanity" ( Ecclesiastes 8:10 ), "I say (not 'said') this also is vanity. Then I commend mirth," &c. [HOLDEN]. Ecclesiastes 8:14 Ecclesiastes 8:15 may, however, be explained as teaching a cheerful, thankful use of God's gifts "under the sun," that is, not making them the chief good, as sensualists do, which Ecclesiastes 2:2 , 7:2 , forbid; but in "the fear of God," as Ecclesiastes 3:12 , 5:18 , 7:18 , 9:7 , opposed to the abstinence of the self-righteous ascetic ( Ecclesiastes 7:16 ), and of the miser ( Ecclesiastes 5:17 ).

15. no better thing, &c.--namely, for the "just" man, whose chief good is religion, not for the worldly.
abide--Hebrew, "adhere"; not for ever, but it is the only sure good to be enjoyed from earthly labors (equivalent to "of his labor the days of his life"). Still, the language resembles the skeptical precept ( 1 Corinthians 15:32 ), introduced only to be refuted; and "abide" is too strong language, perhaps, for a religious man to apply to "eating" and "mirth."

16. Reply to Ecclesiastes 8:14 Ecclesiastes 8:15 . When I applied myself to observe man's toils after happiness (some of them so incessant as not to allow sufficient time for "sleep"), then ( Ecclesiastes 8:17 , the apodosis) I saw that man cannot find out (the reason of) God's inscrutable dealings with the "just" and with the "wicked" here ( Ecclesiastes 8:14 , Ecclesiastes 3:11 , Job 5:9 , Romans 11:33 ); his duty is to acquiesce in them as good, because they are God's, though he sees not all the reasons for them ( Psalms 73:16 ). It is enough to know "the righteous are in God's hand" ( Ecclesiastes 9:1 ). "Over wise" ( Ecclesiastes 7:16 ); that is, Speculations above what is written are vain.