Ecclesiastes 8:13

13 But it will not go well with the wicked, and they will not prolong [their] days, like the shadow; because there is no fearing {God's presence}.

Ecclesiastes 8:13 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 8:13

But it shall not be well with the wicked
It shall be ill with him; more is designed than is expressed, ( Isaiah 3:11 ) ; in life they have no solid peace and comfort; at death they will be turned into at judgment they will hear the awful sentence, "Go, ye cursed", and will be in torment to all eternity, ( Matthew 25:41 ) ; neither shall he prolong [his] days, [which are] as a shadow:
wicked men sometimes do not live out half their days, which, according to the course of nature, and common term of life, they might be thought to live; or if they prolong their days in wickedness, as sometimes they do, ( Ecclesiastes 7:15 ) ; yet their days at longest are but a shadow which declines, and is quickly gone; or, however, they do not attain to eternal life, which is sometimes meant by prolonging days, and is length of days for ever and ever, ( Isaiah 53:10 ) ( Psalms 21:4 ) ; this they never enjoy; but when the righteous go into life lasting, they go into everlasting punishment. The reason of this is, because he feareth not before God;
the fear of God is not before his eyes, nor in his heart; he goes on in sin without fear of him, boldly and openly commits it, and instead of taking shame for it, or repenting of it, glories in it; stretches out his hand against God, and bids defiance to him, and desires not the knowledge of him, and refuses to obey him The Targum of the whole is,

``and it shall not be well with the wicked, and he shall have no space in the world to come; and in this world his days shall be cut off, and they shall flee and pass away as a shadow, because he fears not God.''

Ecclesiastes 8:13 In-Context

11 Because sentence against an evil deed is not carried out quickly, the heart of {humans} fills up within them to do evil.

12 Although the sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I also know that it will be good for those who fear God--because they fear {his presence}.

13 But it will not go well with the wicked, and they will not prolong [their] days, like the shadow; because there is no fearing {God's presence}.

14 There [is] a vanity that happens on earth: sometimes the righteous suffer what the wicked deserve, and sometimes the wicked receive what the righteous deserve. I said, "This also [is] vanity!"

15 So I recommend enjoyment. For there [is] nothing better for man under the sun than to eat and to drink and to rejoice. This will accompany him in his toil the days of his life that God gives to him under the sun.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "from before the face of God"