Ecclesiastes 8:9

9 So I saw all this, and I applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun; all the things wherein man has power over man to afflict him.

Ecclesiastes 8:9 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 8:9

All this have I seen
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 the following observations; [there is] a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt;
or "the man ruleth over men" F8; for this is not to be understood of private rule in families, of the parent over his children, or master over his servant, but of a king over his subjects; who is the man, the principal man in the kingdom; and such a man ruling in an arbitrary and tyrannical way is to his own detriment in the issue. So Rehoboam; by his oppressive government, lost ten tribes out of twelve. Some have lost their whole kingdoms, and come to an untimely end; as well as ruined their immortal souls. Some render it "to his hurt" F9; to the hurt of those that are ruled, when it should be for their good, the protection of their persons and properties; but instead of that they lay heavy burdens upon them, take away their property, and injure and insult their persons. So the Targum,

``to do ill to him.''
But Jarchi interprets it of the king himself. Some take it in both senses; and so it is usually in fact, that wicked princes rule to their own hurt, and the hurt of their subjects.
FOOTNOTES:

F8 (Mdah) "homo", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius
F9 (wl erl) "in ipsus perniciem", Tigurine version; "in noxam ipsi", Cocceius.

Ecclesiastes 8:9 In-Context

7 For there is no one that knows what is going to be: for who shall tell him how it shall be?
8 There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; and there is no power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in the day of the battle; neither shall ungodliness save her votary.
9 So I saw all this, and I applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun; all the things wherein man has power over man to afflict him.
10 And then I saw the ungodly carried into the tombs, and out of the holy place: and they departed, and were praised in the city, because they had done thus: this also is vanity.
11 Because there is no contradiction made on the part of those who do evil quickly, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully determined in them to do evil.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.