Kohelet 8:12

12 Though a choteh do rah an hundred times, and his yamim be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear HaElohim, which fear before Hashem;

Kohelet 8:12 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 8:12

Though a sinner do evil an hundred times
That is ever so many times, a certain number for an uncertain; though he lives in a continued course of sin, being resolved upon the above consideration to give himself a swing to his lusts. The Targum renders it a hundred years; though be should live so long in sin, yet at last should be accursed ( Isaiah 65:20 ) . This and what follows are said to check the boldness and presumption of the sinner upon the patience of God; and to make the people of God easy under the delay of justice, and the prosperity of the wicked; and his [days] be prolonged:
or rather, "and he prolongs unto him" ^F15; that is, God prolongs unto him, not days only, but the execution of the sentence against his evil works; or defers his wrath and punishment; so Jarchi,

``and the holy blessed God prolongs to him, and does not take vengeance on him;''

and to this purpose is the Targum,

``and from the Lord is given to him space to return;''

yet surely I know;
from the word and promise, and from experience, having observed it in a multitude of instances, which have abundantly confirmed the truth; that it shall be well with them that fear God;
not with a servile but filial fear, with a holy, humble, fiducial, affectionate, and an obediential fear; not through any terrible apprehension of his majesty, his judgment, his wrath now and hereafter; but under a sense of his being and perfections, and especially his mercy, grace, and goodness: it is well with such persons in all things; with respect to things temporal they shall not want what is proper for them; and with respect to things spiritual they are interested in the love, grace, and mercy of God; have much made known to them; are remembered by him; the sun of righteousness rises upon them; the eye of God is on them, and his heart towards them, and his hand communicates every needful supply to them; and they are guarded, not only by his angels, but by himself; and it is well with them at all times; in times of public calamity they are either taken from it beforehand, or preserved in it; all afflictions are for their good; it goes well with them at death and judgment; and they will be happy both in the millennium state and in the ultimate glory, So the Targum,

``it shall be well in the world to come with them that fear the Lord;''

see ( Psalms 34:7-9 ) ( 31:15 ) ( Revelation 11:18 ) ; with this compare ( Isaiah 3:10 Isaiah 3:11 ) ; it is added, which fear before him:
whose fear is not hypocritical, but sincere and hearty; not in show only, but in reality; not the precepts of men, and as before them, but as the sight of God; having always a sense of omniscience and omnipresence before them; and especially this fear is exercised by them when they are his house, in the assembly of his saints, attending his word and ordinances: or "which fear at his presence"; which fills them with a holy awe, as wall as with joy and gladness. The Targum is,

``which fear before him, and do his will.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 (wl Kyram) "et prolongans ei", Montanus; "et prolongat in Deus dies", Pagninus; so Mercerus, Junius & Tremellius, supply it; "et prorogat dei Deus poenam", Piscator; "et differt Deus iram suam propter illium", Vatablus.

Kohelet 8:12 In-Context

10 And so I saw the resha’im buried, who had come and gone out of the mekom kadosh (the holy place), and they were forgotten in the city where they had done such things; this is also hevel.

11 Because pitgam (sentence) against a ma’aseh hara’ah (an evil work) is not executed speedily, therefore the lev of the bnei haAdam is fully set in them to do rah.

12 Though a choteh do rah an hundred times, and his yamim be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear HaElohim, which fear before Hashem;

13 But it shall not be well with the rasha, neither shall he lengthen his yamim like a tzel (shadow); because he feareth not before Elohim.

14 There is a hevel which is done upon ha’aretz; that there be tzaddikim, unto whom it happeneth according to the ma’aseh haresha’im; again, there be resha’im, to whom it happeneth according to the ma’aseh hatzaddikim; I say that this also is hevel.