Ecclesiastes 7:15

15 All [things] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just [man] that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his life] in his wickedness.

Ecclesiastes 7:15 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 7:15

All [things] have I seen in the days of my vanity
Or, "all these things" ^F21. What goes before and follows after, the various changes men are subject unto, both good and bad; these he had made his observations upon, throughout the course of his life, which had been a vain one, as every man's is, full of evil and trouble; see ( Ecclesiastes 6:12 ) ; perhaps the wise man may have some respect to the times of his apostasy; and which might, among other things, be brought on by this; observing good men afflicted, and the wicked prosper, which has often been a stumbling to good men; there is a just [man] that perisheth in his righteousness;
not eternally; no truly just man ever perished, who is made so by the righteousness of Christ imputed to him; for though the righteous man is said to be scarcely saved, yet he is certainly saved: it can be true only in this sense of one that is only outwardly righteous, that trusts to his own righteousness, in which he may perish; but this is to be understood temporally and corporeally; one that is really just may perish in his name, in his substance, as well as at death, and that on account of his righteousness; he may lose his good name and character, and his substance, for righteousness's sake; yea, his life also, as Abel, Naboth, and others; this is the case "sometimes", as Aben Ezra observes, not always: or a just man, notwithstanding his righteousness, dies, and sometimes lives but a short time; which sense the antithesis seems to require; and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his life] in his
wickedness;
is very wicked, and yet, notwithstanding his great wickedness, lives a long time in the world; see ( Job 21:7 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 (lk ta) "illa omnia", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Tigurine version, Gejerus; "omnia haec", Mercerus; "universa haec", Rambachius.

Ecclesiastes 7:15 In-Context

13 Consider the work of God: for who can make [that] straight, which he hath made crooked?

14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

15 All [things] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just [man] that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his life] in his wickedness.

16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldst thou destroy thyself?

17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldst thou die before thy time?