a (judicial) sentence · noun, common masculine singular construct
evil
הָרָעָ֖הha.ra.'Ah
H7451
bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral) · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
work
מַעֲשֵׂ֥הma.'a.Seh
H4639
an action (good or bad) · noun, common masculine singular construct
executed
נַעֲשָׂ֣הna.'a.Sah
H6213
to do or make · verb, niphal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
speedily
מְהֵרָ֑הme.he.Rah
H4120
properly · adverb
heart
לֵ֧בlev
H3820
the heart · noun, common masculine singular construct
sons
בְּֽנֵיbe.nei-
H1121
a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine plural construct
men
הָאָדָ֛םha.'a.Dam
H120
ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
set
מָלֵ֞אma.Le'
H4390
to fill or (intransitively) be full of · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
do
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹתla.'a.Sot
H6213
to do or make · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
evil
רָֽעRa'
H7451
bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral) · adjective, masculine singular absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Isaiah 26:10 Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not beho…
Psalms 50:21-22 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and…
Romans 2:4-5 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repenta…
2 Peter 3:3-10 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
Matthew 24:49-50 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
Psalms 10:6 He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.
Job 21:11-15 They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.
Jeremiah 48:11 Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gon…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 8:9-13
Solomon, in the beginning of the chapter, had warned us against having any thing to do with seditious subjects; here, in these verses, he encourages us, in reference to the mischief of tyrannical and oppressive rulers, such as he had complained of before, Ecc 3:16; Ecc 4:1.
1. He had observed many such rulers, Ecc 8:9. In the serious views and reviews he had taken of the children of men and their state he had observed that many a time one man rules over another to his hurt; that is, (1.) To the hurt of the ruled (many understand it so); whereas they ought to be God's ministers unto their subjects for their good (Rom 13:14), to administer justice, and to preserve the public peace and order, t…
The reason why the wicked persevere in sin: God's delay in judgment (Mat 24:48-51; Pe2 3:8-9). "They see not the smoke of the pit, therefore they dread not the fire" [SOUTH], (Psa 55:19). Joab's escape from the punishment of his murder of Abner, so far from "leading him to repentance," as it ought (Rom 2:4), led him to the additional murder of Amasa.
John Gill on Ecclesiastes 8:11
Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily,.... Any evil work done by magistrates, or others, against which the wrath of God is revealed from heaven, and is threatened with his vengeance; the decree is gone forth, the sentence is passed, God is determined upon punishment; but there is a delay of it, he exercises patience and longsuffering to answer some end of his, both towards his own people and the wicked; as well as to display some of his own perfections; but because so it is, the judgment comes not at once;
therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil; or their "heart is full to do evil" (n); they have not only a fulness of sin in them natur…
It is clear, then, that no one can be deceived by the devil except one who has chosen to yield to him the consent of his own will. As Ecclesiastes clearly puts it in these words: "For since there is no speedy opposition to those who do evil, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set to do evil." It is therefore clear that each person goes wrong from this; namely, that when evil thoughts assault him he does not immediately meet them with refusal and contradiction.
Until now, never confuting him with your own answer or that of another, you allowed him to lord it over you, according to that saying of Solomon's: "Because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the evil, the heart of the children of men is full within them to do evil." Therefore after his exposure that evil spirit will no longer be able to disturb you, nor will that foul serpent ever again make his lurking place in you, since he has been dragged out into light from the darkness by your life-giving confession."
Let them rest assured that punishment shall be inflicted on the wicked, and rewards shall be bestowed upon the righteous, by him who deals with everyone as each deserves, and who will proportion his rewards to the good that each has done, and to the account of himself that he is able to give. And let all know that the good shall be advanced to a higher state, and that the wicked shall be delivered over to sufferings and torments, in punishment of their licentiousness and depravity, their cowardice, timidity, and all their follies.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Heart — According to the Bible, the heart is the centre not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life. “Heart” and “soul” are often used interchangeably (Deut. 6:5; 26:16; comp.…
Depravity Of Man · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Gentiles · PROPHECIES OF THE CONVERSION OF — PROPHECIES OF THE CONVERSION OF
Heart, Character Of The Unrenewed · Fully set to do evil — Fully set to do evil
Impenitence · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Long-Suffering Of God, The · The wicked: Abuse — The wicked: Abuse
Punishment Of The Wicked, The · Deferred, emboldens them in sin — Deferred, emboldens them in sin
Security · .Leads to increased guilt — .Leads to increased guilt
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
"Who is like the wise? and who understandeth the interpretation of things? The wisdom of a man maketh his face bright, and the rudeness of his face is changed." Unlike this saying: "Who is like the wise?" are the formulas חכם מי, Hos 14:9, Jer 11:11, Psa 107:43, which are compared by Hitzig and others. "Who is like the wise?" means: Who is equal to him? and this question, after the scheme מי־כמכה, Exo 15:11, presents him as one who has not his like among men. Instead of כּה the word כּחכם might be used, after לחכם, Ecc 2:16, etc. The syncope is, as at Eze 40:25, omitted, which frequently occurs, particularly in the more modern books, Eze 47:22; Ch2 10:7; Ch2 25:10; Ch2 29:27; Neh 9:19; Neh 1…
In this world, injustice often prevails. The apparent success of the wicked can be frustrating.
Rashi on Ecclesiastes 8:11
Because the execution of sentence. Punishment for the evil deeds [is not done] quickly. For the Holy One, Blessed Is He, does not rush to mete out retribution upon the evildoers, and therefore, they think that there is no judgment, and they are encouraged to do evil.
