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Thursday, October 3rd, 2024
the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
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Updated Bible Version

Ecclesiastes 8:5

Whoever keeps the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discerns time and judgment:

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - King;   Righteous;   Wisdom;   The Topic Concordance - Discerning;   Heart;   Obedience;   Wisdom;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Know, Knowledge;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Discern;   Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for August 28;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
He who keeps a royal command experiences no evil thing, for a wise heart knows the proper time and custom.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Who so kepeth the commaundement, shall feele no harme: but a wyse mans heart discerneth the tyme and iudgement.
Darby Translation
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart knoweth time and manner.
New King James Version
He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful; And a wise man's heart discerns both time and judgment,
Literal Translation
Whoever keeps the command shall know no evil thing. A wise man's heart knows both time and judgment.
Easy-to-Read Version
People will be safe if they obey his command. But wise people know the right time to do this, and they also know when to do the right thing.
World English Bible
Whoever keeps the commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time and procedure.
King James Version (1611)
Whoso keepeth the commandement, shall feele no euill thing: and a wise mans heart discerneth both time and iudgement.
King James Version
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Who so kepeth the commaundement, shall fele no harme: but a wyse mans herte discerneth tyme and maner:
Amplified Bible
Whoever keeps and observes a royal command will experience neither trouble nor misery; For a wise heart will know the proper time and [appropriate] procedure.
American Standard Version
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discerneth time and judgment:
Bible in Basic English
Whoever keeps the law will come to no evil: and a wise man's heart has knowledge of time and of decision.
Webster's Bible Translation
He who keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.
New English Translation
Whoever obeys his command will not experience harm, and a wise person knows the proper time and procedure.
Contemporary English Version
If you obey the king, you will stay out of trouble. So be smart and learn what to do and when to do it.
Complete Jewish Bible
Whoever obeys his command will never come to harm, and the wise person will know the right time and judgment.
Geneva Bible (1587)
He that keepeth the commandement, shall knowe none euill thing, and the heart of the wise shall knowe the time and iudgement.
George Lamsa Translation
He who keeps a command shall know no evil thing; and a wise mans heart discerns both time and judgment.
Hebrew Names Version
Whoever keeps the mitzvah shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time and procedure.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discerneth time and judgment.
New Living Translation
Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right,
New Life Bible
He who obeys the king's law will have no trouble, for a wise heart knows the right time and way.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
He that keeps the commandment shall not know an evil thing: and the heart of the wise knows the time of judgement.
English Revised Version
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discerneth time and judgment:
Berean Standard Bible
Whoever keeps his command will come to no harm, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.
New Revised Standard
Whoever obeys a command will meet no harm, and the wise mind will know the time and way.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He that observeth the commandment, will not notice a vexatious thing, - and, of time and manner, will the heart of the wise take note.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He that keepeth the commandment, shall find no evil. The heart of a wiser man understandeth time and answer.
Lexham English Bible
Whoever obeys his command will not suffer disaster. The wise mind knows the proper time and the right procedure.
English Standard Version
Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.
New American Standard Bible
One who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure.
New Century Version
Whoever obeys the king's command will be safe. A wise person does the right thing at the right time.
Good News Translation
As long as you obey his commands, you are safe, and a wise person knows how and when to do it.
Christian Standard Bible®
The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He that kepith the comaundement of God `in this lijf, schal not feele ony thing of yuel; the herte of a wijs man vndurstondith tyme and answer.
Revised Standard Version
He who obeys a command will meet no harm, and the mind of a wise man will know the time and way.
Young's Literal Translation
Whoso is keeping a command knoweth no evil thing, and time and judgment the heart of the wise knoweth.

Contextual Overview

1 Who is as the wise man? and who knows the interpretation of a thing? The wisdom of man makes his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed. 2 I [counsel you], Keep the king's command, and that in regard of the oath of God. 3 Don't be in a hurry to go out of his presence; don't persist in an evil thing: for he does whatever pleases him. 4 For the king's word [has] power; and who may say to him, What are you doing? 5 Whoever keeps the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discerns time and judgment:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

keepeth: Ecclesiastes 8:2, Exodus 1:17, Exodus 1:20, Exodus 1:21, Psalms 119:6, Hosea 5:11, Luke 20:25, Acts 4:19, Acts 5:29, Romans 13:5-7, 1 Peter 3:13, 1 Peter 3:14

feel: Heb. know

a wise: Ecclesiastes 2:14, Ecclesiastes 10:2, 1 Chronicles 12:32, Proverbs 17:24, Luke 12:56, Luke 12:57, 1 Corinthians 2:14, 1 Corinthians 2:15, Philippians 1:9, Philippians 1:10, Colossians 1:9, Hebrews 5:14

Reciprocal: Proverbs 13:23 - destroyed Proverbs 19:16 - keepeth the Ecclesiastes 3:1 - every thing Ecclesiastes 9:12 - man 1 Corinthians 11:29 - not James 3:13 - is a 1 John 2:5 - whoso

Cross-References

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing,.... Either the commandment of an earthly king, which should be kept, when agreeably to the laws of the nation, and not inconsistent with the commands of God; and such as do observe it "know no evil" a, as it may be rendered, or no sorrow; they live peaceably and quietly, and enjoy the favour and protection of the government under which they are, and have praise of men; see Romans 13:3; or the commandments of the heavenly King, the singular being put for the plural; so the Targum,

"whoso keepeth the commandments of the Lord shall know no evil in the world to come.''

Nor in this world neither; no evil befalls them; what may be thought to be so is for their good; though they know and are conscious of the evil of sin, and commit it, yet not willingly, and with love to it, and so as to make it the work of their lives; but lament it, repent of it, and forsake it, and do not feel the evil of punishment for it; yea, such enjoy much good; have much communion with God; large discoveries of his love; dwell in him, and shall at last dwell with him in the heavenly city; see John 14:21;

and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment; he knows not only what is his duty to do, both with respect to God and men, to a temporal prince or the King eternal; but he knows also the most fit and convenient time of doing it; and lays hold on every opportunity that offers, and which may be called "redeeming time", Galatians 6:10; and he knows the right manner in which it should be performed, with all the agreeable circumstances of it, which he carefully observes; or he knows the judgment that will be passed, or the punishment that will be inflicted on delinquents, either by God or men; and therefore is careful to keep the commandment, and avoid it: and especially he remembers there is a judgment to come, when everything will be brought to an account; and, though he does not know the precise day and hour, yet he knows there will be such a time; so some render it, "the time of judgment" b: the Targum is,

"and the time of prayer, and of judgment, and of truth, is known by the heart of the wise.''

a לא ידע "non cognoscet", Vatablus, Mercerus, Gejerus, Rambachius, Cocceius. b ועת ומשפט καιρον κρισεως, Sept. so some in Drusius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Feel - literally, know. The meaning is, “He who obeys the commandment (i. e., the word of the king, Ecclesiastes 8:4), will not be an accomplice in any act of rebellion; and if he be a wise man he discerns (literally knows) that the king’s commandment or action is liable to correction, if it be wrong, in God’s time and by God’s judgment.” Compare Ecclesiastes 3:11, Ecclesiastes 3:17.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 8:5. Both time and judgment. — It is a matter of great importance to be able to discern WHEN and HOW both to speak and act; but when time and manner are both determined, the matter comes next. WHAT shall I speak? WHAT shall I do? When, how, and what, answer to time, manner, and matter. To discern all these, and act suitably, is a lesson for a philosopher, and a study for a Christian.


 
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