en_tn/tNotes/Ecclesiastes/Ecclesiastes_08.md

# Ecclesiastes 8

## Ecclesiastes 8:1

### Who is a wise man? Who knows what the events in life mean?

The writer asks these as leading questions to provide the answer in what he says next.

### causes his face to shine

This means that the person's face will show that he has wisdom. Alternate translation: "shows on his face" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom]])

### the hardness of his face

This is an idiom. Alternate translation: "his harsh appearance" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom]])

### is changed

This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "changes" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive]])

## Ecclesiastes 8:2

### God's oath to protect him

"the oath you made before God to protect him"

## Ecclesiastes 8:3

### Do not hurry out of his presence

Possible meanings are 1) not to be hasty to physically leave the king's presence or 2) This is a metaphor that speaks of being loyal to the king as being in his presence. Alternate translation: "Do not abandon the king" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])

## Ecclesiastes 8:4

### The king's word rules

"What the king says is the law"

### who will say to him

This rhetorical question emphasizes that no one will ask the king the following question. This question can be written as a statement. Alternate translation: "no one can say to him" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion]])

### What are you doing?

This rhetorical question is a rebuke. This question can be written as as statement. Alternate translation: "You should not be doing what you are doing." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion]])

## Ecclesiastes 8:5

### A wise man's heart recognizes

Here a man is represented by his "heart" to emphasize his thoughts. Alternate translation: "A wise man recognizes" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche]])

### the proper course and time of action

"the correct time to do things and the right way to do them"

## Ecclesiastes 8:6

### General Information:

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## Ecclesiastes 8:7

### Who can tell him what is coming?

This rhetorical question emphasizes that no one knows what will happen in the future. This question can be written as a statement. Alternate translation: "No one can tell him what is coming." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion]])

## Ecclesiastes 8:8

### No one has power over the wind to restrain it ... no one has power over the day of his death

Just as no one has the ability to stop the wind from blowing, no one can continue living when it is time to die. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-simile]])

### the day of his death

This is an idiom. Alternate translation: "when he will die" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom]])

### No one is discharged from the army

This can be translated in active form. Alternate translation: "No army discharges anyone" or "No army allows soldiers to leave" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive]])

### wickedness will not rescue those who are its slaves

This speaks of wickedness as if it were a master who had slaves. Alternate translation: "evil people will not be saved by doing what is evil" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification]])

## Ecclesiastes 8:9

### I have applied my heart

Here the author refers to himself by his "heart" to emphasize his feelings. See how you translated this in [Ecclesiastes 1:17](../01/17.md). Alternate translation: "I applied myself" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche]])

### every kind of work that is done

This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "every kind of work that people do" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive]])

### under the sun

This refers to things that are done on earth. See how you translated this in [Ecclesiastes 1:3](../01/03.md). Alternate translation: "on the earth" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom]])

### There is a time when a person oppresses another person to that person's hurt

"Sometimes one person will oppress another, causing that person to be hurt"

## Ecclesiastes 8:10

### the wicked buried publicly

This can be stated in active form. Evil people that died were given honorable burials. Alternate translation: "people bury the wicked publicly" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive]])

### They were taken from the holy area and buried and were praised by people

This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "People took them from the holy area and buried them and praised them" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive]])

## Ecclesiastes 8:11

### When a sentence against an evil crime is not executed quickly

This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "When people in authority do not quickly execute a sentence against an evil crime" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive]])

### entices the hearts of human beings

Here people are represented by their "hearts" to emphasize their will and desires. Alternate translation: "entices human beings" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche]])

## Ecclesiastes 8:12

### a hundred times

"100 times" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-numbers]])

### it will be better for those who respect God

The phrase "it will be better" is an idiom. Alternate translation: "life will be better for those who respect God" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom]])

### who respect God ... who stand before him and show him respect

These two phrases mean basically the same thing and are combined to emphasize people respecting God. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism]])

## Ecclesiastes 8:13

### his life will not be prolonged

This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "God will not prolong his life" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive]])

### His days are like a fleeting shadow

This speaks of how the wicked man's life passes quickly by saying that it is like a shadow that quickly disappears. Alternate translation: "His days will pass as quickly as a shadow disappears" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-simile]])

### His days are

"His life is"

## Ecclesiastes 8:14

### something else meaningless that is done on the earth

This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "another meaningless thing that people do on the earth" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive]])

## Ecclesiastes 8:15

### under the sun

This refers to things that are done on earth. See how you translated this in [Ecclesiastes 1:3](../01/03.md). Alternate translation: "on the earth" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom]])

### for all the days of his life that God has given him

This is an idiom. Alternate translation: "for as long as God allows him to live" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom]])

## Ecclesiastes 8:16

### I applied my heart

Here the author refers to himself by his "heart" to emphasize his feelings. See how you translated this in [Ecclesiastes 1:17](../01/17.md). Alternate translation: "I applied myself" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche]])

### the work that is done on the earth

This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "the work that people do on the earth" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive]])

### without sleep for the eyes

Here a person is represented by his "eyes." Alternate translation: "without sleeping" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche]])

## Ecclesiastes 8:17

### the work that is done under the sun

Possible meanings are 1) "the work that God does under the sun" or 2) "the work that God allows people to do under the sun." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive]])

### under the sun

This refers to things that are done on earth. See how you translated this in [Ecclesiastes 1:3](../01/03.md). Alternate translation: "on the earth" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom]])