Ecclesiastes 8:3
in Ecclesiastes 8Do not hasten to leave his presence, and do not persist in a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Be not hasty to go out of his presence; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
KJV
Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 8
Commentary
10 notes on this verseBe not hasty to go out of his sight,.... But of the sight of the King of kings.
This site's exposition
Keep the king’s command
on Ecclesiastes 8:2-5
Keep the king’s command assumes a king whose word is power, since the king’s word is supreme. Leaving his presence in haste and persisting in a bad cause are matters of court prudence. The counsel closes on timing, for a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.
This site's exposition
Do not hasten to leave
Clarke reads the verse as counsel to the king's servants. A man who has done wrong gains nothing by pleading before a king who does whatever he pleases. Wesley takes leaving his presence as leaving the king's service in discontent, and Gill applies the verse to the King of kings.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"I counsel you: Obey the king's command, and that in the manner of an oath of God. Do not hasten to leave his presence, do not persist in an evil thing; for he can do whatever he pleases. Since a king's word is law, who dare say to him, 'what are you doing?'
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 8 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Here secondly he exhorts one to adhere to wisdom by consideration of His power, when he says: Do not hasten to depart from His face, that is, do not turn aside from His will: and this on account of the sin of the heart, as …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
"There may perhaps be a just cause to go out of his sight; but be not hasty to do it; act with great deliberation." (3.) We must not persist in a fault when it is shown us: " Stand not in an evil thing; in any offence thou hast given to thy prince humble thyself, and do not justify thyself, for that will make the offence much more offensive.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
To go - In discontent, withdrawing thyself from the king's service or obedience. Stand not - if thou hast offended him, persist not in it. For - His power is uncontrollable.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Be not hasty - I consider the first five verses here as directions to courtiers, and the more immediate servants of kings. Be steadily faithful to your sovereign. Do not stand in an evil thing. If you have done wrong, do not endeavor to vindicate yourself before him; it is of no use; his power is absolute, and he will do what he pleases. He will take his own view of the subject, and he will retain it. The language of a despotic sovereign was ever this, Sic volo sic jubeo, stat pro ratione voluntas; “I will this.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
hasty--rather, "Be not terror-struck so as to go out of His sight." Slavishly "terror-struck" is characteristic of the sinner's feeling toward God; he vainly tries to flee out of His sight (Ps 139:7); opposed to the "shining face" of filial confidence (Ec 8:1;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Stand not ... - i. e., “Do not persist in rebellion.”
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּבָּהֵ֤ל | tibahel | you be hasty | H926 → | 39 times |
| מִפָּנָיו֙ | mipanav | from before him | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| תֵּלֵ֔ךְ | telekh | you will go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אַֽל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תַּעֲמֹ֖ד | taamod | you stand | H5975 → | 521 times |
| בְּדָבָ֣ר | bedavar | in a matter | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| רָ֑ע | ra' | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| כִּ֛י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יַחְפֹּ֖ץ | yachpotz | he will desire | H2654 → | |
| יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ | yaaseh | he will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תִּבָּהֵ֤לyou be hasty
tibahelH926 →39 times
מִפָּנָיו֙from before him
mipanavH6440 →2123 times
תֵּלֵ֔ךְyou will go
telekhH1980 →1546 times
אַֽל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תַּעֲמֹ֖דyou stand
taamodH5975 →521 times
בְּדָבָ֣רin a matter
bedavarH1697 →1440 times
רָ֑עevil
ra'H7451 →662 times
כִּ֛יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יַחְפֹּ֖ץhe will desire
yachpotzH2654 →
יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃he will do
yaasehH6213 →2628 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 14:29A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man promotes folly.
it leads to
- James 1:19
My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
- Ecclesiastes 7:9
Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
- Proverbs 14:17
A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a devious man is hated.
- Proverbs 19:11
A man’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.
- James 1:19
Through
Daniel 4:35All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain…
it leads to
- Job 42:2
“I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted.
- Psalms 135:6
The LORD does all that pleases Him in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and in all their depths.
- Psalms 115:3
Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.
- Romans 11:33–36
O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
- Job 42:2
Where this verse is studied
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 8; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.