Ecclesiastes 8:5
in Ecclesiastes 8Whoever keeps his command will come to no harm, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man’s heart discerneth time and judgment:
KJV
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 8
Commentary
11 notes on this verseAnd you find in another passage, "For he that keeps the commandment does not know the wicked word" when it is altogether clear that knowledge of wickedness is not culpable, but association with it is.
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
Whoever keeps his command
Barnes renders the verb as know: the man who keeps the king's command knows no part in rebellion. A wise heart also knows that a wrong command will meet correction in God's time. Jerome ties the phrase to Christ, who knew no sin.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"He who obeys the commandment will know no evil; and a wise man will know time and justice. "Notice here in particular that 'he will know no evil' has been written instead of 'he will not suffer' or even 'evil will not be in him'. Likewise it has also been written about the Saviour, "for he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin." [II Cor. 5, 21.] Instead of 'evil' too Symmachus interprets this phrase as saying, "he who keeps the commandment will experience no wickedness". But he teaches that we should keep the command of a king, and know why and when he orders.
Whoever knows what is good also knows at the same time what is bad. "To know" here does not mean "to do" but simply "to know about something." Because when the commandment is given to turn away from evil and do good, we must also …
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 8 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Here he thirdly exhorts us to cling to wisdom by consideration of our benefit. For there is great benefit in clinging to it and keeping its commandments. On account of which he says: He who keeps the commandment shall experience nothing evil: indeed he shall …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing,....
All the events concerning us, with the exact time of them, are determined and appointed in the counsel and foreknowledge of God, and all in wisdom: To every purpose there is a time prefixed, and it is the best time, for it is time and judgment, time appointed both in wisdom and righteousness; the appointment is not chargeable with folly or iniquity.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Feel - literally, know. The meaning is, “He who obeys the commandment (i. e., the word of the king, Ecc 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 Ecc 3:11, Ecc 3:17.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
feel--experience. time--the neglect of the right "times" causes much of the sinful folly of the spiritually unwise (Ec 3:1-11). judgment--the right manner [HOLDEN]. But as God's future "judgment" is connected with the "time for every purpose" in Ec 3:17, so it is here. The punishment of persisting sinners (Ec 8:3) suggests it.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
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 knitter. To discern all these, and act suitably, is a lesson for a philosopher, and a study for a Christian.
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שׁוֹמֵ֣ר | shomer | [one who] keeps | H8104 → | 468 times |
| מִצְוָ֔ה | mitzvah | a command | H4687 → | |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יֵדַ֖ע | yeda' | he will know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| דָּבָ֣ר | davar | a thing | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| רָ֑ע | ra' | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| וְעֵ֣ת | veet | and an appropriate time | H6256 → | 296 times |
| וּמִשְׁפָּ֔ט | umishpat | and custom | H4941 → | 422 times |
| יֵדַ֖ע | yeda' | it will know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| לֵ֥ב | lev | a heart | H3820 → | 595 times |
| חָכָֽם׃ | chakham | wise | H2450 → | 138 times |
שׁוֹמֵ֣ר[one who] keeps
shomerH8104 →468 times
מִצְוָ֔הa command
mitzvahH4687 →
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יֵדַ֖עhe will know
yeda'H3045 →945 times
דָּבָ֣רa thing
davarH1697 →1440 times
רָ֑עevil
ra'H7451 →662 times
וְעֵ֣תand an appropriate time
veetH6256 →296 times
וּמִשְׁפָּ֔טand custom
umishpatH4941 →422 times
יֵדַ֖עit will know
yeda'H3045 →945 times
לֵ֥בa heart
levH3820 →595 times
חָכָֽם׃wise
chakhamH2450 →138 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
Hebrews 5:14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 2:14–15
The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21
but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.
- Philippians 1:9–10
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
- Isaiah 7:15
By the time He knows enough to reject evil and choose good, He will be eating curds and honey.
- 1 Corinthians 2:14–15
Through
1 Chronicles 12:32From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do: 200 chiefs with all their kinsmen at their command.
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:17
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
- Luke 12:56–57
You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don’t you know how to interpret the present time?
- Esther 1:13
Then the king consulted the wise men who knew the times, for it was customary for him to confer with the experts in law and justice.
- Proverbs 14:8
The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them.
- Ephesians 5:17
Where this verse is studied
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on 10 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); Ambrose of Milan, Interrogation of Job and David 2.7.27; Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 8; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes; Didymus the Blind, COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 236:2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.