Ecclesiastes 8:6
in Ecclesiastes 8For there is a right time and procedure to every purpose, though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
for to every purpose there is a time and judgment; because the misery of man is great upon him:
KJV
Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 8
Commentary
8 notes on this verse"For everything has its time and justice, for man's evil overwhelms him. Indeed he does not know what will happen, for when it happens , who will tell him? "Many good and bad things can befall a man, but even a righteous man is not able to know what will befall him, or know the causes and reasons for each thing, (for no one can know what will happen), but he does know that all things are done by God to the advantage of man, and nothing is done without His will.
This site's exposition
For there is a right time and procedure
on Ecclesiastes 8:6-7
The line there is a right time and procedure to every purpose carries the theme of chapter 3 into the court. The discernment of verse 5 meets its limit. Verse 7 names the root of much human anxiety, action taken without certainty of outcome or hour.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 8 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
And the wise man does well who considers the opportune time; which he proves when he brings forth: To every matter, that is, in every matter, there is a time and an opportunity, and much affliction of man, supply: in diligently considering these things; above, …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Because to every purpose there is time and judgment,.... There is a fit season, and a right and proper manner of doing everything that is to be done; see Ecc 3:1; which a wise man discerns; and which when a man hits upon, it prevents a great deal of mischief, which for want of it comes upon men, as the following clause shows; some refer this to the punishment of the wicked, and to a future judgment.
Because - There is a fit way and season for the accomplishment of every business, which is known to God, but for the most part hidden from man. Therefore - Because there are few who have wisdom to discern this, most men expose themselves to manifold miseries.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
To every purpose there is time - חפץ chaphets, every volition, every thing that depends on the will of man. He has generally the opportunity to do whatever he purposes; and as his purposes are frequently evil, his acts are so too: and in consequence his misery is great.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
therefore the misery, &c.--because the foolish sinner does not think of the right "times" and the "judgment."
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Because, therefore - , Or, as in Ecc 8:7, “for.” The possibility of God’s time and judgment being in opposition to a king’s purpose or commandment Ecc 8:5, suggests the thought that such discord is a misery (evil, Ecc 6:1) common to man (or, mankind).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | for every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חֵ֔פֶץ | chefetz | matter | H2656 → | 39 times |
| יֵ֖שׁ | yesh | there | H3426 → | 140 times |
| עֵ֣ת | ʾet | [is] an appropriate time | H6256 → | 296 times |
| וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט | umishpat | and a custom | H4941 → | 422 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| רָעַ֥ת | raat | [the] trouble of | H7451 → | 662 times |
| הָאָדָ֖ם | haadam | <the> humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| רַבָּ֥ה | rabah | [is] great | H7227 → | 454 times |
| עָלָֽיו׃ | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לְכָל־for every
lekholH3605 →5413 times
חֵ֔פֶץmatter
chefetzH2656 →39 times
יֵ֖שׁthere
yeshH3426 →140 times
עֵ֣ת[is] an appropriate time
ʾetH6256 →296 times
וּמִשְׁפָּ֑טand a custom
umishpatH4941 →422 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
רָעַ֥ת[the] trouble of
raatH7451 →662 times
הָאָדָ֖ם<the> humankind
haadamH120 →551 times
רַבָּ֥ה[is] great
rabahH7227 →454 times
עָלָֽיו׃on him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 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
Ecclesiastes 3:1To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 3:17
I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”
- Matthew 16:3
and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but not the signs of the times.
- Ecclesiastes 8:5–6
Whoever keeps his command will come to no harm, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.
- Ecclesiastes 7:14
In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider this: God has made one of these along with the other, so that a man cannot discover anything that will…
- Ecclesiastes 3:17
Through
Ecclesiastes 3:11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end.
it leads to
- Romans 11:33
O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
- Romans 1:19–20
For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
- Job 11:7
Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?
- Ecclesiastes 8:17
I saw every work of God, and that a man is unable to comprehend the work that is done under the sun. Despite his efforts to search it out, he cannot find its meaning;…
- Romans 11:33
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; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.