8:9-11 The Westminster Leningrad Codex
9 אֶת־כָּל־זֶ֤ה רָאִ֙יתִי֙ וְנָת֣וֹן אֶת־לִבִּ֔י לְכָֽל־מַעֲשֶׂ֔ה
אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשָׂ֖ה תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ עֵ֗ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר שָׁלַ֧ט הָאָדָ֛ם
בְּאָדָ֖ם לְרַ֥ע לֽוֹ׃10 וּבְכֵ֡ן רָאִיתִי֩ רְשָׁעִ֨ים קְבֻרִ֜ים וָבָ֗אוּ וּמִמְּק֤וֹם
קָדוֹשׁ֙ יְהַלֵּ֔כוּ וְיִֽשְׁתַּכְּח֥וּ בָעִ֖יר אֲשֶׁ֣ר כֵּן־עָשׂ֑וּ
גַּם־זֶ֖ה הָֽבֶל׃11 אֲשֶׁר֙ אֵין־נַעֲשָׂ֣ה פִתְגָ֔ם מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה הָרָעָ֖ה מְהֵרָ֑ה
עַל־כֵּ֡ן מָלֵ֞א לֵ֧ב בְּֽנֵי־הָאָדָ֛ם בָּהֶ֖ם לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת רָֽע׃
Ecclesiastes 8:9-11 New American Standard Bible 1995
9 All this I have seen and applied my [a]mind to every deed that has
been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over
another man to his hurt.10 So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and
out from the holy place, and they are soon forgotten in the city where
they did thus. This too is futility. 11 Because the sentence against
an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons
of men among them are given fully to do evil.
Ecclesiastes 8:9-11 New King James Version
9 All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is
done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over
another to his own hurt. Death Comes to All10 Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place
of holiness, and they were forgotten[a] in the city where they had so
done. This also is vanity. 11 Because the sentence against an evil
work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men
is fully set in them to do evil.
Ecclesiastes 8:9-11 English Standard Version
9 All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done
under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt. Those Who Fear
God Will Do Well10 Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the
holy place and were praised[a] in the city where they had done such
things. This also is vanity.[b] 11 Because the sentence against an
evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man
is fully set to do evil.
The NASB1995 and the ESV translations of Ecclesiastes 8:10 seem to suggest that there are wicked people who can also frequently attend holy places ( i.e., temples, synagogues, churches) for services and rituals.
However, the NKJV translation of Ecclesiastes 8:10 seem to suggest that the funerals of some of the wicked would entail their bodies arriving at holy places, and then being taken away for burial after the funeral ceremony.
Within the larger context of Ecclesiastes 8:9-11 ,
would it be correct to interpret Ecclesiastes 8:10 to be referring to pretentiously deceptive followers of God ( like many of the Pharisees mentioned in the Gospels – Luke 11:37–54, Matthew 23:1–39, Mark 12:35–40 and Luke 20:45–47 )
Or
is Ecclesiastes 8:10 merely referring to the customary funeral ceremony that most people who die would undergo?
Leave a Reply