Ecclesiastes 8:4
2 Keep the king’s command, I say, because of your oath before God.
3 Do not hasten to leave his presence, and do not persist in a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases.
For the king’s word is supreme, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
5 Whoever keeps his command will come to no harm, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.
6 For there is a right time and procedure to every purpose, though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- For the king’s word is supreme, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
- KJV
- Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
- WEB
- for the king’s word is supreme. Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
- ASV
- For the king`s word [hath] power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
- DARBY
- because the word of a king is power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
- BLB
- Where the word of a king [is], power [is], and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
- ÅB
- For kongens ord er mektig, og hvem tør si til ham: Hva gjør du?
- OTB
- Siden kongens ord er autoritativt, hvem kan stille ham spørsmål, “Hva gjør du?”
- B1930
- For kongens ord er mektig, og hvem tør si til ham: Hvad gjør du?
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Romans 13:1–4
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.
Read in contextJob 9:12
If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
Read in contextProverbs 20:2
The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion; whoever provokes him forfeits his own life.
Read in contextDaniel 4:35
All 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 His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”
Read in contextRomans 9:20
But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”
Read in contextProverbs 19:12
A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
Read in contextJob 34:18–19
who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’
Read in context1 Kings 2:25
So King Solomon sent the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who struck down Adonijah, and he died.
Read in context