Ecclesiastes 8:1
Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.
Ecclesiastes 8:1 in other translations
| BSB | Who is like the wise man? Who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed. |
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| WEB | Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed. |
| ASV | Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed. |
| YLT | Who is as the wise? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? The wisdom of man causeth his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed. |
| DARBY | Who is as the wise? and who knoweth the explanation of things? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face is changed. |
| BBE | Who is like the wise man? and to whom is the sense of anything clear? A man's wisdom makes his face shining, and his hard face will be changed. |
| Webster | Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed. |
What does Ecclesiastes 8:1 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Introduction
A man's wisdom makes his face shine, Ecc 8:1. Kings are to be greatly respected, Ecc 8:2-4. Of him who keeps the commandment; of the misery of man; of the certainty of death, Ecc 8:5-8. Of him that rules another to his own hurt, Ecc 8:9. The end of the wicked, Ecc 8:10. God's longsuffering, Ecc 8:11, Ecc 8:12. It shall be ill with wicked men, Ecc 8:13. Strange events in the course of Providence, Ecc 8:14, Ecc 8:15. God's works cannot be found out, Ecc 8:16, Ecc 8:17. Verse 1 Who knoweth the interpretation - פשר pesher, a pure Chaldee word, found nowhere else in the Bible but in the Chaldee parts of Daniel. "A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine." Every state of the heart shines through the countenance; but there is such an evidence of the contented, happy, pure, benevolent state of the soul in the face of a truly pious man, that it must be observed, and cannot be mistaken. In the Hebrew the former clause of this verse ends the preceding chapter. Who has ever been deceived in the appearance of the face that belonged to a savage heart? Those who represent, by painting or otherwise, a wise man, with a gravely sour face, striking awe and forbidding approach, have either mistaken the man, or are unacquainted with some essential principles of their art. The boldness of his face shall be changed - Instead of ישנא yeshunne, which signifies shall be hated, many of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. have ישנה yeshunneh, shall be changed or doubled. Hence the verse might be read, "The wisdom of a man shall illuminate his face; and the strength of his countenance shall be doubled." He shall speak with full confidence and conviction on a subject which he perfectly understands, and all will feel the weight of his observations.Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 8:1-5
Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain
Ecclesiastes 8:1 in the original Hebrew
Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Ecclesiastes 8:1
- Acts 6:15
And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
- Deuteronomy 28:50
A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young:
- 2 Peter 1:20
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
- Proverbs 24:5
A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
- Proverbs 17:24
Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.
- Acts 4:29
And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
- Job 33:23
If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:
- Daniel 4:18-19
This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee. Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.
- Ecclesiastes 2:13-14
Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
- Acts 4:13
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
- Exodus 34:29-30
And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
- 2 Timothy 4:17
Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2 Kings are to be respected.
6 Divine providence is to be observed.
12 It is better with the godly in adversity, than with the wicked in prosperity.
16 The work of God is unsearchable.
as the
2:13,14; 1Co 2:13-16
who knoweth.
Ge 40:8; 41:15,16,38,39; Job 33:23; Pr 1:6; Da 2:28-30,47; 4:18,19
2Pe 1:20
a man's.
Ex 34:29,30; Pr 4:8,9; 17:24; 24:5; Mt 17:2; Ac 6:15
and the.
De 28:50; Ac 4:13,29; Eph 6:19
boldness. Heb. strength.
2Ti 4:17
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- Ecclesiastes 8:1
Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.
- Ecclesiastes 8:2
I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
Ecclesiastes 8:1 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | ¿QUIÉN como el sabio? ¿y quién como el que sabe la declaración de las cosas? La sabiduría del hombre hará relucir su rostro, y mudaráse la tosquedad de su semblante. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Qui est comme le sage? et qui sait l’explication des choses? La sagesse d’un homme illumine son visage, et l’arrogance de son visage en est changée. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Wer ist wie der Weise, und wer versteht die Deutung der Dinge? Die Weisheit des Menschen erleuchtet sein Angesicht, und der Trotz seines Angesichts wird verwandelt. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Sapientia hominis lucet in vultu ejus, et potentissimus faciem illius commutabit. |