Ecclesiastes 8:1
Who is as the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.
A Conservative Version
In The King James Version
In Context
2I [say], Keep the king's command, and that because of the oath of God.
Cross References
Genesis 40:8And they said to him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no man who can interpret it. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, I pray you.
Genesis 41:38And Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the spirit of God?
Exodus 34:35And the sons of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone. And Moses put the veil upon his face again until he went in to speak with him.
Job 33:23If there be with him a [heavenly] agent, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show to man what is right for him,
Proverbs 4:8Exalt her, and she will promote thee. She will bring thee to honor when thou embrace her.
Proverbs 17:24Wisdom is before the face of him who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.
Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 8:1
Solomon, in this chapter, comes to recommend wisdom to us as the most powerful antidote against both the temptations and vexations that arise from the vanity of the world. Here is, I. The benefit and praise of wisdom, ver. 1 . II. Some particular instances of wisdom prescribed to us. 1. We must keep in due subjection to the government God has set over us, ver. 2-5 . 2. We must get ready for sudden evils, and especially for sudden death, ver. 6-8 . 3. We must arm ourselves against the temptation of an oppressive… Read the whole commentary →