a wise mind (Knobel), although this is possible, 1Ki 3:12 (cf. Psa 90:12), but: the heart of a wise man, which is made more natural by Ecc 10:2, Pro 16:23. The heart of a wise man, which is not hurried forward by dynastic oppression to a selfish forgetfulness of duty, but in quietness and hope (Lam 3:26) awaits the interposition of God, will come to the knowledge that there is an eth, a time, when oppression has an end, and a mishpat, when it suffers punishment. Well adapted to the sense in which eth is here used is the remark of Elia Levita in his Tishbi, that זמן corresponds to the German Zeit and the Romanic tempo, but עת to the German Ziel and the Romanic termino. The lxx translates καιρὸν κρίσεως; and, inf act, עת ום is a hendiadys, which, however, consists in the division of one conception into two. The heart of the wise man remaining true to duty will come to learn that there is a terminus and judicial decision, for everything has an end when it falls under the fate for which it is ripe, especially the sinner.
Verse 6
Ecc 8:6 “For there is a time and decision for everything, for the wickedness of man becomes too great.” From Ecc 8:6 there follow four clauses with כּי; by such monotonous repetition of one and the same word, the author also elsewhere renders the exposition difficult, affording too free a space for understanding the כי as confirming, or as hypothetical, and for co-ordinating or subordinating to each other the clauses with כי. Presupposing the correctness of our exposition of Ecc 8:5, the clause Ecc 8:6 with כי may be rendered parenthetically, and that with כי in Ecc 8:6 hypothetically: “an end and decision the heart of the wise man will come to experience (because for everything there is an end and decision), supposing that the wickedness of man has become great upon him, i.e., his burden of guilt has reached its full measure.” We suppose thereby (1) that בּה, which appears from the accent on the ult. to be an adj., can also be the 3rd pret., since before ע the tone has gone back to áh (cf. Gen 26:10; Isa 11:1), to protect it from being put aside; but generally the accenting of such forms of עע hovers between the penult. and the ult., e.g., Psa 69:5; Psa 55:22; Pro 14:19. Then (2) that עליו goes back to האדם without distinction of persons, which has a support in Ecc 6:1, and that thus a great רעה is meant lying upon man, which finally finds its punishment. But this view of the relation of the clauses fails, in that it affords no connection for Ecc 8:7. It appears to be best to co-ordinate all the four כי as members of one chain of proof, which reaches its point in Ecc 8:8, viz., in the following manner: the heart of a wise man will see the time and the judgment of the ruler, laying to his heart the temptation to rebellion; for (1) as the author has already said, Ecc 3:17 : “God
