Ecclesiastes 8:10 · Bible study
Ecclesiastes 8:10 Commentary: Wicked Honor and the Puzzle of Divine Justice
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine Ecclesiastes 8:10, the wicked buried, the holy place, and the forgotten/praised ambiguity, to explore the Preacher's struggle with delayed justice.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Preacher observes the wicked receiving honorable burial and having access to the holy place, yet they are forgotten or praised in the city, a vanity that challenges belief in retributive justice.
- Key words: wicked (רָשָׁע), buried (קָבַר), holy place (מְקוֹם קָדוֹשׁ), forgotten/ praised (שָׁכַח / שָׁבַח), vanity (הֶבֶל).
- Main debate: Textual, should the verb be read “forgotten” (MT) or “praised” (LXX, Vulgate)? Interpretation, does the holy place refer to the temple or the seat of justice?
- Theological theme: Theodicy: the seeming success of the wicked and the delay of divine justice, calling for faith in God’s hidden purposes.
- Best use: Sermons or studies on theodicy, God’s justice, the book of Ecclesiastes, or the realism of wisdom literature.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then too, I saw the burial of the wicked who used to go in and out of the holy place, and they were praised in the city where they had done so. This too is futile.
WEB World English Bible 2000
So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holiness. They went and were forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is vanity.
KJV King James Version 1769
And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
So I saw the wicked buried, and they came to the grave; and they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city: this also is vanity.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And so I have seen the wicked buried, and they went in, even from the Holy Place they go, and they are forgotten in the city whether they had so done. This also is vanity.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And I have also seen the wicked buried and going away; and such as had acted rightly went from [the] holy place, and were forgotten in the city. This also is vanity.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
I saw the wicked buried: who also when they were yet living were in the holy place, and were praised in the city as men of just works: but this also is vanity.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Esto vi también: que los impíos sepultados vinieron aún en memoria; mas los que partieron|strong="H0935, H1980" del lugar santo, fueron luego puestos en olvido en la ciudad donde con rectitud habían obrado. Esto también es vanidad.
Também assim vi os perversos sepultados, e vinham, e saíam do lugar santo; e eles foram esquecidos na cidade em que assim fizeram; isso também é futilidade.
Alors j’ ai vu des méchants recevoir la sépulture et entrer dans leur repos, et ceux qui avaient agi avec droiture s’ en aller loin du lieu saint et être oubliés dans la ville. C’ est encore là une vanité.
Und da sah ich Gottlose, die begraben wurden und zur Ruhe kamen; aber es wandelten hinweg von heiliger Stätte und wurden vergessen in der Stadt die, so recht getan hatten. Das ist auch eitel.
Alzo heb ik ook gezien de goddelozen, die begraven waren, en degenen, die kwamen, en uit de plaats des Heiligen gingen, die werden vergeten in die stad, in dewelke zij recht gedaan hadden. Dit is ook ijdelheid.
Ed ho veduto allora degli empi ricever sepoltura ed entrare nel loro riposo, e di quelli che s’eran condotti con rettitudine andarsene lungi dal luogo santo, ed esser dimenticati nella città. Anche questo è vanità.
Tedym widział niezbożnych pogrzebionych, że się zaś nawrócili; ale którzy z miejsca świętego odeszli, przyszli w zapamiętanie w onem mieście, w którem dobrze czynili. I toć jest marność.
Видел я тогда, что хоронили нечестивых, и приходили и отходили от святого места, и они забываемы были в городе, где они так поступали. И это - суета!
我見 惡人 埋葬，歸入墳墓；又見行正直事的 離開 聖 地，在城中 被人忘記。這 也 是虛空。
And then I saw evil men put to rest, taken even from the holy place; and they went about and were praised in the town because of what they had done. This again is to no purpose.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Ecclesiastes 8:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that this verse captures the Preacher’s painful observation: the wicked receive honorable burial and had access to the holy place, likely the temple or the seat of justice, yet they are soon forgotten in the city where they acted, or perhaps even praised. Barnes identifies these as wicked rulers “who came into the world and went from the Holy place (the seat of authority and justice).” Gill notes the ambiguity in the Hebrew verb: the Masoretic points to “forgotten” (yishshakchu), but a well-supported reading yields “praised” (yishbaku). Keil and Delitzsch argue the latter is “without doubt the correct reading,” citing the Septuagint and Vulgate. Whether the wicked are forgotten or praised, the Preacher calls this “vanity”, hevel, vapor, because it contradicts the expectation that God’s justice would be visible. The phrase “they came from holiness” likely indicates the honor or divine authority they once held. The overall consensus: the verse exposes the perplexing gap between earthly honor and divine justice, driving the Preacher’s repeated refrain that all is futile.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Forgotten reading (MT): The Masoretic pointing is preferred as the lectio difficilior; the wicked are honored in death but soon forgotten, showing the fleeting nature of their glory.
- Praised reading (LXX/Vulgate): The ancient versions support this reading; the wicked are praised despite their evil, which sharpens the injustice and makes the vanity more acute.
What is clear: The Preacher observes a disjunction between the wicked's earthly honor and what their lives deserve, leading to his conclusion that this too is hevel—vanity.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Textual reading: 'forgotten' vs 'praised' | The original Hebrew verb can be vocalized either as 'forgotten' (Niphal of shakach) or 'praised' (Hithpael of shabach). Both readings have ancient support. | The Masoretic Text points to 'forgotten,' but many scholars (e.g., Keil & Delitzsch) argue that the context and version evidence (Septuagint, Vulgate) support 'praised.' Others retain 'forgotten' as the lectio difficilior. |
| Interpretation of 'the holy place' | The phrase 'the holy place' likely designates a location of divine presence or authority, either the temple or the court of justice. | Some commentators (Barnes, Gill) see it as the place of judgment (cf. Psalm 82:1). Others (Cambridge Bible, Lange) take it as the temple from which the wicked were excommunicated or which they frequented hypocritically. |
| Identity of the contrasting group | The verse contains a contrast between 'the wicked' and those 'who had done right' (or 'acted rightly'), though the syntax is ambiguous. | Some interpreters (Keil & Delitzsch) see a separate group of righteous people who are forgotten while the wicked are praised. Others (Barnes, Gill) understand the phrase as referring back to the same wicked persons who behaved righteously in appearance or to their access to the holy place. |
| Theological response to delayed justice | The verse presents a realistic observation that the wicked often seem to escape consequences, which is puzzling. | Some traditions emphasize that this 'vanity' calls for more faith in eschatological justice. Others read the Preacher as leaving the tension unresolved until the later chapters (e.g., 12:13, 14). |
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient world, burial with honor was a mark of blessing. To be denied burial was a curse (Jeremiah 22:18, 19). The Preacher’s observation that the wicked “are buried” therefore signals a public, stately funeral, the exact opposite of what their lives merited. The “holy place” (maqom qadosh) could refer to the temple (Psalm 122:1, 5) or to the place of judgment, where God’s presence was invoked (Psalm 82:1; 2 Chronicles 19:6). “Come and go” describes regular access to this sacred space, a privilege of rulers, priests, or the devout. The city where “they had done right” (or “they had so done”) likely refers to Jerusalem, the center of worship and justice.
The cultural importance of memory in Israel makes the outcome even sharper. Proverbs 10:7 says “the memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.” To be forgotten in the city was a kind of final judgment; to be praised there despite wickedness was an irony. The wider context (Ecclesiastes 8:9, 14) shows the Preacher wrestling with oppression and delayed punishment: “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (v. 11). This verse stands as a specific case of that general problem. The observation drives the Preacher to acknowledge that justice in this world is incomplete, a reality that tempts both cynicism and faith.
Textual Notes
The most significant textual question concerns the verb יִּשְׁתַּכְּחוּ (yishshakchu, “they are forgotten”). The Masoretic pointing assumes the Niphal of שָׁכַח (to forget), but the Septuagint (ἐπηνέθησαν), Vulgate (laudabantur), and several Hebrew manuscripts support a reading “they are praised” from שָׁבַח (to praise). Keil and Delitzsch judge the latter to be “without doubt the correct reading,” noting that the Targum and Syriac also support it. The consonantal difference is a single letter (kaf vs bet). Many English translations reflect one reading or the other (compare BSB “praised” vs WEB “forgotten”). No other significant variants are noted in the consulted sources.
Reception History
This verse has been a touchstone in both Jewish and Christian reflection on the problem of evil. The Septuagint’s rendering “praised” influenced the Latin tradition and the Vulgate, which many medieval commentators followed. The alternate reading “forgotten” became standard in later Jewish exegesis; Rashi (cited by Gill) notes the alternative pointing and interprets the verse in light of the wicked being praised despite their deeds. Thomas Aquinas and other scholastics cited the passage in discussions of divine providence and apparent injustice. In modern scholarship, the verse is frequently used to illustrate Ecclesiastes’ unflinching realism, its refusal to harmonize the facts of life into a tidy moral system. Both readings continue to shape how preachers and teachers grapple with theodicy today.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The honor the wicked receive, burial with pomp and access to the holy place.
- The irony of memory, they are forgotten (or praised) in the same city where they acted.
- The vanity of incomplete justice, this world is not the final court, which calls for trust in God’s hidden purposes.
Five-point outline
- Observation: the Preacher sees the wicked buried.
- Position: they had status in the holy place.
- Contrast: they are forgotten or praised in the city.
- Perplexity: this seems to contradict retributive justice.
- Verdict: “this also is vanity”, we must wait on God’s time.
Illustration hooks
- Imagine a notorious tyrant given a state funeral and lauded in the press while his victims are still seeking justice.
- Think of a wealthy bully who lives long and dies peacefully, leaving no lasting legacy except perhaps a building with his name.
- Recall times when a church or community praised a generous donor whose private life was known to be cruel.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why do the wicked seem to get away with it, and why does God allow them to die with honor?
- How do I handle the frustration of seeing injustice go unpunished in my own life or in the world?
- Does the Bible really say that life is vanity, does it mean I should just give up?
Leading a Discussion
The Preacher of Ecclesiastes refuses to sugar‑coat reality. In 8:10 he confronts one of the hardest problems: the wicked appear to succeed and receive honor, while the justice of God seems invisible. This passage invites honest wrestling, not easy answers.
Discussion questions
- Read the verse aloud from two different translations (e.g., WEB and BSB). What differences do you notice, especially in the last part?
- What does the phrase “the holy place” suggest? Why might access to it be significant for the wicked?
- Why does the Preacher call this observation “vanity”? What does that word (hevel) mean in Ecclesiastes?
- How does verse 11 help explain the situation described in verse 10?
- Have you ever felt that the wicked “get away with it”? How did you respond?
- In verses 12, 13, the Preacher reaffirms that it will be better for those who fear God. Does this answer the problem, or does it create more tension?
- What can we take away from this passage to live faithfully when justice seems delayed?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Kings 9:34 | When he had come in, he ate and drank. Then he said, “See now to this cursed woman, and bury her; for she is a king’s daughter.” |
| II Kings 9:35 | They went to bury her, but they found no more of her than the skull, the feet, and the palms of her hands. |
| Job 21:18 | How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind, as chaff that the storm carries away? |
| Job 21:32 | Yet he will be borne to the grave. Men will keep watch over the tomb. |
| Job 21:33 | The clods of the valley will be sweet to him. All men will draw after him, as there were innumerable before him. |
| Psalms 31:12 | I am forgotten from their hearts like a dead man. I am like broken pottery. |
| Psalms 122:1 | A Song of Ascents. By David. I was glad when they said to me, “Let’s go to Yahweh’s house!” |
| Psalms 122:5 | For there are set thrones for judgment, the thrones of David’s house. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes some who served as kings or priests failed to carry out their duties properly. They died without anyone mourning them and were forgotten among the dead. Your hope lies in Christ and the resurrection.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that some read this verse as showing death and being forgotten prove life is vanity. He also says others understand it as meaning people are buried after living righteously yet still forgotten.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that the wicked die a normal death but are later expelled from the Temple and forgotten in their city. Those who lived righteously also die and are forgotten just as quickly.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes notes that both the wicked who die and the righteous who return to their hometown are forgotten there. This shows everything is meaningless.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that wicked rulers often receive grand burials and public praise, even though they deserve none. He highlights a variant reading that says they were "praised" rather than "forgotten" in the city. This lavish funeral treatment, Gill concludes, is ultimately empty and meaningless.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that the wicked rulers who entered the temple for worship still went to their graves. They were buried with ceremony by people even though they did not deserve it. You will find hope in Christ and the resurrection.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch note that the righteous are driven away from the holy burial ground while the wicked receive it, which seems to contradict God’s fairness. They believe this situation shows that God’s righteousness does not always appear in ways people expect.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that rulers who abuse power harm the people they are meant to protect. Those who fear God will prosper even if they live long, while the wicked will not endure since they do not fear God.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights the irony that wicked rulers, who betrayed their sacred office by perverting justice, were still buried with great pomp and honor. He sees this as evidence of how earnestly people chase glory that fades almost as soon as it is gained.