Ecclesiastes 8:7 · Bible study
Ecclesiastes 8:7 Commentary: Knowing Neither When Nor How
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Who is the 'he'? A wicked ruler or all humanity? Does the text say 'when' or 'how'? Explore the Hebrew and interpretive debates.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Humans are ignorant of the future, and no one can reveal it.
- Key words: yada (to know), hay (to be), nagad (to tell), ka'asher (as, how, when).
- Main debate: Whether 'he' refers to a wicked ruler or humanity generally, and whether ka'asher means 'when' or 'how.'
- Theological theme: Human limitation and divine sovereignty; the call to humble trust.
- Best use: A warning against presumption and a call to live in readiness before God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Since no one knows what will happen, who can tell him what is to come?
WEB World English Bible 2000
For he doesn’t know that which will be; for who can tell him how it will be?
KJV King James Version 1769
For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
For he knoweth not that which shall be, for when it shall be who declareth to him?
Darby Darby Bible 1890
for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Because he is ignorant of things past, and things to come he cannot know by any messenger.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Porque no sabe lo que ha de ser; y el cuándo haya de ser, ¿ quién se lo enseñará?
Pois ele não sabe o que irá acontecer. Quem pode lhe avisar o que vai acontecer, e quando?
Mais il ne sait point ce qui arrivera, et qui lui dira comment cela arrivera?
Denn er weiß nicht, was geschehen wird; und wer soll ihm sagen, wie es werden soll?
Want hij weet niet, wat er geschieden zal; want wie zal het hem te kennen geven, wanneer het geschieden zal?
L’uomo, infatti, non sa quel che avverrà; poiché chi gli dirà come andranno le cose?
Że nie wie, co ma być; bo kiedy się co stanie, któż mu oznajmi?
что он не знает, что будет; и как это будет - кто скажет ему?
他不 知道 將來的事，因為 將來 如何，誰 能告訴 他呢？
No one is certain what is to be, and who is able to say to him when it will be?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Ecclesiastes 8:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse underscores a fundamental human limitation: no one knows the future. Matthew Henry applies it broadly: 'Man knows not that which shall be himself.' Wesley echoes this as a simple observation about human ignorance. Yet the Cambridge Bible identifies the 'he' more specifically as the wicked or tyrannical ruler who proceeds with 'infatuated blindness' toward his doom, a point that Keil and Delitzsch reinforce with the example of a tyrant unaware he will die by assassination. The disagreement extends to the final clause: does ka'asher mean 'when' or 'how'? Keil and Delitzsch argue that in Ecclesiastes it consistently means 'how,' not 'when.' Lange agrees, noting that the idea of time does not fit the context. Barnes, by contrast, references a marginal reading that understands it as 'when.' The interpretive choice matters: the verse may stress the suddenness of judgment or the mystery of the manner in which it arrives.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Wicked ruler: The immediate context (Ecclesiastes 8:2–6) speaks of behavior before a king; commentators like Cambridge and Keil & Delitzsch identify 'he' as a tyrant or proud sinner.
- General humanity: Parallel passages (Ecclesiastes 6:12, 9:12, 10:14) apply the same ignorance universally; Matthew Henry and Wesley take the verse as a statement about all people.
What is clear: The verse clearly teaches that humans do not know what will happen in the future, and no one can reveal it.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'he' in verse 7 | The verse highlights human ignorance of the future. | Some (Cambridge, Keil & Delitzsch) see 'he' as a wicked ruler; others (Matthew Henry, Wesley) apply it to humanity in general. |
| Meaning of ka'asher (כַּאֲשֶׁר) | The word introduces the unknown element of future events. | Barnes and the KJV read it as 'when' (timing); Keil, Lange, and most modern translations read it as 'how' (manner). |
| Relation to divine judgment | The verse demonstrates human helplessness before God's plans. | Some emphasize judgment upon the wicked; others see a general call to humility for all people. |
| Wisdom's response to uncertainty | Wisdom involves living with awareness of human limits. | Does this lead to passive resignation (as Ecclesiastes often warns) or to active readiness (as the New Testament develops)? |
Historical & Cultural Context
Ecclesiastes is wisdom literature, written from the perspective of Qoheleth, 'the Preacher,' who reflects on life 'under the sun', the observable, earthly sphere marked by repetition and enigma. Chapter 8 opens with a section on the king's authority (vv. 2, 9), where Qoheleth warns against rash defection and urges careful discernment of 'time and judgment' (v. 5). Verse 7 then undercuts any confidence in foresight: even the most powerful ruler cannot know what will happen, nor can anyone tell him. The surrounding verses reinforce human helplessness, no power over the spirit, no escape from death, no discharge in war (v. 8). This fits the broader wisdom tradition that only God knows the times (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 8, 8:6), a theme also sounded in Proverbs (e.g., 29:1). The medieval proverb 'Whom God wishes to destroy, He first makes mad,' cited by the Cambridge Bible, captures the moral irony: the tyrant's very blindness is part of his judgment. Lange takes the ignorance as encompassing both the issue and the manner of coming events, leaving humanity dependent on divine revelation. The verse thus functions as a sobering limit to human pride, especially for those in power who imagine they can control their own future.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Ecclesiastes 8:7 in the Hebrew tradition. The reading is stable across manuscripts. The main translational issue concerns the word ka'asher (כַּאֲשֶׁר), rendered either 'when' (so KJV, Barnes margin) or 'how' (so WEB, Keil & Delitzsch, Lange). This is a lexical and syntactical question rather than a textual one.
Reception History
The verse has been read across Jewish and Christian traditions as a stark acknowledgment of human finitude. The Cambridge Bible connects it to the medieval maxim 'Whom God wishes to destroy, He first makes mad,' seeing divine judgment operating through the ruler's own blindness. Reformation-era commentators like Matthew Henry and John Wesley used it pastorally, to comfort and warn believers about the vanity of predicting tomorrow. In modern preaching, Ecclesiastes 8:7 often appears alongside Jesus' parables of watchfulness (Matthew 24:44), reinforcing the call to live in constant readiness rather than anxious calculation. The verse also echoes in the liturgy of the hours and in wisdom meditations on the fear of the Lord.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Ignorance Belongs to the Wicked Ruler. The immediate context (Ecclesiastes 8:2, 6) focuses on conduct before a king, and many commentators see the 'he' of v. 7 as the self-confident tyrant. He blunders toward destruction without a clue (Cambridge).
- Ignorance Is the Universal Human Condition. Matthew Henry applies the verse to every person: 'Man knows not that which shall be himself.' Wesley simply notes that ignorance of future events disquiets the mind. This perspective widens the warning to all.
- Wisdom Lives Ready for the Unknown. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown connects the verse to the godly wise who 'know the time to all saving purposes' and are not taken by surprise, though they do not know the precise when. This is echoed in Jesus' call to stay awake (Matthew 24:44).
Five-point outline
- The Wicked Ruler's Blindness. The tyrant does not see his doom approaching.
- The Broader Human Condition. No person can predict what tomorrow holds.
- The Specific Unknown: When or How? Readers disagree whether the text emphasizes timing or manner, but both stress total ignorance.
- The Danger of Delayed Judgment. Verse 11 notes that because sentence is not executed quickly, hearts are set to do evil, the same ignorance fuels presumption.
- The Call to Fear God. The wise live with humility, recognizing their limits and trusting the God who knows all times.
Illustration hooks
- Weather warnings: People ignore forecasts and are caught in a flash flood. The disaster was predicted, but they acted as if it wouldn't happen to them.
- Medical assumptions: Someone postpones a checkup, feeling fine, and later receives a late-stage diagnosis. The 'day of death' came without notice.
- Business confidence: An entrepreneur overexpands, convinced the boom will last. A downturn erases everything. The 'when' and 'how' were hidden.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God already knows my future, why doesn't He show me the way forward?
- How can I plan for tomorrow when I don't know what will happen?
- Does this verse mean I should just give up and not care about the future?
Leading a Discussion
This verse confronts us with the limits of our knowledge. As you read Ecclesiastes 8:7, notice how it fits a longer argument about authority, time, and judgment. The Preacher is not offering a philosophical puzzle; he is calling for a posture of humility before God.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What does the text actually say about human knowledge of the future? What are the two rhetorical questions in this verse, and what do they assume?
- Observation: Who do you think the 'he' refers to in this context, a specific ruler, or people in general? What clues in verses 2, 6 support your reading?
- Interpretation: The Hebrew word ka'asher can be translated 'when' or 'how.' Does it change the meaning if you read it one way or the other? Why might the exact nuance matter?
- Interpretation: How does verse 7 connect with what follows in verse 8 (power over the spirit, death, war)? What is Qoheleth's larger point?
- Application: If we truly believed we did not know the 'when' or 'how' of future judgment, how would our daily choices change?
- Application: Read Ecclesiastes 9:12 and Matthew 24:44 in light of this verse. How do these passages together shape Christian readiness?
- Application: In what areas of your life do you struggle most with the tension between making plans and trusting God's hidden purposes?
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)
| Proverbs 24:22 | for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both? |
| Proverbs 29:1 | He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy. |
| Ecclesiastes 3:22 | Therefore I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what will be after him? |
| Ecclesiastes 6:12 | For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun? |
| Ecclesiastes 9:12 | For man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them. |
| Ecclesiastes 10:14 | A fool also multiplies words. Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him? |
| Matthew 24:44 | Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come. |
| Matthew 24:50 | the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it and in an hour when he doesn’t know it, |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the word "When" may be read differently, as the margin suggests. He directs the reader to compare the marginal references for the verse's full meaning, implying the translation is not fixed and other passages shed light on it.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The wicked ruler does not know what will happen next. He acts with selfish disregard because he believes judgment will never come.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The commentator stresses that no person knows what will come, and no one can tell them when it will happen. Human knowledge of the future and its timing is completely unavailable. This highlights the limits of human foresight.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that a person cannot know whether a lost opportunity will ever return, nor what troubles or circumstances await him or his family even a day ahead. No astrologer, diviner, or human device can reveal the future; only God knows with certainty what is to come.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Christians who hold this view point to Ecclesiastes 8:7, while others understand it as pointing to deeper spiritual realities. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch read the four "for" clauses as a numerical proverb listing human impossibilities. They insist "wind" means literal wind, not spirit, because only God controls it. Death, war, and wickedness all confirm that no one, not even a tyrant, can escape God's appointed judgment.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that even the wisest people cannot know when death will come because no one can tell what will happen next. He believes this hidden truth helps us stay prepared for sudden changes.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that people do not know what will happen next. This lack of knowledge causes their thoughts to become troubled.