Ecclesiastes 5:8

Geneva Bible (1560)

(5:7) If in a countrey thou seest the oppression of the poore, and the defrauding of iudgement and iustice, be not astonied at the matter: for hee that is higher then the highest, regardeth, and there be higher then they.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְיִתְר֥וֹן אֶ֖רֶץ בַּכֹּ֣ל *היא **ה֑וּא מֶ֥לֶךְ לְשָׂדֶ֖ה נֶעֱבָֽד׃

Transliteration

And yiṯrôn ʾereṣ in bakkōl hûʾ, meleḵ to śāḏeh neʿĕḇāḏ

Grammar Details

• *yiṯrôn*: noun, masculine singular construct - advantage/profit of
• *ʾereṣ*: noun, feminine singular - land/earth/ground
• *bakkōl*: preposition + definite article + noun, masculine singular - in the all/everything
• *hûʾ*: 3rd person masculine singular pronoun - he/it
• *meleḵ*: noun, masculine singular - king
• *śāḏeh*: noun, masculine singular - field
• *neʿĕḇāḏ*: niphal participle, masculine singular - being served/cultivated/worked

Word Meanings

• *yiṯrôn*: profit/advantage/excess/excellency
• *ʾereṣ*: land/earth/ground/territory/country
• *neʿĕḇāḏ*: being served/worked/cultivated/tilled
• *hûʾ*: he/it (text shows alternate reading between masculine and feminine forms)

Referenced Verses

• Ps 12:5 : 5 Now for the oppression of the needy, and for the sighes of the poore, I will vp, sayeth the Lord, and will set at libertie him, whom the wicked hath snared.
• Eccl 3:16 : 16 And moreouer I haue seene vnder the sunne the place of iudgement, where was wickednesse, and the place of iustice where was iniquitie.
• Eccl 4:1 : 1 So I turned and considered all the oppressions that are wrought vnder the sunne, and beholde the teares of the oppressed, and none comforteth them: and lo, the strength is of the hand of them that oppresse them, & none comforteth them.
• Ps 82:1 : 1 A Psalme committed to Asaph. God standeth in the assemblie of gods: hee iudgeth among gods.
• Ps 83:18 : 18 That they may knowe that thou, which art called Iehouah, art alone, euen the most High ouer all the earth.
• Ps 95:3 : 3 For the Lorde is a great God, and a great King aboue all gods.
• Ps 140:11-12 : 11 For the backbiter shall not be established vpon the earth: euill shall hunt the cruell man to destruction. 12 I know that the Lord will auenge the afflicted, and iudge the poore.
• Prov 8:17 : 17 I loue them that loue me: and they that seeke me earely, shall finde me.
• 1 Kgs 21:19-20 : 19 Therefore shalt thou say vnto him, Thus sayth the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also gotten possession? And thou shalt speake vnto him, saying, Thus sayth the Lorde, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shal dogs licke euen thy blood also. 20 And Ahab sayd to Eliiah, Hast thou found mee, O mine enemie? And he answered, I haue found thee: for thou hast solde thy selfe to worke wickednes in the sight of the Lord.
• 1 Chr 21:15-16 : 15 And God sent the Angel into Ierusalem to destroy it; as he was destroying, the Lorde behelde, and repented of the euill and sayde to the Angel that destroyed, It is nowe ynough, let thine hande cease. Then the Angel of the Lord stoode by the thresshing floore of Ornan the Iebusite. 16 And Dauid lift vp his eyes, and sawe the Angel of the Lorde stande betweene the earth and the heauen with his sworde drawen in his hand, and stretched out towarde Ierusalem. Then Dauid and the Elders of Israel, which were clothed in sacke, fell vpon their faces.
• Job 20:19-29 : 19 For he hath vndone many: he hath forsaken the poore, and hath spoyled houses which he builded not. 20 Surely he shall feele no quietnes in his bodie, neither shall he reserue of that which he desired. 21 There shall none of his meate bee left: therefore none shal hope for his goods. 22 When he shalbe filled with his abundance, he shalbe in paine, and the hand of all the wicked shall assaile him. 23 He shall be about to fill his belly, but God shall sende vpon him his fierce wrath, and shall cause to rayne vpon him, euen vpon his meate. 24 He shall flee from the yron weapons, and the bow of steele shal strike him through. 25 The arrowe is drawen out, and commeth forth of the body, & shineth of his gall, so feare commeth vpon him. 26 All darkenes shalbe hid in his secret places: the fire that is not blowen, shall deuoure him, and that which remaineth in his tabernacle, shalbe destroyed. 27 The heauen shal declare his wickednes, & the earth shal rise vp against him. 28 The increase of his house shal go away: it shal flow away in the day of his wrath. 29 This is the portion of the wicked man fro God, and the heritage that he shal haue of God for his wordes.
• Job 27:8-9 : 8 For what hope hath the hypocrite when he hath heaped vp riches, if God take away his soule? 9 Will God heare his cry, when trouble commeth vpon him? 10 Will he set his delight on the Almightie? will he call vpon God at all times? 11 I will teache you what is in the hande of God, and I wil not conceale that which is with the Almightie. 12 Beholde, all ye your selues haue seene it: why then doe you thus vanish in vanitie? 13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of tyrants, which they shal receiue of the Almightie. 14 If his children be in great nomber, the sworde shall destroy them, and his posteritie shall not be satisfied with bread. 15 His remnant shall be buried in death, and his widowes shall not weepe. 16 Though he shoulde heape vp siluer as the dust, and prepare rayment as the clay, 17 He may prepare it, but the iust shall put it on, and the innocent shall deuide the siluer. 18 He buildeth his house as the moth, and as a lodge that the watchman maketh. 19 When the rich man sleepeth, he shal not be gathered to his fathers: they opened their eyes, and he was gone. 20 Terrours shal take him as waters, & a tempest shall cary him away by night. 21 The East winde shall take him away, & he shal depart: & it shal hurle him out of his place. 22 And God shal cast vpon him and not spare, though he would faine flee out of his hand. 23 Euery man shall clap their hands at him, & hisse at him out of their place.
• Ps 10:17-18 : 17 Lorde, thou hast heard the desire of the poore: thou preparest their heart: thou bendest thine eare to them, 18 To iudge the fatherlesse and poore, that earthly man cause to feare no more.
• Ps 55:9 : 9 Destroy, O Lord, and deuide their tongues: for I haue seene crueltie and strife in the citie.
• Ps 58:10-11 : 10 The righteous shall reioyce when he seeeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feete in the blood of the wicked. 11 And men shall say, Verily there is fruite for the righteous: doutlesse there is a God that iudgeth in the earth.
• Isa 3:15 : 15 What haue ye to do, that ye beate my people to pieces, and grinde the faces of the poore, saith the Lord, euen tho Lord of hostes?
• Isa 5:7 : 7 Surely the vineyard of the Lord of hostes is the house of Israel, and the men of Iudah are his pleasant plant, and hee looked for iudgement, but beholde oppression: for righteousnesse, but beholde a crying.
• Isa 10:5-7 : 5 O Asshur, the rodde of my wrath: and the staffe in their hands is mine indignation. 6 I will sende him to a dissembling nation, and I will giue him a charge against the people of my wrath to take the spoyle and to take the pray, and to treade them vnder feete like the mire in the streete. 7 But he thinketh not so, neither doeth his heart esteeme it so: but he imagineth to destroy and to cut off not a fewe nations.
• Isa 10:12 : 12 But when the Lorde hath accomplished all his worke vpon mount Zion and Ierusalem, I will visite the fruite of the proude heart of the King of Asshur, and his glorious and proud lookes,
• Isa 37:36 : 36 Then the Angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the campe of Asshur an hundreth, fourescore, and fiue thousand: so when they arose early in the morning, beholde, they were all dead corpses.
• Isa 46:10-11 : 10 Which declare the last thing from the beginning: and from of olde, the things that were not done, saying, My counsell shall stand, and I will doe whatsoeuer I will. 11 I call a birde from the East, and the man of my counsell from farre: as I haue spoken, so will I bring it to passe: I haue purposed it, and I will doe it.
• Isa 57:15 : 15 For thus sayth he that is hie and excellent, he that inhabiteth the eternitie, whose Name is the Holy one, I dwell in the high and holy place: with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirite to reuiue the spirite of the humble, and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart.
• Isa 59:13-16 : 13 In trespassing and lying against the Lorde, and wee haue departed away from our God, and haue spoken of crueltie and rebellion, conceiuing and vttering out of the heart false matters. 14 Therefore iudgement is turned backewarde, and iustice standeth farre off: for trueth is fallen in the streete, and equitie cannot enter. 15 Yea, trueth faileth, and hee that refraineth from euill, maketh himselfe a praye: and when the Lorde sawe it, it displeased him, that there was no iudgement. 16 And when he sawe that there was no man, hee wondered that none woulde offer him selfe. Therefore his arme did saue it, and his righteousnes it selfe did sustaine it.
• Jer 22:17-19 : 17 But thine eyes and thine heart are but only for thy couetousnesse, and for to sheade innocent blood, and for oppression, and for destruction, euen to doe this. 18 Therefore thus saith the Lorde against Iehoiakim, the sonne of Iosiah king of Iudah, They shall not lament him, saying, Ah, my brother, or ah, sister: neither shall they mourne for him, saying, Ah, lord, or ah, his glorie. 19 He shalbe buryed, as an asse is buryed, euen drawen and cast foorth without the gates of Ierusalem.
• Ezek 22:6-9 : 6 Beholde, the princes of Israel euery one in thee was ready to his power, to shed blood. 7 In thee haue they despised father and mother: in the middes of thee haue they oppressed the stranger: in thee haue they vexed the fatherlesse and the widowe. 8 Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast polluted my Sabbaths. 9 In thee are men that cary tales to shed blood: in thee are they that eate vpon the mountaines: in ye mids of thee they comit abomination. 10 In thee haue they discouered their fathers shame: in thee haue they vexed her that was polluted in her floures. 11 And euery one hath committed abomination with his neighbours wife, and euery one hath wickedly defiled his daughter in lawe, and in thee hath euery man forced his owne sister, euen his fathers daughter. 12 In thee haue they taken giftes to shed blood: thou hast taken vsurie and the encrease, and thou hast defrauded thy neighbours by extortion, & hast forgotten me, saith the Lord God. 13 Beholde, therefore I haue smitten mine hands vpon thy couetousnesse, that thou hast vsed, and vpon the blood, which hath bene in the middes of thee. 14 Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the dayes that I shall haue to doe with thee? I the Lorde haue spoken it, and will doe it.
• Amos 5:12 : 12 For I know your manifold transgressions, and your mightie sinnes: they afflict the iust, they take rewards, & they oppresse the poore in ye gate.
• Amos 6:2-6 : 2 Goe you vnto Calneh, and see: and from thence goe you to Hamath the great: then goe downe to Gath of the Philistims: be they better then these kingdomes? or the border of their land greater then your border, 3 Ye that put farre away the euill day, and approch to the seate of iniquitie? 4 They lie vpon beddes of yuorie, & stretch themselues vpon their beddes, & eate the lambes of the flocke, and the calues out of the stall. 5 They sing to the sounde of the viole: they inuent to themselues instruments of musike like Dauid. 6 They drinke wine in bowles, and anoynt themselues with the chiefe ointments, but no man is sory for the affliction of Ioseph.
• Amos 6:12 : 12 Shal horses runne vpon the rocke? or wil one plowe there with oxen? for yee haue turned iudgement into gall, and the fruite of righteousnes into wormewood.
• Amos 8:4-7 : 4 Heare this, O yee that swallowe vp the poore, that ye may make the needie of the lande to fayle, 5 Saying, When will the newe moneth bee gone, that we may sell corne? and the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheate, and make the Ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifie the weights by deceit? 6 That we may buy the poore for siluer, and the needie for shooes: yea, and sell the refuse of the wheate. 7 The Lorde hath sworne by the excellencie of Iaakob, Surely I will neuer forget any of their workes.
• Mic 2:1-3 : 1 Wo vnto them, that imagine iniquitie, and worke wickednesse vpon their beddes: when the morning is light they practise it because their hande hath power. 2 And they couet fields, and take them by violence, and houses, and take them away: so they oppresse a man and his house, euen man and his heritage. 3 Therefore thus saieth the Lorde, Beholde, against this familie haue I deuised a plague, whereout yee shall not plucke your neckes, and ye shall not go so proudly, for this time is euill.
• Mic 2:9 : 9 The women of my people haue ye cast out from their pleasant houses, and from their childre haue ye taken away my glorie continually.
• Mic 3:1-4 : 1 And I sayd, Heare, I pray you, O heads of Iaakob, and yee princes of the house of Israel: should not ye knowe iudgement? 2 But they hate the good, and loue the euill: they plucke off their skinnes from them, & their flesh from their bones. 3 And they eate also the flesh of my people, & flay off their skinne from them, & they breake their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron. 4 Then shall they crye vnto the Lorde, but he will not heare them: he wil euen hide his face from them at that time, because they haue done wickedly in their workes.
• Mic 3:9-9 : 9 Heare this, I pray you, ye heades of the house of Iaakob, and princes of the house of Israel: they abhorre iudgement, and peruert all equitie. 10 They build vp Zion with blood, and Ierusalem with iniquitie. 11 The heads thereof iudge for rewardes, and the Priestes thereof teache for hyre, and the prophets thereof prophecie for money: yet wil they leane vpon the Lorde, and say, Is not the Lorde among vs? no euill can come vpon vs. 12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake bee plowed as a field, & Ierusalem shalbe an heape, and the mountaine of the house, as the hye places of the forest.
• Mic 6:10-13 : 10 Are yet the treasures of wickednes in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure, that is abominable? 11 Shall I iustifie the wicked balances, and the bag of deceitfull weightes? 12 For the rich men thereof are full of crueltie, & the inhabitants thereof haue spoken lyes, and their tongue is deceitfull in their mouth. 13 Therefore also will I make thee sicke in smiting thee, and in making thee desolate, because of thy sinnes.
• Hab 1:2-3 : 2 O Lorde, howe long shall I crye, and thou wilt not heare! euen crye out vnto thee for violence, and thou wilt not helpe! 3 Why doest thou shewe mee iniquitie, and cause me to beholde sorowe? for spoyling, and violence are before me: and there are that rayse vp strife and contention.
• Hab 1:12-13 : 12 Art thou not of olde, O Lorde my God, mine holy one? we shall not die: O Lord, thou hast ordeined them for iudgement, and O God, thou hast established them for correction. 13 Thou art of pure eyes, and canst not see euill: thou canst not behold wickednesse: wherefore doest thou looke vpon the transgressors, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked deuoureth the man, that is more righteous then he?
• Zech 7:9-9 : 9 Thus speaketh the Lorde of hostes, saying, Execute true iudgement, and shewe mercy and compassion, euery man to his brother, 10 And oppresse not the widowe, nor the fatherles, the stranger nor the poore, & let none of you imagine euil against his brother in your heart. 11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their eares, that they should not heare. 12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, least they should heare the Lawe and the wordes which the Lord of hostes sent in his spirit by the ministerie of ye former Prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hostes. 13 Therefore it is come to passe, that as he cried, and they would not heare, so they cried, and I would not heare, sayth the Lord of hostes.
• Zech 8:6 : 6 Thus saith the Lord of hostes, Though it be vnpossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these dayes, should it therefore be vnpossible in my sight, sayth the Lord of hostes?
• Mal 3:5 : 5 And I will come neere to you to iudgement, and I will be a swift witnesse against the southsayers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that wrongfully keepe backe the hirelings wages, and vexe the widowe, and the fatherlesse, and oppresse the stranger, and feare not me, sayth the Lord of hostes.
• Matt 13:41-42 : 41 The Sonne of man shal send forth his Angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which doe iniquitie, 42 And shall cast them into a fornace of fire. There shalbe wailing and gnashing of teeth.
• Luke 1:32 : 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Sonne of the most High, and the Lorde God shall giue vnto him the throne of his father Dauid.
• Luke 1:35 : 35 And the Angel answered, & said vnto her, The holy Ghost shall come vpon thee, and the power of the most High shall ouershadowe thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall bee borne of thee, shall be called the Sonne of God.
• Luke 1:76 : 76 And thou, babe, shalt be called the Prophet of the most High: for thou shalt goe before the face of the Lord, to prepare his waies,
• Acts 4:27-28 : 27 For doutlesse, against thine holy Sonne Iesus, whome thou haddest anoynted, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselues together, 28 To doe whatsoeuer thine hand, and thy counsell had determined before to be done.
• Acts 12:7-9 : 7 And behold the Angel of the Lord came vpon them, and a light shined in the house, and he smote Peter on the side, and raysed him vp, saying, Arise quickely; his chaines fell off from his handes. 8 And the Angel saide vnto him, Girde thy selfe, and binde on thy sandales; so he did. Then he said vnto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and followe me. 9 So Peter came out and followed him, and knewe not that it was true, which was done by the Angel, but thought he had seene a vision. 10 Nowe when they were past the first and the second watch, they came vnto the yron gate, that leadeth vnto the citie, which opened to them by it owne accord, and they went out, and passed through one streete, and by and by the Angel departed from him.
• Acts 12:23 : 23 But immediatly the Angel of the Lorde smote him, because he gaue not glorie vnto God, so that he was eaten of wormes, and gaue vp the ghost.
• Rom 11:33 : 33 O the deepenesse of the riches, both of the wisdome, and knowledge of God! howe vnsearcheable are his iudgements, and his wayes past finding out!
• Jas 2:13 : 13 For there shalbe condemnation merciles to him that sheweth not mercie, and mercie reioyceth against condemnation.
• Jas 5:2-7 : 2 Your riches are corrupt, and your garments are moth eaten. 3 Your gold and siluer is cankred, & the rust of them shalbe a witnesse against you, and shall eate your flesh, as it were fire. Ye haue heaped vp treasure for the last dayes. 4 Behold, the hire of ye labourers, which haue reaped your fieldes (which is of you kept backe by fraude) cryeth, and the cryes of them which haue reaped, are entred into the eares of the Lord of hostes. 5 Ye haue liued in pleasure on the earth, and in wantonnes. Ye haue nourished your heartes, as in a day of slaughter. 6 Ye haue condemned and haue killed the iust, and he hath not resisted you. 7 Be patient therefore, brethren, vnto the comming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman wayteth for the precious fruite of the earth, and hath long patience for it, vntill he receiue the former, and the latter rayne.
• 1 Pet 4:12 : 12 Dearely beloued, thinke it not strange concerning the firie triall, which is among you to proue you, as though some strange thing were come vnto you:
• 1 John 3:13 : 13 Marueile not, my brethren, though this world hate you.
• Rev 17:6-7 : 6 And I sawe ye woman drunken with the blood of Saintes, and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesvs: and when I sawe her, I wondred with great marueile. 7 Then the Angel saide vnto me, Wherefore marueilest thou? I will shewe thee the misterie of that woman, and of that beast, that beareth her, which hath seuen heads, and tenne hornes.