Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:2–3

²Keep the king’s command, I say, because of your oath before God. ³Do not hasten to leave his presence, and do not persist in a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 8

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Ecclesiastes 8:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Keep	שְׁמ֔וֹר	šə·mō·wr	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H8104 keep, watch, preserve
the king’s	מֶ֣לֶךְ	me·leḵ	Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
command	פִּי־	pî-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H6310 mouth
I say	אֲנִי֙	’ă·nî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
because of	וְעַ֕ל	wə·‘al	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H5921 height
your oath	שְׁבוּעַ֥ת	šə·ḇū·‘aṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H7621 oath, curse
before God	אֱלֹהִֽים׃	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God

Ecclesiastes 8:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Do not	אַל־	’al-	Adverb	H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
hasten	תִּבָּהֵ֤ל	tib·bā·hêl	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H926 alarm, dismay
to leave	תֵּלֵ֔ךְ	tê·lêḵ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
his presence	מִפָּנָיו֙	mip·pā·nāw	Preposition-m; Noun - common plural construct; third person masculine singular	H6440 face, before
and do not	אַֽל־	’al-	Adverb	H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
persist	תַּעֲמֹ֖ד	ta·‘ă·mōḏ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H5975 take one's stand, stand
in a bad	רָ֑ע	rā‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil
cause	בְּדָבָ֣ר	bə·ḏā·ḇār	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular	H1697 speech, word
for	כִּ֛י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
he will do	יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃	ya·‘ă·śeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
whatever	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
he pleases	יַחְפֹּ֖ץ	yaḥ·pōṣ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2654 delight in

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Ecclesiastes 8:2 Titus 3:1 · Proverbs 24:21 · 1 Kings 2:43 · Romans 13:1–5 · 1 Peter 2:13–17

Ecclesiastes 8:3 Ecclesiastes 10:4 · Daniel 4:35 · Proverbs 14:29 · Daniel 5:19 · Acts 5:8–9

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.