John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 8:14
There is a vanity which is done upon the earth ,.... Transacted in this lower world under the sun, through the permission and direction of divine Providence; not that it is a vanity on the part of God, who has wise ends to answer by it, for the good of his people, the trial of their graces, &c.; or to bring sinners to repentance, or harden them in sin; but this shows the vanity and uncertainty of all worldly things, and that there is no happiness to be had in them; that there be just ... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ecclesiastes 8:14-17
Wise and good men have, of old, been perplexed with this difficulty, how the prosperity of the wicked and the troubles of the righteous can be reconciled with the holiness and goodness of the God that governs the world. Concerning this Solomon here gives us his advice. I. He would not have us to be surprised at it, as though some strange thing happened, for he himself saw it in his days, Eccl. 8:14. 1. He saw just men to whom it happened according to the work of the wicked, who,... read more