Ecclesiastes 8:2-4 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

I counsel thee to keep, &c.— I tell thee, observe thou the king's face; nay, mind it in regard to the oath: be not hasty: Ecclesiastes 8:3. Go out of his presence; stay not whilst he gives wrong orders; for whatsoever pleaseth him, he will do; Ecclesiastes 8:4. Because the word of a king is an absolute command, and who shall say, &c.? The word rendered God, in the second verse, אלהים elohiim, sometimes signifies men in authority, princes or magistrates; and I know not, says Mr. Desvoeux, but it should be thus understood in the present passage; at least it has that signification in a place (Exodus 22:28.) where Moses treats the same subject which is here treated by Solomon, namely, the outward regard which must be shewn to persons in authority. The consideration of the oath whereby the nobles and great men of the court are bound to support the king's dignity and authority, is a very proper one to induce a courtier to behave discreetly and respectfully, whenever he sees his sovereign inclined to give orders with which he would not choose to comply; for whoever does not behave with the utmost care in such circumstances unavoidably draws upon himself the resentment, not of the king only, but likewise of all those elohiim, or great men. This seems to me to be the most probable interpretation of the place; yet as the words, in regard of the oath of elohiim, are not the principal, but only an additional motive to the discreet behaviour here recommended; and as that advice is contained in a kind of parenthesis, which has little or no connexion with the rest of the argument, we cannot easily determine any thing with certainty from the nature of the motives proposed in what follows. Duty and prudence generally go together; and Solomon may very properly have reminded his hearers in the words now under consideration of what duty required; though in the remainder of the argument he insists on nothing but what is suggested by prudence. Thus the words may be understood of the solemn oath of allegiance, wherein God has been called upon, and in consequence whereof, all subjects are bound, at least, not to fly in the king's face by sedition or open rebellion.