Pensamiento judío sobre Eclesiastés 8:11

Once the evolutionary process of nature has been revealed, he who denies its Creator surely is guilty of wilful misconduct and therefore is deserving of punishment. Solomon, in Kohelet 8,11, refers to the fact that the absence of immediate catastrophic consequences enables a sinner to act in accordance with the dictates of his heart.

(4) He must realize that his sin is pending [retribution] and inscribed in the book of his sins. It is not subject to being neglected, forgotten, or overlooked, as written: "Is it not laid up in store with Me, sealed up among My treasuries?" (Devarim 32:34), and "By the hand of every man He seals so that every man should know His deed" (Iyov 37:7). Because if one thinks that since he has not been punished for it until now, therefore the sin is discarded and not pending for him, then he will not regret it nor seek forgiveness for it, as written "Because the sentence of an evil deed is not executed swiftly; therefore, the hearts of men are fully set in them to do evil" (Koheles 8:11).

Solomon calls attention to this in Ecclesiastes: “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” In these words Solomon expresses the problem. Why is it, he says, that the wicked man is not punished as soon as he does an evil deed? This surely leads to men’s hearts being fully set in them to do evil. Then he answers the question by saying that there are two reasons, as we said, for this situation: “Because a sinner doeth evil a hundred times, He prolongeth his days.” What he means to say is that the reason God prolongs the wicked man’s life is either in order that he may repent, or in order that he may not, as we said before. Then he says that there is another reason: “Though yet I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that they may fear before Him,” i. e. the reason for prolonging their life is also in order to benefit those who fear God, that they may fear Him and serve Him from love and not from fear of punishment.