The Daily Nosh – Ecclesiastes 8:11
When the sentence against a crime is not swiftly carried out, the human heart is encouraged to do evil. (TLV) Ecclesiastes 8:11
Nosh: Solomon asserts that punishment loses its power to deter others from doing evil when the sentence is delayed. Conversely, he infers that when the penalty or punishment for evil is administered soon after the sentence, a sense of accountability and thus deterrence is created in the recipient as well as the on-looking public. This has the desirable effect of creating a more orderly and peaceful society. I conclude then that the association of the evil deed with swiftly delivered punishment creates a fear and respect for the inevitability and certainty of serious consequences that will not be deferred to an indefinite future. The underlying principle of swiftly administered consequences is also applicable in the family and workplace.