Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

7 Go then, ¹eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works.

8 Let your ²clothes be white all the time, and let not ³oil be lacking on your head.

9 Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your ⁴fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun ; for this is your ⁵reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.

Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do

10 Whatever * your hand finds to do, ⁶do it with all your might; for there is no ⁷activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in ⁸Sheol where * you are going.

Ecclesiastes 9:7-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 9

Though the wise man, with all his wisdom, search, and labour, could not find out the causes and reasons of divine Providence, in the branches and methods of it; yet some things he did find out, and observe, in making this inquiry, and which he declares; as that good and wise men, more especially their persons and their affairs, were in the hand of God, under his guidance, government, and direction; and that an interest in his love and hatred was not to be known by the outward estate of men, Ec 9:1; That the same events happen to good and bad men, who are variously described; that the hearts of wicked men are full of sin and madness as long as they live, and that they all must and do die, Ec 9:2,3; and then the state of such dead is described, as being without hope, knowledge, reward, or memory; and without love, hatred, or envy, or any portion in the things of this life, Ec 9:4-6. Wherefore good men are advised to live cheerfully, in a view of acceptance with God, both of persons and services; and eat and drink, and clothe well, according to their circumstances, and enjoy their friends and families; since nothing of this kind can be done in the grave, Ec 9:7-10. Then the wise man observes another vanity; that success in undertakings is not always to persons who bid fair, and might hope for it, but looks like the effect of chance, Ec 9:11; which want of success is often owing to their ignorance of the proper time of doing things, and to their want of foresight, thought, and care, to prevent evils; for which reason they are compared to fishes and birds, taken in a net or snare, Ec 9:12. And concludes with a commendation of wisdom, illustrated by an example of it, in a certain person that delivered a city by it, Ec 9:13-15; and though the man's wisdom was despised, yet it is preferable to strength, or weapons of war, or the noise of a foolish ruler, who destroys much good, Ec 9:16-18.

Cross References

• 1. Ecclesiastes 2:24; Ecclesiastes 8:15
• 2. Revelation 3:4
• 3. Psalms 23:5
• 4. Ecclesiastes 6:12; Ecclesiastes 7:15
• 5. Ecclesiastes 2:10
• 6. Ecclesiastes 11:6; Romans 12:11; Colossians 3:23
• 7. Ecclesiastes 9:5
• 8. Genesis 37:35; Job 21:13; Isaiah 38:10

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "life of vanity"
• [b] Heb adds "all the days of your vanity"