Ecclesiastes 9

Ecclesiastes · Chapter 9

Ecclesiastes 9:3

1For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.2All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.3This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.4For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.5For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.6Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.7Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.8Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.9Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.10Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.11I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.12For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.13This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:14There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:15Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.16Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.17The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.18Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
3This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they join the dead.This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
thisזֶ֣ה׀zehH2088
that

דִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because

[is] an evilרָ֗עRa'H7451B
bad: evil

רַע (ra) 1) evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity 1a) evil, distress, adversity 1b) evil, injury, wrong 1c) evil (ethical)

in allבְּכֹ֤לbe-KHOLH3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

thatאֲשֶֽׁר־'a-SHER-H0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

it is doneנַעֲשָׂה֙na-'a-SAHH6213A
to make: do

עָשָׂה (a.sah) : do/perform 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to do, work, make, produce 1a1a) to do 1a1b) to work 1a1c) to deal (with) 1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect 1a2) to make 1a2a) to make 1a2b) to produce 1a2c) to prepare 1a2d) to make (an offering) 1a2e) to attend to, put in order 1a2f) to observe, celebrate 1a2g) to acquire (property) 1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute 1a2i) to bring about 1a2j) to use 1a2k) to spend, pass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be done 1b2) to be made 1b3) to be produced 1b4) to be offered 1b5) to be observed 1b6) to be used 1c) (Pual) to be made

underתַּ֣חַתTA-chatH8478G
under

תְּחוֹת (te.chot) under Aramaic of ta.chat (תַּחַת ": under" H8478)

the sunהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁha-SHE-meshH8121
to minister

שְׁמַשׁ (she.mash) (Pael) to minister, serve Aramaic of she.mesh (שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ "sun" H8121)

forכִּֽי־ki-H3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

fateמִקְרֶ֥הmik-REHH4745
accident

מִקְרֶה (miq.reh) 1) unforeseen meeting or event, accident, happening, chance, fortune 1a) accident, chance 1b) fortune, fate

oneאֶחָ֖ד'e-CHADH0259
one

אֶחָד (e.chad) 1) one (number) 1a) one (number) 1b) each, every 1c) a certain 1d) an (indefinite article) 1e) only, once, once for all 1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one 1g) first 1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)

[belongs] to the everyoneלַכֹּ֑לla-KOLH3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

and alsoוְגַ֣םve-GAMH1571
also

גַּם (gam) 1) also, even, indeed, moreover, yea 1a) also, moreover (giving emphasis) 1b) neither, neither...nor (with negative) 1c) even (for stress) 1d) indeed, yea (introducing climax) 1e) also (of correspondence or retribution) 1f) but, yet, though (adversative) 1g) even, yea, yea though (with 'when' in hypothetical case) 2) (TWOT) again, alike

[the] heart ofלֵ֣בlevH3820A
mind

בָּל (bal) mind, heart Aramaic of lev (לֵב "heart" H3820A)

[the] children ofבְּֽנֵי־be-nei-H1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

the humankindהָ֠אָדָםHA-'a-domH0120G
man

אָדָם (a.dam) 1) man, mankind 1a) man, human being 1b) man, mankind (much more frequently intended sense in OT) 1c) Adam, first man 1d) city in Jordan valley

[is] fullמָלֵא־ma-le'-H4392
full

מָלֵא (ma.le) 1) full, fulness, that which fills 1a) fully (adv)

evilרָ֨עra'H7451HNo entry
and madnessוְהוֹלֵל֤וֹתve-ho-le-LOTH1947
madness

הוֹלֵלָה (ho.le.lah) madness

[is] in heart theirבִּלְבָבָם֙bil-va-VAMH3824
heart

לֵבָב (le.vav) 1) inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding 1a) inner part, midst 1a1) midst (of things) 1a2) heart (of man) 1a3) soul, heart (of man) 1a4) mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory 1a5) inclination, resolution, determination (of will) 1a6) conscience 1a7) heart (of moral character) 1a8) as seat of appetites 1a9) as seat of emotions and passions 1a10) as seat of courage Aramaic equivalent: le.vav (לְבַב "heart" H3825)

in lives theirבְּחַיֵּיהֶ֔םbe-chai-yei-HEMH2416E
life

חַיִּים (chay.yim) 1) life (abstract emphatic) 1a) life 1b) sustenance, maintenance

and after itוְאַחֲרָ֖יוve-'a-cha-RAVH0310A
after

אַחַר (a.char) 1) after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time) 1a) as an adverb 1a1) behind (of place) 1a2) afterwards (of time) 1b) as a preposition 1b1) behind, after (of place) 1b2) after (of time) 1b3) besides 1c) as a conjunction 1c) after that 1d) as a substantive 1d1) hinder part 1e) with other prepositions 1e1) from behind 1e2) from following after

toאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

the deadהַמֵּתִֽים׃ha-me-TIMH4191
to die

מוּת (mut) 1) to die, kill, have one executed 1a)(Qal) 1a1) to die 1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death 1a3) to die, perish (of a nation) 1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct) 1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch 1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death 1d) (Hophal) 1d1) to be killed, be put to death 1d1a) to die prematurely

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.