Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 9:1–3
1So I took all this to heart and concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in God’s hands. Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate.
2It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad,a for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow.
3This 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.
Footnotes
- a 9:2 LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate; Hebrew does not include and the bad.
Word by word
Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.
Ecclesiastes 9:1
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| So | כִּ֣י | kî | Conjunction | H3588 burning, branding |
| I took | נָתַ֤תִּי | nā·ṯat·tî | Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | H5414 give, put, set |
| all | כָּל־ | kāl- | Noun - masculine singular construct | H3605 the whole, all |
| this | זֶ֞ה | zeh | Pronoun - masculine singular | H2088 this, that |
| to | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| heart | לִבִּי֙ | lib·bî | Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular | H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart |
| and concluded | וְלָב֣וּר | wə·lā·ḇūr | Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | H952 make clear, clear up, explain |
| that | אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ’ă·šer | Pronoun - relative | H834 particle of relation |
| the righteous | הַצַּדִּיקִ֧ים | haṣ·ṣad·dî·qîm | Article; Adjective - masculine plural | H6662 just, righteous |
| and the wise | וְהַחֲכָמִ֛ים | wə·ha·ḥă·ḵā·mîm | Conjunctive waw, Article; Adjective - masculine plural | H2450 wise |
| as well as their deeds | וַעֲבָדֵיהֶ֖ם | wa·‘ă·ḇā·ḏê·hem | Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural | H5652 work |
| are in God’s | הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים | hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm | Article; Noun - masculine plural | H430 God |
| hands | בְּיַ֣ד | bə·yaḏ | Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct | H3027 hand |
| Man | הָֽאָדָ֔ם | hā·’ā·ḏām | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H120 man, mankind |
| does not | אֵ֤ין | ’ên | Adverb | H369 nothing, nought |
| know | יוֹדֵ֙עַ֙ | yō·w·ḏê·a‘ | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular | H3045 know |
| what | הַכֹּ֖ל | hak·kōl | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H3605 the whole, all |
| lies ahead | לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃ | lip̄·nê·hem | Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural | H6440 face, before |
| whether | גַּֽם־ | gam- | Conjunction | H1571 also, moreover, yea |
| love | אַהֲבָ֣ה | ’a·hă·ḇāh | Noun - feminine singular | H160 love |
| or | גַם־ | ḡam- | Conjunction | H1571 also, moreover, yea |
| hate | שִׂנְאָ֗ה | śin·’āh | Noun - feminine singular | H8135 hating, hatred |
Ecclesiastes 9:2
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| It is the same | כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר | ka·’ă·šer | Preposition-k; Pronoun - relative | H834 particle of relation |
| for all | לַכֹּ֗ל | lak·kōl | Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular | H3605 the whole, all |
| There is a common | אֶחָ֜ד | ’e·ḥāḏ | Number - masculine singular | H259 one |
| fate | מִקְרֶ֨ה | miq·reh | Noun - masculine singular | H4745 accident, chance, fortune |
| for the righteous | לַצַּדִּ֤יק | laṣ·ṣad·dîq | Preposition-l, Article; Adjective - masculine singular | H6662 just, righteous |
| and the wicked | וְלָרָשָׁע֙ | wə·lā·rā·šā‘ | Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article; Adjective - masculine singular | H7563 wicked, criminal |
| for the good | לַטּוֹב֙ | laṭ·ṭō·wḇ | Preposition-l, Article; Adjective - masculine singular | H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good |
| for the clean | וְלַטָּה֣וֹר | wə·laṭ·ṭā·hō·wr | Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article; Adjective - masculine singular | H2889 clean, pure |
| and the unclean | וְלַטָּמֵ֔א | wə·laṭ·ṭā·mê | Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article; Adjective - masculine singular | H2931 unclean |
| for the one who sacrifices | וְלַזֹּבֵ֔חַ | wə·laz·zō·ḇê·aḥ | Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular | H2076 slaughter for sacrifice |
| and the one | וְלַאֲשֶׁ֖ר | wə·la·’ă·šer | Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Pronoun - relative | H834 particle of relation |
| who does not | אֵינֶ֣נּוּ | ’ê·nen·nū | Adverb; third person masculine singular | H369 nothing, nought |
| As it is for the good | כַּטּוֹב֙ | kaṭ·ṭō·wḇ | Preposition-k, Article; Adjective - masculine singular | H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good |
| so it is for the sinner | כַּֽחֹטֶ֔א | ka·ḥō·ṭe | Preposition-k, Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular | H2398 miss |
| as it is for the one who makes a vow | הַנִּשְׁבָּ֕ע | han·niš·bā‘ | Article; Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular | H7650 swear |
| so | כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר | ka·’ă·šer | Preposition-k; Pronoun - relative | H834 particle of relation |
| for the one who refuses | יָרֵֽא׃ | yā·rê | Adjective - masculine singular | H3373 fear |
| to take a vow | שְׁבוּעָ֥ה | šə·ḇū·‘āh | Noun - feminine singular | H7621 oath, curse |
Ecclesiastes 9:3
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| This | זֶ֣ה׀ | zeh | Pronoun - masculine singular | H2088 this, that |
| is an evil | רָ֗ע | rā‘ | Adjective - masculine singular | H7451 bad, evil |
| in everything | בְּכֹ֤ל | bə·ḵōl | Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular | H3605 the whole, all |
| that | אֲשֶֽׁר־ | ’ă·šer- | Pronoun - relative | H834 particle of relation |
| is done | נַעֲשָׂה֙ | na·‘ă·śāh | Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | H6213 do, make |
| under | תַּ֣חַת | ta·ḥaṯ | Preposition | H8478 the under part |
| the sun | הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ | haš·še·meš | Article; Noun - common singular | H8121 sun |
| There is one | אֶחָ֖ד | ’e·ḥāḏ | Number - masculine singular | H259 one |
| fate | מִקְרֶ֥ה | miq·reh | Noun - masculine singular | H4745 accident, chance, fortune |
| for everyone | לַכֹּ֑ל | lak·kōl | Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular | H3605 the whole, all |
| Furthermore | וְגַ֣ם | wə·ḡam | Conjunction | H1571 also, moreover, yea |
| the hearts | לֵ֣ב | lêḇ | Noun - masculine singular construct | H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart |
| of men | בְּֽנֵי־ | bə·nê- | Noun - masculine plural construct | H1121 son |
| are full of | מָלֵא־ | mā·lê- | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | H4392 full |
| evil | רָ֨ע | rā‘ | Adjective - masculine singular | H7451 bad, evil |
| and madness | וְהוֹלֵל֤וֹת | wə·hō·w·lê·lō·wṯ | Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine plural | H1947 madness |
| while they are alive | בְּחַיֵּיהֶ֔ם | bə·ḥay·yê·hem | Preposition-b; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural | H2416 alive, living |
| and afterward | וְאַחֲרָ֖יו | wə·’a·ḥă·rāw | Conjunctive waw; Preposition; third person masculine singular | H310 behind |
| they | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| the dead | הַמֵּתִֽים׃ | ham·mê·ṯîm | Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural | H4191 die |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Ecclesiastes 9:1 Deuteronomy 33:3
Ecclesiastes 9:2 Malachi 3:18 · Ecclesiastes 2:14–16 · Psalm 73:3 · Malachi 3:5 · Job 9:22 · Malachi 3:15 · Ecclesiastes 2:26 · Ecclesiastes 7:18 · Genesis 24:3 · Genesis 24:8–9 · Ecclesiastes 6:6 · Ecclesiastes 8:12–14
Ecclesiastes 9:3 Jeremiah 17:9 · Ecclesiastes 8:11 · Ecclesiastes 1:17 · Titus 3:3 · Job 15:16 · Romans 1:29–31 · Psalm 51:5
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.