Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:2–3

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.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 9

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 9:2

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 9:2 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.