Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:4–6

⁴There is hope, however, for anyone who is among the living; for even a live dog is better than a dead lion. ⁵For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten. ⁶Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun.

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 9:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
There is	יֵ֣שׁ	yêš	Adverb	H3426 being, substance, existence
hope	בִּטָּח֑וֹן	biṭ·ṭā·ḥō·wn	Noun - masculine singular	H986 trust
however	כִּי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
for anyone who	מִי֙	mî	Interrogative	H4310 who?
is among	יִבָּחֵר	yib·bå̄·ḥēr	Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H977 choose
the living	הַחַיִּ֖ים	ha·ḥay·yîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H2416 alive, living
for even	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
a live	חַי֙	ḥay	Adjective - masculine singular	H2416 alive, living
dog	לְכֶ֤לֶב	lə·ḵe·leḇ	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H3611 dog
is better	ט֔וֹב	ṭō·wḇ	Adjective - masculine singular	H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
than	מִן־	min-	Preposition	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
a dead	הַמֵּֽת׃	ham·mêṯ	Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H4191 die
lion	הָאַרְיֵ֖ה	hā·’ar·yêh	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H738 lion

Ecclesiastes 9:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּ֧י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the living	הַֽחַיִּ֛ים	ha·ḥay·yîm	Article; Adjective - masculine plural	H2416 alive, living
know	יוֹדְעִ֖ים	yō·wḏ·‘îm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H3045 know
that they will die	שֶׁיָּמֻ֑תוּ	še·yā·mu·ṯū	Pronoun - relative; Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H4191 die
but the dead	וְהַמֵּתִ֞ים	wə·ham·mê·ṯîm	Conjunctive waw, Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H4191 die
know	יוֹדְעִ֣ים	yō·wḏ·‘îm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H3045 know
nothing	מְא֗וּמָה	mə·’ū·māh	Noun - masculine singular	H3972 anything
They have no	וְאֵֽין־	wə·’ên-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
further	ע֤וֹד	‘ō·wḏ	Adverb	H5750 a going round, continuance
reward	שָׂכָ֔ר	śā·ḵār	Noun - masculine singular	H7939 hire, wages
because	כִּ֥י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the memory	זִכְרָֽם׃	ziḵ·rām	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H2143 remembrance, memorial
of them is forgotten	נִשְׁכַּ֖ח	niš·kaḥ	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7911 forget

Ecclesiastes 9:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Their love	אַהֲבָתָ֧ם	’a·hă·ḇā·ṯām	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H160 love
their hate	שִׂנְאָתָ֛ם	śin·’ā·ṯām	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H8135 hating, hatred
and	גַּ֣ם	gam	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
their envy	קִנְאָתָ֖ם	qin·’ā·ṯām	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H7068 ardour, zeal, jealousy
have already	כְּבָ֣ר	kə·ḇār	Adverb	H3528 already
vanished	אָבָ֑דָה	’ā·ḇā·ḏāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H6 perish
and they will never again have	אֵין־	’ên-	Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
a share	וְחֵ֨לֶק	wə·ḥê·leq	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H2506 portion, tract, territory
in all	בְּכֹ֥ל	bə·ḵōl	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular	H3605 the whole, all
that	אֲשֶֽׁר־	’ă·šer-	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
is done	נַעֲשָׂ֖ה	na·‘ă·śāh	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
under	תַּ֥חַת	ta·ḥaṯ	Preposition	H8478 the under part
the sun	הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃	haš·šā·meš	Article; Noun - common singular	H8121 sun

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Ecclesiastes 9:4 Job 14:7–12 · Luke 16:26–29 · Isaiah 38:18 · Lamentations 3:21–22 · Job 27:8

Ecclesiastes 9:5 Isaiah 26:14 · Ecclesiastes 1:11 · Psalm 6:5 · Psalm 88:10–12 · Job 14:21 · Hebrews 9:27 · Psalm 109:15 · Ecclesiastes 2:16 · Isaiah 63:16 · Ecclesiastes 8:10 · Job 7:8–10 · Ecclesiastes 7:2

Ecclesiastes 9:6 Psalm 146:3–4 · Matthew 2:20 · Job 3:17–18 · Ecclesiastes 6:12

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.