Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:7–10

7Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:

8Let your garments always be white,

and never spare the oil for your head.

9Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleetingb life that God has given you under the sun — all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun. 10Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

Footnotes

  • b 9:9 Or futile; twice in this verse

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 9:7

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Goלֵ֣ךְlêḵVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH1980 go, come, walk
eatאֱכֹ֤ל’ĕ·ḵōlVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH398 eat
your breadלַחְמֶ֔ךָlaḥ·me·ḵāNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH3899 bread, food
with joyבְּשִׂמְחָה֙bə·śim·ḥāhPreposition-b; Noun - feminine singularH8057 joy, gladness, mirth
and drinkוּֽשֲׁתֵ֥הū·šă·ṯêhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH8354 drink
your wineיֵינֶ֑ךָyê·ne·ḵāNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH3196 wine
with a cheerfulט֖וֹבṭō·wḇAdjective - masculine singularH2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
heartבְלֶב־ḇə·leḇ-Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular constructH3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
forכִּ֣יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
Godהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםhā·’ĕ·lō·hîmArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH430 God
has alreadyכְבָ֔רḵə·ḇārAdverbH3528 already
approvedרָצָ֥הrā·ṣāhVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH7521 be pleased with, accept favourably
your worksמַעֲשֶֽׂיךָ׃ma·‘ă·śe·ḵāNoun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH4639 deed, work

Ecclesiastes 9:8

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Let your garmentsבְגָדֶ֖יךָḇə·ḡā·ḏe·ḵāNoun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH899 treachery
alwaysבְּכָל־bə·ḵālPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
beיִהְי֥וּyih·yūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
whiteלְבָנִ֑יםlə·ḇā·nîmAdjective - masculine pluralH3836 white
and neverאַל־’al-AdverbH408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
spareיֶחְסָֽר׃yeḥ·sārVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH2637 lack, need, be lacking, decrease
the oilוְשֶׁ֖מֶןwə·še·menConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singularH8081 fat, oil
forעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
your headרֹאשְׁךָ֥rō·šə·ḵāNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH7218 head

Ecclesiastes 9:9

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Enjoyרְאֵ֨הrə·’êhVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH7200 see
lifeחַיִּ֜יםḥay·yîmNoun - masculine pluralH2416 alive, living
withעִם־‘im-PrepositionH5973 with
your belovedאָהַ֗בְתָּ’ā·haḇ·tāVerb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singularH157 love
wifeאִשָּׁ֣ה’iš·šāhNoun - feminine singularH802 woman, wife, female
allכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
the daysיְמֵי֙yə·mêNoun - masculine plural constructH3117 day
of the fleetingהֶבְלֶ֔ךָheḇ·le·ḵāNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH1892 vapour, breath
lifeחַיֵּ֣יḥay·yêNoun - masculine plural constructH2416 alive, living
thatאֲשֶׁ֤ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
has givenנָֽתַן־nā·ṯan-Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH5414 give, put, set
youלְךָ֙lə·ḵāPreposition; second person masculine singular
underתַּ֣חַתta·ḥaṯPrepositionH8478 the under part
the sunהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁhaš·še·mešArticle; Noun - common singularH8121 sun
allכֹּ֖לkōlNoun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
your fleetingהֶבְלֶ֑ךָheḇ·le·ḵāNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH1892 vapour, breath
daysיְמֵ֣יyə·mêNoun - masculine plural constructH3117 day
Forכִּ֣יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
thisה֤וּאhūPronoun - third person masculine singularH1931 he, she
is your portionחֶלְקְךָ֙ḥel·qə·ḵāNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH2506 portion, tract, territory
in lifeבַּֽחַיִּ֔יםba·ḥay·yîmPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine pluralH2416 alive, living
and in your laborוּבַעֲמָ֣לְךָ֔ū·ḇa·‘ă·mā·lə·ḵāConjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH5999 trouble, labour, toil
underתַּ֥חַתta·ḥaṯPrepositionH8478 the under part
the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃haš·šā·mešArticle; Noun - common singularH8121 sun

Ecclesiastes 9:10

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Whateverכֹּ֠לkōlNoun - masculine singularH3605 the whole, all
you findתִּמְצָ֧אtim·ṣāVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularH4672 attain to, find
to doלַעֲשׂ֥וֹתla·‘ă·śō·wṯPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH6213 do, make
with your handsיָֽדְךָ֛yā·ḏə·ḵāNoun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singularH3027 hand
doעֲשֵׂ֑ה‘ă·śêhVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH6213 do, make
with all your mightבְּכֹחֲךָ֖bə·ḵō·ḥă·ḵāPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH3581 strength, power
forכִּי֩kîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
in Sheolבִּשְׁא֕וֹלbiš·’ō·wlPreposition-b; Noun - common singularH7585 underworld
whereאֲשֶׁ֥ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
youאַתָּ֖ה’at·tāhPronoun - second person masculine singularH859 thou
are goingהֹלֵ֥ךְhō·lêḵVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH1980 go, come, walk
there isשָֽׁמָּה׃סšām·māhAdverb; third person feminine singularH8033 there, thither
noאֵ֨ין’ênAdverbH369 nothing, nought
workמַעֲשֶׂ֤הma·‘ă·śehNoun - masculine singularH4639 deed, work
or planningוְחֶשְׁבּוֹן֙wə·ḥeš·bō·wnConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singularH2808 reckoning, account
or knowledgeוְדַ֣עַתwə·ḏa·‘aṯConjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singularH1847 knowledge
or wisdomוְחָכְמָ֔הwə·ḥā·ḵə·māhConjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singularH2451 wisdom

Cross-references

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

Ecclesiastes 9:7 Ecclesiastes 3:12–13 · Ecclesiastes 10:19 · Deuteronomy 12:7 · Ecclesiastes 8:15 · Ecclesiastes 2:24–26 · Nehemiah 8:10–12 · 1 Chronicles 16:1–3 · Ecclesiastes 5:18 · Deuteronomy 16:14–15 · 1 Chronicles 29:21–23 · John 4:50 · Luke 11:41

Ecclesiastes 9:8 Revelation 19:14 · Revelation 3:4–5 · Revelation 7:13–14 · Revelation 19:8 · Revelation 7:9 · Revelation 16:15 · 2 Samuel 19:24 · Daniel 10:3 · Esther 8:15 · Ruth 3:3 · Psalm 23:5 · Matthew 6:17

Ecclesiastes 9:9 Proverbs 5:18–19 · Ecclesiastes 2:10 · Malachi 2:15 · Ecclesiastes 6:12 · Ecclesiastes 3:13 · Proverbs 18:22 · Ecclesiastes 3:22 · Ecclesiastes 7:15 · Ecclesiastes 2:24 · Proverbs 19:14 · Ecclesiastes 5:18 · Psalm 39:5

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Colossians 3:23 · Ephesians 5:16 · Romans 12:11 · Psalm 6:5 · Ecclesiastes 11:6 · 2 Chronicles 31:20–21 · 1 Corinthians 9:24 · John 9:4 · Jeremiah 29:13 · Matthew 6:33 · Ecclesiastes 9:5–6 · Isaiah 38:18–19

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.