Ecclesiastes 9:12

Ecclesiastes 9:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For 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.
• New International Version (NIV)Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them.

Context of Ecclesiastes 9:12

10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) where you are going. 11I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the strong, and neither is bread to the wise nor riches to those of intelligence and understanding nor favor to men of ability; but time and chance overtake them all. For man also does not know his time [of death]; like fish caught in a treacherous net, and birds caught in the snare, so the sons of men are ensnared in an evil time when a dark cloud suddenly falls on them. 13This [illustration of] wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and great it was to me: 14There was a little city with few men in it and a great king came against it and besieged it and built great battlements against it.

Ecclesiastes 9:12 word by word

כִּ֡י גַּם֩ לֹֽא־יֵדַ֨ע הָאָדָ֜ם אֶת־עִתּ֗וֹ כַּדָּגִים֙ שֶׁנֶּֽאֱחָזִים֙ בִּמְצוֹדָ֣ה רָעָ֔ה וְכַ֨צִּפֳּרִ֔ים הָאֲחֻז֖וֹת בַּפָּ֑ח כָּהֵ֗ם יֽוּקָשִׁים֙ בְּנֵ֣י הָֽאָדָ֔ם לְעֵ֣ת רָעָ֔ה כְּשֶׁתִּפּ֥וֹל עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם פִּתְאֹֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• also knowethיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• not his timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• as the fishesדָּגdâg dâ'g · fishH1709
• that are takenאָחַז'âchaz · to graspH270
• in an evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
• netמְצוֹדָהmâtsôd metsôdâh metsôdâh · netH4685
• and as the birdsצִפּוֹרtsippôr tsippôr · birdH6833
• in the snareפַּחpach · snareH6341
• soהֵ֫מָּהhêm hêmmâh · they(masc.)H1992
• the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• snaredיָקֹשׁyâqôsh · to snareH3369
• when it fallethנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• suddenlyפִּתְאֹםpith'ôm pith'ôm · suddenlyH6597

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 9:12

• Ecclesiastes 8:5Whoever keeps and observes a royal command will experience neither trouble nor misery; For a wise heart will know the proper time and [appropriate] procedure.
• Luke 19:42saying, “If [only] you had known on this day [of salvation], even you, the things which make for peace [and on which peace depends]! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.
• 2 Corinthians 6:2For He says, “At the acceptable time (the time of grace) I listened to you, And I helped you on the day of salvation.” Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”—
• 1 Peter 2:12Keep your behavior excellent among the [unsaved] Gentiles [conduct yourself honorably, with graciousness and integrity], so that for whatever reason they may slander you as evildoers, yet by observing your good deeds they may [instead come to] glorify God in the day of visitation [when He looks upon them with mercy].
• Proverbs 7:22Suddenly he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter [not knowing the outcome], Or as one in stocks going to the correction [to be given] to a fool,
• Habakkuk 1:14Why do You make men like the fish of the sea, Like reptiles and creeping things that have no ruler [and are helpless against their enemies]?
• 2 Timothy 2:26and that they may come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
• Job 18:8For the wicked is thrown into a net by his own feet (wickedness), And he steps on the webbing [of the lattice-covered pit].
• Psalms 11:6Upon the wicked (godless) He will rain coals of fire; Fire and brimstone and a dreadful scorching wind will be the portion of their cup [of doom].
• Psalms 73:18Surely You set the wicked-minded and immoral on slippery places; You cast them down to destruction.
• Proverbs 6:15Therefore [the crushing weight of] his disaster will come suddenly upon him; Instantly he will be broken, and there will be no healing or remedy [because he has no heart for God].
• Proverbs 29:6By his wicked plan an evil man is trapped, But the righteous man sings and rejoices [for his plan brings good things to him].
• Isaiah 30:13Therefore this wickedness [this sin, this injustice, this wrongdoing] will be to you Like a crack [in a wall] about to fall, A bulge in a high wall, Whose collapse comes suddenly in an instant,
• Luke 12:20But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own all the things you have prepared?’
• Luke 17:26And just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the time of [the second coming of] the Son of Man:
• Luke 21:34“But be on guard, so that your hearts are not weighed down and depressed with the giddiness of debauchery and the nausea of self-indulgence and the worldly worries of life, and then that day [when the Messiah returns] will not come on you suddenly like a trap;

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 9:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12As the birds that are caught - Man acts so heedlessly, notwithstanding all his wisdom, and all his warnings, that he is often taken, as a fish is, by the baited hook; and the bird by the baited snare. And thus, an evil time, like the snare, gin, trap, hook, falleth suddenly upon them; and they are taken in a moment, and have no means of escaping. How frequently do we see these comparisons illustrated!Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7-12Verses 7-12 Read these six verses connectedly, in order to arrive at the meaning of the writer; and compare Ecclesiastes 2:1-12. After the description Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 of the portionless condition of the dead, the next thought which occurs is that the man who is prosperous and active should simply enjoy his portion all through this life Ecclesiastes 9:7-10; and then Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 follows the correcting thought (see Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 note)…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-12From observing life, it seems death often lacks meaning. Why do some people die while others live longer? God's decision on this is unpredictable (Ecclesiastes 7:13–14).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. his time--namely, of death (Ec 7:15; Is 13:22). Hence the danger of delay in doing the work of God, as one knows not when his opportunity will end (Ec 9:10). evil net--fatal to them. The unexpected suddenness of the capture is the point of comparison. So the second coming of Jesus Christ, "as a snare" (Lu 21:35). evil time--as an "evil net," fatal to them.Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 9:12

• Fish
• Hunting
• Ignorance
• Net

In the dictionaries

• Event
• Evil
• Fowler
• Net
• Remember
• Reward
• Entangle
• Food
• Hunting
• Snare

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings