Ecclesiastes 9:7

Ecclesiastes 9:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
• New International Version (NIV)Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works.

Context of Ecclesiastes 9:7

5For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they no longer have a reward [here], for the memory of them is forgotten. 6Indeed their love, their hatred and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share [in this age] in anything that is done under the sun. Go your way, eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a cheerful heart [if you are righteous, wise, and in the hands of God]; for God has already approved and accepted your works. 8Let your clothes always be white [with purity], and do not let the oil [of gladness] be lacking on your head. 9Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given you under the sun—all the days of vanity and futility. For this is your reward in life and in your work in which you have labored under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 9:7 word by word

לֵ֣ךְ אֱכֹ֤ל בְּשִׂמְחָה֙ לַחְמֶ֔ךָ וּֽשֲׁתֵ֥ה בְלֶב־ט֖וֹב יֵינֶ֑ךָ כִּ֣י כְבָ֔ר רָצָ֥ה הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶֽת־מַעֲשֶֽׂיךָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Go thy wayיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• thy breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
• with joyשִׂמְחָהώimchâh · joyH8057
• and drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• thy wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
• with a merryטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• for Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• nowכְּבָרkebâr · alreadyH3528
• acceptethרָצָהrâtsâh · to acceptH7521
• thy worksמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deedH4639

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 9:7

• Genesis 12:19Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her and go!”
• Mark 7:29And He said to her, “Because of this answer [reflecting your humility and faith], go [knowing that your request is granted]; the demon has left your daughter [permanently].”
• John 4:50Jesus said to him, “Go; your son lives!” The man believed what Jesus said to him and started home.
• Ecclesiastes 2:24There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and assure himself that there is good in his labor. Even this, I have seen, is from the hand of God.
• Ecclesiastes 3:12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good as long as they live;
• Ecclesiastes 5:18Behold, here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in all the labor in which he labors under the sun during the few days of his life which God gives him—for this is his [allotted] reward.
• Ecclesiastes 8:15Then I commended pleasure and enjoyment, because a man [without God] has no better thing under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be merry, for this will stand by him in his toil through the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
• Ecclesiastes 10:19The officials make a feast for enjoyment [instead of repairing what is broken], and serve wine to make life merry, and money is the answer to everything.
• Deuteronomy 12:7And there you and your households shall eat before the Lord your God, and rejoice in all to which you put your hand, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.
• Deuteronomy 16:14You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are within your city.
• 1 Kings 8:66On the eighth (fifteenth) day he sent the people away and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and in good spirits because of all the goodness which the Lord had shown to David His servant and Israel His people.
• 1 Chronicles 16:1So they brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.
• 1 Chronicles 29:21The next day they offered sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord: 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 lambs, with their drink offerings (libations) and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.
• 2 Chronicles 30:23Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate [the feast] for another seven days; and they celebrated it another seven days with joy.
• Nehemiah 8:10Then Ezra said to them, “Go [your way], eat the rich festival food, drink the sweet drink, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be worried, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and your stronghold.”
• Genesis 4:4But Abel brought [an offering of] the [finest] firstborn of his flock and the fat portions. And the Lord had respect (regard) for Abel and for his offering;

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 9:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy - Do not vex and perplex yourselves with the dispensations and mysteries of Providence; enjoy the blessings which God has given you, and live to his glory; and then God will accept your works.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
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-10Verses 4-10 The most despicable living man's state, is preferable to that of the most noble who have died impenitent. Solomon exhorts the wise and pious to cheerful confidence in God, whatever their condition in life. The meanest morsel, coming from their Father's love, in answer to prayer, will have a peculiar relish. Not that we may set our hearts upon the delights of sense, but what God has given us we may use with wisdom. The joy here described, is…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-10Death will happen to everyone, but it is good to enjoy life.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. Addressed to the "righteous wise," spoken of in Ec 9:1. Being "in the hand of God," who now accepteth "thy works" in His service, as He has previously accepted thy person (Ge 4:4), thou mayest "eat ... with a cheerful (not sensually 'merry') heart" (Ec 3:13; 5:18; Ac 2:46).Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 9:7

• Contentment

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Event
• Evil
• Remember
• Reward
• Psalms, Book of
• Synagogue, the Great
• Wine; Wine Press
• Wisdom

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