American Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 9:10
10Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
- New International Version (NIV)Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
Context of Ecclesiastes 9:10
8Let thy garments be always white; and let not thy head lack oil. 9Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of thy life of vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all thy days of vanity: for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labor wherein thou laborest under the sun. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest. 11I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. 12For 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, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 9Ecclesiastes 9:10 word by word
כֹּ֠ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּמְצָ֧א יָֽדְךָ֛ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת בְּכֹחֲךָ֖ עֲשֵׂ֑ה כִּי֩ אֵ֨ין מַעֲשֶׂ֤ה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן֙ וְדַ֣עַת וְחָכְמָ֔ה בִּשְׁא֕וֹל אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֖ה הֹלֵ֥ךְ שָֽׁמָּה׃ סRead the interlinear
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 9:10
- Numbers 13:30And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
- 1 Chronicles 22:19Now set your heart and your soul to seek after Jehovah your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of Jehovah God, to bring the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of Jehovah.
- 1 Chronicles 28:20And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed; for Jehovah God, even my God, is with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until all the work for the service of the house of Jehovah be finished.
- 1 Chronicles 29:2Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for the things of gold, and the silver for the things of silver, and the brass for the things of brass, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, stones for inlaid work, and of divers colors, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.
- 2 Chronicles 31:20And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah; and he wrought that which was good and right and faithful before Jehovah his God.
- Ezra 6:14And the elders of the Jews builded and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
- Nehemiah 2:12And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem; neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.
- Nehemiah 3:1Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Hammeah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananel.
- Nehemiah 4:2And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned?
- Nehemiah 13:8And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.
- Psalms 71:15My mouth shall tell of thy righteousness, Andof thy salvation all the day; For I know not the numbers thereof.
- Jeremiah 29:13And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
- Matthew 6:33But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
- John 4:34Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work.
- Romans 12:11in diligence not slothful; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
- Romans 15:18For I will not dare to speak of any things save those which Christ wrought through me, for the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed,
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 9:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do - Examine here the What the How, and the Why. I. What is necessary to be done in this life, in reference to another? Turn from sin. Repent. Frequent the ordinances of God, and associate with the upright. Read the Scriptures. Pray for pardon. Believe on the Lord Jesus, that thou mayest obtain it. Look for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Bring forth in their seasons the fruits of it - (1) Repentance, (2) Faith; and (3) The…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. 10in Sheol: In the Old Testament, Sheol is where the dead reside. It is not always linked to punishment.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. Whatsoever--namely, in the service of God. This and last verse plainly are the language of Solomon, not of a skeptic, as Holden would explain it. hand, &c.--(Le 12:8, Margin; 1Sa 10:7, Margin). thy might--diligence (De 6:5; Jr 48:10, Margin). no work ... in the grave--(Joh 9:4; Re 14:13). "The soul's play-day is Satan's work-day; the idler the man the busier the tempter" [South].Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 9:10
In the dictionaries
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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries