Ecclesiastes 9:1

Ecclesiastes 9:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
• New International Version (NIV)So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them.

Context of Ecclesiastes 9:1

Indeed, I took all this to heart and explained it all: The righteous, the wise, and their works are in God’s hands. People don’t know whether to expect love or hate. Everything lies ahead of them. 2Everything is the same for everyone: There is one fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not sacrifice. As it is for the good, so also it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who takes an oath, so also for the one who fears an oath. 3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: there is one fate for everyone. In addition, the hearts of people are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live; after that they go to the dead.

Ecclesiastes 9:1 word by word

כִּ֣י אֶת־כָּל־זֶ֞ה נָתַ֤תִּי אֶל־לִבִּי֙ וְלָב֣וּר אֶת־כָּל־זֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר הַצַּדִּיקִ֧ים וְהַחֲכָמִ֛ים וַעֲבָדֵיהֶ֖ם בְּיַ֣ד הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים גַּֽם־אַהֲבָ֣ה גַם־שִׂנְאָ֗ה אֵ֤ין יוֹדֵ֙עַ֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם הַכֹּ֖ל לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For all this I consideredנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• in my heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• even to declareבּוּרbûr · to explainH952
• all this, that the righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
• and the wiseחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
• and their worksעֲבָד‛ăbâd · workH5652
• in the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• no manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• knowethיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• eitherגַּםgam · alsoH1571
• loveאַהֲבָה'ahăbâh · loveH160
• or hatredשִׂנְאָהώin'âh · hatingH8135
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 9:1

• Ecclesiastes 1:17I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly; I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind.
• Ecclesiastes 7:25I turned my thoughts to know, explore, and examine wisdom and an explanation for things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity and folly is madness.
• Ecclesiastes 8:16When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the activity that is done on the earth (even though one’s eyes do not close in sleep day or night),
• Ecclesiastes 12:9In addition to the Teacher being a wise man, he constantly taught the people knowledge; he weighed, explored, and arranged many proverbs.
• Ecclesiastes 8:14There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile.
• Deuteronomy 33:3Indeed he loves the people. All your holy ones are in your hand, and they assemble at your feet. Each receives your words.
• 1 Samuel 2:9He guards the steps of his faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness, for a person does not prevail by his own strength.
• 2 Samuel 15:25Then the king instructed Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor with the Lord, he will bring me back and allow me to see both it and its dwelling place.
• Job 5:8However, if I were you, I would appeal to God and would present my case to him.
• Psalms 10:14But you yourself have seen trouble and grief, observing it in order to take the matter into your hands. The helpless one entrusts himself to you; you are a helper of the fatherless.
• Psalms 31:5Into your hand I entrust my spirit; you have redeemed me, Lord, God of truth.
• Psalms 37:5Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act,
• Proverbs 16:3Commit your activities to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
• Isaiah 26:12Lord, you will establish peace for us, for you have also done all our work for us.
• Isaiah 49:1Coasts and islands, listen to me; distant peoples, pay attention. The Lord called me before I was born. He named me while I was in my mother’s womb.
• Jeremiah 1:18Today, I am the one who has made you a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land — against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the population.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 9:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1The righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God - This is a continuation of the preceding subject; and here the wise man draws a conclusion from what he had seen, and from the well-known character of God, that the righteous, the wise, and their conduct, were all in the hand of God, protected by his power, and safe in his approbation: but we cannot judge from the occurrences which take place in life who are the objects of God's love or…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1A good man‘s trust in God is set forth as a counterpoise to our Ignorance of the ways of Providence. In the hand of God - Under His special protection (Deuteronomy 33:3 ff) as righteous, and under His direction Proverbs 21:1 as people. No man … - literally, both love and also hatred man knoweth not: all are before them. Love and hatred here mean the ordinary outward tokens of God‘s favor or displeasure, i. e., prosperity and adversity. “Man knoweth not”…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Good and bad men fare alike as to this world. (Eccl. 9:1-3) All men must die, Their portion as to this life. (Eccl. 9:4-10) Disappointments common. (Eccl. 9:11,12) Benefits of wisdom. (Eccl. 9:13-18) Verses 1-3 We are not to think our searching into the word or works of God useless, because we cannot explain all difficulties. We may learn many things good for ourselves and useful to others. But man cannot always decide who are objects of God's special…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Man does not know what lies ahead: There is no promise that doing good will bring rewards in this life (see Ecclesiastes 3:17–22; 8:10–15; 12:14).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-18Ec 9:1-18. 1. declare--rather, explore; the result of my exploring is this, that "the righteous, &c., are in the hand of God. No man knoweth either the love or hatred (of God to them) by all that is before them," that is, by what is outwardly seen in His present dealings (Ec 8:14, 17). However, from the sense of the same words, in Ec 9:6, "love and hatred" seem to be the feelings of the wicked towards the righteous, whereby they caused to the latter…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Event
• Evil
• Remember
• Reward
• Providence
• Synagogue, the Great

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