Ecclesiastes 9:10

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

8Always wear clean clothes, and never go without lotion on your head. 9Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, during all your brief, pointless life. God has given you your pointless life under the sun. This is your lot ⌞in life⌟ and what you get for the hard work that you do under the sun. Whatever presents itself for you to do, do it with ⌞all⌟ your might, because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or skill in the grave where you’re going. 11I saw something else under the sun. The race isn’t ⌞won⌟ by fast runners, or the battle by heroes. Wise people don’t necessarily have food. Intelligent people don’t necessarily have riches, and skilled people don’t necessarily receive special treatment. But time and unpredictable events overtake all of them. 12No one knows when his time will come. Like fish that are caught in a cruel net or birds caught in a snare, humans are trapped by a disaster when it suddenly strikes them.

Ecclesiastes 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whatsoever thy handיָדyâd · handH3027
• findethמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• to doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• with thy mightכֹּחַkôach kôach · strengthH3581
• no workמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
• nor deviceחֶשְׁבּוֹןcheshbôn · explanationH2808
• nor knowledgeדַּ֫עַתda‛ath · knowledgeH1847
• nor wisdomחׇכְמָהchokmâh · wisdomH2451
• in the graveשְׁאוֹלshe'ôl she'ôl · hell: SheolH7585
• whither thou goestהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 9:10

• Numbers 13:30Caleb told the people to be quiet and listen to Moses. Caleb said, “Let’s go now and take possession of the land. We should be more than able to conquer it.”
• 1 Chronicles 22:19So dedicate your hearts and lives to serving the Lord your God. Start building the holy place of the Lord God so that you can bring the ark of the Lord’s promise and God’s holy utensils into the temple that will be built for the Lord’s name.”
• 1 Chronicles 28:20David also told his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or terrified. The Lord God, my God, will be with you. He will not abandon you before all the work on the Lord’s temple is finished.
• 1 Chronicles 29:2With all my might I gathered ⌞the materials⌟ for the temple of my God: gold for gold objects, silver for silver objects, bronze for bronze objects, iron for iron objects, wood for wooden objects, onyx stones and settings, black stones, stones of different colors, gems, and marble.
• 2 Chronicles 31:20This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what was good and right and true to the Lord his God.
• Ezra 6:14So the Jewish leaders continued to make progress because of the message from the prophet Haggai and Zechariah, the grandson of Iddo. They finished building as the God of Israel had ordered and as Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes (the kings of Persia) had ordered.
• Nehemiah 2:12During the night I went out with a few men without telling anyone what my God had inspired me to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I had was the one I was riding.
• Nehemiah 3:1The chief priest Eliashib and his relatives, the priests, started by rebuilding Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place. They rebuilt as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and then as far as the Tower of Hananel.
• Nehemiah 4:2In front of his allies and the army from Samaria, he said, “What do these miserable Jews think they’re doing? Can they rebuild it by themselves? Are they going to offer sacrifices? Can they finish it in a day? Will they get the stones out of the rubbish heaps, burned as these stones are, and give them new strength?”
• Nehemiah 13:8I was furious. So I threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.
• Psalms 71:15My mouth will tell about your righteousness, about your salvation all day long. Even then, it is more than I can understand.
• Jeremiah 29:13When you look for me, you will find me. When you wholeheartedly seek me,
• Matthew 6:33But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you.
• John 4:34Jesus told them, “My food is to do what the one who sent me wants me to do and to finish the work he has given me.
• Romans 12:11Don’t be lazy in showing your devotion. Use your energy to serve the Lord.
• Romans 15:18I’m bold enough to tell you only what Christ has done through me to bring people who are not Jewish to obedience. By what I have said and done,

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

• Death
• Diligence
• Hell
• Industry
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Event
• Evil
• Remember
• Reward
• Death
• Decease, in the Old Testament and Apocyphra
• Device
• Eschatology of the Old Testament
• Psalms, Book of
• 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