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

5The living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything. There is no more reward for the dead when the memory of them has faded. 6Their love, their hate, and their passions have already vanished. They will never again take part in anything that happens under the sun. Go, enjoy eating your food, and drink your wine cheerfully, because God has already accepted what you’ve done. 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.

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’s my sister’ and allow me to take her for my wife? Here’s your wife! Take her and go!”
• Mark 7:29Jesus said to her, “Because you have said this, go! The demon has left your daughter.”
• John 4:50Jesus told him, “Go home. Your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus told him and left.
• Ecclesiastes 2:24There is nothing better for people to do than to eat, drink, and find satisfaction in their work. I saw that even this comes from the hand of God.
• Ecclesiastes 3:12I realize that there’s nothing better for them to do than to be cheerful and enjoy what is good in their lives.
• Ecclesiastes 5:18At last I have seen what is good and beautiful: It is to eat and drink and to enjoy the good in all our hard work under the sun during the brief lives God gives us. That is our lot ⌞in life⌟.
• Ecclesiastes 8:15So I recommend the enjoyment ⌞of life⌟. People have nothing better to do under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy themselves. This joy will stay with them while they work hard during their brief lives which God has given them under the sun.
• Ecclesiastes 10:19A meal is made for laughter, and wine makes life pleasant, but money is the answer for everything.
• Deuteronomy 12:7There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families will eat and enjoy everything you’ve worked for, because the Lord your God has blessed you.
• Deuteronomy 16:14Enjoy yourselves at the festival along with your sons, daughters, male and female slaves, the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows who live in your cities.
• 1 Kings 8:66On the eighth day he dismissed the people. They blessed the king and went to their tents. They rejoiced with cheerful hearts for all the blessings the Lord had given his servant David and his people Israel.
• 1 Chronicles 16:1The men carrying the ark set it inside the tent David had put up for it. They presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in God’s presence.
• 1 Chronicles 29:21The next day they sacrificed to the Lord. They sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord: 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, 1,000 lambs, wine offerings, and many sacrifices for all Israel.
• 2 Chronicles 30:23Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate the festival for seven more days. So they joyfully celebrated for seven more days.
• Nehemiah 8:10Then he told them, “Go, eat rich foods, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who cannot provide for themselves. Today is a holy day for the Lord. Don’t be sad because the joy you have in the Lord is your strength.”
• Genesis 4:4Abel also brought some choice parts of the firstborn animals from his flock. The Lord approved of Abel and 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