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 do not know anything, nor do they have a reward any longer, for their memory is forgotten. 6Indeed their love, their hate, and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun. Go then, eat your bread in happiness, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. 8See that your clothes are white all the time, and that there is no lack of oil on your head. 9Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your futile life which He has given you under the sun, all the days of your futility; for this is your reward in life and in your work 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

• Goהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• your breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
• in happinessשִׂמְחָהώimchâh · joyH8057
• and drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• your wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
• with a cheerfulטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• for Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• has alreadyכְּבָרkebâr · alreadyH3528
• approvedרָצָהrâtsâh · to acceptH7521
• your worksמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deedH4639

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 9:7

• Genesis 12:19Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for myself as a wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her and go!”
• Mark 7:29And He said to her, “Because of this answer, go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”
• John 4:50Jesus said to him, “Go; your son is alive.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went home.
• Ecclesiastes 2:24There is nothing better for a person than to eat and drink, and show himself some good in his trouble. This too I have seen, that it is from the hand of God.
• Ecclesiastes 3:12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime;
• Ecclesiastes 5:18Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink, and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.
• Ecclesiastes 8:15So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a person under the sun except to eat, drink, and be joyful, and this will stand by him in his labor throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
• Ecclesiastes 10:19People prepare a meal for enjoyment, wine makes life joyful, and money is the answer to everything.
• Deuteronomy 12:7There you and your households shall eat before the Lord your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the Lord your God has blessed you.
• Deuteronomy 16:14and you shall rejoice in your feast, you, your son and your daughter, and your male and female slaves, and the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow who are in your towns.
• 1 Kings 8:66On the eighth day he dismissed the people, and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and with happy hearts for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to David His servant, and to Israel His people.
• 1 Chronicles 16:1And they brought in the ark of God and placed it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.
• 1 Chronicles 29:21On the next day they made sacrifices to the Lord and offered burnt offerings to the Lord, a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.
• 2 Chronicles 30:23Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate the feast another seven days, so they celebrated the seven days with joy.
• Nehemiah 8:10Then he said to them, “Go, eat the festival foods, drink the sweet drinks, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your refuge.”
• Genesis 4:4Abel, on his part also brought an offering, from the firstborn of his flock and from their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for 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