Ecclesiastes 9:3

Ecclesiastes 9:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
• New International Version (NIV)This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.
• English Standard Version (ESV)This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
• New King James Version (NKJV)This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

Context of Ecclesiastes 9:3

1So I reflected on all this, attempting to clear it all up. I concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works, are in the hand of God; whether a person will be loved or hated – no one knows what lies ahead. 2Everyone shares the same fate – the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the ceremonially clean and unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. What happens to the good person, also happens to the sinner; what happens to those who make vows, also happens to those who are afraid to make vows. This is the unfortunate fact about everything that happens on earth: the same fate awaits everyone. In addition to this, the hearts of all people are full of evil, and there is folly in their hearts during their lives – then they die. 4But whoever is among the living has hope; a live dog is better than a dead lion. 5For the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything; they have no further reward – and even the memory of them disappears.

Ecclesiastes 9:3 word by word

זֶ֣ה׀ רָ֗ע בְּכֹ֤ל אֲשֶֽׁר־נַעֲשָׂה֙ תַּ֣חַת הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ כִּֽי־מִקְרֶ֥ה אֶחָ֖ד לַכֹּ֑ל וְגַ֣ם לֵ֣ב בְּֽנֵי־הָ֠אָדָם מָלֵא־רָ֨ע וְהוֹלֵל֤וֹת בִּלְבָבָם֙ בְּחַיֵּיהֶ֔ם וְאַחֲרָ֖יו אֶל־הַמֵּתִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• an evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
• that are doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• under the sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121
• oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• eventמִקְרֶהmiqreh · accidentH4745
• unto all: yea, also the heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• of the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of menאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• is fullמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
• of evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
• and madnessהוֹלֵלָהhôlêlâh · madnessH1947
• in their heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
• while they liveחַיִּיםchay · lifeH2416
• and afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• to the deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 9:3

• Ecclesiastes 8:11When a sentence is not executed at once against a crime, the human heart is encouraged to do evil.
• Genesis 6:5But the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time.
• Genesis 8:21And the Lord smelled the soothing aroma and said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, even though the inclination of their minds is evil from childhood on. I will never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done.
• Job 15:16how much less man, who is abominable and corrupt, who drinks in evil like water!
• Psalms 51:5Look, I was guilty of sin from birth, a sinner the moment my mother conceived me.
• Jeremiah 17:9The human mind is more deceitful than anything else. It is incurably bad. Who can understand it?
• Matthew 15:19For out of the heart come evil ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
• Mark 7:21For from within, out of the human heart, come evil ideas, sexual immorality, theft, murder,
• Romans 1:29They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips,
• Ecclesiastes 1:17So I decided to discern the benefit of wisdom and knowledge over foolish behavior and ideas; however, I concluded that even this endeavor is like trying to chase the wind!
• Ecclesiastes 7:25I tried to understand, examine, and comprehend the role of wisdom in the scheme of things, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the insanity of folly.
• Luke 6:11But they were filled with mindless rage and began debating with one another what they would do to Jesus.
• Luke 15:17But when he came to his senses he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger!
• Acts 26:11I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enraged at them, I went to persecute them even in foreign cities.
• 2 Peter 2:16yet was rebuked for his own transgression (a dumb donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the prophet’s madness).
• Ecclesiastes 12:7and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the life’s breath returns to God who gave it.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 9:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The heart of the sons of men is full of evil - No wonder then that the curse of God should be frequent in the earth.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Compare Ecclesiastes 8:11. The seeming indiscriminateness of the course of events tends to encourage evil-disposed men in their folly.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3When authorities delay punishments, including death, people may continue their reckless behavior and increase their wrongdoing and foolishness.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Translate, "There is an evil above all (evils) that are done," &c., namely, that not only "there is one event to all," but "also the heart of the sons of men" makes this fact a reason for "madly" persisting in "evil while they live, and after that," &c., sin is "madness." the dead--(Pr 2:18; 9:18).Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 9:3

• Death
• Depravity of Man
• Heart

In the dictionaries

• Event
• Evil
• Madness
• Remember
• Reward
• Chance
• Hap; Haply
• Psalms, Book of
• Synagogue, the Great
• 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