Ecclesiastes 10:19

Ecclesiastes 10:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.
• New International Version (NIV)A feast is made for laughter, wine makes life merry, and money is the answer for everything.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything.
• New King James Version (NKJV)A feast is made for laughter, And wine makes merry; But money answers everything.

Context of Ecclesiastes 10:19

17Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader and whose leaders feast at the proper time to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk. 18Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house. A party gives laughter, wine gives happiness, and money gives everything! 20Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And don’t make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom. For a little bird might deliver your message and tell them what you said.

Ecclesiastes 10:19 word by word

לִשְׂחוֹק֙ עֹשִׂ֣ים לֶ֔חֶם וְיַ֖יִן יְשַׂמַּ֣ח חַיִּ֑ים וְהַכֶּ֖סֶף יַעֲנֶ֥ה אֶת־הַכֹּֽל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• A feastלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
• is madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• for laughterשְׂחֹקώechôq ώechôq · laughterH7814
• and wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
• maketh merryחַיִּיםchay · lifeH2416
• maketh merryשָׂמַחώâmach · to rejoiceH8055
• but moneyכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
• answerethעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 10:19

• Ecclesiastes 2:1I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless.
• Ecclesiastes 7:2Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies— so the living should take this to heart.
• Genesis 43:34And Joseph filled their plates with food from his own table, giving Benjamin five times as much as he gave the others. So they feasted and drank freely with him.
• Daniel 5:1Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.
• 1 Peter 4:3You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.
• Ecclesiastes 9:7So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!
• Psalms 104:15wine to make them glad, olive oil to soothe their skin, and bread to give them strength.
• Isaiah 24:11Mobs gather in the streets, crying out for wine. Joy has turned to gloom. Gladness has been banished from the land.
• 1 Samuel 25:36When Abigail arrived home, she found that Nabal was throwing a big party and was celebrating like a king. He was very drunk, so she didn’t tell him anything about her meeting with David until dawn the next day.
• 2 Samuel 13:28Absalom told his men, “Wait until Amnon gets drunk; then at my signal, kill him! Don’t be afraid. I’m the one who has given the command. Take courage and do it!”
• Luke 12:19And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
• Ephesians 5:18Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,
• Ecclesiastes 7:11Wisdom is even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life.
• 1 Chronicles 21:24But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!”
• 1 Chronicles 29:2Using every resource at my command, I have gathered as much as I could for building the Temple of my God. Now there is enough gold, silver, bronze, iron, and wood, as well as great quantities of onyx, other precious stones, costly jewels, and all kinds of fine stone and marble.
• 2 Chronicles 24:11Whenever the chest became full, the Levites would carry it to the king’s officials. Then the court secretary and an officer of the high priest would come and empty the chest and take it back to the Temple again. This went on day after day, and a large amount of money was collected.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 10:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19A feast is made for laughter - The object of it is to produce merriment, to banish care and concern of every kind. But who are they who make and frequent such places? Epicures and drunkards generally; such as those of whom Horace speaks: Nos numerus sumus, et fruges consumere nati. Epist. lib. i., ep. 2, ver. 27. "Those whose names stand as indications of men, the useless many; and who appear to be born only to consume the produce of the soil." But money…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16-20Verses 16-20 Foolish rulers, by their weakness, self-indulgence and sloth, bring decay upon the state: nobleness and temperance insure prosperity: yet the subject must not rebel in word or thought against his king. Ecclesiastes 10:16 A child - Rather, young. The word is applied to Rehoboam 2 Chronicles 13:7 at the time of his accession to the throne, when he was 41 years old. Eat in the morning - A sign of intemperance (compare Isaiah 5:11). Ecclesiastes…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-20Verses 16-20 The happiness of a land depends on the character of its rulers. The people cannot be happy when their princes are childish, and lovers of pleasure. Slothfulness is of ill consequence both to private and public affairs. Money, of itself, will neither feed nor clothe, though it answers the occasions of this present life, as what is to be had, may generally be had for money. But the soul, as it is not redeemed, so it is not maintained with…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19money is the answer for everything: It helps you get what you want or need in this world (see Ecclesiastes 7:11–12).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. Referring to Ec 10:18. Instead of repairing the breaches in the commonwealth (equivalent to "building"), the princes "make a feast for laughter (Ec 10:16), and wine maketh their life glad (Psa 104:15), and (but) money supplieth (answereth their wishes by supplying) all things," that is, they take bribes to support their extravagance; and hence arise the wrongs that are perpetrated (Ec 10:5, 6; 3:16; Is 1:23; 5:23). Maurer takes "all things" of the…Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 10:19

• Money
• Riches
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Direct
• Idleness
• Prince
• Synagogue, the Great
• Wine; Wine Press
• Banquets

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 10

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings