Ecclesiastes 9:12

Ecclesiastes 9:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
• New International Version (NIV)Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them.

Context of Ecclesiastes 9:12

10Whatsoever 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. 11I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. 13This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: 14There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

Ecclesiastes 9:12 word by word

כִּ֡י גַּם֩ לֹֽא־יֵדַ֨ע הָאָדָ֜ם אֶת־עִתּ֗וֹ כַּדָּגִים֙ שֶׁנֶּֽאֱחָזִים֙ בִּמְצוֹדָ֣ה רָעָ֔ה וְכַ֨צִּפֳּרִ֔ים הָאֲחֻז֖וֹת בַּפָּ֑ח כָּהֵ֗ם יֽוּקָשִׁים֙ בְּנֵ֣י הָֽאָדָ֔ם לְעֵ֣ת רָעָ֔ה כְּשֶׁתִּפּ֥וֹל עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם פִּתְאֹֽם׃Read the interlinear

• For manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• also knowethיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• not his timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• as the fishesדָּגdâg dâ'g · fishH1709
• that are takenאָחַז'âchaz · to graspH270
• in an evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
• netמְצוֹדָהmâtsôd metsôdâh metsôdâh · netH4685
• and as the birdsצִפּוֹרtsippôr tsippôr · birdH6833
• in the snareפַּחpach · snareH6341
• soהֵ֫מָּהhêm hêmmâh · they(masc.)H1992
• the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• snaredיָקֹשׁyâqôsh · to snareH3369
• when it fallethנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• suddenlyפִּתְאֹםpith'ôm pith'ôm · suddenlyH6597

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 9:12

• Ecclesiastes 8:5Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.
• Luke 19:42Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
• 2 Corinthians 6:2(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
• 1 Peter 2:12Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
• Proverbs 7:22He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
• Habakkuk 1:14And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
• 2 Timothy 2:26And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
• Job 18:8For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a snare.
• Psalms 11:6Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
• Psalms 73:18Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.
• Proverbs 6:15Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
• Proverbs 29:6In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: but the righteous doth sing and rejoice.
• Isaiah 30:13Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.
• Luke 12:20But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
• Luke 17:26And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
• Luke 21:34And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 9:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12As the birds that are caught - Man acts so heedlessly, notwithstanding all his wisdom, and all his warnings, that he is often taken, as a fish is, by the baited hook; and the bird by the baited snare. And thus, an evil time, like the snare, gin, trap, hook, falleth suddenly upon them; and they are taken in a moment, and have no means of escaping. How frequently do we see these comparisons illustrated!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
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-12From observing life, it seems death often lacks meaning. Why do some people die while others live longer? God's decision on this is unpredictable (Ecclesiastes 7:13–14).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. his time--namely, of death (Ec 7:15; Is 13:22). Hence the danger of delay in doing the work of God, as one knows not when his opportunity will end (Ec 9:10). evil net--fatal to them. The unexpected suddenness of the capture is the point of comparison. So the second coming of Jesus Christ, "as a snare" (Lu 21:35). evil time--as an "evil net," fatal to them.Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 9:12

• Fish
• Hunting
• Ignorance
• Net

In the dictionaries

• Event
• Evil
• Fowler
• Net
• Remember
• Reward
• Entangle
• Food
• Hunting
• Snare

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