Ecclesiastes 9:1

Ecclesiastes 9:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
• New International Version (NIV)So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them.

Context of Ecclesiastes 9:1

For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. 2All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. 3This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event to 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.

Ecclesiastes 9:1 word by word

כִּ֣י אֶת־כָּל־זֶ֞ה נָתַ֤תִּי אֶל־לִבִּי֙ וְלָב֣וּר אֶת־כָּל־זֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר הַצַּדִּיקִ֧ים וְהַחֲכָמִ֛ים וַעֲבָדֵיהֶ֖ם בְּיַ֣ד הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים גַּֽם־אַהֲבָ֣ה גַם־שִׂנְאָ֗ה אֵ֤ין יוֹדֵ֙עַ֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם הַכֹּ֖ל לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

• consideredנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• declareבּוּרbûr · to explainH952
• righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
• wiseחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
• worksעֲבָד‛ăbâd · workH5652
• handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• knowethיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• eitherגַּםgam · alsoH1571
• loveאַהֲבָה'ahăbâh · loveH160
• hatredשִׂנְאָהώin'âh · hatingH8135
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 9:1

• Ecclesiastes 1:17And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
• Ecclesiastes 7:25I applied my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:
• Ecclesiastes 8:16When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)
• Ecclesiastes 12:9And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
• Ecclesiastes 8:14There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are just men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
• Deuteronomy 33:3Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.
• 1 Samuel 2:9He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
• 2 Samuel 15:25And the king said to Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and show me both it, and his habitation:
• Job 5:8I would seek to God, and to God would I commit my cause:
• Psalms 10:14Thou hast seen it ; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to repay it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself to thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
• Psalms 31:5Into thy hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.
• Psalms 37:5Commit thy way to the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
• Proverbs 16:3Commit thy works to the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
• Isaiah 26:12LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.
• Isaiah 49:1Listen, to me O isles; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the body of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
• Jeremiah 1:18For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 9:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1The righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God - This is a continuation of the preceding subject; and here the wise man draws a conclusion from what he had seen, and from the well-known character of God, that the righteous, the wise, and their conduct, were all in the hand of God, protected by his power, and safe in his approbation: but we cannot judge from the occurrences which take place in life who are the objects of God's love or…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1A good man‘s trust in God is set forth as a counterpoise to our Ignorance of the ways of Providence. In the hand of God - Under His special protection (Deuteronomy 33:3 ff) as righteous, and under His direction Proverbs 21:1 as people. No man … - literally, both love and also hatred man knoweth not: all are before them. Love and hatred here mean the ordinary outward tokens of God‘s favor or displeasure, i. e., prosperity and adversity. “Man knoweth not”…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Good and bad men fare alike as to this world. (Eccl. 9:1-3) All men must die, Their portion as to this life. (Eccl. 9:4-10) Disappointments common. (Eccl. 9:11,12) Benefits of wisdom. (Eccl. 9:13-18) Verses 1-3 We are not to think our searching into the word or works of God useless, because we cannot explain all difficulties. We may learn many things good for ourselves and useful to others. But man cannot always decide who are objects of God's special…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Man does not know what lies ahead: There is no promise that doing good will bring rewards in this life (see Ecclesiastes 3:17–22; 8:10–15; 12:14).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-18Ec 9:1-18. 1. declare--rather, explore; the result of my exploring is this, that "the righteous, &c., are in the hand of God. No man knoweth either the love or hatred (of God to them) by all that is before them," that is, by what is outwardly seen in His present dealings (Ec 8:14, 17). However, from the sense of the same words, in Ec 9:6, "love and hatred" seem to be the feelings of the wicked towards the righteous, whereby they caused to the latter…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Event
• Evil
• Remember
• Reward
• Providence
• Synagogue, the Great

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