Tree of Life Version
Ecclesiastes 9:1
1For all this I laid on my heart and to ascertain all this: that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works are in the hand of God. Whether love or hatred, no one knows—everything awaits them.
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 laid on my heart and to ascertain all this: that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works are in the hand of God. Whether love or hatred, no one knows—everything awaits them. 2Everyone shares the same destiny: for the righteous and the wicked; for the good, the ritually clean and the defiled; for one who sacrifices and one who does not sacrifice; as the good person so the sinner; as the one who swears like the one who fears an oath. 3This is a misery in everything done under the sun: that the same destiny awaits everyone. Moreover, the hearts of all humans are full of evil, and folly is in their hearts during their lives—after that they die.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 9Ecclesiastes 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- For all this I consideredנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- in my heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- even to declareבּוּרbûr · to explainH952
- all this, that the righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
- and the wiseחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
- and their worksעֲבָד‛ăbâd · workH5652
- in the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- no manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- knowethיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- eitherגַּםgam · alsoH1571
- loveאַהֲבָה'ahăbâh · loveH160
- or hatredשִׂנְאָהώin'âh · hatingH8135
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 9:1
- Ecclesiastes 1:17So I applied my heart to know wisdom as well as to know madness and folly. I learned that this too was pursuit of the wind.
- Ecclesiastes 7:25So I turned my heart to understand, to search and seek out wisdom and an explanation of things and to know the stupidity of wickedness and madness of folly.
- Ecclesiastes 8:16When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to observe the activity that is done upon the earth (his eyes not seeing sleep either day or night),
- Ecclesiastes 12:9Furthermore, Kohelet was not only wise but he also taught the people knowledge. He pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
- Ecclesiastes 8:14There is another enigma that occurs upon the earth: there are righteous people who are requited according to the work of the wicked, and there are wicked people who are requited according to the work of the righteous. I said, “This also is meaningless.”
- Deuteronomy 33:3Indeed, a lover of peoples is He— all His kedoshim are in His hand. They followed in Your steps, each receiving Your words.
- 1 Samuel 2:9He guards the steps of His godly ones, but the wicked are silenced in darkness. For one does not prevail by might.
- 2 Samuel 15:25But the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in Adonai’s eyes, He will bring me back, and let me see it and His dwelling.
- Job 5:8But as for me, I would seek God; I would lay my cause before God.
- Psalms 10:14You saw—for You see trouble and grief, to take it in Your hand. The victim puts his trust in You— You are the helper of the orphan.
- Psalms 31:5Free me from the net they hid for me, for You are my refuge.
- Psalms 37:5Commit your way to Adonai. Trust in Him, and He will do it.
- Proverbs 16:3Commit whatever you do to Adonai, and your plans will succeed.
- Isaiah 26:12Adonai, You will establish shalom for us, for all our works You have done for us.
- Isaiah 49:1Listen, to Me, islands! Pay attention, peoples far away. Adonai called Me from the womb, from My mother’s belly He named Me.
- Jeremiah 1:18Look, today I have set you up as a fortified city— an iron pillar and bronze walls— against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its princes against its kohanim, 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
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
Tree of Life Version — © 2015 The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
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