Ecclesiastes 9:10 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatsoever 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.
a hand (the open one (indicating power · noun, common both genders singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
findeth
תִּמְצָ֧אtim.Tza'
H4672
properly · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
do
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹתla.'a.Sot
H6213
to do or make · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
do
עֲשֵׂ֑ה'a.Seh
H6213
to do or make · verb, qal imperative, 2nd person masculine singular
might
בְּכֹחֲךָ֖be.kho.cha.Kha
H3581
vigor · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
work
מַעֲשֶׂ֤הma.'a.Seh
H4639
an action (good or bad) · noun, common masculine singular absolute
device
וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן֙ve.chesh.bOn
H2808
properly · conjunction + noun, common masculine singular absolute
knowledge
וְדַ֣עַתve.Da.'at
H1847
knowledge · conjunction + noun, common feminine singular absolute
wisdom
וְחָכְמָ֔הve.cha.khe.Mah
H2451
wisdom (in a good sense) · conjunction + noun, common feminine singular absolute
grave
בִּשְׁא֕וֹלbish.'ol
H7585
Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean re… · preposition + noun, common both genders singular absolute
goest
הֹלֵ֥ךְho.Lekh
H1980
to walk (in a great variety of applications · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Colossians 3:23 And what soever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Romans 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Psalms 6:5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
Ecclesiastes 11:6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or…
2 Chronicles 31:20-21 And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God.
1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 9:4-10
Solomon, in a fret, had praised the dead more than the living (Ecc 4:2); but here, considering the advantages of life to prepare for death and make sure the hope of a better life, he seems to be of another mind.
I. He shows the advantages which the living have above those that are dead, Ecc 9:4-6. 1. While there is life there is hope. Dum spiro, spero - While I breathe, I hope. It is the privilege of the living that they are joined to the living, in relation, commerce, and conversation, and, while they are so, there is hope. If a man's condition be, upon any account, bad, there is hope it will be amended. If the heart be full of evil, and madness be in it, yet while there is life there is ho…
Whatsoever--namely, in the service of God. This and last verse plainly are the language of Solomon, not of a skeptic, as HOLDEN would explain it.
hand, &c.-- (Lev 12:8, Margin; Sa1 10:7, Margin).
thy might--diligence (Deu 6:5; Jer 48:10, Margin).
no work . . . in the grave-- (Joh 9:4; Rev 14:13). "The soul's play-day is Satan's work-day; the idler the man the busier the tempter" [SOUTH].
John Gill on Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,.... Not anything that is evil, which is near at hand, and easy to be found, and is in the power of men's hands to do, Romans 7:21; for this is forbidden of God, abominable to him, and hurtful to men; but whatsoever is good; so the Targum,
"to do good and alms to the poor;''
even all good works in general, which God requires of men, and it is their duty to do; though they are not meritorious of anything at his hands, nor is there justification or salvation by them; yet should be done in obedience to the will of God, in gratitude to him for mercies received, and for his glory; as also for the profit of men, and for our own good; for the evidence of grace, a…
Remember, my brethren, that there is no confession in the grave; nor can penance be granted when the time for repentance is past. Hurry while you are still alive.
Since therefore the hours flee with their moments, act, dearest brothers, so that they may be retained in the reward of good work. Hear what the wise Solomon says: "Whatever your hand is able to do, work at it earnestly, for there will be neither work, nor knowledge, nor reason, nor wisdom in the underworld, to which you are hastening." Since therefore we do not know the time of coming death, and after death we cannot work, it remains that before death we seize the time that has been granted. For thus, yes thus, death itself when it comes will be conquered, if before it comes it is always feared.
May your action be according to your ability! "Do with your might!" Act, according to the might you have received.… That might consists in the gifts of grace from the Holy Spirit. The one who has might and still does not increase his spiritual capacity does not use his might. The one, however, who forcefully does more than is right, not out of real desire, but out of ambition or for another reason, commits a sin.…The beginner acts like a novice, the one who has made progress like one who is on his way, the one who has reached perfection like one who is perfect. Thus, one has to act in accordance with one's ability. If you are not weak, do not act in a way that would diminish your ability to assert your will. On the other hand, do not attempt something which you cannot do!
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Death, Natural · Puts an end to earthly projects — Puts an end to earthly projects
Gentiles · PROPHECIES OF THE CONVERSION OF — PROPHECIES OF THE CONVERSION OF
Hell · “Sheol” is translated “grave” in A. V. in — “Sheol” is translated “grave” in A. V. in
Industry · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Millennium · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Nation · Promises of peace to — Promises of peace to
Zeal, Religious · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
"Go, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for long ago hath God accepted thy work. Let thy garments be always white; and let not oil be wanting to thy head. Enjoy life with a wife whom thou lovest through all the days of thy vain life, which He hath given thee under the sun - through all thy vain days: for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherewith thou weariest thyself under the sun. All that thy hand may find to do with thy might, that do; for there is not work, and calculation, and knowledge, and wisdom, in the under world, whither thou shalt go." Hengstenberg perceives here the counterpart of the spirit; on the contrary, Oetinger, Mendelssohn, and…
to the grave: Hebrew to Sheol. In the Old Testament, Sheol is the abode of the dead. It is not necessarily associated with punishment.
Rashi on Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever you are able to do. The will of your Maker— as long as you have your strength—do.26See Mishnayos Avos 2:2.
For there is neither deed, etc., in the grave. For your merit after you die, and if you did so, you have no reckoning in the grave to worry about. The [text of the] verse is transposed [meaning], “for there is neither deed nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave for the wicked,27Alternatively, whatever charity and good deeds you are able to do, do them with all your strength. (Targum) nor reckoning for the righteous, when the wicked give an accounting and reckoning, and so is it expounded in the Midrash. And one who interprets it without transposing it, but according to its appa…
