Ecclesiastes 9

This chapter belongs to the latter part of Ecclesiastes. At the end of chapter 8, the Preacher states that no one can fully discover the work God does under the sun. Chapter 9 continues that line of thought, addressing the unpredictability of what befalls human beings and the equality of all people before death.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 The works of the righteous and the wise are in the hand of God, yet no one knows what lies ahead. The righteous and the wicked, the one who sacrifices and the one who does not, all share the same end.
• Verses 4–6 There is hope for the living. The dead know nothing, and they no longer have any portion in anything done under the sun.
• Verses 7–10 The reader is urged to eat and drink with joy, to live joyfully with his wife, and to do with all his might whatever his hand finds to do, for there is neither work nor wisdom in Sheol (the place to which the dead go), where he is going.
• Verses 11–12 The swift, the strong, and the wise do not always win or prosper. Time and chance happen to all, and calamity falls suddenly, like a net.
• Verses 13–18 When a great king besieged a small city, a poor wise man delivered the city by his wisdom, yet no one remembered him. Wisdom is better than strength and weapons of war, but it is easily despised, and one sinner destroys much good.

Key Verses

• Ecclesiastes 9:4, "for a living dog is better than a dead lion": a brief figure expressing the value of life itself.
• Ecclesiastes 9:10, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might": the verse that best represents the chapter's exhortation.
• Ecclesiastes 9:11, "but time and chance happeneth to them all": an observation that ability alone does not guarantee the outcome.

Figures and Places

• The Preacher: The narrator of the book, introduced in chapter 1 as "the son of David, king in Jerusalem." He has traditionally been identified with Solomon, though scholars hold other views as well.
• The poor wise man and the great king: Unnamed figures in the illustration of verses 13–18. The city is likewise not named.

Points for Reflection

• The statement in verses 5 and 10 that "the dead know not any thing" is interpreted in different ways. The Seventh-day Adventist Church and Jehovah's Witnesses cite these verses as evidence that the dead are in an unconscious state. Many denominations, including Presbyterian and Methodist churches, read them as observations made from the perspective of life "under the sun" (life in this world). In their view, the state of the dead must be understood in light of the New Testament revelation of the resurrection.
• Whether verses 7–9 should be read as a recommendation of pleasure is also debated. Many interpreters read these verses as an exhortation to enjoy with gratitude the portion God has given.
• The exhortation of verse 10 is often read alongside Colossians 3:23 in the New Testament: "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord."