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Commentary on Ecclesiastes 9 verses 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 hope that by the grace of God there may be a blessed change wrought; but after men go to the dead (Ecc 9:3) it is too late then; he that is then filthy will be filthy still, for ever filthy. If men be thrown aside as useless, yet, while they are joined to the living, there is hope that they may yet again take root and bear fruit; he that is alive is, or may be, good for something, but he that is dead, as to this world, is not capable of being any further serviceable. Therefore a living dog is better than a dead lion; the meanest beggar alive has that comfort of this world and does that service to it which the greatest prince, when he is dead, is utterly incapable of. 2. While there is life there is an opportunity of preparing for death: The living know that which the dead have no knowledge of, particularly they know that they shall die, and are, or may be, thereby influenced to prepare for that great change which will come certainly, and may come suddenly. Note, The living cannot but know that they shall die, that they must needs die. They know they are under a sentence of death; they are already taken into custody by its messengers, and feel themselves declining. This is a needful useful knowledge; for what is our business, while we live, but to get ready to die: The living know they shall die; it is a thing yet to come, and therefore provision may be made for it. The dead know they are dead, and it is too late; they are on the other side the great gulf fixed. 3. When life is gone all this world is gone with it, as to us. (1.) There is an end of all our acquaintance with this world and the things of it: The dead know not any thing of that which, while they lived, they were intimately conversant with. It does not appear that they know any thing of what is done by those they leave behind. Abraham is ignorant of us; they are removed into darkness, Job 10:22. (2.) There is an end of all our enjoyments in this world: They have no more a reward for their toils about the world, but all they got must be left to others; they have a reward for their holy actions, but not for their worldly ones. The meats and the belly will be destroyed together, Joh 6:27; Co1 6:13. It is explained Ecc 9:6. Neither have they any more a portion for ever, none of that which they imagined would be a portion for ever, of that which is done and got under the sun. The things of this world will not be a portion for the soul because they will not be a portion for ever; those that choose them, and have them for their good things, have only a portion in this life, Psa 17:14. The world can only be an annuity for life, not a portion for ever. (3.) There is an end of their name. There are but few whose names survive them long; the grave is a land of forgetfulness, for the memory of those that are laid there is soon forgotten; their place knows them no more, nor the lands they called by their own names. (4.) There is an end of their affections, their friendships and enmities: Their love, and their hatred, and their envy have now perished; the good things they loved, the evil things they hated, the prosperity of others, which they envied, are now all at an end with them. Death parts those that loved one another, and puts an end to their friendship, and those that hated one another too, and puts an end to their quarrels. Actio moritur cum person - The person and his actions die together. There we shall be never the better for our friends (their love can do us no kindness), nor ever the worse for our enemies - their hatred and envy can do us no damage. There the wicked cease from troubling. Those things which now so affect us and fill us, which we are so concerned about and so jealous of, will there be at an end.
II. Hence he infers that it is our wisdom to make the best use of life that we can while it does last, and manage wisely what remains of it.
1.Let us relish the comforts of life while we live, and cheerfully take our share of the enjoyments of it. Solomon, having been himself ensnared by the abuse of sensitive delights, warns others of the danger, not by a total prohibition of them, but by directing to the sober and moderate use of them; we may use the world, but must not abuse it, take what is to be had out of it, and expect no more. Here we have,
(1.)The particular instances of this cheerfulness prescribed: "Thou art drooping and melancholy, go thy way, like a fool as thou art, and get into a better temper of mind." [1.] "Let thy spirit be easy and pleasant; then let there be joy and a merry heart within," a good heart (so the word is), which distinguishes this from carnal mirth and sensual pleasure, which are the evil of the heart, both a symptom and a cause of much evil there. We must enjoy ourselves, enjoy our friends, enjoy our God, and be careful to keep a good conscience, that nothing may disturb us in these enjoyments. We must serve God with gladness, in the use of what he gives us, and be liberal in communicating it to others, and not suffer ourselves to be oppressed with inordinate care and grief about the world. We must eat our bread as Israelites, not in our mourning (Deu 26:14), as Christians, with gladness and liberality of heart, Act 2:46. See Deu 28:47. [2.] "Make use of the comforts and enjoyments which God has given thee: Eat thy bread, drink thy wine, thine, not another's, not the bread of deceit, nor the wine of violence, but that which is honestly got, else thou canst not eat it with any comfort nor expect a blessing upon it - thy bread and thy wine, such as are agreeable to thy place and station, not extravagantly above it nor sordidly below it; lay out what God has given thee for the ends for which thou art entrusted with it, as being but a steward." [3.] "Evidence thy cheerfulness (Ecc 9:8): Let thy garments be always white. Observe a proportion in thy expenses; reduce not thy food in order to gratify thy pride, nor thy clothing in order to gratify thy voluptuousness. Be neat, wear clean linen, and be not slovenly." Or, "Let thy garments be white in token of joy and cheerfulness," which were expressed by white raiment (Rev 3:4); "and as a further token of joy, let thy head lack no ointment that is fit for it." Our Saviour admitted this piece of pleasure at a feast (Mat 26:7), and David observes it among the gifts of God's bounty to him. Psa 23:5, Thou anointest my head with oil. Not that we must place our happiness in any of the delights of sense, or set our hearts upon them, but what God has given us we must make as comfortable a use of as we can afford, under the limitations of sobriety and wisdom, and not forgetting the poor. [4.] "Make thyself agreeable to thy relations: Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest. Do not engross thy delights, making much of thyself only, and not caring what becomes of those about thee, but let them share with thee and make them easy too. Have a wife; for even in paradise it was not good for man to be alone. Keep to thy wife, to one, and do not multiply wives" (Solomon had found the mischief of that); "keep to her only, and have nothing to do with any other." How can a man live joyfully with one with whom he does not live honestly? "Love thy wife; and the wife whom thou lovest thou wilt be likely to live joyfully with." When we do the duty of relations we may expect the comfort of them. See Pro 5:19. "Live with thy wife, and delight in her society. Live joyfully with her, and be most cheerful when thou art with her. Take pleasure in thy family, thy vine and thy olive plants."
(2.)The qualifications necessary to this cheerfulness: "Rejoice and have a merry heart, if God now accepts thy works. If thou art reconciled to God, and recommended to him, then thou has reason to be cheerful, otherwise not." Rejoice not, O Israel! for joy, as other people, for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, Hos 9:1. Our first care must be to make our peace with God, and obtain his favour, to do that which he will accept of, and then, Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy. Note, Those whose works God has accepted have reason to be cheerful and ought to be so. 'Now that thou eatest the bread of thy sacrifices with joy, and partakest of the wine of thy drink-offerings with a merry heart, now God accepts thy works. Thy religious services, when performed with holy joy, are pleasing to God; he loves to have his servants sing at their work, it proclaims him a good Master.
(3.)The reasons for it. "Live joyfully, for," [1.] "It is all little enough to make thy passage through this world easy and comfortable: The days of thy life are the days of thy vanity; there is nothing here but trouble, and disappointment. Thou wilt have time enough for sorrow and grief when thou canst not help it, and therefore live joyfully while thou canst, and perplex not thyself with thoughts and cares about tomorrow; sufficient to the day is the evil thereof. Let a gracious serenity of mind be a powerful antidote against the vanity of the world." [2.] "It is all thou canst get from this world: That is thy portion in the things of this life. In God, and another life, thou shalt have a better portion, and a better recompence for thy labours in religion; but for thy pains which thou takest about the things under the sun this is all thou canst expect, and therefore do not deny this to thyself."
2.Let us apply ourselves to the business of life while life lasts, and so use the enjoyments of it as by them to be fitted for the employments: "Therefore eat with joy and a merry heart, not that thy soul may take its ease (as Luk 12:19), but that thy soul may take the more pains and the joy of the Lord may be its strength and oil to its wheels," Ecc 9:10. Whatsoever thy hand finds to do do it with thy might. Observe here, (1.) There is not only something to be had, but something to be done, in this life, and the chief good we are to enquire after is the good we should do, Ecc 2:3. This is the world of service; that to come is the world of recompence. This is the world of probation and preparation for eternity; we are here upon business, and upon our good behaviour. (2.) Opportunity is to direct and quicken duty. That is to be done which our hand finds to do, which occasion calls for; and an active hand will always find something to do that will turn to a good account. What must be done, of necessity, our hand will here find a price in it for the doing of, Pro 17:16. (3.) What good we have an opportunity of doing we must do while we have the opportunity, and do it with our might, with care, vigour, and resolution, whatever difficulties and discouragements we may meet with in it. Harvest-days are busy days; and we must make hay while the sun shines. Serving God and working out our salvation must be done with all that is within us, and all little enough. (4.) There is good reason why we should work the works of him that sent us while it is day, because the night comes, wherein no man can work, Joh 9:4. We must up and be doing now with all possible diligence, because our doing-time will be done shortly and we know not how soon. But this we know that, if the work of life be not done when our time is done, we are undone for ever: "There is no work to be done, nor device to do it, no knowledge for speculation, nor wisdom for practice, in the grave whither thou goest." We are all going towards the grave; every day brings us a step nearer to it; when we are in the grave it will be too late to mend the errors of life, too late to repent and make our peace with God, too late to lay up any thing in store for eternal life; it must be done now or never. The grave is a land of darkness and silence, and therefore there is no doing any thing for our souls there; it must be done now or never, Joh 12:35.
"For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at
all; there is no more reward for them, their memory is forgotten. Their love, their hate, their jealousy have
already perished- nor will they ever again have a share in whatever is done
beneath the sun. "Since he has said above that the heart of
man is filled with wickedness and impudence, and after all things, his life
comes to an end in death, then now he completes this by saying that he has
discovered that while men live, they are able to become righteous, but after
death are given no opportunity to do good work.
For the sinner who lives can be better than the dead and righteous man,
if he wishes to convert to his virtues.
Or indeed as for him, who threw himself into wickedness, power, and
impudence, then died: any poorest beggar is better than him. Why? Because
the living can carry out good work in the fear of death, but the dead can do
nothing to add to that which they took away from their life when they
died. And all things are forgotten, just
as it is written in the Psalm: "I have been given to forget, though dead
from my heart" [Ps. 30,13.]. But even their enjoyment, hatred and
jealousy, and all that they were able to hold in their time, comes to an end
with their death; nor can they do anything now in their righteousness or sin,
or add to their virtues, or to their vices.
Certain men though can argue against this explanation, asserting that we
can even grow after death, and equally decrease, and quoting that verse which
says, "and they will not share yet in all that is done under the
sun", and they understand it in this way, so that they say that they have
no communion in this world, and under this sun that we can see. But they say that they do have it in another
world, about which the Saviour says,
"I am not of this world" [Ioh. 8, 23.],
and under the sun of justice, but I have not excluded this theory, which
contends that after we leave this earth, we are able to offend reasoning
creatures, and deserve what we get. My
Hebrew tutor thought differently of the verse, which says, "a living dog
is better than a dead lion". He explained
it in this way according to the beliefs of his people: an unlearned man is more
useful, he who still lives and can teach, than a trained teacher who is now
dead. Because of the text he understands
it to mean any one dog is better than many teachers, and the lion is Moses, or
any other prophet. But because I don't
like this explanation I prefer a better one; and Chananaea to whom it is said:
"your faith saves you" [Matth. 9, 23.],
we say he is a dog according to the Gospel.
But a dead lion, for the people of circumcision is just the same as for
Balaam, the prophet, who says, "behold the people shall rise up as a great
lion, and shall lift up himself as a young lion" [Num. 23,24.]. Therefore we are a living dog amongst the
other nations; but the Jewish people which has been left by God, is a dead
lion. And that living dog is seen as
better in God's eyes than a dead lion.
For we who are living know the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The dead though can know nothing, or await
any recompense and profit, since their memory is complete. They don't remember what they ought to know,
and God does not remember them.
Enjoyment too, for which they often loved God, will die, and hatred as
well, about which they say boldly, "surely I hate those who hate You, O
Lord, and am I not grieved with those that rise up against You?" [Ps. 138, 21.]. And there does not exist their jealousy,
similar to the Phinees, and the knees of Matathia trembled. [Cfr. I Mach. 2, 24-6.54.] But it is very clear that a part of them is
not in that world, for they are not able to say, "my part is the
Lord". [Ps. 72, 26.]
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SUMMARY
Ecclesiastes 9:6 presents a stark and sobering declaration on the absolute finality of human earthly existence from the Preacher's "under the sun" perspective. It asserts that with death, all consuming human passions—love, hatred, and envy—cease to exist for the individual, and the deceased lose all connection and participation in the ongoing affairs and endeavors that transpire within the temporal realm. This verse powerfully underscores Koheleth's view on the complete cessation of earthly involvement and emotional experience once life on earth concludes.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is deeply embedded within a larger discourse (Ecclesiastes 9-10) where Koheleth, "the Preacher," relentlessly grapples with the universal reality of death and the inherent limitations of human existence when viewed solely from an earthly perspective, a recurring theme encapsulated by his signature phrase "under the sun." Immediately preceding this verse, Koheleth has established the common fate of all humanity, wise and foolish alike, in death, noting that "one event happens to all" (Ecclesiastes 9:2). He then explicitly states the state of the dead: "the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten" (Ecclesiastes 9:5). Ecclesiastes 9:6 builds directly upon these foundational assertions, extending the concept of death's absolute finality to the cessation of all human emotions and earthly influence, thereby reinforcing the Preacher's somber assessment of life's brevity and ultimate end from a purely temporal viewpoint. The progression of thought from the universality of death to the oblivion of the deceased's earthly experience is seamless.
Historical & Cultural Context: Ecclesiastes is a profound work of Hebrew wisdom literature, often attributed to King Solomon but likely composed during the Persian or Hellenistic period (c. 5th-3rd century BCE). It reflects a sophisticated, yet often skeptical, philosophical inquiry into the meaning and purpose of life. The distinctive phrase "under the sun" (Hebrew: tachat ha-shemesh) is a hallmark of Koheleth's perspective, signifying life as experienced solely within the confines of the earthly realm, without explicit reference to a divine, transcendent purpose or a detailed, robust understanding of the afterlife. This limited perspective often leads to conclusions of vanity and futility, as human endeavors and passions are seen as ultimately transient and without lasting impact. While other Old Testament texts offer glimpses of a future hope or a shadowy existence in Sheol (e.g., Psalm 16:10), Koheleth's focus remains resolutely on the observable realities of life and death, emphasizing the limits of human understanding and control over destiny. The cultural context is one where the pursuit of wisdom, wealth, and pleasure was common, yet Koheleth critiques these pursuits as ultimately unfulfilling when death is the final arbiter of all earthly endeavors.
Key Themes: Ecclesiastes 9:6 contributes significantly to several overarching themes prevalent throughout the book of Ecclesiastes. Firstly, it powerfully reinforces the finality of earthly existence, asserting that death marks an absolute end to all human emotions, pursuits, and relationships as they are experienced "under the sun." These intense passions, which dominate life, simply "perish" with the individual, underscoring the impermanence of all things temporal. Secondly, the verse highlights the cessation of earthly influence, emphasizing that the deceased lose all connection and participation in the ongoing activities, achievements, or struggles of the world they left behind. Their earthly legacy, while perhaps remembered by the living, holds no direct relevance or benefit for them in their post-mortem state. Finally, this passage underscores the vanity of earthly attachments, echoing the book's foundational declaration of "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 1:2). From Koheleth's "under the sun" perspective, intense earthly emotions like love, hatred, and envy, which consume so much human energy and drive, are ultimately transient and without lasting impact beyond the grave, rendering them ultimately "vanity."
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ecclesiastes 9:6 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its somber and definitive message about death's impact. The use of Tricolon is evident in the listing of "love, and their hatred, and their envy," which presents a comprehensive spectrum of human passions, from the most positive and unifying to the most negative and divisive. By declaring that all these have "perished," the Preacher emphasizes the universality of this cessation, suggesting that no human emotion, regardless of its nature, escapes death's finality. Repetition of the phrase "under the sun" (a pervasive leitmotif throughout Ecclesiastes) acts as a constant reminder of the Preacher's limited, earthly perspective, framing all observations and conclusions within the confines of mortal existence and observable phenomena. The strong, declarative language, particularly "is now perished" and "no more a portion for ever," employs Emphasis and a form of Hyperbole to underscore the absolute and irreversible nature of death's impact on human experience and involvement from Koheleth's viewpoint. Finally, the verse creates a stark Juxtaposition between the vibrant, consuming emotions and activities that define life and the absolute stillness, detachment, and oblivion that death brings to the individual, highlighting the profound and irreversible transition from being to non-being in the earthly sense.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ecclesiastes 9:6, read within its immediate context, presents a profoundly sobering view of death's finality from a purely human, "under the sun" perspective. It emphasizes that all human passions and earthly endeavors ultimately cease for the individual at death, offering no enduring legacy or continued participation in the world. This perspective serves as a stark reminder of the brevity and fragility of life, compelling the reader to consider what truly endures beyond the grave. While Koheleth's focus is on the observable reality of death's cessation of earthly activity, the broader biblical narrative, especially the New Testament, offers a transcendent hope that radically redefines the meaning of death and the destiny of the soul, moving beyond mere earthly oblivion to an eternal reality. The Preacher's realism, though bleak, prepares the ground for the necessity of a divine intervention that transcends the limitations of "under the sun" existence.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ecclesiastes 9:6, despite its somber tone, offers profound insights for living purposefully in the present. If our earthly passions, achievements, and even our capacity to influence the world "under the sun" truly cease for us at death, then what remains? This verse compels us to critically evaluate where we invest our most precious resources: our energy, our emotions, and our finite time. It urges us to prioritize that which has eternal value, rather than becoming consumed by transient pleasures, fleeting accolades, or even destructive emotions like hatred and envy, which ultimately perish with us. The Preacher's stark realism serves as a powerful impetus to live with urgency and intentionality, recognizing that our opportunity to act, love, and contribute in this life is finite. It challenges us to consider our legacy not in terms of what we accumulate or achieve "under the sun," but in how we live in light of ultimate truth, prompting us to make the most of our finite days by pursuing wisdom, righteousness, and a right relationship with God, whose purposes endure beyond the grave.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Ecclesiastes 9:6 deny the existence of an afterlife or the soul?
Answer: Ecclesiastes 9:6, like much of the book, reflects Koheleth's perspective on life as observed "under the sun"—that is, from a purely human, empirical viewpoint without explicit divine revelation concerning the afterlife. While it emphasizes the cessation of earthly emotions and involvement at death, it does not explicitly deny the existence of a soul or a spiritual realm. Instead, it highlights the limits of human knowledge and experience regarding what lies beyond the grave, focusing on the observable reality of death's impact on earthly life. The Preacher's concern is with the futility of human endeavors within the confines of this mortal existence, not a comprehensive theological treatise on the afterlife. The book's conclusion, however, points to the fear of God and keeping His commandments as the "whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13), suggesting a transcendent accountability.
What is the significance of the phrase "under the sun" in this verse and throughout Ecclesiastes?
Answer: The phrase "under the sun" (Hebrew: tachat ha-shemesh) is a recurring motif throughout Ecclesiastes, appearing nearly 30 times. It serves as a crucial hermeneutical key, indicating that Koheleth's observations and conclusions are drawn from a perspective limited to the earthly realm, human experience, and observable phenomena. It signifies a worldview that largely excludes divine intervention, supernatural revelation, or an explicit understanding of the afterlife. When the verse states that the dead have no portion "in any thing that is done under the sun," it means they have no further involvement in the tangible, temporal affairs of this world, reinforcing the Preacher's focus on the limitations and often perceived futility of life apart from a transcendent, God-centered perspective. It defines the scope of his inquiry and the boundaries of his conclusions.
How can we reconcile this verse's bleak outlook with the Christian hope of eternal life?
Answer: While Ecclesiastes 9:6 presents a sobering view of death's finality from an earthly perspective, the Christian hope transcends this "under the sun" limitation. The New Testament reveals a fuller understanding of God's redemptive plan, culminating in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For believers, death is not the end of existence or the complete perishing of all that defines us, but a transition. Our "love" (specifically agape love, rooted in God) does not perish but is perfected; our "portion" is not lost but secured in Christ, an "inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:4). The Christian understanding acknowledges the physical cessation of earthly life but affirms the continuation of the soul and the promise of bodily resurrection, offering a hope that radically redefines the meaning of life and death, moving beyond the Preacher's earthly conclusions to an eternal perspective found in Christ.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ecclesiastes 9:6, with its stark declaration that human passions and earthly portions "perish" at death, sets the stage for the profound transformative power of the Gospel. While Koheleth's "under the sun" perspective leads to a conclusion of ultimate futility regarding human endeavors and emotions, Christ's resurrection fundamentally alters this outlook. In Jesus, death loses its sting, and the grave its victory, as triumphantly declared in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57. For those "in Christ," our true "portion" is not found in anything "done under the sun," but in an eternal inheritance secured by His sacrifice and resurrection, making us "competent to share in the inheritance of the saints in light" (Colossians 1:12) and giving us a "living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3). The love that is "perished" in Ecclesiastes is, for the believer, perfected and eternal in Christ, for "neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). Our identity, our true affections, and our eternal destiny are no longer bound by the limitations of earthly existence but are "hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). Thus, the despair of Ecclesiastes 9:6 is met and overcome by the life-giving promise of the One who declared, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live" (John 11:25).