Ecclesiastes 9:6

KJV

Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any [thing] that is done under the sun.

KJV (with Strong's)

Also their love {H160}, and their hatred {H8135}, and their envy {H7068}, is now {H3528} perished {H6}; neither have they any more a portion {H2506} for ever {H5769} in any thing that is done {H6213} under the sun {H8121}.

Complete Jewish Bible

What they loved, what they hated and what they envied all disappeared long ago, and they no longer have a share in anything done under the sun.

Berean Standard Bible

Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun.

American Standard Version

As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, is perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion for ever in anything that is done under the sun.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Ecclesiastes 9:6 delivers a stark declaration on the absolute finality of human earthly existence. 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 "under the sun." This verse underscores the Preacher's perspective on the cessation of all earthly involvement and emotional experience once life on earth concludes.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is embedded within a larger discourse (Ecclesiastes 9-10) where Koheleth, "the Preacher," grapples with the universal reality of death and the limitations of human existence when viewed solely from an earthly perspective, a recurring theme encapsulated by the phrase "under the sun." Immediately preceding this verse, Koheleth has established the common fate of all, wise and foolish alike, in death ([Ecclesiastes 9:2](/ecclesiastes/9-2 "Ecclesiastes 9:2 - The Common Fate of All")), and explicitly states that "the dead know not any thing" ([Ecclesiastes 9:5](/ecclesiastes/9-5 "Ecclesiastes 9:5 - The State of the Dead")). Ecclesiastes 9:6 builds directly upon these assertions, extending the concept of death's 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.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Ecclesiastes is a work of Hebrew wisdom literature, likely composed during the Persian or Hellenistic period, reflecting a sophisticated yet often skeptical philosophical inquiry into the meaning of life. The phrase "under the sun" is a distinctive 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 afterlife. This perspective often leads to conclusions of vanity and futility, as human endeavors and passions are seen as ultimately transient. While other Old Testament texts offer glimpses of a future hope or a shadowy existence in Sheol, 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.
* **Key Themes:** Ecclesiastes 9:6 contributes significantly to several overarching themes in the book. 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 passions, which dominate life, simply "perish" with the individual. 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 remembered by the living, holds no direct relevance or benefit for them. 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](/ecclesiastes/1-2 "Ecclesiastes 1:2 - The Vanity of All Things")). From Koheleth's "under the sun" perspective, intense earthly emotions like love, hatred, and envy, which consume so much human energy, are ultimately transient and without lasting impact beyond the grave.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **love (Hebrew, _ʼahăbâh'_):** From H160, this feminine noun denotes affection, which can be expressed in both a good or a bad sense. In the context of Ecclesiastes 9:6, it refers to the deep emotional attachment and positive relational bonds that characterize human life. The declaration that "love...is now perished" signifies the complete cessation of such emotional experience for the deceased, emphasizing the finality of earthly relationships and sentiments.
* **perished (Hebrew, _ʼâbad'_):** Derived from H6, this primitive root means to wander away, lose oneself, or by implication, to be destroyed or come to an end. Its use here conveys an absolute and irreversible cessation. When applied to "love, hatred, and envy," it means these powerful human emotions are utterly lost or destroyed for the individual upon death, underscoring the Preacher's view of death as an oblivion regarding earthly experience.
* **portion (Hebrew, _chêleq'_):** From H2506, this term refers to an allotment, share, or inheritance. In this verse, it signifies one's stake, involvement, or participation in the affairs of the living world. The statement "neither have they any more a portion for ever" powerfully communicates that the deceased possess no further share, claim, or influence in anything that transpires "under the sun," reinforcing their complete detachment from earthly activities.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished":** This clause directly addresses the fate of the most intense human emotions upon death. "Love" represents positive, unifying affections, while "hatred" and "envy" represent negative, divisive passions. The use of "now perished" (with "now" from H3528, _kᵉbâr_, meaning "already" or "at this time") emphasizes the immediate and current state of these emotions for the deceased: they have simply ceased to exist for the individual. This paints a picture of complete emotional detachment and oblivion concerning earthly sentiments.
* **"neither have they any more a portion for ever":** This phrase extends the concept of cessation from emotions to active involvement. The deceased no longer possess any "portion" (H2506, _chêleq_), meaning no share, stake, or inheritance, in the world's affairs. The addition of "for ever" (H5769, _ʻôwlâm_, meaning "eternity" or "time out of mind") underscores the permanent nature of this detachment from an earthly perspective, implying an unending separation from the realm of the living.
* **"in any [thing] that is done under the sun":** This concluding phrase defines the scope of the deceased's disengagement. "Under the sun" (H8121, _shemesh_) is the signature phrase of Ecclesiastes, delineating the earthly realm of human experience, observation, and endeavor. "Done" (H6213, _ʻâsâh_) encompasses all human actions, works, and activities. Thus, the verse asserts that the dead have no part whatsoever in any human activity or outcome that occurs within the earthly sphere.

#### Literary Devices
Ecclesiastes 9:6 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its somber message. 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 to the most negative, all declared to have "perished." This serves to emphasize the universality of this cessation. **Repetition** of the phrase "under the sun" (a leitmotif throughout Ecclesiastes) acts as a constant reminder of the Preacher's limited, earthly perspective, framing all observations within the confines of mortal existence. 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 of life and the absolute stillness, detachment, and oblivion that death brings to the individual, highlighting the profound 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 pessimistic 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 redefines the meaning of death and the destiny of the soul, moving beyond mere earthly oblivion to an eternal reality.

* [Psalm 146:4](/psalms/146-4 "Psalm 146:4 - The Perishing of Human Plans")
* [Psalm 6:5](/psalms/6-5 "Psalm 6:5 - No Remembrance in Death")
* [Daniel 12:2](/daniel/12-2 "Daniel 12:2 - Resurrection to Everlasting Life or Contempt")

### 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 energy, emotions, and 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.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **If all my earthly passions and involvements will eventually "perish," what truly lasting legacy am I building?**
* **How does the finite nature of "life under the sun" influence my daily priorities and choices?**
* **Am I investing my "love, hatred, and envy" in ways that align with eternal purposes, or are they consumed by temporary earthly concerns?**

### 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.

**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.

**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" (agape love, rooted in God) does not perish but is perfected; our "portion" is not lost but secured in Christ. 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 ([1 Corinthians 15:54-57](/1_corinthians/15-54 "1 Corinthians 15:54-57 - Victory Over Death")). 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 ([Colossians 1:12](/colossians/1-12 "Colossians 1:12 - Inheritance of the Saints") and [1 Peter 1:3-4](/1_peter/1-3 "1 Peter 1:3-4 - Living Hope and Incorruptible Inheritance")). The love that is "perished" in Ecclesiastes is, for the believer, perfected and eternal in Christ, for "neither death nor life...will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" ([Romans 8:38-39](/romans/8-38 "Romans 8:38-39 - Nothing Can Separate Us from God's Love")). 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](/colossians/3-3 "Colossians 3:3 - Hidden Life in Christ")). 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](/john/11-25 "John 11:25 - Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Psalms 146:3

Put not your trust in princes, [nor] in the son of man, in whom [there is] no help.

Psalms 146:4

His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

Matthew 2:20

Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.

Exodus 1:8

¶ Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

Job 3:17

There the wicked cease [from] troubling; and there the weary be at rest.

Job 3:18

[There] the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.

Ecclesiastes 6:12

For who knoweth what [is] good for man in [this] life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?