Ecclesiastes 1 · Verse 9

Ecclesiastes 1:9

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:9, King James Version

Ecclesiastes 1:9 in other translations

BSBWhat has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
WEBThat which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun.
ASVThat which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
YLTWhat is that which hath been? it is that which is, and what is that which hath been done? it is that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun.
DARBYThat which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.
BBEThat which has been, is that which is to be, and that which has been done, is that which will be done, and there is no new thing under the sun.
WebsterThe thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

What does Ecclesiastes 1:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
9. Rather, "no new thing at all"; as in Nu 11:6. This is not meant in a general sense; but there is no new source of happiness (the subject in question) which can be devised; the same round of petty pleasures, cares, business, study, wars, &c., being repeated over and over again [Holden].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 The thing that hath been - Every thing in the whole economy of nature has its revolutions; summer and winter, heat and cold, rain and drought, seedtime and autumn, with the whole system of corruption and generation, alternately succeed each other, so that whatever has been shall be again. There is really, physically, and philosophically, nothing absolutely new under the sun, in the course of sublunary things. The same is the case in all the revolutions of the heavens.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 1:9-11
Men's hearts and their corruptions are the same now as in former times; their desires, and pursuits, and complaints, still the same. This should take us from expecting happiness in the creature, and quicken us to seek eternal blessings. How many things and persons in Solomon's day were thought very great, yet there is no remembrance of them now!

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Ecclesiastes 1:9 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

מַה\־mah-whateverH4100
שֶּֽׁהָיָה֙she.ha.Yah<that> it has beenH1961
ה֣וּאhu'itH1931
שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֔הshei.yih.Yeh[is] which <it> will beH1961
וּמַה\־u.mah-and whateverH4100
שֶׁנַּֽעֲשָׂ֔הshe.na.'a.Sahwhich <it> has been doneH6213
ה֖וּאhu'itH1931
שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂ֑הshei.ye.'a.Seh[is] which <it> will be doneH6213
וְאֵ֥יןve.'Einand there notH369
כָּל\־kol-[is] anyH3605
חָדָ֖שׁcha.Dashnew [thing]H2319
תַּ֥חַתTa.chatunderH8478
הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ\׃ha.Sha.meshthe sunH8121

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ecclesiastes 1:9

  • Ecclesiastes 3:15

    That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

  • Ecclesiastes 6:10

    That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

  • Revelation 21:1

    And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

  • Ecclesiastes 2:12

    And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

  • Ecclesiastes 7:10

    Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

  • Isaiah 43:19

    Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

  • Jeremiah 31:22

    How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.

  • Revelation 21:5

    And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

  • 2 Peter 2:1

    But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
that hath.
3:15; 7:10; 2Pe 2:1
and there.
Isa 43:19; Jer 31:22; Re 21:1,5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ecclesiastes 1:8

    All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

  • Ecclesiastes 1:9

    The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

  • Ecclesiastes 1:10

    Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 1

Ecclesiastes 1:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		¿Qué es lo que fué? Lo mismo que será. ¿Qué es lo que ha sido hecho? Lo mismo que se hará: y nada hay nuevo debajo del sol.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ce qui a été, c’est ce qui sera; et ce qui a été fait, c’est ce qui se fera; et il n’y a rien de nouveau sous le soleil.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Das, was gewesen, ist das, was sein wird; und das, was geschehen, ist das, was geschehen wird. Und es ist gar nichts Neues unter der Sonne.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quid est quod fuit? Ipsum quod futurum est. Quid est quod factum est? Ipsum quod faciendum est.