Ecclesiastes 9 · Verse 10

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.
Ecclesiastes 9:10, King James Version

Ecclesiastes 9:10 in other translations

BSBWhatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
WEBWhatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.
ASVWhatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.
YLTAll that thy hand findeth to do, with thy power do, for there is no work, and device, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol whither thou art going.
DARBYWhatever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.
BBEWhatever comes to your hand to do with all your power, do it because there is no work, or thought, or knowledge, or wisdom in the place of the dead to which you are going.
WebsterWhatever 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.

What does Ecclesiastes 9:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
10. 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.--(Le 12:8, Margin; 1Sa 10:7, Margin). thy might--diligence (De 6:5; Jr 48:10, Margin). no work ... in the grave--(Joh 9:4; Re 14:13). "The soul's play-day is Satan's work-day; the idler the man the busier the tempter" [South].

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do - Examine here the What the How, and the Why. I. What is necessary to be done in this life, in reference to another? 1. Turn from sin. 2. Repent. 3. Frequent the ordinances of God, and associate with the upright. 4. Read the Scriptures. 5. Pray for pardon. 6. Believe on the Lord Jesus, that thou mayest obtain it. 7. Look for the gift of the Holy Spirit. 8. Bring forth in their seasons the fruits of it - (1) Repentance, (2) Faith; and (3) The Holy Spirit. 9. Live to get good. 10. And to do good. 11. And refer every purpose and act to the eternal world. II. How should these be done? With thy might. 1. Be fully convinced of the necessity of these things. 2. Be determined to act according to this conviction. 3. Then act with all thy strength; put forth all thy power in avoiding evil, repenting of sin, etc., etc. III. Why should this be done? 1. Because thou art a dying man. 2. Thou art going into the grave. 3. When thou leavest this life, thy state of probation, with all its advantages, is eternally ended. 4. If thou die in sin, where God is thou shalt never come. For, 1. There is no work by which thou mayest profit; 2. No device by which thou mayest escape punishment; 3. No knowledge of any means of help; and, 4. No wisdom - restoration of the soul to the favor and image of God, in that grave whither thou goest. Therefore, work while it is called to-day. My old MS. Bible translates this nervously: Whatever thinge may thin hond don, besily wirch: for nouther were, ne resoun, ne wisdom, ne keennyng schuln be a nentis hell, whither thou gost. Properly speaking, every sinner is going to hell, and the wisdom of God calls upon him to turn and live.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 9:4-10

The most despicable living man's state, is preferable to that of the most noble who have died impenitent. Solomon exhorts the wise and pious to cheerful confidence in God, whatever their condition in life. The meanest morsel, coming from their Father's love, in answer to prayer, will have a peculiar relish. Not that we may set our hearts upon the delights of sense, but what God has given us we may use with wisdom…

Read the full comment on Ecclesiastes 9:4-10 →

Ecclesiastes 9:10 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.

כֹּ֠לkolallH3605
אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherthatH834
תִּמְצָ֧אtim.Tza'it findsH4672
יָֽדְךָ֛ya.de.Khahand yourH3027
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹתla.'a.Sotto doH6213
בְּכֹחֲךָ֖be.kho.cha.Khawith strength yourH3581
עֲשֵׂ֑ה'a.SehdoH6213
כִּי֩kiforH3588
אֵ֨ין'einthere notH369
מַעֲשֶׂ֤הma.'a.Seh[is] workH4639
וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן֙ve.chesh.bOnand explanationH2808
וְדַ֣עַתve.Da.'atand knowledgeH1847
וְחָכְמָ֔הve.cha.khe.Mahand wisdomH2451
בִּשְׁא֕וֹלbish.'olin SheolH7585
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhereH834
אַתָּ֖ה'a.TahyouH859
הֹלֵ֥ךְho.Lekh[are] goingH1980
שָֽׁמָּה\׃\ \סSha.mahthere towardsH8033

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

Cross references for Ecclesiastes 9:10

  • Colossians 3:23

    And whatsoever 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 whether they both shall be alike good.

  • 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. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

  • 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.

  • Matthew 6:33

    But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

  • Jeremiah 29:13

    And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

  • Ecclesiastes 9:5-6

    For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 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.

  • Isaiah 38:18-19

    For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
thy hand.
Nu 13:30; 1Ch 22:19; 28:20; 29:2,3; 2Ch 31:20,21; Ezr 6:14,15
Ne 2:12-20; 3:1-16; 4:2,6,9-13,17-23; 13:8-31; Ps 71:15-18
Jer 29:13; Mt 6:33; Joh 4:34; Ro 12:11; 15:18-20; 1Co 9:24,26
1Co 15:10; 16:10; Eph 5:16; Col 3:23; 2Pe 1:12-15
for.
5,6; 11:3; Job 14:7-12; Ps 6:5; 88:10-12; Isa 38:18,19; Joh 9:4
Ac 20:25-31

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

Context

  • Ecclesiastes 9:9

    Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

  • 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.

  • Ecclesiastes 9:11

    I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 9

Ecclesiastes 9:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Todo lo que te viniere á la mano para hacer, hazlo según tus fuerzas; porque en el sepulcro, adonde tú vas, no hay obra, ni industria, ni ciencia, ni sabiduría.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Tout ce que ta main trouve à faire, fais-le selon ton pouvoir; car il n’y a ni œuvre, ni combinaison, ni connaissance, ni sagesse, dans le shéol, où tu vas.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Alles, was du zu tun vermagst mit deiner Kraft, das tue denn es gibt weder Tun noch Überlegung noch Kenntnis noch Weisheit im Scheol, wohin du gehst.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quodcumque facere potest manus tua, instanter operare, quia nec opus, nec ratio, nec sapientia, nec scientia erunt apud inferos, quo tu properas.