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Texts -- Ecclesiastes 9:2-18 (NET)

Context
9:2 Everyone shares the same fate – the righteous and the wicked , the good and the bad, the ceremonially clean and unclean , those who offer sacrifices and those who do not . What happens to the good person , also happens to the sinner ; what happens to those who make vows , also happens to those who are afraid to make vows . 9:3 This is the unfortunate fact about everything that happens on earth : the same fate awaits everyone . In addition to this, the hearts of all people are full of evil , and there is folly in their hearts during their lives – then they die .
Better to Be Poor but Alive than Rich but Dead
9:4 But whoever is among the living has hope ; a live dog is better than a dead lion . 9:5 For the living know that they will die , but the dead do not know anything ; they have no further reward – and even the memory of them disappears . 9:6 What they loved , as well as what they hated and envied , perished long ago, and they no longer have a part in anything that happens on earth .
Life is Brief, so Cherish its Joys
9:7 Go , eat your food with joy , and drink your wine with a happy heart , because God has already approved your works . 9:8 Let your clothes always be white , and do not spare precious ointment on your head . 9:9 Enjoy life with your beloved wife during all the days of your fleeting life that God has given you on earth during all your fleeting days ; for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome work on earth . 9:10 Whatever you find to do with your hands , do it with all your might , because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave , the place where you will eventually go .
Wisdom Cannot Protect against Seemingly Chance Events
9:11 Again , I observed this on the earth : the race is not always won by the swiftest , the battle is not always won by the strongest ; prosperity does not always belong to those who are the wisest , wealth does not always belong to those who are the most discerning , nor does success always come to those with the most knowledge – for time and chance may overcome them all . 9:12 Surely , no one knows his appointed time ! Like fish that are caught in a deadly net , and like birds that are caught in a snare – just like them , all people are ensnared at an unfortunate time that falls upon them suddenly .
Most People Are Not Receptive to Wise Counsel
9:13 This is what I also observed about wisdom on earth , and it is a great burden to me: 9:14 There was once a small city with a few men in it, and a mighty king attacked it, besieging it and building strong siege works against it. 9:15 However, a poor but wise man lived in the city, and he could have delivered the city by his wisdom , but no one listened to that poor man . 9:16 So I concluded that wisdom is better than might , but a poor man’s wisdom is despised ; no one ever listens to his advice .
Wisdom versus Fools, Sin, and Folly
9:17 The words of the wise are heard in quiet , more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among fools . 9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war , but one sinner can destroy much that is good .

Pericope

NET
  • Ecc 9:4-6 -- Better to Be Poor but Alive than Rich but Dead
  • Ecc 9:7-10 -- Life is Brief, so Cherish its Joys
  • Ecc 9:11-12 -- Wisdom Cannot Protect against Seemingly Chance Events
  • Ecc 9:13-16 -- Most People Are Not Receptive to Wise Counsel
  • Ecc 9:17--10:1 -- Wisdom versus Fools, Sin, and Folly

Bible Dictionary

  • Wisdom

    [isbe] WISDOM - wiz'-dum: 1. Linguistic 2. History 3. Religious Basis 4. Ideals 5. Teaching of Christ 6. Remainder of the New Testament (1) James (2) Paul 7. Hypostasis LITERATURE 1. Linguistic: In the Revised Version (British and ...
    [nave] WISDOM Of Joseph, Gen. 41:16, 25-39; Acts 7:10. Of Moses, Acts 7:22. Of Bezaleel, Ex. 31:3-5; 35:31-35; 36:1. Of Aholiab, Ex. 31:6; 35:34, 35; 36:1; of other skilled artisans, Ex. 36:2; of women, Ex. 35:26. Of Hiram, 1 K...

  • War

    [nave] WAR Divine approval of, 2 Sam. 22:35. Civil, Judg. 12:1-6; 20; 2 Sam. 2:12-31; 3:1; 20; 1 Kin. 14:30; 16:21; Isa. 19:2; forbidden, 2 Chr. 11:4; averted, Josh. 22:11-34. Enemy harangued by general of opposing side, 2 Kin. 1...

  • PSALMS, BOOK OF

    [isbe] PSALMS, BOOK OF - samz, (tehillim, "praises," cepher tehillim, "book of praises"; Psalmoi, Psalterion): I. INTRODUCTORY TOPICS 1. Title 2. Place in the Canon 3. Number of Psalms 4. Titles in the Hebrew Text II. AUTHORSHIP AN...

  • Madness

    [ebd] This word is used in its proper sense in Deut. 28:34, John 10:20, 1 Cor. 14:23. It also denotes a reckless state of mind arising from various causes, as over-study (Eccl. 1:17; 2:12), blind rage (Luke 6:11), or a depraved te...

  • Instruction

    [nave] INSTRUCTION From nature, Prov. 24:30-34; Eccl. 1:13-18; 3; 4:1; Matt. 6:25-30. See: Parables. From the study of human nature, Eccl. 3-12. By Object Lessons: The pot of maa, Ex. 16:32. The pillar of twelve stones at the f...

  • HAP; HAPLY

    [isbe] HAP; HAPLY - hap, hap'-li (miqreh, lu; mepote): Hap (a Saxon word for "luck, chance") is the translation of miqreh, "a fortuitous chance," "a lot" (Ruth 2:3, the King James Version "Her hap was to light on a part of the fiel...

  • GAMES

    [ebd] (1.) Of children (Zech. 8:5; Matt. 11:16). The Jewish youth were also apparently instructed in the use of the bow and the sling (Judg. 20:16; 1 Chr. 12:2). (2.) Public games, such as were common among the Greeks and Romans, ...
    [isbe] GAMES - gamz: I. ISRAELITISH GAMES 1. Children's Games Mimicry 2. Sports 3. Games of Chance and Skill 4. Story-Telling 5. Dancing 6. Proverbs 7. Riddles II. THE GAMES OF GREECE AND ROME 1. Historical Introduction 2. General ...

  • Fowler

    [ebd] the arts of, referred to Ps. 91:3; 124:7; Prov. 6:5; Jer. 5:26; Hos. 9:8; Ezek. 17:20; Eccl. 9:12. Birds of all kinds abound in Palestine, and the capture of these for the table and for other uses formed the employment of ma...

  • EVENT

    [isbe] EVENT - e-vent': In Eccl 2:14; 9:2,3, the translation of miqreh, "what happens," "lot," "fate." The English word bore this sense at the time of the King James Version. The meaning of "result," "outcome" ekbaseis), attaches t...

  • ESCHATOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

    [isbe] ESCHATOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT - es-ka-tol'-o-ji A) Scope of Article B) Dr. Charles' Work C) Individual Religion in Israel I. FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS 1. Idea of God 2. Idea of Man Body, Soul and Spirit 3. Sin and Death II. CONCE...

  • ENTANGLE

    [isbe] ENTANGLE - en-tan'-g'-l: Found but 5 times in the Scriptures (the King James Version), once in the Old Testament, yet most significant as illustrating the process of mental, moral and spiritual confusion and enslavement. (1)...

  • EDUCATION

    [isbe] EDUCATION - ed-u-ka'-shun: I. EDUCATION DEFINED II. EDUCATION IN EARLY ISRAEL 1. Nomadic and Agricultural Periods 2. The Monarchical Period 3. Deuteronomic Legislation 4. Reading and Writing III. EDUCATION IN LATER ISRAEL 1....

  • Death

    [isbe] DEATH - (maweth; thanatos): PHYSIOLOGICAL AND FIGURATIVE VIEW The word "Death" is used in the sense of (1) the process of dying (Gen 21:16); (2) the period of decease (Gen 27:7); (3) as a possible synonym for poison (2 Ki 4:...
    [nave] DEATH. Called in some versions &ld;Giving Up the Ghost,&rd; Gen. 25:8; 35:29; Lam. 1:19; Acts 5:10. King of Terrors Job 18:14. A Change Job 14:14. Going to your Fathers Gen. 15:15; 25:8; 35:29. Putting Off This Tabe...

  • DEVICE

    [isbe] DEVICE - de-vis': "A scheme," "invention," "plot." In the Old Testament it stands for six Hebrew words, of which the most common is machashebheth (from chashabh, "to think," "contrive"). In the New Testament it occurs only t...

  • DECEASE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND APOCYPHRA

    [isbe] DECEASE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND APOCYPHRA - de-ses' (rapha', plural repha'im, "ghosts," "shades," is translated by "dead," "dead body," and "deceased" in both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and Ame...

  • Contentment

    [nave] CONTENTMENT. Psa. 16:6; Psa. 37:7, 16; Prov. 14:14 v. 10.; Prov. 15:13, 15, 30; Prov. 16:8; Prov. 17:1, 22; Prov. 30:8; Eccl. 2:24 Eccl. 3:12, 13; 8:15. Eccl. 4:6; Eccl. 5:12; Eccl. 6:9 vs. 7,8.; Eccl. 9:7-9; Luke 3:14; 1 C...

  • Colour

    [ebd] The subject of colours holds an important place in the Scriptures. White occurs as the translation of various Hebrew words. It is applied to milk (Gen. 49:12), manna (Ex. 16:31), snow (Isa. 1:18), horses (Zech. 1:8), raiment...

  • COLOR; COLORS

    [isbe] COLOR; COLORS - kul'-er, kul'-erz: The word translated "color" in the King James Version is `ayin, which literally means "eye" or "appearance," and has been so translated in the Revised Version (British and American). In the...

  • CHANCE

    [ebd] (Luke 10:31). "It was not by chance that the priest came down by that road at that time, but by a specific arrangement and in exact fulfilment of a plan; not the plan of the priest, nor the plan of the wounded traveller, but...
    [isbe] CHANCE - chans: The idea of chance in the sense of something wholly fortuitous was utterly foreign to the Hebrew creed. Throughout the whole course of Israel's history, to the Hebrew mind, law, not chance, ruled the universe...

  • BULWARK

    [isbe] BULWARK - bool'-wark: The word represents several Hebrew terms (chel, Isa 26:1; chelah, Ps 48:13; matsodh, Eccl 9:14; matsor, Dt 20:20). In 2 Ch 26:15 the word is translated in the Revised Version (British and American) "bat...

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  • [Ecc 9:4] Life Is The Time To Serve The Lord

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • I believe that the message of Ecclesiastes is essentially a positive one. This may seem strange since the vanity of various human endeavors is such a major theme of this book. Nevertheless the total statement that Solomon mad...
  • I. The introductory affirmation 1:1-11A. Title and theme 1:1-21. The title 1:12. The theme 1:2B. The futility of all human endeavor 1:3-111. The vanity of work 1:32. The illustrations from life 1:4-11II. The futility of work ...
  • "Vanity"(Heb. hebel) means "meaningless."11As Solomon used this word in Ecclesiastes he meant lacking real substance, value, permanence, or significance. "All"in the context of what he proceeded to describe refers to all huma...
  • Rather than saying, "All work is vanity,"Solomon made the same point by asking this rhetorical question that expects a negative response. He used this literary device often throughout the book (cf. 2:2; 3:9; 6:8, 11-12; et al...
  • In 2:18-26 the emphasis is on what happens to the fruits of labor that one accumulates over a lifetime of toil. These fruits include money and all it can buy, fame, and happiness.2:18-21 Solomon viewed all his labor during hi...
  • Clues in the text indicate the value and purpose of 6:10-11:6. The phrases "does not know"and "cannot discover"occur frequently (6:12; 7:14, 24, 28; 8:17; 19:1, 12; 10:14; 11:2, 6). Also the recurrence of "it is good"(7:18) a...
  • The emphasis in this section (9:1-11:6) is on what man does not know because God has not revealed many things. Solomon also emphasized, however, that the remaining mystery in this subject (8:16-17) must not diminish human joy...
  • 9:1 "All this"refers to the general pattern of God's inconsistent retribution that Solomon had discussed. Even though he could not predict whether a given person would experience prosperity or adversity, he believed all peopl...
  • Solomon's emphasis in 9:2-10 was on the fact that a righteous person could not be more certain of his or her earthly future than the wicked. In 9:11-10:11 his point was that the wise cannot be more sure of his or her earthly ...
  • In 1:12-6:9, Solomon demonstrated that all work is ultimately futile for two reasons. It does not yield anything really permanent under the sun. Moreover we can never be sure we will enjoy the fruits of our labor before we di...
  • Solomon had already advocated the enjoyment of life and responsible living in several of the preceding sections (2:24-26; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18-19; 8:15; 9:7-10). Now he stressed these points....
  • In conclusion Solomon repeated his original thesis (v. 8; cf. 1:2) and his counsel in view of life's realities (vv. 13-14). In between these statements he set forth his source of authority for writing what we have in Ecclesia...
  • Paul turned from Christ's career to the Christian's experience to argue ad hominemfor the resurrection.377The Corinthians' actions, and his, bordered on absurdity if the dead will not rise. This paragraph is something of a di...
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