Ecclesiastes 9:10

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. The joy here described, is the gladness of heart that springs from a sense of the Divine favour. This is the world of service, that to come is the world of recompence. All in their stations, may find some work to do. And above all, sinners have the salvation of their souls to seek after, believers have to prove their faith, adorn the gospel, glorify God, and serve their generation.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 . Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, &c. — Whatever thou hast opportunity and ability to, in the duties of thy calling, or for the glory of God and the good of thy fellow creatures; do it with all thy might — With unwearied diligence, vigour, and expedition. Hereby again Solomon shows, that he does not persuade men to an idle and sensual life, but only to a sober enjoyment of their comforts in God’s fear, and with an industrious prosecution of the business of their vocations. For there is no work, &c., in the grave — Thou canst neither design nor act any thing tending to the glory of God, or to thine own comfort or advantage there. Therefore neglect not thine only season.

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; Jer 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].

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, what thou hast opportunity and ability to do in the duties of thy calling, and in order to thy comfort and benefit, do it with thy might; with unwearied diligence, and vigour, and expedition; whereby he again discovers that he doth not persuade men to an idle and sensual life, but only to a sober enjoyment of his comforts in God’s fear, and with an industrious prosecution of his vocation. There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave; thou canst neither design nor act any thing there tending to thy own comfort or advantage; therefore slip not thine only season.

10 . Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do ] Here again men have interpreted the maxim according to their characters; some seeing in “whatsoever thy hand findeth” simply opportunities for enjoyment; others taking the precept as meaning practically, “do whatever thou hast strength to do, let might be right with thee;” others, as it seems, more truly, finding in it a call to work as well as enjoyment; to work as the condition of enjoyment (chs. Ecclesiastes 1:14 , Ecclesiastes 5:12 ). It may be questioned whether the word for “work” is ever used of mere activity in sensual pleasure. For the phrase “whatsoever thy hand findeth” see the marginal reading of 1 Samuel 10:7 ; Jdg 9:33 . for there is no work, nor device ] The words find a parallel, though in a far higher region, and with a far nobler meaning, in those which were spoken by the Son of Man, “I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work” ( John 9:4 ). From the standpoint of the Debater the region behind the veil, if there be a region there, is seen as a shadow-world in which all the energies that belong to a man as a “being of large discourse looking before and after” are hushed in the deep sleep of death. The common saying, often in men’s mouths as if it came from the Bible, “There is no repentance in the grave,” is probably an echo of this passage.

It is obvious, however, that the state of the dead which is in the writer’s thoughts approximates to a theory of annihilation rather than to that of a state of torment in which repentance is impossible or unavailing. The “grave” stands as elsewhere ( Job 7:9 ; Psalm 6:5 , et al. ) for the Hebrew Sheôl , the Hades of the Greek, the unseen world of the dead. It is noticeable that this is the only passage in the book in which the word occurs.

Verse 10. - Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might . In accordance with what has been already said, and to combat the idea that, as man cannot control his fate, he should take no pains to work his work, but fold his hands in resigned inaction, Koheleth urges him not to despair, but to do his part manfully as long as life is given, and with all the energies of his soul carry out the purpose of his being. The Septuagint gives, "All things whatsoever thy hand shall find to do, do it as thy power is ( ὡς ἡ δύναμίς σου );" Vulgate, Quodcumque facere potest manus tua, instanter operate . The expression at the commencement may be illustrated by Leviticus 12:8 ; Leviticus 25:28 ; Judges 9:33 , where it implies ability to carry out some intention, and in some passages is thus rendered, "is able," etc. (comp. Proverbs 3:27 ). It is therefore erroneous to render it in this place, "Whatever by chance cometh to hand;" or "Let might be right." Rather it is a call to work as the prelude and accompaniment of enjoyment, anticipating St.

Paul's maxim ( 2 Thessalonians 3:10 ), "If any would not work, neither should he eat." Ginsburg's interpretation is dishonoring to the Preacher and foreign to his real sentiments, "Have recourse to every source of voluptuous gratification, while thou art in thy strength ." The true meaning of the verse is confirmed by such references as 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;" 2 Corinthians 6:2 , "Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation;" Galatians 6:10 , "As we have opportunity, let us do good unto all men." For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave. The departed have no more work which they can do, no plans or calculations to make; their knowledge is strictly limited, their wisdom is ended. It needs body and soul to carry on the labors and activities of this world; when these are severed, and can no longer act together, there is a complete alteration in the man's relations and capacities. "The grave," sheol (which is found nowhere else in Ecclesiastes ) , is the place to which go the souls of the dead - a shadowy region. Whither thou goest; to which all are bound . It is plain that the writer believes in the continued existence of the soul, as he differentiates its life in sheol from its life on earth, the energies and operations which are carried on in the one case being curtailed or eclipsed in the other.