Ecclesiastes 9 2

Ecclesiastes 9:2 kjv

All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

Ecclesiastes 9:2 nkjv

All things come alike to all: One event happens to the righteous and the wicked; To the good, the clean, and the unclean; To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath.

Ecclesiastes 9:2 niv

All share a common destiny?the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good, so with the sinful; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them.

Ecclesiastes 9:2 esv

It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath.

Ecclesiastes 9:2 nlt

The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don't.

Ecclesiastes 9 verses

Ecclesiastes 9 2 Meaning

Ecclesiastes 9:2 profoundly declares that a singular destiny, namely death, awaits all individuals regardless of their moral conduct, religious purity, or sacrificial practices. The wise and the foolish, the righteous and the wicked, the clean and the unclean, the one who makes offerings and the one who abstains, the oath-taker and the one fearful of oaths—all share this same universal experience. This verse underscores the pervasive theme in Ecclesiastes of the apparent indiscriminateness of life's temporal outcomes, particularly the ultimate fate of mortality, challenging human assumptions about immediate earthly rewards or punishments based on piety.

Ecclesiastes 9 2 Context

Ecclesiastes 9:2 is situated within Koheleth's (the Preacher's) continued exploration of the nature of life "under the sun." He consistently grapples with the seeming inconsistencies and apparent futility of human existence when viewed purely from a temporal, earthly perspective. Chapter 9 begins by stating that no one knows "what they are experiencing" in terms of love or hate in their lifetime, highlighting life's inherent uncertainties before pivoting to the certainty of a shared end. The preceding verses of the book establish that wisdom, hard work, and pleasure often yield no lasting advantage over folly, idleness, or sorrow. Chapter 8 ends by stating that despite the wise person's attempts, they cannot fully comprehend God's work or truly grasp the ultimate outcome of events. Verse 2 specifically elaborates on this point, dismantling human-made distinctions and showing they are rendered null by death. It forms a crucial part of Koheleth's argument for finding enjoyment in God's gifts in life, not based on future outcomes, but in light of the certainty of death and the ultimate unknowability of God's ways (which only leads to the final call to "fear God"). The historical context involves Israelite society with its emphasis on Mosaic law distinctions (clean/unclean, sacrifice), making Koheleth's declaration starker in challenging a naive theological premise of immediate temporal reward for adherence.

Ecclesiastes 9 2 Word analysis

• All (הַכֹּל, hakol): This foundational term signifies absolute universality. It means "everything" or "everyone," indicating that the subsequent declarations apply to the entirety of humanity without exception. Its repetition in the opening emphasizes this all-encompassing nature.
• Share a common destiny (מִקְרֶה אֶחָד, mikreh echad): "מקרה" (mikreh) means "occurrence," "event," "lot," or "fortune." "אֶחָד" (echad) means "one" or "single." Together, they describe a singular, shared event or outcome. This term often carries connotations of something that "happens" to one, an unpredictable or unmerited event, further highlighting life's apparent indiscriminateness.
• The righteous (לַצַּדִּיק, latsaddiq): From "צדיק" (tzaddiq), meaning morally upright, just, adhering to God's law. In Israelite thought, righteousness often implied God's favor and blessing.
• And the wicked (וְלָרָשָׁע, v'larasha): From "רשע" (rasha), meaning evil, guilty, unrighteous, defiant towards God. In contrast to tzaddiq, these were seen as under divine displeasure. Koheleth emphasizes that death bridges this moral chasm.
• The good (לַטּוֹב, latov): From "טוב" (tov), generally referring to that which is morally good or beneficial in an everyday sense.
• And the clean (וְלַטָּהוֹר, v'lataḥor): From "טהור" (taḥor), referring to ritual purity, cleanliness according to the Mosaic Law, allowing one to participate in temple worship or handle sacred things.
• And the unclean (וְלַטָּמֵא, v'latahmay): From "טמא" (ṭāmēʾ), referring to ritual impurity, which could temporarily disqualify one from religious life or community participation. These distinctions, crucial in Israelite religious life, become meaningless in the face of death.
• Those who offer sacrifices (וְלַזֹּבֵחַ, v'lazobeḥa): Those who fulfill the prescribed religious duties and acts of worship involving animal sacrifice.
• And those who do not (וְלָאֵינֶנּוּ זֹבֵחַ, v'la'einennū zōbēaḥ): This phrase emphasizes the omission of religious observance. Koheleth stresses that ritual adherence offers no exemption from death.
• As it is with the good, so with the sinful; as it is with those who take an oath, so with those who are afraid to take one: These follow-on phrases (partially poetic restatements) amplify the verse's main point. The pairings expand the scope of shared destiny:
  • "As it is with the good, so with the sinful": Repeats the moral distinction using different terms for "good" (טוב, tov - possibly less strict moral sense than tzaddiq) and "sinner" (חֹטֵא, ḥōṭēʾ - implying one who misses the mark or errs).
  • "The one who takes an oath (הַנִּשְׁבָּע, hannišbâʿ): One who binds themselves by solemn promise, often invoking God's name, signifying trustworthiness and faithfulness.
  • "As one who fears an oath (כַּאֲשֶׁר שְׁבוּעָה יָרֵא, ka'asher shevua yahreh): Someone who avoids taking an oath, possibly due to scrupulosity, unreliability, or a general fear of consequences, highlighting a different character trait or religious stance. These further emphasize that varying degrees of moral integrity, faithfulness to covenant, or scrupulosity are irrelevant to the common lot.

Ecclesiastes 9 2 Bonus section

• The seemingly indiscriminate nature of death, as presented here, highlights the profound existential mystery of suffering and mortality, particularly how it affects those deemed "good" alongside the "wicked." This observation likely stemmed from the author's personal experience and theological contemplation.
• The Hebrew parallelism, especially the exhaustive list of contrasting pairs, underscores the totalizing impact of death, ensuring no category of person feels excluded from this grim reality. This rhetorical device deepens the sense of futility.
• The verse indirectly sets the stage for the New Testament's emphasis on God's grace and a resurrection hope. If all people are headed for the same physical end, the only ultimate differentiation must lie in an eternal sphere, which shifts the focus from earthly achievement or status to a heavenly one.
• It also provides a basis for appreciating divine sovereignty, even when His ways are beyond human comprehension or seem to contradict human expectations of justice in the here and now. The shared fate prompts a deeper trust in God's ultimate plan rather than judging Him based on temporal outcomes.

Ecclesiastes 9 2 Commentary

Ecclesiastes 9:2 functions as a central tenet in Koheleth's argument about the 'vanity' of life under the sun. It challenges a simplistic understanding of divine justice where the righteous are always overtly blessed and the wicked explicitly punished within this life. Koheleth is not denying ultimate justice (which he affirms in Eccl 12:14), but rather pointing out the observable reality that temporally, on earth, distinctions in moral, ritual, or societal status offer no unique advantage against the inevitable common fate of death. The powerful pairing of opposites (righteous/wicked, clean/unclean, sacrificing/non-sacrificing, oath-taker/oath-avoider) highlights the comprehensiveness of this reality. This observation, though seemingly bleak, sets the stage for Koheleth's concluding advice: to "fear God and keep his commandments" not for immediate, visible recompense on earth, but because it is the "whole duty of man" in light of an ultimate divine accounting beyond mortal experience. It drives home the fragility of human existence and the limitations of human effort and distinction, directing humanity towards a perspective that transcends earthly attainments. This perspective allows for the appreciation of life's simple joys as gifts from God, rather than focusing on building lasting legacies or attaining ultimate control, which are all undone by death.