Ecclesiastes 9:6 kjv
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.
Ecclesiastes 9:6 nkjv
Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 9:6 niv
Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 9:6 esv
Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 9:6 nlt
Whatever they did in their lifetime ? loving, hating, envying ? is all long gone. They no longer play a part in anything here on earth.
Ecclesiastes 9 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 6:5 | For in death there is no remembrance of You... | Death's end to praise & remembrance. |
| Psa 39:4-6 | Show me, O LORD, my end and the extent of my days... | Brevity and fleeting nature of life. |
| Psa 49:10 | For he sees that even wise men die... | Universal mortality for all. |
| Psa 88:10-12 | Will You perform wonders for the dead? ... | Lack of earthly activity/knowledge for dead. |
| Psa 115:17 | The dead do not praise the LORD, Nor do any who go down into silence. | Silence and inactivity in death. |
| Ecc 1:2 | "Vanity of vanities!" says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." | Central theme of meaninglessness without God. |
| Ecc 2:16 | For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man... | Lack of permanent earthly remembrance. |
| Ecc 3:19-20 | For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts... | Common mortality shared by all. |
| Job 7:7-10 | Oh remember that my life is but breath... | Transitory nature of life and no return. |
| Isa 38:18-19 | For Sheol cannot thank You, Nor can death praise You... | Inactivity in the realm of death. |
| 1 Tim 6:7 | For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it. | Nothing from earthly life can be taken. |
| Jam 4:14 | Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow... | Life's brevity, like a vapor. |
| Lk 12:19-20 | 'Soul, you have many goods laid up... You fool! This very night your soul is required... | Rich fool losing all earthly accumulation. |
| Lk 16:22-26 | The rich man also died and was buried... | Earthly circumstances do not persist beyond death. |
| Rom 14:7-8 | For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself... | Life and death belong to the Lord. |
| Heb 9:27 | And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, | Death as a single, irreversible event leading to judgment. |
| 1 Cor 15:52-53 | ...for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised... | Future resurrection countering finality. |
| Jn 5:28-29 | Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear... | Resurrection of the dead promised by Christ. |
| 2 Cor 5:10 | For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ... | Judgment of works beyond earthly life. |
| Rev 20:12-13 | And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books... | Ultimate divine judgment post-death. |
Ecclesiastes 9 verses
Ecclesiastes 9 6 Meaning
Ecclesiastes 9:6 speaks to the absolute finality of human experience and engagement with the earthly realm after death. The Preacher (Qoheleth) asserts that core human emotions like love, hatred, and envy, which profoundly shape life "under the sun," completely cease their active presence and influence when a person dies. Consequently, the dead hold no lasting portion or involvement in any affairs that continue to unfold on earth. This highlights the temporary and limited nature of human life and its passions within the physical world.
Ecclesiastes 9 6 Context
Ecclesiastes 9:6 flows directly from the Preacher’s reflections on the shared fate of humanity in death. Verse 5 states that "the dead know nothing," contrasting with the living who know they will die. Verse 6 elaborates on this cessation of awareness and participation. The immediate context of verses 1-10 focuses on the grim reality that all, whether righteous or wicked, wise or foolish, face the same physical end: death. This leads the Preacher to conclude that life "under the sun"—meaning life purely from an earthly, human-centered perspective, without considering the divine afterlife—is ultimately fleeting. Given this inevitable end to all earthly pursuits, emotions, and influence, he then advises in verses 7-10 to seize and enjoy the present life, including simple pleasures, because once death comes, all opportunity for such experiences is gone forever. This verse serves as a key pillar in the argument for appreciating life’s moments before the permanent departure from the earthly stage.
Ecclesiastes 9 6 Word analysis
- Also their love, their hatred and their envy (גַּם־אַהֲבָתָם גַּם־שִׂנְאָתָם גַּם־קִנְאָתָם): Gam (גַּם): "Also" or "even," emphasizes the inclusion of these fundamental emotions. Ahavatam (אַהֲבָתָם): "Their love." Root: ahav (love). One of humanity's most profound and powerful emotions, capable of driving great good. Sinatam (שִׂנְאָתָם): "Their hatred." Root: sane (hate). A equally potent and destructive emotion. Kinatam (קִנְאָתָם): "Their envy" or "their jealousy." Root: kana (be zealous/jealous). This emotion is tied to possessiveness or resentment of others' possessions/success. Significance: These three emotions represent the spectrum of human passions—positive, negative, and mixed—that fuel much of human interaction and striving in life. The inclusion of all three underlines the comprehensive cessation of all such active feeling and motivation upon death. Their inclusion demonstrates that not even the strongest of human drives carry into the realm beyond "under the sun."
- have now perished (כְּבָר אָבָדָה): Kevar (כְּבָר): "Already" or "now." Implies a certainty and immediacy in the perishing. Avada (אָבָדָה): "Has perished," "is lost," "is destroyed." Root: avad (to perish, to be lost, to cease to exist). Significance: This verb does not imply annihilation of the soul but rather the complete cessation of these emotions' active role, manifestation, and influence in the earthly sphere. They are "lost" to the living world, no longer a factor. The emphasis is on the ending of their impact and presence in this life.
- Nor do they ever have a share (וְחֵלֶק אֵין־לָהֶם עוֹד לְעוֹלָם): Vechelek ein-lahem od le'olam (וְחֵלֶק אֵין־לָהֶם עוֹד לְעוֹלָם): Literally, "and a portion there is not for them any more, forever." Chelek (חֵלֶק): "Share," "portion," "part." Refers to their stake or participation. Ein (אֵין): "There is not," a strong negative. Le'olam (לְעוֹלָם): "Forever," "for eternity," or "for a very long time" in specific contexts. Here, it denotes indefinite duration from the perspective of human earthly experience after death—never again on earth. Significance: This phrase solidifies the idea that the dead are completely disconnected from earthly events. Their actions, thoughts, and even emotions have no ongoing effect or involvement in what happens among the living. The "forever" signifies the permanence of this disengagement from the terrestrial domain.
- in anything that is done under the sun (בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ): B’kol (בְּכֹל): "In everything," "in all." Indicates comprehensive cessation of involvement. Asher na'asah (אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה): "That is done," "that takes place." Refers to all activities, events, and affairs of life. Tachat ha-shemesh (תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ): "Under the sun." The signature phrase of Ecclesiastes, appearing 29 times. It refers to human experience, observation, and reality confined to the earthly, natural, and finite realm, often without direct consideration of God's transcendent activity or the afterlife. * Significance: This defining phrase limits the Preacher's scope to what can be observed and understood purely from an earthly perspective. The verse emphasizes that all earthly endeavors and their outcomes are left behind by the deceased, highlighting the ultimate futility of striving for worldly legacy without considering divine purpose or eternity.
Words-group analysis:
- Their love, their hatred and their envy have now perished: This phrase serves as a powerful metaphor for the complete cessation of all human emotional states and their active engagement with the world. It’s not just that their physical bodies die, but the very essence of what animated their interaction with others—their passions and their aversions—are extinguished from the earthly stage. This comprehensive loss underscores the profound and irreversible change that death brings.
- Nor do they ever have a share in anything that is done under the sun: This phrase expands on the first, moving beyond emotional cessation to active participation. It highlights the absolute detachment of the deceased from all ongoing earthly activities, conflicts, joys, and struggles. The use of "forever" emphasizes that this state of disengagement is permanent within the earthly framework, further reinforcing the Preacher's worldview of human limitations in the face of mortality "under the sun."
Ecclesiastes 9 6 Bonus section
This verse, characteristic of Ecclesiastes, often presents a challenging perspective that can seem bleak or nihilistic if read in isolation from the broader biblical narrative. The emphasis on the "under the sun" limitation is key; it defines Qoheleth's scope as distinct from eternal spiritual realities that would be more clearly revealed in later scriptures (like those in the New Testament about judgment, resurrection, and the eternal soul). The Preacher is primarily addressing the empirical observations of what appears to happen at death from a human, material vantage point, reinforcing his core message that human striving apart from God is "hevel" (vanity or breath). While emotions cease their earthly manifestation and impact, the verse does not explicitly deny the existence of the soul or its continuation in another realm, nor does it preclude a future reckoning before God for actions performed during life (which is also alluded to in Ecc 12:14). It is a poignant reminder of human fragility and the transient nature of worldly pursuits, encouraging a focus on present obedience and the enjoyment of God's blessings rather than futile earthly ambitions.
Ecclesiastes 9 6 Commentary
Ecclesiastes 9:6 vividly illustrates Qoheleth’s philosophy of life "under the sun"—a worldview strictly confined to observable earthly experience. It presents death as the ultimate equalizer and cessation point for all human engagement. The powerful human emotions that drive so much of life—love, hatred, envy—become irrelevant upon death, their earthly manifestation permanently ended. Similarly, any aspiration to maintain a "share" or influence in the affairs of the living world is severed. This truth serves to underscore the vanity of human striving for enduring worldly fame or material legacy. It’s not a statement about the state of the soul after death in an eternal sense (a topic addressed more fully in other parts of the Bible, and hinted at in Ecc 12:7 and 12:14), but rather about the end of human interaction and impact within the earthly sphere. The Preacher’s subsequent counsel (Ecc 9:7-10) to embrace and enjoy life's simple gifts comes directly from this premise: since death is the end of earthly involvement, it is imperative to find satisfaction and purpose in the present, for that is all humans truly have control over in their time "under the sun."