Ecclesiastes 9:11
in Ecclesiastes 9I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful. For time and chance happen to all.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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 favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 9
Commentary
8 notes on this verse"Once more I saw under the sun that the race is not won by the swift; nor the battle by the strong, nor does bread come to the wise, riches to the intelligent, nor favour to the learned; but time and death will happen to them all. "He who is bound by manacles and by heavy lead chains is oppressed: "for wickedness sits upon a talent of lead" [Zach. 5, 7.], and in the Psalm it says, "they weigh on me like a heavy burden" [Ps. 37, 5.].
This site's exposition
I saw something else under the sun
The line time and chance happen to all closes a list of expected outcomes denied: The race is not to the swift. Bread, wealth and favor are not sure to the wise, the intelligent or the skillful either. Something outside a man's control can intervene, the same limit 8:17 states.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Those who believe that human things are guided by providence do not ascribe anything accomplished by humans to their own effort. "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in …
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Second, carelessness arises from the appearance of a defect in the governance of providence; which appearance is shown in two ways. "I turned to another thing" etc. As was said above, carelessness is found among the wicked: first, because the retribution of justice seems to …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
I returned, and saw under the sun,....
The issue of affairs is often unaccountably cross to every one's expectation, that the highest may not presume, nor the lowest despair, but all may live in a humble dependence upon God, from whom every man's judgment proceeds. He gives instances of disappointment, even where means and instruments were most encouraging and promised fair.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This verse qualifies the sentiment, Ec 9:7-9. Earthly "enjoyments," however lawful in their place (Ec 3:1), are to give way when any work to be done for God requires it.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The race is not to the swift - It is not by swiftness, nor by strength and valor, that races are gained and battles won. God causes the lame often to take the prey, the prize; and so works that the weak overthrow the strong; therefore, no man should confide in himself. All things are under the government, and at the disposal of God.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Again I saw. Like ‘זָכוֹר’[=remebering continually], wedant in O.F.
3 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Whatever you are able to do. The will of your Maker— as long as you have your strength—do. 26 See Mishnayos Avos:2.
As fish that are caught in a weak net. Like large fish that are caught in an inferior and weak net, and our Rabbis explained: This is a fishhook, which is no more than a type of needle, by which a large fish is caught.
10. Whatever charity your hand finds to do, do for the needy with all your strength, for after death a man has neither work nor reckoning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave where you are going and nothing will help you but good deeds and charity alone.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
29 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שַׁ֜בְתִּי | shavti | I returned | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| וְרָאֹ֣ה | veraoh | and I saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| תַֽחַת־ | tachat- | under | H8478 → | 505 times |
| הַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ | hashemesh | the sun | H8121 → | 134 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹא֩ | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| לַקַּלִּ֨ים | lakalim | [belongs] to the swift | H7031 → | |
| הַמֵּר֜וֹץ | hamerotz | the race | H4793 → | |
| וְלֹ֧א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| לַגִּבּוֹרִ֣ים | lagiborim | [belongs] to the mighty [men] | H1368 → | |
| הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה | hamilchamah | the battle | H4421 → | 320 times |
| וְ֠גַם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| לַחֲכָמִ֥ים | lachakhamim | [belongs] to <the> wise [people] | H2450 → | 138 times |
| לֶ֙חֶם֙ | lechem | food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| וְגַ֨ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| לַנְּבֹנִים֙ | lanevonim | [belongs] to the understanding | H995 → | |
| עֹ֔שֶׁר | ʾosher | wealth | H6239 → | 37 times |
| וְגַ֛ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| לַיֹּדְעִ֖ים | laiyodeim | [belongs] to the knowledgeable | H3045 → | 945 times |
| חֵ֑ן | chen | favor | H2580 → | |
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עֵ֥ת | ʾet | time | H6256 → | 296 times |
| וָפֶ֖גַע | vafega' | and chance | H6294 → | |
| יִקְרֶ֥ה | yikreh | it happens to | H7136 → | 27 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כֻּלָּֽם׃ | kulam | all of them | H3605 → | 5413 times |
שַׁ֜בְתִּיI returned
shavtiH7725 →1056 times
וְרָאֹ֣הand I saw
veraohH7200 →1300 times
תַֽחַת־under
tachat-H8478 →505 times
הַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁthe sun
hashemeshH8121 →134 times
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹא֩not
lo'H3808 →5168 times
לַקַּלִּ֨ים[belongs] to the swift
lakalimH7031 →
הַמֵּר֜וֹץthe race
hamerotzH4793 →
וְלֹ֧אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
לַגִּבּוֹרִ֣ים[belongs] to the mighty [men]
lagiborimH1368 →
הַמִּלְחָמָ֗הthe battle
hamilchamahH4421 →320 times
וְ֠גַםand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
לַחֲכָמִ֥ים[belongs] to <the> wise [people]
lachakhamimH2450 →138 times
לֶ֙חֶם֙food
lechemH3899 →298 times
וְגַ֨םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
לַנְּבֹנִים֙[belongs] to the understanding
lanevonimH995 →
עֹ֔שֶׁרwealth
ʾosherH6239 →37 times
וְגַ֛םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
לַיֹּדְעִ֖ים[belongs] to the knowledgeable
laiyodeimH3045 →945 times
חֵ֑ןfavor
chenH2580 →
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
עֵ֥תtime
ʾetH6256 →296 times
וָפֶ֖גַעand chance
vafega'H6294 →
יִקְרֶ֥הit happens to
yikrehH7136 →27 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כֻּלָּֽם׃all of them
kulamH3605 →5413 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 9:23This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 1:27–29
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
- Isaiah 5:21
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.
- Romans 1:22
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,
- 1 Corinthians 3:18–20
Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
- Psalms 49:6–13
They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches.
- 1 Corinthians 1:27–29
Through
Ecclesiastes 3:17I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.
- Ecclesiastes 12:14
For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1
To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
- 2 Corinthians 5:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9; Didymus the Blind, COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 282:1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.