Ecclesiastes 11:9
in Ecclesiastes 11Rejoice, O young man, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
KJV
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 11
Commentary
10 notes on this verseRejoice, O young man, in thy youth - Youth is devoid of cares; and, consequently, of many perplexities and distresses. Were it not so, we should have no old men; nay, perhaps not one even of middle ape. It is in the order of a most gracious God, that the young should rejoice in their youth; but they should make such a moderate use of all their enjoyments, that they may not be confounded in the day of judgment.
This site's exposition
Rejoice, O young man, while you are young
on Ecclesiastes 11:9-10
Rejoice, O young man, while you are young gives a real command to enjoy life. Know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment, so permission and summons stand together. Verse 10 draws the consequence: banish sorrow from your heart, for youth and vigor are fleeting.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Rejoice, O young man, in your youth; and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes: but know, that for all these things God will bring you into judgement. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. "In this chapter there were many explanations of all things and almost as many opinions as men themselves.
The Medieval Church2 voices
As he doth, in the first place, express the delight of carnal things, and pronounceth it to be good to cast away all care, and to eat and drink: so afterward, with reason and judgment doth he reprove that, when he saith that it is better to go unto the house of mourning, than to the house of feasting: and though he saith that a young man ought to rejoice in his youth, yet doth he utter that as proceeding from the resolution of a carnal mind; seeing afterward, by definitive sentence, he reproveth both youth and pleasure, as vain things. Again there we find it written: O young man, rejoice in thy youth: and yet a little after is added: for youth and pleasure be vain things. Seeing, therefore, he doth afterward reprove that for vain, which before he seemed to allow: plainly doth he declare that he spake those words as it were of carnal concupiscence, and the other of a right and true judgment.
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 11 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Rejoice therefore, O young man, etc. Here secondly he reproves present joy, asserting that man must be judged for it; whence speaking ironically he says: Rejoice therefore, O young man, in your youth, because that age is suited to joy; whence Wisdom 2: "Come, let …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But it is more emphatic if we take it, as it is commonly understood, by way of irony, like that of Elijah to the priests of Baal ( Cry aloud, for he is a god ), or of Micaiah to Ahab ( Go to Ramoth-Gilead, and prosper ), or of Christ to his disciples, Sleep on now.
The evil of sin will be the evil of punishment, and that which thou art fond of, as good for the flesh, because it gratifies the appetites of it, will prove evil, and hurtful to it, and therefore put it far from thee, the further the better." III.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. 5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
God will bring thee into judgment" (Ec 3:17; 12:14). youth . . . youth--distinct Hebrew words, adolescence or boyhood (before Ec 11:10), and full-grown youth. It marks the gradual progress in self-indulgence, to which the young especially are prone; they see the roses, but do not discover the thorns, until pierced by them.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Therefore banish anger. [Banish] anything that causes anger to the Omnipresent.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
10. And remove anger from your heart that you should not cause evil to your flesh for youth and the days of blackness of hair are transient.
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. 3 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
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שְׂמַ֧ח | semach | rejoice | H8055 → | 155 times |
| בָּח֣וּר | bachur | O young man | H970 → | |
| בְּיַלְדוּתֶ֗יךָ | beyalduteikha | in youth your | H3208 → | |
| וִֽיטִֽיבְךָ֤ | vitivekha | and let it make good you | H3190 → | |
| לִבְּךָ֙ | libekha | heart your | H3820 → | 595 times |
| בִּימֵ֣י | bimei | in [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| בְחוּרוֹתֶ֔ךָ | vechurotekha | youth<s> your | H979 → | |
| וְהַלֵּךְ֙ | vehalekh | and walk | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בְּדַרְכֵ֣י | bedarkhei | in [the] ways of | H1870 → | 707 times |
| לִבְּךָ֔ | libekha | heart your | H3820 → | 595 times |
| וּבְמַרְאֵ֖י | uvemarei | and in [the] sight of | H4758 → | |
| עֵינֶ֑יךָ | ʾeineikha | eyes your | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וְדָ֕ע | veda' | and know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| כִּ֧י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֵ֛לֶּה | ʾeleh | these [things] | H428 → | 746 times |
| יְבִֽיאֲךָ֥ | yeviakha | he will bring you | H935 → | 2568 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃ | bamishpat | in <the> judgment | H4941 → | 422 times |
שְׂמַ֧חrejoice
semachH8055 →155 times
בָּח֣וּרO young man
bachurH970 →
בְּיַלְדוּתֶ֗יךָin youth your
beyalduteikhaH3208 →
וִֽיטִֽיבְךָ֤and let it make good you
vitivekhaH3190 →
לִבְּךָ֙heart your
libekhaH3820 →595 times
בִּימֵ֣יin [the] days of
bimeiH3117 →2304 times
בְחוּרוֹתֶ֔ךָyouth<s> your
vechurotekhaH979 →
וְהַלֵּךְ֙and walk
vehalekhH1980 →1546 times
בְּדַרְכֵ֣יin [the] ways of
bedarkheiH1870 →707 times
לִבְּךָ֔heart your
libekhaH3820 →595 times
וּבְמַרְאֵ֖יand in [the] sight of
uvemareiH4758 →
עֵינֶ֑יךָeyes your
ʾeineikhaH5869 →887 times
וְדָ֕עand know
veda'H3045 →945 times
כִּ֧יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֵ֛לֶּהthese [things]
ʾelehH428 →746 times
יְבִֽיאֲךָ֥he will bring you
yeviakhaH935 →2568 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃in <the> judgment
bamishpatH4941 →422 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
Ecclesiastes 12:14For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 2:16
on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus, as proclaimed by my gospel.
- Matthew 12:36
But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10
Through
Ecclesiastes 12:1Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of adversity come and the years approach of which you will say, “I find no pleasure in them,”
it leads to
- Lamentations 3:27
It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young.
- Ecclesiastes 11:8
So if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is futile.
- Psalms 71:17–18
O God, You have taught me from my youth, and to this day I proclaim Your marvelous deeds.
- Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
- Luke 18:16
But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
- Lamentations 3:27
Where this verse is studied
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 11; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes; Gregory the Dialogist, Dialogues, Book 4, Chapter 4; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.