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Ecclesiastes 8:15

in Ecclesiastes 8

So I commended the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be merry. For this joy will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: for that shall abide with him in his labor all the days of his life which God hath given him under the sun.

KJV

Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

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This verse in Ecclesiastes 8

Commentary

10 notes on this verse
Mirth - Better, Gladness, or “joy” (as in Ecc 2:10). The Hebrew word is applied not only to the pleasures arising from the physical senses, but also frequently to religious joy. The sentiment of this verse is a frequent conclusion of the writer’s personal experience (compare marginal references), and is unfairly charged with Epicureanism. The Preacher is careful to set forth pleasure as a gift from God, to be earned by labor, and received with thankfulness to the Giver, and to be accounted for to Him. His estimate of the pleasures of the senses is recorded in Ecc 7:2-6.

This site's exposition

So I commended the enjoyment of life

There is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be merry, the refrain of 2:24, 3:13 and 5:18. The joy is the portion God gives for labor. It answers the reversals of verse 14 by pointing to what is given him to enjoy.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

City of God 17.20 · Written before 430.

proposed

Now, to be made a sharer at the table is to begin to have life, as we see from a text in Ecclesiastes: "There is no good for a man except what he shall eat and drink." How can we reasonably interpret these words save as an allusion to partaking at the table which the Mediator of the New Testament, priest according to the order of Melchizedek, provides with his own body and blood? This sacrifice, indeed, has taken the place of all the sacrifices of the Old Testament that foreshadowed it.

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Written before 420.

proposed

"So I praised enjoyment, for man has no other aim under the sun but to eat, drink, and be joyful; and this will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life which God has given him beneath the sun. "I have interpreted this more fully above, and now I shall just speak cursorily.

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Bonaventure

Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 8 · Written in the 13th century.

proposed

Here fourthly, from this, pleasure is commended in detestation of so great a vanity, from the fact that good things befall the wicked and evil things befall the good; and this is the praise and word of a troubled man. Therefore he says: I praised …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

This present life must be reckoned by days; this life is given us, and the days of it are allotted to us, by the counsel of God, and therefore while it does last we must accommodate ourselves to the will of God and study to answer the ends of life.
Then I commended mirth,....
3 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

We must with an entire satisfaction acquiesce in the will of God, and, not pretending to find the bottom, we must humbly and silently adore the depth of his unsearchable counsels, being assured they are all wise, just, and good,

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

no better thing, &c.--namely, for the "just" man, whose chief good is religion, not for the worldly. abide--Hebrew, "adhere"; not for ever, but it is the only sure good to be enjoyed from earthly labors (equivalent to "of his labor the days of his life").

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Then I commended mirth - These are some more of the cavils of the infidel objector: “Since virtue is frequently under oppression, and vice triumphs in health, and rolls in wealth, I see plainly that we should not trouble ourselves about future things; and therefore should be governed by the maxim Ede, Bibe, Lude. Post mortem nulla voluptas.” Eat, drink, and play, While here you may; For soon as death Has stopp’d your breath Ye ne’er shall see a cheerful day.

The words behind it

26 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וְשִׁבַּ֤חְתִּֽיand I commend

    veshibachtiH7623 →

  • אֲנִי֙I

    ʾaniH589 →874 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הַשִּׂמְחָ֔ה<the> gladness

    hasimchahH8057 →94 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֨רthat

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • אֵֽין־not

    ʾein-H369 →789 times

  • ט֤וֹבgood

    tovH2896 →538 times

  • לָֽאָדָם֙[belongs] to <the> humankind

    laadamH120 →551 times

  • תַּ֣חַתunder

    tachatH8478 →505 times

  • הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁthe sun

    hashemeshH8121 →134 times

  • כִּ֛יthat

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • אִם־except

    ʾim-H518 →1069 times

  • לֶאֱכ֥וֹלto eat

    leekholH398 →810 times

  • וְלִשְׁתּ֖וֹתand to drink

    velishtotH8354 →217 times

  • וְלִשְׂמ֑וֹחַand to be happy

    velismoachH8055 →155 times

  • וְה֞וּאand that

    vehu'H1931 →1879 times

  • יִלְוֶ֣נּוּit will accompany him

    yilvenuH3867 →

  • בַעֲמָל֗וֹin toil his

    vaamaloH5999 →55 times

  • יְמֵ֥י[the] days of

    yemeiH3117 →2304 times

  • חַיָּ֛יוlife his

    chaiyavH2416 →498 times

  • אֲשֶׁר־which

    ʾasher-H834 →5497 times

  • נָֽתַן־he has given

    natan-H5414 →2011 times

  • ל֥וֹto <the> him

    lo

  • הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים<the> God

    haelohimH430 →2601 times

  • תַּ֥חַתunder

    tachatH8478 →505 times

  • הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃the sun

    hashameshH8121 →134 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

13 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Ecclesiastes 2:24Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God.13 worksEcclesiastes 9:7Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:10 worksEcclesiastes 5:18Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of life that God has given him—for this is his lot.7 worksEcclesiastes 3:12–13I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and do good while they live,5 worksEcclesiastes 2:1I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be futile.5 works1 Timothy 6:17Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy.3 works
The other 7 cross-references, with their words ▾
1 Timothy 4:3–4They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.3 worksEcclesiastes 3:22I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him?3 worksEcclesiastes 2:22For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun?3 worksRuth 3:7After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then Ruth went in secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.3 worksEcclesiastes 11:8So 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.3 worksGenesis 25:34Then Jacob gave some bread and lentil stew to Esau, who ate and drank and then got up and went away. Thus Esau despised his birthright.3 works1 Chronicles 29:22That day they ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the LORD. Then, for a second time, they designated David’s son Solomon as king, anointing him before the LORD as ruler, and Zadok as the priest.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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 2:24

    Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God.

    it leads to

    • Ecclesiastes 3:22

      I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him?

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • 1 Timothy 6:17

      Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us…

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Ecclesiastes 5:18

    Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of life…

    it leads to

    • Ecclesiastes 3:12–13

      I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and do good while they live,

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Ecclesiastes 2:24

      Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God.

  • Through

    1 Timothy 6:17

    Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us…

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 11:28

      He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like foliage.

    • Acts 14:17

      Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”

    • Matthew 19:23

      Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

    • 1 Timothy 4:10

      To this end we labor and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of everyone, and especially of those who believe.

Where this verse is studied

About Ecclesiastes

King Solomon in Old Age, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
King Solomon in Old Age, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Ecclesiastes: the study guide →Read Ecclesiastes 8 →
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, City of God 17.20; Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 8; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes; Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes; 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.

Read on in Ecclesiastes 8 →