Ecclesiastes 9:1
in Ecclesiastes 9So I took all this to heart and concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in God’s hands. Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it be love or hatred, man knoweth it not; all is before them.
KJV
For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 9
Commentary
12 notes on this verse"For all this I noted and I sought to ascertain all this: that the righteous and the wise together with their actions are in the Hand of God; whether love or hate man does not know; all preceded them. "Symmachus also interprets this more clearly, saying: I kept all these things in my heart so that I could expound all things, since the righteous and the wise, along with their works are in the hand of God.
This site's exposition
So I took all this to heart
The Teacher places every person and deed under God's rule: the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in God’s hands. Yet Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate, because what befalls a man is no reliable sign of God's favor.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
Gregory of NeocaesareaA Metaphrase of the Book of Ecclesiastes · Written before 270.
proposed
Now I thought at that time that all men were judged worthy of the same things. And if any wise man practised righteousness, and withdrew himself from unrighteousness, and as being sagacious avoided hatred with all (which, indeed, is a thing well pleasing to God), …
One acquaints the heart with what one has decided to investigate. The heart in turn longs to know more about these things, which is why it is said, "I turned my heart to know." Those "spheres" are the matters [of inquiry]. The one who directs …
The Medieval Church3 voices
A commentator
Bernard of ClairvauxSermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 37 · Written before 1153.
proposed
For if we could clearly know in what state God holds each one of us, we should neither depart above nor below, acquiescing in the truth in all things. But now, because this counsel has placed darkness as its hiding place, and the word is …
The security of salvation requires that the matter be so effected that it not fall into doubt; and there is no one who is certain of the goodness and faith of the minister, and even the same person is not certain concerning himself whether he …
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
"There are just and wise ones" etc. Here the second point is touched upon, namely the uncertainty of discernment. For a man does not know of himself whether he is a good man or an evil one, even the good man himself. Therefore he says: …
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Their works - All events which befall them are governed by his providence, and therefore although we cannot fully understand the reasons of all, yet we may be assured they are done righteously.
For all this I considered in mine heart,.... What goes before, in the latter end of the preceding chapter, concerning the various providences of God, the difficulty of finding out the reasons of them, and the fruitlessness of attempting it; and also what follows, the work of Providence: Solomon gave his mind unto, attended it with great application, and strictly considered and examined it, in order to find it out, but could not; and if he could not, no other man could.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
A good man’s trust in God is set forth as a counterpoise to our Ignorance of the ways of Providence. In the hand of God - Under His special protection (Deu 33:3 ff) as righteous, and under His direction Pro 21:1 as people. No man ... - literally, both love and also hatred man knoweth not: all are before them.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
However, from the sense of the same words, in Ec 9:6, "love and hatred" seem to be the feelings of the wicked towards the righteous, whereby they caused to the latter comfort or sorrow. Translate: "Even the love and hatred" (exhibited towards the righteous, are in God's hand) (Ps 76:10; "No man knoweth all that is before them."
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God - This is a continuation of the preceding subject; and here the wise man draws a conclusion from what he had seen, and from the well-known character of God, that the righteous, the wise, and their conduct, were all in the hand of God, protected by his power, and safe in his approbation: but we cannot judge from the occurrences which take place in life who are the objects of God’s love or displeasure.
The words behind it
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| זֶ֞ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| נָתַ֤תִּי | natati | I have given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לִבִּי֙ | libi | heart my | H3820 → | 595 times |
| וְלָב֣וּר | velavur | and to make clear | H952 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| זֶ֔ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הַצַּדִּיקִ֧ים | hatzadikim | the righteous | H6662 → | 206 times |
| וְהַחֲכָמִ֛ים | vehachakhamim | and the wise | H2450 → | 138 times |
| וַעֲבָדֵיהֶ֖ם | vaavadeihem | and deeds their | H5652 → | |
| בְּיַ֣ד | beyad | [are] in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| גַּֽם־ | gam- | both | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אַהֲבָ֣ה | ʾahavah | love | H160 → | |
| גַם־ | gam- | as well as | H1571 → | 769 times |
| שִׂנְאָ֗ה | sinah | hatred | H8135 → | |
| אֵ֤ין | ʾein | not | H369 → | 789 times |
| יוֹדֵ֙עַ֙ | yodea' | [is] knowing | H3045 → | 945 times |
| הָֽאָדָ֔ם | haadam | <the> humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| הַכֹּ֖ל | hakol | <the> everything | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃ | lifneihem | [is] <to> before them | H6440 → | 2123 times |
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
זֶ֞הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
נָתַ֤תִּיI have given
natatiH5414 →2011 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
לִבִּי֙heart my
libiH3820 →595 times
וְלָב֣וּרand to make clear
velavurH952 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
זֶ֔הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הַצַּדִּיקִ֧יםthe righteous
hatzadikimH6662 →206 times
וְהַחֲכָמִ֛יםand the wise
vehachakhamimH2450 →138 times
וַעֲבָדֵיהֶ֖םand deeds their
vaavadeihemH5652 →
בְּיַ֣ד[are] in [the] hand of
beyadH3027 →1618 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
גַּֽם־both
gam-H1571 →769 times
אַהֲבָ֣הlove
ʾahavahH160 →
גַם־as well as
gam-H1571 →769 times
שִׂנְאָ֗הhatred
sinahH8135 →
אֵ֤יןnot
ʾeinH369 →789 times
יוֹדֵ֙עַ֙[is] knowing
yodea'H3045 →945 times
הָֽאָדָ֔ם<the> humankind
haadamH120 →551 times
הַכֹּ֖ל<the> everything
hakolH3605 →5413 times
לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃[is] <to> before them
lifneihemH6440 →2123 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
1 Peter 1:5who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
it leads to
- Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
- Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13–14
But we should always thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctification of the Spirit and by…
- Romans 8:31–39
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Job 19:25
But I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth.
- Philippians 1:6
Through
Job 12:10The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.
it leads to
- Acts 17:28
‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’
- Job 33:4
The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
- Acts 17:25
Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
- Acts 17:28
Where this verse is studied
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on 13 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); Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 37; Bonaventure, Breviloquium, Part 6; Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9; Evagrius Ponticus, SCHOLIA ON ECCLESIASTES 68:9.1; Gregory of Neocaesarea, A Metaphrase of the Book of Ecclesiastes; 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.