Ecclesiastes 9:3
in Ecclesiastes 9This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they join the dead.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
KJV
This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 9
Commentary
10 notes on this verseWhen they see that there is one event to the righteous and the wicked they wickedly infer thence that it is all one to God whether they are righteous or wicked, and therefore they stick at nothing to gratify their lusts.
This site's exposition
It is the same for all
on Ecclesiastes 9:2-3
There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, and for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. Verse 3 calls this an evil and adds that the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive.
This site's exposition
one fate for everyone
The evil lies in what men draw from the one fate. Barnes compares 8:11: when events fall alike on all, the evil-disposed take courage in their folly. Henry says they conclude it is all one to God whether righteous or wicked, and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown call that persistence madness.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"This is an evil about all things that are done under the sun: that the same fate awaits all Therefore the heart of man is full of evil; and madness is in their heart while they live; and after that, they go to the dead. "Symmachus interprets this in his usual clearer way, saying, "but even the heart of mankind is filled with wickedness and impudence like their heart in life". But all of them succumb to death, for who is able to continually live forever? The Scripture has the same meaning regarding this.
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
"This is the worst" etc. Here the fourth is touched upon, namely the origin of vain security, because great security arises from this lack of distinction, which is the occasion of many sins. Therefore he says: "And this is the worst among all things that …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
) it is too late then; he that is then filthy will be filthy still, for ever filthy. If men be thrown aside as useless, yet, while they are joined to the living, there is hope that they may yet again take root and bear fruit; he that is alive is, or may be, good for something, but he that is dead, as to this world, is not capable of being any further serviceable.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all,.... A very great evil, a very sore one, the worst of evils.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Translate, "There is an evil above all (evils) that are done," &c., namely, that not only "there is one event to all," but "also the heart of the sons of men" makes this fact a reason for "madly" persisting in "evil while they live, and after that," &c., sin is "madness." the dead-- (Pr 2:18;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The heart of the sons of men is full of evil - No wonder then that the curse of God should be frequent in the earth.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Compare Ecc 8:11. The seeming indiscriminateness of the course of events tends to encourage evil-disposed men in their folly.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| זֶ֣ה׀ | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| רָ֗ע | ra' | [is] an evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| בְּכֹ֤ל | bekhol | in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶֽׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נַעֲשָׂה֙ | naasah | it is done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| תַּ֣חַת | tachat | under | H8478 → | 505 times |
| הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ | hashemesh | the sun | H8121 → | 134 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מִקְרֶ֥ה | mikreh | fate | H4745 → | 10 times |
| אֶחָ֖ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| לַכֹּ֑ל | lakol | [belongs] to <the> everyone | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| וְגַ֣ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| לֵ֣ב | lev | [the] heart of | H3820 → | 595 times |
| בְּֽנֵי־ | benei- | [the] children of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הָ֠אָדָם | haadom | <the> humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| מָלֵא־ | male'- | [is] full | H4392 → | 64 times |
| רָ֨ע | ra' | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| וְהוֹלֵל֤וֹת | veholelot | and madness | H1947 → | 4 times |
| בִּלְבָבָם֙ | bilvavam | [is] in heart their | H3824 → | |
| בְּחַיֵּיהֶ֔ם | bechaiyeihem | in lives their | H2416 → | 498 times |
| וְאַחֲרָ֖יו | veacharav | and after it | H310 → | 715 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמֵּתִֽים׃ | hametim | the dead | H4191 → | 839 times |
זֶ֣ה׀this
zehH2088 →1180 times
רָ֗ע[is] an evil
ra'H7451 →662 times
בְּכֹ֤לin all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶֽׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
נַעֲשָׂה֙it is done
naasahH6213 →2628 times
תַּ֣חַתunder
tachatH8478 →505 times
הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁthe sun
hashemeshH8121 →134 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
מִקְרֶ֥הfate
mikrehH4745 →10 times
אֶחָ֖דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
לַכֹּ֑ל[belongs] to <the> everyone
lakolH3605 →5413 times
וְגַ֣םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
לֵ֣ב[the] heart of
levH3820 →595 times
בְּֽנֵי־[the] children of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
הָ֠אָדָם<the> humankind
haadomH120 →551 times
מָלֵא־[is] full
male'-H4392 →64 times
רָ֨עevil
ra'H7451 →662 times
וְהוֹלֵל֤וֹתand madness
veholelotH1947 →4 times
בִּלְבָבָם֙[is] in heart their
bilvavamH3824 →
בְּחַיֵּיהֶ֔םin lives their
bechaiyeihemH2416 →498 times
וְאַחֲרָ֖יוand after it
veacharavH310 →715 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמֵּתִֽים׃the dead
hametimH4191 →839 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 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
it leads to
- Mark 7:21–22
For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
- Matthew 15:19
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.
- Proverbs 28:26
He who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.
- Hebrews 3:12
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God.
- Genesis 6:5
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.
- Mark 7:21–22
Through
Psalms 51:5Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
it leads to
- Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.
- Job 14:4
Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one!
- Psalms 58:3
The wicked are estranged from the womb; the liars go astray from birth.
- Romans 5:12
Where this verse is studied
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9; Charles Bridges, An Exposition 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 (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.