Bible/Ecclesiastes/11

Ecclesiastes 11:8

11:7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:
But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

KJV

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Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity. ¶

11:9 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.

What does Ecclesiastes 11:8 mean?

Ecclesiastes 11:8 is a verse in the book of Ecclesiastes, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include אָדָם (ʼâdâm), חָיָה (châyâh), רָבָה (râbâh). It connects to 14 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

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But
if
a
manאָדָםʼâdâm/aw-dawm'/H120ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
liveחָיָהchâyâh/khaw-yaw'/H2421to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive
manyרָבָהrâbâh/raw-baw'/H7235to increase (in whatever respect)
years,שָׁנֶהshâneh/shaw-neh'/H8141a year (as a revolution of time)
and
rejoiceשָׂמַחsâmach/saw-makh'/H8055probably to brighten up, i.e. (figuratively) be (causatively, make) blithe or gleesome
in
them
all;
yet
let
him
rememberזָכַרzâkar/zaw-kar'/H2142properly, to mark (so as to be recognized), i.e. to remember; by implication, to mention; to be male
the
daysיוֹםyôwm/yome/H3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
of
darkness;חֹשֶׁךְchôshek/kho-shek'/H2822the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness
for
they
shall
be
many.רָבָהrâbâh/raw-baw'/H7235to increase (in whatever respect)
All
that
comethבּוֹאbôwʼ/bo/H935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
is
vanity.הֶבֶלhebel/heh'bel/H1892emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb

Commentary on Ecclesiastes 11:8

HENRY_FULL · Ecclesiastes 11:8–9
t me hear the word behind me, saying, This is the way, walk in it " Isa. xxx. 21 . 2. How he desires to be taught, in such a way as no man could teach him: Lord, give me understanding. As the God of nature, he has given us intellectual powers and faculties; but here we are taught to pray that, as the God of grace, he would give us understanding to use those powers and faculties about the great things which belong to our peace, which, through the corruption of nature, we are averse to: Give me understanding, an enlightened understanding; for it is as good to have no understanding at all as not to have it sanctified. Nor will the spirit of revelation in the word answer the end unless we have the spirit of wisdom in the heart. This is that which we are indebted to Christ for; for the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, 1 John v. 20 . II. He promises faithfully that he would be a good scholar. If God would teach him, he was sure he should learn to good purpose: " I shall keep thy law, which I shall never do unless I be taught of God, and therefore I earnestly desire that I may be taught." If God, by his Spirit, give us a right and good understanding, we shall be, 1. Constant in our obedience: " I shall keep it to the end, to the end of my life, which will be the surest proof of sincerity." It will not avail the traveller to keep the way for a while, if he do not keep it to the end of his journey. 2. Cordial in our obedience: I shall observe it with my whole heart, with pleasure and delight, and with vigour and resolution. That way which the whole heart goes the whole man goes; and that should be the way of God's commandments, for the keeping of them is the whole of man. 35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. 36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. He had before prayed to God to enlighten his understanding, that he might know his duty, and not mistake concerning it; here he prays to God to bow his will, and quicken the active powers of his soul, that he might do his duty; for it is God that works in us both to will and to do, as well as to understand, what is good, Phil. ii. 13 . Both the good head and the good heart are from the good grace of God, and both are necessary to every good work. Observe here, I. The grace he prays for. 1. That God would make him able to do his duty: " Make me to go; strengthen me for every good work." Since we are not sufficient of ourselves, our dependence must

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Proverbs 3:17

Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

Proverbs 4:11

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

Proverbs 4:18

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Proverbs 8:20

I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: lead: or, walk

Isaiah 2:3

And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Isaiah 48:17

Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

Isaiah 58:13

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

Isaiah 58:14

Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Ezekiel 36:26

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:27

And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Romans 7:22

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

Philippians 2:13

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Hebrews 13:21

Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. working: or, doing

1 John 5:3

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

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Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Ecclesiastes 11:8.

Genesis 6:3

And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

Exodus 32:13

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

Genesis 1:14

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: the day: Heb. between the day and between the night

Genesis 1:18

And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:5

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And the evening: Heb. And the evening was, and the morning was

Genesis 11:11

And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.

Genesis 11:13

And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.

Genesis 3:8

And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. cool: Heb. wind

Frequently asked questions

What does Ecclesiastes 11:8 say?

Ecclesiastes 11:8 (King James Version) reads: "But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity."

Is Ecclesiastes 11:8 in the Old or New Testament?

Ecclesiastes 11:8 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Ecclesiastes.

Reflect

As you read Ecclesiastes 11:8, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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