Laughter is god approved

LAUGHTER IS GOD APPROVED
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Ecclesiastes 9:7 7Go, eat your food with gladness,
and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God
has already approved what you do.
New Living Translation
So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink
your wine with a happy heart, for God approves
of this!
Good News Translation
Go ahead--eat your food and be happy; drink
your wine and be cheerful. It's all right with God.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Go, eat your bread with pleasure, and drink your
wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already
accepted your works.
International Standard Version
Go ahead and enjoy your meals as you eat. Drink
your wine with a joyful attitude, because God
already has approved your actions.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Go then, and eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy
wine with gladness: because thy works please
God.
Our Heavenly Father enjoys his children having a good life with the
family. Eating and drinking with joy and a heart of thanksgiving for the
good life. Can you imagine this kind of life without laughter? It would
be a part of every meal, just as we know that when we get together with
family or friends, we laugh often, for it is a part of a good time. God
approves for He loves us to laugh and have enjoyable times.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
The Joy Of Human Life
Ecclesiastes 9:7-9
D. Thomas
Optimists and pessimists are both wrong, for they both proceed upon
the radically false principle that life is to be valued according to the
preponderance of pleasure over pain; the optimist asserting and the
pessimist denying such preponderance. It is a base theory of life which
represents it as to be prized as an opportunity of enjoyment. And the
hedonism which is common to optimist and to pessimist is the delusive
basis upon which their visionary fabrics are reared. Pleasure is neither
the proper standard nor the proper motive of right conduct. Yet, as the

text points out, enjoyment is a real factor in human life, not to be
depreciated and despised, though not to be exaggerated and overvalued.
I. ENJOYMENT IS A DIVINELY APPOINTED ELEMENT IN OUR
HUMAN EXISTENCE. Man's bodily and mental constitution, taken in
connection with the circumstances of the human lot, are a sufficient
proof of this. We drink by turns the sweet and the bitter cup; and the
one is as real as the other, although individuals partake of the two in
different proportions.
II. MANY PROVISIONS ARE MADE FOR HUMAN ENJOYMENT.
Several are alluded to in this passage, more especially
(1) the satisfaction of natural appetite;
(2) the pleasures of society and festivity,
(3) the happiness of the married state, when the Divine idea concerning
it is realized. These are doubtless mentioned as specimens of the whole.
III. THE RELATION OF ENJOYMENT TO LABOR. The Preacher
clearly saw that those who toil are those who enjoy. It is by work that
most men must win the means of bodily and physical enjoyment; and
the very labor becomes a means of blessing, and sweetens the daily
meals. Nay, "the labor we delight in physics pain." The primeval curse
was by God's mercy transformed into a blessing.
IV. THE PARTIALAND DISAPPOINTING VIEW OF HUMAN LIFE
WHICH CONSIDERS ONLY ITS ENJOYMENTS.
1. Pain, suffering, and distress are as real as happiness, and must come,
sooner or later, to all whose life is prolonged.
2. Neither pleasure nor pain is of value apart from the moral discipline
both may aid in promoting, apart from the moral progress, the moral
aim, towards which both may lead.
3. It is, therefore, the part of the wise to use the good things of this life as
not abusing them; to be ready to part with them at the call of Heaven,

and to turn them to golden profit, so that occasion may never arise to
remember them with regret and remorse. - T.
Biblical Illustrator
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry
heart; for God now aceepteth thy works. &&&
Ecclesiastes 9:7, 8
Festival joy
Plain Sermons by Contributors to the "Tracts for the Times."
This is one of those passages, so remarkable in the writings of Solomon,
in which the words of sinful men in the world are taken up by the Holy
Ghost, to be applied in a Christian sense. As they stand in Ecclesiastes,
they are intended to represent the sayings of sensual, careless people,
indulging themselves in their profane ways, their utter neglect of God
and goodness, with the notion that this world is all. It is much the same
as the unbeliever's saying, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we
die." But see the ever-watchful goodness and mercy of God. The words
which the dissolute, wild-hearted sinner uses to encourage himself in his
evil, inconsiderate ways, He teaches us to take up, and use them in a
very different sense; to express the inward joy and comfort which God's
people may find in obeying Him. As thus: suppose a person giving
himself up, with his whole heart, to the service and obedience of God;
suppose him really Withdrawing himself from the sins which had most
easily beset him; suppose him making some great sacrifice, parting with
what he held very dear, or submitting to pain or grief for Christ's sake:
then the holy and merciful Comforter seems to say to him in the words
of the text, "Go thy way now, thank God, and take courage; the blessing
of God is now restored to thee, and will be upon all thou hast, and upon
thine ordinary employments and refreshments: now thou mayest eat thy
bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now

accepteth thy works." What a heavenly light it would throw over our
ordinary works and refreshments, if, being always careful to set about
them with a good conscience, we could seriously bring it home to
ourselves, that they are so many tokens of heavenly and eternal love; so
many reasonable grounds of hope, that God really accepteth our works.
But there is yet a higher, a Christian sense of these words. The bread
and wine, the white garments, the ointment for the head, are figures and
types of our Christian privileges, the blessings and favours of the
kingdom of heaven. It is, then, as if the Holy Word had said to us, being,
as we are, Christian men, members of the mystical Body of our Lord
and Saviour, "Now you have been brought into the communion of
saints; now God has set His seal upon you; now you are washed,
sanctified, justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of
our God. Go your way, then; use your privileges with all reverence, joy,
and fear." And it would seem that if Christians were at all such as they
ought to be, the words might be well and profitably understood with a
particular reference to this sacred season of Whitsuntide. This is the last
of the holy seasons; it represents to us the full completion of God's
unspeakable plan for the salvation of the world. The words have a
sound most comfortable to penitents, as well as to those who, by God's
help, have kept themselves from wilful, deadly sin. They sound like
words of absolution: "Go thy way, return again to that holy Table, from
which thy transgressions had for a time separated thee: eat thy Bread
and drink thy Wine with a courageous and hopeful heart; for now there
is hope that God accepteth thy works; that He hears thee, since thou
hast left off inclining unto wickedness with thine heart. Thy case indeed
is alarming, from the continual danger of a relapse; and thy loss at best
is great, penitency instead of innoceney being thy portion; yet go on
steadily and cheerfully." Observe, however, the words which follow,
which to the hearing of a thoughtful Christian convey a very serious
admonition, telling us on what these unspeakable privileges depend, so
far as our own conduct is concerned: "Let thy garments be always
white, and let thine head lack no ointment." To say, therefore, to
Christians at Whitsuntide, "Let thy garments be always white," was the
same as saying, "Take care that at no time you stain or sully the bright

and clear robe of your Saviour's righteousness, which has just been
thrown over you: according to the apostle's saying, 'As many as have
been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.' As much as possible keep
it clear from all spot of wilful sin." Again, says the wise man, "Let thine
head lack no ointment"; and this again is an allusion which would come
with a particular meaning in early times to the new-baptized Christians,
and those who had been present at their baptism And oil is in Scripture
the constant token of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit. Therefore,
to say, "Let thy head lack no ointment," would mean, "Take care that
thou stir up, cherish, and improve the unspeakable gift of which thou
art now made partaker. Use diligently all the means of grace which
Christ has provided for thee in His kingdom, whereof thou art now
come to be an inheritor."
(Plain Sermons by Contributors to the "Tracts for the Times.")
Let thy garments be always white
White robes
G. F. Prentiss.
One of the most common beliefs of men concerning heaven is that all are
to be robed in white; and it is no idle fancy, for the Bible warrants such
a belief. The priestly robes worn in the temple service were white; the
apocalyptic vision was filled with the white-robed; the poetry of the
Bible teaches that purity and joy in life are symbolized by snowy
raiments — "Let thy garments be always white." "Thy garments." This
is a personal matter. The command is to the end that each is to see that
his own dress is clean. The neighbour will take care of his own. And now
the emphasis comes on "always." There must not be a single careless
moment. Why is the colour of our garments to be white? Why? Because
everybody looks well in white. All complexions can stand white. The
plainest are adorned and the most beautiful are made more angelic by
wearing it. We love white garments because they are so pure. No impure
dyes have disfigured the cloth, and all of Nature's tints the bleachers

have taken away. So white robes remind us constantly of purity. And did
you ever think how important it is? The springs that furnish the thirsty
with water must be in their fountain-heads pure, or who will dare to use
it? The usefulness of anything depends upon its purity. The white
garment is an object lesson, then, teaching the vital importance of
purity in heart and life. To be able to look God in the face with steady
eye and unblanched cheek. O, that is worth all the sacrifice that it may
demand! "But it is so hard to keep pure and sweet," they say. I may be
tempted by the allurements of the world. Money, with its shining
sunbeams, may twine its fingers about my heart to woo it. Ambition,
with her lofty and imposing mien, may awe me to obey her. Shall I give
up the white raiment of my soul? I would not dare to soil my raiment
now, for the spots in such a light the whole world could see, and how
could I ever again look up and cry "Abba, Father," if on my heart was
the stain of evil? But white raiment is the symbol of another quality in
the true life. It is joy. Always dependent upon purity for its life, yet a
separate quality. No impure life is ever a truly happy life. We put on our
clean raiment to honour the joyful occasion. Children, I believe that
pure heart is always happy. Then there is a duty attached, the duty to be
joyful in being and doing good. How different the world would be to-day
if the command about our spiritual toilet were heeded! Let us try
hereafter to live in such a way as to teach our friends how blessed it is to
have pure, and, therefore, happy hearts. White robes bring great
responsibility. They soil so easily. The clean garment shows the dirt at
the slightest contact. Keep your hearts clean, for they will soil as easily
as the white dress. The little girl who went home from a visit to a
neighbour's by far the longest way, in order to keep her dress from the
mud of a certain street, on being asked why she did it since it made her
very tired, said: "It kept my dwess tean." How much better children of
our Heavenly Father we should be if we were as particular to keep the
raiment of our hearts free from the mud-stains of sin, even though the
extra toil makes us very weary. Better be tired, even to death, than soil
the raiment of the soul.
(G. F. Prentiss.)

Enjoyment of the Present
J. Willcock
Ecclesiastes 9:7-10
Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a
merry heart; for God now accepts your works.…
No one who is at all familiar with the Preacher's thoughts can be
surprised with the advice here given, following so closely as it does upon
the gloomy reflections on death to which he has just given expression.
He for the sixth time urges upon his hearers or readers the practical
wisdom of enjoying the present, of cheerfully accepting the boons which
God puts within our reach, and the mere thought that he is the Giver,
will of itself rebuke all vicious indulgence. He permits enjoyment; nay, it
is by his appointment that the means for it exist. "Go thy way, eat thy
bread with joy, and. drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now
accepteth thy works" (ver. 7). That is, God approves of these works - a
cheerful, thankful enjoyment of food and drink. The white garment
symbolical of a glad heart, the perfume sprinkled upon the head, are not
to be slighted as frivolous or as inappropriate for those who are so soon
to pass from life unto death (ver. 8). Asceticism, self-imposed scruples,
halfhearted participations in the good things that lawfully fall to us,
mean loss of the present, and are not in themselves a preparation for the
future. The ascetic may have his heart set upon the very pleasures he
denies himself, may value them more highly, than he who takes them as
they come, and exhausts them of all the satisfaction they contain. The
happiness, too, which marriage yields is commended by him. He speaks
elsewhere of the wretchedness and shame into which sensuality leads,
and of the hateful types of womanhood with which it brings the
sensualist into contact (Ecclesiastes 2:8; Ecclesiastes 7:26); but here he

alludes to the cairn peacefulness of a happy home, which, though it
cannot remove the sense of the vanity and transitoriness of life, at least
makes it endurable (Plumptre). A happy life, a useful life, a life filled by
a wholesome activity, may be lived by all or by most, and the fact that
the end is near, the grave in which there is neither "work, nor device,
nor wisdom," should be a stimulus to such activity (ver. 10). Honest,
earnest labor, together with whatever enjoyments God's providence
brings within our reach, and not an indifference to all sublunary
concerns because of their transitoriness, is asserted to be our bounden
duty. Had he recommended mere sensuous indulgence, we should turn
from him contemptuously. Had he recommended an ascetic severity, we
might have felt that only some could follow his advice. But as it is, his
ideal is within the reach of us all, and is worthy of us all. And those who
speak censoriously of the conclusion he reaches and expresses in these
words, would find it a very hard task to frame a higher ideal of life.
Zealous performance of practical duties, a reasonable and whole-
hearted enjoyment of all innocent pleasures, and mindfulness of
judgment to come, are commended to us by the Preacher, and only a
stupid fanatic could object to the counsel he gives. - J.W.
STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
Adam Clarke Commentary
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy - Do not vex and perplex yourselves
with the dispensations and mysteries of Providence; enjoy the blessings
which God has given you, and live to his glory; and then God will accept
your works.
Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

EAT, DRINK, ETC, FOR TOMORROW YOU DIE
"Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, drink thy wine with a merry heart;
for God hath already accepted thy works. Let thy garments be always
white; and let not thy head lack oil. Live joyfully with the wife whom
thou lovest all the days of thy life of vanity, which he (God) hath given
thee under the sun, all thy days of vanity; for that is thy portion in life,
and in thy labor wherein thou laborest under the sun. Whatsoever thy
hand findeth to do, that do with thy might; for there is no work, nor
device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in Sheol, whither thou goest."
This, of course, is Epicureanism. "Eat, drink, and be merry, for
tomorrow we die." This philosophy is absolutely worthless, unless death
is the end of everything. As Paul stated it, "If the dead are not raised up,
let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" (1 Corinthians 15:32).
Solomon has repeatedly advocated this doctrine, not only here, but in
Ecclesiastes 1:9; 1:15; 3:1-9; and in Ecclesiastes 3:14-15. This was
evidently the position that he accepted during the days of his apostasy.
One question that arises from this interpretation is that of whether or
not Solomon ever repented and turned to God as the Jews allege that he
did. We find no Biblical support of that idea anywhere. Nevertheless,
that is a necessary corollary of our interpretation of Ecclesiastes.
"God hath already accepted thy works" (Ecclesiastes 9:7) "... Live
joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest ... which he (God) hath given
thee" (Ecclesiastes 9:9). Here we have a glimpse of the penitent and
restored Solomon honoring God for his marvelous gifts and praising
him for the blessings given to the sons of men, even while he is still
relating the stubborn and rebellious things that he had once believed.
Note that he referred twice in these few verses to life as "vanity." There
is also here a favorable mention of marriage and the loving of one wife
"all the days of thy vanity" (Ecclesiastes 9:9), which is surprising
enough from an author like Solomon.
The great value of Ecclesiastes is that it elaborates fully the absolute
worthlessness and vanity of life on earth by any man who lives without

the fear of God and submission to the divine authority of our Creator.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible
Go thy way,.... Thou righteous man, as Jarchi paraphrases it; and
indeed epicures and voluptuous persons have no need of the following
exhortation, and the reason annexed is not suitable to them; but the
whole agrees better with religious persons, who under distressing views
of Providence, and from gloomy and melancholy apprehensions of
things, and mistaken notions of mortification, deny themselves the free
and lawful use of the good things of life; and seeing there is no
enjoyment of them in the grave, and after death, therefore let the
following advice be taken, than which of worldly things nothing is better
for a man to do;
eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; which
includes all things necessary and convenient, and which should be used
and enjoyed freely and cheerfully; not barely for refreshment, but
recreation; not for necessity only, but for pleasure; yet with moderation,
not to excess; and with thankfulness to God; and the rather joy and
mirth should mix with these things, since to a good man they are in love.
It may be observed that it is said "thy bread and thy wine", thine own
and not another's; what is got by labour, and in an honest way, and not
by rapine and oppression, as Alshech observes; what God in his
providence gives, our daily food, what is convenient for us, or is our
portion and allotment. The Targum interprets it figuratively of the joys
of heaven;
"Solomon said, by a spirit of prophecy from the Lord, the Lord of the
world will say to all the righteous, in the face of everyone, eat thy bread
with joy, which is laid up for thee, for thy bread which thou hast given
to the poor and needy that were hungry; and drink thy wine with a good
heart, which is laid up for thee in paradise, for the wine which thou hast
mingled for the poor and needy that were thirsty;'

see Matthew 25:34;
for God now accepteth thy works; both the persons of righteous and
good men are accepted of God in Christ, and their works done in faith
and love, and with a view to his glory; and since they are acceptable in
his sight, as appears by his blessing on their labours, and bestowing the
good things of life upon them, so it is well pleasing in his sight to make a
free and cheerful use of them.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes
heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
Go — Make this use of what I have said.
Eat — Chearfully and thankfully enjoy thy comforts.
Accepteth — Allows thee a comfortable enjoyment of his blessings.
John Trapp Complete Commentary
Ecclesiastes 9:7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine
with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
Ver. 7. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy.] Vade, iuste, go thy way, thou
righteous man; live in cheerfulness of mind, proceeding from the
testimony of a good conscience: so Lyra senseth the words. God’s grace
and favour turned brown bread and water into manchet and wine to the
martyrs in prison. "Rejoice not thou, O Israel, for joy, as other people,
for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God." [Hosea 9:1] Thou cutest
thy bane, thou drinkest thy poison, because "to the impure all things are
impure," and "without faith it is impossible to please God." "In the
transgression of an evil man there is a snare (or a cord to strangle his
joy with), but the righteous doth sing and rejoice." [Proverbs 29:6] He
may do so; he must do so. What should hinder him? He hath made his

peace with God, and is rectus in curia. Let him be merry at his meals,
lightsome and spruce in his clothes, cheerful with his wife and children,
&c. "Is any man merry at heart?" saith St James; [James 5:13] is he
right set, and hath he a right frame of soul ( ευθυμει)? is all well within?
"Let him sing psalms"; yea, as a traveller rides on merrily, and wears
out the tediousness of the way by singing sweet songs unto himself; so
should the saints. "Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my
pilgrimage." [Psalms 119:54]
Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary
There is a great beauty in this verse; if explained upon gospel principles.
If a soul be accepted in Jesus, he may well eat the bread both of body
and soul, with a cheerful heart. In Jesus, everything is blessed: and
Jesus blesses everything.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible
Go thy way, make this use of what I have said,
eat thy bread; thine own, the fruit of thy own labours, not what thou
takest unjustly from others. Bread; necessary and convenient food; by
which he excludes excess.
With a merry heart; cheerfully and thankfully enjoy thy comforts,
avoiding all distracting care and grief for the occurrences of this world.
God now accepteth thy works; is gracious to thee, hath blessed thy
labours with success, and alloweth thee a comfortable enjoyment of his
blessings.
Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

7. Eat… drink — This verse is an inference. If death be such, then life is
of the nature of a holiday. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. The sentiment
is not exactly Epicurean, (let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die,)
but, “Our living to-day is proof of God’s merciful favour, and that he is
pleased, not angry, with us.” Therefore let us enjoy the bread and wine,
the good which he gives, with grateful and joyous temper.
Mark Dunagan Commentary on the Bible
"Go then, eat your bread in happiness, and drink your wine with a
cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works."
"eat your bread in happiness"-Far from being depressed or discouraged
by the previous facts, Solomon exhorts the living to make the most of
the wholesome pleasures of this life. "Go then"-Go to it then. "It is a
summons to be up and doing and is directed against the tendency to
brood and to ponder over problems" (Leupold p. 213).
"wine"-doesn"t mean go out and get drunk. Even denominational
sources, such as the Theological Workbook Of The Old Testament,
notes: "All the wine was light wine, i.e. not fortified with extra alcohol.
Concentrated alcohol was only known in the Middle Ages when the
Arabs invented distillation ("alcohol" is an Arabic word), so what is
now called liquor or strong drink and the twenty per cent fortified wines
were unknown in Bible times….To avoid drunkenness, mingling wine
with water was practiced" (p. 376). In addition, many writers note that
the Hebrew word translated "wine" (yayin), simply can refer to all
stages of the juice of the grape. It can describe simple grape juice, or a
thickened syrup, etc…It is a generic term, which depending on the
context can mean either fermented or unfermented drink. In this verse
it appears that wine simply means "drink", for obviously, "bread"
applies to all things that a person might eat.
"with a cheerful heart"-Compare with ; 3:12-13,22; 5:18; 8:15 and 1
Timothy 4:3-4 "which God has created to be gratefully shared in by
those who believe and know the truth".

Point To Note:
Note that the righteous man has been delivered from so many of the
worries which plague other people. How many people are so worried
about their health, so determined to live long, that they can"t enjoy the
simple pleasures of today. How many people can"t even enjoy a good
meal, because they are trying to analyze everything to death? Isn"t it
ironic that a world bent on ignoring God and doing whatever it wants to
do, has forfeited the ability to enjoy the simple and wholesome pleasures
of each day? God doesn"t want the godly to be eating their meal in
terror or dread. Notice how being a Christian helps you to be relaxed!
"for God has already approved your works"-hence the promise of this
verse and the following, only applies to the righteous. God is telling the
righteous man or woman, "I know that good and harm happen to all,
and I know that from outward appearances, there are typically no clear
outward signs of Divine approval or disapproval, but rest assured
righteous man, long ago God has accepted your course of conduct, so
persevere in that course and joyfully use what God has given you.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -
Unabridged
Eat thy bread with joy. Here the voice of the Spirit rebuts the voice of
the flesh. Addressed to the "righteous wise" spoken of in Ecclesiastes
9:1.
Now accepteth thy works Being "in the hand of God," who "now
accepteth thy works" in His service, as He has previously accepted thy
person (Genesis 4:4), thou mayest 'eat etc., with a cheerful (not
sensually "merry") heart' (Ecclesiastes 3:13; Ecclesiastes 5:18; Acts
2:46). Instead of giving way to gloomy discontent, as if God made no
difference between the good and the bad in His dealings (Ecclesiastes

9:1; Malachi 2:17). God accepteth-literally, hath pleasure in ( raatsaah
(Hebrew #7521)) - thy works, and therefore will in due time let thee see
the difference which He makes (in spite of present appearances to the
contrary) between the righteous and the wicked (Malachi 3:18); parallel
is Psalms 73:1 - Hebrew, 'God is only good (not also evil, as carnal
reason would suggest) to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart,' in
spite of all appearances to the contrary.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(7) Accepteth.—The thought has been expressed before (Ecclesiastes
2:24; Ecclesiastes 8:15), that earthly enjoyment is to be received as given
by God’s favour.
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Torrey, R. A. "Commentary on Ecclesiastes 9:7". "The Treasury of
Scripture Knowledge".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tsk/ecclesiastes-9.html.
return to 'Jump List'
Ecclesiastes 9:7. The voice of the flesh is here opposed by the voice of the
spirit. It is exactly so elsewhere; as, for example, in Psalms 39 , where
the Psalmist first strives with God and impatiently demands of Him to
know the end of his life and sufferings, but afterwards rises up and casts
down discontent and doubt to the ground. Here also we might say that
in Ecclesiastes 9:1-6 the author speaks as the representative of the then
prevailing spirit of the people; not, however, as though he appropriated

views that were utterly strange to his own mind, but such as he also
himself in his hours of weakness had been compelled to sympathise
with. Now, on the contrary, the writer sets himself in God to oppose the
popular views and feelings. Calvin's remarks on Psalms 42:6 hold good
of this place also: "David represents himself to us as divided into two
portions. So far as he rests by faith in God's promises, he rises in arms,
with a spirit of unconquerable valour, against the feelings and will of the
flesh, and condemns at the same time his own weak and yielding
conduct." Here, just as there, it is the spirit which is strong in God that
enters the lists against the "weaker vessel," the timid fearful soul, which
in the book of Job is introduced under the personification of Job's wife.
There is undoubtedly a reference to individual men, but still it is the
"man Judah "of Isaiah 5:3, who is, in the first instance, addressed. This
is evident from the entire context, of which the sufferings of the people
of God form the point of departure. Eat thy bread in joy and drink thy
wine with a good heart, "Joy and good heart," stand in opposition to the
gloomy discontent which led them formerly to say, "Every one that
doeth evil is good in the eyes of the Lord, and he delighteth in them, or
where is the God of judgment?" (Malachi 2:17). The contrast to eating
bread and drinking wine is presented in such passages as 1 Samuel 1:7,
where it is said of Hannah, "she wept and ate not;" Psalms 42:4, "My
tears are my meat day and night;" Psalms 80:6, "Thou feedest them
with the bread of tears, and givest them tears to drink in great
measure," ("Bread of tears," signifies bread that consists of tears), and
Psalms 102:10, Job 3:24. God hath pleasure in thy works, ( with the
accusative means, "to have pleasure in anything,") and, therefore, in
His good time thou wilt see the reward which thou now missest, and "ye
shall discern again the difference between the righteous and the wicked,
between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not," (Malachi
3:18). We have in this verse the distinct negation of Ecclesiastes 9:1.
There, by a hasty conclusion drawn from the fact of the temporal
sufferings of the righteous, it was affirmed that man does not at all
know whether he has grace before God or not, whether he may or may
not expect love from God. The great sting of temporal suffering is, that

we very easily get to fancy that it will last for ever, and that it is apt to
lead us into erroneous thoughts about God's grace. We can only
overcome this temptation by rising in faith above the present. In Psalms
73:17, "till I come to the sanctuaries of God, then will I look on their
end." The thing first mentioned stands to the second in the relation of
cause to effect. Having entered into the sanctuary of God, the Psalmist
sees that the prosperity of the wicked and the sufferings of the righteous
are only transitory, and thus he attains to an unbounded confidence in
God's help and redemption. A real, if not a verbal, parallel to the words,
"God has pleasure in thy works," may be found in the commencement
of Psalms 73 : "only good is God to Israel, to those who are of a pure
heart." God is good, and not evil as the righteous may well fancy when
they are plagued continually, when they are chastened every morning,
whilst the wicked live in prosperity. Luther remarks on the verse, "He
means to say something like this—thou livest in the world where there is
nothing without that, for there is much sorrow, heart suffering, misery,
there is death and much vanity: make use then of life with love, and do
not make thine own life sour and hard with anxious and fruitless cares.
Solomon says what he says not to the secure and godless children of the
world, but to such as truly fear God and believe. These he comforts, and
would fain see them comfort themselves and rejoice in God. To them he
gives the exhortation, to be glad; he does not bid those to drink wine
and eat, etc., who were beforehand too secure, and being godless and
lost, spent their lives in indolence and debauchery."
END OF STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
RAY STEDMAN
Verse 7 is a most remarkable verse, because there is a statement in it of
what we call in the New Testament the New Covenant, God's new
provision for living. It is clear from the New Testament that God has
given us a gift of approval, of righteousness. Because we already have

that by faith, we are freed, and no longer do we have to struggle vainly
to try to please God; we live in a way that does please Him because we
have already been accepted and approved by Him.
Notice how clearly that is stated here in verse 7: Go, eat your food with
gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God
favors what you do. This is recognition, even in the Old Testament, of a
relationship of righteousness that has already been established. It is true
that basis was laid in our Lord's coming into this world and in His
subsequent death and resurrection. Yet it is applied to all the people in
the Old Testament, as well as in the New, who had faith in what God
declared, who believed His Word and thus were given the gift of
righteousness just as we are. Here the Searcher faces that as the real
basis for life. If you want to find significance in your life, if you want to
find deep meaning, peace, and contentment, this is the basis of it:
Believe what God has given you already, and then, on that basis, live
your life to the full. Fill it with all that is of value, reason, and worth.
White garments are a symbol in Scripture of practical righteousness, of
good deeds being done that flow out of this new relationship that is
already true. Oil is always the symbol of the Holy Spirit at work, so
don't let oil be lacking on your head. Thus, here is a life filled with the
Spirit, full of good works, flowing out of the realization that God
already accepts us. That is the new basis for living. That is what Paul is
talking about in Romans: For sin shall not be your master, because you
are not under law [with its demand that you measure up before God will
accept you], but under grace [with its marvelous provision of
righteousness as a gift] (Romans 6:14). It is yours for the taking though
you do not deserve it, and by it you are rendered fully accepted and
loved by God.
So right living follows that, and Solomon encourages us to live a normal
life. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all your days. God ordained
marriage for that reason, and it is right to enjoy the fullness of
marriage. And then enjoy your God-given work. Work is not something
we are forced to do in order to keep alive. Work is a blessing. Do it with

all your might. Do not just get through it the best you can so you can get
home and start enjoying yourself. Many of us live that way, but that is
not the biblical way. The biblical approach is that work is given to you
as a gift of God, so enjoy it.
Do we live like this? We who are Christians, we who know the reality of
the gift of righteousness and have discovered the secret of contentment,
of being able to handle even difficult conditions because of the joy that
God imparts to us by His presence within, have we begun to live this
way?
Teach me to live this way, Lord, allowing You to fill all the empty places
of my life and enjoying the many gifts that you give."
Ecclesiastes 9:7 "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine
with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works."
For the first time in the passages on enjoyment, the key words of the
exhortation are put into the imperative mood; eat, drink, live, and so on.
Also a new motivation is expressed: God now accepteth thy works.
Meaning clearly that God approves of the enjoyment of life. His will is
that men enjoy life.
Man's labors on the earth give him the right to enjoy the food and drink
he has earned. Food and wine, here, are spoken of as his daily foodstuff.
Wine was drunk with meals, and this is not speaking of getting drunk.
They lived for the time on earth. The last part of the verse above, is
offering salvation through God for them. Jesus Christ makes us
acceptable to the Father.
Ecclesiastes 9:8 "Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head
lack no ointment."
The idea of enjoyment is further reiterated (in verse 8), with two
directives. White garments on the body and ointment on the head made

life more comfortable in the torrid Near Eastern climates; they serve
here to symbolize purity and the enjoyment of life.
The garments being always white speaks of being clothed in
righteousness (white). White speaks of purity, and righteousness.
In the 23rd Psalm, we read "thou anointest my head with oil".
https://www.bible-studys.org/Bible%20Books/Ecclesiastes/Ecclesiastes
%20Chapter%209.html
Ecclesiastes 9:7
This entry was posted on February 10, 2013, in Ecclesiastes and tagged
drink, eat, favour, food, go, joy, joyful heart, pleasure, Solomon, wine.
Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment
Ecclesiastes 9:7 | NIV (1984) | Other Versions | Context
Brief
The entire book of Ecclesiastes has such a melancholic undertone to it
that one ought to be surprised at the occasional, seemingly hopeful and
encouraging verses that pop up in the midst of all the gloom and all the
poetic realism. Yet perhaps what reads as a pleasantly joyful and
hopeful verse on its own is not as simple as it is – as often the words of
Solomon often are. Taking in the context, where the bleak, common
destiny for all was very thoroughly explained as Ecc 9:3 – This is the evil
in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes
all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness
in their hearts while they live,and afterward they join the dead. Verse 10
goes a step further and hints at the real meaning behind verse 7 –
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the
realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor

planning nor knowledge nor wisdom [Ecc 9:10|Article]. Even if we will
end up with the same destiny, even if we will ultimately die and all that
we have obtained in our lives would count for nothing, even if
everything is meaningless – let us still live our lives with joy and
pleasure, because it pleases the Lord.
Analysis
Go – I like this word, it is to me one of the greatest instruction and
command ever, especially in the Bible. Every time the word is used in
the Bible, there’s not only power, but also promise. In this context, this
instruction perhaps only refers to the righteous, because the
unrighteous wouldn’t need reminding to be joyful in their worldly
activities, as perhaps it is only those righteous in the word that would
grieve over the ultimate similar and bleak destiny of mankind, much as
Solomon himself does. In the word ‘go’, Solomon gives relief and release
from the loops of hopelessness and melancholy that he has cycled the
reader through in Ecclesiastes – Go, despite what I’ve said. Go, on top
of what I’ve said, you ought to be merry.
eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart –
go about doing your daily necessities joyfully! You can eat joyfully, even
though you are a sinner. You can drink in pleasure, even though this life
is temporary. Everytime there is joy, there must also be thankfulness –
joy is one of the easiest reasons for us to be thankful to God. Yet, be
joyful in moderation, it is really not the idea of – since we’re going to
face the same destiny, let us all be crazy in this world. No, eat your food
with gladness – there’s a sense of serenity and calmness in that. Lastly,
eat your food, drink your wine – labour for your pleasures yourself.
for it is now that God favors what you do – Think about it this way –
who was the one who gave us our daily portion, our food and wine, our
possessions, and all that we have? If you must, you can trace a long way
back through a long list of humans, but ultimately, it is God. God freely
gives out blessings, and God blesses us willingly and happily, I would
think, with pleasures in life. If so, would God not be pleased if he sees us

pleased with our blessings? No one is going to be upset when he gives a
present and the person who has received it is happy, and uses it happily.
Our joy in our daily lives pleases God. Remembering, even more so, that
we are talking about righteous people, who by definition do good with
love and faith even in their daily lives, we must therefore conclude that
pleasures that are equally righteous are pleasing in God’s sight. Surely
not sinful pleasures. Not food you’ve stolen. Not all that goes against the
Bible.
Conclusion
I’m sure you have parties on big occasions. For example, your son’s
birthday? Or Christmas? Or New Year? As Christians we celebrate
Christmas and party a lot in that season, but as Asians the real big
occasion is honestly, the Lunar New Year, where you are obliged to go
visiting relatives from close to distant and from distant to even further.
You feast, you catch up, you make merry, and you have fun. You try to
wear red or orange and try your best to follow all the customs that don’t
contradict the Bible. Or at least, try to. For all you who celebrate Lunar
New Year, or for all you who have a party coming up (we always should
have parties coming up, no?); I cite you this verse – and even if you
disregard the somewhat gloomy context, it’s probably fine just for this
time – Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a
joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.
God bless, https://reversingverses.com/2013/02/10/ecclesiastes-97/
"Advice for Subjects"
A Sermon on Ecclesiastes 9:7-10
March 2, 2003

by Rev. Stephen C. Magee
Exeter Presbyterian Church
Ecclesiastes 9:7-10
7 Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry
heart; For God has already accepted your works. 8 Let your garments
always be white, And let your head lack no oil. 9 Live joyfully with the
wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you
under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life,
and in the labor which you perform under the sun. 10 Whatever your
hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or
knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
Introduction: Rulers and Subjects
By now you are becoming accustomed to the fact that the author
of this great book of wisdom has written it in such a way that the great
majority of the passages in the book have a parallel passage on the same
or a related topic.
In the case of today’s passage, I think it will help us greatly to
realize that the parallel passage was about wisdom and rulers. In that
passage we saw the tremendous benefit of true wisdom to rulers. We
also noted how very rare true wisdom is.

Everyone is not a ruler, and that is a good thing. It is a difficult
challenge and a heavy burden to be the one (or one of the ones) in
charge in any enterprise. Heavy hangs the head that wears the crown.
That earlier passage (7:19-8:8) contained some important advice
for rulers, and words extolling the beauty and power of wisdom in a
wise ruler. Here we have advice for the mass of us who are not rulers, in
a particular sphere, and the advice contains words extolling the beauty
of simple enjoyment of the life we have been given. This is our portion
in life.
There is some sense in which we are all called to be leaders in
some sphere of life, although none of us are rulers in every sphere. Even
President Bush is not an elder in his church, and the ministers of this
Presbytery have no particular ruling role in the civil arena. Every head
of household has a duty to use the authority that God has given him to
rule with wisdom in his house, but beyond that most local level of
government, that household ruler may be a “subject” in every other
sphere of life. In fact, most of us are “subjects” in almost every sphere.
How are we to live as those who are subjects? In light of the
parallel passage on rulers, this is the particular focus in today’s passage.
How are we to live wisely and with joy in a world where others rule?
Solomon's advice is quite clear here, and can be easily
paraphrased. "Live the life that you have been given now with joy.
Enjoy your food, your wine, your wife, your work as long as you live.
Dress and groom yourself like a person who is expecting to enjoy each
day." (That is the meaning of the clean garments and anointing oil for
the head that Solomon refers to.) "For one day you will die, and your
life on this earth will be over. Again, live the life that you have been
given now with joy."
How to be Christian and miserable:

While the advice given by Solomon is quite simple and very
powerful, it is advice that is often ignored. In fact, it would seem that
many, even within the Christian church, are set on a determined course
quite different than the one presented in this passage. Many are
apparently determined to be both Christian and miserable. How can
such a thing be accomplished? Let me present to you an easy to follow,
four-step plan by which Christians saved by the grace of God can still
manage to be miserable.
1. Set your heart on things that are not yours.
If you want to be miserable, it is important for you to set your
heart on earthly things, and particularly on those earthly things that
you do not now have. If you do this, you will be well on your way to
being miserable.
2. Take no enjoyment in what you have been given.
Closely connected to the prior point and flowing from it, it is
important to avoid the enjoyment of what you actually have been given
by God if you want to be truly miserable. Even occasional reflection
upon the goodness of God in giving you the earthly blessings that you
have in your possession can disrupt much progress toward misery. It is
not enough to look longingly at what you have not been given. You must
also be careful not to enjoy today the things that are yours today.
3. Confess everyone else's sins but your own, in Christian love, and
consider everyone else's trouble your business.

While Jesus tells us in the sermon on the mount that each day
has enough trouble of its own, the person seeking misery must push
aside that observation, and seek to make every trouble in the world his
own. There is a word of caution that should be added here. To be truly
miserable you must make sure that you focus on yourself as you invade
the lives of others.
Here caution must be followed in order to succeed at being
miserable. The problem here is that bearing the burdens of others with
a focus on aiding them will actually reduce your own misery. The key is
to get in the middle of the lives of others while maintaining your own
self-centeredness. Focus on how their suffering makes you feel, rather
than doing something to actually aid the other person or to point them
to the joys that are theirs in Christ.
In doing this, it is helpful to ignore many of your own duties, and
then take offense at the fact that your family is wondering why you are
not working. Don't they understand that you are busy with people
(who, by the way, are not particularly appreciative of your care for
them)?
4. Consider continually how much better everything would be if you
were in charge.
As one who is subject to the rule of others above you, it is a great
aid to misery to regularly consider, and to appropriately comment to
sympathetic ears concerning the obvious truth that the people who are
in charge are not doing a very good job. It should always be plain and
obvious to you what steps rulers should be taking. Avoid praying for
your rulers, and resist them in their efforts to lead, while maintaining a
veneer of being supportive. Be quick to speak, slow to listen, and
maintain a stockpile of anger as you attempt to cope with what you
don't have, and with the general foolishness of rulers who should know

better.
You can do these four things and not be a Christian. They are,
after all, the way of the world. But if you will do these things, though
you may be a Christian, you will also be miserable.
Solomon suggests that there is a better way for us as we live in
the fear of God and in subjection to human rulers. There is a way of
happiness for us in this passing world of death and sin - this world that
is under the righteous wrath of God. There remains a way of quiet and
peaceful submission, a way of current enjoyment in the glory of precious
promises that God has given us through Christ our Lord.
You don't have to be a ruler
or have everything that you want
in order to be happy.
This true happiness of a peaceful heart and a quieted soul at rest
does not require that you be the ruler of everyone and everything.
There are many people who are in charge of many things and many
men and women who can purchase whatever object they desire who are
nonetheless deeply dissatisfied. And there are many who are weak and
poor in this world who have yet discovered peace with God, and are able
to enjoy simply the gifts that God has given them in this brief life under
the sun.
There are, however, some important matters of advice that you

must take to heart if you wish to live in the peace and joy that the Lord
has for you in this difficult world here below.
Advice for those lacking something in a world with much death:
1. Embrace the great sufficiency of the work and wisdom of God in
Jesus Christ.
First, you will never truly be able to maintain a sincere and
stable peace of soul, if you have not settled the issue of your eternal
condition. You may be able to enjoy moments here and there, and you
may appear to others to have an easy-going manner, a love of life, and a
pleasant disposition, but deep in your soul there is a question that needs
to be addressed. You need to know that you are loved by God, and that
you belong to God. When your body is lowered into the grave, where
will you be? Is your only hope in that body which will die? One day
your body will rest in the grave. There is no work or device or
knowledge or wisdom there? You know this. How can you live a life of
hope unless you truly know that you are accepted by God?
The day of your death may come suddenly, and you cannot have
real peace and joy that will last by simply ignoring your soul. There are
different ways that people cope with this. Some recognize that there is
nothing they can do about their mortality, so they try not to bother their
hearts with things they can do nothing about. This works well at age
eighteen, but is less satisfying at eighty. Some busy themselves with
current concerns, or fill their ears with laughter or pleasures in order to
avoid the most important questions of life and death. This may seem to
work for a time, but the events of their lives have a way of putting the
frenzy or pleasure-seeking on hold, and then they begin to think, "What
happens to me after I die?"

The kind of enjoyment that our souls seek is a solid peace and
fulfillment, not the cheap thrill of cotton-candy pleasures. The person
who has a working and solid hope, is actually able to have a more secure
enjoyment of the passing pleasures of this life. We will not be able to
enjoy temporary things in as full a way as we should until we embrace
God's solution to our biggest need. We need eternal life, but our sin has
earned death and hell for us. There is only one answer that I know of to
this most important dilemma that everyone must face. God demands
perfect righteousness. Christ alone has provided that righteousness for
us in His perfect life. God demands that sin be punished. Christ has
taken that punishment for us in His perfect death. Nothing else is
sufficient for the task. You must embrace the perfection of Christ for
you to have true peace.
2. Believe that God knows what He is doing.
The second point of advice flows from the first. If Christ has
shown himself perfectly powerful and wise in His life and death,
perhaps He can be trusted in what He is doing with your life and death.
If you believe that He is "for" you in terms of your eternal salvation,
surely you can trust Him for the events of your life.
Has the God who has ordered things so well in the life and death
of His Son, ordaining His suffering for your salvation, suddenly lost His
perfect wisdom in ordaining all the events of your life? You may find
yourself subject to someone on this earth today who is less than prefect
in his wisdom and integrity. Are you able to believe that God knows
what He is doing on this matter? If you can not trust the Lord in all the
events of your life, you will find it most difficult to have the peace and
joy that your heart desires.
3. Enjoy what He gives you.

Now that these two most important matters are settled in your
soul - eternal life and God's sovereignty and love in everything that He
has remaining for you under the sun - you are poised to enjoy each
moment that He gives you - each person - each event or thing - as a good
gift from His loving hand. Confident in the righteousness of Christ and
in the gospel of His love, now accept each day as God's good gift to you.
You need food and drink, God has given you food and drink.
You need clothing and bodily health. God has given you a measure of
these things. You have sought the love of a marriage partner, and the
intimacy and companionship that God provides through this blessed
institution of covenant commitment, and God has provided this for
many of you. You seek useful work, and the gifts and energy necessary
to pursue this work. God has placed you in a job where you can serve
Him and others.
Some may lack something today, and yet our heavenly place is
secure, and we have been granted great pleasure in the Lord today, and
bright hope for tomorrow.
4. Invest in heavenly real estate.
Finally, let you who are subjects here below not only rest in
Christ for eternal life, and rest in God's wisdom for your earthly life,
and enjoy the good gifts that God has granted to you daily in His perfect
wisdom, but also remember the words of Jesus who has assured us that
we are to seek first the kingdom of God, with the confidence that God
himself will grant us all things that are necessary for life and faith.
Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the
right hand of the Father.

Conclusion: "God has already accepted your works."
Through all of the real struggles that you face on this earth,
remember that God himself has accepted your works in the perfections
of Jesus Christ. Through Christ alone you have been justified. God has
even prepared works that you should walk in them. So walk with joy.
Your works have been accepted long ago.
You can be both Christian and miserable, but it is not
recommended. Trust in the perfection of the reign of Christ, and walk
in joy day by day, knowing that He has given you many good gifts.
http://exeterpca.org/sermons/ECCL9v7-10.htm
Home · Publications · Journals · The Southern Baptist Journal of
Theology · SBJT 17/4 (Winter 2013) · Navigating Life in a World that
has Been Scarred by the Fall: Reflections on Ecclesiastes 9:7–10 and
Living in a World of Suffering
Navigating Life in a World that has Been Scarred by the Fall:
Reflections on Ecclesiastes 9:7–10 and Living in a World of Suffering
By Robert V. McCabe
Download PDF
Qohelet’s1 world, like ours, is marred by the curse and suffering. As he
takes us on a journey to discover meaning and purpose in life, he
observes many results of the Fall, such as suffering, tragedy, and death.
In 4:1 he notes an example of suffering: “Again I saw all the oppressions
that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and
they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there
was power, and there was no one to comfort them.”2 This situation is so
gripping that Qohelet responds to it by extolling the dead who had

already died as “more fortunate than the living who are still alive” (4:2).
Another result of the curse is the tragic situations that weigh heavily on
Qohelet. He observes, in 7:15 and 8:14, that sometimes the righteous
receive what the wicked deserve and vice versa. Further, death entered
the created realm with the curse in Genesis 3. This prominent intruder
has a major impact on Qohelet’s worldview. In a different context than
4:2, Qohelet pictures this invader in 9:4 like this: “he who is joined with
all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion” (also
see 2:14–17; 6:6; 8:8; 9:2–3, 5–6; 12:1–7).3 While everyone faces
suffering and tragedy in varying degrees, all encounter death.
With the dialectical design of Ecclesiastes serving as a reflection of the
nature of this world, suffering and death are contrasted with life. With
Qohelet’s poem on time in 3:1–8, the contrast between life and death is
highlighted as the first of fourteen polarized subjects: “a time to be
born, and a time to die” (v. 2). This contrast between life and death is
also seen in 6:3–5 where the stillborn are better off than the living since
they do not experience the misfortunes of life. The death and life motifs
are key aspects of Qohelet’s overall tension between a negative and a
positive view of life. This pessimistic aspect of Ecclesiastes is tied to
Qohelet’s overall theme found in 1:2: “Vanity of vanities. All is vanity.”
The optimistic facet, however, is linked to the carpe diem, or enjoyment-
of-life, passages (“there is nothing better for a person than that he
should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil,” 2:24a).4 On the
surface, Qohelet’s negative conclusions about life seem to contradict his
positive ones and vice versa. Is Qohelet confused or is there a deeper
unity in his thought that allows us to reconcile these seemingly
antithetical conclusions? And if so, then what does he have to teach us
about living in a world marred by the Fall, sin, suffering and death?
The conclusion one reaches regarding Qohelet’s overall message has
significant ramifications for Ecclesiastes’s place in biblical theology.
That is, if the substance of the book is negative, as the hebel (“vanity”)
refrain may connote, this indicates that Ecclesiastes should be viewed as
a foil to the other books in the canon.5 If a celebratory note controls the
book’s basic message, however, as the carpe diem passages may suggest,

this indicates that Ecclesiastes has normative value for God’s people
with an impact on how to live.6 Because Ecclesiastes 9:7–10 develops the
carpe diem motif in connection with the hebel theme of death, the
purpose of this article is to examine this passage and to explain how
these verses relate to the message of Ecclesiastes as we draw lessons on
how to live as God’s people “under the sun.”
Exegetical Analysis
Ecclesiastes 9:7–10 occurs in a section of the book that extends from 9:1
to 11:6. This section emphasizes man’s inability to understand God’s
providence.7 The book’s sixth use of the enjoyment-of-life motif8 is the
focal point of the unit contained in 9:1–12. The use of “man does not
know” (’en yodhea’ ha’dham) in 9:1 and again, with a minor variation
in the Hebrew text, “man does not know” (lo’-yedha’ ha’dham) in 9:12
forms an inclusio, an envelope construction. The utilization of miqreh
(“[everyone shares the same] fate”) in 9:2 and its cognate verb yiqreh
(“[time and chance] happen [to all of them]”) in 9:11 further
demonstrates the tight construction of 9:1–12.9 This pericope further
subdivides into three subsections: vv. 1–6, 7–10, and 11–12. “Whether
love or hate” (gam ’ahavah gam-sin’ah) in v. 1 and a slightly modified
repetition of it in v. 6, “their love, their hate” (gam ’ahavatham gam-
sin’atham), reveal the closely bound nature of vv. 1–6. The subject of the
first six verses is the inevitability of death for all men.10 Qohelet
responds to the inevitability of death with a series of commands in vv. 7–
10 that develop his most comprehensive statement on celebrating life.
The imperatival nature of these four verses sets them apart from vv. 1–6
and vv. 11–12. Further, while the content of vv. 11–12 is different than
vv. 7–10, its textual connections with vv. 1–2 bind it to the unit as a
whole. As with the emphasis in vv. 1–6 on death, vv. 11–12 return to the
same subject. Verses 11–12 vary the emphasis of vv. 1–6 with an accent
on the unpredictability of death. Verses 7–10 are infixed between the
two set of verses and serve as a focal point of vv. 1–12. This unit reflects
the following chiastic arrangement.
A The inevitability of death, vv. 1–6

B Enjoying life as a response to death’s certainty, vv. 7–10
A1 The unpredictability of death, vv. 11–12
As the above chiastic arrangement illustrates, vv. 7–10 are the core of
the pericope. In addition, these verses, like the other six carpe diem
passages, commend the celebration of life, despite living in a fallen
world. In the previous five passages, Qohelet presents his
recommendation with comparative statements.11 In this text he
strengthens his strategy by using a series of imperatives to urge the
enjoyment of life. Further, this four-verse unit reflects a threefold
structure. Each unit contains one or more imperatives followed by a ki
(“for,” “because”) clause. The verse breakdown looks like this.
V. 7: Three commands (“go,” “eat,” “drink”) + ki clause (“for God…”)
Vv. 8–9: Three commands (“let … be white,” “let not oil,” “enjoy life”) +
ki clause (“because that is…”)
V. 10: One command (“do it”) + ki clause (“for there is no…”)12
This structure provides the framework for my discussion of the text.
V. 7: Enjoying Food and Drink
“Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart,
for God has already approved what you do.”
Looking past the interjectory use of the imperative “go,” Qohelet uses
two commands for eating and drinking. Finding satisfaction in what one
eats and drinks was previously commended in four earlier passages:
2:24, 3:13, 5:18–19 (Heb. vv. 17–18), and 8:15. In this context two
objects are added, namely, “bread,” (lehem), and “wine,” (yayin),. The
Hebrew noun lehem refers to grain used to make bread. Yayin was used
at meals by both laborer (2 Chr 29:10, 15 [Heb. vv. 9, 14]) and governor
(Neh 5:15, 18). Bread and wine are positively used together in other Old
Testament passages. For example, Melchizedek brought both to the
victorious Abram in Genesis 14:18. Jesse sent his son David to Saul with
a donkey carrying bread and a skin of wine (1 Sam 16:2). To appease

David’s wrath against her husband, Abigail sent David bread and skins
of wine in 1 Samuel 25:18.13 In Psalm 104:15 bread and wine are used
to fortify and bring joy to man’s heart. In our immediate text, the
prepositional phrases that qualify the command to eat bread and to
drink wine, “with joy” and “with a merry heart,” reflect the celebratory
nature of both commands.
The ki, “for,” clause provides a basis for the preceding commands. The
verb translated as “approved,” rasah, indicates that God has taken
pleasure in “what you do.” The Lord is the subject of rasah, to “take
pleasure in,” in the Qal stem some 28 times in the OT.14 At times, he
takes pleasure in people (Ps 44:3 [Heb. v. 4]), with Zerubbabel’s Temple
(Hag 1:8), and the deeds of men (Deut 33:11), and, in this text, with
“what you do.” On the surface, this seemingly sounds like God takes
pleasure in anything people may do.15 However, if we interpret v. 7b in
its overall context, that cannot be the meaning.16 To clarify the
contextual meaning of v. 7b, four observations are helpful. First, as with
the other enjoyment-of-life passages, this one has a strong theocentric
perspective, with God as the subject of this clause. Each of the
exhortations commending the celebration of life not only has a focus on
enjoying life but also on God. In 2:24, 3:13, and 8:15 God bestows the
gifts of satisfaction in food, drink, and labor. In 3:22, man’s satisfaction
with his work is a God-ordained allotment in life. In 5:18–20 God
enables man to enjoy his wealth and possessions. While Qohelet, in 11:9,
exhorts young people to enjoy their youth, he balances this exhortation
by the reality that “for all these things God will bring you into
judgment.” In short, God’s sovereignty over this fallen world is not only
a controlling factor in our immediate passage, but also in the other
enjoyment-of-life passages.
Second, the adverb “already” (kevar) qualifies “has approved.” This
adverb, used nine times in Ecclesiastes, reflects that God has previously
approved “what you do.”17 From the specific context of vv. 7–10, this
phrase refers to the divine gifts. Because this passage is similar to 5:18
(Heb. v. 17) with its focus on one enjoying God’s gifts , “already” may
refer to what “God has decreed from the beginning.”18 This is to say,

one is able to enjoy these gifts because God has ordained this
enjoyment.
Third, “you” in “what you do” (ma’aseyka), a second masculine
singular pronominal suffix, agrees with the three previous imperatives
in this verse. The referents of the personal pronoun are those who
savingly fear God, the people of God. In Ecclesiastes, they are more
explicitly referred to as those who are pleasing in his sight (2:26; 7:26),
who fear him (8:12; 12:13), “the righteous,” “the wise,” “the clean,” and
“the good” (9:1, 2). These are the ones who temper their enjoyment of
life with the knowledge that God holds them accountable for their deeds
in his future judgment (11:9). The people of God can judiciously enjoy
life as God has enabled them (5:19 [Heb. 5:18]; 6:2).19
Fourth, “what you do” has been interpreted in two different ways.
Initially, this phrase may be taken as a reference to God’s delight in the
righteous activities of the godly. Because of their righteousness, God
guides them to the enjoyment of his gifts.20 This fits the overall context
of 9:1–10 since the righteous and their deeds were introduced in v. 1. As
mentioned in earlier enjoyment-of-life passages, God grants his gifts to
those who are “good in his sight” with similar statements in 2:24; 3:12;
7:26.21 Another interpretation of “what you do” is that it refers to
God’s will being explicitly located in enjoying his largesse rather than in
whatever we want.22 It is likely that Qohelet’s argument, as Martin
Shields rightly notes, “is that, if life is enjoyable, it is only because God
has allowed it to be so, and if God has so permitted it then presumably
God is favorably disposed toward those who can enjoy life.”23 While
both views make contextual sense of 9:1–10, the latter view fits the
immediate context of v. 7.
If this pericope stopped with v. 7, it would be an exhortation to enjoy the
routine gifts of eating and drinking, like the preceding enjoyment-of-life
passages. However, Qohelet adds some additional gifts in vv. 8–9.
Vv. 8-9: Nice Clothes, Oil, and One’s Wife
“Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your

head.9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain
life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in
life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.”
Qohelet gives three commands in vv. 8–9: “let [your garments] be
white,” “let [not oil] be lacking,” and “enjoy.” While the third command
is an imperative, the first two are jussive forms used as commands.
Each of these commands extols the enjoyment of new elements in
Ecclesiastes: garments being white, no deficiency of oil, and enjoying life
with one’s wife. The first exhorts one to always wear garments that are
“white,” levanim, with this adjective denoting brightness.24 “The white
garments,” according to Delitzsch, “are in contrast to the black robes of
mourning, and thus are an expression of festal joy, of a happy mood.”25
The significance of the adverb “always,” bekol-’eth, is that whenever
possible a believer should wear clothes expressive of a joyful mood.26
The second command focuses on regularly anointing one’s head with oil.
While oil was used in the ancient Near East to fight the injurious
consequences of the scorching heat,27 it was also associated with joy in
Psalm 45:7, as here. The commands in this verse about white clothing
and oil, like other carpe diem passages in Ecclesiastes, presuppose that
Qohelet derives his theology from the early chapters of Genesis.
“Ecclesiastes and Genesis,” as Johnston writes, “exhibit substantial
agreement as to the central point of the creation motif—that life is to be
celebrated as a ‘good’ creation of God.”28
The final command in v. 9a is to enjoy life with one’s beloved wife.
Three aspects of this command require more explanation. To start with,
the antecedent of “he” in the subordinate clause, “he has given you,” is
God, just as he was in the ki clause of v. 7. Again, this asserts a strong
theocentric perspective. In his sovereign control God grants man a
“wife” (Gen 2:24).
Second, “wife,” ’ishshah, could also be translated as “woman.” An
argument supporting this rendering is drawn from “woman” being
anarthrous.29 However, there are verses in the Old Testament where the
anarthrous use of ’ishshah refers to a wife: Genesis 21:21; 24:3; 30:4, 7;

and Leviticus 20:14.30 Because Qohelet’s argument is based on a
theology of creation, this provides solid support for taking this as a
reference to one’s wife. As Bartholomew states, “Once we realize that
the carpe diem vision is rooted in a theology of creation, then the case
for this woman being one’s wife is compelling. Thus v. 9a is a positive
affirmation of marriage that is to be fully enjoyed in all it
dimensions.”31
Finally, the precision of the esv’s translation of hebel as “vain” (“all the
days of your vain life”) requires further examination.32 Some English
versions, such as the kjv, nkjv, rsv, and nrsv, translate hebel in
Ecclesiastes 9:9 the same way as the esv. In distinction from the
translation of “vain,” the niv and nlt render this word as “meaningless.”
And the nasb, cev, net, and hcsb take it as “fleeting,” though each
version adopts a basic meaning for this term as “vanity,” “nonsense” (or
an equivalent), or “futility.”33 In distinction from these English
versions, Ogden and Bartholomew have argued that a core meaning for
hebel in Ecclesiastes, including 9:9, is something along the lines of
“enigmatic” or “mysterious.”34 Though I am not convinced that any
one word in English precisely corresponds to hebel, I concur with the
translation of this term as “enigmatic,” or a similar expression, since in
Ecclesiastes it most closely approximates the required sense of this
Hebrew word in its overall context. This understanding requires
clarification by providing an overview of the Hebrew noun hebel and
then integrating it into my interpretation of its use in 9:9.35
First, hebel’s placement in Ecclesiastes indicates that it is the subject of
this book. After an introduction in 1:1, Qohelet provides a sweeping
generalization in 1:2, “Hebel of hebels, says Qohelet, hebel of hebels, all
is hebel.” Qohelet’s placement of this term at the inception of the book is
where we might expect an author to place his subject. His catchword
hebel is used five times in this verse. That this is the subject is further
confirmed by the fact that Qohelet concludes his work with three uses of
hebel in 12:8, with twenty-nine or thirty other uses.36 The noun hebel is
used in the Hebrew Bible seventy-three times with thirty-seven or
thirty-eight of these occurrences in Ecclesiastes. The literal meaning of

hebel is “vapor, breath.” It also has a metaphorical use denoting what is
“evanescent, unsubstantial, worthless, vanity.”37 Beyond Ecclesiastes
the employment of hebel as a metaphor often denotes something that is
vain or has no value.38
The metaphorical rendering of hebel, however, is not limited to
something having no value. This is illustrated by the Septuagint’s
translation of Ecclesiastes with its rendering of this word as mataiotes,
“emptiness, futility, purposelessness, transitoriness.”39 Since the Greek
term includes the nuance of “transitoriness,” it allows for a broader use
than a strictly pessimistic sense.40 However, the dominance of the
derogatory sense of hebel goes back to Jerome, who translated it with
vanitas, “unsubstantial or illusory quality, emptiness, falsity, and
untruthfulness.”41 Since Jerome’s day the majority of translations have
rendered hebel with “vanity.” Currently, “vanity,” as well as similar
pejorative renderings, is found in many English translations.
However, a few versions, such as nasb, cev, hcsb, and net, use multiple
renderings of hebel, ranging from “vanity” to “futility” as a primary
use, while employing “fleeting” in a few contexts like 9:9. With the
multiple-word approach, “fleeting,” or another equivalent term, has
some appeal. However, the multiple renditions of hebel as found in a few
versions are a problem. More specifically, it is a problem in the contexts
where hebel is defined as part of the “all is hebel” assessment of 1:2 and
12:8. If Qohelet announces in 1:2 and 12:8 that “all is hebel” and then
describes the specifics of the “all” and evaluates these as hebel, then it
must have a common nuance throughout Ecclesiastes.42 This has also
been noted by Fredericks, who has perceptively observed that it is an
error “to see distinct spheres of meaning for the word and to select the
correct one for each context, ending in a multifarious description of
reality that is contrary to a significant purpose for the unifying and
generalizing agenda of Qoheleth—‘everything is breath.’”43
As noted above, I am persuaded that a case can be made for rendering
hebel as “enigmatic” or an equivalent expression. I will briefly present
three arguments that support this understanding. (1) The phrase

“striving after wind,” re’uth ruah, serves as a qualifier of hebel. This is
seen in Ecclesiastes 1:14: “All is vanity and a striving after wind.” The
phrase also occurs in Ecclesiastes 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6; 6:9. “Striving after
wind” could also be rendered as “shepherding the wind.” Either phrase
pictures an attempt to do the impossible: control the wind.44 “A man
may determine or make up his mind,” as H. Carl Shanks maintains, “to
accomplish something eternally significant in a creation subjected to
vanity, yet no matter how hard he tries Qoheleth tells him it will be a
fruitless endeavor. A man in his toil ‘under the sun’ grasps after the
wind and attains precious little for all his labor.”45 In short, this
qualifying phrase lends support for taking hebel as “enigmatic.”
(2) Specific contexts evaluated as hebel also support taking this word as
“enigmatic.” Though other contexts could be added,46 I will make note
of two such scenarios: 3:16–19 and 8:14. In 3:16–19 Qohelet, expecting
to find justice finds wickedness instead: “I saw under the sun that in the
place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of
righteousness, even there was wickedness (3:16).” We should note that
the legal setting is emphasized by parallel nature of “the place of
justice” and “the place of righteousness.” Further, his disappointment
and vexation are expressed by the repetition of “there was wickedness.”
If wickedness is found in the very place that God has set up to execute
justice, evil must pervade all the other places of life in this sin-cursed
world. The repetition of “I said in my heart” at the beginning of v. 17
and v. 18 reflects a twofold response to this vexing situation. First,
Qohelet initially provides an orthodox response in v. 17. Though not in
this life, God will ultimately judge people according to their
righteousness or wickedness.47 Second, he provides a perplexing
response in vv. 18–19. God uses the pervasiveness of evil to demonstrate
to people that they have a common mortality with beasts and will die
just like them. Though eventually all die, this second response often
leaves the issue of injustice unresolved for those living “under the
sun.”48 In v. 19 Qohelet evaluates this frustrating situation as hebel. As
Qohelet states earlier in this chapter, God has given people a sense of
eternity in their hearts, yet they “cannot fathom what God has done

from beginning to end” (3:11). In this context the noun hebel “is the
vehicle,” according to Ogden, “chosen to draw attention to an enigmatic
situation, a theological conundrum.”49 In 8:14 Qohelet describes a
setting where a righteous person receives what the wicked should get;
and the wicked what the righteous should receive. This situation
conflicts with the common understanding of retribution dogma stressing
that righteous people are rewarded for their virtuous lifestyles and the
wicked are judged for their evil lifestyles. Because our author cannot
comprehend this situation, he is vexed and also assesses it as hebel.
Both 3:16–19 and 8:14 have a theocentric perspective. And, each
passage is in a context that also contains a carpe diem text (3:22; 8:15).
As a result, the hebel assessment in each text does not have a strictly
negative sense such as “vanity.” Further, the issues described in both
passages, the pervasiveness of wickedness (3:16–19) and the reversal of
the retribution doctrine, are not temporary. Qohelet, in both contexts,
affirms that God providentially controls all aspects of life with their
appointed times, but recognizes that divine providence is veiled. Since
the righteous and the wicked are under God’s control and his
providence is shrouded, no one can comprehend the activity done
“under the sun” (8:17). These texts provide further support for
interpreting hebel as “enigmatic.”
(3) In Ecclesiastes Qohelet recounts his search for meaning and purpose
in life. His pursuit was to gain insight into life’s meaning. When he
recounts in 1:13 that he applied his heart to explore with wisdom
everything done “under the sun,” he reflects the epistemological nature
of his search. Further, his exploration was not random but a
comprehensive quest that examined all the facets of life occurring
“under the sun,” “under heaven,” or “on earth.”50 A few examples
stress the cognitive dimension of his rigorous quest. He observes
“everything that is done under the sun” (1:14);wisdom and
understanding (1:16); madness and folly (2:12); labor produced by
rivalry (4:4); riches hurting the one who posses them (5:13);injustice in
the halls of justice (3:16); one whom God has not enabled to enjoy his
wealth (6:1–2); and, retribution violating a strict cause and effect

relationship (7:15). These are various aspects of “all is hebel” (1:2;
12:8).
In his search for the meaning of life, Qohelet is also perplexed because
he sees the disparities of divine providence and cannot figure them out.
In addition, because he is unable to comprehend the work of God (3:11;
7:14; 8:17), he often communicates his vexation, adding an emotive
element to his search. As he diligently uses his wisdom to study
everything done under heaven, he states that it was an “unhappy
business” (1:13). When evaluating, in 2:11, what he achieved with the
pleasure-seeking experiment brought him no gain. Qohelet hates life in
2:17 because the work done “under the sun” was a grief to him. In 4:7–8
Qohelet observes how work was unsatisfying when a man has no one to
share it with. He specifically identifies all these scenarios as hebel (1:14;
2:11, 17; 4:7, 8). It is these types of situations that reflect the
incomprehensible nature of life.
With his investigation, Qohelet saw the unresolved tensions of a world
that had been cursed by the Fall and which results in plenty of
suffering. Nevertheless, even in the midst of this kind of world, he could
also commend the enjoyment of life because God in common grace
upheld aspects of his creational design. Qohelet’s tension arises from the
perplexing conflicts between both aspects of creation. As a godly sage,
Qohelet “could affirm,” as Caneday states, “both the aimlessness of life
‘under the sun’ and the enjoyment of life precisely because he believed
in the God who cursed his creation on account of man’s rebellion, but
who was in the process, throughout earth’s history, of redeeming man
and creation.”51 All of this suggests that the use of hebel in Ecclesiastes
relates to the issue of man’s inability to comprehend the activities done
“under the sun.”52
As this relates to Ecclesiastes 9:9, Qohelet’s use of hebel reinforces the
book’s focus on the puzzling nature of life. As such, he exhorts his male
audience to enjoy life with their beloved wives during their perplexing
days on earth.53

The ki, “because,” clause gives a reason for vv. 8–9a. The antecedent of
the subject, “it” (hu’), is the preceding advantages: garments being
white, no deficiency of oil, and enjoying life with one’s wife. The
predicate nominative for the subject is heleq, “portion.” Heleq appears
in the Old Testament sixty-nine times, with eight of its uses in
Ecclesiastes. Outside of this book, heleq may refer to a portion of
plunder (Gen 14:24), an inheritance (Gen 31:14), and a plot of land
(Num 18:20).54 In Ecclesiastes, it is used to describe satisfaction from
the benefits of one’s labor and from the divine gifts (2:10, 21; 3:22; 5:18,
19 [Heb. vv. 17, 18]; 9:9; 11:2). In contrast to 9:6, where the dead no
longer have any “portion,” heleq, in what is done “under the sun,”
heleq, in 9:9, is used in reference to one’s life and labor prior to death:
“in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.” This is to say, Qohelet
contrasts his positive portion in v. 9 with the enigmatic nature of the
lack of a “portion” in death (v. 6).
With Qohelet’s theology being derived from the early chapters of
Genesis he has provided specifics for enjoying life in vv. 7–9, even
though he is fully aware of the difficulties of living in a fallen world.
Based on this theology, he makes a more general appeal in the following
verse.
V. 10: Live Wholeheartedly
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no
work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are
going.”
Unlike the units in v. 7 and vv. 8–9, v. 10 has only one command: “do.”
This command is to accomplish “whatever your hand finds to do.”
Further, this task should be pursued “with your might.” This is to say,
one should wholeheartedly pursue the divinely approved activities of
this life. The phrase “whatever your hand finds to do” might be viewed
as a reference to engaging in anything one desires.55 However, the
context of v. 10 prohibits this type of interpretation, as we saw in v. 7. In
the phrase “whatever your hand finds to do,” the “hand,” yadh, and

“finding,” matsa’, picture someone having the sufficiency or ability to
accomplish something.56 In the context of Ecclesiastes it means that, as
God enables people (6:2), they should pursue the specifics of what is
detailed in the carpe diem passages (eating, drinking, working along
with the benefits from it, and wisdom).57 As the last half of v. 10
implies, one should diligently pursue life with intelligence and wisdom.
Though Qohelet lived in a world that had been cursed by the Fall, and
in which we all experience trials and difficulties, he also could commend
enthusiastic activity because he understood that God was also
preserving an aspect of his creational design. As such, v. 10a does not
imply a cynicism towards life. However, Qohelet has more to say with
the ki clause in v. 10b.
The ki, “for,” clause provides motivation for enthusiastic living: death
will bring life to an end. Four aspects of earthly life are lost at death:
“work,” “thought,” “knowledge,” and “wisdom.” While the living have
capacities to enjoy life, prospects for rewards, and opportunities for
planning, the dead can no longer experience these earthly benefits.
Qohelet was not explaining, in the words of Glenn, “what the state of
the dead is; he was stating what it is not. He did this to emphasize the
lost opportunities of the present life, opportunities for serving God and
enjoying His gifts.”58
Highlighting the state of the dead as a motivation for living
wholeheartedly, we should note that the concept of death in v. 10b is
related to Sheol. According to this verse, Qohelet’s audience was
destined for Sheol, perhaps the underworld. While the esv, along with
the nkjv, nasb, nrsv, and net, transliterates the Hebrew word, other
versions render it as “grave” (so kjv, niv, and nlt). Arguments can be
made to support either translation.59 In either case, Qohelet’s
motivation for celebrating life is clear: death is the terminus for life
“under the sun.”60
Ecclesiastes 9:7–10, then, provide an exhortation to its audience to enjoy
the divine benefits and to affirm a God-centered approach to life.
However, even in an encouraging passage like this, the influence of the

curse is still present with the allusion to death in v. 10b. The state of the
dead links the verse with the larger context of 9:1–12 and has
implications that relate to the whole book. While the author has
previously established in 2:14 and 3:19–20, as well as 9:10b, that the
same fate of death awaits every person, he devotes more space to the
discussion of death in 9:1–6, 11–12. Though a sage cannot know his
future, he knows one truth about his future: the inescapability of death.
When vv. 7–10 are set in their immediate context of 9:1–12, this passage
reflects the contrast between life and death. How does this antithesis
integrate with the book as a whole?
The Antithetical Nature of Ecclesiastes
The tension between life and death is reflective of Qohelet’s overall
dialectical design in Ecclesiastes.61 The author recounts how he lives in
a paradoxical world that was cursed with unsolvable conflicts and
disjointedness, yet he also affirmed that God is renewing creation and
man. Because of this mixed fabric of life “under the sun,” he did not
craft Ecclesiastes with a logical progression of ideas. Rather his literary
masterpiece has a cyclical structure: “The author returns again and
again to the same point and often concludes his discussion with the same
recurring formulae.”62 Qohelet’s cyclical pattern mingles negative and
positive themes to mirror the perplexing nature of life. His modus
operandi is initially to develop a negative subject and then follow it by
another with a celebratory note. Why did he mix the two perspectives?
Ryken explains:
His mingling of negative and positive is realistic and faithful to the
mixed nature of human experience. The technique keeps the reader
alert. It also creates the vigor of plot conflict for this collection of
proverbs, as the writer lets the two viewpoints clash. The dialectical
pattern of opposites is a strategy of highlighting: the glory of a God-
centered life stands out all the more brightly for having been contrasted
to its gloomy opposite.63
With Qohelet’s dialectical approach, the hebel and carpe diem passages

are the dominant polarizing subjects in the book. Other subjects include
the contrast between an enduring cosmos and the temporal nature of
man in 1:4–11, a list of antithetical subjects in 3:1–8, work as an
infuriating enigma in 2:11 but in 2:24 it is something to be enjoyed, and
justice not being found in the halls of justice in 3:16.
What is specifically pertinent in this paper is Qohelet’s struggle with the
antithetical nature of life and death in 9:1–12. From a theological
perspective, this polarizing nature of life was divinely imposed on the
created realm when God judged it with death and destruction. It is this
struggle that impacts 9:1–12. However, the author has more to say about
this issue. For example, he states that the day of death is better than the
day of birth (7:1); however, he also explains that anyone who is living
has hope and that a living dog is better than a dead lion (9:4–6). He
hates life in 2:17, yet recommends its enjoyment in 2:24–26. In addition,
death is no respecter of animate beings. Both man and animals die
(3:18–21). Someone may vigorously work to acquire wealth during his
lifetime, but he will die like the fool. At death he must leave the benefits
from his work, “Just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to
him who toils for the wind” (5:16 [Heb. 5:15]). Like the rest of
humanity, the wise man has no power over the timing of his death (8:2–
8). Returning to 9:7–10, these verses are antithetical to vv. 1–6 and 11–
12. In response to the ever-present nature of death, Qohelet uses a series
of imperatives in vv. 7–10, to make a strong case for celebrating life.
As the book of Ecclesiastes recounts the author’s consuming pursuit to
find meaning and purpose in life, it starts and concludes with “all is
enigmatic” (1:2; 12:8). In Ecclesiastes Qohelet recounts his consuming
pursuit to find meaning and purpose in life, and he begins and
concludes his work with “all is enigmatic” (1:2; 12:8). This search
involved his use of experimentation and empirical observations. But
Qohelet’s interpretation of this data is predicated on his commitment to
Israel’s wisdom tradition. This tradition explains why Ecclesiastes is
permeated with connections to the early chapters of Genesis: creation,
Fall, and redemption. Because of man’s finiteness and depravity, the
sage’s attempt to fully fathom life was marked by one exacerbating turn

after another, each ending at an impasse. Qohelet became fully aware
that he could not grasp God’s work. Yet, as a sage, he embraced his
sovereign God who disperses his gifts according to his own good
pleasure. In brief, Qohelet designed his book to follow a dialectical
pattern showing the many distortions and conflicts in life and the
beauty of a God-centered worldview along with his many gifts.
Therefore, in its immediate context, 9:7–10 provides a glimpse of the
book’s overall message for realistically navigating life in a world marred
by the curse.
Having looked at the antithetical nature of Ecclesiastes and its
connection with 9:7–10, we are in a position to look at this text’s
function in Ecclesiastes.
The Function of 9:7-10 in Ecclesiastes
The function of 9:7–10 and the other enjoyment-of-life passages in
Ecclesiastes are an issue of some debate.64 Is 9:7–10 an emotional
outburst of “wishful thinking,” as Anderson contends?65 Or is this
passage, as well as the other enjoyment-of-life texts, “a concession to
human nature”?66 Both of these questions reflect a pessimistic view of
Ecclesiastes. However, this is not the only way to interpret this text.
What role does this passage have in Ecclesiastes? Three explanations of
it will be evaluated. Before this evaluation, however, I will briefly
summarize the argument of Ecclesiastes.
The subject of Ecclesiastes is found in 1:2 and 12:8: “All is enigmatic.”
This is to say, Qohelet’s message focuses on his inability to comprehend
the significance of the activities in this life. His failure is put on display
in Ecclesiastes with his perplexing search for meaning and purpose in
life. To focus his search, he poses a programmatic question in 1:3:
“What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?”
With this question, his topic is exemplified in the issue of labor. This
question simply frames his subject in terms of the dominion mandate of
Genesis 1 and 2 where God appointed Adam as a vice-regent to subdue
the earth. When Adam disobeyed by eating the fruit from the tree of

knowledge of good and evil, God judged the first couple and the world
over which they presided. With the divinely imposed curse on the land,
man’s labor became strenuous and frustrating (Gen 3:17–19; cf. Eccl
2:22–23). The noun translated as “gain,” yitrôn, is used ten times in
Ecclesiastes67 and refers to gaining an advantage in life.68 As a sage,
Qohelet shows how he evaluated wisdom. For instance, in 2:13 he states
“there is more gain (yitrôn) in wisdom than in folly, as there is more
gain (yitrôn) in light than in darkness.” However, this gain, in 2:14–16,
is relative since both the sage and fool die. Wisdom has some advantage
in this life but it does not provide an answer to the enigmas of life.
With his search Qohelet portrays how life reflects the curse. He saw how
all creation had become twisted by the Fall (Eccl 1:15; 7:13). Yet, in the
midst of a disjointed and inexplicable world, Qohelet, as a godly sage,
could also see how God began a process of bringing blessing to his
creation (see Gen 1:28; 3:15; 9:1, 26–27; 12:2–3). Because he has not
rescinded his creational design, the carpe diem passages affirm God’s
presence and extol his gifts. Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 should also be
integrated with these texts: “The end of the matter; all has been heard.
Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of
man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret
thing, whether good or evil.” While the fear of God and keeping his
commandment are not explicitly linked in other sections of Ecclesiastes
as they are here, both concepts appear in this book. For example,
fearing God has been referenced at other places (3:14; 5:7 [Heb. v. 6];
7:18; 8:12, 13). In addition, true obedience to the Law has also been
mentioned (5:1–7 [Heb. 4:17–5:6]; 8:2; 9:2; 12:1) and building one’s life
on the wisdom outlined in Ecclesiastes.69 Factoring in the positive
passages with the negative ones, the book’s message may be
summarized. In spite of life being filled with unsolvable enigmas and
injustices, “life,” as Glenn states, “should not be abandoned or filled
with despair. Rather, life should be lived in complete trust in God, be
received and enjoyed as a gift from His good hand, and be lived in the
light of His future judgment.”70
Having summarized the book’s argument, a perspective is established to

examine the function of 9:7–10 in Ecclesiastes. Though there are a
number of options, we will look at a representative for three options that
appear in evangelical commentaries.71
The first view is a resignation to the meaninglessness of life. Since 9:1–
12 is dealing with death that has nothing beyond the grave, this implies
that life makes no sense.72 Death’s darkness indicates that life is
pointless. As a result, the pleasures of vv. 7–10 are only a concession to
this darkness. Longman maintains that,
life is full of trouble and then you die. Some interpreters attempt to
mitigate this hard message by appealing to six passages that they
interpret as offering a positive view toward life (2:24–26; 3:13–14; 3:22;
5:17–19 [English 5:18–20]; 8:15; 9:7–10). One must admit, however, that
Qohelet only suggested a limited type of joy in these passages. Only
three areas are specified—eating, drinking, and work. In addition,
Qohelet’s introduction to pleasure was hardly enthusiastic …. In the
commentary section we will argue that here Qohelet expresses
resignation rather than affirmation. Then further, he believed God was
the only one who could allow people to experience enjoyment, a
situation that brought him no ultimate satisfaction …. It is more in
keeping with the book as a whole to understand these passages as they
have been taken through much of the history of interpretation, that is, a
call to seize the day (carpe diem). In the darkness of a life that has no
ultimate meaning, enjoy the temporal pleasures that lighten the
burden.73
As Longman’s states, 9:7–10 is a resignation to the vexing nature of life.
In describing 9:1–10, he maintains that these are “among the most
clearly pessimistic of the entire book, though its thought has already
been encountered … The only recourse for beings is to eke out whatever
enjoyment life offers (vv. 7–10), because there is nothing beyond the
grave.”74
The second view is a celebration of life as a gift from God. According to
this view, Qohelet’s response to the antithetical nature of life and death

is to enjoy God’s gifts. One of the leading proponents of this view,
Ogden summarizes this reading.
It will be argued in this the commentary to follow that although the
hebel-phrase occurs in many concluding statements, these are points at
which the author answers his own programmatic question. They are not
the point at which he offers his advice on how to live in a world plagued
by so many enigmas. That advice comes in the reiterated calls to
enjoyment in 2:24; 3:12, 22; 5:17 (18); 8:15, as well as 9:7–10. We shall
be looking not to a secondary element in the book’s framework, but to
the climactic statement, the call to enjoyment, as that which puts the
thesis of the book. Thus the structure assists in our answering the
question of the book’s thesis. Its thesis, then, is that life under God must
be taken and enjoyed in all its mystery.75)
In contrast to Longman’s view, Ogden maintains that the use of
imperatives in 9:7–10 “gives the enjoyment theme in this case a more
authoritative cast.” He further states, “The pursuit of pleasure, as
Qoheleth defines it, is enjoined for the reason that it is a divine gift.”76
The final view is a celebration of life as the culmination to Ecclesiastes.
Recently, Bartholomew has proposed this interpretation. In his
commentary he attempts to resolve the conflict between the pessimistic
evaluation of the hebel passages and the sanguinity of the celebration-
of-life texts with the positive resolution prevailing in the last part of
Ecclesiastes. Because his view is of recent vintage, it requires a brief
explanation.
Having been influenced by third century BC Greek philosophy,
Qohelet’s hebel conclusions are a result of his autonomous epistemology.
These conclusions are in juxtaposition with the joy passages—a
reflection of Israelite tradition. The deliberate juxtaposition of both
motifs creates gaps for the reader. Ecclesiastes describes Qohelet’s
journey to resolve these gaps. His trip ends when the deliberately
juxtaposed gaps are resolved in 11:8–10 and 12:1–7.77 Through most of
the first eleven chapters in Ecclesiastes, the author’s pattern is to

Laughter is god approved

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Laughter is god approved

Similar to Laughter is god approved (20)

More from GLENN PEASE

More from GLENN PEASE (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Laughter is god approved