Ecclesiastes 9 Commentary
Please choose a passage:
Ecclesiastes 9:1-2
We all share a common destiny—death. All we do in life is in God's hands.
Ecclesiastes 9:3-6
We have a choice to either lament (or deny) death, or to take its inevitability as motivation to make the most of today.
Ecclesiastes 9:7-10
Life on this earth is a once-in-an-existence opportunity. If we accept this reality and live with wisdom (founded in faith), we can enjoy life as God intended.
Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
Unexpected and unpredictable circumstances are a part of life and often interrupt the predictable flow of events.
Ecclesiastes 9:13-16
Wisdom is of the utmost value but does not produce the unerring approval of man. Nor can it control circumstances.
Ecclesiastes 9:17-18
Trying to control others through shouting and coercion is destructive while quiet words of wisdom are more powerful than weapons of war.
Additional Resources
One of the most fascinating books of Scripture, Ecclesiastes sets out on a difficult but foundational task—reconciling the human longing to discover and understand, to find meaning and purpose, with the practical realities of being a finite creature in a world created by an infinite being. What is discovered is that human reason and experience is inadequate to find purpose. If we rely solely on human reason and experience, we only find futility and madness. However, if we begin with faith, we can effectively use our human faculties to realize wisdom and fulfillment.
Ecclesiastes predicts the failure of human philosophy to discover purpose apart from faith, while offering a viable philosophical solution: to begin with faith.
The author, Qoholeth in Hebrew, or “Assembler,” is trying to make sense of life “under the sun.” It is widely believed “Qoholeth” is King Solomon, renowned for his wisdom. His goal is to synthesize philosophy with the practical world around him.
Solomon invites us on a great journey of discovery. If anyone could use reason to discover meaning through life experiences, it would be Solomon. Solomon’s great wealth meant he could use all his time toward his investigations. His unsurpassed wisdom allowed him the faculties to design a vast array of activities, as well as assess their results, and determine their meaning.
Solomon’s conclusion is dark but real: neither meaning nor purpose can be discerned through human reason and experience. As the rivers flow endlessly to the sea, so one life flows to the next. Without a foundation of faith, life has no meaning.
Solomon shares with us his experiments to find meaning through reason and experience. He tries achievement and engages in vast building projects. He tries every sort of pleasure and entertainment, spanning the full spectrum of wine, women, and song. He leaves no stone unturned, but finds nothing but futility. Solomon’s experience is summarized in one word: “hebel.” Hebel is Hebrew for “vaporous.” A fog, a mist. Something that is there but can’t be grasped. You see it for a moment, then it is gone. Such is a philosophy of life founded upon human reason and experience.
Ecclesiastes tackles the kinds of things we think about but do not often say. And likely do not wrestle with to the extent Solomon does. Utilizing a mix of imagery and direct description, the Book of Ecclesiastes is an honest attempt to reconcile life on this Earth with the mysteries of Heaven.
Ecclesiastes’s refusal to pull any punches has caused many to describe it as negative and depressing. But the truths discovered in this book are real. Reality might be an acquired taste, but Solomon urges us to see reality for what it is.
When Solomon sees reality firsthand, it causes him to turn to God, and find fulfillment. Life can be confusing and complicated. It can seem like we are living in a fog. We cannot gain clarity through our own efforts and experiences. But clarity can come if our starting place is faith in God. Solomon concludes with an exhortation that life’s fulfillment is found in following God’s ways, for it is He who will determine the meaning of all deeds in His final judgement.
The patient, teachable reader will discover truth, hope, and challenge within these chapters. In the end, it is a strange joy only found through full consideration of the mysteries of God.
Chapter 9 explores further the (seemingly) harsh reality of death. It is proof of our fallibility and the great equalizer for all human circumstances.
Death is a limitation that brings intensity to life. Brevity makes life a unique opportunity to walk and grow by faith– something that is not possible in the life to come.
Throughout its verses, Chapter 9 toggles between the reality of life’s limits and the truth of its possibilities. It recognizes the power of wisdom to do good, while acknowledging that wisdom often goes without honor in this life. Life inevitably heads to a certain and final conclusion in death, while making unpredictable twists and turns along the way. It is a beautiful, convicting, and inspiring treatment of what it means to be human.
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