◄ Ecclesiastes 10:19 ►
Verse  (Click for Chapter)
New International Version
A feast is made for laughter, wine makes life merry, and money is the answer for everything.

New Living Translation
A party gives laughter, wine gives happiness, and money gives everything!

English Standard Version
Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything.

Berean Standard Bible
A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.

King James Bible
A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

New King James Version
A feast is made for laughter, And wine makes merry; But money answers everything.

New American Standard Bible
People prepare a meal for enjoyment, wine makes life joyful, and money is the answer to everything.

NASB 1995
Men prepare a meal for enjoyment, and wine makes life merry, and money is the answer to everything.

NASB 1977
Men prepare a meal for enjoyment, and wine makes life merry, and money is the answer to everything.

Legacy Standard Bible
Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine makes life glad, and money is the answer to everything.

Amplified Bible
The officials make a feast for enjoyment [instead of repairing what is broken], and serve wine to make life merry, and money is the answer to everything.

Christian Standard Bible
A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life happy, and money is the answer for everything.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life happy, and money is the answer for everything.

American Standard Version
A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh glad the life; and money answereth all things.

Contemporary English Version
Eating and drinking make you feel happy, and money can buy everything you need.

English Revised Version
A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh glad the life: and money answereth all things.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A meal is made for laughter, and wine makes life pleasant, but money is the answer for everything.

Good News Translation
Feasting makes you happy and wine cheers you up, but you can't have either without money.

International Standard Version
Festivals are for laughter, wine makes life pleasant, and money speaks to everything.

Majority Standard Bible
A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.

NET Bible
Feasts are made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.

New Heart English Bible
A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the answer for all things.

Webster's Bible Translation
A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

World English Bible
A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the answer for all things.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For mirth they are making a feast, "" And wine makes life joyful, "" And the silver answers with all.

Young's Literal Translation
For mirth they are making a feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth with all.

Smith's Literal Translation
For laughter they make bread, and wine will gladden the living: and silver will answer with all.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For laughter they make bread, and wine that the living may feast: and all things obey money.

Catholic Public Domain Version
While laughing, they make bread and wine, so that the living may feast. And all things are obedient to money.

New American Bible
A feast is made for merriment and wine gives joy to the living, but money answers for everything.

New Revised Standard Version
Feasts are made for laughter; wine gladdens life, and money meets every need.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Bread and wine are made for joy, and oil makes life merry; but money brings one low and causes him to go astray in all things.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
For joy, bread and wine are made, and oil that gladdens life; and money humbles and seduces them in all things
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
A feast is made for laughter, And wine maketh glad the life; And money answereth all things.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Wisdom and Folly
…18Through laziness the roof caves in, and in the hands of the idle, the house leaks. 19A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything. 20Do not curse the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich even in your bedroom, for a bird of the air may carry your words, and a winged creature may report your speech.…
Berean Standard Bible · Download


Cross References
Proverbs 21:17
He who loves pleasure will become poor; the one who loves wine and oil will never be rich.

Proverbs 31:6-7
Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul. / Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

Isaiah 22:13
But look, there is joy and gladness, butchering of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

Luke 12:19
Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Proverbs 23:20-21
Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat. / For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them in rags.

Hosea 4:11
to promiscuity, wine, and new wine, which take away understanding.

1 Corinthians 15:32
If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for human motives, what did I gain? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

James 5:5
You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter.

Proverbs 10:15
The wealth of the rich man is his fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

Proverbs 14:20
The poor man is hated even by his neighbor, but many are those who love the rich.

Proverbs 19:4
Wealth attracts many friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend.

Luke 16:19
Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.

Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.


Treasury of Scripture

A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry: but money answers all things.

feast

Ecclesiastes 2:1,2
I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity…

Ecclesiastes 7:2-6
It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart…

Genesis 43:34
And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

and wine

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.

Psalm 104:15
And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.

Isaiah 24:11
There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.

Ecclesiastes 7:11,12
Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun…

1 Chronicles 21:24
And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.

1 Chronicles 29:2
Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.

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Bread Enjoyment Feast Glad Gladdens Heart Joyful Laughter Makes Maketh Making Meal Merry Mirth Money Prepare Silver Wasted Wine
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Bread Enjoyment Feast Glad Gladdens Heart Joyful Laughter Makes Maketh Making Meal Merry Mirth Money Prepare Silver Wasted Wine
Ecclesiastes 10
1. observations of wisdom and folly
7. death in life
9. and the day of judgment in the days of youth, are to be thought on














Berean Study Bible
A feast is prepared for laughter
The phrase "a feast is prepared for laughter" suggests the intentionality behind gatherings and celebrations. In the Hebrew context, feasts were significant social and religious events, often associated with joy and community. The Hebrew word for "feast" (מִשְׁתֶּה, mishteh) implies a banquet or a drinking party, emphasizing the communal aspect of sharing food and drink. Historically, such feasts were times of joy and laughter, reflecting the blessings and abundance provided by God. The laughter here symbolizes the joy and fellowship that come from communal gatherings, highlighting the importance of relationships and shared experiences in human life.

and wine makes life merry
The phrase "and wine makes life merry" acknowledges the role of wine in enhancing joy and celebration. The Hebrew word for "wine" (יַיִן, yayin) is frequently mentioned in the Bible as a symbol of joy and blessing. Wine was a staple in ancient Near Eastern culture, often used in religious rituals and social gatherings. The phrase suggests that wine, when used appropriately, can bring happiness and enhance the enjoyment of life. It serves as a reminder of the balance between enjoying God's gifts and the potential for excess, as other scriptures caution against drunkenness. The merriment brought by wine is a metaphor for the joy and contentment that can be found in life's simple pleasures.

but money is the answer for everything
The phrase "but money is the answer for everything" presents a pragmatic view of the role of wealth in society. The Hebrew word for "money" (כֶּסֶף, keseph) refers to silver, which was a common medium of exchange in biblical times. This phrase can be interpreted as a commentary on the practical power of money to solve problems and facilitate various aspects of life. While the verse acknowledges the utility of money, it also invites reflection on the limitations and potential pitfalls of relying solely on material wealth. From a conservative Christian perspective, this phrase serves as a caution against the love of money, as warned in other scriptures, emphasizing that while money can address many earthly concerns, it is not the ultimate answer to life's deeper spiritual needs. The verse encourages believers to seek a balance, recognizing the role of money while prioritizing spiritual values and dependence on God.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(19) I look on these verses as isolated proverbs, and believe that the obvious meaning suggested by the English of this verse is the right one. Those who strive to trace a continuity of thought take Ecclesiastes 10:18 as a figurative description of the ruin of an ill-governed land; Ecclesiastes 10:19 as describing the riot of those rulers who make feasts for merriment, and have money freely at their disposal; and (Ecclesiastes 10:20) as a warning to the subjects to beware how, notwithstanding all this mis-government, they venture to rebel.

Pulpit Commentary
Verse 19. - A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry. Here is a cause of the decay spoken of above. The rulers spend in revelry and debauchery the time and energy which they ought to give to affairs of state. More literally, for merriment they make bread, and wine [that] cheereth life; i.e. they use God's good gifts of bread and wine as means of intemperance and thoughtless pleasure. So a psalmist speaks of wine as making glad the heart of man (Psalm 104:15); and Ben-Sira says, "Wine is as good as life to a man, if it be drunk moderately: what life is there to a man that is without wine? for it was created to make men glad. Wine measurably drunk and in season bringeth gladness of the heart, and cheer fullness of the mind" (Ecclus. 31. [34.] 27, 28). But money answereth all things; i.e. grants all that such persons want. It requires money to provide rich food and costly wines; this they possess, and they are thus able to indulge their appetites to the utmost. It concerns them not how such resources are obtained - won by extortion from a starving people, exacted in exorbitant taxation, pillaged by unscrupulous instruments; they want gold to expend on their lusts, and they get it same-how, and with it all that in their view makes life worth living. Commentators alto Horace, ' Ep.,' 1:6.36, "Scilicet uxorem," etc.

"For why - a portioned wife, fair fame, and friends,
Beauty and birth on sovereign Wealth attends.
Blest is her votary throned his bags among?
Persuasion's self sits perched upon his tongue;
Love beams in every feature of his face,
And every gesture beams celestial grace."

(Howes.) Corn. a Lapide appositely quotes -

"...quidquid nummis praesentibus opta,
Et veniet; clausum possidet arca Jovem."

"If thou hast gold, then wish for anything,
And it will surely come; the money-box
Hath in it a most potent deity." Pineda, followed by Metals, suggests that this verse may be taken in a good sense. He would make ver. 18 correspond to ver. 16, characterizing the government of debauchees, and ver. 19 correspond to ver. 17, representing the rule of temperate princes where all is peace and prosperity. But there is nothing grammatical to indicate this arrangement; and the explanation given above is doubtless correct. The Septuagint Version is not faithful in our present text, though it is followed virtually by the Syriac: Αἰς γέλωτα ποιοῦσιν ἄρτον καὶ οϊνον καὶ ἔλαιον τοῦ εὐφρανθῆναι ζῶντας καὶ τοῦ ἀργυρίου ταπεινώσει ἐπακούσεται τὰ πάντα "For gladness they make bread and wine and oil, that the living may rejoice, and to money all things will humble themselves, will obey" (doubly translating the word).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
A feast
לֶ֔חֶם (le·ḥem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

is prepared
עֹשִׂ֣ים (‘ō·śîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

for laughter,
לִשְׂחוֹק֙ (liś·ḥō·wq)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7814: Laughter, derision, sport

and wine
וְיַ֖יִן (wə·ya·yin)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3196: Wine, intoxication

makes life
חַיִּ֑ים (ḥay·yîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

merry,
יְשַׂמַּ֣ח (yə·śam·maḥ)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8055: To brighten up, be, blithe, gleesome

but money
וְהַכֶּ֖סֶף (wə·hak·ke·sep̄)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3701: Silver, money

is the answer
יַעֲנֶ֥ה (ya·‘ă·neh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond

for everything.
הַכֹּֽל׃ (hak·kōl)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 10:19 A feast is made for laughter (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 10:18
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