Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
Whatever your hand finds to do
This phrase emphasizes the importance of engaging in the tasks and responsibilities that are immediately before us. The Hebrew word for "hand" (יָד, yad) often symbolizes power, capability, and action. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the hand was seen as the primary tool for work and creation. This phrase encourages believers to recognize the opportunities and duties that God places in their path and to approach them with diligence and purpose.

do it with all your might
The call to do something "with all your might" underscores the biblical principle of wholeheartedness. The Hebrew word for "might" (כֹּחַ, koach) conveys strength, vigor, and capacity. This exhortation aligns with the broader scriptural theme of serving God and others with full commitment and energy. It reflects the idea that our earthly endeavors should be pursued with the same fervor and dedication as our spiritual pursuits, as both are acts of worship and obedience to God.

for in Sheol, where you are going
"Sheol" is a Hebrew term that refers to the realm of the dead, a place of silence and inactivity. In the ancient Hebrew worldview, Sheol was not necessarily a place of punishment but rather a shadowy existence where the dead reside. This phrase serves as a sobering reminder of the temporality of life and the inevitability of death. It calls believers to make the most of their earthly lives, knowing that their time to act and make a difference is limited.

there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom
This list of activities—work, planning, knowledge, and wisdom—represents the full spectrum of human endeavor and intellectual pursuit. The absence of these in Sheol highlights the cessation of earthly activities after death. The Hebrew words used here emphasize the futility of earthly pursuits once life has ended. This serves as a motivation for believers to engage fully in their God-given tasks while they have the opportunity, as these pursuits are part of God's design for human life and stewardship.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Solomon
Traditionally considered the author of Ecclesiastes, Solomon was the son of King David and known for his wisdom. He reflects on the meaning of life and the pursuit of purpose.

2. Sheol
In Hebrew thought, Sheol is the realm of the dead, a place of darkness and inactivity. It represents the finality of death and the cessation of earthly endeavors.

3. The Preacher (Qoheleth)
The voice in Ecclesiastes, often identified with Solomon, who explores the complexities and vanities of life under the sun.
Teaching Points
The Urgency of Action
Life is fleeting, and opportunities are limited. We are called to seize the moment and engage in our tasks with vigor and dedication.

The Value of Diligence
God honors hard work and diligence. Our efforts should reflect our commitment to Him, knowing that our earthly work is a form of worship.

The Reality of Mortality
Awareness of our mortality should motivate us to live purposefully. We should focus on what truly matters, knowing that our time is finite.

The Importance of Intentional Living
We are encouraged to live intentionally, making the most of our God-given talents and opportunities, as there will be no chance to do so after death.

The Call to Excellence
Whatever we do, we should strive for excellence, reflecting God's character in our work and interactions.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of Sheol in Ecclesiastes 9:10 influence your understanding of life and death?

2. In what ways can you apply the principle of doing everything with all your might in your daily life and work?

3. How does the urgency of action in Ecclesiastes 9:10 compare to the teachings in James 4:14 about the brevity of life?

4. Reflect on a time when you felt you were working for the Lord rather than for men. How did that perspective change your approach to the task?

5. How can the call to excellence in Ecclesiastes 9:10 inspire you to use your talents and opportunities for God's glory?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Colossians 3:23
This verse encourages believers to work heartily as for the Lord, not for men, echoing the call to diligence and wholehearted effort found in Ecclesiastes 9:10.

Proverbs 10:4
This proverb highlights the value of diligent work, contrasting it with laziness, and aligns with the exhortation to do whatever your hand finds to do with all your might.

James 4:14
James speaks of the brevity of life, reminding believers of the urgency to live purposefully, similar to the urgency implied in Ecclesiastes 9:10.
A Home Mission SermonEcclesiastes 9:10
A Home Mission SermonCharles Haddon Spurgeon Ecclesiastes 9:10
An Earnest LifeG. B. F. Halleck.Ecclesiastes 9:10
DiligenceD. Thomas Ecclesiastes 9:10
Diligence in Our Spiritual ConcernsJ. Balguy.Ecclesiastes 9:10
Do Thy BestEcclesiastes 9:10
EarnestnessT. De Witt Talmage.Ecclesiastes 9:10
Entire Devotion to DutyN. Emmons, D. D.Ecclesiastes 9:10
Impulse, Will, and HabitH. W. Beecher.Ecclesiastes 9:10
IndustryIsaac Barrow, D. D.Ecclesiastes 9:10
IndustryH. Melvill, B. D.Ecclesiastes 9:10
Life the Season for ActionJ. F. Pridgeon.Ecclesiastes 9:10
Life's DutyD. Davies.Ecclesiastes 9:10
Much Work to be Done on Earth, and Short Time to Do ItJames Henderson, D. D.Ecclesiastes 9:10
Of Industry in GeneralIsaac Barrow, D. D.Ecclesiastes 9:10
On Diligence in Our General and Particular CallingJ. Tillotson, D. D.Ecclesiastes 9:10
The Day of OpportunityW. Clarkson Ecclesiastes 9:10
The Duty of Diligence and Earnestness in ReligionThe EvangelistEcclesiastes 9:10
The Gospel of Hard WorkJohn McNeill.Ecclesiastes 9:10
The Improvement of Present TimeJ. Guyse, D. D.Ecclesiastes 9:10
The Labour of LifeHomilistEcclesiastes 9:10
The Lapse of TimeJohn Henry NewmanEcclesiastes 9:10
The Lesson of DiligenceR. Newton, D. D.Ecclesiastes 9:10
The SpurEcclesiastes 9:10
The True Idea of LifeW. G. Barrett.Ecclesiastes 9:10
With Your MightW. R. Nicoll, LL. D.Ecclesiastes 9:10
Enjoyment of the PresentJ. Willcock Ecclesiastes 9:7-10
The Powerlessness of ManD. Thomas Ecclesiastes 9:10, 11
People
Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Activity, Attaineth, Dead, Device, Findeth, Finds, Goest, Grave, Planning, Power, Sheol, Strength, Whatever, Whatsoever, Whither, Wisdom, Working
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ecclesiastes 9:10

     5288   dead, the
     5523   servants, good
     5629   work, ordained by God
     5635   work, and redemption
     5816   consciousness
     5917   plans
     9021   death, natural
     9023   death, unbelievers
     9040   grave, the
     9540   Sheol

Ecclesiastes 9:3-10

     8779   materialism, nature of

Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

     5386   leisure, nature of

Library
The Lapse of Time.
"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest."--Eccles. ix. 10. Solomon's advice that we should do whatever our hand findeth to do with our might, naturally directs our thoughts to that great work in which all others are included, which will outlive all other works, and for which alone we really are placed here below--the salvation of our souls. And the consideration of this great work,
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

A Home Mission Sermon
"What a dear Saviour we have found," and heralding the coming of our Master. We are here as the salt to preserve a world, which else would become putrid and destroyed. We are here as the very pillars of this world's happiness: for when God shall take away his saints, the universal moral fabric "shall tumble to its fall; and great shall be the crash, when the righteous shall be removed, and the foundations shall be shaken. Taking it therefore as granted that the people of God are here to do something
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859

Three Youths Save Constantinople
Now there was found in that city a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no one remembered that same poor man. Eccl. ix. 15. After these events it really seems as if Gaïnas, to use a modern expression, had completely lost his head, or, to give the view of it taken by himself and his contemporaries, as if a demon had begun to trouble him; for his conduct became aimless and uncertain. Discontent, revenge, ambition, and evil counsels destroyed in him all capacity for wise
Frederic William Farrar—Gathering Clouds: A Tale of the Days of St. Chrysostom

Annunciation to Joseph of the Birth of Jesus.
(at Nazareth, b.c. 5.) ^A Matt. I. 18-25. ^a 18 Now the birth [The birth of Jesus is to handled with reverential awe. We are not to probe into its mysteries with presumptuous curiosity. The birth of common persons is mysterious enough (Eccl. ix. 5; Ps. cxxxix. 13-16), and we do not well, therefore, if we seek to be wise above what is written as to the birth of the Son of God] of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed [The Jews were usually betrothed ten or twelve months
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Moral Depravity.
In discussing the subject of human depravity, I shall,-- I. Define the term depravity. The word is derived from the Latin de and pravus. Pravus means "crooked." De is intensive. Depravatus literally and primarily means "very crooked," not in the sense of original or constitutional crookedness, but in the sense of having become crooked. The term does not imply original mal-conformation, but lapsed, fallen, departed from right or straight. It always implies deterioration, or fall from a former state
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

Epistle cxxvii. From S. Columbanus to Pope Gregory .
From S. Columbanus to Pope Gregory [89] . To the holy lord, and father in Christ, the Roman [pope], most fair ornament of the Church, a certain most august flower, as it were, of the whole of withering Europe, distinguished speculator, as enjoying a divine contemplation of purity (?) [90] . I, Bargoma [91] , poor dove in Christ, send greeting. Grace to thee and peace from God the Father [and] our [Lord] Jesus Christ. I am pleased to think, O holy pope, that it will seem to thee nothing extravagant
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Relation v. Observations on Certain Points of Spirituality.
1. "What is it that distresses thee, little sinner? Am I not thy God? Dost thou not see how ill I am treated here? If thou lovest Me, why art thou not sorry for Me? Daughter, light is very different from darkness. I am faithful; no one will be lost without knowing it. He must be deceiving himself who relies on spiritual sweetnesses; the true safety lies in the witness of a good conscience. [1] But let no one think that of himself he can abide in the light, any more than he can hinder the natural
Teresa of Avila—The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus

Epistle xxxiv. To Venantius, Ex-Monk, Patrician of Syracuse .
To Venantius, Ex-Monk, Patrician of Syracuse [1331] . Gregory to Venantius, &c. Many foolish men have supposed that, if I were advanced to the rank of the episcopate, I should decline to address thee, or to keep up communication with thee by letter. But this is not so; since I am compelled by the very necessity of my position not to hold my peace. For it is written, Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet (Isai. lviii. 1). And again it is written, I have given thee for a watchman
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Jewish views on Trade, Tradesmen, and Trades' Guilds
We read in the Mishnah (Kidd. iv. 14) as follows: "Rabbi Meir said: Let a man always teach his son a cleanly and a light trade; and let him pray to Him whose are wealth and riches; for there is no trade which has not both poverty and riches, and neither does poverty come from the trade nor yet riches, but everything according to one's deserving (merit). Rabbi Simeon, the son of Eleazer, said: Hast thou all thy life long seen a beast or a bird which has a trade? Still they are nourished, and that
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Thoughts Upon Worldly-Riches. Sect. Ii.
TIMOTHY after his Conversion to the Christian Faith, being found to be a Man of great Parts, Learning, and Piety, and so every way qualified for the work of the Ministry, St. Paul who had planted a Church at Ephesus the Metropolis or chief City of all Asia, left him to dress and propagate it, after his departure from it, giving him Power to ordain Elders or Priests, and to visit and exercise Jurisdiction over them, to see they did not teach false Doctrines, 1 Tim. i. 3. That they be unblameable in
William Beveridge—Private Thoughts Upon a Christian Life

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
or, Gospel Light Fetched out of the Temple at Jerusalem, to Let us More Easily into the Glory of New Testament Truths. 'Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Isreal;--shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out hereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof.'--Ezekiel 43:10, 11 London: Printed for, and sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgate,
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

"But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God," &C.
Matth. vi. 33.--"But seek ye first the kingdom of God," &c. II. The Christian's chief employment should be to seek the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof. "Seek first," &c. Upon this he should first and chiefly spend his thoughts, and affections, and pains. We comprehend it in three things. First, He should seek to be clothed upon with Christ's righteousness, and this ought to take up all his spirit. This is the first care and the chief concern. Did not this righteousness weigh much
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Life and Death of Mr. Badman,
Presented to the World in a Familiar Dialogue Between Mr. Wiseman and Mr. Attentive. By John Bunyan ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. The life of Badman is a very interesting description, a true and lively portraiture, of the demoralized classes of the trading community in the reign of King Charles II; a subject which naturally led the author to use expressions familiar among such persons, but which are now either obsolete or considered as vulgar. In fact it is the only work proceeding from the prolific
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Second Great Group of Parables.
(Probably in Peræa.) Subdivision D. Parable of the Lost Son. ^C Luke XV. 11-32. ^c 11 And he said, A certain man had two sons [These two sons represent the professedly religious (the elder) and the openly irreligious (the younger). They have special reference to the two parties found in the first two verses of this chapter --the Pharisees, the publicans and sinners]: 12 and the younger of them [the more childish and easily deceived] said to his father, Father, give me the portion of thy substance
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Original Sin
Q-16: DID ALL MANKIND FALL IN ADAM'S FIRST TRANSGRESSION? A: The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him, by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 'By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin,' &c. Rom 5:12. Adam being a representative person, while he stood, we stood; when he fell, we fell, We sinned in Adam; so it is in the text, In whom all have sinned.' Adam was the head
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Jesus' Feet Anointed in the House of a Pharisee.
(Galilee.) ^C Luke VII. 36-50. ^c 36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. [We learn from verse 40 that the Pharisee's name was Simon. Because the feast at Bethany was given in the house of Simon the leper, and because Jesus was anointed there also, some have been led to think that Luke is here describing this supper. See Matt. xxvi. 6-13; Mark xiv. 3-9; John xii. 1-8. But Simon the leper was not Simon the Pharisee. The name Simon was one of the most common among the Jewish
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Ecclesiastes
It is not surprising that the book of Ecclesiastes had a struggle to maintain its place in the canon, and it was probably only its reputed Solomonic authorship and the last two verses of the book that permanently secured its position at the synod of Jamnia in 90 A.D. The Jewish scholars of the first century A.D. were struck by the manner in which it contradicted itself: e.g., "I praised the dead more than the living," iv. 2, "A living dog is better than a dead lion," ix. 4; but they were still more
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Ecclesiastes 9:10 NIV
Ecclesiastes 9:10 NLT
Ecclesiastes 9:10 ESV
Ecclesiastes 9:10 NASB
Ecclesiastes 9:10 KJV

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Ecclesiastes 9:9
Top of Page
Top of Page