Rejoice, O young man, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment. Rejoice, O young man, in your youthThe word "Rejoice" is a call to embrace joy and delight, particularly in the vigor and vitality of youth. In Hebrew, the root word is "שָׂמַח" (samach), which conveys a sense of gladness and celebration. This phrase encourages young people to find joy in their current stage of life, recognizing it as a gift from God. Historically, youth has been a time of fewer responsibilities and greater freedom, and the scripture acknowledges this as a period to be cherished. and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth
The "heart" in Hebrew thought is not merely the seat of emotions but the center of one's being, encompassing mind, will, and emotions. The phrase suggests allowing one's innermost self to experience joy and contentment. The "days of your youth" implies a temporal nature, reminding the reader that youth is fleeting. This encouragement to let the heart be cheerful is a call to embrace the present with gratitude and joy, understanding that these days are a unique season in life. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes
"Walk" in this context is a metaphor for living or conducting one's life. The Hebrew root "הָלַךְ" (halak) implies a journey or path. "The ways of your heart" suggests following one's desires and inclinations, while "the sight of your eyes" refers to pursuing what one sees and desires. This phrase acknowledges the natural inclination of youth to explore and seek out new experiences. However, it also implies a sense of responsibility in choosing one's path wisely. but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment
The conjunction "but" introduces a contrast, reminding the reader of the divine accountability that accompanies freedom. "Know" is a call to awareness and understanding, emphasizing the certainty of divine judgment. The Hebrew root "יָדַע" (yada) implies an intimate knowledge. "God will bring you to judgment" serves as a sobering reminder that all actions, even those taken in the exuberance of youth, are subject to God's righteous evaluation. This phrase underscores the biblical principle that while God grants freedom, He also holds individuals accountable for their choices. Persons / Places / Events 1. The Young ManRepresents youth and the vigor, enthusiasm, and potential that come with it. The verse addresses the young, encouraging them to enjoy life but with a reminder of accountability. 2. GodThe ultimate judge who will hold everyone accountable for their actions. This highlights the divine oversight over human life and decisions. 3. JudgmentRefers to the divine evaluation of one's actions. It serves as a reminder that while freedom is given, it comes with responsibility. Teaching Points Enjoyment with ResponsibilityYouth is a time for joy and exploration, but it should be balanced with an awareness of God's standards and future accountability. Heart and EyesWhile following one's heart and desires, it is crucial to ensure they align with God's will and righteousness. Divine AccountabilityEvery action and decision will be brought before God. This should inspire a life lived with integrity and purpose. Balance of Freedom and JudgmentThe freedom to choose and enjoy life comes with the responsibility of making choices that honor God. Eternal PerspectiveKeeping an eternal perspective helps in making wise decisions that are pleasing to God and beneficial in the long run. Bible Study Questions 1. How can young people balance the enjoyment of life with the awareness of God's judgment? 2. In what ways can we ensure that our heart's desires align with God's will? 3. How does understanding God's role as a judge influence your daily decisions and actions? 4. What are some practical steps you can take to live with an eternal perspective in mind? 5. How do the principles of sowing and reaping, as mentioned in Galatians 6:7-8, relate to the message in Ecclesiastes 11:9? Connections to Other Scriptures Proverbs 3:5-6Encourages trusting in the Lord and not leaning on one's own understanding, which complements the idea of enjoying life but with a heart aligned to God's will. 2 Corinthians 5:10Speaks about the judgment seat of Christ, where everyone will receive what is due for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad, reinforcing the accountability mentioned in Ecclesiastes 11:9. Galatians 6:7-8Discusses the principle of sowing and reaping, which aligns with the idea that our actions have consequences and will be judged by God. People SolomonPlaces JerusalemTopics Bring, Cheer, Childhood, Desire, Desires, During, Follow, Glad, Gladden, Heart, Impulses, Joy, Judge, Judgment, Manhood, O, Pleasant, Rejoice, Sight, Strength, Walk, Whatever, Yet, YouthDictionary of Bible Themes Ecclesiastes 11:9 1310 God, as judge
5016 heart, fallen and redeemed
5874 happiness
9210 judgment, God's Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 5746 youth Library A New Years Sermon to the Young
'Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.... Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.'--ECCLES. xi. 9; xii. 1. This strange, and in some places perplexing Book of Ecclesiastes, is intended to …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureSowing in the Wind, Reaping under Clouds
"He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap."--Ecclesiastes 11:4. SOW when the time comes, whatever wind blows. Reap when the times comes, whatever clouds are in the sky. There are, however, qualifying proverbs, which must influence our actions. We are not to discard prudence in the choice of the time for our work. "To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." It is well to sow when the weather is propitious. It is wise …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 38: 1892 Of Confession and Self-Examination
Of Confession and Self-examination Self-examination should always precede Confession, and in the nature and manner of it should be conformable to the state of the soul: the business of those that are advanced to the degree of which we now treat, is to lay their whole souls open before God, who will not fail to enlighten them, and enable them to see the peculiar nature of their faults. This examination, however, should be peaceful and tranquil, and we should depend on God for the discovery and knowledge …
Madame Guyon—A Short and Easy Method of Prayer Curiosity a Temptation to Sin.
"Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away."--Proverbs iv. 14, 15. The chief cause of the wickedness which is every where seen in the world, and in which, alas! each of us has more or less his share, is our curiosity to have some fellowship with darkness, some experience of sin, to know what the pleasures of sin are like. I believe it is even thought unmanly by many persons (though they may not like to say …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII 1872-1874. Letter from Rev. A. M. W. Christopher --Letter from Gulf of St. Lawrence-Mrs. Birt's Sheltering Home, Liverpool --Letter to Mrs. Merry --Letter from Canada --Miss
Letter from Rev. A. M. W. Christopher--Letter from Gulf of St. Lawrence-Mrs. Birt's Sheltering Home, Liverpool--Letter to Mrs. Merry--Letter from Canada--Miss Macpherson's return to England-- Letter of cheer for Dr. Barnardo--Removal to Hackney Home. Though human praise is not sought, we cannot but feel peculiar pleasure in giving the following testimony from a servant of the Lord so much revered as the Rev, A. M. W. Christopher of Oxford:-- "Of all the works of Christian benevolence which the great …
Clara M. S. Lowe—God's Answers How the Slothful and the Hasty are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 16.) Differently to be admonished are the slothful and the hasty. For the former are to be persuaded not to lose, by putting it off, the good they have to do; but the latter are to be admonished lest, while they forestall the time of good deeds by inconsiderate haste, they change their meritorious character. To the slothful therefore it is to be intimated, that often, when we will not do at the right time what we can, before long, when we will, we cannot. For the very indolence of …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
(Jerusalem, April 9, a.d. 27.) Subdivision A. Jesus Cleanses the Temple. ^D John II. 13-25. ^d 13 And the passover of the Jews was at hand [We get our information as to the length of our Lord's ministry from John's Gospel. He groups his narrative around six Jewish festivals: 1, He here mentions the first passover; 2, another feast, which we take to have been also a passover (v. 1); 3, another passover (vi. 4); 4, the feast of tabernacles (vii. 2); 5, dedication (x. 22); 6, passover (xi. 55). This …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel How those are to be Admonished who Decline the Office of Preaching Out of Too Great Humility, and those who Seize on it with Precipitate Haste.
(Admonition 26.) Differently to be admonished are those who, though able to preach worthily, are afraid by reason of excessive humility, and those whom imperfection or age forbids to preach, and yet precipitancy impells. For those who, though able to preach with profit, still shrink back through excessive humility are to be admonished to gather from consideration of a lesser matter how faulty they are in a greater one. For, if they were to hide from their indigent neighbours money which they possessed …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
"Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord."--Jeremiah i. 8. The Prophets were ever ungratefully treated by the Israelites, they were resisted, their warnings neglected, their good services forgotten. But there was this difference between the earlier and the later Prophets; the earlier lived and died in honour among their people,--in outward honour; though hated and thwarted by the wicked, they were exalted to high places, and ruled in the congregation. …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII The Wrath of God
What does every sin deserve? God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.' Matt 25: 41. Man having sinned, is like a favourite turned out of the king's favour, and deserves the wrath and curse of God. He deserves God's curse. Gal 3: 10. As when Christ cursed the fig-tree, it withered; so, when God curses any, he withers in his soul. Matt 21: 19. God's curse blasts wherever it comes. He deserves also God's wrath, which is …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments 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 11:9 NIVEcclesiastes 11:9 NLTEcclesiastes 11:9 ESVEcclesiastes 11:9 NASBEcclesiastes 11:9 KJV
Ecclesiastes 11:9 Commentaries
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