Ecclesiastes 9:8

New King James Version

Let your garments always be white, And let your head lack no oil.

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.

Geneva Bible (1587)
At all times let thy garments be white, and let not oyle be lacking vpon thine head.

Christian Standard Bible®
Let your clothes be white all the time, and never let oil be lacking on your head.

Hebrew Names Version
Let your garments be always white, and don't let your head lack oil.

Darby Translation
Let thy garments be always white, and let not thy head lack oil.

Easy-to-Read Version
Wear nice clothes and make yourself look good.

Amplified Bible
Let your clothes always be white [with purity], and do not let the oil [of gladness] be lacking on your head.

American Standard Version
Let thy garments be always white; and let not thy head lack oil.

Contemporary English Version
Dress up, comb your hair, and look your best.

Complete Jewish Bible
Let your clothing always be white, and never fail to perfume your head.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no oil.

King James Version (1611)
Let thy garments bee alwayes white; and let thy head lacke no oyntment.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Let thy garments be always white; and let not oil be wanting on thine head.

English Revised Version
Let thy garments be always white; and let not thy head lack ointment.

Berean Standard Bible
"Let your garments always be white, and never spare the oil for your head."

Lexham English Bible
Always be clothed in white garments, and never let your head lack oil!

Literal Translation
Let your garments be white at every time; and let your head lack no ointment.

New Century Version
Put on nice clothes and make yourself look good.

New English Translation
Let your clothes always be white, and do not spare precious ointment on your head.

New Living Translation
Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne!

New Life Bible
Let your clothes be white all the time. And let there always be oil on your head.

New Revised Standard
Let your garments always be white; do not let oil be lacking on your head.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Continually, let thy garments be white, - and, ointment upon thy bead, let it not be lacking.

Douay-Rheims Bible
At all times let thy garments be white, and let not oil depart from thy head.

George Lamsa Translation
Let your garments be always white; and let your head lack no ointment.

Good News Translation
Always look happy and cheerful.

New American Standard Bible
See that your clothes are white all the time, and that there is no lack of oil on your head.

King James Version
Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Let thy garmentes be alwayes white, and let thy head lacke no oyntment.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
In ech tyme thi clothis be white, and oile faile not fro thin heed.

Young's Literal Translation
At all times let thy garments be white, and let not perfume be lacking on thy head.

World English Bible
Let your garments be always white, and don't let your head lack oil.

Revised Standard Version
Let your garments be always white; let not oil be lacking on your head.

Update Bible Version
Let your garments always be white; and don't let your head lack oil.

Webster's Bible Translation
Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

Bible in Basic English
Let your clothing be white at all times, and let not your head be without oil.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Let thy garmetes be all waye whyte, & let yi heade want no oyntmet.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head.

Legacy Standard Bible
Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head.

Contextual Overview

⁴ But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. ⁵ For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten. ⁶ Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun. 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.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thy garments: 2 Samuel 19:24, Esther 8:15, Revelation 3:4, Revelation 3:5, Revelation 7:9, Revelation 7:13, Revelation 7:14, Revelation 16:15, Revelation 19:8, Revelation 19:14

let thy head: Ruth 3:3, 2 Samuel 14:2, Daniel 10:3, Amos 6:6, Matthew 6:17, Luke 7:46

Reciprocal: Genesis 5:5 - and he died 2 Samuel 12:20 - anointed Isaiah 61:3 - the oil Matthew 26:7 - very Luke 7:38 - and anointed

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Let thy garments be always white,.... That is, neat and clean, not vile and sordid; what is comely and decent, and suitable to a man's circumstances; this colour is particularly mentioned because much used in the eastern countries, and in Judea; hence we so often read of washing garments, and of fullers that whitened them; and especially on festival days and days of rejoicing, to which Horace a refers; and here it signifies that every day should be like a festival or day of rejoicing to a good man, to whom God has given the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, Isaiah 61:3; and though there may be times for mourning, and so of putting on other apparel, yet, in common and ordinarily, this should be the habit, decent and comely apparel. The ancient Jews in Aben Ezra, and so Jarchi, interpret it of an unblemished conversation; and Kimchi b of repentance and good works; and so the Targum,

"let thy garments be white (or washed) from all filth of sin;''

or be without any spot of sin, as Alshech; the conversation garments of the saints are made white in the blood of Christ, and his righteousness is fine linen, and white; and even eternal glory and happiness is signified by walking with him in white, Revelation 7:14;

and let thy head lack no ointment: which used to be poured plentifully on the heads of guests at feasts c, for the refreshment of them, which gave pleasure, and a sweet odour and fragrancy, and was much in use in those hot countries; see Psalms 23:5; and is opposed to a gloomy and melancholy carriage and deportment, Matthew 6:17; hence we read of the oil of joy and gladness, Psalms 45:7. The Jews before mentioned interpreted this of a good name better than ointment, Ecclesiastes 7:1. So the Targum,

"and a good name, which is like to anointing oil, get; that blessings may come upon thy head, and thy goodness fail not.''

a "Ille repotia natales aliosque dierum, festos albatus celebret". Satyr. l. 2. Sat. 2. v. 60, 61. "Cum ipse epuli Dominus albatus esset", Cicero in Vatin. c. 13. b Comment. in lsa. lxv. 13. c "Coronatus nitentes malabathro Syrio capillos", Horat. Carmin. l. 2. Ode 7. v. 7, 8. "et paulo post: funde capacibus unguenta de conchis", v. 22, 23. "Unguentum (fateor) bonum dedisti convivis", Martial. l. 3. Epigr. 11.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Read these six verses connectedly, in order to arrive at the meaning of the writer; and compare Ecclesiastes 2:1-12.

After the description Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 of the portionless condition of the dead, the next thought which occurs is that the man who is prosperous and active should simply enjoy his portion all through this life Ecclesiastes 9:7-10; and then Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 follows the correcting thought (see Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 note), introduced as usual Ecclesiastes 2:12; Ecclesiastes 4:1, Ecclesiastes 4:7 by “I returned,” namely, that the course of events is disposed and regulated by another will than that of man.

The person addressed is one whose life of labor is already pleasing to God, and who bears visible tokens of God’s favor.

Ecclesiastes 9:7

Now accepteth - Rather: “already has pleasure in.” Joy (the marginal reference note) is regarded as a sign of the approbation and favor of God.

Ecclesiastes 9:8

White garments and perfume are simply an expressive sign of joy.

Ecclesiastes 9:10

The works which we carry on here with the combined energies of body and soul come to an end in the hour of death, when the soul enters a new sphere of existence, and body and soul cease to act together. Compare John 9:4.

Device - See Ecclesiastes 7:25 note.

Ecclesiastes 9:11

Chance - Or, “incident,” that which comes to us from without, one of the external events described in Ecclesiastes 3:0. Compare Ecclesiastes 2:14 note.

Ecclesiastes 9:12

Time - See Ecclesiastes 3:1 ff.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 9:8. Let thy garments be always white — The Jews wore white garments on festal occasions, as emblems of joy and innocence. Be always pure, and always happy. The inhabitants of India are all dressed in clean white cotton, and to this is the allusion in the text.

The Targum says: "At all times let thy garments be washed and pure from the stain of sin. Acquire a good name, which is likened to the oil of anointing, that blessings may be called down up thy head, and goodness not forsake thee."