the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
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World English Bible
Ecclesiastes 11:8
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Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him be glad in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be vanity.
Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be futility.
If a man lyue many yeres, and be glad in them all, let hym remember the dayes of darknesse whiche shalbe manye, and that foloweth: Al thinges shalbe but vanitie.
but if a man live many years, [and] rejoice in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many: all that cometh is vanity.
But if a man lives many years And rejoices in them all, Yet let him remember the days of darkness, For they will be many. All that is coming is vanity.
But if the man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, and remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that may come is vanity.
You should enjoy every day of your life, no matter how long you live. But remember that you will die, and you will be dead much longer than you were alive. And after you are dead, you cannot do anything.
But if a man liue many yeeres, and reioyce in them all; yet let him remember the dayes of darkenesse, for they shall be many. All that commeth is vanitie.
But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
Yf a man lyue many yeares, and be glad in them all, let him remembre the dayes of darcknesse, which shalbe many: & when they come, all thinges shalbe but vanite.
Yes, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All that is to come will be futility.
Yea, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
But even if a man's life is long and he has joy in all his years, let him keep in mind the dark days, because they will be great in number. Whatever may come is to no purpose.
Yes, if man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.
But if a man shall live many years, [and] rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh [is] vanity.
So, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many—all that is about to come is obscure.
Even if you live to a ripe old age, you should try to enjoy each day, because darkness will come and will last a long time. Nothing makes sense.
For if a person lives many years, let him take joy in them all; yet remembering that there will be many days of darkness, that all to come is futile.
Though a man liue many yeeres, and in them all he reioyce, yet hee shall remember the daies of darkenesse, because they are manie, all that commeth is vanitie.
If a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.
Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; But let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.
For if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all, and remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember there will be many dark days. Everything still to come is meaningless.
If a man should live many years, let him have joy in them all. Yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All that comes is for nothing.
For even if a man should live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.
Yea, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
So if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is futile.
Even those who live many years should rejoice in them all; yet let them remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.
But, though, many years, a man live, through them all, let him rejoice; yet let him remember the days of darkness, for many they may be, all that cometh, may be vanity.
If a man live many years, and have rejoiced in them all, he must remember the darksome time, and the many days: which when they shall come, the things past shall be accused of vanity.
For if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in all of them! Let him remember that the days of the darkness will be many— all that is coming is vanity!
So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.
Indeed, if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be futility.
People ought to enjoy every day of their lives, no matter how long they live. But they should also remember this: You will be dead a long time. Everything that happens then is useless.
Be grateful for every year you live. No matter how long you live, remember that you will be dead much longer. There is nothing at all to look forward to.
Indeed, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, since they will be many. All that comes is futile.
If a man lyueth many yeeris, and is glad in alle these, he owith to haue mynde of derk tyme, and of many daies; and whanne tho schulen come, thingis passid schulen be repreued of vanyte.
For if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.
But, if man liveth many years, In all of them let him rejoice, And remember the days of darkness, For they are many! all that is coming [is] vanity.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
if a man, Ecclesiastes 6:6, Ecclesiastes 8:12
rejoice: Ecclesiastes 3:12, Ecclesiastes 3:13, Ecclesiastes 5:18-20, Ecclesiastes 8:15
yet: Ecclesiastes 7:14, Ecclesiastes 12:1-5, Deuteronomy 32:29, Job 10:22, Job 14:10, Job 15:23, Job 18:18, Jeremiah 13:16, Joel 2:2, Matthew 22:13, John 12:35, Jude 1:18
All that: Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, Ecclesiastes 2:15, Ecclesiastes 2:17, Ecclesiastes 2:19, Ecclesiastes 2:21-23, Ecclesiastes 2:26, Ecclesiastes 4:8, Ecclesiastes 4:16, Ecclesiastes 5:15, Ecclesiastes 5:16, Ecclesiastes 6:11
Reciprocal: Ecclesiastes 1:2 - General Ecclesiastes 12:2 - the sun
Cross-References
To Eber were born two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days was the earth divided. His brother's name was Joktan.
These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations. Of these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.
They said, "Come, let's build us a city, and a tower, whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth."
Therefore the name of it was called Babel, because Yahweh confused the language of all the earth, there. From there, Yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.
Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; Their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, Scatter them in Israel.
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, When he separated the children of men, He set the bounds of the peoples According to the number of the children of Israel.
He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
But if a man live many years,.... Enjoying light and life, and beholding the sun with much delight and pleasure. The days of men on earth, or under the sun, are but few at most; but some live many days, in comparison of others; they come to a good old age, as Abraham did; and to their graves like a shock of corn fully ripe; and arrive to, or beyond, the common term of human life;
[and] rejoice in them all; in and throughout the many years he lives, even all his days; that is, is blessed with a plentiful portion of the good things of life, and enjoys them in a free and comfortable manner, with moderation and thankfulness; partakes of the good of his labour, and rejoices in his works, in the fruit and effects of them, through the blessing of divine Providence; not only is blessed with many days, but those days good ones, days of prosperity: such a man is in a happy case; and especially if he is possessed of spiritual joy, of joy in the Holy Ghost; if he rejoices in Christ, and in what he is to him, and has done for him; and having professed him, and submitted to his ordinances, goes on his way, rejoicing. Some render it, "let him rejoice in them all" w; a good man has reason to rejoice always, throughout the whole course of his life; because of the goodness of divine Providence to him; because of the blessings of grace bestowed on him; and because of his good hope of eternal glory and happiness. The Targum is,
"in all these it becomes him to rejoice, and to study in the law of the Lord;''
yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many; or, "they may be" x; meaning either, that though persons may live long, and enjoy much health and prosperity; yet, in the midst of all, they should consider, that it is possible that days of adversity and distress may come upon them, and continue; and therefore should not please themselves, as Job did, that they shall die in their nest in the height their prosperity, since they know not what days of evil may come, and how long they will last; or, however, they should remember the night of death, that is hastening, the land of darkness, and the shadow of death, they are going to; the dark grave, they will soon be laid in, where they will remain many days; many more than those in which they have lived, enjoying the light of the sun, even till the heavens shall be no more; though these days will not be infinite, they will have an end, and there will be a resurrection from the dead: and particularly if a man is a wicked man, that has lived a long and prosperous life, he should not only remember the above things; but also that outer darkness, that blackness of darkness reserved for him, the darkness of eternal death, which will be his portion for evermore. The Targum is,
"he shall remember the days of the darkness of death, and shall not sin; for many are the days that he shall lie dead in the house of the grave.''
All that cometh [is] vanity; Aben Ezra interprets this of every man that comes into the world, as in Ecclesiastes 1:2; whether high or low, rich or poor, in prosperity or adversity; man, at his best estate, is vanity: let a man therefore be in what circumstances he will, he should not take up his rest here; all that comes to him, everything that befalls him, is vanity. The wise man keeps in view the main thing he proposed, to prove that is vanity, all in this life; for what is to come hereafter, in a future state of happiness, cannot come under this name and character.
w בכלם ישמח "in eis omnibus laetetur", Junius Tremellius, Mercerus, Cocceius, Gejerus. x כי הרבה יהיה "quia multi sint", Amama, so some in Drusius "quod multi futuri sint", Piscator, Gejerus, Rambachius.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The preceding exhortation to a life of labor in the sight of God is now addressed especially to the active and the young; and is enforced by another consideration, namely, the transitory character of all that sustains youth.
Ecclesiastes 11:7
The light ... the sun - Gifts of God which cheer man’s toil, but which he almost ceases to appreciate in his old age.
Ecclesiastes 11:8
Days of darkness - The time of old age, and perhaps any time of sorrow or misfortune. Compare Ecclesiastes 12:2.
All that cometh - i. e., “The future,” which must not be reckoned on by the active man, as if his present state of healthy energy were to continue.
Ecclesiastes 11:9
Rejoice ... cheer ... walk - The imperative mood is used to encourage one who possesses certain gifts from God to remember that they come from God and are to be used in accordance with His will.
In the ways ... - The words are probably used in an innocent sense Ecclesiastes 2:10; Proverbs 16:9.
Judgment - This includes a judgment beyond the grave; though the writer’s view of it was dim and indefinite if compared with Christian’s.
Ecclesiastes 11:10
The sense appears to be, “Let the timely recollection of God’s judgment, and of the fleeting character of youth, so influence your conduct that you will refrain from acts which entail future remorse and pain.”
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Ecclesiastes 11:8. If a man live many years — And even have prosperity through the whole; yet the days of darkness-times of affliction, weakness, and perhaps old age, will be many. If he die not a violent death, which no man can wish, he will die a lingering death; and this is ordinarily attended with many pains, and many sorrows; therefore let him prepare to meet his God; and to carry this thought through life, that all must terminate in death. The writer of Ecclesiasticus, Eccl 7:36, has a good saying, similar to this: "Whatsoever thou takest in hand, remember thy END; and thou shalt never do amiss;" ουκ αμαρτησεις, thou wilt not sin.
