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World English Bible

Ecclesiastes 9:5

For the living know that they will die, but the dead don't know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Dead (People);   Death;   Hades;   The Topic Concordance - Death;   Perishing;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Dead, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Death, Mortality;   Hope;   Sheol;   Spirituality;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Repentance;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Divination;   Ecclesiastes, the Book of;   Games;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Life;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Abyss;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Death;   Decease, in the Old Testament and Apocyphra;   Eschatology of the Old Testament (with Apocryphal and Apocalyptic Writings);   Memorial;   Wisdom;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Death, Views and Customs Concerning;   Immortality of the Soul;   Sheol;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for August 24;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For they that be liuing knowe that they shall dye: but they that be dead knowe nothing, neither deserue they any more, for their memoriall is forgotten.
Darby Translation
For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.
New King James Version
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.
Literal Translation
For the living know that they shall die; but the dead do not know anything; nor do they have any more a reward, for their memory is forgotten.
Easy-to-Read Version
The living know that they will die, but the dead don't know anything. They have no more reward. People will soon forget them.
King James Version (1611)
For the liuing know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither haue they any more a reward, for the memorie of them is forgotten.
King James Version
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for they that be lyuynge, knowe yt they shall dye: but they yt be deed, knowe nothinge, nether deserue they eny more. For their memoriall is forgotte,
Amplified Bible
For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they no longer have a reward [here], for the memory of them is forgotten.
American Standard Version
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Bible in Basic English
The living are conscious that death will come to them, but the dead are not conscious of anything, and they no longer have a reward, because there is no memory of them.
Update Bible Version
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead don't know anything, neither have they a reward anymore; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Webster's Bible Translation
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
New English Translation
For the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything; they have no further reward—and even the memory of them disappears.
Contemporary English Version
We know that we will die, but the dead don't know a thing. Nothing good will happen to them—they are gone and forgotten.
Complete Jewish Bible
For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; there is no longer any reward for them, because all memory of them is lost.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For the liuing knowe that they shall dye, but the dead knowe nothing at all: neither haue they any more a rewarde: for their remembrance is forgotten.
George Lamsa Translation
For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Hebrew Names Version
For the living know that they will die, but the dead don't know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
New Living Translation
The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered.
New Life Bible
For the living know they will die. But the dead know nothing, and they will receive nothing further, for they are forgotten.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For the living will know that they shall die: but the dead know nothing, and there is no longer any reward to them; for their memory is lost.
English Revised Version
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Berean Standard Bible
For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten.
New Revised Standard
The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no more reward, and even the memory of them is lost.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, the living, knew that they should die, - -but, the dead, knew not, anything, neither had they any longer a reward, because forgotten was their memory.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know nothing more, neither have they a reward any more: for the memory of them is forgotten.
Lexham English Bible
For the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything. They no longer have a reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten.
English Standard Version
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.
New American Standard Bible
For the living know that they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor do they have a reward any longer, for their memory is forgotten.
New Century Version
The living know they will die, but the dead know nothing. Dead people have no more reward, and people forget them.
Good News Translation
Yes, the living know they are going to die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward; they are completely forgotten.
Christian Standard Bible®
For the living know that they will die, but the dead don't know anything. There is no longer a reward for them because the memory of them is forgotten.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For thei that lyuen witen that thei schulen die; but deed men knowen no thing more, nether han meede ferthere; for her mynde is youun to foryetyng.
Revised Standard Version
For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward; but the memory of them is lost.
Young's Literal Translation
For the living know that they die, and the dead know not anything, and there is no more to them a reward, for their remembrance hath been forgotten.

Contextual Overview

4 For to him who is joined with 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 don't know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun. 7 Go your way -- eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works. 8 Let your garments be always white, and don't let your head lack oil. 9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity: for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the living: Ecclesiastes 7:2, Job 30:23, Hebrews 9:27

the dead: Job 14:21, Psalms 6:5, Psalms 88:10, Psalms 88:11, Isaiah 63:16

for the: Ecclesiastes 2:16, Ecclesiastes 8:10, Job 7:8-10, Psalms 109:15, Isaiah 26:14

Reciprocal: Genesis 5:5 - and he died Deuteronomy 31:14 - that thou must die 2 Samuel 14:14 - we must Psalms 59:11 - Slay Psalms 88:12 - in the land Psalms 89:48 - What Ecclesiastes 9:10 - for Isaiah 38:11 - General Luke 20:32 - died 1 Corinthians 15:55 - is thy victory

Cross-References

Genesis 9:1
God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
Genesis 9:9
"As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you,
Genesis 9:10
and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every animal of the earth with you. Of all that go out of the ark, even every animal of the earth.
Genesis 9:28
Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood.
Genesis 9:29
All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, then he died.
Exodus 20:13
"You shall not murder.
Exodus 21:12
"One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death,
Leviticus 19:16
You shall not go up and down as a talebearer among your people: neither shall you stand against the blood of your neighbor: I am Yahweh.
Psalms 9:12
For he who avenges blood remembers them. He doesn't forget the cry of the afflicted.
Matthew 23:35
that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For the living know that they shall die,.... Death is certain, it is the demerit of sin, the appointment of God and the time of it is fixed; it may be known that it will be, from the word of God that assures it, from all experience which confirms it, and from the decline of nature, and the seeds of death in men. This "the living" know that live corporeally, even the wicked themselves, though they put the evil day far from them; and so good men, that live spiritually, being quickened by the Spirit and grace of God, and live a life of faith and holiness; they know they shall die, though Christ died for them, and has abolished death, as a punishment and a curse, and took away its sting, and made it a blessing; wherefore it is desirable to them, as being for their good: but there are some things about death they ordinarily know not; they do not know the time of their death; nor the place where they shall die; nor of what death they shall die; nor in what circumstances, both outward and inward: of these the Targum understands the passage;

"for the righteous know that if they sin, they shall be reckoned as dead men in the world to come, therefore they keep their ways, and sin not; but if they sin, they return by repentance;''

but the dead know not anything; this is not to be understood of their separate spirits, and of the things of the other world; for the righteous dead know much, their knowledge is greatly increased; they know, as they are known; they know much of God in Christ, of his perfections, purposes, covenant, grace, and love; they know much of Christ, of his person, offices, and glory, and see him as he is; they know much of the Gospel, and the mysteries of it; and of angels, and the spirits of just men, they now converse with; and of the glories and happiness of the heavenly state; even they know abundantly more than they did in this life: and the wicked dead, in their separate spirits, know there is a God that judgeth; that their souls are immortal; that there is a future state; indeed they know and feel the torments of hell, the worm that never dies, and the fire that is not quenched: but this is to be interpreted of their bodily senses now extinct, and of worldly things they have now nothing to do with; they know not any thing that is done in this world, nor how it fares with their children and friends they have left behind them; see Job 14:21; nor therefore are they to be prayed unto, and used as mediators with God. The Targum is,

"and sinners know not any good, so that they do not make their works good while they live; and they know not any good in the world to come;''

neither have they any more a reward; not but that there will be rewards in a future state, in which everyone shall have his own reward; there will be a reward for the righteous; they will receive the reward of the inheritance, though it will be, not of debt, but of grace; and particularly in the millennium state, Psalms 58:11; and every transgression of the wicked will receive a just recompence of reward; to whom the reward of their hands will be given them, Hebrews 2:2; but the sense is, that after death there will be no enjoyment of a man's labours; he will not have the use, profit, and advantage of them, but his heirs that succeed him, Ecclesiastes 4:9;

for the memory of them is forgotten; not the memory of the righteous with God, for whom a book of remembrance is written, and whose names are written in heaven; these are had in everlasting remembrance, and their memory blessed: but the memory of wicked men; who, though they take pains to perpetuate their names, which they give to their lands, yet the Lord causes their memory to cease, and they are forgotten in the place where they lived; not only among the righteous, as the Targum, but among others, Isaiah 26:14; even among those that enjoy the fruit of their labour; they will scarce think of them any more, or, however, in a little time they will be quite forgotten by them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See Ecclesiastes 8:12, note; Ecclesiastes 8:14, note. The living are conscious that there is a future before them: but the dead are unconscious; they earn nothing, receive nothing, even the memory of them soon disappears; they are no longer excited by the passions which belong to people in this life; their share in its activity has ceased. Solomon here describes what he sees, not what he believes; there is no reference here to the fact or the mode of the existence of the soul in another world, which are matters of faith.

The last clause of Ecclesiastes 9:6 indicates that the writer confines his observations on the dead to their portion in, or relation to, this world.

Ecclesiastes 9:6

Now - Rather: “long ago.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 9:5. The living know that they shall die — This is so self-evident that none can doubt it; and therefore all that have this conviction should prepare for death and eternal blessedness.

But the dead know not any thing — Cut off from life, they know nothing of what passes under the sun. Their day of probation is ended, and therefore they can have no farther reward in living a holy life; nor can they be liable to any farther punishment for crimes in a state of probation, that being ended.


 
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