The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 9:9 Explained

Ecclesiastes 9:9

KJV: Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

YLT: See life with the wife whom thou hast loved, all the days of the life of thy vanity, that He hath given to thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity, for it is thy portion in life, even of thy labour that thou art labouring at under the sun.

Darby: Enjoy life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity; for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherein thou art labouring under the sun.

ASV: Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of thy life of vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all thy days of vanity: for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labor wherein thou laborest under the sun.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Live  joyfully  with the wife  whom thou lovest  all the days  of the life  of thy vanity,  which he hath given  thee under the sun,  all the days  of thy vanity:  for that [is] thy portion  in [this] life,  and in thy labour  which thou takest  under the sun. 

What does Ecclesiastes 9:9 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 9

1  like things happen to good and bad
4  there is a necessity of death unto men
7  Comfort is all their portion in this life
11  God's providence rules over all
13  wisdom is better than strength

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 9:9 mean?

Joyfully Live with the wife whom you love all the days of life your vain 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 the sun
רְאֵ֨ה חַיִּ֜ים עִם־ אִשָּׁ֣ה אֲשֶׁר־ אָהַ֗בְתָּ כָּל־ יְמֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י הֶבְלֶ֔ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָֽתַן־ לְךָ֙ תַּ֣חַת הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י הֶבְלֶ֑ךָ כִּ֣י ה֤וּא חֶלְקְךָ֙ בַּֽחַיִּ֔ים וּבַעֲמָ֣לְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר־ אַתָּ֥ה עָמֵ֖ל הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ

רְאֵ֨ה  Joyfully 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
חַיִּ֜ים  Live 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
אִשָּׁ֣ה  the  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
אֲשֶׁר־  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אָהַ֗בְתָּ  you  love 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
יְמֵי֙  the  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
חַיֵּ֣י  of  life 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
הֶבְלֶ֔ךָ  your  vain 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: הֶבֶל  
Sense: vapour, breath.
נָֽתַן־  He  has  given 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
תַּ֣חַת  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ  the  sun 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: שֶׁמֶשׁ  
Sense: sun.
יְמֵ֣י  your  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הֶבְלֶ֑ךָ  of  vanity 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: הֶבֶל  
Sense: vapour, breath.
ה֤וּא  that  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
חֶלְקְךָ֙  your  portion 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חֵלֶק 
Sense: portion, share, part, territory.
בַּֽחַיִּ֔ים  in  life 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
וּבַעֲמָ֣לְךָ֔  and  in  the  labor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עָמָל  
Sense: .
עָמֵ֖ל  perform 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָמֵל 
Sense: labourer, sufferer, wretched one.
הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ  the  sun 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: שֶׁמֶשׁ  
Sense: sun.