Bible Strands

Ecclesiastes 9:10

Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Qohelet addresses a general "you" within a sequence (9:7–10) that moves from enjoying food and drink with one's wife to the work of one's hands, all under the premise that death is coming.

The words — כֹּח (kōaḥ) means raw strength or might; it is the word for physical power, not merely diligence, and it appears as the object of the preposition בְּ ("with"), making the command "do it with your strength."

The thread — Colossians 3:23 mirrors the structure ("whatever you do… with your whole being") but redirects the object of service from the self to the Lord; Ephesians 5:16 and Romans 12:11 supply the urgency that Ecclesiastes grounds in death rather than in evil days or spiritual fervor.

Why it lands — The verse does not promise that effort is rewarded; it says that death removes the possibility of later effort, planning, or knowledge, so the only window for action is the one you are in now.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

כֹּ֠לkolallאֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherthatתִּמְצָ֧אtim.Tza'it findsיָֽדְךָ֛ya.de./Khahand/ yourלַעֲשׂ֥וֹתla./'a.Sotto/ doבְּכֹחֲךָ֖be./kho.cha./Khawith/ strength/ yourעֲשֵׂ֑ה'a.Sehdoכִּי֩kiforאֵ֨ין'einthere notמַעֲשֶׂ֤הma.'a.Seh[is] workוְחֶשְׁבּוֹן֙ve./chesh.bOnand/ explanationוְדַ֣עַתve./Da.'atand/ knowledgeוְחָכְמָ֔הve./cha.khe.Mahand/ wisdomבִּשְׁא֕וֹלbi/sh.'olin/ Sheolאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwhereאַתָּ֖ה'a.Tahyouהֹלֵ֥ךְho.Lekh[are] goingשָֽׁמָּה׃ סSha.ma/hthere/ towards

King James Version

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Cross-references