Ecclesiastes 9:5 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The living at least know that death is coming, while the dead, viewed from under the sun, know nothing, gain nothing further here, and fade from memory.
What Does Ecclesiastes 9:5 Mean?
The Preacher continues his comparison from the vantage point of life under the sun, where his observation stops at the edge of the grave. The living carry an awareness the dead have lost: they know they will die. The dead, by contrast, take no further part in the business of this world, earn nothing more from it, and slip from human remembrance.
Read within the Preacher's earthbound survey, this is a sober reckoning of what death removes from us here below. It is not the whole of what Scripture says about those who have died, but a call to weigh how short our window of opportunity is. Knowing we shall die is meant to make us wise, sending us to number our days and to lay hold of the life that outlasts the sun.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ecclesiastes 9:5
What does Ecclesiastes 9:5 mean?
The living at least know that death is coming, while the dead, viewed from under the sun, know nothing, gain nothing further here, and fade from memory.