The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 11:9 Explained

Ecclesiastes 11:9

KJV: Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

YLT: Rejoice, O young man, in thy childhood, And let thy heart gladden thee in days of thy youth, And walk in the ways of thy heart, And in the sight of thine eyes, And know thou that for all these, Doth God bring thee into judgment.

Darby: Rejoice, young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

ASV: Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Rejoice,  O young man,  in thy youth;  and let thy heart  cheer  thee in the days  of thy youth,  and walk  in the ways  of thine heart,  and in the sight  of thine eyes:  but know  thou, that for all these [things] God  will bring  thee into judgment. 

What does Ecclesiastes 11:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Ecclesiastes 11:1-10 - Live Not For Today Alone
The casting of bread upon the waters is an allusion to the oriental custom of casting rice-grains on the fields, when they lie submerged beneath the annual inundation of such a river as the Nile. To the inexperienced eye, this would seem the prodigality of waste, but the husbandman knows full well that he will meet his seed again with abundant returns. So it is in life, whether we befriend young boys and girls, or distribute tracts, or speak kind and loving words, or invest our money in philanthropic enterprise, we are casting our bread upon the waters to find it after many days in this world or the next.
But how wise the advice not to be always considering the winds and clouds, Ecclesiastes 11:3-4. There is considerable hazard in the life of the farmer. If he waits until all the conditions are favorable, he will never begin. So with our work for God. We must risk something. Often the word spoken at an apparently untoward moment will prove to be the word in season, while that spoken under the most favorable conditions will yield no return at all. God gives it a body as, and when, and how it pleaseth Him. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 11

1  directions for charity
7  death in life and the day of judgment
9  in the days of youth

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 11:9 mean?

Rejoice young man in your youth and let cheer you your heart in the days of your youth and Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes But know that for all these will bring you God into judgment
שְׂמַ֧ח בָּח֣וּר בְּיַלְדוּתֶ֗יךָ וִֽיטִֽיבְךָ֤ לִבְּךָ֙ בִּימֵ֣י בְחוּרוֹתֶ֔ךָ וְהַלֵּךְ֙ בְּדַרְכֵ֣י לִבְּךָ֔ וּבְמַרְאֵ֖י עֵינֶ֑יךָ וְדָ֕ע כִּ֧י עַל־ כָּל־ אֵ֛לֶּה יְבִֽיאֲךָ֥ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט

שְׂמַ֧ח  Rejoice 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׂמַח  
Sense: to rejoice, be glad.
בָּח֣וּר  young  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: youth, young man.
בְּיַלְדוּתֶ֗יךָ  in  your  youth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יַלְדוּת  
Sense: childhood, youth.
וִֽיטִֽיבְךָ֤  and  let  cheer  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad.
לִבְּךָ֙  your  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
בִּימֵ֣י  in  the  days 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
בְחוּרוֹתֶ֔ךָ  of  your  youth 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בְּחוּרֹות  
Sense: youth.
וְהַלֵּךְ֙  and  Walk 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בְּדַרְכֵ֣י  in  the  ways 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common plural construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
לִבְּךָ֔  of  your  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
וּבְמַרְאֵ֖י  and  in  the  sight 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַרְאֶה  
Sense: sight, appearance, vision.
עֵינֶ֑יךָ  of  your  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
וְדָ֕ע  But  know 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
כִּ֧י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אֵ֛לֶּה  these 
Parse: Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
יְבִֽיאֲךָ֥  will  bring  you 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט  into  judgment 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.