The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 9:5 Explained

Ecclesiastes 9:5

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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.

Darby: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Ecclesiastes 9:5 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 9:5 mean?

For the living know that they will die but the dead not nothing and no more they have reward is forgotten the memory of them
כִּ֧י הַֽחַיִּ֛ים יוֹדְעִ֖ים שֶׁיָּמֻ֑תוּ וְהַמֵּתִ֞ים אֵינָ֧ם מְא֗וּמָה וְאֵֽין־ ע֤וֹד לָהֶם֙ שָׂכָ֔ר נִשְׁכַּ֖ח זִכְרָֽם

הַֽחַיִּ֛ים  the  living 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
יוֹדְעִ֖ים  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
שֶׁיָּמֻ֑תוּ  that  they  will  die 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וְהַמֵּתִ֞ים  but  the  dead 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
מְא֗וּמָה  nothing 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְאוּמָה  
Sense: anything.
וְאֵֽין־  and  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
ע֤וֹד  more 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
לָהֶם֙  they  have 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
שָׂכָ֔ר  reward 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂכָר  
Sense: hire, wages.
נִשְׁכַּ֖ח  is  forgotten 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּשַׁח 
Sense: to forget, ignore, wither.
זִכְרָֽם  the  memory  of  them 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: זֵכֶר 
Sense: memorial, remembrance.