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Written by Paul J Bucknell on July, 12, 2024

Ecclesiastes 11:9 Interpretation With Caution

“Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things” (Ecc 11:9, NASB).

Solomon’s concluding remarks for this section might shock you: “Follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes.” How worldly sounding! What is he advising, and how should we live and teach God’s Word?

Another verse brings us to a similar point of moral perplexity. “Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself” (Ecc 7:16)? These verses in Ecclesiastes challenge our biblical understanding.

How can God’s word, such as this Book of Ecclesiastes, give us unbiblical advice?
How can he suggest that anyone should not live fully righteous lives?

The Interpretative Process

After studying verse 11:9, we will use one important hermeneutical (i.e., interpretative) approach to clarify Solomon’s meaning. We will observe how the passage’s three contexts help us understand this difficult verse correctly.

The Bible context - evaluating its message with the Bible.
The book context - evaluation of its meaning within the Bible book’s scheme and goals.
The section context - evaluate its message by its narrow context.
The redemptive context - evaluate its importance in light of Jesus the Messiah and redemption. Observe how this is worked out more clearly in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

This process greatly aids us in rightly interpreting the difficult passages in the Bible and throughout Ecclesiastes. Let’s first examine the verse more clearly.

The Difficult Verse: Ecclesiastes 11:9

Solomon advises the young man to do four things in Ecclesiastes 11:9.

Rejoice, young man, during your childhood.
Let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood.
Follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes.
Know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.

Lines 2 and 3 can be suggestive and, in our modern context, be seen to allow for all sorts of immoral behavior, including unacceptable sexual behavior. A young man could feasibly find permission to look at web porn.

Solomon, however, does not encourage immoral choices. He has observed foolish people and made mistakes himself—by marrying many women. He never legitimizes this behavior but instead advises against these choices, whether they involve laziness, adultery, or arrogance. This is more widely seen in the Book of Proverbs. Taking this or similar verses out of context can be read as giving permission: “Follow the impulses of your heart” or in our modern culture, “Follow your desires.” This is devasting advice. He says, “For a harlot is a deep pit And an adulterous woman is a narrow well” (Prov 23:27). However, the Bible doesn’t teach; however, this verse leaves us wondering its meaning.

1) The Broadest Context: The Bible

The broadest context is the Bible. Both the Old and New Testaments should be used, but the latter is easier to apply. Jesus naturally used the Old Testament for clarity. Whatever we do, we must ensure that Scripture interprets Scripture. Numerous admonitions throughout the Bible create caution when interpreting verse 9. Notice how John and Solomon differ in their advice.

“¹⁵ Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world” (1 John 2:15-16).

Although these cautions are making us wonder, it’s good to specifically identify the conflict(s). Solomon tells young men to follow their eyes and desires, while John cautions us that these things are from the world, not from God. Although Solomon’s conclusion appears to oppose what John says, it does not. They are compatible. Our solution isn’t to reject John’s New Testament admonition to justify our immoral lifestyle. Nor should we doubt the veracity of God’s Word. Jesus fully accepted the Old Testament, and so should we.

¹⁷ “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹ Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven…” (Mat 5:17-19).

Instead, we should let a healthy Biblical mindset properly approach these verses and the Book of Ecclesiastes.

An example of an unbiblical mindset is the belief that our bodies are innately evil. Though we can do many sordid things with our bodies and minds, then and now, this runs fundamentally against a Biblical viewpoint. God created our bodies as good. However, the Greek, Hindu, and Buddhist worldviews consider the flesh inherently evil and, therefore, esteem spiritual thinking. We guard ourselves from philosophical influences by firming our mindset on the Bible’s teachings. In this case, the body is made by God and good, but evil is what we do with our bodies.

The Bible reminds us of Solomon’s world, full of rich teachings in God’s word. Solomon’s words should not have us assume Solomon thinks fornication is acceptable. He lived generally by the Bible. If we forget the effect of God’s word on Solomon or his family, we will wrongly interpret it. We must constantly refer to other relevant biblical instructions. When the Bible tells us that lust is sinful, then we should see if we can understand verse 9 without lust, maybe more as desires. We use Bible teaching to corral the scope of our interpretations, refining them more narrowly within a biblical understanding.

God espouses godly living throughout His Word; He is holy. “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet 1:15-16). This biblical framework guides us in properly interpreting and appreciating Solomon’s writings. Let’s next look at Ecclesiastes as a whole as our second context.

Ecclesiastes’ seven sections are summarized at the end.

2) The Larger Context: Ecclesiastes

Understanding a Bible book’s theme, purpose, means, etc., is critical for interpreting many Bible passages. What Bible book is the passage from? In our situation, we ask who the book was written for. Why? We will not go into the background information, but it’s important to know. Solomon himself gives information at the beginning and close of the book. The Bible gives us other information on Solomon himself.

When we examine Ecclesiastes, we find two overall parallel themes. They keep each other in tension throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, driving a larger wedge between them.

(1) Evaluating life from a purely temporal, earthly, worldly perspective. This is noted by the repetively-used “under the sun” phrase.

(2) Keeping a heavenly, spiritual view in mind, the “fear of God” alerts us of this emphasis.

The earthly view is close but different from a modern secular mindset. Life can be disappointing and difficult, so he advises living your best life possible; life is short. This life is all you have. (His purpose for writing this will be disclosed in the third context.) This viewpoint gives a worldly perspective as if God is not existent.

This earthly viewpoint is contrasted with a second perspective. God exists. Solomon repeatedly emphasizes God’s commandments; they matter. Eternity is a genuine factor to consider. Judgment awaits us “for all these things” (Ecc 11:9)—all our decisions and thoughts.

In the first worldly perspective—“under the sun,” a person lives oblivious to God’s presence, absorbed by what he sees and feels. But the second perspective refits our lives with the fear of God, spiritual understanding, and true wisdom. In the Book of Ecclesiastes framework below, Solomon repeats the need to include God in our lives.

We could examine his statements throughout the book to prove this—even as our verse Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 does, but the book’s final conclusion adequately summarizes this.

“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (Ecc 12:13-14).

Solomon has seen much good and evil, “I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility” (Ecc 7:15). He knows people can do wrong, but this does not make their choices right or best. He, therefore, repeatedly reminds them that “God will bring you to judgment for all these things.” Solomon is not advocating evil behavior but calling people to step out of worldliness and live in light of God. This is similar to how Christians call individuals to the Lord by observing the advantages of faith in God and living by His Word.

Is Solomon encouraging immorality, running after money, sex, and power? Not at all. In context, he explicitly calls on the younger generation not to fall into exaggerated pessimism or wayward living. We can almost hear him heartbreakingly call to this younger generation, “Don’t forget God!” In his later years, perhaps Solomon observed how his failure to obey God negatively affected the younger generation.

As a book, Ecclesiastes calls us back to God: “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth” (Ecc 12:1); this does not allow a permissive attitude towards evil but calls people to live by the fear of God. So, though our confusion still exists, at least we see Solomon not giving a licentious view of life, but what does he mean?

3) The Smaller Context: One Passage

Misinterpretation of Solomon’s words can arise when we rightly discern Solomon’s purpose, such as his advice to “make the most of life” (my words).

The predominance of this earthly perspective is for two reasons: (1) To bring some hope and cheer to those who face life’s pain, disappointment, and suffering, and (2) To attract the attention of his readers. He feels for his people.

Let’s note some places where Solomon is preoccupied with life’s difficulties.

1:2 Much “futility” and “vanity.”

1:13 “A grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.”

2:16 “And how the wise man and the fool alike die!”

3:4 “A time to weep and a time to laugh.”

3:16 “In the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.”

4:1 “Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them.”

5:13 “There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt.”

6:7 “All a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied.”

11:8 “Let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be futility.”

Our prosperous age prevents us from seeing the hardships many face when they have no insurance, no jobs, are starving, and are “without God in this world” (Eph 2:12). Solomon saw this; the more he looked, the more he saw the futility of life on earth.

Having seen these things, the small shepherd in the shadow of the One Shepherd (Ecc 12:11; 1 Pet 5:4; Psalm 23:1) showed concern for his people like a proper king. We see this first in how he earlier sought wisdom to care for his people (1 Kings 3:9), not riches, fame, or long life. We see it now again. You might look at his situation from a pastor’s point of view, “How can I alert this generation to the sin in this world?” Or, “How can I encourage my people to get the most from this world?”

We should not look at verse 11:9 as permission to do evil but as a means to insert small comfort and hope to enjoy the little that God gives. For example, the impulse of his eyes might refer to committing to marriage or enjoying a waterfall—despite the death of one’s father, loss of wealth, or being misunderstood. Take delight in what God provides.

The “prime of life are fleeting” (11:10); enjoy life before you get too old to find it (12:1-7). We ought to enjoy life and the good things God has given.

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (James 1:17).

If Solomon only advised us to enjoy life, we could see how shortsighted his guidance is. However, his advice is biblical because he shows its futility if lived apart from the greater truths of God and eternity. Ecclesiastes 11:9-10, like all of Ecclesiastes, calls people to live in the fear of God. The fear of God serves as a safeguarding framework to interpret his advice.

Instead of reading verse 9 in isolation, remember its immediate context: “So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting” (11:10). Solomon encourages the downhearted to enjoy the simple things they have in life but also has us keep God, our Creator, in perspective.

Summary

These verses restate what Solomon repeatedly says throughout Ecclesiastes: Life is vain without God. Reading them out of context will lead to wrong conclusions. Solomon has not permitted or encouraged immoral behavior; instead, he wrestles with the meaning of life. He finds many downhearted and tries to lift up their lives so that they might somehow look beyond this world and see God.

In Ecclesiastes 11:9, Solomon does not give a license to immorality but a slight encouragement to those facing hardship to focus on the small joys in life that they can still enjoy. Paralyzing old age (Ecc 12) came quickly without modern medicine.

The temporal viewpoint is constantly contrasted with the heavenly. Those only possessing the earthly perspective will meet sad endings; we need to keep the larger context of the hope of the resurrection and life before God to properly understand the fruit of living in fear of God.

Postscript: The redemptive context

The fourth ‘context,’ which we will not elaborate upon, is redemptive. As the New Covenant unfolds, the fear of God is refined to “walk by the Spirit.” God’s people need to be closely in tune with the things of God’s Spirit (Gal 5:16, 22-25), which repulse the things of the flesh (Gal 5:16-21). Our fellowship and life are enriched by our fellowship with the Father through Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1-4).

'Sight' in Ecclesiastes is contrasted with faith.

Ecclesiastes 11:9 Bible Study Questions

Read Ecclesiastes 11:9. What are its four statements?
Do you see this advice as a good thing? Would you say these things to your teenage son? Explain.
What is the conflict that Christians find with verse 9? Try to be as specific as possible.
What does it mean to “use Scripture to interpret Scripture?”
What are the three steps in approaching and interpreting difficult passages?
Clarify the first step and how it was used with this verse.
What points in Ecclesiastes help us better understand Solomon’s meaning?
How does a closer examination of Solomon’s purpose clarify the interpretation of this passage?
Why do you agree or disagree that Solomon is giving wholesome advice to a young man?
10.How would you explain this verse to someone who asked about its questionable advice?