Ecclesiastes 9:6Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~950 BC. King Solomon in his palace, reflecting on the finality of death after observing countless lives come and go in his kingdom.
The emotion here: sobered by mortality after decades of watching death
The original word
ahavah (אַהֲבָה) — deep love that once burned but is now extinguished forever
Why it matters
Solomon wrote this after ruling 40 years and seeing entire generations die
Read with care
What most readers miss in Ecclesiastes 9:6
This isn't pessimistic - it's preparing you for the hope that comes in verse 7
Common misconceptionPeople think this denies afterlife, but Solomon is only talking about earthly involvement. The dead can't love, hate, or envy what happens 'under the sun' - on earth.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Ecclesiastes 9:6
Bible Genome reading
Ecclesiastes 9:6 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Ecclesiastes 9:6 comes from the book of Ecclesiastes, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Solomon. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include mortality, emotion, finality. Notable phrases: love hatred envy perished; no more portion forever.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Ecclesiastes 9:6 mean to you, today?
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