Ecclesiastes 9:7

“Go thy way, etc.] Thou righteous man, as Jarchi paraphrases it; and indeed epicures and voluptuous persons have no need of the following exhortation, and the reason annexed is not suitable to them; but the whole agrees better with religious persons, who under distressing views of Providence, and from gloomy and melancholy apprehensions of things, and mistaken notions of mortification, deny themselves the free and lawful use of the good things of life; and seeing there is no enjoyment of them in the grave, and after death, therefore let the following advice be taken, than which of worldly things nothing is better for a man to do; eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart;…”

“Addressed to the "righteous wise," spoken of in Ecc 9:1. Being "in the hand of God," who now accepteth "thy works" in His service, as He has previously accepted thy person (Gen 4:4), thou mayest "eat . . . with a cheerful (not sensually 'merry') heart" (Ecc 3:13; Ecc 5:18; Act 2:46).”

“Read these six verses connectedly, in order to arrive at the meaning of the writer; and compare Ecclesiastes 2:1-12. After the description Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 of the portionless condition of the dead, the next thought which occurs is that the man who is prosperous and active should simply enjoy his portion all through this life Ecclesiastes 9:7-10; and then Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 follows the correcting thought (see Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 note), introduced as usual Ecclesiastes 2:12; Ecclesiastes 4:1, Ecclesiastes 4:7 by “I returned,” namely, that the course of events is disposed and regulated by another will than that of man. The person addressed is one whose life of labor is already pleasing to…”

“Go - Make this use of what I have said. Eat - Chearfully and thankfully enjoy thy comforts. Accepteth - Allows thee a comfortable enjoyment of his blessings. Ecclesiastes 9:8”

“9:7-10 Though death is inevitable, enjoying life is beneficial.”

“Go: Gen 12:19; Mar 7:29; Joh 4:50 eat: Ecc 2:24-26, Ecc 3:12, Ecc 3:13, Ecc 5:18, Ecc 8:15, Ecc 10:19; Deu 12:7, Deu 12:12, Deu 16:14, Deu 16:15; Kg1 8:66; Ch1 16:1-3, Ch1 29:21-23; Ch2 30:23-27; Neh 8:10-12 for: Gen 4:4, Gen 4:5; Exo 24:8-11; Luk 11:41; Act 10:35 Ecclesiastes 9:8”

“"Go, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for long ago hath God accepted thy work. Let thy garments be always white; and let not oil be wanting to thy head. Enjoy life with a wife whom thou lovest through all the days of thy vain life, which He hath given thee under the sun - through all thy vain days: for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherewith thou weariest thyself under the sun. All that thy hand may find to do with thy might, that do; for there is not work, and calculation, and knowledge, and wisdom, in the under world, whither thou shalt go." Hengstenberg perceives here the counterpart of the spirit; on the contrary, Oetinger, Mendelssohn, and…”