Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

ECCLESIASTES 8:15KJV
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Ecclesiastes 8:15 (KJV)

What does Ecclesiastes 8:15 mean?

Ecclesiastes 8:15 describes how the writer recommends enjoying life’s simple pleasures—eating, drinking, and being merry—because these are the good things a person can experience during their time on earth, given by God, in the midst of all their work. The verse suggests that finding joy in everyday moments is a lasting benefit amid the struggles and uncertainties of life.

The speaker is traditionally understood to be Solomon, addressing anyone who will listen about the realities of life “under the sun”—a phrase he uses to describe earthly existence. In this verse, he steps back from searching for ultimate answers and instead points to the value of appreciating what God provides day by day, especially since much in life is beyond human control or understanding.

The Hebrew behind Ecclesiastes 8:15

  • “Mirth” (שִׂמְחָה, simchah) means joy or gladness. The use of this word highlights that the recommended enjoyment is not reckless partying but a deep, wholesome happiness found in ordinary pleasures.
  • “Abide” (יְלַוֶּנּוּ, yelavennu) means to accompany or go with. The verse says this joy will “abide” with a person, suggesting that these moments of gladness are what truly stay with someone through the ups and downs of life.
  • “Labour” (עֲמָלוֹ, amal) refers to toil or hard work. The verse connects joy directly to the context of daily effort, showing that pleasure is not separate from work but is meant to be enjoyed alongside it.

Why Ecclesiastes 8:15 matters

  • Ecclesiastes 8:15 clears up the idea that the Bible only values spiritual or “serious” pursuits by emphasizing that enjoying life’s basic pleasures is also a gift from God.
  • The verse connects to the wider message of Ecclesiastes, which often points out the limits of human understanding and control, and encourages gratitude for what can be enjoyed in the present.
  • This verse helps balance the book’s sometimes somber tone by affirming that joy is not just possible but commendable, even in a world full of uncertainties.

Where else these words appear

“commended” Hebrew H7623 · used in 11 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 16:35 And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.
  • Psalms 89:9 Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
  • Psalms 145:4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

“abide” Hebrew H3867 · used in 22 verses

  • Genesis 29:34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.
  • Esther 9:27 The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;
  • Isaiah 14:1 For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

“labour” Hebrew H5999 · used in 54 verses

  • Genesis 41:51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.
  • Psalms 55:10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
  • Ecclesiastes 2:24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

“mirth” Hebrew H8057 · used in 89 verses

  • Genesis 31:27 Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?
  • Esther 9:17 On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
  • Ecclesiastes 2:26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.