Ecclesiastes 1:11
Ecclesiastes 1:11 in Multiple Translations
There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after.
There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
There is no remembrance of the former generations; neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter generations that are to come, among those that shall come after.
There is no memory of those who have gone before, and of those who come after there will be no memory for those who are still to come after them.
The problem is we don't remember people from the past, and people in the future won't remember those who came before them.
There is no memorie of the former, neither shall there be a remembrance of the latter that shalbe, with them that shall come after.
There is not a remembrance of former [generations]; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last.
There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after.
There is no remembrance of former things ; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
There is no remembrance of former things: nor indeed of those things which hereafter are to come, shall there be any remembrance with them that shall be in the latter end.
People do not remember the things that happened long ago, and in the future, people will not remember what we are doing now.
Berean Amplified Bible — Ecclesiastes 1:11
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Ecclesiastes 1:11 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
אֵ֥ין
זִכְר֖וֹן
לָ/רִאשֹׁנִ֑ים
וְ/גַ֨ם
לָ/אַחֲרֹנִ֜ים
שֶׁ/יִּהְי֗וּ
לֹֽא
יִהְיֶ֤ה
לָ/הֶם֙
זִכָּר֔וֹן
עִ֥ם
שֶׁ/יִּהְי֖וּ
לָ/אַחֲרֹנָֽה
אֵ֥ין
ʼayin
H369
nothing
Part
זִכְר֖וֹן
zikrôwn
H2146
memorial
N-ms
לָ/רִאשֹׁנִ֑ים
riʼshôwn
H7223
first
Prep | Adj
וְ/גַ֨ם
gam
H1571
also
Conj | DirObjM
לָ/אַחֲרֹנִ֜ים
ʼachărôwn
H314
last
Prep | Adj
שֶׁ/יִּהְי֗וּ
hâyâh
H1961
to be
Rel | V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
לֹֽא
lôʼ
H3808
not
Part
יִהְיֶ֤ה
hâyâh
H1961
to be
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
לָ/הֶם֙
Prep | Suff
זִכָּר֔וֹן
zikrôwn
H2146
memorial
N-ms
עִ֥ם
ʻim
H5973
with
Prep
שֶׁ/יִּהְי֖וּ
hâyâh
H1961
to be
Rel | V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
לָ/אַחֲרֹנָֽה
ʼachărôwn
H314
last
Prep | Adj
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Ecclesiastes 1:11
אֵ֥ין
ʼayin
H369
"nothing"
Part
This word means nothing or not, often used to indicate the absence of something, as in Genesis 1:2 where the earth was without form. It emphasizes the idea of something lacking or non-existent.
Definition: 1) nothing, not, nought n 1a) nothing, nought neg 1b) not 1c) to have not (of possession) adv 1d) without w/prep 1e) for lack of
Usage: Occurs in 686 OT verses. KJV: else, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן). See also: Genesis 2:5; Deuteronomy 14:27; 1 Kings 15:22.
זִכְר֖וֹן
zikrôwn
H2146
"memorial"
N-ms
A memorial or reminder, this word refers to something that helps people remember important events or people. It can be a written record or a special day. The word is used in the Bible to describe memorials to God.
Definition: memorial, reminder, remembrance
Usage: Occurs in 22 OT verses. KJV: memorial, record. See also: Exodus 12:14; Numbers 17:5; Isaiah 57:8.
לָ/רִאשֹׁנִ֑ים
riʼshôwn
H7223
"first"
Prep | Adj
This word means 'first' or 'primary', referring to something that comes before others in time, place, or rank. It is used to describe the first or most important thing in a series or list.
Definition: : first adj 1) first, primary, former 1a) former (of time) 1a1) ancestors 1a2) former things 1b) foremost (of location) 1c) first (in time) 1d) first, chief (in degree) adv 2) first, before, formerly, at first
Usage: Occurs in 174 OT verses. KJV: ancestor, (that were) before(-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore(-father) (-most), former (thing), of old time, past. See also: Genesis 8:13; 1 Chronicles 27:3; Psalms 79:8.
וְ/גַ֨ם
gam
H1571
"also"
Conj | DirObjM
Also means 'even' or 'too', used for emphasis or to connect ideas, like 'both...and' or 'neither...nor'. It can introduce a climax or show contrast.
Definition: 1) also, even, indeed, moreover, yea 1a) also, moreover (giving emphasis) 1b) neither, neither...nor (with negative) 1c) even (for stress) 1d) indeed, yea (introducing climax) 1e) also (of correspondence or retribution) 1f) but, yet, though (adversative) 1g) even, yea, yea though (with 'when' in hypothetical case) 2) (TWOT) again, alike
Usage: Occurs in 661 OT verses. KJV: again, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and, but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea. See also: Genesis 3:6; Exodus 19:9; 1 Samuel 14:21.
לָ/אַחֲרֹנִ֜ים
ʼachărôwn
H314
"last"
Prep | Adj
This Hebrew word means last or western, and can refer to something that is behind or following something else. It is used in the Bible to describe things that are late or last in time or location.
Definition: 1) behind, following, subsequent, western 1a) behind, hindermost, western (of location) 1b) later, subsequent, latter, last (of time)
Usage: Occurs in 48 OT verses. KJV: after (-ward), to come, following, hind(-er, -ermost, -most), last, latter, rereward, ut(ter) most. See also: Genesis 33:2; 2 Chronicles 28:26; Psalms 48:14.
שֶׁ/יִּהְי֗וּ
hâyâh
H1961
"to be"
Rel | V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Definition: 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about 1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Usage: Occurs in 3131 OT verses. KJV: beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 17:4; Genesis 36:11.
לֹֽא
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
יִהְיֶ֤ה
hâyâh
H1961
"to be"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Definition: 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about 1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Usage: Occurs in 3131 OT verses. KJV: beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 17:4; Genesis 36:11.
לָ/הֶם֙
""
Prep | Suff
זִכָּר֔וֹן
zikrôwn
H2146
"memorial"
N-ms
A memorial or reminder, this word refers to something that helps people remember important events or people. It can be a written record or a special day. The word is used in the Bible to describe memorials to God.
Definition: memorial, reminder, remembrance
Usage: Occurs in 22 OT verses. KJV: memorial, record. See also: Exodus 12:14; Numbers 17:5; Isaiah 57:8.
עִ֥ם
ʻim
H5973
"with"
Prep
This Hebrew word means with or together, like when God is with his people in Exodus 33:14-15. It's used to describe accompaniment or association, and can also mean against or beside. The word is used to convey a sense of relationship or proximity between people or things.
Definition: 1) with 1a) with 1b) against 1c) toward 1d) as long as
Usage: Occurs in 919 OT verses. KJV: accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al). See also: Genesis 3:6; Exodus 21:14; Deuteronomy 29:11.
שֶׁ/יִּהְי֖וּ
hâyâh
H1961
"to be"
Rel | V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Definition: 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about 1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Usage: Occurs in 3131 OT verses. KJV: beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 17:4; Genesis 36:11.
לָ/אַחֲרֹנָֽה
ʼachărôwn
H314
"last"
Prep | Adj
This Hebrew word means last or western, and can refer to something that is behind or following something else. It is used in the Bible to describe things that are late or last in time or location.
Definition: 1) behind, following, subsequent, western 1a) behind, hindermost, western (of location) 1b) later, subsequent, latter, last (of time)
Usage: Occurs in 48 OT verses. KJV: after (-ward), to come, following, hind(-er, -ermost, -most), last, latter, rereward, ut(ter) most. See also: Genesis 33:2; 2 Chronicles 28:26; Psalms 48:14.
Study Notes — Ecclesiastes 1:11
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Ecclesiastes 1:11 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Ecclesiastes 1:11
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ecclesiastes 1:11
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Ecclesiastes 1:11
- Trapp's Commentary on Ecclesiastes 1:11
- Ellicott's Commentary on Ecclesiastes 1:11
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Ecclesiastes 1:11
- Cambridge Bible on Ecclesiastes 1:11
- Barnes' Notes on Ecclesiastes 1:11
- Whedon's Commentary on Ecclesiastes 1:11
- Sermons on Ecclesiastes 1:11
Context — Everything Is Futile
9What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
10Is there a case where one can say, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.
11There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after.
12I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a miserable task God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ecclesiastes 2:16 | For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool! |
| 2 | Psalms 9:6 | The enemy has come to eternal ruin, and You have uprooted their cities; the very memory of them has vanished. |
| 3 | Ecclesiastes 9:5 | For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten. |
| 4 | Isaiah 42:9 | Behold, the former things have happened, and now I declare new things. Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.” |
| 5 | Isaiah 41:22–26 | “Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell the former things, so that we may reflect on them and know the outcome. Or announce to us what is coming. Tell us the things that are to come, so that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do something good or evil, that we may look on together in dismay. Behold, you are nothing and your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable. I have raised up one from the north, and he has come— one from the east who calls on My name. He will march over rulers as if they were mortar, like a potter who treads the clay. Who has declared this from the beginning, so that we may know, and from times past, so that we may say: ‘He was right’? No one announced it, no one foretold it, no one heard your words. |
Ecclesiastes 1:11 Summary
[This verse is saying that people who lived a long time ago are often forgotten, and the same will happen to us - we will be forgotten by future generations, as it says in Ecclesiastes 1:11. This can be a hard truth to accept, but it reminds us to focus on what really matters, like our relationship with God (Psalm 90:3-6). We can trust that God remembers us, even if others do not (Isaiah 49:15-16). By living a life that honors Him, we can find purpose and meaning, even in the face of being forgotten.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean that there is no remembrance of those who came before?
This means that as time passes, people tend to forget about those who lived in the past, as seen in Ecclesiastes 1:11, and this is a natural part of life, as also noted in Psalm 90:3-6 where it says our lives are like grass that withers away.
Is it true that those yet to come will not be remembered?
Yes, according to Ecclesiastes 1:11, this is true, and it highlights the fleeting nature of human existence and memory, which is also echoed in Psalm 103:15-16, reminding us that our lives are short and easily forgotten.
How can we make sure we are remembered by future generations?
While Ecclesiastes 1:11 suggests that being remembered is not guaranteed, we can trust that God remembers us, as seen in Isaiah 49:15-16, and focus on living a life that honors Him, rather than seeking human recognition.
What is the significance of this verse in the context of the whole book of Ecclesiastes?
This verse fits into the larger theme of Ecclesiastes, which explores the meaning and purpose of life, and it specifically highlights the transience of human existence and the importance of seeking wisdom and fearing God, as stated in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways in which you have seen the truth of Ecclesiastes 1:11 play out in your own life or in the lives of those around you?
- How does the reality of being forgotten impact your priorities and decisions, and what does this say about your trust in God's sovereignty?
- In what ways can you use your time and resources to make a lasting impact for God's kingdom, despite the fact that you may not be remembered by future generations?
- What does it mean to you that God remembers you, even if others do not, and how does this truth shape your sense of identity and purpose?
Gill's Exposition on Ecclesiastes 1:11
[There] is no remembrance of former [things],.... Which is the reason why some things that are really old are thought to be new; because either the memories of men fail them, they do not remember the
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ecclesiastes 1:11
There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after. (There is) no remembrance of former (things) or persons.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Ecclesiastes 1:11
There is no remembrance of former things: this seems to be added to prevent this objection, There are many new inventions and enjoyments unknown to former ages. To this he answers, This objection is grounded only upon our ignorance of ancient times and things, which is very great, and which if we did exactly know or remember, we should easily find parallels to all present occurrences in former ages. The latter clause tends both to illustrate and confirm the former. The sense is, There are many thousands of remarkable speeches and actions done in this and the following ages, which neither are, nor ever will be, put into the public records or histories, and consequently they must unavoidably be forgotten and lost unto succeeding ages; and therefore it is just and reasonable to believe the same concerning former ages, seeing the same causes are most likely to produce the same effects.
Trapp's Commentary on Ecclesiastes 1:11
Ecclesiastes 1:11 [There is] no remembrance of former [things]; neither shall there be [any] remembrance of [things] that are to come with [those] that shall come after.Ver. 11. There is no remembrance of former things.] None to speak of. How many memorable matters were never recorded! How many ancient records long since perished! How many fragments of very good authors are come bleeding to our hands, that live, as many of our castles do, but only by their ruins! God hath by a miracle preserved the Holy Bible from the injury of times and tyrants, who have sought to abolish it. There we have a true remembrance of former things done in the Church by Abraham and his offspring, when the grandees of the earth, Ninus, Belus, &c., lie wrapt up in the sheet of shame, or buried in the grave of utter oblivion. Diodorus Siculus confesseth that all heathen antiquities, before the Theban and Trojan wars, are either fabulous relations or little better. Ezra - that wrote one of the last in the Old Testament - lived before any chronicles of the world now extant in the world. Neither shall there be any remembrance.] Unless transmitted to posterity by books and writings, which may preserve and keep alive their memory, and testify for their authors that such have one day lived. “ - Quis nosset Erasmum, Chilias aeternum si latuisset opus?” Nineveh, "that great city," is nothing else but a sepulture of herself; no more shall Rome be ere long.
Time shall triumph over it, when it shall but then live by fame, if at all, as others now do.
Ellicott's Commentary on Ecclesiastes 1:11
(11) If anything appears new, this is only because its previous occurrence has been forgotten. So likewise will those of this generation be forgotten by those who succeed them.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Ecclesiastes 1:11
Verse 11. There is no remembrance] I believe the general meaning to be this: Multitudes of ancient transactions have been lost, because they were not recorded; and of many that have been recorded, the records are lost. And this will be the case with many others which are yet to occur. How many persons, not much acquainted with books, have supposed that certain things were their own discoveries, which have been written or printed even long before they were born! Dutens, in his Origin of the Discoveries attributed to the Moderns, has made a very clear case.
Cambridge Bible on Ecclesiastes 1:11
11. There is no remembrance of former things] Better, of former men, or of those of old time, and so in the next clause of those that shall come after. The thought of the oblivion of the past, suggested in the previous verse, as explaining the fact that some things seem new to us which are not so, is reproduced in another aspect as yet a new element in the pessimism into which the writer has fallen. Men dream of a fame that shall outlive them. How few of those that went before them do they remember even by name? How little do they know even of those whose names have survived amid the wreck that has engulfed others? What does it profit to be famous now, just known by name to the generation that follows, and then forgotten altogether? Comp. a striking passage to the same effect in Jeremy Taylor’s Contemplations of the State of Man, ch. 3, “The name of Echebar was thought by his subjects to be eternal, and that all the world did not only know but fear him; but ask here in Europe who he was, and no man hath heard of him; demand of the most learned, and few shall resolve you that he reigned in Magor,” and Marc. Aurel. Meditt. ii. 17, ἡὑστεροφημία, λήθη, “posthumous fame is but oblivion.” So ends the prologue of the book, sounding its terrible sentence of despair on life and all its interests.
It is hardly possible to turn to the later work, which also purports to represent the Wisdom of Solomon, without feeling that its author deliberately aimed at setting forth another aspect of things. He reproduces well-nigh the very words of the prologue, “the breath of our nostrils is as smoke” … “our name shall be forgotten in time: our life shall pass away as the trace of a cloud” … but he puts all this into the mouth not of his ideal Solomon but of “ungodly men, … reasoning with themselves but not aright,” Wis 2:1-5, and shews how it leads first to sensuous self-indulgence, and then to deliberate oppression, and persistent antagonism to God. (See Introduction, chap. v.)
Barnes' Notes on Ecclesiastes 1:11
Things - Rather, men.
Whedon's Commentary on Ecclesiastes 1:11
11. Former things — But mark the contrast with mankind! Hebrew grammar requires that the word supplied should be men, not things, “former” being masculine. “Former men” are utterly gone. Earth has lost their pattern forever.
Sermons on Ecclesiastes 1:11
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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(Through the Bible) Ecclesiastes 7-12 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of remembering God in one's youth. He highlights that most conversions to Jesus Christ happen during the teenage years and en |
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The Times of the World. 3:1-22 by W.J. Erdman | In this sermon by W.J. Erdman, the Preacher reflects on the fleeting nature of human life and the inscrutable ways of God's eternal purpose. He contemplates the limited understandi |
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Under the Sun by W.J. Erdman | W.J. Erdman preaches on the perspective of the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, emphasizing the focus on earthly life 'under the sun' and the natural man's absorption with present labor a |
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The Timelessness of God by Major Ian Thomas | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of understanding the nature of our sinful condition and the consequences it brings. He highlights that God, in His kindness a |
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Prophecy and World Events by Dave Hunt | This sermon delves into the theological implications of prophecy as it relates to world events, emphasizing the unique nature of Bible prophecy and its fulfillment in current times |
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The More Sure Word by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, Pastor Skip leads a study on Isaiah 44 through 46. He highlights the richness and significance of these chapters and expresses his excitement to delve into them. Th |