Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest [Eccl. 9:10].

It is certainly true that the body in the grave can no longer hold a hammer in its hand. The brain is no longer able to study or perform any mental chores. Solomon is speaking only of the body. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” He is talking about the hand, not the soul. It is the hand that will be put into the grave. If you are a child of God, you will go into the presence of the Lord. If you are not a child of God, you will go to the place of the dead until you are raised to be judged at the Great White Throne. This life does not end it all. This book does not teach soul sleep.


McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: Poetry (Ecclesiastes/Song of Solomon) (electronic ed., Vol. 21, p. 70). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.