Who said, "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow, we die."?

Question

I know it's from a Dave Matthews song, I'm looking a little farther back than that. And I know the bible says the "Eat, drink and be merry" part, so I'm not looking quite THAT far back. Who said it just like this first? Was it Shakespeare?

Answer 1

no, it was first found in print in the bible

Ecclesiastes VIII 15 (King James Version)

Answer 2

Eat Drink And Be Merry

Answer 3

Epicurean s lived life in he now, giving no thought for the after life. Friendship and affection was a strong belief amongst them and living a pleasurable life in the here now, and thus the saying eat drink be merry for tomorrow we die. The apostle Paul addressed that mind set in 1st Corinthians15:32.

Answer 4

EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY

In fact, these words come by combining several different quotes from the Bible.

"A man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and be merry." (Ecclesiastes 8: 15)

"Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die." (Isaiah 22: 13)

"If the dead are not raised, `Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'" (I Corinthians 15: 32)

Answer 5

EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY

In fact, these words come by combining several different quotes from the Bible.

"A man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and be merry." (Ecclesiastes 8: 15)

"Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die." (Isaiah 22: 13)

"If the dead are not raised, `Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'" (I Corinthians 15: 32)


I think Robin Hood said it in one of his movies and I think Jesus said it in a few biblicle movies.

Also sounds like a few pirates said it too.

Answer 6

Alot of people think it was Greek philosopher Epicurus, but in fact, these words came by combining several different quotes from the Bible.

"A man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and be merry." (Ecclesiastes 8: 15)

"Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die." (Isaiah 22: 13)

"If the dead are not raised, `Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'" (I Corinthians 15: 32)

Interestingly enough, Jesus was not troubled by the charge that "the Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber..."[3]

The reason for this little exercise in accuracy in sermonizing, however well intended, is to assure you that in dealing with today's gospel text I will make every effort not to sink either into well intended but inaccurate quotations or to sink into the equally offensive pit of well intended but trite moralizing.

Answer 7

From Wikipedia:

This carries echoes of the admonishment to "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die", the language of which originates in Isaiah 22:13: "Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!" (New American Bible translation). The thought appears elsewhere in Roman literature: Horace's Odes include the well known line Nunc est bibendum, nunc pede libero pulsanda tellus. (Now is the time to drink, now the time to dance footloose upon the earth.) Horace goes on to explain that now is the time because there will be no drinking or dancing in the afterlife, a classic example of the carpe diem theme. This theme is repeated in the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, stanza XXXV: '..."While you live, / "Drink!--for, once dead, you never shall return."' (translation of Edward Fitzgerald)

Answer 8

Could not find who first said it, but maybe this will help:
In ancient Rome, the phrase is said to have been used on the occasions when a Roman general was parading through the streets of Rome during the victory celebration known as a triumph. Standing behind the victorious general was a slave, and he had the task of reminding the general that, though he was up on the peak today, tomorrow was another day. The servant did this by telling the general that he should remember that he was mortal, i.e. "Memento mori." (It is possible that the servant said instead "Respice post te! Hominem te esse memento!" (Look behind you! Remember that you are but a man!) as cited by Tertullian in chapter 33 of his Apologeticus.)

The phrase was otherwise referred to in the art of classical antiquity; more emphasis was given to the theme of carpe diem, or "seize the day." This carries echoes of the admonishment to "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die", the language of which originates in Isaiah 22:13: "Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!" (New American Bible translation). The thought appears elsewhere in Roman literature: Horace's Odes include the well known line Nunc est bibendum, nunc pede libero pulsanda tellus. (Now is the time to drink, now the time to dance footloose upon the earth.) Horace goes on to explain that now is the time because there will be no drinking or dancing in the afterlife, a classic example of the carpe diem theme. This theme is repeated in the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, stanza XXXV: '..."While you live, / "Drink!--for, once dead, you never shall return."' (translation of Edward Fitzgerald)

Answer 9

Not sure, but I think that Erma Bombeck said, "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we diet."

Hang on and I'll look up your quote...

Ok, here is what I found in Bible: NIV translation
Isaiah 22:13
But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! "Let us eat and drink," you say, "for tomorrow we die!"


1 Corinthians 15:32
If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." [ Isaiah 22:13

Answer 10

I'm not so sure that the "Eat, drink and be merry" part is in the bible... did you really see it in there? That must be a very loose translation, and certainly not the King James version, LOL! I'm just guessing that it may have come from one of the military leader/kings in Shakespeare like Henry V or Julius Caesar... That's a good question! I'm going to look it up now.

Answer 11

If this truly had been said -apart from the old & new Testaments, I suspect it most likely would have been by Thomas Carlyle-a great Scottish poet and commenter upon life and a spiritual man who would have been well acquainted with biblical cites which could be parodied.