Ecclesiastes 3:10

Ecclesiastes 3:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
• New International Version (NIV)I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied.

Context of Ecclesiastes 3:10

8A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace. 9What profit is there for the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the task which God has given to the sons of men with which to occupy themselves. 11He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end. 12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good as long as they live;

Ecclesiastes 3:10 word by word

רָאִ֣יתִי אֶת־הָֽעִנְיָ֗ן אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֧ן אֱלֹהִ֛ים לִבְנֵ֥י הָאָדָ֖ם לַעֲנ֥וֹת בּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I have seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• the travailעִנְיָן‛inyân · taskH6045
• which Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• hath givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• to the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of menאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• to be exercisedעָנָה‛ânâh · be occupiedH6031

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:10

• Ecclesiastes 1:3What advantage does man have from all his work Which he does under the sun (while earthbound)?
• Ecclesiastes 2:11Then I considered all which my hands had done and labored to do, and behold, all was vanity and chasing after the wind and there was no profit (nothing of lasting value) under the sun.
• Ecclesiastes 5:16This also is a grievous evil—exactly as he was born, so he shall die. So what advantage has he who labors for the wind?
• Proverbs 14:23In all labor there is profit, But mere talk leads only to poverty.
• Matthew 16:26For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10I have seen the travail - Man is a sinner; and, because he is such, he suffers.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men: God made our work harder after humans rebelled against Him (Genesis 3:17–19). This burden is not too heavy for us to enjoy our work and its rewards (Ecclesiastes 3:11213).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. (See on Ec 1:13).Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Dance
• Judge
• Exercise
• Providence
• Synagogue, the Great

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings