American Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 3:11
11He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
- New International Version (NIV)He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
- New King James Version (NKJV)He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
Context of Ecclesiastes 3:11
9What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth? 10I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith. He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end. 12I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good so long as they live. 13And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 3Ecclesiastes 3:11 word by word
אֶת־הַכֹּ֥ל עָשָׂ֖ה יָפֶ֣ה בְעִתּ֑וֹ גַּ֤ם אֶת־הָעֹלָם֙ נָתַ֣ן בְּלִבָּ֔ם מִבְּלִ֞י אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹא־יִמְצָ֣א הָאָדָ֗ם אֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים מֵרֹ֥אשׁ וְעַד־סֽוֹף׃Read the interlinear
- madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- everythingכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- beautifulיָפֶהyâpheh · beautifulH3303
- timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
- alsoגַּםgam · alsoH1571
- setנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- findמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- workמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- endסוֹףsôph · endH5490
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:11
- Ecclesiastes 7:29Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
- Genesis 1:31And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
- Deuteronomy 32:4The Rock, his work is perfect; For all his ways are justice: A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is he.
- Mark 7:37And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
- Matthew 13:22And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
- Romans 1:19because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them.
- Job 11:7Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
- Job 37:23Touchingthe Almighty, we cannot find him out: He is excellent in power; And in justice and plenteous righteousness he will not afflict.
- Psalms 104:24O Jehovah, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: The earth is full of thy riches.
- Matthew 11:27All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him.
- Romans 11:33O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Beautiful in his time - God's works are well done; there are order, harmony, and beauty in them all. Even the caterpillar is a finished beauty in all the changes through which it passes, when its structure is properly examined, and the ends kept in view in which each change is to issue. Nothing of this kind can be said of the works of man. The most finished works of art are bungling jobs, when compared with the meanest operation of nature. He hath set the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Rather, He hath made all (the travail, Ecclesiastes 3:10) beautiful (fit, in harmony with the whole work of God) in its time; also He hath set eternity in their heart (i. e., the heart of the sons of men, Ecclesiastes 3:10). The word, translated “world” in the text, and “eternity” in this note, is used seven times in Ecclesiastes. The interpretation “eternity,” is conceived in the sense of a long indefinite period of time, in accordance with the use of…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-15Verses 11-15 Every thing is as God made it; not as it appears to us. We have the world so much in our hearts, are so taken up with thoughts and cares of worldly things, that we have neither time nor spirit to see God's hand in them. The world has not only gained possession of the heart, but has formed thoughts against the beauty of God's works. We mistake if we think we were born for ourselves; no, it is our business to do good in this life, which is…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11He has made everything beautiful in its time: We can sometimes see this beauty in our work and the world. However, many people cannot see it. God keeps the understanding of how everything fits together for himself (see Romans 8:22–28). God has planted eternity, an awareness of the infinite, within each of us. This is enough for us to be in awe of him who is infinite and eternal, and enough to hope for eternal life after death.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. his time--that is, in its proper season (Psa 1:3), opposed to worldlings putting earthly pursuits out of their proper time and place (see on Ec 3:9). set the world in their heart--given them capacities to understand the world of nature as reflecting God's wisdom in its beautiful order and times (Ro 1:19, 20). "Everything" answers to "world," in the parallelism. so that--that is, but in such a manner that man only sees a portion, not the whole "from…Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 3:11
In the dictionaries
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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries