Berean Standard Bible
Ecclesiastes 3:17
17I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”
Ecclesiastes 3:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
- New International Version (NIV)I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.
- New King James Version (NKJV)I said in my heart, “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”
Context of Ecclesiastes 3:17
15What exists has already been, and what will be has already been, for God will call to account what has passed. 16Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.” 18I said to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.” 19For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other—they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 3Ecclesiastes 3:17 word by word
אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ בְּלִבִּ֔י אֶת־הַצַּדִּיק֙ וְאֶת־הָ֣רָשָׁ֔ע יִשְׁפֹּ֖ט הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּי־עֵ֣ת לְכָל־חֵ֔פֶץ וְעַ֥ל כָּל־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה שָֽׁם׃Read the interlinear
- Iאֲנִי'ănîy · IH589
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- in my heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- will judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
- the righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
- the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
- sinceכִּיkîy · forH3588
- there is a timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
- for everyכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- activityחֵ֫פֶץchêphets · pleasureH2656
- activityעַל‛al · uponH5921
- deedמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deedH4639
- deedשָׁםshâm · thereH8033
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:17
- Ecclesiastes 1:16I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”
- Ecclesiastes 2:1I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be futile.
- Ecclesiastes 12:14For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
- Genesis 18:25Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”
- Psalms 98:9before the LORD, for He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity.
- Matthew 16:27For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
- Matthew 25:31When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.
- John 5:22Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son,
- Acts 17:31For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”
- Romans 2:5But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
- 1 Corinthians 4:5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:6After all, it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,
- Revelation 20:11Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
- Jeremiah 29:10For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17For there is a time there for every purpose - Man has his time here below, and God shall have his time above. At his throne the judged shall be rejudged, and iniquity for ever close her mouth.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 That great anomaly in the moral government of this world, the seemingly unequal distribution of rewards and punishments, will be rectified by God, who has future times and events under His control Ecclesiastes 3:16-17. As for people, they are placed by God, who is their teacher, in a humble condition, even on a level with inferior animals, by death, that great instance of their subjection to vanity Ecclesiastes 3:18-19, which reduces to its…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 Without the fear of the Lord, man is but vanity; set that aside, and judges will not use their power well. And there is another Judge that stands before the door. With God there is a time for the redressing of grievances, though as yet we see it not. Solomon seems to express his wish that men might perceive, that by choosing this world as their portion, they brought themselves to a level with the beasts, without being free, as they are, from…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17God will judge: Human injustices (Ecclesiastes 3:16) are temporary and God will correct them. The narrator repeats this to conclude the book (Ecclesiastes 12:14).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. Solution of it. There is a coming judgment in which God will vindicate His righteous ways. The sinner's "time" of his unrighteous "work" is short. God also has His "time" and "work" of judgment; and, meanwhile, is overruling, for good at last, what seems now dark. Man cannot now "find out" the plan of God's ways (Ec 3:11; Psa 97:2). If judgment instantly followed every sin, there would be no scope for free will, faith, and perseverance of saints in…Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 3:17
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
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