Berean Standard Bible
Ecclesiastes 3:22
22I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him?
Ecclesiastes 3:22 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
- New International Version (NIV)So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?
- English Standard Version (ESV)So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?
- New King James Version (NKJV)So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?
Context of Ecclesiastes 3:22
20All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust. 21Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of the animal descends into the earth? I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him?
Read all of Ecclesiastes 3Ecclesiastes 3:22 word by word
וְרָאִ֗יתִי כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין טוֹב֙ מֵאֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׂמַ֤ח הָאָדָם֙ בְּֽמַעֲשָׂ֔יו כִּי־ה֖וּא חֶלְק֑וֹ כִּ֣י מִ֤י יְבִיאֶ֙נּוּ֙ לִרְא֔וֹת בְּמֶ֖ה שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֥ה אַחֲרָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
- I have seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- thatכִּיkîy · forH3588
- there is nothingאַ֫יִן'ayin · nothingH369
- betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- for a manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- thanמֵאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whenceH834
- to enjoyשָׂמַחώâmach · to rejoiceH8055
- his workמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
- thatהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
- is his lotחֵ֫לֶקchêleq · portionH2506
- whoמִיmîy · who?H4310
- can bring himבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- whatמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
- will comeהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- after himאַחַר'achar · afterH310
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:22
- Ecclesiastes 3:11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end.
- Ecclesiastes 2:10Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.
- Ecclesiastes 5:18Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of life that God has given him—for this is his lot.
- Ecclesiastes 8:15So I commended the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be merry. For this joy will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun.
- Ecclesiastes 9:7Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:
- Ecclesiastes 11:9Rejoice, O young man, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.
- Deuteronomy 12:7There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.
- Deuteronomy 26:10And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land that You, O LORD, have given me.” Then you are to place the basket before the LORD your God and bow down before Him.
- Deuteronomy 28:47Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart in all your abundance,
- Revelation 12:11They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.
- Philippians 4:4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
- Ecclesiastes 6:12For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun?
- Ecclesiastes 8:7Since no one knows what will happen, who can tell him what is to come?
- Ecclesiastes 9:12For surely no man knows his time: Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds trapped in a snare, so men are ensnared in an evil time that suddenly falls upon them.
- Ecclesiastes 10:14Yet the fool multiplies words. No one knows what is coming, and who can tell him what will come after him?
- Job 14:21If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3:22
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22A man should rejoice in his own works - Do not turn God's blessings into sin by perverseness and complaining; make the best of life. God will sweeten its bitters to you, if you be faithful. Remember this is the state to prepare for glory; and the evils of life may be so sanctified to you as to work for your good. Though even wretched without, you may be happy within; for God can make all grace to abound towards you. You may be happy if you please; cry to…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. 22enjoy his work: Work is now a separate source of enjoyment, different from food and drink (compare Ecclesiastes 2:24–25; 3:12–13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2222. (Compare Ec 3:12; 5:18). Inculcating a thankful enjoyment of God's gifts, and a cheerful discharge of man's duties, founded on fear of God; not as the sensualist (Ec 11:9); not as the anxious money-seeker (Ec 2:23; 5:10-17). his portion--in the present life. If it were made his main portion, it would be "vanity" (Ec 2:1; Lu 16:25). for who, &c.--Our ignorance as to the future, which is God's "time" (Ec 3:11), should lead us to use the present time in…Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 3:22
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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