Ecclesiastes 7:13

Ecclesiastes 7:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
• New International Version (NIV)Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Consider the work of God; For who can make straight what He has made crooked?

Context of Ecclesiastes 7:13

11Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun. 12For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner. Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent? 14In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider this: God has made one of these along with the other, so that a man cannot discover anything that will come after him. 15In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.

Ecclesiastes 7:13 word by word

רְאֵ֖ה אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֣י מִ֤י יוּכַל֙ לְתַקֵּ֔ן אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עִוְּתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

• Considerרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: examineH7200
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• the workמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
• of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• ·כִּיkîy · forH3588
• Whoמִיmîy · who?H4310
• canיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
• straightenתָּקַןtâqan · be straightH8626
• whatאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• He has bentעָוַת‛âvath · to pervertH5791

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 7:13

• Job 37:14Listen to this, O Job; stand still and consider the wonders of God.
• Psalms 8:3When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place—
• Psalms 107:43Let him who is wise pay heed to these things and consider the loving devotion of the LORD.
• Isaiah 5:12At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.
• Ecclesiastes 1:15What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
• Job 9:12If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
• Job 11:10If He comes along to imprison you, or convenes a court, who can stop Him?
• Job 12:14What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
• Job 34:29But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation,
• Isaiah 14:27The LORD of Hosts has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is outstretched, so who can turn it back?
• Isaiah 43:13Even from eternity I am He, and none can deliver out of My hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”
• Isaiah 46:10I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’
• Daniel 4:35All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”
• Romans 9:15For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
• Ephesians 1:11In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Consider the work of God - Such is the nature of his providence, that it puts money into the hands of few: but wisdom is within the reach of all. The first is not necessary to happiness; therefore, it is not offered to men; the latter is; and therefore God, in his goodness, offers it to the whole human race. The former can rarely be acquired, for God puts it out of the reach of most men, and you cannot make that straight which he has made crooked; the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13The work of God - The scheme of Divine Providence, the course of events which God orders and controls (compare Ecclesiastes 3:11). It comprises both events which are “straight,” i. e., in accordance with our expectation, and events which are “crooked,” i. e., which by their seeming inequality baffle our comprehension.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-22Verses 11-22 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, yea better. It shelters from the storms and scorching heat of trouble. Wealth will not lengthen out the natural life; but true wisdom will give spiritual life, and strengthen men for services under their sufferings. Let us look upon the disposal of our condition as the work of God, and at last all will appear to have been for the best. In acts of righteousness, be not carried into heats or passions, no…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13God's powerful actions cannot be resisted; trying to oppose or escape his plans is pointless.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. Consider as to God's work, that it is impossible to alter His dispensations; for who can, &c. straight ... crooked--Man cannot amend what God wills to be "wanting" and "adverse" (Ec 1:15; Job 12:14).Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 7:13

• God Continued...
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Adversity
• Bosom
• Consider
• Crackling
• Living
• Rest
• Crooked
• Synagogue, the Great

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7

• 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