Ecclesiastes 3:22

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 are going to the same place; all come from dust, and all return to dust. 21Who knows if the spirits of the children of Adam go upward and the spirits of animals go downward to the earth? I have seen that there is nothing better than for a person to enjoy his activities because that is his reward. For who can enable him to see what will happen after he dies?

Ecclesiastes 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Wherefore I perceiveרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• nothing betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• than that a manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• should rejoiceשָׂמַחώâmach · to rejoiceH8055
• in his own worksמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
• his portionחֵ֫לֶקchêleq · portionH2506
• for who shall bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• what shall be afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:22

• Ecclesiastes 3:11He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end.
• Ecclesiastes 2:10All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles.
• Ecclesiastes 5:18Here is what I have seen to be good: It is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward.
• Ecclesiastes 8:15So I commended enjoyment because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy himself, for this 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 pleasure, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already accepted your works.
• Ecclesiastes 11:9Rejoice, young person, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. And walk in the ways of your heart and in the desire of your eyes; but know that for all of these things God will bring you to judgment.
• Deuteronomy 12:7You will eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice with your household in everything you do, because the Lord your God has blessed you.
• Deuteronomy 26:10I have now brought the first of the land’s produce that you, Lord, have given me. You will then place the container before the Lord your God and bow down to him.
• Deuteronomy 28:47Because you didn’t serve the Lord your God with joy and a cheerful heart, even though you had an abundance of everything,
• Revelation 12:11They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; for they did not love their lives to the point of death.
• Philippians 4:4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
• Ecclesiastes 6:12For who knows what is good for anyone in life, in the few days of his futile life that he spends like a shadow? Who can tell anyone what will happen after him under the sun?
• Ecclesiastes 8:7Yet no one knows what will happen because who can tell him what will happen?
• Ecclesiastes 9:12For certainly no one knows his time: like fish caught in a cruel net or like birds caught in a trap, so people are trapped in an evil time as it suddenly falls on them.
• Ecclesiastes 10:14yet the fool multiplies words. No one knows what will happen, and who can tell anyone what will happen after him?
• Job 14:21If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they become insignificant, he is unaware of it.

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

• Happiness

In the dictionaries

• Dance
• Judge
• Bring
• 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