Ecclesiastes 3:18

Ecclesiastes 3:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
• New International Version (NIV)I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.”

Context of Ecclesiastes 3:18

16And moreover I saw under the sun, that in the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there. 17I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. I said in my heart, It is thus with the children of men, that God may prove them, and that they should see that they themselves are but beasts. 19For what befalleth the children of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other, and they have all one breath; and man hath no pre-eminence above the beast: for all is vanity. 20All go unto one place: all are of the dust, and all return to dust.

Ecclesiastes 3:18 word by word

אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ בְּלִבִּ֔י עַל־דִּבְרַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י הָאָדָ֔ם לְבָרָ֖ם הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְלִרְא֕וֹת שְׁהֶם־בְּהֵמָ֥ה הֵ֖מָּה לָהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• menאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:18

• Genesis 3:17And to Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed be the ground on thy account; with toil shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life;
• Job 14:1Man, born of woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.
• Job 15:16How much less the abominable and corrupt, — man, that drinketh unrighteousness like water!
• Psalms 49:14Like sheep are they laid in Sheol: Death feedeth on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their comeliness shall be for Sheol to consume, that there be no habitation for them.
• Psalms 73:18Truly thou settest them in slippery places, thou castest them down in ruins.
• Psalms 90:5Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are [as] a sleep: in the morning they are like grass [that] groweth up:
• Hebrews 9:27And forasmuch as it is the portion of men once to die, and after this judgment;
• 1 Peter 1:24Because all flesh [is] as grass, and all its glory as [the] flower of grass. The grass has withered and [its] flower has fallen;
• Job 40:8Wilt thou also annul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me that thou mayest be righteous?
• Psalms 51:4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done what is evil in thy sight; that thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, be clear when thou judgest.
• Romans 3:4Far be the thought: but let God be true, and every man false; according as it is written, So that thou shouldest be justified in thy words, and shouldest overcome when thou art in judgment.
• Romans 9:23and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he had before prepared for glory,
• Psalms 73:22Then I was brutish and knew nothing; I was [as] a beast with thee.
• 2 Peter 2:12But these, as natural animals without reason, made to be caught and destroyed, speaking injuriously in things they are ignorant of, shall also perish in their own corruption,

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18That they might see that they themselves are beasts - The author of Choheleth has given a correct view of this difficult verse, by a proper translation: "I said in my heart, reflecting on the state of the sons of men, O that God would enlighten them, and make them see that even they themselves are like beasts." These words are to be referred to those in authority who abused their power; particularly to the corrupt magistrates mentioned above.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. 16-22This section discusses various topics, such as justice, humans and animals, oppression, moderation, companionship, politics, and worship.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. estate--The estate of fallen man is so ordered (these wrongs are permitted), that God might "manifest," that is, thereby prove them, and that they might themselves see their mortal frailty, like that of the beasts. sons of men--rather, "sons of Adam," a phrase used for "fallen men." The toleration of injustice until the judgment is designed to "manifest" men's characters in their fallen state, to see whether the oppressed will bear themselves aright…Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 3:18

• Animals
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Beast
• Dance
• Judge
• Manifest; Manifestation
• Order
• Prove
• 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