Ecclesiastes 3:15

Ecclesiastes 3:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
• New International Version (NIV)Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.
• English Standard Version (ESV)That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.
• New King James Version (NKJV)That which is has already been, And what is to be has already been; And God requires an account of what is past.

Context of Ecclesiastes 3:15

13People should be happy to eat and to drink. They should enjoy the work that they do. All these things are gifts from God. 14I know that everything that God does continues for ever. Nobody can add anything to it. Nobody can take anything away from it. God does these things so that people will respect his authority. Whatever is happening now has happened before. Everything that will happen in the future has already happened. God causes the same things to happen again and again. 16I saw something else that happens on the earth. Judges should choose what is right, but instead they choose what is wicked. They should decide what is fair, but they do evil things. 17I said to myself, ‘One day, God will judge everyone, righteous people and wicked people. He has chosen a time for everything. So there is a right time when he will judge people.’

Ecclesiastes 3:15 word by word

מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה֙ כְּבָ֣ר ה֔וּא וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר לִהְי֖וֹת כְּבָ֣ר הָיָ֑ה וְהָאֱלֹהִ֖ים יְבַקֵּ֥שׁ אֶת־נִרְדָּֽף׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• That which hath been is nowכְּבָרkebâr · alreadyH3528
• been; and Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• requirethבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• that which is pastרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:15

• Ecclesiastes 1:9Things that are happening now will continue to happen in the future. What people have done before, other people will do again. There is nothing truly new anywhere on the earth.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15That which hath been is now - God governs the world now, as he has governed it from the beginning; and the revolutions and operations of nature are the same now, that they have been from the beginning. What we see now, is the same as has been seen by those before us. And God requireth that which is past - i.e., That it may return again in its proper order. The heavens themselves, taking in their great revolutions, show the same phenomena. Even comets are…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Rather, What has been - what was before, and what shall be has been before. The word “is” in our the King James Version is erroneously printed in Roman letters: it does not exist in the Hebrew (it should have been italicized); and the word there translated “now” is the same which is translated as “already.” Requireth - i. e., requireth for judgment, as the word specially means in 2 Samuel 4:11; Ezekiel 3:18 … It is obvious from the context of the last…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-15Verses 11-15 Every thing is as God made it; not as it appears to us. We have the world so much in our hearts, are so taken up with thoughts and cares of worldly things, that we have neither time nor spirit to see God's hand in them. The world has not only gained possession of the heart, but has formed thoughts against the beauty of God's works. We mistake if we think we were born for ourselves; no, it is our business to do good in this life, which is…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15what will be has already been: The same events repeat throughout history (Ecclesiastes 1:9–10) which is part of God's plan.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. Resumption of Ec 1:9. Whatever changes there be, the succession of events is ordered by God's "everlasting" laws (Ec 3:14), and returns in a fixed cycle. requireth that ... past--After many changes, God's law requires the return of the same cycle of events, as in the past, literally, "that which is driven on." The Septuagint and Syriac translate: "God requireth (that is, avengeth) the persecuted man"; a transition to Ec 3:16, 17. The parallel clauses…Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 3:15

• God
• God Continued...

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Dance
• Judge
• Require
• 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