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

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.’ I also thought, ‘God wants people to know that they are like animals. That is why he tests us. 19The same thing happens to humans as happens to animals. We all breathe for a time and then we die. Humans are no different to animals. Life has no purpose. 20All living things finally go to the same place. We all come from the dust of the ground. And we all go back to the dust when we die.

Ecclesiastes 3:18 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• I saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• in mine heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• concerning the estateדִּבְרָהdibrâh · causeH1700
• of the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of menאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• that Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• might manifestבָּרַרbârar · to purifyH1305
• them, and that they might seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• that theyהֵ֫מָּהhêm hêmmâh · they(masc.)H1992
• themselves are beastsבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:18

• Genesis 3:17Then God said to Adam, ‘You listened to your wife and you did what she said. You ate fruit from the tree after I told you, “You must not eat fruit from this tree.” Because you did that, I will curse the ground. You will have to work very hard to make plants grow in it for your food. It will be like this for your whole life.
• Job 14:1Everyone that a woman gives birth to lives only for a short time. The days of his life are full of trouble.
• Job 15:16So he certainly will not trust people. People are wicked and cannot think true thoughts. They like to do evil things, as if they are drinking water!
• Psalms 49:14They will follow one another like sheep. Death will be their shepherd that leads them into their graves. But when the day arrives, righteous people will rule over them. They will no longer live in their great houses, but death will destroy their bodies in their graves.
• Psalms 73:18Yes, I realized that they are in a dangerous place, where they will easily slip. You will cause them to fall down to their death.
• Psalms 90:5You cause people's lives to end, as a dream finishes when you wake up. People are like grass that appears in the morning.
• Hebrews 9:27Every person must die once. After death, God will judge each person.
• 1 Peter 1:24The Bible says: ‘All people are like grass. They may seem beautiful for a short time, like flowers that grow in the fields. But grass soon becomes dry and it dies. Flowers soon fall to the ground.
• Job 40:8Do you say that I am not a fair judge? Do you want to show that I am guilty, not you? Then you could say that you are right.
• Psalms 51:4It is you that I have done bad things against, only you! I have done things that are evil, as you know. And so you are fair when you speak against me. You are right when you say that I am guilty.
• Romans 3:4No, certainly it does not mean that! God will always do what he says. He will always say what is true, even if everyone in the world should tell lies. This is what is written in the Bible: ‘Your message is true. It shows that you are right. People may say that you are wrong. But it will always be clear that you are right.’
• Romans 9:23Other people are like valuable pots that God has chosen to make. God wants to be kind to people like that. He wants to use them to show people how great he is. He has prepared them to be with him for a special party in heaven.
• Psalms 73:22I was stupid, and I did not understand you properly. I was no better than an animal.
• 2 Peter 2:12But these false teachers speak against things that they do not understand. They are like wild animals. Their minds cannot think properly. They only do what their nature causes them to do. Wild animals are born so that people can catch them and kill them. In the same way, God will destroy the false teachers.

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