New King James Version
Ecclesiastes 3:13
13and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.
Ecclesiastes 3:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
- New International Version (NIV)That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.
- New Living Translation (NLT)And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.
Context of Ecclesiastes 3:13
11He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. 12I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God. 14I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. 15That which is has already been, And what is to be has already been; And God requires an account of what is past.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 3Ecclesiastes 3:13 word by word
וְגַ֤ם כָּל־הָאָדָם֙ שֶׁיֹּאכַ֣ל וְשָׁתָ֔ה וְרָאָ֥ה ט֖וֹב בְּכָל־עֲמָל֑וֹ מַתַּ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽיא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:13
- Ecclesiastes 2:24Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.
- Ecclesiastes 5:18Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage.
- Ecclesiastes 6:2A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.
- Ecclesiastes 9:7Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works.
- Deuteronomy 28:30“You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; you shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but shall not gather its grapes.
- Judges 6:3So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them.
- Psalms 128:2When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.
- Isaiah 65:21They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3:13
- 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. 12-13rejoice and do good while they live: Even though life and work can be hard, the Teacher's conclusion (repeated from Ecclesiastes 2:24) can still be true.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. Literally, "And also as to every man who eats ... this is the gift of God" (Ec 3:22; 5:18). When received as God's gifts, and to God's glory, the good things of life are enjoyed in their due time and order (Ac 2:46; 1Co 10:31; 1Ti 4:3, 4).Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 3:13
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries