Ecclesiastes 3:11

Ecclesiastes 3:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
• New International Version (NIV)He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
• New King James Version (NKJV)He 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.

Context of Ecclesiastes 3:11

9What gain, then, does the laborer get with his toil? 10I have seen the task that God has given to the children of men to keep them occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Moreover, He has set eternity in their heart—yet without the possibility that humankind can ever discover the work that God has done from the beginning to the end. 12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy themselves in their lifetime. 13Also when anyone eats and drinks, and finds satisfaction in all of his labor, it is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 word by word

אֶת־הַכֹּ֥ל עָשָׂ֖ה יָפֶ֣ה בְעִתּ֑וֹ גַּ֤ם אֶת־הָעֹלָם֙ נָתַ֣ן בְּלִבָּ֔ם מִבְּלִ֞י אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹא־יִמְצָ֣א הָאָדָ֗ם אֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים מֵרֹ֥אשׁ וְעַד־סֽוֹף׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• He hath madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• beautifulיָפֶהyâpheh · beautifulH3303
• in his timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• also he hath setנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• the worldעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: enduringH5769
• in their heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• so thatבְּלִיbelîy · withoutH1097
• no manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• can find outמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• the workמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
• that Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• makethעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• from the beginningרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: firstH7218
• to the endסוֹףsôph · endH5490

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:11

• Ecclesiastes 7:29Only this have I discovered: God made mankind upright, but they went seeking after many schemes.”
• Genesis 1:31So God saw everything that He made, and behold it was very good. So there was evening and there was morning—the sixth day.
• Deuteronomy 32:4The Rock—blameless is His work. Indeed, all His ways are just. God of faithfulness without iniquity, righteous and upright is He.
• Mark 7:37People were completely astounded, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes even the deaf hear and the mute speak!”
• Matthew 13:22“But the one sown among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word; and the worries of the world and the seduction of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
• Romans 1:19because what can be known about God is plain to them—for God has shown it to them.
• Job 11:7“Can you discover the mysteries of God? Can you find the limits of Shaddai?
• Job 37:23Shaddai, we cannot find Him! He is great in power and justice, and abundant righteousness He does not oppress.
• Psalms 104:24Adonai, how countless are Your works! In wisdom You made them all— the earth is full of Your creatures.
• Matthew 11:27“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
• Romans 11:33O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how incomprehensible His ways!

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Beautiful in his time - God's works are well done; there are order, harmony, and beauty in them all. Even the caterpillar is a finished beauty in all the changes through which it passes, when its structure is properly examined, and the ends kept in view in which each change is to issue. Nothing of this kind can be said of the works of man. The most finished works of art are bungling jobs, when compared with the meanest operation of nature. He hath set the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Rather, He hath made all (the travail, Ecclesiastes 3:10) beautiful (fit, in harmony with the whole work of God) in its time; also He hath set eternity in their heart (i. e., the heart of the sons of men, Ecclesiastes 3:10). The word, translated “world” in the text, and “eternity” in this note, is used seven times in Ecclesiastes. The interpretation “eternity,” is conceived in the sense of a long indefinite period of time, in accordance with the use of…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. 11He has made everything beautiful in its time: We can sometimes see this beauty in our work and the world. However, many people cannot see it. God keeps the understanding of how everything fits together for himself (see Romans 8:22–28). God has planted eternity, an awareness of the infinite, within each of us. This is enough for us to be in awe of him who is infinite and eternal, and enough to hope for eternal life after death.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. his time--that is, in its proper season (Psa 1:3), opposed to worldlings putting earthly pursuits out of their proper time and place (see on Ec 3:9). set the world in their heart--given them capacities to understand the world of nature as reflecting God's wisdom in its beautiful order and times (Ro 1:19, 20). "Everything" answers to "world," in the parallelism. so that--that is, but in such a manner that man only sees a portion, not the whole "from…Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 3:11

• God
• God Continued...
• Ignorance
• Power

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Dance
• Judge
• Beauty
• End
• Head
• Person, Personality
• Providence
• 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