Apologetics Bible
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Apologetics exposition helps trace how passages function in canonical argument, what doctrinal claims they touch, and how themes connect across the 66 books.
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Ecclesiastes (Qohelet — "Assembler/Preacher") is Solomon's philosophical autopsy of life lived under the sun — without transcendent reference. The repeated verdict hebel ("vapor/vanity") is not nihilism but diagnostic: every finite meaning-system eventually collapses under the weight of death.
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Connected primary witness
- Connected ID:
Ecclesiastes_3
- Primary Witness Text: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. 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. I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. And moreover ...
Connected dataset overlay
- Connected ID:
Ecclesiastes_3
- Chapter Blob Preview: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to ...
Chapter frameStart here before opening notes.
Chapter frame
Ecclesiastes (Qohelet — "Assembler/Preacher") is Solomon's philosophical autopsy of life lived under the sun — without transcendent reference. The repeated verdict hebel ("vapor/vanity") is not nihilism but diagnostic: every finite meaning-system eventually collapses under the weight of death.
The book's apologetics use is considerable: Ecclesiastes performs the reductio ad absurdum of secular humanism. Pleasure (2:1-3), wisdom (2:12-16), work (2:17-23), and accumulation (5:10-17) are each tried and found bankrupt. The resolution: "Fear God and keep His commandments" (12:13) — transcendent meaning alone survives.
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Verse-by-verse study lane
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Hebrew
לַכֹּל זְמָן וְעֵת לְכָל־חֵפֶץ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃lakhol-zeman-ve'et-lekhal-chefetz-tachat-hashamayim
KJV: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
AKJV: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
ASV: For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
YLT: To everything--a season, and a time to every delight under the heavens:
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:1 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:2
Hebrew
עֵת לָלֶדֶת וְעֵת לָמוּת עֵת לָטַעַת וְעֵת לַעֲקוֹר נָטֽוּעַ׃'et-laledet-ve'et-lamvt-'et-lata'at-ve'et-la'aqvor-natv'a
KJV: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
AKJV: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
ASV: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
YLT: A time to bring forth, And a time to die. A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the planted.
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:2Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:2
Verse 2 A time to be born, and a time to die - plant - "As in its mother's womb the embryo lies A space determined; to full growth arrived, From its dark prison bursts, and sees the light; So is the period fix'd when man shall drop Into the grave - A time there is to plant, And sow; another time to pluck and reap. Even nations have their destined rise and fall: Awhile they thrive; and for destruction ripe, When grown, are rooted up like wither'd plants."
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:2
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:2 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:3
Hebrew
עֵת לַהֲרוֹג וְעֵת לִרְפּוֹא עֵת לִפְרוֹץ וְעֵת לִבְנֽוֹת׃'et-laharvog-ve'et-lirefvo'-'et-lifervotz-ve'et-livenvot
KJV: A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
AKJV: A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
ASV: a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
YLT: A time to slay, And a time to heal, A time to break down, And a time to build up.
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:3Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:3
Verse 3 A time to kill, - heal, - break down, - build up - "The healing art, when out of season used, Pernicious proves, and serves to hasten death. But timely medicines drooping nature raise, And health restore - Now, Justice wields her sword With wholesome rigour, nor the offender spares: But Mercy now is more expedient found. On crazy fabrics ill-timed cost bestow'd No purpose answers, when discretion bids To pull them down, and wait a season fit To build anew."
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:3
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness
- Now
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:3 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:4
Hebrew
עֵת לִבְכּוֹת וְעֵת לִשְׂחוֹק עֵת סְפוֹד וְעֵת רְקֽוֹד׃'et-livekhvot-ve'et-lishechvoq-'et-sefvod-ve'et-reqvod
KJV: A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
AKJV: A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
ASV: a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
YLT: A time to weep, And a time to laugh. A time to mourn, And a time to skip.
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:4Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:4
Verse 4 A time to weep, - laugh, - mourn, - dance - - "When private griefs affect The heart, our tears with decent sorrow flow; Nor less becoming, when the public mourns, To vent the deepest sighs. But all around When things a smiling aspect bear, our souls May well exult; 'tis then a time for joy."
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:4
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:4 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:5
Hebrew
עֵת לְהַשְׁלִיךְ אֲבָנִים וְעֵת כְּנוֹס אֲבָנִים עֵת לַחֲבוֹק וְעֵת לִרְחֹק מֵחַבֵּֽק׃'et-lehasheliykhe-'avaniym-ve'et-khenvos-'avaniym-'et-lachavvoq-ve'et-lirechoq-mechaveq
KJV: A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
AKJV: A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
ASV: a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
YLT: A time to cast away stones, And a time to heap up stones. A time to embrace, And a time to be far from embracing.
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:5Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:5
Verse 5 A time to cast away stones, - to gather stones, - to embrace, - to refrain - "One while domestic cares abortive prove, And then successful. Nature now invites Connubial pleasures: but, when languid grown, No less rejects."
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:5
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:5 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:6
Hebrew
עֵת לְבַקֵּשׁ וְעֵת לְאַבֵּד עֵת לִשְׁמוֹר וְעֵת לְהַשְׁלִֽיךְ׃'et-levaqesh-ve'et-le'aved-'et-lishemvor-ve'et-lehasheliykhe
KJV: A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
AKJV: A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
ASV: a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
YLT: A time to seek, And a time to destroy. A time to keep, And a time to cast away.
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:6Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:6
Verse 6 A time to get, - to lose, - to keep, - to cast away - - "Commerce produces wealth, Whilst time of gaining lasts; from every point Blow prosperous gales. Now heaven begins to lower, And all our hopes are blasted. Prudence bids, One while, our treasure to reserve, and then With liberal hand to scatter wide. How oft In raging storms, the owner wisely casts Into the deep his precious merchandise, To save the foundering bark!
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:6
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:6 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:7
Hebrew
עֵת לִקְרוֹעַ וְעֵת לִתְפּוֹר עֵת לַחֲשׁוֹת וְעֵת לְדַבֵּֽר׃'et-liqervo'a-ve'et-litefvor-'et-lachashvot-ve'et-ledaver
KJV: A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
AKJV: A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
ASV: a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
YLT: A time to rend, And a time to sew. A time to be silent, And a time to speak.
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:7Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:7
Verse 7 A time to rend, - sew, - keep silence, - speak - - "Intestine broils And factions rend a state: at length the breach Is heal'd, and rest ensues. Wisdom restrains The tongue, when words are vain: but now, 'Tis time to speak, and silence would be criminal."
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:7
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:7 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:8
Hebrew
עֵת לֶֽאֱהֹב וְעֵת לִשְׂנֹא עֵת מִלְחָמָה וְעֵת שָׁלֽוֹם׃'et-le'ehov-ve'et-lisheno'-'et-milechamah-ve'et-shalvom
KJV: A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
AKJV: A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
ASV: a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
YLT: A time to love, And a time to hate. A time of war, And a time of peace.
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:8Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:8
Verse 8 A time to love, - hate, - of war, - of peace - "Love turns to hatred; interest or caprice Dissolves the firmest knot by friendship tied. O'er rival nations, with revenge inflamed, Or lust of power, fell Discord shakes awhile Her baleful torch: now smiling Peace returns." The above paraphrase on the verses cited contains a general view of the principal occurrences of time, in reference to the human being, from his cradle to his grave, through all the operations of life.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:8
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:8 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:9
Hebrew
מַה־יִּתְרוֹן הָֽעוֹשֶׂה בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא עָמֵֽל׃mah-yitervon-ha'vosheh-va'asher-hv'-'amel
KJV: What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
AKJV: What profit has he that works in that wherein he labors?
ASV: What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth?
YLT: What advantage hath the doer in that which he is labouring at?
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:9Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:9
Verse 9 What profit hath he - What real good, what solid pleasure, is derived from all the labors of man? Necessity drives him to the principal part of his cares and toils; he labors that he may eat and drink; and he eats and drinks that he may be preserved alive, and kept from sickness and pain. Love of money, the basest of all passions, and restless ambition, drive men to many labors and expedients, which perplex and often destroy them. He, then, who lives without God, travails in pain all his days.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:9
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness
- He
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:9 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:10
Hebrew
רָאִיתִי אֶת־הָֽעִנְיָן אֲשֶׁר נָתַן אֱלֹהִים לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם לַעֲנוֹת בּֽוֹ׃ra'iytiy-'et-ha'ineyan-'asher-natan-'elohiym-liveney-ha'adam-la'anvot-vvo
KJV: I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
AKJV: I have seen the travail, which God has given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
ASV: I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
YLT: I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
Commentary Witness (Generated)Ecclesiastes 3:10Generated editorial synthesis
Commentary Witness (Generated)
Ecclesiastes 3:10
Ecclesiastes 3:10 advances the immediate literary flow of the chapter and should be interpreted in its canonical context, not as an isolated proof text. In the present translation it reads: 'I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.'. A close Hebrew reading supports attention to key lexical choices, clause movement, and redemptive-historical placement so doctrinal conclusions remain textually grounded.
Provenance. Rendered as an editorial synthesis tied to the canonical verse context and current chapter source.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:10
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Biblical cross-references named in the witness
- Ecclesiastes 3:10
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:10 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
Hebrew
אֶת־הַכֹּל עָשָׂה יָפֶה בְעִתּוֹ גַּם אֶת־הָעֹלָם נָתַן בְּלִבָּם מִבְּלִי אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יִמְצָא הָאָדָם אֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים מֵרֹאשׁ וְעַד־סֽוֹף׃'et-hakhol-'ashah-yafeh-ve'itvo-gam-'et-ha'olam-natan-velivam-miveliy-'asher-lo'-yimetza'-ha'adam-'et-hama'asheh-'asher-'ashah-ha'elohiym-mero'sh-ve'ad-svof
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.
AKJV: He has made every thing beautiful in his time: also he has set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end.
ASV: He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end.
YLT: The whole He hath made beautiful in its season; also, that knowledge He hath put in their heart without which man findeth not out the work that God hath done from the beginning even unto the end.
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:11Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:11
Verse 11 Beautiful 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 world in their heart - העולם haolam, that hidden time - the period beyond the present, - Eternity. The proper translation of this clause is the following: "Also that eternity hath he placed in their heart, without which man could not find out the work which God hath made from the commencement to the end." God has deeply rooted the idea of eternity in every human heart; and every considerate man sees, that all the operations of God refer to that endless duration. See Ecc 3:14. And it is only in eternity that man will be able to discover what God has designed by the various works he has formed.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:11
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness
- Eternity
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:11 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: '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.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:12
Hebrew
יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אֵין טוֹב בָּם כִּי אִם־לִשְׂמוֹחַ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת טוֹב בְּחַיָּֽיו׃yada'etiy-khiy-'eyn-tvov-vam-khiy-'im-lishemvocha-vela'ashvot-tvov-vechayayv
KJV: I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
AKJV: I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
ASV: I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good so long as they live.
YLT: I have known that there is no good for them except to rejoice and to do good during their life,
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:12Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:12
Verse 12 I know that there is no good in them, but, etc. - Since God has so disposed the affairs of this world, that the great events of providence cannot be accelerated or retarded by human cares and anxieties, submit to God; make a proper use of what he has given: do thyself no harm, and endeavor as much as possible to do others good. Enjoy, and bless thyself; let others share The transient blessing: 'tis the gift of God.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:12
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness
- Ovid
- Enjoy
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:12 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:13
Hebrew
וְגַם כָּל־הָאָדָם שֶׁיֹּאכַל וְשָׁתָה וְרָאָה טוֹב בְּכָל־עֲמָלוֹ מַתַּת אֱלֹהִים הִֽיא׃vegam-khal-ha'adam-sheyo'khal-veshatah-vera'ah-tvov-vekhal-'amalvo-matat-'elohiym-hiy'
KJV: And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
AKJV: And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.
ASV: And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.
YLT: yea, even every man who eateth and hath drunk and seen good by all his labour, it is a gift of God.
Commentary Witness (Generated)Ecclesiastes 3:13Generated editorial synthesis
Commentary Witness (Generated)
Ecclesiastes 3:13
Ecclesiastes 3:13 advances the immediate literary flow of the chapter and should be interpreted in its canonical context, not as an isolated proof text. In the present translation it reads: 'And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.'. A close Hebrew reading supports attention to key lexical choices, clause movement, and redemptive-historical placement so doctrinal conclusions remain textually grounded.
Provenance. Rendered as an editorial synthesis tied to the canonical verse context and current chapter source.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:13
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Biblical cross-references named in the witness
- Ecclesiastes 3:13
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:13 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:14
Hebrew
יָדַעְתִּי כִּי כָּל־אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הָאֱלֹהִים הוּא יִהְיֶה לְעוֹלָם עָלָיו אֵין לְהוֹסִיף וּמִמֶּנּוּ אֵין לִגְרֹעַ וְהָאֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה שֶׁיִּֽרְאוּ מִלְּפָנָֽיו׃yada'etiy-khiy-khal-'asher-ya'asheh-ha'elohiym-hv'-yiheyeh-le'volam-'alayv-'eyn-lehvosiyf-vmimenv-'eyn-ligero'a-veha'elohiym-'ashah-sheyire'v-milefanayv
KJV: I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
AKJV: I know that, whatever God does, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God does it, that men should fear before him.
ASV: I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it; and God hath done it, that men should fear before him.
YLT: I have known that all that God doth is to the age, to it nothing is to be added, and from it nothing is to be withdrawn; and God hath wrought that they do fear before Him.
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:14Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:14
Verse 14 I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever - לעולם leolam, for eternity; in reference to that grand consummation of men and things intimated in Ecc 3:11. God has produced no being that he intends ultimately to destroy. He made every thing in reference to eternity; and, however matter may be changed and refined, animal and intellectual beings shall not be deprived of their existence. The brute creation shall be restored, and all human spirits shall live for ever; the pure in a state of supreme and endless blessedness, the impure in a state of indestructible misery. Nothing can be put to it - No new order of beings, whether animate or inanimate, can be produced. God will not create more; man cannot add. Nor any thing taken from it - Nothing can be annihilated; no power but that which can create can destroy. And whatever he has done, he intended to be a means of impressing a just sense of his being, providence, mercy, and judgments, upon the souls of men. A proper consideration of God's works has a tendency to make man a religious creature; that is, to impress his mind with a sense of the existence of the Supreme Being, and the reverence that is due to him. In this sense the fear of God is frequently taken in Scripture. The Hebrew of this clause is strongly emphatic: והאלהים עשה שייראו מלפניו vehaelohim asah sheiyireu millephanaiv; "And the gods he hath done, that they might fear from before his faces." Even the doctrine of the eternal Trinity in Unity may be collected from numberless appearances in nature. A consideration of the herb trefoil is said to have been the means of fully convincing the learned Erasmus of the truth of the assertion, These Three are One: and yet three distinct. He saw the same root, the same fibres, the same pulpy substance, the same membraneous covering, the same color, the same taste, the same smell, in every part; and yet the three leaves distinct: but each and all a continuation of the stem, and proceeding from the same root. Such a fact as this may at least illustrate the doctrine. An intelligent shepherd, whom he met upon the mountains, is said to have exhibited the herb, and the illustration while discoursing on certain difficulties in the Christian faith. When a child, I heard a learned man relate this fact.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:14
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness
- Ovid
- Supreme Being
- Scripture
- One
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:14 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:15
Hebrew
מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה כְּבָר הוּא וַאֲשֶׁר לִהְיוֹת כְּבָר הָיָה וְהָאֱלֹהִים יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־נִרְדָּֽף׃mah-shehayah-khevar-hv'-va'asher-liheyvot-khevar-hayah-veha'elohiym-yevaqesh-'et-niredaf
KJV: That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
AKJV: That which has been is now; and that which is to be has already been; and God requires that which is past. ¶
ASV: That which is hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which is passed away.
YLT: What is that which hath been? already it is, and that which is to be hath already been, and God requireth that which is pursued.
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:15Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:15
Verse 15 That 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 supposed to have their revolutions, though some of them are hundreds of years in going round their orbits. But in the economy of grace, does not God require that which is past? Whatever blessing or influence God gives to the soul of man, he intends shall remain and increase; and it will, if man be faithful. Reader, canst thou produce all the secret inspirations of his Spirit, all the drawings of his love, his pardoning mercy, his sanctifying grace, the heavenly-mindedness produced in thee, thy holy zeal, thy spirit of prayer, thy tender conscience, the witness of the Spirit, which thou didst once receive and enjoy? Where are they? God requireth that which is past.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:15
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness
- Ray
- Reader
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:15 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:16
Hebrew
וְעוֹד רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ מְקוֹם הַמִּשְׁפָּט שָׁמָּה הָרֶשַׁע וּמְקוֹם הַצֶּדֶק שָׁמָּה הָרָֽשַׁע׃ve'vod-ra'iytiy-tachat-hashamesh-meqvom-hamishefat-shamah-haresha'-vmeqvom-hatzedeq-shamah-harasha'
KJV: And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
AKJV: And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
ASV: And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.
YLT: And again, I have seen under the sun the place of judgment--there is the wicked; and the place of righteousness--there is the wicked.
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:16Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:16
Verse 16 The plate of judgment, that wickedness was there - The abuse of power, and the perversion of judgment, have been justly complained of in every age of the world. The following paraphrase is good: - "But what enjoyment can our labors yield, When e'en the remedy prescribed by heaven To cure disorders proves our deadliest bane? When God's vicegerents, destined to protect The weak from insolence of power, to guard Their lives and fortunes, impious robbers turn? And, or by force or fraud, deprive of both? - To what asylum shall the injured fly From her tribunal, where perverted law Acquits the guilty, the innocent condemns?" C.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:16
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness
- And
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:16 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:17
Hebrew
אָמַרְתִּֽי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי אֶת־הַצַּדִּיק וְאֶת־הָרָשָׁע יִשְׁפֹּט הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי־עֵת לְכָל־חֵפֶץ וְעַל כָּל־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂה שָֽׁם׃'amaretiy-'aniy-veliviy-'et-hatzadiyq-ve'et-harasha'-yishefot-ha'elohiym-khiy-'et-lekhal-chefetz-ve'al-khal-hama'asheh-sham
KJV: I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
AKJV: I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
ASV: I 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.
YLT: I said in my heart, `The righteous and the wicked doth God judge, for a time is to every matter and for every work there.'
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:17Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:17
Verse 17 For there is a time there for every purpose - Man has his time here below, and God shall have his time above. At his throne the judged shall be rejudged, and iniquity for ever close her mouth.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:17
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:17 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:18
Hebrew
אָמַרְתִּֽי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי עַל־דִּבְרַת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם לְבָרָם הָאֱלֹהִים וְלִרְאוֹת שְׁהֶם־בְּהֵמָה הֵמָּה לָהֶֽם׃'amaretiy-'aniy-veliviy-'al-diverat-veney-ha'adam-levaram-ha'elohiym-velire'vot-shehem-vehemah-hemah-lahem
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.
AKJV: I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
ASV: I said in my heart, It isbecause of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.
YLT: I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to see that they themselves are beasts.
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:18Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:18
Verse 18 That 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.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:18
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:18 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: '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.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:19
Hebrew
כִּי מִקְרֶה בְֽנֵי־הָאָדָם וּמִקְרֶה הַבְּהֵמָה וּמִקְרֶה אֶחָד לָהֶם כְּמוֹת זֶה כֵּן מוֹת זֶה וְרוּחַ אֶחָד לַכֹּל וּמוֹתַר הָאָדָם מִן־הַבְּהֵמָה אָיִן כִּי הַכֹּל הָֽבֶל׃khiy-miqereh-veney-ha'adam-vmiqereh-havehemah-vmiqereh-'echad-lahem-khemvot-zeh-khen-mvot-zeh-vervcha-'echad-lakhol-vmvotar-ha'adam-min-havehemah-'ayin-khiy-hakhol-havel
KJV: For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
AKJV: For that which befalls the sons of men befalls beasts; even one thing befalls them: as the one dies, so dies the other; yes, they have all one breath; so that a man has no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
ASV: For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; and man hath no preeminence above the beasts: for all is vanity.
YLT: For an event is to the sons of man, and an event is to the beasts, even one event is to them; as the death of this, so is the death of that; and one spirit is to all, and the advantage of man above the beast is nothing, for the whole is vanity.
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:19Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:19
Verse 19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts - From the present comparison of great men to beasts, the author takes occasion to enforce the subject by mentioning the state of mankind in general, with respect to the mortality of their bodies; and then, by an easy transition, touches in the next verse on the point which is of such infinite consequence to religion. As the one dieth, so dieth the other - Animal life is the same both in the man and in the beast. They have all one breath - They respire in the same way; and when they cease to respire, animal life becomes extinct. Befalleth beasts - This is wanting in six of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:19
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:19 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all i...'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:20
Hebrew
הַכֹּל הוֹלֵךְ אֶל־מָקוֹם אֶחָד הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן־הֶֽעָפָר וְהַכֹּל שָׁב אֶל־הֶעָפָֽר׃hakhol-hvolekhe-'el-maqvom-'echad-hakhol-hayah-min-he'afar-vehakhol-shav-'el-he'afar
KJV: All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
AKJV: All go to one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
ASV: All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
YLT: The whole are going unto one place, the whole have been from the dust, and the whole are turning back unto the dust.
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:20Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:20
Verse 20 All go unto one place - "Man was born To die, nor aught exceeds in this respect The vilest brute. Both transient, frail, and vain, Draw the same breath; alike grow old, decay, And then expire: both to one grave descend; There blended lie, to native dust return'd." - C.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:20
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:20 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:21
Hebrew
מִי יוֹדֵעַ רוּחַ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם הָעֹלָה הִיא לְמָעְלָה וְרוּחַ הַבְּהֵמָה הַיֹּרֶדֶת הִיא לְמַטָּה לָאָֽרֶץ׃miy-yvode'a-rvcha-veney-ha'adam-ha'olah-hiy'-lema'elah-vervcha-havehemah-hayoredet-hiy'-lematah-la'aretz
KJV: Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
AKJV: Who knows the spirit of man that goes upward, and the spirit of the beast that goes downward to the earth?
ASV: Who knoweth the spirit of man, whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast, whether it goeth downward to the earth?
YLT: Who knoweth the spirit of the sons of man that is going up on high, and the spirit of the beast that is going down below to the earth?
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:21Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:21
Verse 21 Who knoweth the spirit of man - I think the meaning of this important verse is well taken by the above able writer: - The nobler part of man, 'tis true, survives The frail corporeal frame: but who regards The difference? Those who live like beasts, as such Would die, and be no more, if their own fate Depended on themselves. Who once reflects, Amidst his revels, that the human soul, Of origin celestial, mounts aloft, While that of brutes to earth shall downward go?" The word רוח ruach, which is used in this and the nineteenth verse, has two significations, breath and spirit. It signifies spirit, or an incorporeal substance, as distinguished from flesh, or a corporeal one, 1Kgs 22:21, 1Kgs 22:22, and Isa 31:3. And it signifies the spirit or soul of man, Psa 31:6; Isa 57:16, and in this book, Ecc 12:7, and in many other places. In this book it is used also to signify the breath, spirit, or soul of a beast. While it was said in verse 19, they have all one breath, i.e., the man and the beast live the same kind of animal life; in this verse, a proper distinction is made between the רוח ruach, or soul of man, and the רוח ruach, or soul of the beast: the one goeth upwards, the other goeth downwards. The literal translation of these important words is this: "Who considereth the רוח ruach) immortal spirit of the sons of Adam, which ascendeth? it is from above; (היא למעלה hi lemalah); and the spirit or breath of the cattle which descendeth? it is downwards unto the earth," i.e., it tends to the earth only. This place gives no countenance to the materiality of the soul; and yet it is the strongest hold to which the cold and fruitless materialist can resort. Solomon most evidently makes an essential difference between the human soul and that of brutes. Both have souls, but of different natures: the soul of man was made for God, and to God it shall return: God is its portion, and when a holy soul leaves the body, it goes to paradise. The soul of the beast was made to derive its happiness from this lower world. Brutes shall have a resurrection, and have an endless enjoyment in a new earth. The body of man shall arise, and join his soul that is already above; and both enjoy final blessedness in the fruition of God. That Solomon did not believe they had the same kind of spirit, and the same final lot, as some materialists and infidels say, is evident from Ecc 12:7 : "The spirit shall return unto God who gave it."
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:21
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Biblical cross-references named in the witness
- 1Kgs 22:21
- 1Kgs 22:22
- Isa 31:3
- Isa 57:16
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness
- Adam
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:21 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Ecclesiastes 3:22
Hebrew
וְרָאִיתִי כִּי אֵין טוֹב מֵאֲשֶׁר יִשְׂמַח הָאָדָם בְּֽמַעֲשָׂיו כִּי־הוּא חֶלְקוֹ כִּי מִי יְבִיאֶנּוּ לִרְאוֹת בְּמֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אַחֲרָֽיו׃vera'iytiy-khiy-'eyn-tvov-me'asher-yishemach-ha'adam-vema'ashayv-khiy-hv'-cheleqvo-khiy-miy-yeviy'env-lire'vot-vemeh-sheyiheyeh-'acharayv
KJV: Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
AKJV: Why I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
ASV: Wherefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him back to see what shall be after him?
YLT: And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man rejoice in his works, for it is his portion; for who doth bring him in to look on that which is after him?
Commentary WitnessEcclesiastes 3:22Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:22
Verse 22 A man should rejoice in his own works - Do not turn God's blessings into sin by perverseness and complaining; make the best of life. God will sweeten its bitters to you, if you be faithful. Remember this is the state to prepare for glory; and the evils of life may be so sanctified to you as to work for your good. Though even wretched without, you may be happy within; for God can make all grace to abound towards you. You may be happy if you please; cry to God, who never rejects the prayer of the humble, and gives his Holy Spirit to all them that ask him.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:22
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness
- Ray
Exposition: Ecclesiastes 3:22 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Citation trailOpen the commentary counts, references, and named sources.
Scholarly apparatus
Commentary citation index
This chapter now surfaces commentary as quoted witness material with an explicit citation trail. The index below gathers the canonical references and named authorities detected inside the commentary layer for faster academic review.
Direct commentary witnesses
20
Generated editorial witnesses
2
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Canonical references surfaced in commentary
- Ecclesiastes 3:1
- Ecclesiastes 3:2
- Ecclesiastes 3:3
- Ecclesiastes 3:4
- Ecclesiastes 3:5
- Ecclesiastes 3:6
- Ecclesiastes 3:7
- Ecclesiastes 3:8
- Ecclesiastes 3:9
- Ecclesiastes 3:10
- Ecclesiastes 3:11
- Ecclesiastes 3:12
- Ecclesiastes 3:13
- Ecclesiastes 3:14
- Ecclesiastes 3:15
- Ecclesiastes 3:16
- Ecclesiastes 3:17
- Ecclesiastes 3:18
- Ecclesiastes 3:19
- Ecclesiastes 3:20
- 1Kgs 22:21
- 1Kgs 22:22
- Isa 31:3
- Isa 57:16
- Ecclesiastes 3:21
- Ecclesiastes 3:22
Named authorities or texts surfaced in commentary
- Ovid
- Time
- The Jews
- Now
- He
- Eternity
- Enjoy
- Supreme Being
- Scripture
- One
- Ray
- Reader
- And
- Adam
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Commentary Witness
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness