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.
What does Ecclesiastes 3:11 mean?
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.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Ecclesiastes 3:11-15 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 3:11
Rather, 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 the word throughout this book, and the rest of the Old Testament.
Key words
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He hath made every thing beautiful in his time,.
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He hath made every thing beautiful in his time,.
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He hath made every thing beautiful in his time,.
Context in Ecclesiastes 3
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Ecclesiastes 3 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as prologue and the vanity theme. Ecclesiastes examines toil, pleasure, wisdom, time, death, and the elusiveness of gain, then counsels reverent realism under God. Read this chapter with the wider themes of vanity, time, and death in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Verses on the fear of the Lord, wise speech, practical judgment, teachability, and the difference between biblical wisdom and mere cleverness.
Bible verses about death and dying
Passages on mortality, the reality of death, comfort in bereavement, resurrection hope, and the defeat of death through Christ.