Ecclesiastes 3:13 (DBY)

Passage

yea also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labour, it is the gift of God.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He hath made everything beautiful in its time; also he hath set the world in their heart, so that man findeth not out from the beginning to the end the work that God doeth.

Ecclesiastes 3:12 I know that there is nothing good for them but to rejoice and to do well in their life;

Ecclesiastes 3:13 yea also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labour, it is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 I know that whatever God doeth, it shall be for ever; there is nothing to be added to it, nor anything to be taken from it; and God doeth [it], that [men] should fear before him.

Ecclesiastes 3:15 That which is was long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God bringeth back again that which is past.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "gift of God", "should", "drink", "enjoy", "good", and "labour". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "gift of God" and "should", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "I know that there is nothing good..." into verse 14's "I know that whatever God doeth it...", so "gift of God" and "should" belong inside that flow. In Ecclesiastes context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "gift of God" and "should" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.