Ecclesiastes 3:15 (DBY)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Ecclesiastes 3:16 And moreover I saw under the sun, that in the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there.

Ecclesiastes 3:17 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.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "long", "hath", "already", "been", "bringeth", "back", "again", and "past". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "long" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "I know that whatever God doeth it..." into verse 16's "And moreover I saw under the sun...", so "long" and "hath" 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 "long" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.