Ecclesiastes 3:11 (DRB)

Passage

He hath made all things good in their time, and hath delivered the world to their consideration, so that man cannot find out the work which God hath made from the beginning to the end.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 3:9 What hath man more of his labour?

Ecclesiastes 3:10 I have seen the trouble, which God hath given the sons of men to be exercised in it.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He hath made all things good in their time, and hath delivered the world to their consideration, so that man cannot find out the work which God hath made from the beginning to the end.

Ecclesiastes 3:12 And I have known that there was no better thing than to rejoice, and to do well in this life.

Ecclesiastes 3:13 For every man that eateth and drinketh, and seeth good of his labour, this is the gift of God.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "all things", "world", "hath", "good", "time", "delivered", and "consideration". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "all things" and "world", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "I have seen the trouble which God..." into verse 12's "And I have known that there was...", so "all things" and "world" 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 "all things" and "world" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.