Ecclesiastes 3:16 (DRB)

Passage

I saw under the sun in the place of judgment wickedness, and in the place of justice iniquity.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 3:14 I have learned that all the works which God hath made, continue for ever: we cannot add any thing, nor take away from those things which God hath made that he may be feared.

Ecclesiastes 3:15 That which hath been made, the same continueth: the things that shall be, have already been: and God restoreth that which is past.

Ecclesiastes 3:16 I saw under the sun in the place of judgment wickedness, and in the place of justice iniquity.

Ecclesiastes 3:17 And I said in my heart: God shall judge both the just and the wicked, and then shall be the time of every thing.

Ecclesiastes 3:18 I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, that God would prove them, and shew them to be like beasts.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "under", "place", "judgment", "wickedness", "justice", and "iniquity". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "under" and "place", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "That which hath been made the same..." into verse 17's "And I said in my heart God...", so "under" and "place" 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 "under" and "place" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.