Ecclesiastes 3:11 (GNV)

Passage

He hath made euery thing beautifull in his time: also he hath set the worlde in their heart, yet can not man finde out the worke that God hath wrought from the beginning euen to the end.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 3:9 What profite hath hee that worketh of the thing wherein he trauaileth?

Ecclesiastes 3:10 I haue seene the trauaile that God hath giuen to ye sonnes of men to humble them thereby.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He hath made euery thing beautifull in his time: also he hath set the worlde in their heart, yet can not man finde out the worke that God hath wrought from the beginning euen to the end.

Ecclesiastes 3:12 I know that there is nothing good in them, but to reioyce, and to doe good in his life.

Ecclesiastes 3:13 And also that euery man eateth and drinketh, and seeth the commoditie of all his labour. this is the gift of God.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "hath", "euery", "beautifull", "time", "worlde", "heart", and "finde". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "world" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "I haue seene the trauaile that God..." into verse 12's "I know that there is nothing good...", so "world" 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 "world" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.