Ecclesiastes 3:13 (GNV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 I knowe that whatsoeuer God shall doe, it shalbe for euer: to it can no man adde, and from it can none diminish: for God hath done it, that they should feare before him.

Ecclesiastes 3:15 What is that that hath bene? that is nowe: and that that shalbe, hath now bene: for God requireth that which is past.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "gift of God", "euery", "eateth", "drinketh", "seeth", "commoditie", and "labour". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "gift of God" and "euery", 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 knowe that whatsoeuer God shall doe...", so "gift of God" and "euery" 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 "euery" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.