Ecclesiastes 3:14 (GNV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

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.

Ecclesiastes 3:16 And moreouer I haue seene vnder the sunne the place of iudgement, where was wickednesse, and the place of iustice where was iniquitie.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "knowe", "whatsoeuer", "shall", "shalbe", "adde", "none", and "diminish". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "knowe" and "whatsoeuer", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "And also that euery man eateth and..." into verse 15's "What is that that hath bene that...", so "knowe" and "whatsoeuer" 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 "knowe" and "whatsoeuer" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.