Ecclesiastes 3:15 (GNV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Ecclesiastes 3:17 I thought in mine heart, God wil iudge the iust and the wicked: for time is there for euery purpose and for euery worke.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hath", "bene", "nowe", "shalbe", "requireth", and "past". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hath" and "bene", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "I knowe that whatsoeuer God shall doe..." into verse 16's "And moreouer I haue seene vnder the...", so "hath" and "bene" 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 "hath" and "bene" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.