Bible Strands

Ecclesiastes 3:17

I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The speaker addresses himself and his readers immediately after observing corruption in both judicial and righteous spheres, placing this declaration between two statements of divine testing and timing.

The words — יִשְׁפֹּ֖ט (yish.Pot) = he will judge [H8199] denotes the future, certain action of God, while אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי ('a.Mar.ti) = I said [H559] marks the speaker’s internal resolution.

The thread — This judgment theme connects to Ecclesiastes 12:14, which states God will bring every deed into judgment, and 2 Corinthians 5:10, which notes all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. The temporal framework echoes Ecclesiastes 3:1, which establishes that every activity has its appointed time.

Why it lands — The text asserts that divine evaluation is inevitable and timed, requiring readers to acknowledge that every action will be assessed. It demands sober accountability rather than moral complacency.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי'a.Mar.tiI saidאֲנִי֙'a.NiIבְּלִבִּ֔יbe./li.B/iin/ heart/ myאֶת־'et-<obj.>הַצַּדִּיק֙ha./tza.Dikthe/ righteousוְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>הָ֣רָשָׁ֔עha./ra.Sha'the/ wickedיִשְׁפֹּ֖טyish.Pothe will judgeהָאֱלֹהִ֑יםha./'E.lo.Him<the>/ Godכִּי־ki-forעֵ֣ת'eta timeלְכָל־le./khol[is] for/ everyחֵ֔פֶץChe.fetzmatterוְעַ֥לve./'Aland/ onכָּל־kol-everyהַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֖הha./ma.'a.Seh<the>/ deedשָֽׁם׃Shamthere

King James Version

I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

Cross-references