Ecclesiastes 3:15

"I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him."

Key Reflection

In Ecclesiastes 3:15, the author asserts a profound theological principle—that whatever God initiates is permanent and unchangeable. This idea reflects the belief in an omnipotent and immutable deity who sets irreversible events into motion, such as creation or judgment, emphasizing that these are beyond human alteration. The statement underscores a sense of divine sovereignty and the need for humans to recognize and fear God's authority and ultimate control over all things.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Rather, What has been - what was before, and what shall be has been before. The word “is” in our the King James Version is erroneously printed in Roman letters: it does not exist in the Hebrew (it should have been italicized); and the word there translated “now” is the same which is translated as “already.” Requireth -i. e., requireth for judgment, as the word specially means in2 Samuel 4:11;Ezekiel 3:18...It is obvious from the context of the last clause ofEcclesiastes 3:14, andEcclesiastes 3:16-17, that this is the meaning here.

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