Ecclesiastes 3:18
New International Version
I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.

New Living Translation
I also thought about the human condition—how God proves to people that they are like animals.

English Standard Version
I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts.

Berean Standard Bible
I said to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.”

King James Bible
I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

New King James Version
I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.”

New American Standard Bible
I said to myself regarding the sons of mankind, “God is testing them in order for them to see that they are as animals, they to themselves.”

NASB 1995
I said to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.”

NASB 1977
I said to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.”

Legacy Standard Bible
I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, “God is testing them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.”

Amplified Bible
I said to myself regarding the sons of men, “God is surely testing them in order for them to see that [by themselves, without God] they are [only] animals.”

Christian Standard Bible
I said to myself, “This happens so that God may test the children of Adam and they may see for themselves that they are like animals.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I said to myself, “This happens concerning people, so that God may test them and they may see for themselves that they are like animals.”

American Standard Version
I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
I spoke in my heart about the speech of the children men whom God created , and to show that they are as beasts

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I said in my heart, concerning the speech of the sons of man, God will judge them, and that to shew that they are beasts.

Contemporary English Version
I know God is testing us to show us that we are merely animals.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, that God would prove them, and shew them to be like beasts.

English Revised Version
I said in mine heart, It is because of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I thought to myself, "God is going to test humans in order to show them that they are [like] animals."

Good News Translation
I decided that God is testing us, to show us that we are no better than animals.

International Standard Version
"As for human beings," I told myself, "God puts them to the test, that they might see themselves as mere animals."

JPS Tanakh 1917
I said in my heart: 'It is because of the sons of men, that God may sift them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.'

Literal Standard Version
I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to see that they themselves [are] beasts.

Majority Standard Bible
I said to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.”

New American Bible
I said in my heart: As for human beings, it is God’s way of testing them and of showing that they are in themselves like beasts.

NET Bible
I also thought to myself, "It is for the sake of people, so God can clearly show them that they are like animals.

New Revised Standard Version
I said in my heart with regard to human beings that God is testing them to show that they are but animals.

New Heart English Bible
I said in my heart, "As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals.

Webster's Bible Translation
I said in my heart concerning the state of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

World English Bible
I said in my heart, “As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals.

Young's Literal Translation
I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to see that they themselves are beasts.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
From Dust to Dust
17I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.” 18I said to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.” 19For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other—they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile.…

Cross References
Psalm 49:12
But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 49:20
A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 73:22
I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You.


Treasury of Scripture

I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

concerning

Genesis 3:17-19
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; …

Job 14:1-4
Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble…

Job 15:16
How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

that God

Job 40:8
Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

Psalm 51:4
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

Romans 3:4
God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

and that

Psalm 73:22
So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.

2 Peter 2:12
But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

Jump to Previous
Animals Beasts Children Cleanse Estate Heart Manifest Order Regard Show Sift State Surely Test Tested Testing Tests Themselves Thought
Jump to Next
Animals Beasts Children Cleanse Estate Heart Manifest Order Regard Show Sift State Surely Test Tested Testing Tests Themselves Thought
Ecclesiastes 3
1. by the necessary change of times, vanity is added to human travail
11. is an excellence in God's works
16. as for man, God shall judge his works hereafter, though here he be like a beast














Verse 18. - The comfort derived from the thought of the future judgment is clouded by the reflection that man is as powerless as the beast to control his destiny. Concerning the estate of the sons of men; rather, it happens on account of the sons of men. God allows events to take place, disorders to continue, etc., for the ultimate profit of men, though the idea that follows is humiliating and dispiriting. The LXX. has περὶ λαλιᾶς, "concerning the speech of the sons of men." So the Syriac. The word dibrah may indeed bear that meaning, as it is also used for "word" or "matter;" but we cannot conceive that the clause refers solely to words, and the expression in the text signifies merely "for the sake, on account of," as in Ecclesiastes 8:2. That God might manifest them; rather, that God might test them; Ut probaret eos Dens (Vulgate). God allows these things, endures them patiently, and does not at once redress them, for two reasons. The first of these is that they may serve for the probation of men, giving them opportunity of making good or bad use of them. We see the effect of this forbearance on the wicked in Ecclesiastes 8:11; it hardens them in impenitence; while it nourishes the faith of the righteous, and helps them to persevere (see Daniel 11:35 and Revelation 22:11). And that they might see that they themselves are beasts. The pronoun is repeated emphatically, "that they themselves are [like] beasts, they in themselves." This is the second reason. Thus they learn their own powerlessness, if they regard merely their own animal life; apart from their relation to God and hope of the future, they are no better than the lower creatures. Septuagint. "And to show (τοῦ δεῖξαι) that they are beasts." So the Vulgate and Syriac. The Masoretic reading adopted in the Anglican Version seems best.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I
אֲנִי֙ (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

said
אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי (’ā·mar·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to myself,
בְּלִבִּ֔י (bə·lib·bî)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

“As for
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the sons
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of men,
הָאָדָ֔ם (hā·’ā·ḏām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

God
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

tests them
לְבָרָ֖ם (lə·ḇā·rām)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1305: To clarify, examine, select

so that they may see
וְלִרְא֕וֹת (wə·lir·’ō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7200: To see

for themselves
שְׁהֶם־ (šə·hem-)
Pronoun - relative | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

that they
הֵ֖מָּה (hêm·māh)
Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

are but beasts.”
בְּהֵמָ֥ה (bə·hê·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 929: A dumb beast, any large quadruped, animal


Links
Ecclesiastes 3:18 NIV
Ecclesiastes 3:18 NLT
Ecclesiastes 3:18 ESV
Ecclesiastes 3:18 NASB
Ecclesiastes 3:18 KJV

Ecclesiastes 3:18 BibleApps.com
Ecclesiastes 3:18 Biblia Paralela
Ecclesiastes 3:18 Chinese Bible
Ecclesiastes 3:18 French Bible
Ecclesiastes 3:18 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 3:18 I said in my heart As (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 3:17
Top of Page
Top of Page