Ecclesiastes 3:14 Meaning and Explanation
“I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Whatever God does endures forever, complete and unalterable, so that people would stand in reverent awe before Him.
What Does Ecclesiastes 3:14 Mean?
Set against the fleeting seasons of human life, God's own work is declared permanent. What He does lasts forever; nothing can be added to it or taken away. His purposes are whole, needing no correction and admitting no improvement from us.
And this enduring work has a purpose toward us: that we should fear before Him. This is not cringing dread but reverent awe, the right response of the finite before the eternal. When we see how lasting and complete God's work is beside our own brief efforts, the heart is drawn to worship. Such fear is the beginning of wisdom and the steadying anchor of a fleeting life.
Ecclesiastes 3:14 in the Original Language
yare (יָרֵא), 'fear' -- reverent awe and worshipful respect before God, not terror.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ecclesiastes 3:14
What does Ecclesiastes 3:14 mean?
Whatever God does endures forever, complete and unalterable, so that people would stand in reverent awe before Him.