Ecclesiastes 8:17
Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
KJV
Et intellexi quod omnium operum Dei nullam possit homo invenire rationem eorum quæ fiunt sub sole ; et quanto plus laboraverit ad quærendum, tanto minus inveniat : etiam si dixerit sapiens se nosse, non poterit reperire.
Vulgate
καὶ ἴδον σύμπαντα τὰ ποιήματα τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅτι οὐ δυνήσεται ἄνθρωπος τοῦ εὑρεῖν σὺν τὸ ποίημα τὸ πεποιημένον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον· ὅσα ἂν μοχθήσῃ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ ζητῆσαι, καὶ οὐχ εὑρήσει· καί γε ὅσα ἂν εἴπῃ σοφὸς τοῦ γνῶναι, οὐ δυνήσεται τοῦ εὑρεῖν· ὅτι σύμπαν τοῦτο ἔδωκα εἰς καρδίαν μου, καὶ καρδίᾳ μου σύμπαν ἴδον τοῦτο·
LXX
then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however much a man labor to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea moreover, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
ASV
וְ/רָאִיתִי֮ אֶת כָּל מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הָ/אֱלֹהִים֒ כִּי֩ לֹ֨א יוּכַ֜ל הָ/אָדָ֗ם לִ/מְצוֹא֙ אֶת הַֽ/מַּעֲשֶׂה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נַעֲשָׂ֣ה תַֽחַת הַ/שֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ בְּ֠/שֶׁ/ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲמֹ֧ל הָ/אָדָ֛ם לְ/בַקֵּ֖שׁ וְ/לֹ֣א יִמְצָ֑א וְ/גַ֨ם אִם יֹאמַ֤ר הֶֽ/חָכָם֙ לָ/דַ֔עַת לֹ֥א יוּכַ֖ל לִ/מְצֹֽא
Hebrew
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In the original Hebrew
22 distinct Hebrew words appear in this verse.
Historic Christian voices
1 passage from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.
Cross-references
- Eccl 3:11 — He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
- Eccl 3:11 — He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
- Eccl 7:23 — All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
- Eccl 11:5 — As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.
- Eccl 11:5 — As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.
- Isa 40:28 — Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
- Job 5:9 — Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:
- Job 11:7 — Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
- Job 37:7 — He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work.
- Mark 4:27 — And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
- Prov 30:3 — I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
- Ps 40:5 — Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are
- Ps 73:16 — When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
- Ps 73:16 — When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
- Rom 11:33 — O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!