King James Version

Ecclesiastes 3:15

That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

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Hebrew

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מַהmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.שֶּֽׁהָיָה֙shehayahwho beהָיָהparticle, relative, verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “who be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.כְּבָ֣רkevaralreadyכְּבָרadverb — “already”H3528properly, extent of time, i.e. a great while; hence, long ago, formerly, hithertoalready, (seeing that which), now.ה֔וּאhuas for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.וַאֲשֶׁ֥רvaasherand becauseאֲשֶׁרconjunction, particle, relative — “and because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…לִהְי֖וֹתlihyotto beהָיָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to be”, the to-form of the verbH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.כְּבָ֣רkevaralreadyכְּבָרadverb — “already”H3528properly, extent of time, i.e. a great while; hence, long ago, formerly, hithertoalready, (seeing that which), now.הָיָ֑הhayahbeהָיָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.וְהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםvehaelohimand the Godאֱלֹהִיםconjunction, definite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “and the God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.יְבַקֵּ֥שׁyevaqeshbeseechבָּקַשׁverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “beseech”, an unfinished actionH1245to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive afterask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).נִרְדָּֽףnirdafchaseרָדַףverb, niphal, passive participle, absolute — “chase”, a verb used as a describing wordH7291to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by)chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

That which is hath been long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God seeketh that which is pursued.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

That which is hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which is passed away.

Young’s Literal Translation

What is that which hath been? already it is, and that which [is] to be hath already been, and God requireth that which is pursued.

World English Bible

That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago. God seeks again that which is passed away.

Darby Translation

That which is was long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God bringeth back again that which is past.

Douay-Rheims

That which hath been made, the same continueth: the things that shall be, have already been: and God restoreth that which is past.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

That which is hath been long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God seeketh that which is pursued.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

That which has been is now; and whatever things are appointed to be have already been; and God will seek out that which is past.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Τὸ γενόμενον ἤδη ἐστί, καὶ ὅσα τοῦ γίνεσθαι ἤδη γέγονε, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ζητήσει τὸν διωκόμενον.