Ecclesiastes 3 16

Ecclesiastes 3:16 kjv

And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

Ecclesiastes 3:16 nkjv

Moreover I saw under the sun: In the place of judgment, Wickedness was there; And in the place of righteousness, Iniquity was there.

Ecclesiastes 3:16 niv

And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment?wickedness was there, in the place of justice?wickedness was there.

Ecclesiastes 3:16 esv

Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness.

Ecclesiastes 3:16 nlt

I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt!

Ecclesiastes 3 verses

Ecclesiastes 3 16 Meaning

Ecclesiastes 3:16 captures a disheartening observation by the Preacher: a pervasive corruption and perversion of justice in society. Despite designated systems and environments intended to uphold justice and righteousness, the reality under the sun is one where wickedness and iniquity flourish precisely in those places. This serves as another manifestation of life's "vanity" and the frustrating disjunction between how things should be and how they actually are in a fallen world, underscoring humanity's limitations and the unreliability of earthly institutions to achieve perfect justice.

Ecclesiastes 3 16 Context

Ecclesiastes 3:16 immediately follows the famous "a time for everything" poem (vv. 1-8) and Kohelet's reflections on the inability of humanity to comprehend God's work (vv. 9-15). While the preceding verses highlight a divinely ordered world where every event has its appointed time, verse 16 shifts dramatically to the disorder and injustice created by humanity within that divinely ordered world. It is a stark observation of a broken reality, specifically in areas meant for truth and order. This verse deepens the Preacher's "vanity" (hevel) theme by demonstrating that even societal structures designed to bring equity fail and become sources of oppression, reinforcing the idea that seeking ultimate fulfillment or perfect justice "under the sun" is ultimately futile without a higher, transcendent intervention. This sets the stage for Kohelet's ongoing struggle with human wickedness and the ultimate need for divine judgment, as expressed in Eccl 3:17.

Ecclesiastes 3 16 Word analysis

• Moreover (וְעוֹד - ve'od): Translates as "and yet" or "furthermore." It signals an additional, significant observation or conclusion being added to the previous thoughts, often emphasizing a continuation of the lament or paradox Kohelet perceives. It connects this observation directly to the preceding meditations on vanity and human inability to grasp divine workings.

• I saw (רָאִיתִי - ra'iti): A simple past tense verb, meaning "I have seen" or "I observed." It highlights this as a personal, experiential insight of the Preacher, drawing from his observation of the world "under the sun." It's not speculative, but a reported fact of his lived experience.

• under the sun (תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ - tachat ha'shammesh): A recurring phrase in Ecclesiastes (appears 29 times). It denotes the earthly realm of human experience, everything observable and understandable from a human perspective, often implying a world limited to what is perceived without explicit divine revelation or intervention. It frames the observation within Kohelet's consistent philosophical exploration of life's meaning apart from explicit transcendent revelation.

• in the place of judgment (מְקוֹם הַמִּשְׁפָּט - meqom ham-mishpat):

  • Meqom (place): A specific or conceptual locale.
  • Mishpat (judgment/justice): Refers to the administration of justice, legal process, fair ruling, or the inherent rightness in decision-making. This signifies locations like courts, city gates (where elders sat), or any authoritative position responsible for administering equity and law. It implies a setting where righteousness should be upheld.

• even there was wickedness (שָׁמָּה הָרֶשַׁע - shammah ha-resha):

  • Shammah (there): Emphasizes the very location specified.
  • Resha (wickedness/injustice): Denotes moral evil, unrighteousness, perversion of justice, guilt, or deliberate wrongdoing. It is active, intentional evil that harms. This highlights the ironic and distressing reality: evil pervading precisely where justice is expected.

• and in the place of righteousness (וּמְקוֹם הַצֶּדֶק - u'meqom ha-tsedeq):

  • Tsedeq (righteousness/justice): Signifies moral integrity, rectitude, uprightness, or the adherence to what is right and just. This refers to places or situations where virtuous behavior and equitable dealings should naturally manifest or be promoted.

• even there was iniquity (שָׁמָּה הָעָוֶל - shammah ha-'avel):

  • Avel (iniquity/unrighteousness): Denotes perversity, crookedness, injustice, or distortion of what is right. While similar to resha, it often implies a twisting or deviation from truth and equity, emphasizing the moral imbalance and wrong. The pairing with resha serves to amplify the observation of pervasive corruption, using two strong, yet slightly distinct, Hebrew terms for moral failing and injustice.

• "in the place of judgment, even there was wickedness; and in the place of righteousness, even there was iniquity.": This parallel structure amplifies the pervasive nature of the problem. It uses rhetorical parallelism (synthetic parallelism) to strengthen the point by presenting two complementary yet distinct observations that reinforce the same underlying truth of widespread corruption. The choice of resha' and ʿāwel suggests a double observation of intentional malevolence (resha') and perverse injustice (ʿāwel). It's not just a flaw, but a deliberate undermining of the expected order. The Preacher laments that institutions meant for good have become sites of active evil.

Ecclesiastes 3 16 Bonus section

The specific choice of two terms, resha and avel, for "wickedness" and "iniquity" further emphasizes the depth of the corruption. Resha often implies the guilty act or evil behavior itself, the moral delinquency. Avel can suggest the distortion or perversion of justice, an action that makes crooked what should be straight. Thus, not only is wickedness found in the seats of justice, but justice itself is actively warped or twisted in the places where uprightness is expected. This shows a deep-seated spiritual and moral decay rather than mere inefficiency or occasional oversight. It's a statement about the pervasive impact of the fall on human governance and societal structures.

Ecclesiastes 3 16 Commentary

Ecclesiastes 3:16 serves as a pivot in the Preacher's observations, moving from the rhythmic predictability of life's events to the chaotic reality of human sinfulness. Having contemplated a world governed by divine appointments, Kohelet faces the stark contradiction: the human administration of justice often corrupts divine order. He sees not isolated incidents, but systemic perversion within the very structures meant to enforce good. This isn't merely the absence of justice; it's the presence of wickedness (resha) and iniquity (avel) in justice's intended domains. The disheartening insight is that "under the sun," humans, left to themselves, distort even the best intentions and systems. This observation reinforces the core message of Ecclesiastes: the vanity of life when divorced from an eternal, divine perspective. True justice is not ultimately found in human courts or societal systems, highlighting humanity's utter need for a transcendent, righteous God who will ultimately set all things right (as hinted in the subsequent verse, Eccl 3:17). It implicitly critiques human attempts to create perfect systems without recourse to divine principles or ultimate divine accountability.