Ecclesiastes 7:13
Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't just saying God is in control; it's highlighting that "crooked" things – the unexpected difficulties and injustices – are part of God's work. The true wisdom isn't just accepting them, but recognizing that no human power can ultimately "straighten" what God has allowed or ordained.
The Teacher has been discussing how true wisdom is better than folly, but acknowledges that life is filled with difficulties and injustices. He reminds the reader that some things are beyond our control, urging us to recognize God's sovereign hand in all events, even those that seem crooked or unfair, and to submit to His mysterious ways.
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes things just don't make sense. Where is God in all the mess?
This verse reminds us that God's 'work' isn't just about creation; it's about His active, sovereign governance over all events – His providence. Think of it like a Master Weaver. The threads we see might seem tangled and messy ('crooked'), but they are all part of His intricate design. He is in control, whether things are going 'straight' (as we expect) or 'crooked' (baffling our understanding).
We often try to fix things ourselves, to straighten out life's difficulties. But what if our efforts are ultimately futile?
The core message here is about human limitations in the face of divine authority. The question, 'who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?' is rhetorical, meaning there is no one! It highlights our inability to alter or correct the fundamental order of things as established by God.
Understand the original words
po'al · Hebrew Noun
The creative and sovereign activity of God in the world and in human affairs, often mysterious and beyond full human comprehension.
This passage directly challenges humanity's ability to question or correct God's actions, echoing the sentiment in Ecclesiastes that God's ways are beyond our full comprehension and control.
Romans 9:20Paul uses the analogy of the potter and the clay to illustrate God's sovereign right over His creation, mirroring the idea that humans cannot question or 'straighten' what God has fashioned, whether in creation or in His providential dealings.
Isaiah 45:9This verse directly confronts those who argue with their Maker, asking who can 'straighten' what God has made crooked, bringing a similar prophetic warning against challenging divine authority and wisdom.
Jeremiah 18:6Similar to the potter and clay imagery, this passage emphasizes God's absolute power over humanity and His ability to alter or reshape circumstances as He wills, reinforcing the idea that human attempts to 'straighten' God's work are futile.
pooleEcclesiastes 7:13: "Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?"
The work of God; not of creation, but of providence; his wise, and just, and powerful government of all events in the world, which is proposed as the last and best remedy against all murmurings and sinful disquietments of mind, under the sense of the great and many disorders which happen in the world, as is implied, Ecclesiastes 7:10 , against which wisdom is prescribed as one remedy, Eccl…
clarkeEcclesiastes 7:13: "Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?"
Consider the work of God - Such is the nature of his providence, that it puts money into the hands of few: but wisdom is within the reach of all. The first is not necessary to happiness; therefore, it is not offered to men; the latter is; and therefore God, in his goodness, offers it to the whole human race. The former can rarely be acquired, for God puts it out of the reach of most men, a…
This verse isn't just saying God is in control; it's highlighting that "crooked" things – the unexpected difficulties and injustices – are part of God's work. The true wisdom isn't just accepting them, but recognizing that no human power can ultimately "straighten" what God has allowed or ordained.
The Teacher has been discussing how true wisdom is better than folly, but acknowledges that life is filled with difficulties and injustices. He reminds the reader that some things are beyond our control, urging us to recognize God's sovereign hand in all events, even those that seem crooked or unfair, and to submit to His mysterious ways.
The Teacher has been discussing how true wisdom is better than folly, but acknowledges that life is filled with difficulties and injustices. He reminds the reader that some things are beyond our control, urging us to recognize God's sovereign hand in all events, even those that seem crooked or unfair, and to submit to His mysterious ways.
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"Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?" — This verse isn't just saying God is in control; it's highlighting that "crooked" things – the unexpected difficulties and injustices – are part of God's work. The true wisdom isn't just accepting t…
