Book of ecclesiastes

[se7en]

Nelson,

Great questions! Here is a bit on Ecc 7:29

Ecc 7:29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

The Hebrew word translated 'made' is this verse is:

H6213

asah

A primitive root; to do or make...

In the majority of the 2000 plus entries for this word it is translated with the words 'do, done and did'. The words 'made' and 'make' are acceptable translations, but in this case it would be better to tell us that 'God made man to do what is upright'. That is much more in line with the sum of His Word which teaches us that God created us in iniquity and in sin, made wicked for the day of evil and made marred in the hand of the Potter.

Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made [ H6213 asah] of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

The word translated as 'made' here in Jer 18:4 is the same word translated 'made' in Ecc 7:29. In this case it is in the aorist tense, and while it is not in the aorist tense in Ecc 7:29 it is better translated as 'God made man to do what is upright, which is exactly what the New Literal Translation has done:

Ecc 7:29 But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.(NLT)

In God's appointed time, man will "be virtuous" and 'do virtuously'.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

I hope that helped!

[Dave in Tenn]

Eph 2:8  For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God;
Eph 2:9  not of works, that not anyone should boast;
Eph 2:10  for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before prepared that we should walk in them.

Is that a match?