Berean Standard Bible

Ecclesiastes 6

1There isיֵ֣שׁyeshH3426another evilרָעָ֔הra.'AhH7451אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834I have seenרָאִ֖יתִיra.'I.tiH7200underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121,and itהִ֖יאhi'H1931weighs heavilyוְרַבָּ֥הve.ra.BahH7227uponעַל־'al-H5921mankindהָאָדָֽם׃ha.'a.DamH120:

2Godהָאֱלֹהִ֡יםha.'E.lo.HimH430givesיִתֶּן־yi.ten-H5414a manאִ֣ישׁ'ishH376אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherH834richesעֹשֶׁר֩'o.SherH6239,wealthוּנְכָסִ֨יםu.ne.kha.SimH5233,and honorוְכָב֜וֹדve.kha.VodH3519,so that he lacksחָסֵ֥רcha.SerH2638nothingוְֽאֵינֶ֨נּוּve.'ei.Ne.nuH369his heartלְנַפְשׁ֣וֹ׀le.naf.ShoH5315מִכֹּ֣לmi.KolH3605אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-H834desiresיִתְאַוֶּ֗הyit.'a.VehH183;but Godהָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ha.'E.lo.HimH430does notוְלֹֽא־ve.lo'-H3808allow himיַשְׁלִיטֶ֤נּוּyash.li.Te.nuH7980to enjoy themלֶאֱכֹ֣לle.'e.KholH398מִמֶּ֔נּוּmi.Me.nuH4480.Insteadכִּ֛יkiH3588,a strangerאִ֥ישׁ נָכְרִ֖י'ish na.khe.RiH376 H5237will enjoy themיֹֽאכֲלֶ֑נּוּyo.kha.Le.nuH398.Thisזֶ֥הzehH2088is futileהֶ֛בֶלHe.velH1892and a grievousוָחֳלִ֥יvo.cho.LiH2483afflictionרָ֖ע הֽוּא׃ra' Hu'H7451 H1931.

3אִם־'im-H518A manאִ֣ישׁ'ishH376may fatherיוֹלִ֣ידyo.LidH3205a hundredמֵאָ֡הme.'AhH3967childrenand liveיִֽחְיֶ֜הyich.YehH2421for manyרַבּ֨וֹתra.BotH7227yearsוְשָׁנִים֩ve.sha.NimH8141;yet no matter how longוְרַ֣ב׀ve.RavH7227שֶׁיִּהְי֣וּshei.yih.YuH1961he livesיְמֵֽי־ שָׁנָ֗יוye.mei- sha.NavH3117 H8141,if heוְנַפְשׁוֹ֙ve.naf.ShoH5315is unsatisfiedלֹא־ תִשְׂבַּ֣עlo'- tis.Ba'H3808 H7646withמִן־min-H4480his prosperityהַטּוֹבָ֔הha.to.VahH2896and does notלֹא־ הָ֣יְתָהlo'- Ha.ye.tahH3808 H1961evenוְגַם־ve.gam-H1571receive a proper burialקְבוּרָ֖הke.vu.RahH6900,I sayאָמַ֕רְתִּי'a.Mar.tiH559that a stillborn childהַנָּֽפֶל׃ha.Na.felH5309is better offט֥וֹבTovH2896than heמִמֶּ֖נּוּmi.Me.nuH4480.

4Forכִּֽי־ki-H3588a stillborn childentersבָּ֖אba'H935in futilityבַהֶ֥בֶלva.He.velH1892and departsיֵלֵ֑ךְye.LekhH1980in darknessוּבַחֹ֣שֶׁךְu.va.Cho.shekhH2822,and his nameשְׁמ֥וֹshe.MoH8034is shroudedיְכֻסֶּֽה׃ye.khu.SehH3680in obscurityוּבַחֹ֖שֶׁךְu.va.Cho.shekhH2822.

5The childלָזֶ֖הla.ZehH2088,thoughגַּם־gam-H1571neitherלֹא־lo'-H3808seeingרָאָ֖הra.'AhH7200the sunשֶׁ֥מֶשׁShe.meshH8121norוְלֹ֣אve.Lo'H3808knowing anythingיָדָ֑עya.Da'H3045,has more restנַ֥חַתNa.chatH5183thanמִזֶּֽה׃mi.ZehH2088that man,

6even ifוְאִלּ֣וּve.'i.LuH432he livesחָיָ֗הcha.YahH2421a thousandאֶ֤לֶף'E.lefH505yearsשָׁנִים֙sha.NimH8141twice overפַּעֲמַ֔יִםpa.'a.Ma.yimH6471but fails toלֹ֣אlo'H3808enjoyרָאָ֑הra.'AhH7200his prosperityוְטוֹבָ֖הve.to.VahH2896.Do notהֲלֹ֛אha.Lo'H3808allהַכֹּ֥לha.KolH3605goהוֹלֵֽךְ׃ho.LekhH1980toאֶל־'el-H413the sameאֶחָ֖ד'e.ChadH259placeמָק֥וֹםma.KomH4725?

7Allכָּל־kol-H3605a man’sהָאָדָ֖םha.'a.DamH120laborעֲמַ֥ל'a.MalH5999isfor his mouthלְפִ֑יהוּle.Fi.huH6310,yetוְגַם־ve.gam-H1571his appetiteהַנֶּ֖פֶשׁha.Ne.feshH5315is neverלֹ֥אlo'H3808satisfiedתִמָּלֵֽא׃ti.ma.Le'H4390.

8Whatמַה־mah-H4100advantageיּוֹתֵ֥רyo.TerH3148,thenכִּ֛יkiH3588,has the wise manלֶחָכָ֖םle.cha.KhamH2450overמִֽן־min-H4480the foolהַכְּסִ֑ילha.ke.SilH3684?Whatמַה־mah-H4100gain comesto the poor manלֶּעָנִ֣יle.'a.NiH6041who knowsיוֹדֵ֔עַyo.De.a'H3045how to conduct himselfלַהֲלֹ֖ךְla.ha.LokhH1980beforeנֶ֥גֶדNe.gedH5048othersהַחַיִּֽים׃ha.chai.YimH2416?

9Betterט֛וֹבTovH2896what the eyeעֵינַ֖יִם'ei.Na.yimH5869can seeמַרְאֵ֥הmar.'EhH4758than the wanderingמֵֽהֲלָךְ־me.ha.lokh-H1980of desireנָ֑פֶשׁNa.feshH5315.Thisזֶ֥הzehH2088tooגַּם־gam-H1571is futileהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892and a pursuitוּרְע֥וּתu.re.'UtH7469of the windרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

10Whateverמַה־mah-H4100existsשֶּֽׁהָיָ֗הshe.ha.YahH1961was namedנִקְרָ֣א שְׁמ֔וֹnik.Ra' she.MoH7121 H8034long agoכְּבָר֙ke.VarH3528,and it is knownוְנוֹדָ֖עve.no.Da'H3045whatאֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-H834manאָדָ֑ם'a.DamH120is;but heה֣וּאhu'H1931cannotוְלֹא־ יוּכַ֣לve.lo'- yu.KhalH3808 H3201contendלָדִ֔יןla.DinH1777withעִ֥ם'imH5973one strongerH8630than heמִמֶּֽנּוּ׃mi.Me.nuH4480.

11Forכִּ֛יkiH3588the moreיֵשׁ־ הַרְבֵּ֖הyesh- har.BehH3426 H7235wordsדְּבָרִ֥יםde.va.RimH1697,the moreמַרְבִּ֣יםmar.BimH7235futilityהָ֑בֶלHa.velH1892—and howמַה־mah-H4100does that profitיֹּתֵ֖רyo.TerH3148anyoneלָאָדָֽם׃la.'a.DamH120?

12Forכִּ֣יkiH3588whoמִֽי־mi-H4310knowsיוֹדֵעַ֩yo.de.a'H3045whatמַה־mah-H4100is goodטּ֨וֹבTovH2896for a manלָֽאָדָ֜םla.'a.DamH120בַּֽחַיִּ֗יםba.chai.YimH2416during the fewמִסְפַּ֛רmis.ParH4557daysיְמֵי־ye.mei-H3117in whichhe passes throughוְיַעֲשֵׂ֣םve.ya.'a.SemH6213his fleetingהֶבְל֖וֹhev.LoH1892lifeחַיֵּ֥יchai.YeiH2416like a shadowכַּצֵּ֑לka.TzelH6738אֲשֶׁר֙'a.SherH834?Whoמִֽי־mi-H4310can tellיַגִּ֣ידya.GidH5046a manלָֽאָדָ֔םla.'a.DamH120whatמַה־mah-H4100will comeיִּהְיֶ֥הyih.YehH1961after himאַחֲרָ֖יו'a.cha.RavH310underתַּ֥חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121?

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 6