Revised Version 1895

Ecclesiastes 4

1Then Ireturnedוְשַׁ֣בְתִּֽיve.Shav.tiH7725andsawוָאֶרְאֶה֙va.'er.'EhH7200allכָּל־kol-H3605theoppressionsH6217that aredoneנַעֲשִׂ֖יםna.'a.SimH6213underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478thesunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121: andbeholdוְהִנֵּ֣ה׀ve.hi.NehH2009, thetearsדִּמְעַ֣תdim.'AtH1832ofsuchאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834as wereoppressedH6231, and they hadnoוְאֵ֤יןve.'EinH369comforterמְנַחֵ֔םme.na.ChemH5162; and on thesideH3027of theiroppressorsעֹֽשְׁקֵיהֶם֙'o.she.kei.HemH6231there waspowerH3027, but they hadnoוְאֵ֥יןve.'EinH369comforterמְנַחֵֽם׃me.na.ChemH5162.

2Wherefore I praised thedeadהַמֵּתִ֖יםha.me.TimH4191whichH834arealreadyשֶׁכְּבָ֣רshe.ke.VarH3528deadמֵ֑תוּMe.tuH4191moreמִן־min-H4480thanH4480thelivingהַ֣חַיִּ֔יםha.chai.YimH2416whichH834are yetaliveחַיִּ֖יםchai.YimH2416;

3yea,betterוְטוֹב֙ve.tOvH2896thanH3808thembothמִשְּׁנֵיהֶ֔םmi.she.nei.HemH8147didH6213I esteem himwhichH834hathnotH3808yet been, who hathnotH3808seenרָאָה֙ra.'AhH7200theevilהָרָ֔עha.Ra'H7451workהַמַּעֲשֶׂ֣הha.ma.'a.SehH4639that isdoneH6213underתַּ֥חַתTa.chatH8478thesunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

4Then Isawוְרָאִ֨יתִֽיve.ra.'I.tiH7200allכָּל־kol-H3605labour andeveryכָּל־kol-H3605skilfulworkהַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔הha.ma.'a.SehH4639, that for this amanאִ֖ישׁ'ishH376is envied of his neighbour. This also isvanityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892and astrivingH7469afterH7469windרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

5Thefoolהַכְּסִיל֙ha.ke.SilH3684foldeth hishandsיָדָ֔יוya.DavH3027together, and eateth his ownfleshבְּשָׂרֽוֹ׃be.sa.RoH1320.

6BetterH2896is an handful with quietness,thanH2896twohandfulsחָפְנַ֛יִםcha.fe.Na.yimH2651with labour andstrivingH7469afterH7469windרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

7Then Ireturnedוְשַׁ֧בְתִּיve.Shav.tiH7725andsawוָאֶרְאֶ֥הva.'er.'EhH7200vanityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892underתַּ֥חַתTa.chatH8478thesunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

8There is one that isaloneאֶחָד֩'e.ChadH259, and he hathnotH3808asecondשֵׁנִ֜יshe.NiH8145; yea, he hathneitherH3808sonבֵּ֧ןbenH1121norH3808brotherוָאָ֣חva.'AchH251; yet is therenoH3808endקֵץ֙ketzH7093ofallלְכָל־le.kholH3605his labour,neitherH3808are hiseyesעֵינ֖וֹei.navH5869satisfiedתִשְׂבַּ֣עtis.Ba'H7646withrichesעֹ֑שֶׁר'O.sherH6239. Forwhomוּלְמִ֣י׀u.le.MiH4310then, saith he,doאֲנִ֣י'a.NiH589I labour, and deprive mysoulנַפְשִׁי֙naf.ShiH5315ofgoodמִטּוֹבָ֔הmi.to.VahH2896? This also isvanityהֶ֛בֶלHe.velH1892, yea, it is a sore travail.

9Twoהַשְּׁנַ֖יִםha.she.Na.yimH8147arebetterטוֹבִ֥יםto.VimH2896thanH4480one;becauseH4480they have agoodט֖וֹבTovH2896rewardשָׂכָ֥רsa.KharH7939for their labour.

10Forifאִם־'im-H518theyfallH5307, the one willliftH6965upH6965his fellow: butwoeוְאִ֣יל֗וֹve.'I.LoH337to him that isaloneהָאֶחָ֖דha.'e.ChadH259when he falleth, and hathnotוְאֵ֥יןve.'EinH369anotherהָֽאֶחָד֙ha.'e.ChadH259toliftH6965himupH6965.

11Again,ifH518twoשְׁנַ֖יִםshe.Na.yimH8147lieיִשְׁכְּב֥וּyish.ke.VuH7901togetherH259, then they have warmth: buthowאֵ֥יךְ'eikhH349canH518one bewarmH2552aloneH259?

12Andifוְאִֽם־ve.'im-H518amanH259prevailH5975againstנֶגְדּ֑וֹneg.DoH5048him that isaloneH259,twoהַשְּׁנַ֖יִםha.she.Na.yimH8147shallwithstandH5975him; and a threefoldcordוְהַחוּט֙ve.ha.ChutH2339isnotלֹ֥אlo'H3808quicklyבִמְהֵרָ֖הvim.he.RahH4120brokenיִנָּתֵֽק׃yi.na.TekH5423.

13Betterט֛וֹבTovH2896is apoorמִסְכֵּ֖ןmis.KenH4542andwiseוְחָכָ֑םve.cha.KhamH2450youthיֶ֥לֶדYe.ledH3206thanH3808anoldזָקֵן֙za.KenH2205andfoolishוּכְסִ֔ילu.khe.SilH3684kingמִמֶּ֤לֶךְmi.Me.lekhH4428, who knowethnotH3808howאֲשֶׁ֛ר'a.SherH834to receive admonitionanyH5750moreH5750.

14ForoutH3318ofprisonמִבֵּ֥יתmi.BeitH1004hecameH3318forthH3318to bekingלִמְלֹ֑ךְlim.LokhH4427;yeaH3588,evenגַּ֥םgamH1571in hiskingdomבְּמַלְכוּת֖וֹbe.mal.khu.ToH4438he wasbornנוֹלַ֥דno.LadH3205poorרָֽשׁ׃RashH7326.

15IsawH7200allכָּל־kol-H3605thelivingהַ֣חַיִּ֔יםha.chai.YimH2416whichאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834walkהַֽמְהַלְּכִ֖יםham.ha.le.KhimH1980underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478thesunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121, that they were with theyouthהַיֶּ֣לֶדhai.Ye.ledH3206, thesecondהַשֵּׁנִ֔יha.she.NiH8145, thatstoodיַעֲמֹ֖דya.'a.ModH5975upH7200in hissteadתַּחְתָּֽיו׃tach.TavH8478.

16There wasnoH3808endקֵ֣ץketzH7093ofallלְכָל־le.kholH3605thepeopleהָעָ֗םha.'AmH5971,evenH1571ofallלְכֹ֤לle.KholH3605them overwhomאֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-H834he was: yet they thatcomeהָיָה֙ha.YahH1961afterH7093shallnotH3808rejoiceיִשְׂמְחוּ־yis.me.chu-H8055in him.Surelyכִּֽי־ki-H3588this also isvanityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892and astrivingוְרַעְי֥וֹןve.ra'.YonH7475afterH7093windרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 4

Revised Version 1895 — 1895 — Public Domain