Revised Version 1895

Ecclesiastes 6

1There is anevilרָעָ֔הra.'AhH7451whichאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834I haveseenרָאִ֖יתִיra.'I.tiH7200underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478thesunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121, and it is heavyuponעַל־'al-H5921menהָאָדָֽם׃ha.'a.DamH120:

2amanH376towhomH834Godהָאֱלֹהִ֡יםha.'E.lo.HimH430givethrichesH6239,wealthעֹשֶׁר֩'o.SherH6239, and honour,soמִמֶּ֔נּוּmi.Me.nuH4480that he lackethnothingH3808for hissoulלְנַפְשׁ֣וֹ׀le.naf.ShoH5315ofallמִכֹּ֣לmi.KolH3605that he desireth, yetGodהָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ha.'E.lo.HimH430giveth himnotH3808power toeatH398thereof, but astrangerנָכְרִ֖יna.khe.RiH5237eateth it; this isvanityהֶ֛בֶלHe.velH1892, and it is anevilרָ֖עra'H7451diseaseוָחֳלִ֥יvo.cho.LiH2483.

3Ifאִם־'im-H518amanאִ֣ישׁ'ishH376begetH3205anhundredמֵאָ֡הme.'AhH3967childrenH3205andliveיִֽחְיֶ֜הyich.YehH2421manyרַבּ֨וֹתra.BotH7227yearsוְשָׁנִים֩ve.sha.NimH8141,soמִן־min-H4480that thedaysיְמֵֽי־ye.mei-H3117of hisyearsשָׁנָ֗יוsha.NavH8141bemanyוְרַ֣ב׀ve.RavH7227, but hissoulוְנַפְשׁוֹ֙ve.naf.ShoH5315benotלֹא־lo'-H3808filledתִשְׂבַּ֣עtis.Ba'H7646withgoodהַטּוֹבָ֔הha.to.VahH2896, andmoreoverוְגַם־ve.gam-H1571he havenoלֹא־lo'-H3808burialקְבוּרָ֖הke.vu.RahH6900; Isayאָמַ֕רְתִּי'a.Mar.tiH559, that an untimelybirthH3205isbetterט֥וֹבTovH2896thanמִמֶּ֖נּוּmi.Me.nuH4480he:

4for it cometh invanityבַהֶ֥בֶלva.He.velH1892, and departeth indarknessוּבַחֹ֣שֶׁךְu.va.Cho.shekhH2822, and thenameשְׁמ֥וֹshe.MoH8034thereof iscoveredיְכֻסֶּֽה׃ye.khu.SehH3680withdarknessוּבַחֹ֖שֶׁךְu.va.Cho.shekhH2822;

5moreoverגַּם־gam-H1571it hathnotH3808seenרָאָ֖הra.'AhH7200thesunשֶׁ֥מֶשׁShe.meshH8121norH3808knownיָדָ֑עya.Da'H3045it; this hath restratherH3808thanH3808theotherH2088:

6yea, though heliveחָיָ֗הcha.YahH2421athousandאֶ֤לֶף'E.lefH505yearsשָׁנִים֙sha.NimH8141twiceפַּעֲמַ֔יִםpa.'a.Ma.yimH6471toldאֶל־'el-H413, and yetenjoyרָאָ֑הra.'AhH7200noלֹ֣אlo'H3808goodוְטוֹבָ֖הve.to.VahH2896:doH3605notהֲלֹ֛אha.Lo'H3808allH3605goהוֹלֵֽךְ׃ho.LekhH1980to oneplaceמָק֥וֹםma.KomH4725?

7Allכָּל־kol-H3605the labour ofmanהָאָדָ֖םha.'a.DamH120is for hismouthלְפִ֑יהוּle.Fi.huH6310, and yet theappetiteהַנֶּ֖פֶשׁha.Ne.feshH5315isnotלֹ֥אlo'H3808filledתִמָּלֵֽא׃ti.ma.Le'H4390.

8Forwhatמַה־mah-H4100advantageיּוֹתֵ֥רyo.TerH3148hath thewiseלֶחָכָ֖םle.cha.KhamH2450moreמִֽן־min-H4480thanH4480thefoolהַכְּסִ֑ילha.ke.SilH3684? orwhatמַה־mah-H4100hath thepoorלֶּעָנִ֣יle.'a.NiH6041manH2450, that knoweth towalkלַהֲלֹ֖ךְla.ha.LokhH1980beforeנֶ֥גֶדNe.gedH5048thelivingהַחַיִּֽים׃ha.chai.YimH2416?

9BetterH2896is thesightH5869of theeyesעֵינַ֖יִם'ei.Na.yimH5869thanH2896the wandering of thedesireנָ֑פֶשׁNa.feshH5315: this also isvanityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892and astrivingH7469afterH7469windרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

10Whatsoever hath been, thenameשְׁמ֔וֹshe.MoH8034thereof wasgivenנִקְרָ֣אnik.Ra'H7121longמַה־mah-H4100ago, and it isknownוְנוֹדָ֖עve.no.Da'H3045that it ismanאָדָ֑ם'a.DamH120:neitherוְלֹא־ve.lo'-H3808canיוּכַ֣לyu.KhalH3201he contend with him that is mightierthanמִמֶּֽנּוּ׃mi.Me.nuH4480he.

11Seeingכִּ֛יkiH3588there bemanyהַרְבֵּ֖הhar.BehH7235things thatincreaseמַרְבִּ֣יםmar.BimH7235vanityהָ֑בֶלHa.velH1892,whatמַה־mah-H4100ismanלָאָדָֽם׃la.'a.DamH120the better?

12For who knowethwhatמַה־mah-H4100isgoodטּ֨וֹבTovH2896formanלָֽאָדָ֜םla.'a.DamH120in hislifeH3117,allH3117thedaysיְמֵי־ye.mei-H3117of hisvainהֶבְל֖וֹhev.LoH1892lifeH3117whichאֲשֶׁר֙'a.SherH834he spendeth as ashadowכַּצֵּ֑לka.TzelH6738? for whocanH4310tellיַגִּ֣ידya.GidH5046amanלָֽאָדָ֔םla.'a.DamH120whatמַה־mah-H4100shall beafterאַחֲרָ֖יו'a.cha.RavH310himunderתַּ֥חַתTa.chatH8478thesunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121?

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 6

Revised Version 1895 — 1895 — Public Domain