Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:13–14

¹³And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a miserable task God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!

¹⁴I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 1

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Ecclesiastes 1:13

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And I set	וְנָתַ֣תִּי	wə·nā·ṯat·tî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular	H5414 give, put, set
my mind	לִבִּ֗י	lib·bî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
to seek	לִדְר֤וֹשׁ	liḏ·rō·wōš	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H1875 resort to, seek
and explore	וְלָתוּר֙	wə·lā·ṯūr	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H8446 seek out, spy out, explore
by wisdom	בַּֽחָכְמָ֔ה	ba·ḥā·ḵə·māh	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H2451 wisdom
all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
that	אֲשֶׁ֥ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
is done	נַעֲשָׂ֖ה	na·‘ă·śāh	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
under	תַּ֣חַת	ta·ḥaṯ	Preposition	H8478 the under part
heaven	הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם	haš·šā·mā·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H8064 sky, aloft
What	ה֣וּא׀	hū	Pronoun - third person masculine singular	H1931 he, she
a miserable	רָ֗ע	rā‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil
task	עִנְיַ֣ן	‘in·yan	Noun - masculine singular construct	H6045 occupation, task
God	אֱלֹהִ֛ים	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
has laid	נָתַ֧ן	nā·ṯan	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
upon the sons	לִבְנֵ֥י	liḇ·nê	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
of men	הָאָדָ֖ם	hā·’ā·ḏām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
to occupy them	לַעֲנ֥וֹת	la·‘ă·nō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H6031 be occupied, busied with

Ecclesiastes 1:14

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
I have seen	רָאִ֙יתִי֙	rā·’î·ṯî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H7200 see
all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the things	הַֽמַּעֲשִׂ֔ים	ham·ma·‘ă·śîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4639 deed, work
that are done	שֶֽׁנַּעֲשׂ֖וּ	šen·na·‘ă·śū	Pronoun - relative; Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural	H6213 do, make
under	תַּ֣חַת	ta·ḥaṯ	Preposition	H8478 the under part
the sun	הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ	haš·šā·meš	Article; Noun - common singular	H8121 sun
and have found them	וְהִנֵּ֥ה	wə·hin·nêh	Conjunctive waw; Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
all	הַכֹּ֛ל	hak·kōl	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3605 the whole, all
to be futile	הֶ֖בֶל	he·ḇel	Noun - masculine singular	H1892 vapour, breath
a pursuit	וּרְע֥וּת	ū·rə·‘ūṯ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct	H7469 longing, striving
of the wind	רֽוּחַ׃	rū·aḥ	Noun - common singular	H7307 breath, wind, spirit

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Ecclesiastes 1:13 Ecclesiastes 3:10 · Genesis 3:19 · Ecclesiastes 8:16–17 · 1 Timothy 4:15 · Ecclesiastes 1:17 · Ecclesiastes 7:25 · Ecclesiastes 12:12 · Ecclesiastes 8:9 · Proverbs 18:1 · Proverbs 23:26 · Ecclesiastes 4:4 · Proverbs 4:7

Ecclesiastes 1:14 Ecclesiastes 2:11 · Ecclesiastes 2:17 · Ecclesiastes 2:26 · Ecclesiastes 6:9 · Ecclesiastes 4:4 · Ecclesiastes 1:17–18 · Psalm 39:5–6

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.