Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:13–17

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.

¹⁵What is crooked cannot be straightened,

and what is lacking cannot be counted.

¹⁶I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is 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

Ecclesiastes 1:15

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
What is crooked	מְעֻוָּ֖ת	mə·‘uw·wāṯ	Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine singular	H5791 be bent, crooked
cannot	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
be straightened	לִתְקֹ֑ן	liṯ·qōn	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H8626 become straight
and what is lacking	וְחֶסְר֖וֹן	wə·ḥes·rō·wn	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H2642 thing lacking, deficiency
cannot	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
be counted	לְהִמָּנֽוֹת׃	lə·him·mā·nō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct	H4487 count, number, reckon, assign

Ecclesiastes 1:16

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
I	אֲנִ֤י	’ă·nî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
said	דִּבַּ֨רְתִּי	dib·bar·tî	Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular	H1696 speak
to	עִם־	‘im-	Preposition	H5973 with
myself	לִבִּי֙	lib·bî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
Behold	הִנֵּ֨ה	hin·nêh	Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
I	אֲנִ֗י	’ă·nî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
have grown	הִגְדַּ֤לְתִּי	hiḡ·dal·tî	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular	H1431 grow up, become great
and increased	וְהוֹסַ֙פְתִּי֙	wə·hō·w·sap̄·tî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular	H3254 add
in wisdom	חָכְמָ֔ה	ḥāḵ·māh	Noun - feminine singular	H2451 wisdom
beyond	עַ֛ל	‘al	Preposition	H5921 height
all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
those	אֲשֶׁר־	’ă·šer-	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
before me	לְפָנַ֖י	lə·p̄ā·nay	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H6440 face, before
who were	הָיָ֥ה	hā·yāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
over	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
Jerusalem	יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם	yə·rū·šā·lim	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H3389 Jerusalem
and my mind	וְלִבִּ֛י	wə·lib·bî	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
has observed	רָאָ֥ה	rā·’āh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7200 see
a wealth	הַרְבֵּ֖ה	har·bêh	Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute	H7235 be, or become, much, many, great
of wisdom	חָכְמָ֥ה	ḥāḵ·māh	Noun - feminine singular	H2451 wisdom
and knowledge	וָדָֽעַת׃	wā·ḏā·‘aṯ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular	H1847 knowledge

Ecclesiastes 1:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So I set	וָאֶתְּנָ֤ה	wā·’et·tə·nāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular; third person feminine singular	H5414 give, put, set
my mind	לִבִּי֙	lib·bî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
to know	לָדַ֣עַת	lā·ḏa·‘aṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H3045 know
wisdom	חָכְמָ֔ה	ḥāḵ·māh	Noun - feminine singular	H2451 wisdom
madness	הוֹלֵל֖וֹת	hō·w·lê·lō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H1947 madness
and folly	וְשִׂכְל֑וּת	wə·śiḵ·lūṯ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular	H5531 folly
I learned	יָדַ֕עְתִּי	yā·ḏa‘·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H3045 know
that	זֶ֥ה	zeh	Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
this	ה֖וּא	hū	Pronoun - third person masculine singular	H1931 he, she
too	שֶׁגַּם־	šeg·gam-	Pronoun - relative; Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
is a pursuit	רַעְי֥וֹן	ra‘·yō·wn	Noun - masculine singular construct	H7475 id.
of the wind	רֽוּחַ׃	rū·aḥ	Noun - common singular	H7307 breath, wind, spirit