Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:16–17

¹⁶Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth,^a

and whose princes feast in the morning.

¹⁷Blessed are you, O land whose king is a son of nobles,

and whose princes feast at the proper time—

for strength and not for drunkenness.

Footnotes

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.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Woe	אִֽי־	’î-	Interjection	H337 alas!
to you	לָ֣ךְ	lāḵ	Preposition; second person feminine singular
O land	אֶ֔רֶץ	’e·reṣ	Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
whose king	שֶׁמַּלְכֵּ֖ךְ	šem·mal·kêḵ	Pronoun - relative; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person feminine singular	H4428 king
is a youth	נָ֑עַר	nā·‘ar	Noun - masculine singular	H5288 a shaking, scattering
and whose princes	וְשָׂרַ֖יִךְ	wə·śā·ra·yiḵ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; second person feminine singular	H8269 chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince
feast	יֹאכֵֽלוּ׃	yō·ḵê·lū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H398 eat
in the morning	בַּבֹּ֥קֶר	bab·bō·qer	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1242 morning

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Blessed are you	אַשְׁרֵ֣יךְ	’aš·rêḵ	Interjection; second person feminine singular	H835 happiness, blessedness
O land	אֶ֔רֶץ	’e·reṣ	Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
whose king	שֶׁמַּלְכֵּ֖ךְ	šem·mal·kêḵ	Pronoun - relative; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person feminine singular	H4428 king
is a son	בֶּן־	ben-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1121 son
of nobles	חוֹרִ֑ים	ḥō·w·rîm	Noun - masculine plural	H2715 noble
and whose princes	וְשָׂרַ֙יִךְ֙	wə·śā·ra·yiḵ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; second person feminine singular	H8269 chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince
feast	יֹאכֵ֔לוּ	yō·ḵê·lū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H398 eat
at the proper time	בָּעֵ֣ת	bā·‘êṯ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - common singular	H6256 time
for strength	בִּגְבוּרָ֖ה	biḡ·ḇū·rāh	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular	H1369 strength, might
and not	וְלֹ֥א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
for drunkenness	בַשְּׁתִֽי׃	ḇaš·šə·ṯî	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H8358 drinking, drinking-bout

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

Ecclesiastes 10:16 Isaiah 3:12 · Isaiah 5:11–12 · Isaiah 3:4–5 · Proverbs 20:1–2 · Jeremiah 21:12 · 2 Chronicles 13:7 · Isaiah 28:7–8 · 2 Chronicles 36:5 · Hosea 7:5–7 · 2 Chronicles 36:2 · 2 Chronicles 36:9

Ecclesiastes 10:17 Proverbs 31:4–5

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.