Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 2:1–2
1I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!”
But it proved to be futile.
2I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”
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 2:1
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | אֲנִי֙ | ’ă·nî | Pronoun - first person common singular | H589 I |
| said | אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי | ’ā·mar·tî | Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | H559 utter, say |
| to myself | בְּלִבִּ֔י | bə·lib·bî | Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular | H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart |
| Come | לְכָה־ | lə·ḵāh- | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; third person feminine singular | H1980 go, come, walk |
| now | נָּ֛א | nā | Interjection | H4994 I (we) pray, now |
| I will test | אֲנַסְּכָ֛ה | ’ă·nas·sə·ḵāh | Verb - Piel - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular; second person masculine singular | H5254 test, try |
| you with pleasure | בְשִׂמְחָ֖ה | ḇə·śim·ḥāh | Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular | H8057 joy, gladness, mirth |
| enjoy | וּרְאֵ֣ה | ū·rə·’êh | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | H7200 see |
| what is good | בְט֑וֹב | ḇə·ṭō·wḇ | Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular | H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good |
| But it | ה֖וּא | hū | Pronoun - third person masculine singular | H1931 he, she |
| proved | וְהִנֵּ֥ה | wə·hin·nêh | Conjunctive waw; Interjection | H2009 lo! behold! |
| to be futile | הָֽבֶל׃ | hā·ḇel | Noun - masculine singular | H1892 vapour, breath |
Ecclesiastes 2:2
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I said | אָמַ֣רְתִּי | ’ā·mar·tî | Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | H559 utter, say |
| of laughter | לִשְׂח֖וֹק | liś·ḥō·wq | Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular | H7814 laughter, derision, sport |
| It is folly | מְהוֹלָ֑ל | mə·hō·w·lāl | Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine singular | H1984 shine |
| and of pleasure | וּלְשִׂמְחָ֖ה | ū·lə·śim·ḥāh | Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular | H8057 joy, gladness, mirth |
| What | מַה־ | mah- | Interrogative | H4100 what? how? aught |
| does it | זֹּ֥ה | zōh | Pronoun - feminine singular | H2090 this, that |
| accomplish | עֹשָֽׂה׃ | ‘ō·śāh | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular | H6213 do, make |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Ecclesiastes 2:1 Luke 12:19 · Ecclesiastes 8:15 · Psalm 27:8 · James 5:5 · James 5:1
Ecclesiastes 2:2 Proverbs 14:13 · 1 Peter 4:2–4 · Ecclesiastes 7:2–6
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.