Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 2:1
1I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!”
But it proved to be futile.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Luke 12:19 · Ecclesiastes 8:15 · Psalm 27:8 · James 5:5 · James 5:1
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.