Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 2:13–14
13And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:
14The wise man has eyes in his head,
but the fool walks in darkness.
Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both.
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 2:13
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| And I | אָ֔נִי | ’ā·nî | Pronoun - first person common singular | H589 I |
| saw | וְרָאִ֣יתִי | wə·rā·’î·ṯî | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | H7200 see |
| that | שֶׁיֵּ֥שׁ | še·yêš | Pronoun - relative; Adverb | H3426 being, substance, existence |
| wisdom | לַֽחָכְמָ֖ה | la·ḥā·ḵə·māh | Preposition-l, Article; Noun - feminine singular | H2451 wisdom |
| exceeds | יִתְר֛וֹן | yiṯ·rō·wn | Noun - masculine singular | H3504 advantage, profit |
| folly | הַסִּכְל֑וּת | has·siḵ·lūṯ | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H5531 folly |
| just as light | הָא֖וֹר | hā·’ō·wr | Article; Noun - common singular | H216 light |
| exceeds | כִּֽיתְר֥וֹן | kî·ṯə·rō·wn | Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular construct | H3504 advantage, profit |
| darkness | הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ | ha·ḥō·šeḵ | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H2822 darkness, obscurity |
Ecclesiastes 2:14
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The wise | הֶֽחָכָם֙ | he·ḥā·ḵām | Article; Adjective - masculine singular | H2450 wise |
| man has eyes | עֵינָ֣יו | ‘ê·nāw | Noun - cdc; third person masculine singular | H5869 eye |
| in his head | בְּרֹאשׁ֔וֹ | bə·rō·šōw | Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular | H7218 head |
| but the fool | וְהַכְּסִ֖יל | wə·hak·kə·sîl | Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine singular | H3684 stupid fellow, dullard, fool |
| walks | הוֹלֵ֑ךְ | hō·w·lêḵ | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular | H1980 go, come, walk |
| in darkness | בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ | ba·ḥō·šeḵ | Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular | H2822 darkness, obscurity |
| Yet I | אָ֔נִי | ’ā·nî | Pronoun - first person common singular | H589 I |
| also | גַם־ | ḡam- | Conjunction | H1571 also, moreover, yea |
| came to realize | וְיָדַ֣עְתִּי | wə·yā·ḏa‘·tî | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | H3045 know |
| that one | אֶחָ֖ד | ’e·ḥāḏ | Number - masculine singular | H259 one |
| fate | שֶׁמִּקְרֶ֥ה | šem·miq·reh | Pronoun - relative; Noun - masculine singular | H4745 accident, chance, fortune |
| overcomes | יִקְרֶ֥ה | yiq·reh | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | H7136 encounter, meet, befall |
| them | אֶת־ | ’eṯ- | Direct object marker | H853 mark of the accusative |
| both | כֻּלָּֽם׃ | kul·lām | Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine plural | H3605 the whole, all |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Ecclesiastes 2:13 Ephesians 5:8 · Ecclesiastes 7:11–12 · Ecclesiastes 11:7 · Matthew 6:23 · Luke 11:34–35 · Psalm 119:105 · Malachi 3:18–4:2
Ecclesiastes 2:14 Psalm 49:10 · Proverbs 17:24 · Ecclesiastes 9:11 · 1 John 2:11 · Ecclesiastes 9:1–3 · Ecclesiastes 3:19
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.