Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:14–16

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. 15So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?”

And I said to myself that this too is futile.

16For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!

Read all of Ecclesiastes 2

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 2:14

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
The wiseהֶֽחָכָם֙he·ḥā·ḵāmArticle; Adjective - masculine singularH2450 wise
man has eyesעֵינָ֣יו‘ê·nāwNoun - cdc; third person masculine singularH5869 eye
in his headבְּרֹאשׁ֔וֹbə·rō·šōwPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH7218 head
but the foolוְהַכְּסִ֖ילwə·hak·kə·sîlConjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine singularH3684 stupid fellow, dullard, fool
walksהוֹלֵ֑ךְhō·w·lêḵVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH1980 go, come, walk
in darknessבַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְba·ḥō·šeḵPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singularH2822 darkness, obscurity
Yet Iאָ֔נִי’ā·nîPronoun - first person common singularH589 I
alsoגַם־ḡam-ConjunctionH1571 also, moreover, yea
came to realizeוְיָדַ֣עְתִּיwə·yā·ḏa‘·tîConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularH3045 know
that oneאֶחָ֖ד’e·ḥāḏNumber - masculine singularH259 one
fateשֶׁמִּקְרֶ֥הšem·miq·rehPronoun - relative; Noun - masculine singularH4745 accident, chance, fortune
overcomesיִקְרֶ֥הyiq·rehVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH7136 encounter, meet, befall
themאֶת־’eṯ-Direct object markerH853 mark of the accusative
bothכֻּלָּֽם׃kul·lāmNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine pluralH3605 the whole, all

Ecclesiastes 2:15

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
So Iאֲנִ֜י’ă·nîPronoun - first person common singularH589 I
saidוְאָמַ֨רְתִּֽיwə·’ā·mar·tîConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularH559 utter, say
to myselfבְּלִבִּ֗יbə·lib·bîPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
The fateכְּמִקְרֵ֤הkə·miq·rêhPreposition-k; Noun - masculine singular constructH4745 accident, chance, fortune
of the foolהַכְּסִיל֙hak·kə·sîlArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3684 stupid fellow, dullard, fool
will alsoגַּם־gam-ConjunctionH1571 also, moreover, yea
befallיִקְרֵ֔נִיyiq·rê·nîVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; first person common singularH7136 encounter, meet, befall
meאֲנִ֣י’ă·nîPronoun - first person common singularH589 I
Whatוְלָ֧מָּהwə·lām·māhConjunctive waw; InterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
thenאָ֣ז’āzAdverbH227 at that time, then
have Iאֲנִ֖י’ă·nîPronoun - first person common singularH589 I
gainedיוֹתֵ֑רyō·w·ṯêrNoun - masculine singularH3148 superiority, advantage, excess
by being wiseחָכַ֛מְתִּיḥā·ḵam·tîVerb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularH2449 be wise
And I saidוְדִבַּ֣רְתִּיwə·ḏib·bar·tîConjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularH1696 speak
to myselfבְלִבִּ֔יḇə·lib·bîPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
that thisזֶ֖הzehPronoun - masculine singularH2088 this, that
tooשֶׁגַּם־šeg·gam-Pronoun - relative; ConjunctionH1571 also, moreover, yea
is futileהָֽבֶל׃hā·ḇelNoun - masculine singularH1892 vapour, breath

Ecclesiastes 2:16

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Forכִּי֩kîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
there is noאֵ֨ין’ênAdverbH369 nothing, nought
lastingלְעוֹלָ֑םlə·‘ō·w·lāmPreposition-l; Noun - masculine singularH5769 long duration, antiquity, futurity
remembranceזִכְר֧וֹןziḵ·rō·wnNoun - masculine singular constructH2146 memorial, remembrance
of the wiseלֶחָכָ֛םle·ḥā·ḵāmPreposition-l, Article; Adjective - masculine singularH2450 wise
just as withעִֽם־‘im-PrepositionH5973 with
the foolהַכְּסִ֖ילhak·kə·sîlArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3684 stupid fellow, dullard, fool
seeing thatבְּשֶׁכְּבָ֞רbə·šek·kə·ḇārPreposition-b, Pronoun - relative; AdverbH3528 already
bothהַכֹּ֣לhak·kōlArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3605 the whole, all
will be forgottenנִשְׁכָּ֔חniš·kāḥVerb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH7911 forget
in the daysהַיָּמִ֤יםhay·yā·mîmArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH3117 day
to comeהַבָּאִים֙hab·bā·’îmArticle; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH935 come in, come, go in, go
Alasוְאֵ֛יךְwə·’êḵConjunctive waw; InterjectionH349 How?
the wise manהֶחָכָ֖םhe·ḥā·ḵāmArticle; Adjective - masculine singularH2450 wise
will dieיָמ֥וּתyā·mūṯVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH4191 die
just likeעִֽם־‘im-PrepositionH5973 with
the foolהַכְּסִֽיל׃hak·kə·sîlArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3684 stupid fellow, dullard, fool

Cross-references

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

Ecclesiastes 2:14 Psalm 49:10 · Proverbs 17:24 · Ecclesiastes 9:11 · 1 John 2:11 · Ecclesiastes 9:1–3 · Ecclesiastes 3:19

Ecclesiastes 2:15 Ecclesiastes 6:8 · Ecclesiastes 1:14

Ecclesiastes 2:16 Ecclesiastes 1:11 · Ecclesiastes 9:5 · Exodus 1:8 · Malachi 3:16 · Hebrews 9:27 · Psalm 88:12

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.