Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:17–19

¹⁷So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

¹⁸I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. ¹⁹And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.

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 2:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So I hated	וְשָׂנֵ֙אתִי֙	wə·śā·nê·ṯî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular	H8130 hate
life	הַ֣חַיִּ֔ים	ha·ḥay·yîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H2416 alive, living
because	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the work	הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה	ham·ma·‘ă·śeh	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4639 deed, work
that is done	שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂ֖ה	šen·na·‘ă·śāh	Pronoun - relative; Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
under	תַּ֣חַת	ta·ḥaṯ	Preposition	H8478 the under part
the sun	הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ	haš·šā·meš	Article; Noun - common singular	H8121 sun
was grievous	רַ֤ע	ra‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil
to me	עָלַי֙	‘ā·lay	Preposition; first person common singular	H5921 height
For	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
everything	הַכֹּ֥ל	hak·kōl	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3605 the whole, all
is futile	הֶ֖בֶל	he·ḇel	Noun - masculine singular	H1892 vapour, breath
and a pursuit	וּרְע֥וּת	ū·rə·‘ūṯ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct	H7469 longing, striving
of the wind	רֽוּחַ׃	rū·aḥ	Noun - common singular	H7307 breath, wind, spirit

Ecclesiastes 2:18

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
I	אֲנִי֙	’ă·nî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
hated	וְשָׂנֵ֤אתִֽי	wə·śā·nê·ṯî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular	H8130 hate
all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
for which	שֶׁאֲנִ֥י	še·’ă·nî	Pronoun - relative; Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
I had toiled	עֲמָלִ֔י	‘ă·mā·lî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H5999 trouble, labour, toil
under	תַּ֣חַת	ta·ḥaṯ	Preposition	H8478 the under part
the sun	הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ	haš·šā·meš	Article; Noun - common singular	H8121 sun
because I must leave it	שֶׁ֣אַנִּיחֶ֔נּוּ	še·’an·nî·ḥen·nū	Pronoun - relative; Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular; third person masculine singular	H5117 rest
to the man	לָאָדָ֖ם	lā·’ā·ḏām	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
who comes	שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֥ה	še·yih·yeh	Pronoun - relative; Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
after me	אַחֲרָֽי׃	’a·ḥă·rāy	Preposition; first person common singular	H310 behind

Ecclesiastes 2:19

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And who	וּמִ֣י	ū·mî	Conjunctive waw; Interrogative	H4310 who?
knows	יוֹדֵ֗עַ	yō·w·ḏê·a‘	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H3045 know
whether	יִהְיֶה֙	yih·yeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
wise	הֶֽחָכָ֤ם	he·ḥā·ḵām	Article; Adjective - masculine singular	H2450 wise
or	א֣וֹ	’ōw	Conjunction	H176 or
foolish	סָכָ֔ל	sā·ḵāl	Noun - masculine singular	H5530 fool
Yet he will take	וְיִשְׁלַט֙	wə·yiš·laṭ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7980 domineer, be master of
over all	בְּכָל־	bə·ḵāl	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the labor	עֲמָלִ֔י	‘ă·mā·lî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H5999 trouble, labour, toil
at which I have worked	שֶֽׁעָמַ֥לְתִּי	še·‘ā·mal·tî	Pronoun - relative; Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H5998 labour, toil
skillfully	וְשֶׁחָכַ֖מְתִּי	wə·še·ḥā·ḵam·tî	Conjunctive waw, Pr; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular	H2449 be wise
under	תַּ֣חַת	ta·ḥaṯ	Preposition	H8478 the under part
the sun	הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ	haš·šā·meš	Article; Noun - common singular	H8121 sun
This	זֶ֖ה	zeh	Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
too	גַּם־	gam-	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
is 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.

Ecclesiastes 2:17 Ecclesiastes 2:11 · Ecclesiastes 4:2 · Jonah 4:8

Ecclesiastes 2:18 Psalm 49:10 · Psalm 39:6 · Luke 16:27–28

Ecclesiastes 2:19 Ecclesiastes 3:22 · James 3:17

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.