Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:18–21

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.

²⁰So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun. ²¹When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great evil.

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 2:18

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

Ecclesiastes 2:20

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So	אֲנִ֖י	’ă·nî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
my heart	לִבִּ֑י	lib·bî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
began	וְסַבּ֥וֹתִֽי	wə·sab·bō·w·ṯî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular	H5437 turn about, go around, surround
to despair	לְיַאֵ֣שׁ	lə·ya·’êš	Preposition-l; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct	H2976 despair
over	עַ֚ל	‘al	Preposition	H5921 height
all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the labor	הֶ֣עָמָ֔ל	he·‘ā·māl	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5999 trouble, labour, toil
that I had done	שֶׁעָמַ֖לְתִּי	še·‘ā·mal·tî	Pronoun - relative; Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H5998 labour, toil
under	תַּ֥חַת	ta·ḥaṯ	Preposition	H8478 the under part
the sun	הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃	haš·šā·meš	Article; Noun - common singular	H8121 sun

Ecclesiastes 2:21

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When	כִּי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
there is	יֵ֣שׁ	yêš	Adverb	H3426 being, substance, existence
a man	אָדָ֗ם	’ā·ḏām	Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
who has labored	שֶׁעֲמָל֛וֹ	še·‘ă·mā·lōw	Pronoun - relative; Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H5999 trouble, labour, toil
with wisdom	בְּחָכְמָ֥ה	bə·ḥā·ḵə·māh	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular	H2451 wisdom
knowledge	וּבְדַ֖עַת	ū·ḇə·ḏa·‘aṯ	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular	H1847 knowledge
and skill	וּבְכִשְׁר֑וֹן	ū·ḇə·ḵiš·rō·wn	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular	H3788 skill, success
and he must give	יִתְּנֶ֣נּוּ	yit·tə·nen·nū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
his portion	חֶלְק֔וֹ	ḥel·qōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H2506 portion, tract, territory
to a man	וּלְאָדָ֞ם	ū·lə·’ā·ḏām	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
who has not	שֶׁלֹּ֤א	šel·lō	Pronoun - relative; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
worked	עָֽמַל־	‘ā·mal-	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5998 labour, toil
for it	בּוֹ֙	bōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
this	זֶ֥ה	zeh	Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
too	גַּם־	gam-	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
is futile	הֶ֖בֶל	he·ḇel	Noun - masculine singular	H1892 vapour, breath
and a great	רַבָּֽה׃	rab·bāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H7227 much, many, great
evil	וְרָעָ֥ה	wə·rā·‘āh	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - feminine singular	H7451 bad, evil

Cross-references

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

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

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

Ecclesiastes 2:21 Ecclesiastes 2:17–18

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.