Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 4:13–14
13Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning. 14For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.
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 4:13
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Better | ט֛וֹב | ṭō·wḇ | Adjective - masculine singular | H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good |
| is a poor | מִסְכֵּ֖ן | mis·kên | Adjective - masculine singular | H4542 poor |
| but wise | וְחָכָ֑ם | wə·ḥā·ḵām | Conjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine singular | H2450 wise |
| youth | יֶ֥לֶד | ye·leḏ | Noun - masculine singular | H3206 child, son, boy, youth |
| than an old | זָקֵן֙ | zā·qên | Adjective - masculine singular | H2205 old |
| but foolish | וּכְסִ֔יל | ū·ḵə·sîl | Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular | H3684 stupid fellow, dullard, fool |
| king | מִמֶּ֤לֶךְ | mim·me·leḵ | Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular | H4428 king |
| who | אֲשֶׁ֛ר | ’ă·šer | Pronoun - relative | H834 particle of relation |
| no | לֹא־ | lō- | Adverb - Negative particle | H3808 not |
| longer | עֽוֹד׃ | ‘ō·wḏ | Adverb | H5750 a going round, continuance |
| knows | יָדַ֥ע | yā·ḏa‘ | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | H3045 know |
| how to take a warning | לְהִזָּהֵ֖ר | lə·hiz·zā·hêr | Preposition-l; Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct | H2094 be light, shining |
Ecclesiastes 4:14
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| For | כִּֽי־ | kî- | Conjunction | H3588 burning, branding |
| has come | יָצָ֣א | yā·ṣā | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | H3318 go or come out |
| from the prison | מִבֵּ֥ית | mib·bêṯ | Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct | H1004 house |
| to the kingship | לִמְלֹ֑ךְ | lim·lōḵ | Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | H4427 be or become king, or queen, reign |
| though | כִּ֛י | kî | Conjunction | H3588 burning, branding |
| he was born | נוֹלַ֥ד | nō·w·laḏ | Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | H3205 bear, bring forth, beget |
| poor | רָֽשׁ׃ | rāš | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular | H7326 be in want, poor |
| in his own kingdom | בְּמַלְכוּת֖וֹ | bə·mal·ḵū·ṯōw | Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular | H4438 royalty, royal power, reign, kingdom |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Ecclesiastes 4:13 Proverbs 19:1 · 2 Chronicles 25:16 · Proverbs 28:15–16 · 2 Chronicles 16:9–10 · 1 Kings 22:8
Ecclesiastes 4:14 Genesis 41:14 · Psalm 113:7–8 · Lamentations 4:20 · Job 5:11 · Genesis 41:33–44 · Daniel 4:31 · 2 Kings 25:7 · 2 Kings 25:27–30 · 2 Kings 24:6 · 2 Kings 24:12 · 1 Kings 14:26–27 · 2 Kings 23:31–34
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.