Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:10–14

¹⁰He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile. ¹¹When good things increase, so do those who consume them; what then is the profit to the owner, except to behold them with his eyes?

¹²The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep.

¹³There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, ¹⁴or wealth lost in a failed venture, so when that man has a son there is nothing to pass on.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 5

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 5:10

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
He who loves	אֹהֵ֥ב	’ō·hêḇ	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H157 love
money	כֶּ֙סֶף֙	ke·sep̄	Noun - masculine singular	H3701 silver, money
is never	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
satisfied	יִשְׂבַּ֣ע	yiś·ba‘	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7646 be sated, satisfied, surfeited
by money	כֶּ֔סֶף	ke·sep̄	Noun - masculine singular	H3701 silver, money
and he who	וּמִֽי־	ū·mî-	Conjunctive waw; Interrogative	H4310 who?
loves	אֹהֵ֥ב	’ō·hêḇ	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H157 love
wealth	בֶּהָמ֖וֹן	be·hā·mō·wn	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1995 sound, murmur, roar, crowd, abundance
is never	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
by income	תְבוּאָ֑ה	ṯə·ḇū·’āh	Noun - feminine singular	H8393 product, revenue
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 5:11

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When good things	הַטּוֹבָ֔ה	haṭ·ṭō·w·ḇāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
increase	בִּרְבוֹת֙	bir·ḇō·wṯ	Preposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H7235 be, or become, much, many, great
so do	רַבּ֖וּ	rab·bū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H7231 be or become, many, much
those who consume them	אוֹכְלֶ֑יהָ	’ō·wḵ·le·hā	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H398 eat
what then	וּמַה־	ū·mah-	Conjunctive waw; Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
is the profit	כִּשְׁרוֹן֙	kiš·rō·wn	Noun - masculine singular	H3788 skill, success
to the owner	לִבְעָלֶ֔יהָ	liḇ·‘ā·le·hā	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H1167 owner, lord
except	כִּ֖י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
to behold them	רְאִיַּת	rə·ʾī·yaṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H7207 sight, satisfaction
with his eyes	עֵינָֽיו׃	‘ê·nāw	Noun - cdc; third person masculine singular	H5869 eye

Ecclesiastes 5:12

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The sleep	שְׁנַ֣ת	šə·naṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H8142 sleep
of the worker	הָעֹבֵ֔ד	hā·‘ō·ḇêḏ	Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H5647 work, serve
is sweet	מְתוּקָה֙	mə·ṯū·qāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H4966 sweet
whether	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
he eats	יֹאכֵ֑ל	yō·ḵêl	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H398 eat
little	מְעַ֥ט	mə·‘aṭ	Adjective - masculine singular	H4592 a little, fewness, a few
or	וְאִם־	wə·’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
much	הַרְבֵּ֖ה	har·bêh	Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute	H7235 be, or become, much, many, great
but the abundance	וְהַשָּׂבָע֙	wə·haś·śā·ḇā‘	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H7647 plenty, satiety
of the rich man	לֶֽעָשִׁ֔יר	le·‘ā·šîr	Preposition-l, Article; Adjective - masculine singular	H6223 rich
permits	מַנִּ֥יחַֽ	man·nî·aḥ	Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular	H5117 rest
him	ל֖וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
no	אֵינֶ֛נּוּ	’ê·nen·nū	Adverb; third person masculine singular	H369 nothing, nought
sleep	לִישֽׁוֹן׃	lî·šō·wn	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H3462 sleep

Ecclesiastes 5:13

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
There is	יֵ֚שׁ	yêš	Adverb	H3426 being, substance, existence
a grievous	חוֹלָ֔ה	ḥō·w·lāh	Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular	H2470 be weak, sick
evil	רָעָ֣ה	rā·‘āh	Adjective - feminine singular	H7451 bad, evil
I have seen	רָאִ֖יתִי	rā·’î·ṯî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H7200 see
under	תַּ֣חַת	ta·ḥaṯ	Preposition	H8478 the under part
the sun	הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ	haš·šā·meš	Article; Noun - common singular	H8121 sun
wealth	עֹ֛שֶׁר	‘ō·šer	Noun - masculine singular	H6239 be or become rich
hoarded	שָׁמ֥וּר	šā·mūr	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular	H8104 keep, watch, preserve
to the harm	לְרָעָתֽוֹ׃	lə·rā·‘ā·ṯōw	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil
of its owner	לִבְעָלָ֖יו	liḇ·‘ā·lāw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H1167 owner, lord

Ecclesiastes 5:14

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
or	הַה֖וּא	ha·hū	Article; Pronoun - third person masculine singular	H1931 he, she
wealth	הָעֹ֥שֶׁר	hā·‘ō·šer	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H6239 be or become rich
lost	וְאָבַ֛ד	wə·’ā·ḇaḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H6 perish
in a failed	רָ֑ע	rā‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil
venture	בְּעִנְיַ֣ן	bə·‘in·yan	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H6045 occupation, task
so when	וְהוֹלִ֣יד	wə·hō·w·lîḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
a son	בֵּ֔ן	bên	Noun - masculine singular	H1121 son
there is nothing	וְאֵ֥ין	wə·’ên	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
to pass on	בְּיָד֖וֹ	bə·yā·ḏōw	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3027 hand