Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:15–17

¹⁵As a man came from his mother’s womb, so he will depart again, naked as he arrived. He takes nothing for his labor to carry in his hands. ¹⁶This too is a grievous affliction: Exactly as a man is born, so he will depart. What does he gain as he toils for the wind? ¹⁷Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness, with much sorrow, sickness, and anger.

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 5:15

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
As	כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר	ka·’ă·šer	Preposition-k; Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
came	יָצָא֙	yā·ṣā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3318 go or come out
from his mother’s	אִמּ֔וֹ	’im·mōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H517 mother
womb	מִבֶּ֣טֶן	mib·be·ṭen	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular construct	H990 belly, body, womb
so he will depart	לָלֶ֖כֶת	lā·le·ḵeṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H1980 go, come, walk
again	יָשׁ֥וּב	yā·šūḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7725 turn back, return
naked	עָר֛וֹם	‘ā·rō·wm	Adjective - masculine singular	H6174 naked
as he arrived	כְּשֶׁבָּ֑א	kə·šeb·bā	Preposition-k, Pronoun - relative; Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
He takes	יִשָּׂ֣א	yiś·śā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5375 lift, take, carry
nothing	וּמְא֙וּמָה֙	ū·mə·’ū·māh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H3972 anything
for his labor	בַעֲמָל֔וֹ	ḇa·‘ă·mā·lōw	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H5999 trouble, labour, toil
to carry	שֶׁיֹּלֵ֖ךְ	še·yō·lêḵ	Pronoun - relative; Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
in his hands	בְּיָדֽוֹ׃	bə·yā·ḏōw	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3027 hand

Ecclesiastes 5:16

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
This	זֹה֙	zōh	Pronoun - feminine singular	H2090 this, that
too	וְגַם־	wə·ḡam-	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
is a grievous	חוֹלָ֔ה	ḥō·w·lāh	Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular	H2470 be weak, sick
affliction	רָעָ֣ה	rā·‘āh	Adjective - feminine singular	H7451 bad, evil
Exactly as	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
a man is born	שֶׁבָּ֖א	šeb·bā	Pronoun - relative; Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
so	כֵּ֣ן	kên	Adverb	H3651 right, veritable, honest
he will depart	יֵלֵ֑ךְ	yê·lêḵ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
What	וּמַה־	ū·mah-	Conjunctive waw; Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
does he gain	יִּתְר֣וֹן	yiṯ·rō·wn	Noun - masculine singular	H3504 advantage, profit
as he toils	שֶֽׁיַּעֲמֹ֖ל	še·ya·‘ă·mōl	Pronoun - relative; Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5998 labour, toil
for the wind	לָרֽוּחַ׃	lā·rū·aḥ	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - common singular	H7307 breath, wind, spirit

Ecclesiastes 5:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Moreover	גַּ֥ם	gam	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
his days	יָמָ֖יו	yā·māw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H3117 day
he eats	יֹאכֵ֑ל	yō·ḵêl	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H398 eat
in darkness	בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ	ba·ḥō·šeḵ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H2822 darkness, obscurity
with much	הַרְבֵּ֖ה	har·bêh	Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute	H7235 be, or become, much, many, great
sorrow	וְכָעַ֥ס	wə·ḵā·‘as	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H3708 vexation, anger
sickness	וְחָלְי֥וֹ	wə·ḥā·lə·yōw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H2483 sickness
and anger	וָקָֽצֶף׃	wā·qā·ṣep̄	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H7110 wrath

Cross-references

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

Ecclesiastes 5:15 Job 1:21 · Psalm 49:17 · 1 Timothy 6:7 · Luke 12:20

Ecclesiastes 5:16 Ecclesiastes 1:3 · Proverbs 11:29 · Mark 8:36 · Ecclesiastes 5:13 · John 6:27

Ecclesiastes 5:17 Psalm 127:2

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.