Bible/Ecclesiastes/4/1

Bible > Ecclesiastes > Chapter 4 > Verse 1

Ecclesiastes 4:1

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← Ecclesiastes 3:22	Ecclesiastes 4:1 (KJV)	Ecclesiastes 4:2 →
Wherefore I perceive that [there is] nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that [is] his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?	So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of [such as were] oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors [there was] power; but they had no comforter.	Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.

Verse Text

KJV with Strong's Numbers

So I returned^H7725, and considered^H7200 all the oppressions^H6217 that are done^H6213 under the sun^H8121: and behold the tears^H1832 of such as were oppressed^H6231, and they had no comforter^H5162; and on the side^H3027 of their oppressors^H6231 there was power^H3581; but they had no comforter^H5162.

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Original Hebrew

וְשַׁבְתִּי אֲנִי וָאֶרְאֶה אֶת־כָּל־הָעֲשֻׁקִים אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשִׂים תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְהִנֵּה ׀ דִּמְעַת הָעֲשֻׁקִים וְאֵין לָהֶם מְנַחֵם וּמִיַּד עֹשְׁקֵיהֶם כֹּחַ וְאֵין לָהֶם מְנַחֵם׃

Hebrew	Transliteration	Strong's	Morphology	Gloss
וְ/שַׁ֣בְתִּֽי	ve./Shav.ti	H7725	HC/Vqp1cs	and/ I returned
אֲנִ֗י	'a.Ni	H589	HPp1cs	I
וָ/אֶרְאֶה֙	va./'er.'Eh	H7200	HC/Vqw1cs	and/ I saw
אֶת	'et-	H853	HTo	(obj.)
כָּל	kol-	H3605	HNcmsc	all
הָ֣/עֲשֻׁקִ֔ים	ha./'a.shu.Kim	H6217	HTd/Vqsmpa	the/ oppression(s)
אֲשֶׁ֥ר	'a.Sher	H834	HTr	which
נַעֲשִׂ֖ים	na.'a.Sim	H6213	HVNsmpa	(were being) done
תַּ֣חַת	Ta.chat	H8478	HR	under
הַ/שָּׁ֑מֶשׁ	ha./Sha.mesh	H8121	HTd/Ncbsa	the/ sun
וְ/הִנֵּ֣ה	ve./hi.Neh	H2009	HC/Tm	and/ there!
דִּמְעַ֣ת	dim.'At	H1832	HNcfsc	(the) tear(s) of
הָ/עֲשֻׁקִ֗ים	ha./'a.shu.Kim	H6217	HTd/Vqsmpa	the/ oppressed
וְ/אֵ֤ין	ve./'Ein	H369	HC/Tn	and/ not
לָ/הֶם֙	la./Hem		HR/Sp3mp	(belonged) to (the)/ them
מְנַחֵ֔ם	me.na.Chem	H5162	HVprmsa	a comforter
וּ/מִ/יַּ֤ד	u./mi./Yad	H3027	HC/R/Ncbsc	and/ (was) from/ (the) hand of
עֹֽשְׁקֵי/הֶם֙	'o.she.kei./Hem	H6231	HVqrmpc/Sp3mp	oppressors/ their
כֹּ֔חַ	Ko.ach	H3581	HNcmsa	power
וְ/אֵ֥ין	ve./'Ein	H369	HC/Tn	and/ there not
לָ/הֶ֖ם	la./Hem		HR/Sp3mp	(belonged) to (the)/ them
מְנַחֵֽם	me.na.Chem	H5162	HVprmsa	a comforter

Source: Westminster Leningrad Codex (MorphHB), TAHOT (Tyndale House)

Strong's References

• H1832 — דִּמְעָה (dimʻâh, dim-aw'): feminine of דֶּמַע; weeping; tears.
• H3027 — יָד (yâd, yawd): a primitive word; in distinction from כַּף, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows); a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),; ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves.
• H3581 — כֹּחַ (kôach, ko'-akh): or (Daniel 11:6) כּוֹחַ; from an unused root meaning to be firm; vigor, literally (force, in a good or a bad sense) or figuratively (capacity, means, produce); also (from its hardiness) a large lizard; ability, able, chameleon, force, fruits, might, power(-ful), strength, substance, wealth.
• H5162 — נָחַם (nâcham, naw-kham'): a primitive root; properly, to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly; by implication, to be sorry, i.e. (in a favorable sense) to pity, console or (reflexively) rue; or (unfavorably) to avenge (oneself); comfort (self), ease (one's self), repent(-er,-ing, self).
• H6213 — עָשָׂה (ʻâsâh, aw-saw'): a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application; accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, [phrase] feast, (fight-) ing man, [phrase] finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, [phrase] hinder, hold (a feast), [idiom] indeed, [phrase] be industrious, [phrase] journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, [phrase] officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, [idiom] sacrifice, serve, set, shew, [idiom] sin, spend, [idiom] surely, take, [idiom] thoroughly, trim, [idiom] very, [phrase] vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use.
• H6217 — עָשׁוּק (ʻâshûwq, aw-shook'): or עָשֻׁק; passive participle of עָשַׁק; used in plural masculine as abstractly, tyranny; oppressed(-ion). (Doubtful.)
• H6231 — עָשַׁק (ʻâshaq, aw-shak'): a primitive root (compare עָשַׂק); to press upon, i.e. oppress, defraud, violate, overflow; get deceitfully, deceive, defraud, drink up, (use) oppress(-ion), -or), do violence (wrong).
• H7200 — רָאָה (râʼâh, raw-aw'): a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative); advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, [idiom] be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), [idiom] sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, [idiom] surely, [idiom] think, view, visions.
• H7725 — שׁוּב (shûwb, shoob): a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again; ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, [idiom] certainly, come again (back), [idiom] consider, [phrase] continually, convert, deliver (again), [phrase] deny, draw back, fetch home again, [idiom] fro, get (oneself) (back) again, [idiom] give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, [idiom] needs, be past, [idiom] pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, [phrase] say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, [idiom] surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.
• H8121 — שֶׁמֶשׁ (shemesh, sheh'-mesh): from an unused root meaning to be brilliant; the sun; by implication, the east; figuratively, a ray, i.e. (architectural) a notched battlement; [phrase] east side(-ward), sun (rising), [phrase] west(-ward), window. See also בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ.

The following Strong's numbers are referenced in the Hebrew (Westminster Leningrad Codex) text but were not explicitly tagged in the KJV source:

• H369 — אַיִן (ʼayin, ah'-yin): as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle; else, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare אַיִן.
• H589 — אֲנִי (ʼănîy, an-ee'): lemma אֲנַי second vowel, corrected to אֲנִי; contracted from אָנֹכִי; I; I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, [idiom] which, [idiom] who.
• H834 — אֲשֶׁר (ʼăsher, ash-er'): a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.; [idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever, when, where ([phrase] -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, [phrase] whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.
• H853 — אֵת (ʼêth, ayth): apparent contracted from אוֹת in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely); (as such unrepresented in English).
• H2009 — הִנֵּה (hinnêh, hin-nay'): prolongation for הֵן; lo!; behold, lo, see.
• H3605 — כֹּל (kôl, kole): or (Jeremiah 33:8) כּוֹל; from כָּלַל; properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense); (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).
• H8478 — תַּחַת (tachath, takh'-ath): from the same as תּוֹחַ; the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.; as, beneath, [idiom] flat, in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead of, under, [idiom] unto, [idiom] when...was mine, whereas, (where-) fore, with.

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Bible › Ecclesiastes › Ecclesiastes 4 › Verse 1