Bible/Ecclesiastes/6/12

Bible > Ecclesiastes > Chapter 6 > Verse 12

Ecclesiastes 6:12

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← Ecclesiastes 6:11	Ecclesiastes 6:12 (KJV)	Ecclesiastes 7:1 →
Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what [is] man the better?	For who knoweth what [is] good for man in [this] life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?	A good name [is] better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

Verse Text

KJV with Strong's Numbers

For who knoweth^H3045 what is good^H2896 for man^H120 in this life^H2416, all^H4557 the days^H3117 of his vain^H1892 life^H2416 which he spendeth^H6213 as a shadow^H6738? for who can tell^H5046 a man^H120 what shall be after^H310 him under the sun^H8121?

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Original Hebrew

כִּי מִי־יֹודֵעַ מַה־טֹּוב לָאָדָם בַּחַיִּים מִסְפַּר יְמֵי־חַיֵּי הֶבְלֹו וְיַעֲשֵׂם כַּצֵּל אֲשֶׁר מִי־יַגִּיד לָאָדָם מַה־יִּהְיֶה אַחֲרָיו תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃

Hebrew	Transliteration	Strong's	Morphology	Gloss
כִּ֣י	ki	H3588	HC	for
מִֽי	mi-	H4310	HTi	who?
יוֹדֵעַ֩	yo.de.a'	H3045	HVqrmsa	(is) knowing
מַה	mah-	H4100	HTi	what?
טּ֨וֹב	Tov	H2896	HAamsa	(is) good
לָֽ/אָדָ֜ם	la./'a.Dam	H120	HRd/Ncmsa	for (the)/ person
בַּֽ/חַיִּ֗ים	ba./chai.Yim	H2416	HRd/Ncmpa	in (the)/ life
מִסְפַּ֛ר	mis.Par	H4557	HNcmsc	(the) number of
יְמֵי	ye.mei-	H3117	HNcmpc	(the) days of
חַיֵּ֥י	chai.Yei	H2416	HNcmpc	(the) life of
הֶבְל֖/וֹ	hev.L/o	H1892	HNcmsc/Sp3ms	futility/ his
וְ/יַעֲשֵׂ֣/ם	ve./ya.'a.Se/m	H6213	HC/Vqi3ms/Sp3mp	and/ he spends/ them
כַּ/צֵּ֑ל	ka./Tzel	H6738	HRd/Ncmsa	like (the)/ shadow
אֲשֶׁר֙	'a.Sher	H834	HTr	that
מִֽי	mi-	H4310	HTi	who?
יַגִּ֣יד	ya.Gid	H5046	HVhi3ms	will he tell
לָֽ/אָדָ֔ם	la./'a.Dam	H120	HRd/Ncmsa	to (the)/ person
מַה	mah-	H4100	HTi	what?
יִּהְיֶ֥ה	yih.Yeh	H1961	HVqi3ms	will it be
אַחֲרָ֖י/ו	'a.cha.Ra/v	H310	HR/Sp3ms	after/ him
תַּ֥חַת	Ta.chat	H8478	HR	under
הַ/שָּֽׁמֶשׁ	ha./Sha.mesh	H8121	HTd/Ncbsa	the/ sun

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

Strong's References

• H120 — אָדָם (ʼâdâm, aw-dawm'): from אָדַם; ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.); [idiom] another, [phrase] hypocrite, [phrase] common sort, [idiom] low, man (mean, of low degree), person.
• H310 — אַחַר (ʼachar, akh-ar'): from אָחַר; properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses); after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, [phrase] out (over) live, [phrase] persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth), when, with.
• H1892 — הֶבֶל (hebel, heh'bel): or (rarely in the abs.) הֲבֵל; from הָבַל; emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb; [idiom] altogether, vain, vanity.
• H2416 — חַי (chay, khah'-ee): from חָיָה; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively; [phrase] age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, [phrase] merry, multitude, [phrase] (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.
• H2896 — טוֹב (ṭôwb, tobe): from טוֹב; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well); beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant, [phrase] pleaseth, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well(-favoured).
• H3045 — יָדַע (yâdaʻ, yaw-dah'): a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.); acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be (ig-) norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have (knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, [phrase] be learned, [phrase] lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, [idiom] prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have (understanding), [idiom] will be, wist, wit, wot.
• H3117 — יוֹם (yôwm, yome): from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb); age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger.
• H4557 — מִסְפָּר (miçpâr, mis-pawr'): from סָפַר; a number, definite (arithmetical) or indefinite (large, innumerable; small, a few); also (abstractly) narration; [phrase] abundance, account, [idiom] all, [idiom] few, (in-) finite, (certain) number(-ed), tale, telling, [phrase] time.
• H5046 — נָגַד (nâgad, naw-gad'): a primitive root; properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain, praise; bewray, [idiom] certainly, certify, declare(-ing), denounce, expound, [idiom] fully, messenger, plainly, profess, rehearse, report, shew (forth), speak, [idiom] surely, tell, utter.
• 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.
• H6738 — צֵל (tsêl, tsale): from צָלַל; shade, whether literal or figurative; defence, shade(-ow).
• 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:

• 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.
• H1961 — הָיָה (hâyâh, haw-yaw): a primitive root (compare הָוָא); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary); beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.
• H3588 — כִּי (kîy, kee): a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed; and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.
• H4100 — מָה (mâh, maw): or מַה; or מָ; or מַ; also מֶה; a primitive particle; properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses; how (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.
• H4310 — מִי (mîy, me): an interrogative pronoun of persons, as מָה is of things,; who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix; any (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God.
• 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 6 › Verse 12