King James Version

Ecclesiastes 1:3

What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

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Hebrew

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מַהmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, 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 senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.יִּתְר֖וֹןyitronbetterיִתְרוֹןnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “better”, the ordinary formH3504preeminence, gainbetter, excellency(-leth), profit(-able).לָֽאָדָ֑םlaadamto personאָדָםpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to person”, the ordinary formH120ruddy 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.בְּכָלbekhalin allכֹּלpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, 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).עֲמָל֔וֹamalvotoilעָמָלnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “toil”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5999toil, i.e. wearing effort; hence, worry, wheth. of body or mindgrievance(-vousness), iniquity, labour, mischief, miserable(-sery), pain(-ful), perverseness, sorrow, toil, travail, trouble, wearisome, wickedness.שֶֽׁיַּעֲמֹ֖לsheyaamolwho labourעָמַלparticle, relative, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “who labour”, an unfinished actionH5998to toil, i.e. work severely and with irksomeness(take) labour (in).תַּ֥חַתtachatwithתַּחַתpreposition — “with”H8478the 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.הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁhashameshthe sunשֶׁמֶשׁdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the sun”, the ordinary formH8121the 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 H1053 (בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

What profit hath man of all his labor wherein he laboreth under the sun?

Young’s Literal Translation

What advantage [is] to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?

World English Bible

What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?

Darby Translation

What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?

Douay-Rheims

What hath a man more of all his labour, that he taketh under the sun?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

What advantage is there to a man in all his labour that he takes under the sun?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Τίς περίσσεια τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ ᾧ μοχθεῖ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον;