King James Version

Ecclesiastes 2:22

For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?

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Hebrew

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כִּ֠יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (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, + til…מֶֽהmehhowמָהparticle, 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.הֹוֶ֤הhovehbeהָוָאverb, qal, participle, absolute — “be”, a verb used as a describing wordH1933to be (in the sense of existence)be, [idiom] have.לָֽאָדָם֙laadamto 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.וּבְרַעְי֖וֹןuverayonand in vexationרַעְיוֹןconjunction, preposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and in vexation”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7475desirevexation.לִבּ֑וlibvcomfortablyלֵבnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “comfortably”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3820the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything[phrase] care for, comfortably, consent, [idiom] considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), [idiom] heed, [idiom] I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), [idiom] regard(-ed), [idiom]…שֶׁה֥וּאshehuwho as for herהוּאparticle, relative, pronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “who as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.עָמֵ֖לamelthat labourethעָמֵלadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “that laboureth”, the ordinary formH6001toiling; concretely, a laborer; figuratively, sorrowfulthat laboureth, that is a misery, had taken (labour), wicked, workman.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)

For what hath a man of all his labour, and of the striving of his heart, 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)

For what hath a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboreth under the sun?

Young’s Literal Translation

For what hath been to a man by all his labour, and by the thought of his heart that he laboured at under the sun?

World English Bible

For what does a man have of all his labor and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?

Darby Translation

For what will man have of all his labour and of the striving of his heart, wherewith he hath wearied himself under the sun?

Douay-Rheims

For what profit shall a man have of all his labour, and vexation of spirit, with which he bath been tormented under the sun?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

For what hath a man of all his labour, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboureth under the sun?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

For it happens to a man in all his labour, and in the purpose of his heart wherein he labours under the sun.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

ὅτι γίνεται ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν προαιρέσει καρδίας αὐτοῦ ᾧ αὐτὸς μοχθεῖ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον.