King James Version

Ecclesiastes 3:10

I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

רָאִ֣יתִיraitiseeרָאָהverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “see”, a completed actionH7200to 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), m…אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הָֽעִנְיָ֗ןhainyanthe businessעִנְיָןdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the business”, the ordinary formH6045ado, i.e. (generally) employment or (specifically) an affairbusiness, travail.אֲשֶׁ֨רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, 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,…נָתַ֧ןnatangiveנָתַןverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “give”, a completed actionH5414to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] wi…אֱלֹהִ֛יםelohimGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.לִבְנֵ֥יlivneto sonבֵּןpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “to son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […הָאָדָ֖םhaadamthe personאָדָםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the 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.לַעֲנ֥וֹתlaanotto abase selfעָנָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to abase self”, the to-form of the verbH6031to depress literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive (in various applications, as follows)abase self, afflict(-ion, self), answer (by mistake for H6030 (עָנָה)), chasten self, deal hardly with, defile, exercise, force, gentleness, humble (self), hurt, ravish, sing (by mistake for H6030 (עָנָה)), speak (by mistake for H6030 (עָנ…בּֽוֹbvoinבּֽוֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in”in

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

I have seen the task which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

Young’s Literal Translation

I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.

World English Bible

I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

Darby Translation

I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of men to toil in.

Douay-Rheims

I have seen the trouble, which God hath given the sons of men to be exercised in it.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

I have seen the task which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

I have seen all the trouble, which God has given to the sons of men to be troubled with.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Εἶδον σὺν πάντα τὸν περισπασμὸν, ὃν ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοῦ περισπᾶσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ.