King James Version

Ecclesiastes 3:18

I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

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Hebrew

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אָמַ֤רְתִּֽיamartisayאָמַרverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “say”, a completed actionH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֲנִי֙animineאֲנִיpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “mine”H589II, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, [idiom] which, [idiom] who.בְּלִבִּ֔יbelibiin comfortablyלֵבpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “in 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]…עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…דִּבְרַת֙divratcauseדִּבְרָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “cause”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1700a reason, suit or stylecause, end, estate, order, regard.בְּנֵ֣יbenesonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “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, […הָאָדָ֔םhaadamthe 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.לְבָרָ֖םlevaramto make brightבָּרַרpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “to make bright”, the to-form of the verbH1305to clarify (i.e. brighten), examine, selectmake bright, choice, chosen, cleanse (be clean), clearly, polished, (shew self) pure(-ify), purge (out).הָאֱלֹהִ֑יםhaelohimthe Godאֱלֹהִיםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the 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.וְלִרְא֕וֹתvelirotand to seeרָאָהconjunction, preposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “and to see”, the to-form of the verbH7200to 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…שְׁהֶםshehemwho theyהֵםparticle, relative, pronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “who they”H1992they (only used when emphatic)it, like, [idiom] (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, [idiom] so, [idiom] such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.בְּהֵמָ֥הbehemahbeastבְּהֵמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “beast”, the ordinary formH929properly, a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collective)beast, cattle.הֵ֖מָּהhemahtheyהֵםpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “they”H1992they (only used when emphatic)it, like, [idiom] (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, [idiom] so, [idiom] such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.לָהֶֽםlahemtoלָהֶֽםpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “to”to

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

I said in my heart: 'It is because of the sons of men, that God may sift them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.

Young’s Literal Translation

I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to see that they themselves [are] beasts.

World English Bible

I said in my heart, “As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals.

Darby Translation

I said in my heart, It is thus with the children of men, that God may prove them, and that they should see that they themselves are but beasts.

Douay-Rheims

I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, that God would prove them, and shew them to be like beasts.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

I said in my heart: 'It is because of the sons of men, that God may sift them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

I said in my heart, concerning the speech of the sons of man, God will judge them, and that to shew that they are beasts.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Εἶπα ἐγὼ ἐν καρδίᾳ μου, περὶ λαλιᾶς υἱῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ὅτι διακρινεῖ αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τοῦ δεῖξαι ὅτι αὐτοὶ κτήνη εἰσί.