King James Version

Ecclesiastes 5:11

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Ecclesiastes 5:10.

בִּרְבוֹת֙birvotin increaseרָבָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “in increase”, the to-form of the verbH7235to increase (in whatever respect)(bring in) abundance ([idiom] -antly), [phrase] archer (by mistake for H7232 (רָבַב)), be in authority, bring up, [idiom] continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, [idiom] -ness), grow up, heap, incre…הַטּוֹבָ֔הhatovahthe goodטוֹבdefinite article, adjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “the good”, the ordinary formH2896good (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,…רַבּ֖וּrabvincreaseרָבָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “increase”, a completed actionH7235to increase (in whatever respect)(bring in) abundance ([idiom] -antly), [phrase] archer (by mistake for H7232 (רָבַב)), be in authority, bring up, [idiom] continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, [idiom] -ness), grow up, heap, incre…אוֹכְלֶ֑יהָokheleyhaeatאָכַלverb, qal, participle, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “eat”, a verb used as a describing wordH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.וּמַהumahand howמָהconjunction, particle, interrogative — “and 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.כִּשְׁרוֹן֙kishronequityכִּשְׁרוֹןnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “equity”, the ordinary formH3788success, advantageequity, good, right.לִבְעָלֶ֔יהָlivaleyhato husbandבַּעַלpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “to husband”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1167a master; hence, a husband, or (figuratively) owner (often used with another noun in modifications of this latter sense)[phrase] archer, [phrase] babbler, [phrase] bird, captain, chief man, [phrase] confederate, [phrase] have to do, [phrase] dreamer, those to whom it is due, [phrase] furious, those that are given to it, great, [phrase] hairy, he that hath i…כִּ֖יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “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…אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…ראיתrytbeholdingרְאִיתnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “beholding”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7212sightbeholding.רְא֥וּתreutbeholdרַאֲוָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “behold”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7207sight, i.e. satisfactionbehold.עֵינָֽיוeynayveye , , -sightעַיִןnoun, common, both genders, dual, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “eye , , -sight”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5869an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)affliction, outward appearance, [phrase] before, [phrase] think best, colour, conceit, [phrase] be content, countenance, [phrase] displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, [phrase] favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), [idiom] him…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(5-10) When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, saving the beholding of them with his eyes?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes?

Young’s Literal Translation

In the multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit [is] to its possessor except the sight of his eyes?

World English Bible

When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes?

Darby Translation

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what profit is there to the owner thereof, except the beholding [of them] with his eyes?

Douay-Rheims

Sleep is sweet to a labouring man, whether he eat little or much: but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(5-10) When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, saving the beholding of them with his eyes?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

In the multitude of good they are increased that eat it: and what virtue has the owner, but the right of beholding it with his eyes?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐν πλήθει ἀγαθωσύνης ἐπληθύνθησαν ἔσθοντες αὐτήν· καὶ τί ἀνδρεία τῷ παρʼ αὐτῆς; ὅτι ἀρχὴ τοῦ ὁρᾷν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ.