King James Version

Ecclesiastes 5:13

There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.

Study

Hebrew

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

In the Hebrew text this line is Ecclesiastes 5:12.

יֵ֚שׁyeshareיֵשׁparticle, demonstrative — “are”H3426there is or are (or any other form of the verb to be, as may suit the connection)(there) are, (he, it, shall, there, there may, there shall, there should) be, thou do, had, hast, (which) hath, (I, shalt, that) have, (he, it, there) is, substance, it (there) was, (there) were, ye will, thou wilt, wouldest.רָעָ֣הraahbadרַעnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “bad”, the ordinary formH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…חוֹלָ֔הcholahbe grievedחָלָהverb, qal, participle, absolute — “be grieved”, a verb used as a describing wordH2470properly, to be rubbed or worn; hence (figuratively) to be weak, sick, afflicted; or (causatively) to grieve, make sick; also to stroke (in flattering), entreatbeseech, (be) diseased, (put to) grief, be grieved, (be) grievous, infirmity, intreat, lay to, put to pain, [idiom] pray, make prayer, be (fall, make) sick, sore, be sorry, make suit ([idiom] supplication), woman in travail, be (become) we…רָאִ֖יתִיraitiseeרָאָהverb, 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…תַּ֣חַתtachatwithתַּחַתpreposition — “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.הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁhashameshthe 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).עֹ֛שֶׁרosherrichesעֹשֶׁרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “riches”, the ordinary formH6239wealth[idiom] far (richer), riches.שָׁמ֥וּרshamurbewardשָׁמַרverb, qal, passive participle, absolute — “beward”, a verb used as a describing wordH8104properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).לִבְעָלָ֖יוlivalayvto husbandבַּעַלpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, 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…לְרָעָתֽוֹleraatvoto badרַעpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to bad”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(5-12) There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt;

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely , riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:

Young’s Literal Translation

There is a painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil.

World English Bible

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

Darby Translation

There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt;

Douay-Rheims

For they are lost with very great affliction: he hath begotten a son, who shall be in extremity of want.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(5-12) There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt;

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

There is an infirmity which I have seen under the sun, namely , wealth kept for its owner to his hurt.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἔστιν ἀῤῥωστία ἣν εἶδον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, πλοῦτον φυλασσόμενον τῷ παρʼ αὐτοῦ εἰς κακίαν αὐτῷ,