King James Version

Ecclesiastes 7:10

Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

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Hebrew

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אַלalnotאַלparticle, negative — “not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.תֹּאמַר֙tomarsayאָמַרverb, qal, jussive, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “say”, a wish or indirect commandH559to 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…מֶ֣הmehhowמָהparticle, 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.הָיָ֔הhayahbeהָיָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.שֶׁ֤הַיָּמִים֙shehayamimwho the as long asיוֹםparticle, relative, definite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “who the as long as”, the ordinary formH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…הָרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔יםharishonimthe firstרִאשׁוֹןdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “the first”, the ordinary formH7223first, in place, time or rank (as adjective or noun)ancestor, (that were) before(-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore(-father) (-most), former (thing), of old time, past.הָי֥וּhayvbeהָיָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.טוֹבִ֖יםtovimgoodטוֹבadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “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,…מֵאֵ֑לֶּהmeelehfrom theseאֵלֶּהpreposition, pronoun, demonstrative, common, plural — “from these”H428these or thosean-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m).כִּ֛יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “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…לֹ֥אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…מֵחָכְמָ֖הmechakhemahfrom wisdomחׇכְמָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “from wisdom”, the ordinary formH2451wisdom (in a good sense)skilful, wisdom, wisely, wit.שָׁאַ֥לְתָּshaaltademandשָׁאַלverb, qal, perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “demand”, a completed actionH7592to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demandask (counsel, on), beg, borrow, lay to charge, consult, demand, desire, [idiom] earnestly, enquire, [phrase] greet, obtain leave, lend, pray, request, require, [phrase] salute, [idiom] straitly, [idiom] surely, wish.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,…זֶֽהzehthe one...the otherזֶהpronoun, demonstrative, masculine, singular — “the one...the other”H2088the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or thathe, [idiom] hence, [idiom] here, it(-self), [idiom] now, [idiom] of him, the one...the other, [idiom] than the other, ([idiom] out of) the (self) same, such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on that side, [idiom] thus,…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Say not thou: 'How was it that the former days were better than these?' for it is not out of wisdom that thou inquirest concerning this.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

Young’s Literal Translation

Say not thou, 'What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.

World English Bible

Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.

Darby Translation

Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

Douay-Rheims

Be not quickly angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of a fool.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Say not thou: 'How was it that the former days were better than these?' for it is not out of wisdom that thou inquirest concerning this.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Say not, What has happened, that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire in wisdom concerning this.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Μὴ εἴπῃς, τί ἐγένετο, ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι αἱ πρότεραι ἦσαν ἀγαθαὶ ὑπὲρ ταύτας; ὅτι οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐπηρώτησας περὶ τούτου.