King James Version

Ecclesiastes 9:14

There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

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Hebrew

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עִ֣ירircityעִירnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “city”, the ordinary formH5892a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.קְטַנָּ֔הqetanahleastקָטָןadjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “least”, the ordinary formH6996abbreviated, i.e. diminutive, literally (in quantity, size or number) or figuratively (in age or importance)least, less(-er), little (one), small(-est, one, quantity, thing), young(-er, -est).וַאֲנָשִׁ֥יםvaanashimand a certainאִישׁconjunction, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “and a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…בָּ֖הּbahinבָּ֖הּpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “in”inמְעָ֑טmeatlittleמְעַטnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “little”, the ordinary formH4592a little or few (often adverbial or compar.)almost (some, very) few(-er, -est), lightly, little (while), (very) small (matter, thing), some, soon, [idiom] very.וּבָֽאuvaand to comeבּוֹאconjunction, verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and to come”, a completed actionH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…אֵלֶ֜יהָeleyhaamongאֵלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).מֶ֤לֶךְmelekhkingמֶלֶךְnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “king”, the ordinary formH4428a kingking, royal.גָּדוֹל֙gadolgreatגָּדוֹלadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “great”, the ordinary formH1419great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent[phrase] aloud, elder(-est), [phrase] exceeding(-ly), [phrase] far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, [idiom] sore, ([idiom]) very.וְסָבַ֣בvesavavand bringסָבַבconjunction, verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and bring”, a completed actionH5437to revolve, surround, or border; used in various applications, literally and figurativelybring, cast, fetch, lead, make, walk, [idiom] whirl, [idiom] round about, be about on every side, apply, avoid, beset (about), besiege, bring again, carry (about), change, cause to come about, [idiom] circuit, (fetch a) compass (about, rou…אֹתָ֔הּotahobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “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).וּבָנָ֥הuvanahand buildבָּנָהconjunction, verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and build”, a completed actionH1129to build (literally and figuratively)(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), [idiom] surely.עָלֶ֖יהָaleyhaaboveעַלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “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,…מְצוֹדִ֥יםmetsodimnetמָצוֹדnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “net”, the ordinary formH4685a net (for capturing animals or fishes); afastness or (beseiging) towerbulwark, hold, munition, net, snare.גְּדֹלִֽיםgedolimgreatגָּדוֹלadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “great”, the ordinary formH1419great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent[phrase] aloud, elder(-est), [phrase] exceeding(-ly), [phrase] far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, [idiom] sore, ([idiom]) very.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

there was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it;

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.

Young’s Literal Translation

A little city, and few men in it, and a great king hath come unto it, and hath surrounded it, and hath built against it great bulwarks;

World English Bible

There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.

Darby Translation

There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and encompassed it, and built great bulwarks against it:

Douay-Rheims

A little city, and few men in it: there came against it a great king, and invested it, and built bulwarks round about it, and the siege was perfect.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

there was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it;

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

suppose there were a little city, and few men in it; and there should come against it a great king, and surround it, and build great mounds against it;

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Πόλις μικρὰ καὶ ἄνδρες ἐν αὐτῇ ὀλίγοι, καὶ ἔλθῃ ἐπʼ αὐτὴν βασιλεὺς μέγας καὶ κυκλώσῃ αὐτὴν, καὶ οἰκοδομήσῃ ἐπʼ αὐτὴν χάρακας μεγάλους·