Ecclesiastes 1

Ecclesiastes · Chapter 1

Ecclesiastes 1:7

1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.2Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.3What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?4One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.5The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.6The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.7All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.8All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.9The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.10Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.11There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.12I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.13And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.15That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.16I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.17And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.18For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
7All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place from which the streams come, there again they flow.All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
allכָּל־kol-H3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

the riversהַנְּחָלִים֙ha-ne-cha-LIMH5158A
torrent: river

נַ֫חַל (na.chal) : river/bed 1) torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley 1a) torrent 1b) torrent-valley, wadi (as stream bed) 1c) shaft (of mine) Also means: na.chal (נַ֫חַל ": valley" H5158N)

[are] goingהֹלְכִ֣יםho-le-KHIMH1980I
to go

הוּךְ (hukh) (P'al) to go, come, walk, be brought Aramaic of ha.lakh (הָלַךְ ": walk" H1980)

toאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

the seaהַיָּ֔םhai-YAMH3220G
sea

יָם (yam) : sea 1) sea 1a) Mediterranean Sea 1b) Red Sea 1c) Dead Sea 1d) Sea of Galilee 1e) sea (general) 1f) mighty river (Nile) 1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court) 1h) seaward, west, westward

and the seaוְהַיָּ֖םve-hai-YAMH3220G
sea

יָם (yam) : sea 1) sea 1a) Mediterranean Sea 1b) Red Sea 1c) Dead Sea 1d) Sea of Galilee 1e) sea (general) 1f) mighty river (Nile) 1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court) 1h) seaward, west, westward

not itאֵינֶ֣נּוּ'ei-NE-nuH0369
nothing

אַ֫יִן (a.yin) 1) nothing, not, nought n 1a) nothing, nought neg 1b) not 1c) to have not (of possession) adv 1d) without w/prep 1e) for lack of

[is] fullמָלֵ֑אma-LE'H4392
full

מָלֵא (ma.le) 1) full, fulness, that which fills 1a) fully (adv)

toאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

[the] placeמְק֗וֹםme-KOMH4725
place

מָקוֹם (ma.qom) 1) standing place, place 1a) standing place, station, post, office 1b) place, place of human abode 1c) city, land, region 1d) place, locality, spot 1e) space, room, distance 1f) region, quarter, direction 1g) give place to, instead of

of where the riversשֶׁ֤הַנְּחָלִים֙she-ha-ne-cha-limH5158A
torrent: river

נַ֫חַל (na.chal) : river/bed 1) torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley 1a) torrent 1b) torrent-valley, wadi (as stream bed) 1c) shaft (of mine) Also means: na.chal (נַ֫חַל ": valley" H5158N)

[are] goingהֹֽלְכִ֔יםho-le-KHIMH1980I
to go

הוּךְ (hukh) (P'al) to go, come, walk, be brought Aramaic of ha.lakh (הָלַךְ ": walk" H1980)

thereשָׁ֛םshamH8033G
there

שָׁם (sham) 1) there, thither 1a) there 1b) thither (after verbs of motion) 1c) from there, thence 1d) then (as an adverb of time) Aramaic equivalent: tam.mah (תַּמָּה "there" H8536)

theyהֵ֥םhemH1992
they

אִנּוּן (in.nun) these, those, they Aramaic of hem.mah (הֵ֫מָּה "they(masc.)" H1992)

[are] returningשָׁבִ֖יםsha-VIMH7725G
to return: return

שׁוּב (shuv) : return 1) to return, turn back 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn back, return 1a1a) to turn back 1a1b) to return, come or go back 1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back 1a1d) of dying 1a1e) of human relations (fig) 1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig) 1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise 1a1f2) to turn away (of God) 1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent 1a1f4) turn back (from evil) 1a1g) of inanimate things 1a1h) in repetition 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to bring back 1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig) 1b3) to lead away (enticingly) 1b4) to show turning, apostatise 1c) (Pual) restored (participle) …

to goלָלָֽכֶת׃la-LA-khetH1980I
to go

הוּךְ (hukh) (P'al) to go, come, walk, be brought Aramaic of ha.lakh (הָלַךְ ": walk" H1980)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.