Ecclesiastes 4

Ecclesiastes · Chapter 4

Ecclesiastes 4:15

1So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.2Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.3Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.4Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.5The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.6Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.7Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.8There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.9Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.10For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.11Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?12And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.13Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.14For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.15I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.16There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
15I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king.I saw all the living that walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second, that stood up in his stead.

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
I sawרָאִ֙יתִי֙ra-'I-tiH7200G
to see: see

רָאָה (ra.ah) : see/show 1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to see 1a2) to see, perceive 1a3) to see, have vision 1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out 1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish 1a6) to look at, gaze at 1a7) to provide, choose 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to appear, present oneself 1b2) to be seen 1b3) to be visible 1c) (Pual) to be seen 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to see, show 1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at 1e) (Hophal) …

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 livingהַ֣חַיִּ֔יםha-chai-YIMH2416A
alive

חַי (chay) adj 1) living, alive 1a) green (of vegetation) 1b) flowing, fresh (of water) 1c) lively, active (of man) 1d) reviving (of the springtime) Aramaic equivalent: chay (חַי "living" H2417)

who are walking aboutהַֽמְהַלְּכִ֖יםham-ha-le-KHIMH1980I
to go

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

underתַּ֣חַתTA-chatH8478G
under

תְּחוֹת (te.chot) under Aramaic of ta.chat (תַּחַת ": under" H8478)

the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha-SHA-meshH8121
to minister

שְׁמַשׁ (she.mash) (Pael) to minister, serve Aramaic of she.mesh (שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ "sun" H8121)

withעִ֚ם'imH5973A
with

עִם (im) 1) with 1a) with 1b) against 1c) toward 1d) as long as

the youthהַיֶּ֣לֶדhai-YE-ledH3206
youth

יֶ֫לֶד (ye.led) 1) child, son, boy, offspring, youth 1a) child, son, boy 1b) child, children 1c) descendants 1d) youth 1e) apostate Israelites (fig.)

the secondהַשֵּׁנִ֔יha-she-NIH8145
second

שֵׁנִי (she.ni) 1) second 1a) second (the ordinal number) 1b) again (a second time) 1c) another, other (something as distinct from something else)

whoאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a-SHERH0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

he will ariseיַעֲמֹ֖דya-'a-MODH5975G
to stand: stand

עָמַד (a.mad) : stand/stop/establish 1) to stand, remain, endure, take one's stand 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to stand, take one's stand, be in a standing attitude, stand forth, take a stand, present oneself, attend upon, be or become servant of 1a2) to stand still, stop (moving or doing), cease 1a3) to tarry, delay, remain, continue, abide, endure, persist, be steadfast 1a4) to make a stand, hold one's ground 1a5) to stand upright, remain standing, stand up, rise, be erect, be upright 1a6) to arise, appear, come on the scene, stand forth, appear, rise up or against …

in place of himתַּחְתָּֽיו׃tach-TAVH8478H
underneath: under

תַּחַת (ta.chat) : under/below 1) the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas n m 1a) the under part adv accus 1b) beneath prep 1c) under, beneath 1c1) at the foot of (idiom) 1c2) sweetness, subjection, woman, being burdened or oppressed (fig) 1c3) of subjection or conquest 1d) what is under one, the place in which one stands 1d1) in one's place, the place in which one stands (idiom with reflexive pronoun) 1d2) in place of, instead of (in transferred sense) 1d3) in place of, in exchange or return for (of things mutually interchanged) conj …

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