17
And I gaveוָאֶתְּנָהmy heartלִבִּיto knowלָדַעַתwisdomחָכְמָהand to knowוְדַעַתmadnessהוֹלֵלוֹתand witlessness;וְשִׂכְלוּתI knewיָדַעְתִּיthatשֶׁthis alsoגַּם זֶהisהוּאstrivingרַעְיוֹןafter wind.רוּחַ
Ecclesiastes 1:17
Study it in the app“And I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and witlessness; I knew that this also is striving after wind.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Ecclesiastes 1:17, word by word
- And I gaveאֶתְּנָetna
give
To hand something over to someone: a gift, a payment, a charge or a land.
Where else “etna” appears- my heartלִבִּlibi
heart
The deepest part of a person: where they think, feel and decide.
Where else “libi” appears- to knowדַעַתdaat
know
To know something, realize.
Where else “daat” appears- wisdomחָכְמָהchachma
wisdom
Knowing how to live well; it begins with revering YHWH.
Where else “chachma” appears- madnessהוֹלֵלוֹתholelot
madness
Madness, senseless folly.
Where else “holelot” appears- and witlessnessשִׂכְלוּתsichlut
witlessness, folly
Folly, senseless behavior.
Where else “sichlut” appears- strivingרַעְיוֹןraon
striving, thought
Striving, effort; a thought or longing (as in "chasing after wind" or "striving of the heart").
Where else “raon” appears- after windרוּחַruach
wind
Moving air; also the four quarters of the horizon.
Where else “ruach” appears
The context
16I spoke with my heart, saying, “I, look, have become great and have increased wisdom beyond all who were before me over Jerusalem; and my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.”
17 · This verse (above)
18For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases pain.