14
Forכִּיfrom the houseמִבֵּיתof the prisonersהָסוּרִיםhe came outיָצָאto reign,לִמְלֹךְthoughכִּיalsoגַּםin his kingdomבְּמַלְכוּתוֹhe was bornנוֹלַדpoor.רָשׁ
Ecclesiastes 4:14
Study it in the app“For from the house of the prisoners he came out to reign, though also in his kingdom he was born poor.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Ecclesiastes 4:14, word by word
- from the houseבֵּיתbet
house
A building to live in, or an enclosed place to keep something or someone.
Where else “bet” appears- of the prisonersסוּרִיםsurim
confine
To keep someone shut up, like a prisoner.
Where else “surim” appears- he came outיָצָאyatsa
go out
To go out of a place.
Where else “yatsa” appears- to reignמְלֹךְmeloch
reign
To be king of a people, or to begin ruling it as king.
Where else “meloch” appears- in his kingdomמַלְכוּתmalchut
kingdom
A kingdom: the people and territory a king rules, or the one YHWH rules.
Where else “malchut” appears- he was bornנוֹלַדnolad
be born
To come into the world, to begin to live.
Where else “nolad” appears- poorרָשׁrash
be poor
Be poor, lack possessions.
Where else “rash” appears
Translation note
It is not clear in the Hebrew who is spoken of in each part (the youth or the king); it is translated without deciding.
The context
13Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and senseless king who no longer knows how to be warned.
14 · This verse (above)
15I saw all the living who walk under the sun, with the youth, the second, who will stand in his place.