Ecclesiastes 9:3

“This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that one fate comes to all; and also the heart of human beings is full of evil, and madness is in their heart during their life, and afterward they go to the dead.”

Ecclesiastes 9:3 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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With the Hebrew beneath

3

Ecclesiastes 9:3, word by word

is an evilרָעra

evil

What is evil, the opposite of good.

Where else “ra” appears
is doneנַעֲשָׂהnaasa

do

To carry out an act or to deal with someone in a certain way, for good or ill.

Where else “naasa” appears
the sunשֶּׁמֶשׁshemesh

sun

The star that gives light and heat by day and marks the day and the year; "under the sun" means in this world.

Where else “shemesh” appears
one fateמִקְרֶהmikre

chance, what happens

What happens to someone without his planning it; chance, lot.

Where else “mikre” appears
one fateאֶחָדechad

united

United as one: "YHWH is one".

Where else “echad” appears
the heartלֵבlev

heart

The deepest part of a person: where they think, feel and decide.

Where else “lev” appears
of human beingsבְּנֵיbene

human being

Literally "son of Adam": any person, a mortal.

Where else “bene” appears
of human beingsאָדָםadam

human being

All humankind, men and women, as creatures God formed.

Where else “adam” appears
is fullמָלֵאmale

fill

To take up all the space of something, or to give someone all it can hold.

Where else “male” appears
and madnessהוֹלֵלוֹתholelot

madness

Madness, senseless folly.

Where else “holelot” appears
is in their heartלְבָבָlevava

heart

The deepest part of a person: where they think, desire and decide.

Where else “levava” appears
during their lifeחַיֵּיchaye

life

The span and strength of being alive, which come from God.

Where else “chaye” appears
they go to the deadמֵּתִיםmetim

die

To cease living; also, one who has ceased living.

Where else “metim” appears

The context

2All is as for all: one fate for the righteous and for the wicked, for the good and for the clean and for the unclean, and for the one who sacrifices and for the one who does not sacrifice; as is the good, so is the sinner; the one who swears as is the one who fears an oath.

3 · This verse (above)

4For whoever is joined to all the living has confidence, for a living dog is better than the dead lion.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 9

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