The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 2:26 Explained

Ecclesiastes 2:26

KJV: For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

YLT: For to a man who is good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Darby: For he giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good in God's sight. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

ASV: For to the man that pleaseth him God giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that pleaseth God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For [God] giveth  to a man  that [is] good  in his sight  wisdom,  and knowledge,  and joy:  but to the sinner  he giveth  travail,  to gather  and to heap up,  that he may give  to [him that is] good  before  God.  This also [is] vanity  and vexation  of spirit. 

What does Ecclesiastes 2:26 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 2

1  the vanity of human courses is the work of pleasure
12  Though the wise be better than the fool, yet both have one event
18  The vanity of human labor, in leaving it they know not to whom
24  Nothing better than joy in our labor but that is God's gift

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 2:26 mean?

For to a man who [is] good in His sight [God] gives wisdom and knowledge and joy but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and collecting that He may give to [him who is] good before God Also this [is] vanity and grasping for the wind
כִּ֤י לְאָדָם֙ שֶׁטּ֣וֹב לְפָנָ֔יו נָתַ֛ן חָכְמָ֥ה וְדַ֖עַת וְשִׂמְחָ֑ה וְלַחוֹטֶא֩ נָתַ֨ן עִנְיָ֜ן לֶאֱס֣וֹף וְלִכְנ֗וֹס לָתֵת֙ לְטוֹב֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים גַּם־ זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ

לְאָדָם֙  to  a  man 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
שֶׁטּ֣וֹב  who  [is]  good 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
לְפָנָ֔יו  in  His  sight 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
נָתַ֛ן  [God]  gives 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
חָכְמָ֥ה  wisdom 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָכְמָה  
Sense: wisdom.
וְדַ֖עַת  and  knowledge 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: דַּעַת 
Sense: knowledge.
וְשִׂמְחָ֑ה  and  joy 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׂמְחָה  
Sense: joy, mirth, gladness.
וְלַחוֹטֶא֩  but  to  the  sinner 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
נָתַ֨ן  he  gives 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
עִנְיָ֜ן  the  work 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עִנְיָן  
Sense: occupation, task, job.
לֶאֱס֣וֹף  of  gathering 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָסַף 
Sense: to gather, receive, remove, gather in.
וְלִכְנ֗וֹס  and  collecting 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: כָּנַס  
Sense: to gather, collect, wrap.
לָתֵת֙  that  He  may  give 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לְטוֹב֙  to  [him  who  is]  good 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
גַּם־  Also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
זֶ֥ה  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
הֶ֖בֶל  [is]  vanity 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֶבֶל  
Sense: vapour, breath.
וּרְע֥וּת  and  grasping  for 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: רְעוּת  
Sense: longing, striving.
רֽוּחַ  the  wind 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.