The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 7:20 Explained

Ecclesiastes 7:20

KJV: For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

YLT: Because there is not a righteous man on earth that doth good and sinneth not.

Darby: Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.

ASV: Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For [there is] not a just  man  upon earth,  that doeth  good,  and sinneth  not. 

What does Ecclesiastes 7:20 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 7

1  remedies against vanity are, a good name
2  mortification
7  patience
11  wisdom
23  The difficulty of wisdom

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 7:20 mean?

For a man [there is] not just on earth who does good and not does sin
כִּ֣י אָדָ֔ם אֵ֥ין צַדִּ֖יק בָּאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲשֶׂה־ טּ֖וֹב וְלֹ֥א יֶחֱטָֽא

אָדָ֔ם  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
אֵ֥ין  [there  is]  not 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
צַדִּ֖יק  just 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
בָּאָ֑רֶץ  on  earth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
יַעֲשֶׂה־  does 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
טּ֖וֹב  good 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
וְלֹ֥א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יֶחֱטָֽא  does  sin 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.