The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 10:16 Explained

Ecclesiastes 10:16

KJV: Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

YLT: Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning.

Darby: Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

ASV: Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Woe  to thee, O land,  when thy king  [is] a child,  and thy princes  eat  in the morning! 

What does Ecclesiastes 10:16 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 10

1  observations of wisdom and folly
7  death in life
9  and the day of judgment in the days of youth, are to be thought on

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 10:16 mean?

Woe to you land when your king [is] a child and your princes in the morning feast
אִֽי־ לָ֣ךְ אֶ֔רֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּ֖ךְ נָ֑עַר וְשָׂרַ֖יִךְ ! בַּבֹּ֥קֶר יֹאכֵֽלוּ

אִֽי־  Woe 
Parse: Interjection
Root: אִי 
Sense: alas!, woe!.
לָ֣ךְ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
אֶ֔רֶץ  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
שֶׁמַּלְכֵּ֖ךְ  when  your  king 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
נָ֑עַר  [is]  a  child 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
וְשָׂרַ֖יִךְ  and  your  princes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
! בַּבֹּ֥קֶר  in  the  morning 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
יֹאכֵֽלוּ  feast 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.