The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 10:17 Explained

Ecclesiastes 10:17

KJV: Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

YLT: Happy art thou, O land, When thy king is a son of freemen, And thy princes do eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.

Darby: Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is a son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

ASV: Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Blessed  [art] thou, O land,  when thy king  [is] the son  of nobles,  and thy princes  eat  in due season,  for strength,  and not for drunkenness! 

What does Ecclesiastes 10:17 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 10:17 mean?

Blessed [are] you land when your king [is] the son of nobles and your princes at the [proper] time feast for strength and not for drunkenness
אַשְׁרֵ֣יךְ אֶ֔רֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּ֖ךְ בֶּן־ חוֹרִ֑ים וְשָׂרַ֙יִךְ֙ בָּעֵ֣ת יֹאכֵ֔לוּ בִּגְבוּרָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א ! בַשְּׁתִֽי

אַשְׁרֵ֣יךְ  Blessed  [are]  you 
Parse: Interjection, second person feminine singular
Root: אֶשֶׁר 
Sense: happiness, blessedness.
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.
בֶּן־  [is]  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
חוֹרִ֑ים  of  nobles 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: חֹר  
Sense: a noble, freeborn one.
וְשָׂרַ֙יִךְ֙  and  your  princes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
בָּעֵ֣ת  at  the  [proper]  time 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
יֹאכֵ֔לוּ  feast 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
בִּגְבוּרָ֖ה  for  strength 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: גְּבוּרָה  
Sense: strength, might.
וְלֹ֥א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
! בַשְּׁתִֽי  for  drunkenness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁתִי  
Sense: a drinking, drinking bout Ecc 0:7.