The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 2:21 Explained

Ecclesiastes 2:21

KJV: For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

YLT: For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it -- his portion! Even this is vanity and a great evil.

Darby: For there is a man whose labour hath been with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill, and who leaveth it to a man that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

ASV: For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For there is  a man  whose labour  [is] in wisdom,  and in knowledge,  and in equity;  yet to a man  that hath not laboured  therein shall he leave  it [for] his portion.  This also [is] vanity  and a great  evil. 

What does Ecclesiastes 2:21 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 2:21 mean?

For there is a man whose labor [is] with wisdom and knowledge and skill and yet to a man who not has labored for it he must leave his heritage Also this [is] vanity and a evil great
כִּי־ יֵ֣שׁ אָדָ֗ם שֶׁעֲמָל֛וֹ בְּחָכְמָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת וּבְכִשְׁר֑וֹן וּלְאָדָ֞ם שֶׁלֹּ֤א עָֽמַל־ בּוֹ֙ יִתְּנֶ֣נּוּ חֶלְק֔וֹ גַּם־ זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וְרָעָ֥ה רַבָּֽה

יֵ֣שׁ  there  is 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יֵשׁ  
Sense: being, existence, substance, there is or are.
אָדָ֗ם  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
שֶׁעֲמָל֛וֹ  whose  labor  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: עָמָל  
Sense: .
בְּחָכְמָ֥ה  with  wisdom 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָכְמָה  
Sense: wisdom.
וּבְדַ֖עַת  and  knowledge 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: דַּעַת 
Sense: knowledge.
וּבְכִשְׁר֑וֹן  and  skill 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כִּשְׁרֹון  
Sense: success, skill, profit.
וּלְאָדָ֞ם  and  yet  to  a  man 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
שֶׁלֹּ֤א  who  not 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עָֽמַל־  has  labored 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָמַל  
Sense: to labour, toil.
בּוֹ֙  for  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
יִתְּנֶ֣נּוּ  he  must  leave 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
חֶלְק֔וֹ  his  heritage 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֵלֶק 
Sense: portion, share, part, territory.
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.
וְרָעָ֥ה  and  a  evil 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
רַבָּֽה  great 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.