The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 2:23 Explained

Ecclesiastes 2:23

KJV: For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

YLT: For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart hath not lain down; this also is vanity.

Darby: For all his days are sorrows, and his travail vexation: even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

ASV: For all his days are but'sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For all his days  [are] sorrows,  and his travail  grief;  yea, his heart  taketh not rest  in the night.  This is also vanity. 

What does Ecclesiastes 2:23 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 2:23 mean?

for all his days [are] sorrowful and burdensome his work even in the night No takes rest his heart also this vanity is
כִּ֧י כָל־ יָמָ֣יו מַכְאֹבִ֗ים וָכַ֙עַס֙ עִנְיָנ֔וֹ גַּם־ בַּלַּ֖יְלָה לֹא־ שָׁכַ֣ב לִבּ֑וֹ גַּם־ זֶ֖ה הֶ֥בֶל הֽוּא

יָמָ֣יו  his  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
מַכְאֹבִ֗ים  [are]  sorrowful 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַכְאֹב  
Sense: pain, sorrow.
וָכַ֙עַס֙  and  burdensome 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כַּעַס 
Sense: anger, vexation, provocation, grief.
עִנְיָנ֔וֹ  his  work 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עִנְיָן  
Sense: occupation, task, job.
גַּם־  even 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
בַּלַּ֖יְלָה  in  the  night 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
לֹא־  No 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁכַ֣ב  takes  rest 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁכַב  
Sense: to lie down.
לִבּ֑וֹ  his  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
גַּם־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
זֶ֖ה  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
הֶ֥בֶל  vanity 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֶבֶל  
Sense: vapour, breath.