The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 4:16 Explained

Ecclesiastes 4:16

KJV: There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

YLT: there is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter rejoice not in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Darby: There is no end of all the people, of all that stood before them; those however that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after the wind.

ASV: There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[There is] no end  of all the people,  [even] of all that have been before  them: they also that come after  shall not rejoice  in him. Surely this also [is] vanity  and vexation  of spirit. 

What does Ecclesiastes 4:16 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 4

1  vanity is increased unto men by oppression
4  by envy
5  by idleness
7  by covetousness
9  by solitariness
13  by willfulness

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 4:16 mean?

[There was] no end of all the people over whom he was [made king] - yet those who come afterward not will rejoice in him surely also this [is] vanity and grasping for the wind
אֵֽין־ קֵ֣ץ לְכָל־ הָעָ֗ם לְכֹ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־ הָיָה֙ לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם גַּ֥ם הָאַחֲרוֹנִ֖ים לֹ֣א יִשְׂמְחוּ־ ב֑וֹ כִּֽי־ גַם־ זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וְרַעְי֥וֹן רֽוּחַ

אֵֽין־  [There  was]  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
קֵ֣ץ  end 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֵץ  
Sense: end.
לְכָל־  of  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָעָ֗ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
לְכֹ֤ל  over 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁר־  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הָיָה֙  he  was  [made  king] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם  - 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
גַּ֥ם  yet 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
הָאַחֲרוֹנִ֖ים  those  who  come  afterward 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: אַחֲרֹון  
Sense: behind, following, subsequent, western.
יִשְׂמְחוּ־  will  rejoice 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׂמַח  
Sense: to rejoice, be glad.
ב֑וֹ  in  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
כִּֽי־  surely 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
גַם־  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.
וְרַעְי֥וֹן  and  grasping  for 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רַעְיׄון  
Sense: longing, striving.
רֽוּחַ  the  wind 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.