The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 4:9 Explained

Ecclesiastes 4:9

KJV: Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

YLT: The two are better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labour.

Darby: Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

ASV: Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Two  [are] better  than one;  because they have  a good  reward  for their labour. 

What does Ecclesiastes 4:9 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 4:9 mean?

[are] better two than one because they have they have a reward good for their labor
טוֹבִ֥ים הַשְּׁנַ֖יִם מִן־ הָאֶחָ֑ד אֲשֶׁ֧ר יֵשׁ־ לָהֶ֛ם שָׂכָ֥ר ט֖וֹב בַּעֲמָלָֽם

טוֹבִ֥ים  [are]  better 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
הַשְּׁנַ֖יִם  two 
Parse: Article, Number, md
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
מִן־  than 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
הָאֶחָ֑ד  one 
Parse: Article, Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
אֲשֶׁ֧ר  because 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יֵשׁ־  they  have 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יֵשׁ  
Sense: being, existence, substance, there is or are.
לָהֶ֛ם  they  have 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
שָׂכָ֥ר  a  reward 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂכָר  
Sense: hire, wages.
ט֖וֹב  good 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
בַּעֲמָלָֽם  for  their  labor 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עָמָל  
Sense: .