The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 5:12 Explained

Ecclesiastes 5:12

KJV: The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

YLT: Sweet is the sleep of the labourer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not suffering him to sleep.

Darby: The sleep of the labourer is sweet, whether he have eaten little or much; but the fulness of the rich doth not suffer him to sleep.

ASV: The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The sleep  of a labouring man  [is] sweet,  whether he eat  little  or much:  but the abundance  of the rich  will not suffer  him to sleep. 

What does Ecclesiastes 5:12 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 5

1  vanities in divine service
8  in murmuring against oppression
9  and in riches
18  Joy in riches is the gift of God

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 5:12 mean?

[is] sweet the sleep of a laboring man Whether little or much he eats but the abundance of the rich not will permit him to sleep
מְתוּקָה֙ שְׁנַ֣ת הָעֹבֵ֔ד אִם־ מְעַ֥ט וְאִם־ הַרְבֵּ֖ה יֹאכֵ֑ל וְהַשָּׂבָע֙ לֶֽעָשִׁ֔יר אֵינֶ֛נּוּ מַנִּ֥יחַֽ ל֖וֹ לִישֽׁוֹן

מְתוּקָה֙  [is]  sweet 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: מָתֹוק  
Sense: sweet.
שְׁנַ֣ת  the  sleep 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שֵׁנָא 
Sense: sleep.
הָעֹבֵ֔ד  of  a  laboring  man 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
אִם־  Whether 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
מְעַ֥ט  little 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
הַרְבֵּ֖ה  much 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
יֹאכֵ֑ל  he  eats 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וְהַשָּׂבָע֙  but  the  abundance 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂבָע  
Sense: plenty, satiety.
לֶֽעָשִׁ֔יר  of  the  rich 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָשִׁיר  
Sense: rich, wealthy n.
מַנִּ֥יחַֽ  will  permit 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: מֻנָּח  
Sense: to rest.
לִישֽׁוֹן  to  sleep 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָשֵׁן 
Sense: to sleep, be asleep.

What are the major concepts related to Ecclesiastes 5:12?

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