The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 5:13 Explained

Ecclesiastes 5:13

KJV: There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.

YLT: There is a painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil.

Darby: There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt;

ASV: There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely , riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

There is  a sore  evil  [which] I have seen  under the sun,  [namely], riches  kept  for the owners  thereof to their hurt. 

What does Ecclesiastes 5:13 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 5:13 mean?

There is a evil severe [which] I have seen under the sun Riches kept for their owner to his hurt
יֵ֚שׁ רָעָ֣ה חוֹלָ֔ה רָאִ֖יתִי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ עֹ֛שֶׁר שָׁמ֥וּר לִבְעָלָ֖יו לְרָעָתֽוֹ

יֵ֚שׁ  There  is 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יֵשׁ  
Sense: being, existence, substance, there is or are.
רָעָ֣ה  a  evil 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
חוֹלָ֔ה  severe 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: חָלָה 
Sense: to be or become weak, be or become sick, be or become diseased, be or become grieved, be or become sorry.
רָאִ֖יתִי  [which]  I  have  seen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
תַּ֣חַת  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ  the  sun 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: שֶׁמֶשׁ  
Sense: sun.
עֹ֛שֶׁר  Riches 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹשֶׁר  
Sense: wealth, riches.
שָׁמ֥וּר  kept 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
לִבְעָלָ֖יו  for  their  owner 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּעַל 
Sense: owner, husband, lord.
לְרָעָתֽוֹ  to  his  hurt 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.