The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 8:14 Explained

Ecclesiastes 8:14

KJV: There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

YLT: There is a vanity that hath been done upon the earth, that there are righteous ones unto whom it is coming according to the work of the wicked, and there are wicked ones unto whom it is coming according to the work of the righteous. I have said that this also is vanity.

Darby: There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are righteous men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; and there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

ASV: There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there are righteous men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

There is  a vanity  which is done  upon the earth;  that there be just  [men], unto whom it happeneth  according to the work  of the wicked;  again, there be  wicked  [men], to whom it happeneth  according to the work  of the righteous:  I said  that this also  [is] vanity. 

What does Ecclesiastes 8:14 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 8

1  true wisdom is modest
2  Kings are to be respected
6  Divine providence is to be observed
12  It is better with the godly in adversity, than with the wicked in prosperity
16  The work of God is unsearchable

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 8:14 mean?

There is a vanity which occurs on earth that there are just [men] to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked and again there are wicked [men] to whom it happens unto according to the work of the righteous I said that also this [is] vanity
יֶשׁ־ הֶבֶל֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נַעֲשָׂ֣ה עַל־ הָאָרֶץ֒ אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ יֵ֣שׁ צַדִּיקִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר מַגִּ֤יעַ אֲלֵהֶם֙ כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הָרְשָׁעִ֔ים וְיֵ֣שׁ רְשָׁעִ֔ים שֶׁמַּגִּ֥יעַ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הַצַּדִּיקִ֑ים אָמַ֕רְתִּי שֶׁגַּם־ זֶ֖ה הָֽבֶל

יֶשׁ־  There  is 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יֵשׁ  
Sense: being, existence, substance, there is or are.
הֶבֶל֮  a  vanity 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֶבֶל  
Sense: vapour, breath.
נַעֲשָׂ֣ה  occurs 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הָאָרֶץ֒  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יֵ֣שׁ  there  are 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יֵשׁ  
Sense: being, existence, substance, there is or are.
צַדִּיקִ֗ים  just  [men] 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  to  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
מַגִּ֤יעַ  it  happens 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָגַע  
Sense: to touch, reach, strike.
אֲלֵהֶם֙  according 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה  to  the  work 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
הָרְשָׁעִ֔ים  of  the  wicked 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
וְיֵ֣שׁ  and  again  there  are 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: יֵשׁ  
Sense: being, existence, substance, there is or are.
רְשָׁעִ֔ים  wicked  [men] 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
שֶׁמַּגִּ֥יעַ  to  whom  it  happens 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָגַע  
Sense: to touch, reach, strike.
אֲלֵהֶ֖ם  unto 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה  according  to  the  work 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
הַצַּדִּיקִ֑ים  of  the  righteous 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
אָמַ֕רְתִּי  I  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שֶׁגַּם־  that  also 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, 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.
הָֽבֶל  [is]  vanity 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֶבֶל  
Sense: vapour, breath.