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Ecclesiastes 4:8

There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

KJV

Unus est, et secundum non habet, non filium, non fratrem, et tamen laborare non cessat, nec satiantur oculi ejus divitiis ; nec recogitat, dicens : Cui laboro, et fraudo animam meam bonis ? In hoc quoque vanitas est et afflictio pessima.

Vulgate

ἔστιν εἷς καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν δεύτερος, καί γε υἱὸς καί γε ἀδελφὸς οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῷ· καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν περασμὸς τῷ παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ, καί γε ὀφθαλμὸς αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐμπίπλαται πλούτου. καὶ τίνι ἐγὼ μοχθῶ καὶ στερίσκω τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀπὸ ἀγαθωσύνης; καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης καὶ περισπασμὸς πονηρός ἐστιν.

LXX

There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with riches. For whom then, saith he, do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This also is vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

ASV

יֵ֣שׁ אֶחָד֩ וְ/אֵ֨ין שֵׁנִ֜י גַּ֣ם בֵּ֧ן וָ/אָ֣ח אֵֽין ל֗/וֹ וְ/אֵ֥ין קֵץ֙ לְ/כָל עֲמָל֔/וֹ גַּם עיני/ו עֵינ֖/וֹ לֹא תִשְׂבַּ֣ע עֹ֑שֶׁר וּ/לְ/מִ֣י אֲנִ֣י עָמֵ֗ל וּ/מְחַסֵּ֤ר אֶת נַפְשִׁ/י֙ מִ/טּוֹבָ֔ה גַּם זֶ֥ה הֶ֛בֶל וְ/עִנְיַ֥ן רָ֖ע הֽוּא

Hebrew

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In the original Hebrew

26 distinct Hebrew words appear in this verse.

אֲנִ֥י
'ny
pronoun · 862×
אֵ֥ין
'yn
noun · 787×
אֶחָ֖ד
'chd
adjective · 970×
אֶת
't
pronoun · 10895×
בֶּן
bn
noun · 4909×
גַּם
gm
adverb · 764×
ה֖וּא
hv'
pronoun · 1878×
הָֽבֶל
hbl
noun · 73×
ו
v
noun · 629×
וֹ
v
noun · 55×
וֹ
v
noun · 37×
זֶּֽה
zh
pronoun · 1173×
ט֣וֹב
tvb
verb · 562×
י
y
noun · 752×
יִֽשְׂבַּֽע
yshb'
verb · 96×
יֶחְסַ֖ר
ychsr
verb · 21×
יֶשׁ
ysh
pronoun · 137×
ךָ
k
noun · 894×
כָּל
kl
noun · 5376×
לֹ֣א
l'
proper_noun · 5171×
מִ֣י
my
particle · 420×
עִנְיַ֣ן
'nyn
noun · 8×
עָמֵ֖ל
'ml
noun · 9×
קֵּ֖ץ
qts
noun · 66×
רָ֑ע
r'
verb · 664×
שֵּׁנִ֔י
shny
noun · 157×

Themes

Historic Christian voices

2 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

Cross-references

  • 1John 2:16 — For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
  • Eccl 1:2 — Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
  • Eccl 1:8 — All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
  • Eccl 1:13 — And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
  • Eccl 2:22 — For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
  • Eccl 2:23 — For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
  • Eccl 4:9 — Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
  • Eccl 5:10 — He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
  • Eccl 5:10 — He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
  • Eccl 5:13 — There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
  • Exod 20:17 — Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
  • Gen 2:18 — And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
  • Gen 15:2 — And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
  • Hab 2:5 — Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations,
  • Isa 5:8 — Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!
  • Isa 44:19 — And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh,
  • Isa 55:2 — Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in f
  • Isa 56:3 — Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
  • Luke 12:20 — But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
  • Mark 4:19 — And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
  • Matt 11:28 — Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
  • Matt 11:28 — Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
  • Matt 13:22 — He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
  • Prov 2:4 — If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
  • Prov 27:20 — Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
  • Prov 27:20 — Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
  • Ps 39:6 — Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
  • Ps 127:2 — It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.