Ecclesiastes 2:13

And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:
Ecclesiastes 2:13
Read chapter

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Hebrew)

וְרָאִ֣יתִי אָ֔נִי שֶׁיֵּ֥שׁ יִתְר֛וֹן לַֽחָכְמָ֖ה מִן־הַסִּכְל֑וּת כִּֽיתְר֥וֹן הָא֖וֹר מִן־הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

  1. וְרָאִ֣יתִיve.ra.'I.ti“and I saw”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular · from רָאָה · “see” · Strong's H7200G
  2. אָ֔נִי'A.ni“I”
    Pronoun, personal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from אֲנִי, אָֽנֹכִ֫י · “I” · Strong's H0589
  3. שֶׁיֵּ֥שׁshei.Yesh“that there”
    Particle, relative + Adjective, cardinal number, both genders, singular, construct · from יֵשׁ · “there” · Strong's H3426
  4. יִתְר֛וֹןyit.Ron“[is] advantage”
    Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from יִתְרוֹן · “advantage” · Strong's H3504
  5. לַֽחָכְמָ֖הla.cha.khe.Mah“of <the> wisdom”
    Preposition with article + Noun, feminine, singular, absolute · from חׇכְמָה · “wisdom” · Strong's H2451
  6. מִן־min-“more than”
    Preposition · “from” · Strong's H4480A
  7. הַסִּכְל֑וּתha.sikh.Lut“<the> folly”
    Definite article + Noun, feminine, singular, absolute · from סִכְלוּת · “folly” · Strong's H5531B
  8. כִּֽיתְר֥וֹןkit.Ron“like [the] advantage of”
    Preposition + Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from יִתְרוֹן · “advantage” · Strong's H3504
  9. הָא֖וֹרha.'Or“<the> light”
    Definite article + Noun, feminine, singular, absolute · from אוֹר · “light” · Strong's H0216
  10. מִן־min-“more than”
    Preposition · “from” · Strong's H4480A
  11. הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ha.Cho.shekh“<the> darkness”
    Definite article + Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from חֹ֫שֶׁךְ · “darkness” · Strong's H2822
  • Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)