God & Savior

Ecclesiastes 3:18

I said to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.”
Ecclesiastes 3:18
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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)

אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ בְּלִבִּ֔י עַל־דִּבְרַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י הָאָדָ֔ם לְבָרָ֖ם הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְלִרְא֕וֹת שְׁהֶם־בְּהֵמָ֥ה הֵ֖מָּה לָהֶֽם׃

  1. אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי'a.Mar.ti“I said”
    Verb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular · from אָמַר · “to say” · Strong's H0559
  2. אֲנִי֙'a.Ni“I”
    Pronoun, personal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from אֲנִי, אָֽנֹכִ֫י · “I” · Strong's H0589
  3. בְּלִבִּ֔יbe.li.Bi“in heart my”
    Preposition + Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from לֵב · “heart” · Strong's H3820A
  4. עַל־'al-“on”
    Preposition · from עַל · “upon” · Strong's H5921A
  5. דִּבְרַת֙div.Rat“cause of”
    Noun, feminine, singular, construct · from דִּבְרָה · “cause” · Strong's H1700
  6. בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei“[the] children of”
    Noun, masculine, plural, construct · from בֵּן · “child” · Strong's H1121A
  7. הָאָדָ֔םha.'a.Dam“<the> humankind”
    Definite article + Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from אָדָם · “man” · Strong's H0120G
  8. לְבָרָ֖םle.va.Ram“to test them”
    Preposition + Verb, qal, infinitive construct, common + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural · from בָּרַר · “to purify” · Strong's H1305
  9. הָאֱלֹהִ֑יםha.'E.lo.Him“<the> God”
    Definite article + Noun, masculine, plural, absolute · from אֱלֹהִים · “God” · Strong's H0430G
  10. וְלִרְא֕וֹתve.lir.'ot“and to see”
    Conjunction + Preposition + Verb, qal, infinitive construct, common · from רָאָה · “see” · Strong's H7200G
  11. שְׁהֶם־she.hem-“that they”
    Particle, relative + Pronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, plural · from הֵ֫מָּה · “they(masc.)” · Strong's H1992
  12. בְּהֵמָ֥הbe.he.Mah“[are] animal[s]”
    Noun, feminine, singular, absolute · from בְּהֵמָה · “animal” · Strong's H0929
  13. הֵ֖מָּהHe.mah“they”
    Pronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, plural · from הֵ֫מָּה · “they(masc.)” · Strong's H1992
  14. לָהֶֽם׃la.Hem“for <the> themselves”
    Preposition with article + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural · from Op3m · “them” · Strong's H9038
  • Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)