But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.Ecclesiastes 4:3
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)
וְטוֹב֙ מִשְּׁנֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־עֲדֶ֖ן לֹ֣א הָיָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־רָאָה֙ אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה הָרָ֔ע אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשָׂ֖ה תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃
- וְטוֹב֙ve.tOv“and [is] good”Conjunction + Adjective, masculine, singular, absolute · from טוֹב · “pleasant” · Strong's H2896A
- מִשְּׁנֵיהֶ֔םmi.she.nei.Hem“more than both of them”Preposition + Adjective, cardinal number, both genders, dual, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural · from שְׁנַ֫יִם · “two” · Strong's H8147
- אֵ֥ת'et“<obj.>”Particle, direct object marker · from אֵת · “[Obj.]” · Strong's H0853
- אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-“[one] who”Particle, relative · from אֲשֶׁר · “which” · Strong's H0834A
- עֲדֶ֖ן'a.Den“still”Adverb · from עֲדֶן · “till” · Strong's H5728
- לֹ֣אlo'“not”Particle, negative · from לֹא · “not” · Strong's H3808
- הָיָ֑הha.Yah“he has been”Verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from הָיָה · “to be” · Strong's H1961
- אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.Sher“[one] who”Particle, relative · from אֲשֶׁר · “which” · Strong's H0834A
- לֹֽא־lo'-“not”Particle, negative · from לֹא · “not” · Strong's H3808
- רָאָה֙ra.'Ah“he has seen”Verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from רָאָה · “see” · Strong's H7200G
- אֶת־'et-“<obj.>”Particle, direct object marker · from אֵת · “[Obj.]” · Strong's H0853
- הַמַּעֲשֶׂ֣הha.ma.'a.Seh“the activity”Definite article + Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from מַעֲשֶׂה · “deed” · Strong's H4639K
- הָרָ֔עha.Ra'“<the> evil”Definite article + Adjective, masculine, singular, absolute · from רַע · “evil” · Strong's H7451H
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sher“which”Particle, relative · from אֲשֶׁר · “which” · Strong's H0834A
- נַעֲשָׂ֖הna.'a.Sah“it is done”Verb, niphal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from עָשָׂה · “do” · Strong's H6213A
- תַּ֥חַתTa.chat“under”Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from תַּחַת · “under” · Strong's H8478G
- הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.mesh“the sun”Definite article + Noun, both genders, singular, absolute · from שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ · “sun” · Strong's H8121
- Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)