Ecclesiastes 4:3

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
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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)

וְטוֹב֙ מִשְּׁנֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־עֲדֶ֖ן לֹ֣א הָיָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־רָאָה֙ אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה הָרָ֔ע אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשָׂ֖ה תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃

  1. וְטוֹב֙ve.tOv“and [is] good”
    Conjunction + Adjective, masculine, singular, absolute · from טוֹב · “pleasant” · Strong's H2896A
  2. 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
  3. אֵ֥ת'et“<obj.>”
    Particle, direct object marker · from אֵת · “[Obj.]” · Strong's H0853
  4. אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-“[one] who”
    Particle, relative · from אֲשֶׁר · “which” · Strong's H0834A
  5. עֲדֶ֖ן'a.Den“still”
    Adverb · from עֲדֶן · “till” · Strong's H5728
  6. לֹ֣אlo'“not”
    Particle, negative · from לֹא · “not” · Strong's H3808
  7. הָיָ֑הha.Yah“he has been”
    Verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from הָיָה · “to be” · Strong's H1961
  8. אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.Sher“[one] who”
    Particle, relative · from אֲשֶׁר · “which” · Strong's H0834A
  9. לֹֽא־lo'-“not”
    Particle, negative · from לֹא · “not” · Strong's H3808
  10. רָאָה֙ra.'Ah“he has seen”
    Verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from רָאָה · “see” · Strong's H7200G
  11. אֶת־'et-“<obj.>”
    Particle, direct object marker · from אֵת · “[Obj.]” · Strong's H0853
  12. הַמַּעֲשֶׂ֣הha.ma.'a.Seh“the activity”
    Definite article + Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from מַעֲשֶׂה · “deed” · Strong's H4639K
  13. הָרָ֔עha.Ra'“<the> evil”
    Definite article + Adjective, masculine, singular, absolute · from רַע · “evil” · Strong's H7451H
  14. אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sher“which”
    Particle, relative · from אֲשֶׁר · “which” · Strong's H0834A
  15. נַעֲשָׂ֖הna.'a.Sah“it is done”
    Verb, niphal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from עָשָׂה · “do” · Strong's H6213A
  16. תַּ֥חַתTa.chat“under”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from תַּחַת · “under” · Strong's H8478G
  17. 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)