The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 5:17 Explained

Ecclesiastes 5:17

KJV: All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.

YLT: Also all his days in darkness he consumeth, and sadness, and wrath, and sickness abound.

Darby: All his days also he eateth in darkness, and hath much vexation, and sickness, and irritation.

ASV: All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness and wrath.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

All his days  also he eateth  in darkness,  and [he hath] much  sorrow  and wrath  with his sickness. 

What does Ecclesiastes 5:17 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 5

1  vanities in divine service
8  in murmuring against oppression
9  and in riches
18  Joy in riches is the gift of God

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 5:17 mean?

also all his days in darkness he eats and [he has] sorrow much and sickness and anger
גַּ֥ם כָּל־ יָמָ֖יו בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ יֹאכֵ֑ל וְכָעַ֥ס הַרְבֵּ֖ה וְחָלְי֥וֹ וָקָֽצֶף

גַּ֥ם  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
יָמָ֖יו  his  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ  in  darkness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹשֶׁךְ  
Sense: darkness, obscurity.
יֹאכֵ֑ל  he  eats 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וְכָעַ֥ס  and  [he  has]  sorrow 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כַּעַס 
Sense: anger, vexation, provocation, grief.
הַרְבֵּ֖ה  much 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
וְחָלְי֥וֹ  and  sickness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֳלִי  
Sense: sickness.
וָקָֽצֶף  and  anger 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֶצֶף 
Sense: wrath, anger.