The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 6:2 Explained

Ecclesiastes 6:2

KJV: A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

YLT: A man to whom God giveth wealth, and riches, and honour, and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desireth, and God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

Darby: one to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and a sore evil.

ASV: a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacketh nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but an alien eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

A man  to whom God  hath given  riches,  wealth,  and honour,  so that he wanteth  nothing for his soul  of all that he desireth,  yet God  giveth him not power  to eat  thereof, but a stranger  eateth  it: this [is] vanity,  and it [is] an evil  disease. 

What does Ecclesiastes 6:2 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 6

1  the vanity of riches without use
3  though a man have many children and a long life
7  the vanity of sight and wandering desires
10  The conclusion of vanities

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 6:2 mean?

a man to whom has given to whom God riches and wealth and honor so that nothing he is lacking for himself of all that he desires and yet not does give him power God to eat of it but man a foreigner consumes it this [is] vanity and an affliction evil it [is]
אִ֣ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִתֶּן־ ל֣וֹ הָאֱלֹהִ֡ים עֹשֶׁר֩ וּנְכָסִ֨ים וְכָב֜וֹד וְֽאֵינֶ֨נּוּ חָסֵ֥ר לְנַפְשׁ֣וֹ ׀ מִכֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־ יִתְאַוֶּ֗ה וְלֹֽא־ יַשְׁלִיטֶ֤נּוּ הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ לֶאֱכֹ֣ל מִמֶּ֔נּוּ כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ נָכְרִ֖י יֹֽאכֲלֶ֑נּוּ זֶ֥ה הֶ֛בֶל וָחֳלִ֥י רָ֖ע הֽוּא

אִ֣ישׁ  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  to  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יִתֶּן־  has  given 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
ל֣וֹ  to  whom 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
הָאֱלֹהִ֡ים  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
עֹשֶׁר֩  riches 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹשֶׁר  
Sense: wealth, riches.
וּנְכָסִ֨ים  and  wealth 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נְכָסִים  
Sense: riches, treasures.
וְכָב֜וֹד  and  honor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כָּבֹוד  
Sense: glory, honour, glorious, abundance.
וְֽאֵינֶ֨נּוּ  so  that  nothing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, third person masculine singular
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
חָסֵ֥ר  he  is  lacking 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חָסֵר  
Sense: in need of, lacking, needy, in want of.
לְנַפְשׁ֣וֹ ׀  for  himself 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
מִכֹּ֣ל  of  all 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יִתְאַוֶּ֗ה  he  desires 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָוָה  
Sense: desire, incline, covet, wait longingly, wish, sigh, want, be greedy, prefer.
וְלֹֽא־  and  yet  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יַשְׁלִיטֶ֤נּוּ  does  give  him  power 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַט  
Sense: to domineer, exercise power over, dominate, have mastery, be master, lord it over.
הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לֶאֱכֹ֣ל  to  eat 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
מִמֶּ֔נּוּ  of  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
אִ֥ישׁ  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
נָכְרִ֖י  a  foreigner 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: נָכְרִי  
Sense: foreign, alien.
יֹֽאכֲלֶ֑נּוּ  consumes  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
זֶ֥ה  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
הֶ֛בֶל  [is]  vanity 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֶבֶל  
Sense: vapour, breath.
וָחֳלִ֥י  and  an  affliction 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֳלִי  
Sense: sickness.
רָ֖ע  evil 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
הֽוּא  it  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.