The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 6:7 Explained

Ecclesiastes 6:7

KJV: All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

YLT: All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not filled.

Darby: All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

ASV: All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

All the labour  of man  [is] for his mouth,  and yet the appetite  is not filled. 

What does Ecclesiastes 6:7 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 6:7 mean?

All the labor of man [is] for his mouth and yet the soul not is satisfied
כָּל־ עֲמַ֥ל הָאָדָ֖ם לְפִ֑יהוּ וְגַם־ הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ לֹ֥א תִמָּלֵֽא

עֲמַ֥ל  the  labor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עָמָל  
Sense: .
הָאָדָ֖ם  of  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
לְפִ֑יהוּ  [is]  for  his  mouth 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
וְגַם־  and  yet 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ  the  soul 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
תִמָּלֵֽא  is  satisfied 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.