The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 8:7 Explained

Ecclesiastes 8:7

KJV: For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

YLT: For he knoweth not that which shall be, for when it shall be who declareth to him?

Darby: for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?

ASV: for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For he knoweth  not that which shall be: for who can tell  him when it shall be? 

What does Ecclesiastes 8:7 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 8

1  true wisdom is modest
2  Kings are to be respected
6  Divine providence is to be observed
12  It is better with the godly in adversity, than with the wicked in prosperity
16  The work of God is unsearchable

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 8:7 mean?

For not he does know what will happen so when it will occur who can tell him
כִּֽי־ אֵינֶ֥נּוּ יֹדֵ֖עַ מַה־ שֶּׁיִּֽהְיֶ֑ה כִּ֚י כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר ؟ יִֽהְיֶ֔ה מִ֖י יַגִּ֥יד לֽוֹ

יֹדֵ֖עַ  he  does  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
שֶּׁיִּֽהְיֶ֑ה  will  happen 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כִּ֚י  so 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
؟ יִֽהְיֶ֔ה  it  will  occur 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
יַגִּ֥יד  can  tell 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.