Ecclesiastes 2:20
Strong's Lexicon
So
אֲנִ֖י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew 589: 1) I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis)

my heart
לִבִּ֑י (lib·bî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew 3820: 1) inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding 1a) inner part, midst 1a1) midst (of things) 1a2) heart (of man) 1a3) soul, heart (of man) 1a4) mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory 1a5) inclination, resolution, determination (of will) 1a6) conscience 1a7) heart (of moral character) 1a8) as seat of appetites 1a9) as seat of emotions and passions 1a10) as seat of courage

began
וְסַבּ֥וֹתִֽי (wə·sab·bō·w·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew 5437: 1) to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or around, surround, encircle, change direction 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn, turn about, be brought round, change 1a2) to march or walk around, go partly around, circle about, skirt, make a round, make a circuit, go about to, surround, encompass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to turn oneself, close round, turn round 1b2) to be turned over to 1c) (Piel) to turn about, change, transform 1d) (Poel) 1d1) to encompass, surround 1d2) to come about, assemble round 1d3) to march, go about 1d4) to enclose, envelop 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to turn, cause to turn, turn back, reverse, bring over, turn into, bring round 1e2) to cause to go around, surround, encompass 1f) (Hophal) 1f1) to be turned 1f2) to be surrounded

to despair
לְיַאֵ֣שׁ (lə·ya·’êš)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's Hebrew 2976: 1) to despair 1a) (Niphal) to be despaired, be desperate 1b) (Piel) to cause to despair interj 2) it is hopeless!

אֶת־ (’eṯ-)
Direct object marker
Strong's Hebrew 853: 1) sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

over
עַ֚ל (‘al)
Preposition
Strong's Hebrew 5921: prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) 1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity) 1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion) 1h) to (as a dative) conj 2) because that, because, notwithstanding, although

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's Hebrew 3605: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything

the labor
הֶ֣עָמָ֔ל (he·‘ā·māl)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 5999: 1) toil, trouble, labour 1a) trouble 1b) trouble, mischief 1c) toil, labour

that I had done
שֶׁעָמַ֖לְתִּי (še·‘ā·mal·tî)
Pronoun - relative | Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew 5998: 1) to labour, toil 1a) (Qal) to labour

under
תַּ֥חַת (ta·ḥaṯ)
Preposition
Strong's Hebrew 8478: 1) the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas n m 1a) the under part adv accus 1b) beneath prep 1c) under, beneath 1c1) at the foot of (idiom) 1c2) sweetness, subjection, woman, being burdened or oppressed (fig) 1c3) of subjection or conquest 1d) what is under one, the place in which one stands 1d1) in one's place, the place in which one stands (idiom with reflexive pronoun) 1d2) in place of, instead of (in transferred sense) 1d3) in place of, in exchange or return for (of things mutually interchanged) conj 1e) instead of, instead of that 1f) in return for that, because that in compounds 1g) in, under, into the place of (after verbs of motion) 1h) from under, from beneath, from under the hand of, from his place, under, beneath

the sun.
הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ (haš·šā·meš)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's Hebrew 8121: 1) sun 1a) sun 1b) sunrise, sun-rising, east, sun-setting, west (of direction) 1c) sun (as object of illicit worship) 1d) openly, publicly (in other phrases) 1e) pinnacles, battlements, shields (as glittering or shining)

Parallel Strong's
Berean Study Bible
So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun.

Young's Literal Translation
And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour{.htm" title="{"> that I laboured at under the sun.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So I began to give myself over to despair concerning all my work that I had labored at under the sun.

New American Standard Bible
Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.

King James Bible
Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
Parallel Verses
New International Version
So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun.

New Living Translation
So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world.

English Standard Version
So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun,

New American Standard Bible
Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.

King James Bible
Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So I began to give myself over to despair concerning all my work that I had labored at under the sun.

International Standard Version
So I came to be in despair about everything I had accomplished on earth.

NET Bible
So I began to despair about all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so hard on earth.

American Standard Version
Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor wherein I had labored under the sun.

English Revised Version
Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.

Young's Literal Translation
And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour that I laboured at under the sun.
















Cross References
Ecclesiastes 2:19
And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

Ecclesiastes 2:21
For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

Ecclesiastes 1:1
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Ecclesiastes 2:18
Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

Ecclesiastes 2:17
Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 2:22
For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 2:23
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
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