Ecclesiastes 4:6

Paleo Hebrew Niqqud

RBT Hebrew Interlinear:

טוב ט֕וֹב

he became good

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

טוב

ṭôwb

Definition

good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)

Root

from H2895 (טוב);

Exhaustive

from טוב; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well); beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant, [phrase] pleaseth, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well(-favoured).

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H2896

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

טוֹב

verb • Root טוב • Strongs / High • Page 554

A half-passive formation. To shine, glitter. Metaphorically: (a) aspect: to be beautiful, lovely; (b) taste: to be agreeable; (c) smell: to be fragrant; (d) mind: to be cheerful, joyful; (e) state: to be well, in health, to thrive.

טוֹב

verb • Root טוב • Strongs / High • Page 555

To do well, to do good; to show goodness, benevolence. In its causative form (Hiphil), it means to make beautiful, to adorn, to amend, to cheer, to provide, to rejoice, to prepare, or to do good to.

טוֹב

adjective • Root טוב • Strongs / High • Page 555

Good. 1. Suiting and agreeable to the senses; beautiful, fragrant, well-tasted. 2. Good in internal quality; valuable, fruitful, healthy, solid, principal, able, select, eloquent. 3. Good with regard to usefulness; salutary, suitable, beneficent, profitable. 4. Good with respect to extent; rich, copious. 5. In a metaphorical sense; joyful, cheerful, festive, prosperous, happy. Also used as a substantive (טוּב) meaning comfortableness, convenience, ease, pleasure.

טוֹב

adjective • Strongs / High • Page 556

In an ethical sense: honest, of good morals, good-intentioned, kind, benevolent, gracious, friendly, liberal, mitigating, right, true, righteous, pious, good.

טוֹב

noun masculine • Strongs / High • Page 556

1. pleasantness, delight, prosperity, comfort, peace, beneficence, good, fortune's goods, riches, reputation, might, a prosperous condition. 2. in an ethical sense: the good, the right. 3. as an adverb: well. 4. as a proper name of a fruitful district of land in Syria.

טוֹב

adjective • Root טוב • Strongs / High • Page 755

good

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

טוֹב

verb • Root יטב • Page 260

1. To be good; personally 'it goes well with me' (Deut. 5:30); 'it pleases me' (Num. 24:1). 2. To be fair, lovely (Num. 24:5; Cant. 4:10). 3. To be serene, joyful, spoken of the heart (1 Sam. 25:36; 2 Sam. 13:28; Est. 1:10). Hiph. הֵטִיב: to do well (1 K. 8:18).

טוֹב

verb • Root טוב • Page 261

1. good (Ecc. 8:12, 13, Deut. 6:24, Jer. 32:39); 2. fair, beautiful (Ex. 2:2, Gen. 6:2); 3. pleasant, lovely (Cant. 1:2, 4); 4. happy, prosperous (Jer. 44:17, Ps. 112:5); 5. great (Ps. 69:17); 6. joyful (Est. 8:3, 1 K. 8:66); 7. having a compassionate eye, merciful (Prov. 22:9).

טוֹב

proper name • Page 261

Proper name of a country beyond Jordan. (Jud. 11:3, 2 Sam. 10:6). Probably the same with Twbios 1 Mac. 5:13.

Adjective adjective both singular absolute

LXX: ἀγαθὸν ἀγαθόν καλὸν ἀγαθά ἀγαθὰ

LXX Usage Statistics

H2896a:

ἀγαθὸν 46× (7.6%)

ἀγαθόν 31× (5.3%)

καλὸν 30× (5.1%)

ἀγαθά 28× (4.7%)

ἀγαθὰ 28× (4.6%)

ἀγαθον 26× (4.6%)

καλόν 18× (3.2%)

ἀγαθὸσ 17× (3.0%)

ἀγαθοῖσ 17× (2.6%)

ἀγαθῶν 16× (2.7%)

מלא מְלֹא

he filled up

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

מלא

mᵉlôʼ

Definition

fulness (literally or figuratively)

Root

rarely מלוא; or מלו; (Ezekiel [41:8), from H4390 (מלא);

Exhaustive

rarely מלוא; or מלו; (Ezekiel [41:8), from מלא; fulness (literally or figuratively); [idiom] all along, [idiom] all that is (there-) in, fill, ([idiom] that whereof...was) full, fulness, (hand-) full, multitude.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H4393

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

מְלֹא

noun / masculine • Root מלא • Strongs / High • Page 852

multitude, host; fulness, i.e. that which fills up or occupies a space; contents, belongings.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

מִלֵּא

verb • Root מלא • Page 376

1. To fill. Spoken of a person filling, and construed with a double accusative (Ex. 28:3, Ps. 107:9, Is. 33:5). 2. To fulfil, complete, or pass a certain time (Gen. 29:27, Job 39:2). Also causative: to cause to pass or be completed (Dan. 9:2). Rarely spelled מִלָּא.

מְלֹא

m. verbal • Root מלא • Page 377

That wherewith any space is filled; fullness.

Noun common both singular construct

LXX: πλήρωμα αὐτῆσ πλήρη πλῆρεσ πλήρησ

LXX Usage Statistics

H4393:

πλήρωμα 11× (20.5%)

αὐτῆσ 11× (15.6%)

πλήρη 4× (10.1%)

πλῆρεσ 3× (7.5%)

πλήρησ 2× (5.0%)

πληρώματι 2× (3.9%)

כף כַף

palm

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

כף

kaph

Definition

the hollow hand or palm (so of the paw of an animal, of the sole, and even of the bowl of a dish or sling, the handle of a bolt, the leaves of a palm-tree); figuratively, power

Root

from H3721 (כפף);

Exhaustive

from כפף; the hollow hand or palm (so of the paw of an animal, of the sole, and even of the bowl of a dish or sling, the handle of a bolt, the leaves of a palm-tree); figuratively, power; branch, [phrase] foot, hand((-ful), -dle, (-led)), hollow, middle, palm, paw, power, sole, spoon.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H3709

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

כַּף

noun • Strongs / High • Page 667

The name of the letter כ (Kaf). As a common noun, it means the hollow of the bent hand, the hollow palm.

כַּף

noun • Root כפף • Strongs / High • Page 725

Has multiple meanings: 1. The hollow of the hand, the hand itself. 2. The paw or fore-foot of an animal. 3. The sole of the foot. 4. A pan, dish, or the hollow of a sling or socket of the thigh. 5. A handle.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

כַּף

letter • Page 305

The letter Caph, the eleventh in the alphabet; as a numerical sign denotes 20. Means 'the hollow hand'.

כֵּף

m. dec. i. • Page 325

a rock. Plur. כֵּפִים. Jer. 4:29, Job 30:6. (In Syr. and Chald. the usual word to express this idea).

כַּף

noun feminine • Root כפף • Page 325

1. the hollow hand, the palm; Lev. 11:27. 2. the sole of the foot; Deut. 28:65. 3. a pan, dish; Ex. 25:29. 4. palm branches; Lev. 23:40.

Noun common both singular construct

LXX: χεῖρασ χειρὸσ χεῖρα χειρῶν θυίσκην

LXX Usage Statistics

H3709:

χεῖρασ 31× (15.0%)

χειρὸσ 20× (9.1%)

χεῖρα 15× (7.1%)

χειρῶν 13× (6.7%)

θυίσκην 12× (6.7%)

χειρὶ 11× (5.0%)

χεῖράσ 9× (4.3%)

αὐτῆσ 9× (3.5%)

--- 6× (3.3%)

θυίσκασ 6× (2.4%)

נחת נָחַת

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

נחת

Nachath

Definition

a descent, i.e. imposition, unfavorable (punishment) or favorable (food); restfulness

Root

from H5182 (נחת); also (intransitively; perhaps from H5117 (נוח))

Exhaustive

from נחת; also (intransitively; perhaps from נוח); a descent, i.e. imposition, unfavorable (punishment) or favorable (food); restfulness; lighting down, quiet(-ness), to rest, be set on.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H5183

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

נַחַת

noun • Root נחת • Strongs / High • Page 964

1. a descent, the coming down, going down, setting down. 2. (lowness) a proper name, masculine. 3. (feminine) rest, ease, inactivity, repose.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

נַחַת

noun masculine • Root נחת • Page 439

1. a descent, a coming down (Is. 30:30). 2. a setting down, what is set down (Job 36:16).

נַחַת

noun feminine • Root נוח • Page 439

rest, quietness (Is. 30:15; Ecc. 4:6).

Noun common feminine singular absolute

LXX:

LXX Usage Statistics

H5183a:

No stats available

ממלא מִמְּלֹא

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

מ

mi / min

Definition

from

Root

Abbreviated from H4480

Exhaustive

(mem) — from / out of

Core value: emergence, separation, derivation
מ does not merely indicate origin in time (“after”). It marks boundary-crossing:
- source,
- differentiation,
- contrast,
- extraction.
Aonically, מ indicates transition between states.
not “after X” but “out from within X.”
This is why מ can signal both cause and contrast: both involve standing on the far side of a boundary.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

מלא

mᵉlôʼ

Definition

fulness (literally or figuratively)

Root

rarely מלוא; or מלו; (Ezekiel [41:8), from H4390 (מלא);

Exhaustive

rarely מלוא; or מלו; (Ezekiel [41:8), from מלא; fulness (literally or figuratively); [idiom] all along, [idiom] all that is (there-) in, fill, ([idiom] that whereof...was) full, fulness, (hand-) full, multitude.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H4393

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

מְלֹא

noun / masculine • Root מלא • Strongs / High • Page 852

multitude, host; fulness, i.e. that which fills up or occupies a space; contents, belongings.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

מִלֵּא

verb • Root מלא • Page 376

1. To fill. Spoken of a person filling, and construed with a double accusative (Ex. 28:3, Ps. 107:9, Is. 33:5). 2. To fulfil, complete, or pass a certain time (Gen. 29:27, Job 39:2). Also causative: to cause to pass or be completed (Dan. 9:2). Rarely spelled מִלָּא.

מְלֹא

m. verbal • Root מלא • Page 377

That wherewith any space is filled; fullness.

Prep-M, Noun common both singular construct

LXX: πλήρωμα αὐτῆσ πλήρη πλῆρεσ πλήρησ

LXX Usage Statistics

H4393:

πλήρωμα 11× (20.5%)

αὐτῆσ 11× (15.6%)

πλήρη 4× (10.1%)

πλῆρεσ 3× (7.5%)

πλήρησ 2× (5.0%)

πληρώματι 2× (3.9%)

חפנים חָפְנַיִם

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

חפן

chôphen

Definition

a fist (only in the dual)

Root

from an unused root of uncertain signification;

Exhaustive

from an unused root of uncertain signification; a fist (only in the dual); fists, (both) hands, hand(-ful).

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H2651

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

חֹפֶן

m. noun • Root חפן • Strongs / High • Page 512

1. What is put in the shape of a ball, hence the balled hand, the fist; in dual form (חָפְנַיִם), the two fists, handful. 2. (unused) density, strength.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

חָפַן

verb • Page 241

I. to cover, protect, defend. Deut. 33:12. (comp. חָפָה).

Noun common both dual absolute

LXX: χεῖρασ

LXX Usage Statistics

H2651:

χεῖρασ 3× (41.8%)

עמל עָמָל

trouble

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

עמל

ʻâmâl

Definition

toil, i.e. wearing effort; hence, worry, wheth. of body or mind

Root

from H5998 (עמל);

Exhaustive

from עמל; toil, i.e. wearing effort; hence, worry, wheth. of body or mind; grievance(-vousness), iniquity, labour, mischief, miserable(-sery), pain(-ful), perverseness, sorrow, toil, travail, trouble, wearisome, wickedness.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H5999

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

עָמָל

substantive • Strongs / High • Page 1105

1. a labourer, workman. 2. the act of labouring, toil, working. 3. what is gained by labour. 4. Metaphor: anything wretched, sorrowful; hence toil, sorrow, suffering, misery, misfortune.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

עָמָל

m. verbal noun • Root עמל • Page 514

1. Wearisome labour, toil (Ecc. 1:3). 2. The fruit of labour (Ps. 105:44). 3. Trouble, adversity (Gen. 41:51). 4. Iniquity, injustice (Num. 23:21; Is. 10:1).

Noun common both singular absolute

LXX: μόχθω κόποσ πόνον πόνουσ μόχθοσ

LXX Usage Statistics

H5999:

μόχθω 15× (26.6%)

κόποσ 5× (9.7%)

πόνον 4× (8.0%)

πόνουσ 4× (7.1%)

μόχθοσ 3× (5.7%)

πόνοσ 3× (5.7%)

κόπον 3× (5.1%)

μόχθον 3× (5.1%)

μόχθου 2× (4.0%)

ὀδύνασ 2× (4.0%)

ורעות וּרְעוּת

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ו

wə

Definition

and

Root

From H8505; a prefix

Exhaustive

The conjunctive ו is not merely a fixed coordinator with a stable semantic value (“and/but/or/then”). Its core function is linkage, not meaning. It binds units into a single discourse field—phrases, clauses, or whole scenes—while leaving the logical relation to be inferred from aspect, word order, genre, and context.

So the variability in translation (“and / but / or / even / then”) is not polyvalence in the particle; it is underspecification by design. The language expects the reader/hearer to perceive the relation rather than have it encoded.

Crucially, conjunctive ו does not imply temporal sequence. It implies continuity of attention. Think of it as:
- “this belongs with what precedes,”
- “remain within the same frame,”
“do not reset the discourse.”
This is why Hebrew can chain dozens of clauses with ו without subordination or explicit logic markers. The text advances by accumulation, not by branching syntactic trees. Meaning arises from the interaction:
- Aspect (qatal / yiqtol / participle),
- Position (fronted elements, resumptive nouns),
- Genre (law, narrative, oracle),
- Context (who speaks, to whom).
The ו simply keeps the circuit closed so these cues can operate together. Remove tense assumptions, and the system becomes coherent.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

רעות

rᵉʻûwth

Definition

a feeding upon, i.e. grasping after

Root

probably from H7462 (רעה);

Exhaustive

probably from רעה; a feeding upon, i.e. grasping after; vexation.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H7469

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

רְעוּת

noun proper masculine • Root רעה • Strongs / High • Page 1347

Friendship, companionship (abridged from רֵעוּת).

רְעוּת

noun feminine • Root רצה • Strongs / High • Page 1347

Aramaic: will, desire, wish (derived from רָצָה I.).

רְעוּת

noun feminine • Root רעה • Strongs / High • Page 1347

II. 1. Concrete: a female companion or friend. 2. Abstract: attachment, adherence, especially used in the formula רְעוּת רוּחַ adherence to vanity.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

רְעוּת

chald. n. • Page 624

Will, pleasure (Ezra 5:17, 7:18).

Conjunction, Noun common feminine singular construct

LXX: προαίρεσισ

LXX Usage Statistics

H7469:

προαίρεσισ 6× (59.0%)

רוח רוּחַ׃

spirit

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

רוח

rûwach

Definition

wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)

Root

from H7306 (רוח);

Exhaustive

from רוח; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions); air, anger, blast, breath, [idiom] cool, courage, mind, [idiom] quarter, [idiom] side, spirit(-ual), tempest, [idiom] vain, (whirl-) wind(-y).

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H7307

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

רוּחַ

verb • Root רוח • Strongs / High • Page 1325

To be extended, wide, broad, roomy; to be well, unrestrained, alleviated, easy, refreshed.

רוּחַ

verb • Root רוח • Strongs / High • Page 1326

(Kal unused) intr. To breathe, to blow (of wind); to smell, of plants and scents; hence sometimes to breathe, to draw breath, generally to live and move; also fig. to have or feel pleasure in it, to perceive, to smell.

רוּחַ

verb • Root רוח • Strongs / High • Page 1326

(II. not used) intr. to go, to wander; adopted for יָרַח, יָרַד and the proper name יָרִיחַ (wanderer).

רוּחַ

noun feminine / m. • Root רוח • Strongs / High • Page 1326

1. The blowing, air, wind (breeze or storm); quarter, region, district (Metaphor). 2. The breath (often associated with anger/wrath, or word/oracle) or quick vanishing breath/nothingness/vanity. 3. Breath of life, animal life, anima, spirit (including sensuous feelings, passions, or moving force/restlessness).

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

רוּחַ

hiph. • Page 610

To smell. See רֵיחַ

רוּחַ

com. gen. • Page 610

1. Wind, air in motion (Gen. 8:1; Job 1:19); also the four quarters of heaven (Ezek. 37:9). 2. A breathing or exhalation; a breath (Job 7:7), creative power (Ps. 33:6), or vital breath in men and animals (Gen. 6:17). 3. A snuffing (of the nose), hence anger (Judg. 8:3). 4. The anima or animal soul, the vital principle (1 Sam. 30:12; Judg. 15:19).

רוּחַ

noun feminine • Page 611

The spirit, considered as coming from God; metaphorically a principle of life (Ezek. 10:17). The rational soul (animus), mind, intellect (Gen. 41:8). Inclination or disposition (Num. 5:14, Hos. 4:12). The Spirit of God or Jehovah, denoting life-giving power in men and nature (Gen. 1:3, Ps. 104:30), and the source of extraordinary gifts and prophecy (Num. 24:2, 1 Sam. 10:6).

רוּחַ

chald. n. • Page 611

1. wind. 2. a spirit.

רוּחַ

verb • Page 611

To be or become wide. Impers. 'I find room, I am relieved' (Job 32:20). Pu. מְרֻוָּח: wide, spacious (Jer. 22:14).

Noun common both singular absolute

LXX: πνεῦμα πνεύματι πνεύματοσ πνεῦμά ἄνεμον

LXX Usage Statistics

H7307:

πνεῦμα 169× (43.2%)

πνεύματι 31× (7.3%)

πνεύματοσ 27× (7.1%)

πνεῦμά 21× (4.9%)

ἄνεμον 14× (3.7%)

ἄνεμοσ 9× (2.2%)

ἀνέμου 7× (1.9%)

'' 6× (1.4%)

ἀνέμουσ 6× (1.7%)

--- 5× (1.4%)

RBT Translation:

No verse found

RBT Paraphrase:
No verse found

Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
Good a hand filled with rest, above two hands full of labor and striving of spirit.

LITV Translation:
Better is a palm filled with rest, than two fists with labor and striving after wind.

Brenton Septuagint Translation:
Better is a handful of rest Than two handfuls of trouble And waywardness of spirit.