Ecclesiastes 4:7

Paleo Hebrew Niqqud

RBT Hebrew Interlinear:

ושבתי וְשַׁבְתִּי

and I have turned back

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ו

wāw

Definition

sequential 'and'

Root

From H8505; a prefix

Exhaustive

Vav Conversive/Consecutive: The category “vav conversive / vav consecutive” is not an ancient grammatical datum; it is a modern explanatory construct, developed by early Hebraists to force Biblical Hebrew into a Latin/chronological tense model that it simply does not share.

The notion arose in early modern grammar (17th–19th c.) when scholars assumed:
- verbs must encode tense,
- narratives must advance by past → present → future,
- therefore Hebrew forms that “don’t behave” must be converted.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

שוב

shûwb

Definition

to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again

Root

a primitive root;

Exhaustive

a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again; ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, [idiom] certainly, come again (back), [idiom] consider, [phrase] continually, convert, deliver (again), [phrase] deny, draw back, fetch home again, [idiom] fro, get (oneself) (back) again, [idiom] give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, [idiom] needs, be past, [idiom] pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, [phrase] say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, [idiom] surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H7725

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

שׁוּב

verb • Root שוב • Strongs / High • Page 755

to return to

שׁוּב

verb • Strongs / High • Page 1389

Intransitive: properly, to turn; to turn away from; to revolve; to come back or revert to; to be restored; to return home; to remain behind.

שׁוּב

verb • Root שוב • Strongs / High • Page 1391

To turn, turn back, return (intransitive); to turn about, turn away (i.e., not to expect war), to convert, repent, to turn the face, to turn the hand (for attack or protection), to turn away anger (of God or man); to drive back, to withhold, to hinder, to lead back.

שׁוּב

unknown • Strongs / High • Page 1363

Aramaic example of interchange with ת.

שׁוּב

unknown • Strongs / High • Page 1363

Example of interchange of שׁ and ת.

שׁוּב

verb • Strongs / High • Page 1390

To turn back, to return (to an earlier state, place, or person). To be converted, to repent (turn to God). Also, to repeat (used commonly with another verb to express the idea of doing again).

שׁוּב

adverb • Root שוב • Strongs / High • Page 1390

Again, besides, in addition (used as an adverb, often abridged or associated with the infinitive לָשׁוּב).

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

שׂוֹב

verb • Root שיב • Page 635

To have gray hairs; see שֵׂיב.

שׁוּב

verb / fut. יָשׁוּב / apoc. יָשֵׁב • Page 657

1. to turn, turn back, return. Gen. 27: 45. 2 Chr. 30: 9. 2. to cease, desist, from a purpose or from evil. Jer. 4: 28. Ezek. 18: 24. 3. to turn back from a person.

שׁוּב

verb • Root שוב • Page 658

To turn back, to return. (2) Spoken of things without life, to go or come back (Is. 29:17, Gen. 3:19). (3) Joined with another verb, forms a periphrasis of 'again' or 'anew' (Gen. 30:31 אָשׁוּבָה, 2 K. 1:13 וַיָּשָׁב וַיִּשְׁלַח). (4) Causative, to lead or bring back (Num. 10:36). (5) Particularly in the phrase שׁוּב שְׁבוּת 'to bring back captives' (Ezek. 35:9).

conjunctive, Verb Qal sequential perfect first person common singular

LXX: ἐπέστρεψεν ἀπέστρεψεν ἐπιστρέψαι ἐπιστρέψει ''

LXX Usage Statistics

H7725:

ἐπέστρεψεν 58× (5.0%)

ἀπέστρεψεν 36× (3.2%)

ἐπιστρέψαι 35× (2.9%)

ἐπιστρέψει 30× (2.6%)

'' 24× (2.0%)

ἀποστρέψαι 23× (1.8%)

ἀποστρέψω 21× (1.9%)

ἀνέστρεψεν 21× (1.9%)

πάλιν 21× (1.8%)

ἐπιστρέψω 20× (1.8%)

אני אֲנִי

myself

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

אני

ʼănîy

Definition

I

Root

contracted from H595 (אנכי);

Exhaustive

lemma אני second vowel, corrected to אני; contracted from אנכי; I; I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, [idiom] which, [idiom] who.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H589

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

אֲנִי

pronoun personal • Root אנ • Strongs_Numbers • Page 162

I; the personal pronoun of the first person singular, common gender.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

אֲנִי

pronoun • Page 61

I. Also written אָנֹכִי. The form אֲנִי also occurs in the phrase חַי אָנִי (see חַי).

Pronoun personal first person both singular

LXX:

LXX Usage Statistics

H0589:

No stats available

ואראה וָאֶרְאֶה

and I am seeing

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ו

wāw

Definition

sequential 'and'

Root

From H8505; a prefix

Exhaustive

Vav Conversive/Consecutive: The category “vav conversive / vav consecutive” is not an ancient grammatical datum; it is a modern explanatory construct, developed by early Hebraists to force Biblical Hebrew into a Latin/chronological tense model that it simply does not share.

The notion arose in early modern grammar (17th–19th c.) when scholars assumed:
- verbs must encode tense,
- narratives must advance by past → present → future,
- therefore Hebrew forms that “don’t behave” must be converted.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

ראה

râʼâh

Definition

to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)

Root

a primitive root;

Exhaustive

a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative); advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, [idiom] be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), [idiom] sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, [idiom] surely, [idiom] think, view, visions.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H7200

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

רָאָה

verb • Root ראה • Strongs / High • Page 1308

To see, look, behold, or observe (physical act); to perceive, experience, or know (metaphorical); of prophets, to have revelations; to live/exist (to see light); to inspect, examine, try; to regard, consider, trust, or choose/appoint.

רָאָה

verb • Root ראה • Strongs / High • Page 1308

To be seen, but when used with a negative, to disappear, to be invisible (only 3 pl. fem. is attested as רָאֲתָה).

רָאָה

verb • Strongs / High • Page 1309

To see, look, perceive, appear; sometimes the object follows in a clause introduced by כִּי; to cause to look upon with a mischievous pleasure; to cause one to feel or experience, good or evil; to enjoy.

רָאָה

noun feminine • Strongs / High • Page 1309

The name of a bird of prey, probably named from its keen sight.

רָאָה

adjective • Strongs / High • Page 1309

Seeing.

רָאָה

verb • Root ראה • Strongs / High • Page 1307

1. Intransitive: to see, to look, to view. 2. Transitive: to see, with the accusative. Often meaning to perceive.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

רָאָה

verb • Root ראה • Page 601

To see, look. 1. to see, look (Ps. 64:6, Ex. 5:21, Mal. 3:18). 2. to view with interest or sympathy, to rejoice in a thing (Job 3:9, Ps. 22:18, Ps. 112:8). 3. to look on, to view (Lev. 13:3); specifically of God looking on to relieve affliction (Ex. 4:31, Ps. 9:14). 4. to look or see to a thing, to take care for it (Gen. 39:23, 1 K. 12:16). 5. to see, know, discern (Jer. 20:12, Ecc. 1:16). 6. to visit (2 Sam. 13:5, 2 K. 8:29). 7. to choose, select (Gen. 22:8); passive participle רָאוּי means select or chosen (Est. 2:9). 8. to see or experience good, evil, life, or death (Ps. 34:13, Ecc. 9:9, Ps. 89:49).

רָאָה

verb • Page 602

found only Deut. 14:13. prob. a corrupted reading for דַּיָּה, as in the parallel passage Lev. 11:14.

conjunctive, Verb Qal sequential imperfect first person common singular

LXX: εἶδεν εἶδον ὄψεται ἰδεῖν ἴδετε

LXX Usage Statistics

H7200:

εἶδεν 159× (11.3%)

εἶδον 154× (11.3%)

ὄψεται 52× (3.8%)

ἰδεῖν 51× (3.6%)

ἴδετε 43× (3.1%)

ἰδὲ 42× (3.0%)

ἰδὼν 34× (2.5%)

ὄψονται 33× (2.5%)

ὤφθη 28× (2.1%)

ἰδοὺ 24× (1.9%)

הבל הֶבֶל

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

הבל

hebel

Definition

emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb

Root

or (rarely in the abs.) הבל; from H1891 (הבל);

Exhaustive

or (rarely in the abs.) הבל; from הבל; emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb; [idiom] altogether, vain, vanity.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H1892

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

הֶבֶל

noun masculine • Root הבל • Strongs / High • Page 386

1. A breath, an aura, which passes away quickly. 2. Figuratively, a thing that is vain, fruitless; nonsense, foolishness; something transitory.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

הֲבֵל

noun • Page 179

Idem, with Chaldaic form. Found in the phrase הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים (vanity of vanities). Ecc. 1:2, 12:8.

הֶבֶל

noun masculine • Root הבל • Page 178

1. breath, vapour, an image of transientness. Job 7:16, Prov. 13:11, Ps. 39:6, Ecc. 1:2. 2. figuratively something vain, foolish, or of no value. Lam. 4:17, Jer. 10:3, 8. 3. especially idols, idolatry. 2 K. 17:15, Jer. 2:5, Deut. 32:21, Ps. 31:7, Jon. 2:9.

הֶבֶל

proper name • Page 179

Abel (Adam's second son). The name probably means transientness or short continuance, referring to his early death. Gen. 4:2.

Noun common both singular absolute

LXX: ματαιότησ μάταια ματαιότητόσ ματαιοτήτων ματαιότητι

LXX Usage Statistics

H1892:

ματαιότησ 28× (39.1%)

μάταια 6× (8.4%)

ματαιότητόσ 3× (4.2%)

ματαιοτήτων 3× (4.2%)

ματαιότητι 3× (3.8%)

ματαίοισ 3× (2.9%)

ματαιότητα 2× (2.8%)

μάταιά 2× (2.8%)

μάταιοι 2× (2.8%)

μάτην 2× (2.8%)

תחת תַּחַת

below/instead

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

תחת

tachath

Definition

the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.

Root

from the same as H8430 (תוח);

Exhaustive

from the same as תוח; the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.; as, beneath, [idiom] flat, in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead of, under, [idiom] unto, [idiom] when...was mine, whereas, (where-) fore, with.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H8478

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

תָּחַת

unknown • Root נחת • Consonantal / Medium • Page 1507

(not used) intr. same as הִין II., and so fig. to be humble, modest. Deriv. the proper name תַּחַת.

Matched via consonantal key only

תַּחַת

noun feminine / preposition / conj. / noun proper • Root חתת • Consonantal / Medium • Page 1509

Derived forms include תַּחְתִּי, תַּחְתִּית (f.). 1. (n. f.) A depression, sinking, the deep, the under part, base, or support (Job 40:12; Hab. 3:16). 2. (prep.) Under, below, at the foot of (Gen. 7:19; Ex. 24:4); in place of, instead of (Ex. 21:26); between (Job 30:7). 3. (conj.) For that, because, eo quod (Deut. 21:14). 4. (n. p.) A station of the Israelites in the wilderness (Num. 33:26). 5. (n. p. m.) Humility, modesty (1 Chr. 6:9).

Matched via consonantal key only

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

תְּחֹת

chald. • Page 714

Chaldee equivalent of the Hebrew word תַּחַת (tahat), meaning 'under' or 'from under'. Cited in Dan. 4:11 [4:14].

תַּחַת

noun masculine • Page 713

1. what is under or below. Used as an accusative adverbially, below, beneath. In the construct state used as a preposition: under. Ex. 20:4, Gen. 1:7. 2. what is under a person, a place, spot. Zech. 6:12. (1) as an accusative used adverbially, on or in the place or spot. Ex. 16:29. (2) in the place of, instead of, loco. Lev. 16:32. Est. 2:17.

Noun common both singular construct

LXX: ὑποκάτω ὑπὸ ἀντὶ ἀντ' ὑπο

LXX Usage Statistics

H8478:

ὑποκάτω 74× (15.9%)

ὑπὸ 58× (13.0%)

ἀντὶ 58× (13.0%)

ἀντ' 56× (12.5%)

ὑπο 33× (7.4%)

ὑποκάτωθεν 18× (4.0%)

'' 16× (3.0%)

ἀνθ' 12× (2.7%)

--- 12× (2.7%)

ὧν 11× (2.1%)

השמש הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃

the Sun

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ה

Definition

the

Root

Demonstrative primitive

Exhaustive

definite article, the, used for all numbers and genders; originally a pronoun demonstrative, this. interrogative particle in direct and indirect questions; in disjunctive questions: whether--or.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

שמש

shemesh

Definition

the sun; by implication, the east; figuratively, a ray, i.e. (architectural) a notched battlement

Root

from an unused root meaning to be brilliant;

Exhaustive

from an unused root meaning to be brilliant; the sun; by implication, the east; figuratively, a ray, i.e. (architectural) a notched battlement; [phrase] east side(-ward), sun (rising), [phrase] west(-ward), window. See also בית שמש.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H8121

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

שֶׁמֶשׁ

comm. • Root שמש • Strongs / High • Page 1455

Common gender noun. Properly, the light-giving or shining thing; hence the sun (a luminous body by day, diffusing heat). Also used figuratively for grace, and to denote geographical directions (east: מִזְרַח שֶׁמֶשׁ, west: מְבוֹא שֶׁמֶשׁ).

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

שֶׁמֶשׁ

com. gen. • Page 689

1. the sun. Frequent expression 'under the sun', i.e. on the earth. Eccl. 1: 3, 9. Ps. 84: 12. 2. Plur. שִׁמְשׁוֹת battlements, pinnacles, turrets (on a wall). Is. 54: 12.

Particle definite article, Noun common both singular absolute

LXX: ἥλιον ἡλίου ἥλιοσ ἡλίῳ

LXX Usage Statistics

H8121:

ἥλιον 41× (29.0%)

ἡλίου 40× (31.9%)

ἥλιοσ 40× (28.1%)

ἡλίῳ 7× (4.6%)

RBT Translation:

No verse found

RBT Paraphrase:
No verse found

Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
And I turned back, and I shall see vanity under the sun.

LITV Translation:
Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.

Brenton Septuagint Translation:
So I returned, and saw vanity under the sun.