Ecclesiastes 1:15 — Word Study
WLCמְעֻוָּ֖ת לֹא־ יוּכַ֣ל לִתְקֹ֑ן וְחֶסְר֖וֹן לֹא־ יוּכַ֥ל לְהִמָּנֽוֹת׃
BSA◂What is crookedʻâvath [bent, twisted, perverse, not straight] cannotlôʼ be straightenedtâqan [made, caused to be, made straight, set in order] ◂and what is lackingcheçrôwn△ [deficient, wanting, missing] cannotlôʼ be countedmânâh [numbered, weighed out, assigned a value]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מְעֻוָּ֖ת | [something] bent | Verb, Pual, participle (passive) masculine singular |
| לֹא־ | not | Particle |
| יוּכַ֣ל | it is able | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| לִתְקֹ֑ן | to become straight | Preposition, verb qal infinitive construct common |
| וְחֶסְר֖וֹן | and something missing | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| לֹא־ | not | Particle |
| יוּכַ֥ל | it is able | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| לְהִמָּנֽוֹת׃ | to be numbered | Preposition, verb niphal infinitive construct common |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted. |
| KJV | That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. |
| ASV | That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. |
| YLT | A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered. |
| WEB | That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted. |
| BBE | That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered. |
Translations agree on the meanings of מְעֻוָּ֖ת and חֶסְר֖וֹן — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured with two main clauses connected by a conjunction, highlighting the parallel nature of the statements.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectעָוַת
verbעָוַת
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 8 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Ecclesiastes 1:15
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Reflections on Life's Inequitiesgenerated
Ecclesiastes 1:15 presents a stark observation about the nature of reality, emphasizing that certain conditions, such as crookedness and lack, are inherent and cannot be altered. This verse is part of a broader discourse on the futility of human endeavors and the limits of wisdom, as seen in the preceding verses, where the author reflects on the transient nature of life and the frustrations of existence.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ecclesiastes 3:14 | I know that everything God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God does it so that they should fear Him. |
| 2 | Ecclesiastes 7:12–13 | For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner. |
| 3 | Job 11:6 | and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know then that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves. |
| 4 | Job 34:29 | But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation, |
| 5 | Isaiah 40:4 | Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מְעֻוָּ֖ת, me.'u.Vatgenerated
The word מְעֻוָּ֖ת (*me'uVAT*) is a passive participle derived from the root עָוַת (*avath*), which means to pervert or twist. It conveys the idea of something that is bent or crooked, often used in moral contexts to describe actions that deviate from righteousness.
In this verse, it indicates a state that cannot be rectified, highlighting the permanence of certain flaws in life. The participial form emphasizes the ongoing condition of being crooked, rather than a single event.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses crooked and lacking consistently with the other versions.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of two main clauses, each structured similarly. The first clause presents the idea that what is crooked cannot be straightened, while the second clause states that what is lacking cannot be counted. Each clause follows a similar pattern of negation with the verb יוּכַ֣ל, yu.Khal, indicating inability.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the qualities of crookedness and lack, presenting them as subjects that cannot be changed or quantified.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates מְעֻוָּ֖ת as διεστραμμένον (*diestrammenon*), which conveys a similar meaning of being twisted or distorted. This choice reflects a consistent understanding of the Hebrew term's implications.
For חֶסְר֖וֹן, the translation ὑστέρημα (*hystērēma*) emphasizes deficiency, aligning with the Hebrew's focus on something that is missing or lacking.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ecclesiastes 1:15 states that what is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. This verse highlights the unchangeable nature of certain flaws in life, emphasizing that some things are permanent and cannot be altered.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This phrase indicates that certain moral or situational flaws are inherent and cannot be corrected.
This suggests that deficiencies or absences cannot be quantified or valued, emphasizing the futility of trying to measure what is not present.
It reflects the theme of the book, which often discusses the limitations of human effort and the inevitability of certain realities in life.
These words symbolize the imperfections and limitations of the world, reinforcing the idea that some conditions are beyond human control.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I see things that cannot be changed or fixed?
- How can I learn to accept the things that are crooked or lacking in my life?
- What does this verse teach me about the nature of reality and human limitations?
- How can I apply the wisdom of this verse to my daily decisions and actions?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators reference this verse to discuss moral and spiritual truths, illustrating its enduring relevance.
He is upright in heart who does not have his mind inclined to excess or to deficiency but directs his endeavors toward the mean of virtue.Early Church Fathers on Ecclesiastes 1 →
The number by which God numbers the saints displays a certain and determined spiritual order, as it is said, “He numbers the multitudes of stars;Early Church Fathers on Ecclesiastes 1 →
"A twisted thing cannot be made straight, and what is not there cannot be numbered. "Whoever is wicked cannot be corrected, unless he was corrected beforehand.Early Church Fathers on Ecclesiastes 1 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ecclesiastes 1:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible[That which is] crooked cannot be made straight,.... By all the art and cunning, wisdom and knowledge of man, that he can attain unto; whatever he, in the vanity of his mind, may find fault with in
Read John Gill on Ecclesiastes 1 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThat which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. (That which is) crooked cannot be made straight - `be brought into position' (Hengstengberg).
Read Robert Jamieson on Ecclesiastes 1 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThat which is crooked cannot be made straight; all our knowledge serves only to discover our diseases and miseries, but is oft itself utterly insufficient to heal or remove them; it cannot rectify those confusions and disorders which are either in our own hearts and lives, or in the men and things of the world. That which is wanting, to wit, in our knowledge, and in order to man’ s complete satisfaction and felicity, cannot be numbered; we know little of what we should or might know, or did know in the state of innocency, or shall know in the future life.
Read Matthew Poole on Ecclesiastes 1 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsEcclesiastes 1:15 [That which is] crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.Ver. 15. That which is crooked cannot be made straight.] Most men are so wedded and wedged to their wicked ways, that they cannot be rectified but by an extraordinary touch from the hand of Heaven. Hesiod, speaking of God, saith that he can easily set crooked things straight, and only he. Holy Melanchthon, being himself newly converted, thought it impossible for his hearers to withstand the evidence of the gospel; but after he had been a preacher a while, he complained, that ‘ old Adam was too hard for young Melanchthon’ ; and yet, besides the singular skill and learning that God…
Read John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 1 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(15) Made straight.—The verb occurs only in this book (Ecclesiastes 7:13; Ecclesiastes 12:9, “set in order”) and in Rabbinical Hebrew. So likewise “that which is wanting” is peculiar to this passage, and to later Hebrew.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Ecclesiastes 1 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 15. That which is crooked cannot be made straight] There are many apparent irregularities and anomalies in nature for which we cannot account; and there are many defects that cannot be supplied. This is the impression from a general view of nature; but the more we study and investigate its operations, the more we shall be convinced that all is a consecutive and well-ordered whole; and that in the chain of nature not one link is broken, deficient, or lost.
Read AdamClarke on Ecclesiastes 1 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges15. That which is crooked] The words are apparently a proverbial saying quoted as already current. The complaint is that the search after wisdom brings the seeker face to face with anomalies and defects, which yet he cannot rectify. The Hebrew words are not the same, but we may, perhaps, trace an allusive reference to the promise of Isa 40:4 that “the crooked shall be made straight,” and the Debater in his present mood looks on this also as a delusive dream. There is nothing left but to take things as they are and “accept the inevitable.” Comp. chap. Ecclesiastes 7:13, as expressing the same thought. that which is wanting] The second clause presents the negative aspect of the world’s…
Read Cambridge on Ecclesiastes 1 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHe saw clearly both the disorder and incompleteness of human actions (compare the marginal reference), and also man’s impotence to rectify them.
Read Albert Barnes on Ecclesiastes 1 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.
What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
What is bent cannot be straightened, and what is missing cannot be supplied.
Tyndale line
That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
That which is crooked, can none make straight: and that which faileth, cannot be nombred.
Strictly literal
That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
What is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is defective cannot be numbered.
The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!
From the Latin
The perverse are hard to be corrected, and the number of fools is infinite.
Simplified
You can't straighten what is twisted, and you can't count what isn't there.
That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
מְעֻוָּ֖ת and חֶסְר֖וֹן are matched in both the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls, indicating consistency in the transmission of this verse. The Masoretic Text aligns with the Septuagint's rendering, while the Dead Sea Scrolls show some restoration but maintain the core meanings.
מְעֻוָּ֖ת לֹא־ יוּכַ֣ל לִתְקֹ֑ן וְחֶסְר֖וֹן לֹא־ יוּכַ֥ל לְהִמָּנֽוֹת׃
8 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[מעוות] [לוא] [יוכל] [להיות] גבור [וחסרון] [לוא] [יוכל] [להמנות]
nothing on the leather here — 1 partly restored, 8 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Ecclesiastes 1:15
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word עָוַת (*avath*) is a primitive root meaning to wrest or make crooked. It covers actions like perverting, falsifying, and subverting, often in contexts related to justice or morality. The entries indicate various forms, including making something crooked or bending oneself.
[עָוַת] vb. be bent, crooked
Pi.
make crooked = falsify scales; pervert justice
bend, make crooked
Pu. what is bent
Hithp. and the strong men bend themselves.
base
H5791 עָוַת
5791 `avath aw-vath'
a primitive root; to wrest:--bow self, (make) crooked.,
falsifying, overthrow, deal perversely, pervert, subvert, turn
upside down.
עָוַת (a.vat) — to pervert.
1) to be bent, be crooked, bend, make crooked, pervert
1a)(Piel)
1a1) to make crooked, falsify, pervert, subvert
1a2) to bend, make crooked
1b) (Pual) thing bent (participle)
1c) (Hithpael) to bend oneself
V-Pual-Inf-c — Verb · Pual · participle (passive) masculine singularHVPsmsa
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
1) not, no
1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)
1b) not (with modifier-negation)
1c) nothing (subst)
1d) without (with particle)
1e) before (of time)
Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Part — ParticleHTn
יָכֹל (yakol) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to be able' or 'to have power.' It encompasses a range of abilities, including physical, moral, and constitutional strength, as well as the capacity to endure or prevail. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, but do not provide specific verse references.
יָכֹל, יָכוֹל 193 vb. be able, have power, prevail, endure
Qal
be able, to do a thing,, whether ability be physical, moral, constitutional, or dependent on external authority
prevail
abs. have ability, strength, only neg.
base
H3201 יָכֹל, יָכוֹל be able, have power, prevail, endure .. be able, to do a thing,, whether ability be physical, moral, constitutional, or dependent on external authority
. prevail
. abs. have ability, strength, only neg.
3201 yakol yaw-kole'
or (fuller) yakowl {yaw-kole'}; a primitive root; to be able,
literally (can, could) or morally (may, might):--be able, any
at all (ways), attain, can (away with, (-not)), could, endure,
might, overcome, have power, prevail, still, suffer.
יָכֹל (ya.khol) — be able.
1) to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be able, be able to gain or accomplish, be able to endure, be able to reach
1a2) to prevail, prevail over or against, overcome, be victor
1a3) to have ability, have strength
Aramaic equivalent: ye.khel (יְכִל "be able" H3202)
HVqi3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
a'-b'-l: The Greek dunamai, "to have power," may refer either to inherent strength, or to the absence of in external obstacles, or to what may be allowable or permitted. The Greek ischuo, as in Lu 13:24; Joh 21:6, refers always to the first of the above meanings. The use of the word as an adjective the King James Version of 2Co 3:6, is misleading, and has been properly changed in the Revised Version (British and American) into "sufficient as ministers," i.e. "hath fitted us to be ministers."
תָּקַן (taqan) is a Hebrew verb meaning to make straight or to arrange in order. It can refer to becoming straight (Qal), putting something straight (Piel), or being established (Hophal). The word appears in contexts like Ecclesiastes 1:15 and is linked to the Aramaic equivalent תְּקַן.
[תָּקַן] vb. become straight;
Qal Ec 1:15
Pi. put straight, arrange in order (proverbs).
base
H8626 תָּקַן
8626 taqan taw-kan'
a primitive root; to equalize, i.e. straighten (intransitive
or transitive); figuratively, to compose:--set in order, make
straight.
תָּקַן (ta.qan) — be straight.
1) to equalise, make straight, become straight
1a) (Qal) to become straight
1b) (Piel) to make straight, put straight, arrange in order, set in order
1c) (Hophal) to be established, be reestablished, confirm
Aramaic equivalent: te.qan (תְּקַן "to confirm" H8627)
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct commonHR/Vqcc
חֶסְרוֹן (chesron) refers to a deficiency or something lacking. It is derived from the root word meaning 'to lack' and is used in the Old Testament only in Ecclesiastes 1:15. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning as a defect or deficiency.
חֶסְרוֹן n.m. thing lacking, deficiency—only Ec 1:15
ref
H2642 חֶסְרוֹן
2642 checrown khes-rone'
from 2637; deficiency:--wanting.
see HEBREW for 02637
חֶסְרוֹן (ches.ron) — deficiency.
the thing lacking, defect, deficiency
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
1) not, no
1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)
1b) not (with modifier-negation)
1c) nothing (subst)
1d) without (with particle)
1e) before (of time)
Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Part — ParticleHTn
יָכֹל (yakol) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to be able' or 'to have power.' It encompasses a range of abilities, including physical, moral, and constitutional strength, as well as the capacity to endure or prevail. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, but do not provide specific verse references.
יָכֹל, יָכוֹל 193 vb. be able, have power, prevail, endure
Qal
be able, to do a thing,, whether ability be physical, moral, constitutional, or dependent on external authority
prevail
abs. have ability, strength, only neg.
base
H3201 יָכֹל, יָכוֹל be able, have power, prevail, endure .. be able, to do a thing,, whether ability be physical, moral, constitutional, or dependent on external authority
. prevail
. abs. have ability, strength, only neg.
3201 yakol yaw-kole'
or (fuller) yakowl {yaw-kole'}; a primitive root; to be able,
literally (can, could) or morally (may, might):--be able, any
at all (ways), attain, can (away with, (-not)), could, endure,
might, overcome, have power, prevail, still, suffer.
יָכֹל (ya.khol) — be able.
1) to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be able, be able to gain or accomplish, be able to endure, be able to reach
1a2) to prevail, prevail over or against, overcome, be victor
1a3) to have ability, have strength
Aramaic equivalent: ye.khel (יְכִל "be able" H3202)
HVqi3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
a'-b'-l: The Greek dunamai, "to have power," may refer either to inherent strength, or to the absence of in external obstacles, or to what may be allowable or permitted. The Greek ischuo, as in Lu 13:24; Joh 21:6, refers always to the first of the above meanings. The use of the word as an adjective the King James Version of 2Co 3:6, is misleading, and has been properly changed in the Revised Version (British and American) into "sufficient as ministers," i.e. "hath fitted us to be ministers."
מָנָה (manah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to count, number, or reckon. It encompasses various forms, including appointing and assigning, and can indicate both active and passive senses, such as being counted or appointed. The entries suggest a range of uses in contexts of enumeration and official designation, but do not provide specific verse references.
מָנָה vb. count, number, reckon, assign
Qal
count, number
reckon, assign, appoint
Niph.
be counted, numbered
be reckoned, assigned
Pi. appoint, ordain
Pu. appointed
base
H4487 מָנָה count, number, reckon, assign .. count, number
. reckon, assign, appoint
. . be counted, numbered
. be reckoned, assigned
. appoint, ordain
. appointed
4487 manah maw-naw'
a primitive root; properly, to weigh out; by implication, to
allot or constitute officially; also to enumerate or
enroll:--appoint, count, number, prepare, set, tell.
מָנָה (ma.nah) — to count.
1) to count, reckon, number, assign, tell, appoint, prepare
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to count, number
1a2) reckon, assign, appoint
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be counted, be numbered
1b2) to be reckoned, be assigned
1c) (Piel) to appoint, ordain
1d) (Pual) appointed (participle)
Aramaic equivalent: me.nah (מְנָה "to reckon/appoint" H4483)
Prep | V-Niphal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb niphal infinitive construct commonHR/VNcc