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Ecclesiastes 1:2 — Word Study

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WLCהֲבֵ֤ל הֲבָלִים֙ אָמַ֣ר קֹהֶ֔לֶת הֲבֵ֥ל הֲבָלִ֖ים הַכֹּ֥ל הָֽבֶל׃

BSAFutilityhebel [vanity, emptiness] of futilitieshebel [transitory and unsatisfactory things] saysʼâmar the Teacherqôheleth [Preacher] futilityhebel [vanity, a breath of air] of futilitieshebel [all that is fleeting] Everythingkôl [all, the whole] is futilehebel [without lasting purpose, vanity]

Word
Listen & take awayEcclesiastes 1
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 2 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (Ha.vel) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Ecclesiastes 1:2quick helps
In a sentenceThe Teacher declares that everything is futile, emphasizing the emptiness of life.
Who is speakingThe Teacher, traditionally understood as Solomon.
Where we areThe opening of Ecclesiastes, setting the tone for the exploration of life's meaning.
The hard wordהֶבֶל
Take awayLife's pursuits are ultimately without lasting purpose.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectקֹהֶלֶת verbאָמַר The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

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 1:2

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 — The Opening of Ecclesiastesgenerated

1These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
3What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?
4Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.

Ecclesiastes 1:2 presents the Teacher's profound statement about the futility of human endeavors. This verse introduces the theme of the book, where the Teacher reflects on the transient nature of life and the ultimate meaninglessness of worldly pursuits. The Teacher, traditionally identified as Solomon, seeks to impart wisdom about the human condition and the fleeting nature of existence.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Ecclesiastes 2:11–15Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
2Ecclesiastes 3:19For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other—they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile.
3Ecclesiastes 4:4–8I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
4Ecclesiastes 5:10He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile.
5Ecclesiastes 6:11For the more words, the more futility—and how does that profit anyone?

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 11 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word הֶבֶל, ha.Velgenerated

The word הֶבֶל (hevel) is a noun that means vanity or futility, describing something that is empty or transitory, much like a breath of air. It appears frequently in Ecclesiastes, where it encapsulates the author's observations on life's ephemeral qualities.

This term is derived from a root that means 'to breathe,' emphasizing the fleeting nature of life. The passive sense of the word suggests that these pursuits lack substance and ultimately lead to dissatisfaction.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations generally agree on the rendering of הֶבֶל as 'futility' or 'vanity'.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse contains a main clause introduced by the verb אָמַר, he said, followed by the subject קֹהֶלֶת, the Teacher, and the predicate הָֽבֶל, [is] futility. This structure emphasizes the Teacher's declaration.

The repetition of הֶבֶל in various forms underscores the central theme of vanity throughout the verse.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates הֶבֶל as ματαιότης (mataiotēs), which means 'vanity' or 'futility.' This choice reflects a similar understanding of the Hebrew term, emphasizing the emptiness associated with life's pursuits.

This connection shows that the Greek translators recognized the same themes of transience and lack of substance in the Teacher's message.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Ecclesiastes 1:2 states that the Teacher, traditionally seen as Solomon, declares that everything is futile. This verse highlights the emptiness of life and the temporary nature of human endeavors, setting the stage for the reflections found throughout Ecclesiastes.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the Teacher mean by 'futility of futilities'?

The Teacher is expressing that all human efforts and pursuits are ultimately meaningless and transient.

Why is the word 'futility' repeated?

The repetition emphasizes the central theme of the book, highlighting the pervasive nature of emptiness in life.

How does this verse set the tone for Ecclesiastes?

It introduces the philosophical exploration of life's meaning, questioning the value of human labor and achievements.

What can we learn from the Teacher's declaration?

We are reminded to consider the lasting significance of our pursuits and the nature of true fulfillment.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I see the pursuit of things that may ultimately be futile?
  2. How can I find meaning in my daily activities despite the transient nature of life?
  3. What does it mean for me to live with an awareness of life's fleeting moments?
  4. How can I share the insights from Ecclesiastes with others who may be struggling to find purpose?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Several early Church Fathers reflect on the themes of vanity in this verse, discussing the nature of existence and the futility of worldly pursuits.

Origen of AlexandriaON FIRST PRINCIPLES 1:7.5 c. 185–253
Let us see what is the “vanity” to which the creation was subjected. My own opinion is, that this is nothing else than the possession of bodies, for even though the stars are composed of ether they are nevertheless material.
Early Church Fathers on Ecclesiastes 1 →
Didymus the BlindCOMMENTARY ON Ecclesiastes 10:13 c. 313–398
There is a difference between vanities; there are those that are especially so, and others that are not.…Question: [Does Ecclesiastes speak] about one and the same [kind of vanity]? Answer: About both,
Early Church Fathers on Ecclesiastes 1 →
Gregory of Nyssa c. 335–395
The insubstantial is deemed “futile,” that which has existence only in the utterance of the word. No substantial object is simultaneously indicated when the term is used, but it is a kind of idle and empty sound,
Early Church Fathers on Ecclesiastes 1 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Ecclesiastes 1:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher,.... This is the preacher's text; the theme and subject he after enlarges upon, and proves by an induction of particulars; it is the sum of the whole book;

Read John Gill on Ecclesiastes 1 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. The theme proposed of the first part of his discourse. Vanity of vanities - Hebraism for the most utter vanity.

Read Robert Jamieson on Ecclesiastes 1 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Vanity of vanities; not only vain, but vanity in the abstract, which notes extreme vanity, especially where the word is thus doubled; as a king of kings is the chief of kings, and a servant of servants is the vilest of servants, and a song of songs is a most excellent song. Saith the Preacher, upon deep consideration and long experience, and by Divine inspiration. This verse contains the general proposition, which he intends particularly to demonstrate in the whole following book. All, all worldly things, and all men’ s designs, and studies, and works about them, is vanity; not in themselves, for so they are God’ s creatures, and therefore good and really useful in their kinds; but in…

Read Matthew Poole on Ecclesiastes 1 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ecclesiastes 1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all [is] vanity.Ver. 2. Vanity of vanities.] Or, Most vain vanity: therefore, no happiness here to be had but in the reverential fear of God, and this is the sum of the whole sermon, the result of the discourse, the impartial verdict brought in by one that could best tell; and he tells it over and over, that men might the sooner believe him, without putting themselves to the fruitless pains of trying any further conclusions. Sin hath hurled confusion over the world, and brought a vanity on the creature. This our first parents found, and therefore named their second son Abel, or vanity. David comes after and…

Read John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 1 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) Vanity of vanities.—This verse strikes the key-note of the whole work. In using this expression we mean to indicate the opinion that the unity of the book is rather that of a musical composition than of a philosophical treatise. A leading theme is given out and followed for a time. Episodes are introduced, not perhaps logically connected with the original subject, but treated in harmony with it, and leading back to the original theme which is never lost sight of, and with which the composition comes to a close (Ecclesiastes 12:8). The word translated “vanity” (which occurs thirty-seven times in this book, and only thirty-three times in all the rest of the Old Testament) in its primary…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Ecclesiastes 1 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 2. Vanity of vanities] As the words are an exclamation, it would be better to translate, O vanity of vanities! Emptiness of emptinesses. True, substantial good is not to be found in any thing liable to change and corruption. The author referred to in the introduction begins his paraphrase thus: - "O vain deluding world! whose largest gifts Thine emptiness betray, like painted clouds, Or watery bubbles: as the vapour flies, Dispersed by lightest blast, so fleet thy joys, And leave no trace behind. This serious truth The royal preacher loud proclaims, convinced By sad experience; with a sigh repeats The mournful theme, that nothing here below Can solid comfort yield: 'tis all a scene.…

Read AdamClarke on Ecclesiastes 1 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. Vanity of vanities] The form is the highest type (as in the “servant of servants” of Genesis 9:25, the “chief over the chief” of Numbers 3:32) of the Hebrew superlative. The word translated “vanity,” identical with the name Abel or Hebel (Genesis 4:2) means primarily a “breath,” or “vapour,” and as such becomes the type of all that is fleeting and perishable (Psalms 62:9; Psalms 144:4). It is uniformily translated by “vanity” in the English Version of this book, which is moulded on the Vulgate as that was upon the LXX. The other Greek versions gave “vapour of vapours” (Hieron. in loc.) and this may perhaps be regarded as, in some respects, a preferable rendering. The watchword of the…

Read Cambridge on Ecclesiastes 1 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Vanity - This word הבל hebel, or, when used as a proper name, in Genesis 4:2, “Abel”, occurs no less than 37 times in Ecclesiastes, and has been called the key of the book.

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

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”

NETBNew English Translation2006

“Futile! Futile!” laments the Teacher, “Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!”

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Vanitie of vanities, sayth the Preacher: vanitie of vanities, all is vanitie.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth, vanity of vanities: all is vanity.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The Teacher says this. “Like a vapor of mist, like a breeze in the wind, everything vanishes, leaving many questions.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes vanity of vanities, and all is vanity.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

“Everything passes—it's so temporary! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.

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.

clausenoun phrase · predicateהֲבֵ֤לfutilityהֲבָלִים֙of.futilitiesclauseverbאָמַ֣רhe.saidsubjectקֹהֶ֔לֶתTeacherclausenoun phrase · predicateהֲבֵ֥לfutilityהֲבָלִ֖יםof.futilitiesclausenoun phrase · subjectהַ(the)כֹּ֥לeverythingpredicateהָֽבֶל[is].futility

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in their wording, with all eight words in the verse matched. This consistency indicates a strong preservation of the text's meaning across these ancient witnesses.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

הֲבֵ֤ל הֲבָלִים֙ אָמַ֣ר קֹהֶ֔לֶת הֲבֵ֥ל הֲבָלִ֖ים הַכֹּ֥ל הָֽבֶל׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
הֲבֵ֤לματαιότηςהֲבָלִים֙ματαιοτήτωνאָמַ֣רεἶπενקֹהֶ֔לֶתἐκκλησιαστήςהֲבֵ֥לματαιότηςהֲבָלִ֖יםματαιοτήτωνהַכֹּ֥לπάνταהָֽבֶל׃ματαιότης

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.

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.

Ecclesiastes 1:2הֶ֫בֶלfutility offutility ofהֶ֫בֶלהֶ֫בֶלfutilitiesfutilitiesהֶ֫בֶלאָמַרhe saidhe saidאָמַרקֹהֶ֫לֶתTeacherTeacherקֹהֶ֫לֶתהֶ֫בֶלfutility offutility ofהֶ֫בֶלהֶ֫בֶלfutilitiesfutilitiesהֶ֫בֶלכֹּלeverythingeverythingכֹּלהֶ֫בֶל[is] futili[is] futilityהֶ֫בֶלהָבַלto become to become vainהָבַלקָהַלto gatherto gatherקָהַלכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלקֹהֶ֫לֶתpreacherpreacherקֹהֶ֫לֶתרְעוּתlonginglongingרְעוּתכֹּהthusthusכֹּהיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/Godיהוההֶ֫בֶלvanityvanityהֶ֫בֶלמָצָאto findto findמָצָאעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָה
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Ecclesiastes 1:2

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.

futility of futilities he said Teacher futility of futilities everything [is] futility
הֲבֵ֤לha.Vel futility of H1892 Noun common · masculine singular construct
73× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Hebel means emptiness or vanity, describing something transitory and unsatisfactory, like a breath of air. It appears in the book of Ecclesiastes, where Solomon writes about life's fleeting nature. The KJV translates it as vanity or altogether.
Amplified meaning
vanity, emptiness
Tyndale gloss
vanity
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הֶ֫בֶל (hevel) refers to vapour or breath, and is often associated with concepts of emptiness or vanity, indicating something transitory and unsatisfactory. The word can function as an adverb meaning 'vainly.' It is derived from a root meaning 'to breathe' and appears in contexts discussing the fleeting nature of life.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הֶ֫בֶל 73 n.m. vapour, breath

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1892 הֶ֫בֶל vapour, breath

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1892 hebel heh'bel

or (rarely in the abs.) habel {hab-ale'}; from 1891;

emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and

unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb:--X altogether, vain,

vanity.

see HEBREW for 01891

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֶ֫בֶל (he.vel) — vanity.

1) vapour, breath

1a) breath, vapour

1b) vanity (fig.)

adv

2) vainly

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

futility of futilities he said Teacher futility of futilities everything [is] futility
הֲבָלִים֙ha.va.Lim futilities H1892 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
73× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Hebel means emptiness or vanity, describing something transitory and unsatisfactory, like a breath of air. It appears in the book of Ecclesiastes, where Solomon writes about life's fleeting nature. The KJV translates it as vanity or altogether.
Amplified meaning
transitory and unsatisfactory things
Tyndale gloss
vanity
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הֶ֫בֶל (hevel) refers to vapour or breath, and is often associated with concepts of emptiness or vanity, indicating something transitory and unsatisfactory. The word can function as an adverb meaning 'vainly.' It is derived from a root meaning 'to breathe' and appears in contexts discussing the fleeting nature of life.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הֶ֫בֶל 73 n.m. vapour, breath

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1892 הֶ֫בֶל vapour, breath

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1892 hebel heh'bel

or (rarely in the abs.) habel {hab-ale'}; from 1891;

emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and

unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb:--X altogether, vain,

vanity.

see HEBREW for 01891

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֶ֫בֶל (he.vel) — vanity.

1) vapour, breath

1a) breath, vapour

1b) vanity (fig.)

adv

2) vainly

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
futility of futilities he said Teacher futility of futilities everything [is] futility
אָמַ֣ר'a.Mar he said H559 Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
HVqp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
futility of futilities he said Teacher futility of futilities everything [is] futility
קֹהֶ֔לֶתko.He.let Teacher H6953 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
7× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A preacher or teacher, like the writer of Ecclesiastes who shared wisdom with the people of Israel.
Amplified meaning
Preacher
Tyndale gloss
preacher
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קֹהֶ֫לֶת (qoheleth) refers to a female assembler or lecturer, often translated as 'preacher.' It denotes a public speaker or someone who collects sentences, and is notably used as a pseudonym for the author of the book of Ecclesiastes. The term is derived from the active participle of a related root.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קֹהֶ֫לֶת, (קוֹהֶ֫לֶת) n.m. collector (of sentences), or (AV RV) preacher

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6953 קֹהֶ֫לֶת, קוֹהֶלֶת

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6953 qoheleth ko-heh'-leth

feminine of active participle from 6950; a (female) assembler

(i.e. lecturer): abstractly, preaching (used as a "nom de

plume", Koheleth):--preacher.

see HEBREW for 06950

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קֹהֶ֫לֶת (qo.he.let) — preacher.

collector (of sentences), preacher, public speaker, speaker in an assembly, Qoheleth

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
futility of futilities he said Teacher futility of futilities everything [is] futility
הֲבֵ֥לha.Vel futility of H1892 Noun common · masculine singular construct
73× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Hebel means emptiness or vanity, describing something transitory and unsatisfactory, like a breath of air. It appears in the book of Ecclesiastes, where Solomon writes about life's fleeting nature. The KJV translates it as vanity or altogether.
Amplified meaning
vanity, a breath of air
Tyndale gloss
vanity
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הֶ֫בֶל (hevel) refers to vapour or breath, and is often associated with concepts of emptiness or vanity, indicating something transitory and unsatisfactory. The word can function as an adverb meaning 'vainly.' It is derived from a root meaning 'to breathe' and appears in contexts discussing the fleeting nature of life.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הֶ֫בֶל 73 n.m. vapour, breath

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1892 הֶ֫בֶל vapour, breath

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1892 hebel heh'bel

or (rarely in the abs.) habel {hab-ale'}; from 1891;

emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and

unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb:--X altogether, vain,

vanity.

see HEBREW for 01891

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֶ֫בֶל (he.vel) — vanity.

1) vapour, breath

1a) breath, vapour

1b) vanity (fig.)

adv

2) vainly

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

futility of futilities he said Teacher futility of futilities everything [is] futility
הֲבָלִ֖יםha.va.Lim futilities H1892 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
73× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Hebel means emptiness or vanity, describing something transitory and unsatisfactory, like a breath of air. It appears in the book of Ecclesiastes, where Solomon writes about life's fleeting nature. The KJV translates it as vanity or altogether.
Amplified meaning
all that is fleeting
Tyndale gloss
vanity
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הֶ֫בֶל (hevel) refers to vapour or breath, and is often associated with concepts of emptiness or vanity, indicating something transitory and unsatisfactory. The word can function as an adverb meaning 'vainly.' It is derived from a root meaning 'to breathe' and appears in contexts discussing the fleeting nature of life.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הֶ֫בֶל 73 n.m. vapour, breath

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1892 הֶ֫בֶל vapour, breath

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1892 hebel heh'bel

or (rarely in the abs.) habel {hab-ale'}; from 1891;

emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and

unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb:--X altogether, vain,

vanity.

see HEBREW for 01891

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֶ֫בֶל (he.vel) — vanity.

1) vapour, breath

1a) breath, vapour

1b) vanity (fig.)

adv

2) vainly

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
futility of futilities he said Teacher futility of futilities everything [is] futility
הַכֹּ֥לha.Kol everything H3605 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Amplified meaning
all, the whole
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
futility of futilities he said Teacher futility of futilities everything [is] futility
הָֽבֶל׃Ha.vel [is] futility H1892 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
73× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Hebel means emptiness or vanity, describing something transitory and unsatisfactory, like a breath of air. It appears in the book of Ecclesiastes, where Solomon writes about life's fleeting nature. The KJV translates it as vanity or altogether.
Amplified meaning
without lasting purpose, vanity
Tyndale gloss
vanity
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הֶ֫בֶל (hevel) refers to vapour or breath, and is often associated with concepts of emptiness or vanity, indicating something transitory and unsatisfactory. The word can function as an adverb meaning 'vainly.' It is derived from a root meaning 'to breathe' and appears in contexts discussing the fleeting nature of life.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הֶ֫בֶל 73 n.m. vapour, breath

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1892 הֶ֫בֶל vapour, breath

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1892 hebel heh'bel

or (rarely in the abs.) habel {hab-ale'}; from 1891;

emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and

unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb:--X altogether, vain,

vanity.

see HEBREW for 01891

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֶ֫בֶל (he.vel) — vanity.

1) vapour, breath

1a) breath, vapour

1b) vanity (fig.)

adv

2) vainly

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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