Ecclesiastes 10:16

World English Bible (2000)

Woe to you, land, when your king is a child, and your princes eat in the morning!

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

אִֽי־לָ֣ךְ אֶ֔רֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּ֖ךְ נָ֑עַר וְשָׂרַ֖יִךְ בַּבֹּ֥קֶר יֹאכֵֽלוּ׃

Transliteration

ʾî-to you ʾereṣ that malkēk nāʿar wə-śārayik babbōqer yōʾkēlû

Grammar Details

• *ʾî*: interjection - woe
• *lāk*: preposition with 2nd feminine singular suffix - to you
• *ʾereṣ*: feminine singular noun - land
• *še-malkēk*: relative particle + masculine singular noun with 2nd feminine singular suffix - whose king
• *nāʿar*: masculine singular noun - youth/boy
• *wə-śārayik*: conjunction + masculine plural noun with 2nd feminine singular suffix - and your princes
• *ba-bbōqer*: preposition + definite article + masculine singular noun - in the morning
• *yōʾkēlû*: qal imperfect 3rd masculine plural - they eat

Word Meanings

• *ʾî*: woe/alas
• *ʾereṣ*: land/country/earth
• *malkēk*: your king/your ruler
• *nāʿar*: youth/boy/child
• *śārayik*: your princes/your officials/your nobles
• *babbōqer*: in the morning/early
• *yōʾkēlû*: they eat/they feast/they dine

Referenced Verses

• Isa 3:12 : 12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. My people, those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths.
• Isa 3:4-5 : 4 I will give boys to be their princes, and children shall rule over them. 5 The people will be oppressed, everyone by another, and everyone by his neighbor. The child will behave himself proudly against the old man, and the base against the honorable.
• Isa 5:11-12 : 11 Woe to those who rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; who stay late into the night, until wine inflames them! 12 The harp, lyre, tambourine, and flute, with wine, are at their feasts; but they don't respect the work of Yahweh, neither have they considered the operation of his hands.
• 2 Chr 13:7 : 7 There were gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.
• 2 Chr 33:1-9 : 1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, after the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he reared up altars for the Baals, and made Asheroth, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served them. 4 He built altars in the house of Yahweh, of which Yahweh said, "My name shall be in Jerusalem forever." 5 He built altars for all the army of the sky in the two courts of the house of Yahweh. 6 He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; and he practiced sorcery, and used enchantments, and practiced sorcery, and dealt with those who had familiar spirits, and with wizards: he worked much evil in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger. 7 He set the engraved image of the idol, which he had made, in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever: 8 neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from off the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them, even all the law and the statutes and the ordinances given by Moses." 9 Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did evil more than did the nations whom Yahweh destroyed before the children of Israel. 10 Yahweh spoke to Manasseh, and to his people; but they gave no heed. 11 Therefore Yahweh brought on them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. 12 When he was in distress, he begged Yahweh his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 He prayed to him; and he was entreated by him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Yahweh was God. 14 Now after this he built an outer wall to the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance at the fish gate; and he encircled Ophel [with it], and raised it up to a very great height: and he put valiant captains in all the fortified cities of Judah. 15 He took away the foreign gods, and the idol out of the house of Yahweh, and all the altars that he had built in the mountain of the house of Yahweh, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. 16 He built up the altar of Yahweh, and offered thereon sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and commanded Judah to serve Yahweh, the God of Israel. 17 Nevertheless the people sacrificed still in the high places, but only to Yahweh their God. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, behold, they are written among the acts of the kings of Israel. 19 His prayer also, and how [God] was entreated of him, and all his sin and his trespass, and the places in which he built high places, and set up the Asherim and the engraved images, before he humbled himself: behold, they are written in the history of Hozai. 20 So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his place.
• 2 Chr 36:2 : 2 Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
• 2 Chr 36:5 : 5 Jehoiakim was Twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh his God.
• 2 Chr 36:9 : 9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh.
• 2 Chr 36:11 : 11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem:
• Prov 20:1-2 : 1 Wine is a mocker, and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise. 2 The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion. He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.
• Isa 28:7-8 : 7 They also reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink. They are swallowed up by wine. They stagger with strong drink. They err in vision. They stumble in judgment. 8 For all tables are completely full of filthy vomit and filthiness.
• Jer 21:12 : 12 House of David, thus says Yahweh, Execute justice in the morning, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
• Hos 7:5-7 : 5 On the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine. He joined his hand with mockers. 6 For they have prepared their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait. Their baker sleeps all the night. In the morning it burns as a flaming fire. 7 They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges. All their kings have fallen. There is no one among them who calls to me.