Ecclesiastes 11:10
וְהָסֵ֥ר כַּ֨עַס֙ מִלִּבֶּ֔ךָ וְהַעֲבֵ֥ר רָעָ֖ה מִבְּשָׂרֶ֑ךָ כִּֽי־הַיַּלְד֥וּת וְהַֽשַּׁחֲר֖וּת הָֽבֶל׃
1. Transliteration
Vehāsēr kaʿas millibbekha, vehaʿăvēr rāʿāh mibbesārekha, kī-hayyaldūt vehashshaḥărūt hāvel.
2. Literal Translation
And remove vexation from your heart, and cause evil to pass away from your flesh, for childhood and the dawn of life are vapor.
3. Grammar Focus: Two Commands That Push Trouble Away
This verse gives two strong commands: הָסֵר and הַעֲבֵר. Both forms are commands, telling the listener to act.
הָסֵר comes from the root ס־ו־ר, meaning “to turn aside” or “remove.” The verse says to remove כַּעַס, vexation or anger, from the heart.
הַעֲבֵר comes from the root ע־ב־ר, meaning “to pass over” or “cause to pass away.” Here it means to make רָעָה pass away from the body.
For beginners, the grammar feels like a pair of movements: take it away from inside, then move it away from the body.
4. Vocabulary Builder: The Inner World of the Verse
| Hebrew Word | Pronunciation | Core Root & Meaning | Ancient Concrete Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| הָסֵר | hāsēr | Root ס־ו־ר, “turn aside, remove” | Something is taken away from its place, like moving an obstacle from a path. |
| כַּעַס | kaʿas | Root כ־ע־ס, “vexation, anger, irritation” | A heated inner disturbance, something that troubles the heart from within. |
| לִבֶּךָ | libbekha | From לֵב, “heart” | In Hebrew thought, the heart is the inner center of thought, desire, and decision. |
| הַעֲבֵר | haʿăvēr | Root ע־ב־ר, “pass, cross, move over” | The image is movement across or away, as something passes out of one space into another. |
| הֶבֶל | hevel | Root idea: “vapor, breath, fleetingness” | Something real enough to see for a moment, but impossible to hold. |
5. Syntax Insight: Heart, Flesh, and Vapor
The verse is beautifully balanced. It gives two commands, each followed by a place:
| Command | Thing Removed | Place |
|---|---|---|
| הָסֵר | כַּעַס | מִלִּבֶּךָ |
| הַעֲבֵר | רָעָה | מִבְּשָׂרֶךָ |
The first line points inward: מִלִּבֶּךָ, “from your heart.” The second line points bodily: מִבְּשָׂרֶךָ, “from your flesh.” Hebrew lets the reader feel the whole person being addressed: inner life and physical life together.
Then the reason comes with כִּי, “for/because.” The verse explains why the commands matter: youth and early life are הֶבֶל, vapor.
6. A Root Spotlight: ע־ב־ר and the Motion of Passing Away
The root ע־ב־ר often carries the idea of crossing, passing, or moving through. In this verse, הַעֲבֵר tells the listener to cause רָעָה to pass away from the flesh.
That is a vivid image. Hebrew does not only say, “Stop evil.” It pictures evil as something that must be moved away, like something harmful being carried out of the body’s space.
7. Beginner Practice Activity: Match the Command to the Place
Match each Hebrew command with the place mentioned in the verse.
| Hebrew Element | Your Discovery |
|---|---|
| הָסֵר כַּעַס | From where? |
| הַעֲבֵר רָעָה | From where? |
Click to Reveal the Scribal Answer
Answer: הָסֵר כַּעַס is from מִלִּבֶּךָ, “from your heart.” הַעֲבֵר רָעָה is from מִבְּשָׂרֶךָ, “from your flesh.”
The verse balances inner life and bodily life. Hebrew teaches the beginner to watch how each command has its own place.
Letting the Sound of Vapor Linger
The verse ends with הֶבֶל, “vapor.” This word gives the whole sentence a fragile feeling. Youth is real, but it cannot be held forever. Like breath in cold air, it appears and disappears.
That is why the commands are urgent. Hebrew does not simply offer advice. It presses the listener to remove what damages the heart and move away what harms the flesh, because the season of youth is passing.
For beginners, the verse is a powerful example of how Hebrew grammar and imagery work together. Two commands, two places, one reason: release what weighs you down, because what seems strong today is still הֶבֶל.
