Tag Archives: Ecclesiastes 5:12

יֵ֚שׁ רָעָ֣ה חֹולָ֔ה רָאִ֖יתִי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ עֹ֛שֶׁר שָׁמ֥וּר לִבְעָלָ֖יו לְרָעָתֹֽו׃ Contextual Introduction Ecclesiastes 5:12 delivers a paradoxical observation: wealth, often seen as a blessing, can bring harm to its possessor. The verse uses compact Hebrew syntax with thematic irony. The grammar enhances the verse’s pathos by employing apposition, participial constructions, and purpose clauses to emphasize that hoarded wealth is not neutral—it may destroy the one who clings to it. Grammatical Focus: Existential ישׁ-Clause, Noun Apposition, and Construct Chains 1. יֵ֚שׁ רָעָ֣ה חֹולָ֔ה – Existential with Appositive Qualifier – יֵ֚שׁ (“there is”) introduces an existential clause—an observation of something present.… Learn Hebrew