וְהָסֵ֥ר כַּ֨עַס֙ מִלִּבֶּ֔ךָ וְהַעֲבֵ֥ר רָעָ֖ה מִבְּשָׂרֶ֑ךָ כִּֽי־הַיַּלְד֥וּת וְהַֽשַּׁחֲר֖וּת הָֽבֶל׃
Ecclesiastes 11:10 concludes a poetic exhortation on youth and mortality with a double command: וְהָסֵ֥ר כַּ֨עַס מִלִּבֶּךָ and וְהַעֲבֵ֥ר רָעָ֖ה מִבְּשָׂרֶ֑ךָ. These imperatives invite the reader not only to rejoice in life but to release inner turmoil and physical harm. The verse employs two different Hifil imperatives—הָסֵר (“remove”) and הַעֲבֵר (“cause to pass away”)—in parallel form. Together, they build a theology of emotional and ethical detachment, leading into the haunting refrain: כִּֽי־הַיַּלְדוּת וְהַשַּׁחֲרוּת הָבֶל, “for youth and dawn are vapor.”
Literal Translation
“And remove anger from your heart, and pass away evil from your flesh; for childhood and youth are vapor.”
Word-by-Word Morphology
- וְהָסֵר (wəhāsēr) –
Root: ס־ו־ר;
Form: Hifil imperative 2ms with vav;
Translation: “and remove”;
Notes: Causative—“cause to turn away.” - כַּעַס (kaʿas) –
Root: כ־ע־ס;
Form: masculine singular noun;
Translation: “anger / vexation” - מִלִּבֶּךָ (millibbəḵā) –
Root: ל־ב־ב;
Form: preposition + noun with 2ms suffix;
Translation: “from your heart” - וְהַעֲבֵר (wəhaʿăvēr) –
Root: ע־ב־ר;
Form: Hifil imperative 2ms with vav;
Translation: “and remove / pass away” - רָעָה (rāʿāh) –
Root: ר־ע־ע;
Form: feminine singular noun;
Translation: “evil / harm / trouble”;
Notes: Can imply physical suffering or moral failure. - מִבְּשָׂרֶךָ (mibbəśārəḵā) –
Root: ב־שׂ־ר;
Form: preposition + noun with 2ms suffix;
Translation: “from your flesh”;
Notes: “Flesh” often connotes the body or physical being. - כִּי (kī) –
Form: causal conjunction;
Translation: “for / because” - הַיַּלְדוּת (hayyaldūt) –
Root: י־ל־ד;
Form: feminine abstract noun with article;
Translation: “childhood” - וְהַשַּׁחֲרוּת (wəhaššaḥarūt) –
Root: ש־ח־ר;
Form: feminine abstract noun with article;
Translation: “youth / dawn / early vigor”;
Notes: Derived from שַׁחַר (“dawn”)—likely metaphorical for the vigor of early life. - הָבֶל (hāvel) –
Root: ה־ב־ל;
Form: masculine noun;
Translation: “vanity / vapor / breath”;
Notes: Ecclesiastes’ central motif of transience and futility.
Imperative Parallelism: Hifil Commands of Detachment
The verse is built around two parallel imperatives—both Hifil, both addressing the self:
- הָסֵר כַעַס מִלִּבֶּךָ – “Remove vexation from your heart”
- הַעֲבֵר רָעָה מִבְּשָׂרֶךָ – “Put away evil from your flesh”
This parallelism works both syntactically and theologically: internal emotions and physical experience are paired. Anger and suffering must be shed, because life itself is fleeting. The Hifil stem adds nuance—it’s not passive release but active removal. The verbs command the hearer to expel inner turmoil and external harm.
הָבֶל as Theological Verdict
The final clause—כִּי הַיַּלְדוּת וְהַשַּׁחֲרוּת הָבֶל—pronounces the core theological claim of Ecclesiastes. Youth and dawn (metaphorically, strength and beauty) are vapor. The noun הָבֶל implies breath, transience, emptiness. It’s the same term applied to wealth, toil, wisdom, and even righteousness throughout the book. Here, it qualifies the very best part of life—its beginning.
The grammatical structure X וְY הָבֶל (subject + subject + predicate) creates a double emphasis: not only is each term fleeting, but the entire stage of life they represent is ephemeral.
Let Go While You Can
Ecclesiastes 11:10 is not merely a call to enjoy life—it is a grammatical blueprint for release. The imperatives speak to action: cast out anger, shed harm. The theology follows the grammar: youth, beauty, strength—they are all vapor.
Thus the Hebrew syntax joins the poem’s wisdom: active commands for ephemeral beings. If life is breath, then anger and pain are burdens too heavy to carry through the mist.
