Ecclesiastes 4:16
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

The number of the people, of all that were before him is infinite: and they that shall come afterwards, shall not rejoice in him: but this also is vanity, and vexation of spirit.

no end

2 Samuel 15:12,13 Absalom also sent for Achitophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city Gilo. And while he was offering sacrifices, there was a strong conspiracy, and the people running together increased with Absalom. . . .

1 Kings 1:5-7,40 And Adonias, the son of Haggith, exalted himself, saying: I will be king. And he made himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. . . .

1 Kings 12:10-16 And the young men that had been brought up with him, said: Thus shalt thou speak to this people, who have spoken to thee, saying: Thy father made our yoke heavy, do thou ease us. Thou shalt say to them: My little finger is thicker than the back of my father. . . .

they also

Judges 9:19,20 If therefore you have dealt well, and without fault, with Jerobaal and his house, rejoice ye, this day, in Abimelech, and may he rejoice in you. . . .

2 Samuel 18:7,8 And the people of Israel were defeated there by David's army, and a great slaughter was made that day of twenty thousand men. . . .

2 Samuel 19:9 And all the people were at strife in all the tribes of Israel, saying: The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines: and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.

this

Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity, and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 2:11,17,26 And when I turned myself to all the works which my hands had wrought, and to the labours wherein I had laboured in vain, I saw in all things vanity, and vexation of mind, and that nothing was lasting under the sun. . . .

Context
The Futility of Power
15I saw all men living, that walk under the sun with the second young man, who shall rise up in his place. 16The number of the people, of all that were before him is infinite: and they that shall come afterwards, shall not rejoice in him: but this also is vanity, and vexation of spirit.
Cross References
Ecclesiastes 1:14
I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity, and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 4:15
I saw all men living, that walk under the sun with the second young man, who shall rise up in his place.

Lexicon
There is no
אֵֽין־ (’ên-)
Adverb
Strong's Hebrew 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

limit
קֵ֣ץ (qêṣ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 7093: An extremity, after

to all
לְכָל־ (lə·ḵāl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's Hebrew 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the people
הָעָ֗ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

who
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's Hebrew 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

were
הָיָה֙ (hā·yāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

before them,
לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם (lip̄·nê·hem)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew 6440: The face

yet
גַּ֥ם (gam)
Conjunction
Strong's Hebrew 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

those who come later
הָאַחֲרוֹנִ֖ים (hā·’a·ḥă·rō·w·nîm)
Article | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew 314: Hinder, late, last, western

will not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's Hebrew 3808: Not, no

rejoice
יִשְׂמְחוּ־ (yiś·mə·ḥū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew 8055: To brighten up, be, blithe, gleesome

in [the successor].
ב֑וֹ (ḇōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

This
זֶ֥ה (zeh)
Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 2088: This, that

too
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's Hebrew 3588: A relative conjunction

is futile
הֶ֖בֶל (he·ḇel)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 1892: Emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory

and a pursuit
וְרַעְי֥וֹן (wə·ra‘·yō·wn)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's Hebrew 7475: Longing, striving

of the wind.
רֽוּחַ׃ (rū·aḥ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's Hebrew 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit


Additional Translations
There is no limit to all the people who were before them, yet those who come later will not rejoice in the successor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them: and the last shall not rejoice in him: for this also is vanity and waywardness of spirit.

[There is] no end of all the people, of all that stood before them; those however that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after the wind.

There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was--yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

there is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter rejoice not in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
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Alphabetical: a after all and be before But came chasing come end even for happy him is later meaningless no not ones people pleased striving successor the them There This those to too vanity was were who will wind with

OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 4:16 There was no end of all (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.) Bible Study Resources, Dictionary, Concordance and Search Tools

Ecclesiastes 4:15
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