Ecclesiastes 4:5
"The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh."

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

The fool foldeth his hands together,.... In order to get more sleep, or as unwilling to work; so the Targum adds, "he folds his hands in summer, and will not labour;'' see Pro 6:10 . Some persons, to escape the envy which diligence and industry bring

on men, will not work at all, or do any right work, and think to sleep in a whole skin; this is great folly and madness indeed: and eateth his own flesh; such a man is starved and famished for want of food, so that his flesh is wasted away; or he is so hungry bitten, that he is ready to eat his own flesh; or he hereby brings to ruin his family, his wife, and children, which are his own flesh, Isa 58:7 . The Targum is, "in winter he eats all he has, even the covering of the skin of his flesh.'' Some understand this of the envious man, who is a fool, traduces the diligent and industrious, and will not work himself; and not only whose idleness brings want and poverty on him as an armed man, but whose envy eats up his spirit, and is rottenness in his bones, Pro 6:11 . Jarchi, out of a book of theirs called Siphri, interprets this of a wicked man in hell, when he sees the righteous in glory, and he himself judged and condemned.

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (7 words)

H3684 כְּסִיל
Definition:

1144t.; pluralכְּסִילִיםPsalm 94:825t.; — ""בערPsalm 49:11;Psalm 92:7;Psalm 94:8, elsewhere only in Wisd Lt.; he hates knowledgeProverbs 1:22; delights not in understandingProverbs 18:2; it is his spo 1144t.; pluralכְּסִילִיםPsalm 94:825t.; — ""בערPsalm 49:11;Psalm 92:7;Psalm 94:8, elsewhere only in Wisd Lt.; he hates knowledgeProverbs 1:22; delights not in understandingProverbs 18:2; it is his spo

Possible Meanings:
  • Orion (semantic_range)
H2263 חָבַק
Definition:

5;ParticipleחֹבֵּקEcclesiastes 4:5;חֹבֶקֶת2 Kings 4:16; —embrace, with accusativeבֵּן2 Kings 4:16;יָדָיוEcclesiastes 4:5(said ofהַכְּסִיל= fold his arms, i.e. be idle; compareחִבֻּק); no object expres 5;ParticipleחֹבֵּקEcclesiastes 4:5;חֹבֶקֶת2 Kings 4:16; —embrace, with accusativeבֵּן2 Kings 4:16;יָדָיוEcclesiastes 4:5(said ofהַכְּסִיל= fold his arms, i.e. be idle; compareחִבֻּק); no object expres

Possible Meanings:
  • a clasping (semantic_range)
  • folding (semantic_range)
H0853 אֵת
Definition:

33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34: 33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34:

Possible Meanings:
  • sign (semantic_range)
H3027 יָד
Definition:

26+ often (masculineExodus 17:12see Di; onיִרְמּוּ יָדַיִם2 Samuel 4:1;Zephaniah 3:16; 2Chronicles 15:7;Nehemiah 6:9, see Ges§ 145, 7 a, R. 1)hand(Late Hebrewid.; Aramaicיְדָא,; ZinjirliידDHMSendsch.G 26+ often (masculineExodus 17:12see Di; onיִרְמּוּ יָדַיִם2 Samuel 4:1;Zephaniah 3:16; 2Chronicles 15:7;Nehemiah 6:9, see Ges§ 145, 7 a, R. 1)hand(Late Hebrewid.; Aramaicיְדָא,; ZinjirliידDHMSendsch.G

Possible Meanings:
  • power (semantic_range)
H0398 אָכַל
Definition:

28+;אָֽכְלָהNumbers 21:28+; etc.ImperfectיאֹבַלGenesis 49:27+;וַיּאֹ֫כַלGenesis 25:34+;וַיּאֹכַ֑לGenesis 3:6+;יאֹכֵ֑לLeviticus 21:22+;אֹכַלGenesis 24:33+;וָָֽאֹכַ֫לGenesis 27:33;וְאֹכֵ֑לIsaiah 44:19;ו 28+;אָֽכְלָהNumbers 21:28+; etc.ImperfectיאֹבַלGenesis 49:27+;וַיּאֹ֫כַלGenesis 25:34+;וַיּאֹכַ֑לGenesis 3:6+;יאֹכֵ֑לLeviticus 21:22+;אֹכַלGenesis 24:33+;וָָֽאֹכַ֫לGenesis 27:33;וְאֹכֵ֑לIsaiah 44:19;ו

Possible Meanings:
  • eat (semantic_range)
  • devour (semantic_range)
H0853 אֵת
Definition:

33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34: 33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34:

Possible Meanings:
  • sign (semantic_range)
H1320 בָּשָׂר
Definition:

21126t.; constructבְּשַׂרGenesis 17:1140t.; suffixבּשָׂרִיetc.Psalm 16:996t.; pluralבְּשָׂרִיםProverbs 14:30; —1of the body:a.of animalsGenesis 41:2-19Exodus 21:28;Exodus 22:30;Numbers 12:12(E)Numbers 21126t.; constructבְּשַׂרGenesis 17:1140t.; suffixבּשָׂרִיetc.Psalm 16:996t.; pluralבְּשָׂרִיםProverbs 14:30; —1of the body:a.of animalsGenesis 41:2-19Exodus 21:28;Exodus 22:30;Numbers 12:12(E)Numbers

Possible Meanings:
  • flesh (semantic_range)

Interlinear data not available for this verse yet.

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