כִּשְׁרוֹן
success, advantage
Definition
The noun כִּשְׁרוֹן (kishrôwn) primarily denotes 'success,' 'advantage,' or 'skillful gain.' It describes a profitable outcome or a tangible benefit resulting from one's labor or skill. In Ecclesiastes, it carries a nuanced sense of the 'gain' or 'advantage' one acquires from toil, which the Preacher often questions as ultimately futile. For example, in Ecclesiastes 2:21, it refers to the 'success' or 'profit' of labor that must be left to another, while in Ecclesiastes 5:11, it describes the 'advantage' or 'good' that wealth provides to its possessor.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in the book of Ecclesiastes, appearing only three times (Ecclesiastes 2:21; 4:4; 5:11). Its usage is consistently within the book's thematic exploration of the value and 'profit' of human labor and wisdom under the sun. In each instance, it refers to the tangible outcome or advantage of work, which is then critically examined. For example, Ecclesiastes 4:4 speaks of all toil and every 'skillful work' (a sense of kishrôwn) being driven by envy.
Etymology
Derived from the root כָּשֵׁר (kāshēr, H3787), which means 'to be proper, suitable, or successful.' The root conveys the idea of being 'fit' or 'right' for a purpose. כִּשְׁרוֹן is a noun form indicating the state or result of being 'fit'—hence, 'success' or 'advantage.' Cognates in later Hebrew and Aramaic retain the sense of fitness and propriety.
Semantic Range
כִּשְׁרוֹן is theologically significant as it is central to the existential questioning in Ecclesiastes. It forces the reader to evaluate what constitutes true 'success' or 'advantage' in life from a divine perspective. The Preacher's conclusion is that apart from God, all human gain (kishrôwn) is 'vanity and a striving after wind' (Ecclesiastes 2:11). Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of Ecclesiastes by highlighting the stark contrast between worldly profit and the fear of God, which is presented as the only true gain (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
In its ancient Israelite context, success and advantage were often measured in agricultural yield, skilled craftsmanship, and material prosperity. כִּשְׁרוֹwn reflects this tangible, results-oriented view of labor. However, Ecclesiastes uses the term to subvert this cultural assumption, questioning whether such earthly gain provides lasting meaning, a perspective that would have been counter-cultural and philosophically profound.
יִתְרוֹן (yithrôn, H3504) — 'profit, advantage'; used in parallel with כִּשְׁרוֹן in Ecclesiastes, often with a more abstract sense of surplus or preeminence. טוֹב (ṭôḇ, H2896) — 'good, benefit'; a broader term for goodness, which can include the concept of advantage but is more general. צְדָקָה (tsᵊḏāqâ, H6666) — 'righteousness, justice'; relates to a different kind of 'rightness' based on moral character rather than successful outcome.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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