Original Word: עִנְיָן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: `inyan
Pronunciation: in-YAHN
Phonetic Spelling: (in-yawn')
KJV: business, travail
NASB: task, effort, investment
Word Origin: [from H6031 (עָנָה - To afflict)]

1. bustle
2. (generally) employment
3. (specifically) an affair

business, travail

From anah; ado, i.e. (generally) employment or (specifically) an affair -- business, travail.

see HEBREW anah

Word Origin
from anah
Definition
occupation, task
NASB Translation
effort (1), investment (1), task (6).

עִנְיָן noun masculine^{Ecclesiastes 1:13} occupation, task, only Ecclesiastes (Aramaic loan-word Lag^{BN 205}; common in Late Hebrew); — ׳ע absolute Ecclesiastes 2:26; Ecclesiastes 3:10; Ecclesiastes 5:2; Ecclesiastes 8:16; suffix כַּעַס עִנְיָנוֺ Ecclesiastes 2:23 his task is (sheer) vextion; עִנְיָן רָע Ecclesiastes 1:13 an evil (worthless) task, so Ecclesiastes 4:8 (Masora עִנְיַן as if construct, see Baer¹; Baer¹³; but Kö^{ii, 1, 99}), and, in weakened sense, Ecclesiastes 5:12 a bad business, bad affair.

Overview of the Word

עִנְיָן (inyan) designates the “business,” “occupation,” or “burdensome task” that occupies human beings during their earthly life. Every use appears in the book of Ecclesiastes, where the Preacher scrutinizes the toil “under the sun” and measures it against ultimate meaning. The term therefore gathers the whole weight of human endeavor—physical, intellectual, and emotional—and asks what becomes of it when set before a sovereign and eternal God.

Distribution in Ecclesiastes

1. Ecclesiastes 1:13 – the quest to examine “all that is done under heaven.”
2. Ecclesiastes 2:23 – exhausting labor that yields “pain and grief.”
3. Ecclesiastes 2:26 – the surprising reversal in which God gives joy to the righteous and “gathers and stores up” through the sinner.
4. Ecclesiastes 3:10 – the “burden” God lays upon people “to occupy them.”
5. Ecclesiastes 4:8 – relentless striving that cannot satisfy.
6. Ecclesiastes 5:3 – “Many cares” that generate restless dreams and words.
7. Ecclesiastes 5:14 – fortunes lost through “bad business.”
8. Ecclesiastes 8:16 – sleepless observation of human “activity” day and night.

Literary Function

Ecclesiastes employs inyan to tie together its cyclical reflections on labor, wisdom, pleasure, and wealth. Each occurrence functions as a turning point:

• In Ecclesiastes 1:13 and 3:10, the Preacher frames his investigation as a God-imposed assignment, lifting the discussion above mere pessimism.
• Ecclesiastes 4:8 and 5:14 expose how inyan, when severed from fellowship with God and neighbor, becomes destructive isolation or financial ruin.
• Ecclesiastes 2:26 foreshadows divine justice, hinting that the apparent futility of labor finds resolution in God’s righteous distribution of reward.

Historical and Cultural Backdrop

During the post-exilic period, when life in Jerusalem was politically fragile and economically insecure, the realities behind inyan—heavy taxation, rebuilding projects, and the struggle for daily provisions—would have been palpable. The Preacher’s observations resonate with laborers who saw their produce threatened by foreign powers and fickle markets. By retaining inyan rather than adopting later Persian loan-words for labor, the author underscores continuity with Israel’s older wisdom tradition, yet addresses a new socio-economic setting.

Theological Significance

1. God-Given Task: Twice the text names inyan a gift from God (Ecclesiastes 1:13; 3:10). Scripture thereby affirms that human work, even when burdensome, belongs to divine providence.
2. Revelation of Mortality: Inyan exposes limitations. “Even at night his mind does not rest” (Ecclesiastes 2:23). Restlessness reveals our need for something beyond toil—namely, fear of God (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
3. Eschatological Pointer: The repeated failure of inyan to achieve lasting gain anticipates the New Testament invitation, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden” (Matthew 11:28). Human striving drives the heart toward Christ, the greater Solomon, who grants rest.

Practical Application for Ministry

• Vocation and Worship: Preaching and discipleship can emphasize that work is dignified yet insufficient as a source of identity. Believers are encouraged to “eat and drink and find satisfaction” (Ecclesiastes 2:24) while anchoring purpose in God.
• Stewardship and Contentment: Ecclesiastes 5:14 warns that “through bad business… nothing remains.” Financial counseling within the church should integrate prudence with trust in God as provider.
• Pastoral Care for the Overburdened: Ecclesiastes legitimizes feelings of fatigue; counselors may draw on its language to empathize and then direct sufferers to rest in grace rather than performance.

Intertextual Echoes

• Genesis 3:17-19 introduces toil as part of the curse; Ecclesiastes shows its ongoing reality.
• Psalm 127:2 parallels, “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat,” reinforcing the call to reliance on God.
• Hebrews 4:9-10 promises a Sabbath rest that resolves the unrest of inyan, inviting laborers to cease from their own works.

Summary

עִנְיָן crystallizes the burden and dignity of human endeavor within a fallen world. Ecclesiastes neither glorifies work nor dismisses it but situates it under divine sovereignty, urging readers to enjoy God’s gifts, practice contented stewardship, and anticipate the ultimate rest provided in Christ.

בְּעִנְיַ֣ן בענין הָ֣עִנְיָ֔ן הָֽעִנְיָ֗ן הענין וְעִנְיַ֥ן וענין עִנְיַ֣ן עִנְיָ֑ן עִנְיָ֜ן עִנְיָנ֔וֹ ענין ענינו ‘in·yā·nōw ‘in·yan ‘in·yān ‘inyan ‘inyān ‘inyānōw bə‘inyan bə·‘in·yan beinYan hā‘inyān hā·‘in·yān hainYan inYan inyaNo veinYan wə‘inyan wə·‘in·yanInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts