1 tn (1:1) The meaning of tl#h#q) is somewhat puzzling. The verb lhq means "to assemble, summon" (HALOT 1078-79), and is derived from the noun lhq "assembly" (HALOT 1079-80). Thus tl#h#q) might mean: (1) convener of the assembly, (2) leader, speaker, teacher, or preacher of the assembly, or (3) member of the assembly. Elsewhere in the book, tl#h#q) is used in collocation with statements about his position as king in Jerusalem (Eccl 1:12), his proclamations about life (Eccl 1:2; 7:27; 12:8), and his teaching of wisdom and writing wise sayings (Eccl 12:9-10). Thus, tl#h#q) probably means "the leader of the assembly" or "speaker of the assembly" (HALOT 1080). (See also the following study note.) Rabbinic literature treats tl#h#q) as a traditional surname for Solomon, that is, "Qoheleth," relating it to the noun lhq ("assembly"). For example, this explanation is found in rabbinic literature (Qoheleth Rabbah 1:1): "Why was his name called Qoheleth [tlhq]? Because his words were proclaimed in public meeting [lhq], as it is written (1 Kings 8:1)." The LXX rendered it ejkklhsiasth" ("member of the assembly," LSJ 509), as was the custom of relating Greek ejkklhsiva ("assembly") to Hebrew lhq ("assembly," HALOT 1079). The book's English title, "Ecclesiastes," is simply a transliteration of the Greek term from the LXX. Symmachus's paroimiasth" ("author of proverbs," LSJ 1342) is not a translation of tl#h#q) but refers to his authorship of many proverbs (Eccl. 12:9-10). In terms of the participial form, tl#h#q) is used substantively to designate the profession or title of the author. The term is used in 12:8 with the article, indicating that it is a professional title rather than a personal surname: tl#h#oQh^ ("the Teacher"). Substantival participles often designate the title or profession of an individual: /h@K) "priest," /z}r) "ruler," rf@v) "officer," dq@n{ "sheep-breeder," fp@v) "judge," rx@y{ "potter," <r}K) "vine-dresser," bg}y{ "farmer," ru@ov "gate-keeper," [r}ox "smelter," and ap@r) "doctor" (IBHS, 614-15). In terms of its feminine ending with a male referent, Joüon suggests that it is intensive, e.g., tu^d^om "close relative" from ud*om "kinsman" (Joüon-Muraoka, Grammar, §89.b). The feminine ending is used similarly in Arabic in reference to a male referent, e.g., Arabic rawiyat "a great narrator" from rawi "narrator" (Wright, Arabic Grammar, 1:233c). So tl#h#q) may mean "the leader/teacher of the assembly" from the noun lhq ("assembly"). When used in reference to a male referent, feminine forms denote a professional title or vocational office (as in Arabic, Ethiopic, and Aramaic), e.g., tr\p#s) "scribe," tr\k#P) "gazelle-catcher," hj*P# "provincial governor," and tour´P= "princes" (GKC §122.r). Occasionally, a professional name later became a personal name, e.g., the title tr\p#s) ("scribe") became the name "Sophereth" (Ezra 2:55; Neh 7:57), tr#k#P) ("gazelle-catcher") became "Pokereth" (Ezra 2:57; Neh 7:59), and perhaps tl#h#q) ("assembler") became the surname "Qoheleth" (HALOT 926). Many translations render tl#h#q) as a professional title: "the Speaker" (NEB, Moffatt), "the Preacher" (KJV, RSV, YLT, MLB, ASV, NASB), "the Teacher" (NIV, NRSV), "the Leader of the Assembly" (NIV margin), "the Assembler" (NJPS margin). Others render it as a personal surname: "Koheleth" (AB, JPS, NJPS) and "Qoheleth" (NAB, NRSV margin).
sn (1:1) The Hebrew verb lh^q* (q*h*l) means "to assemble; to summon" (HALOT 1078-79). It is used of assembling or summoning various groups of people: "all Israel" (1 Chr 13:5; 15:3), "the elders of Israel" (1 Kgs 8:1; 2 Chr 5:2), all the elders of their tribes" (Deut 31:28), "all the princes of Israel" (1 Chr 28:1), "your tribes" (Deut 31:28), "all the house of Judah" (1 Kgs 12:21; 2 Chr 11:1), "the people" (Deut 4:10; 31:12), "the whole congregation" (Lev 8:3; Num 1:18; 16:19; 20:8), "all the congregation of the sons of Israel" (Exod 35:1; Num 8:9), "the assembly" (Num 10:7; 20:10), and "your assembly" (Ezek 38:13). The verb is often used in reference to summoning/assembling people for a religious occasion (Exod 35:1; Lev 8:3-4; Num 8:9; Deut 4:10; Josh 18:1; 22:12; 1 Kgs 8:1; 2 Chr 5:2-3), a political occasion (2 Sam 20:14), a military occasion (Judg 20:11; 2 Chr 11:1), or a judicial occasion (Job 11:10). The Hiphil stem is used to describe the action of the leader (usually a single individual who possesses/commands authority) summoning the people, e.g., Moses (Exod 35:1; Lev 8:3; Num 20:10), Moses and Aaron (Num 1:18), Korah (Num 16:19), King David (1 Chr 13:5; 15:3; 28:1), King Solomon (1 Kgs 8:1; 12:21; 2 Chr 5:2), and King Rehoboam (2 Chr 11:1). In almost every case, he who assembles the people is a person invested with authority; he makes a public proclamation or leads the nation in an important action. The Niphal stem is most often used to describe the people assembling at the direction of the leader (e.g., Lev 8:4; Josh 18:1; 22:12; 1 Kgs 8:2; 2 Chr 5:3). The verb lh^q* (q*h*l) is a denominative derived from the noun lh*q* (q*h*l, "assembly; contingent"; HALOT 1079-80). The noun has numerous referents: the congregated nation as a whole in the wilderness, assembled for ceremonies and instruction (Exod 16:3; Lev 4:13, 21; 16:17, 33; Num 10:7; 14:5; 15:15; 16:3; 17:12; 19:20; 20:4, 6, 10, 12; Deut 9:10; 10:4; 18:16); the congregation of Israel assembled for divine worship (Pss 22:23, 26; 26:5; 35:18; 40:10; 107:32; 149:1; Lam 1:10); the post-exilic community assembled to hear the Torah and instruction (Neh 13:1); a military contingent assembled for warfare (Num 16:3; 20:4; Judg 20:2; 21:5, 8; 1 Sam 17:47; 2 Chr 28:14); people summoned to court (Ezek 16:40; 23:46-47); judicial authorities (Jer 26:17; Prov 5:14; 26:26; Sir 7:7). The term is often used as a designation for Israel: "the assembly of Israel" (Lev 16:17; Deut 31:30; Josh 8:35; 1 Kgs 8:14, 22, 55; 12:3; 2 Chr 6:3, 12-13; Sir 50:13, 20), "the assembly of the congregation" (Exod 12:6); "the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel" (Num 14:5), and "the assembly of God" (Neh 13:1). The related noun hL*h!q= (q=h!L*h) means "assembly; community" (HALOT 1080), e.g., in the idiom hL*h!q= /t^n´ , "to hold an assembly": "I called a great assembly to deal with them" (Neh 5:7).
2tn (1:1) Heb "son of David" or "a son of David."
3sn (1:1) While 1:1 says only "king in Jerusalem" (<lvWryb ilm ), 1:12 adds "king over Israel in Jerusalem" (<lvWryb lar?y-lu ilm). The LXX adds "Israel" in 1:1 to harmonize with 1:12; however, the MT makes sense as it stands. Apart from David, only Solomon was "king over Israel in Jerusalem" - unless the term "Israel" (lar?y) in 1:12 is used for Judah or the post-exilic community. Solomon would fit the description of the author of this book, who is characterized by great wisdom (1:13, 16), great wealth (2:8), numerous servants (2:7), great projects (2:4-6), and the collection, editing and writings of many proverbs (12:9-10). All of this generally suggests Solomonic authorship. However, many scholars deny Solomonic authorship on the basis of linguistic and historical arguments.
4sn (1:1) The form of the title is typical: (1) "the words of [the writer]," (2) his family name or name of his father, and (3) his social/political position in Israel (e.g., Prov. 22:17; 24:23; 30:1; 31:1). Sometimes, the writer's qualifications are given in the introduction to an OT book (e.g., Jer. 1:1; Amos 1:1). Qoheleth lists his qualifications at the end of the book (12:9-12).
5tn (1:2) Heb "says."
6sn (1:2) See the note on "Teacher" in v. 1.
7tn (1:2) Heb "futility of futilities." The phrase "absolutely futile" (<ylbh lbh) is a superlative genitive construction (GKC §133.i). When a plural genitive follows a singular construct noun of the same root, it indicates the most outstanding example of the person or thing described. Examples: <yvdqh vdq ("holy of holies"), i.e., "the most holy place" (Exod 26:33), <yryvh ryv ("song of songs"), i.e., "the most excellent song" (Song 1:1), <yndah yndaw <yhlah yhla ("the God of gods and Lord of lords"), i.e., "the highest God and the supreme Lord" (Deut 10:17). See also Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §80; IBHS, 154.
8tn (1:2) Although lK) ("everything"; "all") is often used in an absolute or comprehensive sense (BDB 481 [1]), it is frequently used as a synecdoche of the general for the specific, that is, its sense is limited contextually to the topic at hand (BDB 482 [2]). This is particularly true of lK)h^ (BDB 482 [2.b]) in which the article particularizes or limits the referent to the contextual or previously mentioned topic (e.g., Gen 16:12; 24:1; Exod 29:24; Lev 1:9, 13; 8:27; Deut 2:36; Josh 11:19 [see 2 Sam 19:31; 1 Kgs 14:26 = 2 Chr 12:9]; 21:43; 1 Sam 30:19; 2 Sam 17:3; 23:5; 24:23; 1 Kgs 6:18; 2 Kgs 24:16; Isa 29:11; 65:8; Jer 13:7, 10; Ezek 7:14; Pss 14:3; 49:18; 1 Chr 7:5; 28:19; 29:19; 2 Chr 28:6; 29:28; 31:5; 35:7; 36:17-18; Ezra 1:11; 2:42; 8:34-35; 10:17; Eccl 5:8). Thus, "all" does not always mean "all" in an absolute sense or universally in comprehension. In several cases the context limits its reference to two classes of objects or issues being discussed, so lK)h^ means "both" (e.g., 2:14; 3:19: 9:1, 2). Thus, lK)h^ ("all"; "everything") refers only to what Qoheleth characterizes as "futile" (lb#h#) in the context. Qoheleth does not mean that everything in an absolute, all-encompassing sense is futile. For example, the sovereign work of God is not "futile" (3:1-4:3); fearing God is not "futile" (2:26; 3:14-15; 11:9-12:1, 9, 13-14); and enjoying life as a righteous person under the blessing of God is not "futile" (2:24-26; 11:9-10). Only those objects or issues that are contextually placed under lK) are designated as "futile" (lb#h#). The context of 1:3-15 suggests that 1:2 refers to the futility of secular human endeavor. The content and referent of 1:3-15 determines the referent of lK)h^ in 1:2.
9tn (1:2) The term lb#h# (h#b#l, "futile") is repeated five times within the eight words of this verse for emphasis. The noun lbh ("futile") is the key word in Ecclesiastes. The root is used in two ways in the OT, literally and figuratively. The literal, concrete sense is used in reference to the wind, man's transitory breath, evanescent vapor (Isa 57:13; Pss 62:10; 144:4; Prov 21:6; Job 7:16). In this sense, it is often a synonym for "breath" or "wind" (Eccl 1:14; Isa 57:13; Jer 10:14). The literal sense lent itself to metaphorical senses: (1) breath/vapor/wind is non-physical, evanescent, and lacks concrete substance thus, the connotation "unsubstantial" (Jer 10:15; 16:19; 51:18), "profitless" or "fruitless" (Ps 78:33; Prov 13:11), "worthless" (2 Kgs 17:15; Jer 2:5; 10:3), "pointless" (Prov 21:6), "futile" (Lam 4:17; Eccl 1:2, 14; 2:1, 14-15), (2) breath/vapor/wind is transitory and fleeting--thus, the connotation "fleeting" or "transitory" (Prov 31:30; Eccl 6:12; 7:15; 9:9; 11:10; Job 7:16) and (3) breath/vapor/wind cannot be seen thus, the idea of "obscure," "dark," "difficult to understand," "enigmatic" (Eccl 11:10). See HALOT 236-37; BDB 210-11; TWAT 2.334-43; TDOT 3.313-20; THAT 1.467-69; TWOT 1.204-05. The metaphorical sense is used with the following synonyms: WhT) ("empty," "vanity"; Isa 49:4), qyr! ("profitless," "useless"; Isa 30:7; Eccl 6:11), and lyu!oh aO ("worthless," "profitless"; Is 30:6; 57:12; Jer 16:19). It is parallel to "few days" and "[days] which he passes like a shadow" (Eccl 6:12). It is used in reference to youth and vigor (11:10) and life (6:12; 7:15; 9:9), which are "transitory" or "fleeting." The most common parallels to lbh in Ecclesiastes are the phrases "chasing after the wind" (jwr twur) in 2:11, 17, 26; 7:14 and "what profit?" (/wrty-hm) or "no profit" (/wrty /ya) in 2:11; 3:19; 6:9, 19. It is used in reference to enigmas in life (6:2; 8:10, 14) and to the future which is obscure (11:8). It is often used in antithesis to terms connoting value: bof ("good," "benefit," "advantage") and /ort=y{ ("profit," "advantage," "gain"). Because the concrete picture of the "wind" lends itself to the figurative connotation "futile," the motto "This is futile" (lb#h# hz#) is often used with the metaphor, "like striving after the wind" (j^Wr tWur=)--a graphic picture of an expenditure of effort in vain because no one can catch the wind by chasing it (e.g., 1:14, 17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 6:9). Although it is the key word in Ecclesiastes, it should not be translated the same way in every place.
sn (1:2) The motto Everything is futile! is the theme of the book. Its occurs at the beginning (1:2) and end of the book (12:8), forming an envelope structure (inclusio). Everything described in 1:2-12:8 is the supporting proof of the thesis of 1:2. With few exceptions (e.g., 2:24-26; 3:14-15; 11:9-12:1, 9), everything described in 1:2-12:8 is characterized as "futile" (h#b#l).
10tn (1:3) The term "profit" (/ort=y{) is used in Ecclesiastes to evaluate the ultimate benefit/effects of human activities, as is bof ("good; worthwhile") as well (e.g., 2:1, 3). While some relative advantage/profit is recognized (e.g., light over darkness, and wisdom over folly), Qoheleth denies the ultimate advantage of all human endeavors (e.g., 2:11, 15).
11tn (1:3) The use of the relative pronoun v# ("which")--rather than the more common rva ("which")--is a linguistic feature that is often used to try to date the Book of Ecclesiastes. Noting that v# is the dominant relative pronoun in Mishnaic Hebrew and that rva does not appear as frequently (M. Jastrow, Dictionary, 130), many scholars conclude that rva is early and v# is late. They conclude that the use of v in Ecclesiastes points to a late date for the book. However, as Samuel-Kings suggest, the v versus rva phenomena may simply be a dialectical issue: rva is commonly used in the south, and v in the north. The use of v in Ecclesiastes may indicate that the book was written in a northern rather than a southern province, not that it is a late book. This is supported from related Akkadian terms which occur in texts from the same periods: rva is related to asru ("place") and v is related to sa ("what").
12sn (1:3) The Hebrew root u*m^l ("toil") is repeated here for emphasis: "What gain does anyone have in his toil with which he toils." For all his efforts, man's endeavors and secular achievements will not produce anything of ultimate value that will radically revolutionize anything in the world. The term "toil" is used in a pejorative sense to emphasize that the only thing that man obtains ultimately from all his efforts is weariness and exhaustion. Due to sin, mankind has been cursed with the futility of his labor that renders work a "toilsome" task (Gen 3:17-19). Although it was not yet revealed to Qoheleth, God will one day deliver the redeemed from this plight in the future kingdom when man's labor will no longer be toilsome, but profitable, fulfilling, and enjoyable (Isa 65:17-23).
13tn (1:3) Heb "under the sun."
sn (1:3) This rhetorical question expects a negative answer: "Man has no gain in all his toil." Ecclesiastes often uses rhetorical questions in this manner (e.g., 2:2; 3:9; 6:8, 11, 12; see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949).
14tn (1:4) The participle El@h) ("to walk; to go") emphasizes continual, durative, uninterrupted action (present universal use of participle). The root ilh is repeated in this section (1:4a, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 7c) to emphasize the continual action and constant motion of everything in nature. Despite the continual action of everything in nature, there is no completion, attainment or rest for anything. The first use of ilh is in reference to man; all subsequent usages are in reference to nature--illustrations of the futility of human endeavor. Note: All the key terms used in 1:4 to describe the futility of human endeavor are repeated in 1:5-11 as illustrations from nature. The literary monotony in 1:4-11 mirrors the actual monotony of human action that repeats itself with no real change.
15tn (1:4) The participle aB* ("to go") emphasizes continual, durative, uninterrupted action (present universal use of participle). The term is repeated in 1:4-5 to compare the futility of secular human accomplishments with the futile actions in nature: everything is in motion, but there is nothing new accomplished.
16tn (1:4) The participle tdmu ("to stand") emphasizes a continual, durative, uninterrupted state (present universal condition). Man, despite all his secular accomplishments in all generations, makes no ultimate impact on the earth.
17tn (1:4) The term "the same" does not appear in Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
18tn (1:4) The term <l*ou has a wide range of meanings: (1) indefinite time: "long time; duration," often "eternal" or "eternity"; (2) future time: "things to come"; and (3) past time: "a long time back," that is, the dark age of prehistory (HALOT 798-99; BDB 762-64). It may also denote an indefinite period of "continuous existence" (BDB 762 [2.b]). It is used in this sense in reference to things that remain the same for long periods: the earth (Eccl 1:4), the heavens (Ps 148:6), ruined cities (Isa 25:2; 32:14), ruined lands (Jer 18:16), nations (Isa 47:7), families (Ps 49:12; Isa 14:20), the dynasty of Saul (1 Sam 13:13), the house of Eli (2 Sam 2:30), continual enmity between nations (Ezek 25:15; 35:5), the exclusion of certain nations from the assembly (Deut 23:4; Neh 13:1), a perpetual reproach (Ps 78:66).
19tn (1:5) The participle j^r}oz ("to rise") emphasizes continual, durative, uninterrupted action (present universal use of participle): the sun is continually rising (and continually setting) day after day.
20tn (1:5) Heb "the sun goes." The participle aB ("to go") emphasizes continual, durative, uninterrupted action (present universal use of participle): the sun is continually rising and continually setting day after day. The repetition of aB in 1:4-5 creates a comparison between the relative futility of all human endeavor ("a generation comes and a generation goes" [aB]) with the relative futility of the action of the sun ("the sun rises and the sun goes" [i.e., "sets," aB]).
21tn (1:5) Heb "hastens" or "pants." The verb [av has a three-fold range of meanings: (1) "to gasp; to pant," (2) "to pant after; to long for," and (3) "to hasten; to hurry" (KBL3 937; BDB 983). The related Aramaic root [wv means "to be thirsty; to be parched." The Hebrew verb is used of "gasping" for breath, like a woman in the travail of childbirth (Isa 42:14); "panting" with eagerness or desire (Job 5:5; 7:2; 36:20; Ps 119:131; Jer 2:24) or "panting" with fatigue (Jer 14:6; Eccl 1:5). Here [av personifies the sun, panting with fatigue, as it hastens to its destination (BDB 983 [1]). The participle form depicts continual, uninterrupted, durative action (present universal use). Like the sun, man--for all his efforts--never really changes anything; all he accomplishes in his toil is to wear himself out.
22tn (1:5) The verb jrz is repeated in this verse to emphasize that the sun is locked into a never changing, ever repeating monotonous cycle: rising, setting, rising, setting. In 1:5a the perfect tense focuses on the starting point of the cycle (present definite use of perfect): "the sun rises" (at a definite point in time). However, in 1:5b the participle emphasizes the continual, uninterrupted cycle of the sunrise (present universal use of participle): "there it continually rises again."
23tn (1:5) The word "again" does not appear in Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
24tn (1:6) The Hebrew root bbs ("to circle around") is repeated four times in this verse to depict the wind's continual motion: "The wind circles around (bb@os)...round and round (bb@s) bb@os)...its circuits (wytbybs)." This repetition is designed for a rhetorical purpose--to emphasize that the wind is locked into a never ending cycle. This vicious circle of monotonous action does not change anything. The participle form is used three times to emphasize continual, uninterrupted action (present universal use of participle). Despite the fact that the wind is always changing direction, nothing really new ever happens. The constant shifting of the wind cannot hide the fact that this is nothing but a repeated cycle; nothing new happens here (e.g., 1:9-10).
25tn (1:6) The use of bv (Qal active participle masculine singular bWv ["to return"]) creates wordplay (paranomasia) with the repetition of bbs ("to circle around"). The participle emphasizes continual, durative, uninterrupted action (present universal use).
26tn (1:7) Heb "are going" or "are walking." The term <yklh (Qal active participle masculine plural from ilh ["to walk"]) emphasizes continual, durative, uninterrupted action (present universal use of participle). This may be an example of personification; this verb is normally used in reference to the human activity of walking. Qoheleth compares the flowing of river waters to the action of walking to draw out the comparison between the actions of man (1:4) and the actions of nature (1:5-11).
27tn (1:7) The words "return to" do not appear in Hebrew, but are supplied in translation for clarity.
28tn (1:7) Heb "there they are returning to go." The term <ybv (Qal active participle masculine plural from bWv ["to return"]) emphasizes the continual, durative action of the waters. The root bWv is repeated in 1:6-7 to emphasize that everything in nature (e.g., wind and water) continually repeats its actions. For all of the repetition of the cycles of nature, nothing changes; all the constant motion produces nothing new.
sn (1:7) This verse does not refer to the cycle of evaporation or the return of water by underground streams, as sometimes suggested. Rather, it describes the constant flow of river waters to the sea. For all the action of the water--endless repetition and water constantly in motion--there is nothing new accomplished.
29tn (1:8) The word "these" is not in Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
30tn (1:8) The Hebrew term <yrbd (masculine plural noun from rbd) is often used to denote "words," but it can also refer to actions and events (HALOT 211 [3.a]; BDB 4). Here, it means "things," as is clear from the context: "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done" (1:9). Here <yrbd can be nuanced "occurrences" or even "[natural] phenomena."
31tn (1:8) Heb "is able."
32sn (1:8) The statement no one could bear to describe them all probably means that Qoheleth could have multiplied examples (beyond the sun, the wind, and the streams) of the endless cycle of futile events in nature. However, no tongue could ever tell, no eye could ever see, no ear could ever hear all the examples of this continual and futile activity.
33tn (1:8) The term alm ("to be filled; to be satisfied") is repeated in 1:7-8 to draw a comparison between the futility in the cycle of nature and human secular accomplishments: lots of action, but no lasting affects. In 1:7 alm Wnnya ("it is never filled") describes the futility of the water cycle: "All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never filled." In 1:8 almt-alw ("it is never satisfied") describes the futility of human labor: "the ear is never satisfied with hearing."
34tn (1:9) Heb "what is."
35tn (1:9) The word "now" is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
36tn (1:9) The phrase "in the future" is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
37tn (1:9) Heb "under the sun."
38tn (1:10) Alternately, "[Even when] there is something of which someone might claim..." The terms rmayv rbd vy may be an interrogative clause without an introductory interrogative particle (GKC §150.a). In questions, vy often implies doubt about the existence of something (BDB 441 [2.b]). The LXX rendered it as a question, as do most English versions: "Is there anything of which it can be said...?" (KJV, ASV, RSV, MLB, NEB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, AB). On the other hand, vy is used elsewhere in the Book of Ecclesiastes as a predication of existence ("There is...") to assert the existence of something (2:13, 21; 4:8, 9; 5:13[12]; 6:1, 11; 7:15; 8:6, 14; 9:4; 10:5). HALOT 443 (2) renders rbd vy as "There is something...." This view is taken by several translations: "Even the thing of which we say..." (NAB), "Men may say of something ..." (Moffatt), and "Sometimes there is a phenomena of which they say..." (NJPS).
39tn (1:10) The perfect tense verb hyh refers to a past perfect situation: it describes an action that is viewed as a remote past event from the perspective of the past. This past perfect situation is brought out by the temporal adverb rbK "already" (HALOT 459; BDB 460; cf. 1:10; 2:12, 16; 3:15; 4:2; 6:10; 9:6-7). The expression rbK + hyh connotes a past perfect nuance: "it has already been" (Eccl 1:10; see BDB 460).
40sn (1:10) This does not deny man's creativity or inventiveness, only the ultimate newness of his accomplishments. For example, there is no essential difference between the first voyage to the moon and the discovery of America (different point of arrival, different vehicles of travel, but the same essential action and results).
41tn (1:10) Heb "in the ages long ago before us."
42tn (1:11) Heb "There is no remembrance of former things." The term <ynvar ("former things") is the masculine plural form of the adjective /wvar ("former, first, chief"; BDB 911). When used in a temporal sense, the singular denotes "former" in time (BDB 911 [1.a]) or "first" in time (BDB 911 [2.a]). The plural <ynvar is only used to denote "former" in time: "former persons," i.e., ancestors, men of old (e.g., Lev 26:45; Deut 19:14; Job 18:20; Isa 61:4; Ps 79:8; Sirach 4:16) or "former things," i.e., past events (e.g., Isa 41:22; 42:9; 43:9, 18; 46:9; 48:3). See BDB 911 (1.a), which suggests that this usage refers to "former persons." This approach is adopted by several translations: "men of old" (NEB, NAB, NIV, Moffatt), "people of long ago" (NRSV), "earlier ones" (NJPS), "earlier people" (AB), and "former generations" (ASV, YLT). On the other hand, this Hebrew phrase may be nuanced "former things" (KBL3 866). This is adopted by some translations: "former things" (KJV, RSV), "former times" (MLB), and "earlier things" (NASB). Although future generations are mentioned in 1:11, what they will not remember is the past events. The context of 1:3-11 focuses on human achievement, that is, former things.
43tn (1:11) The term "remember" is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
44tn (1:11) Heb "and also of the last things which will be." The term <ynrja ("the future things") is the masculine plural form of the adjective /wrja "coming after" (BDB 30) or "at the back" (HALOT 36). When used in a temporal sense, it may mean (1) "later one; (2) "in the future"; (3) "last"; or (4) "at the last" or "in the end" (HALOT 36 [2]). The term <ynrja may be used in reference to (1) future generations, e.g., Deut 29:21; Pss 48:14; 78:4, 6; 102:19; Job 18:20; Eccl 4:16, or (2) future events, e.g., Neh 8:18 (BDB 30). BDB 30 (b) suggests that this usage refers to "future generations," while HALOT 36 (c) suggests future events. As mentioned in the previous note, it probably refers to future events rather than future generations.
sn (1:11) The Hebrew terms translated former events and future events create a merism (two polar extremes encompass everything in between). This encompasses all secular achievements in human history past to future things yet to be done.
45tn (1:11) Heb "There will not be any remembrance of them among those who come after."
sn (1:11) According to Qoheleth, nothing new really happens under the sun (1:9). Apparent observations of what appears to be revolutionary are due to a lack of remembrance by subsequent generations of what happened long before their time in past generations (1:10-11a). And what will happen in future generations will not be remembered by the subsequent generations to arise after them (1:11b).
46tn (1:13) Heb "I gave my heart" or "I set my mind." The term ybl ("my heart") is an example of synecdoche of part (heart) for the whole (myself). Qoheleth uses this figurative expression frequently in the book. On the other hand, in Hebrew mentality, the term "heart" is frequently associated with one's thoughts and reasoning; thus, this might be a metonymy of association (heart = thoughts). The equivalent English idiom would be "I applied my mind."
47tn (1:13) Heb "to seek and to search out" (rwtlw vwrdl). This is an example of a verbal hendiadys (the use of two synonymous verbs to state a common idea in an emphatic manner). The terms are used because they are closely related synonyms; therefore, the similarities in meaning should be emphasized rather than the distinctions in meaning. The verb vrd means "to inquire about; to investigate; to search out; to study" (HALOT 233; BDB 205). This verb is used literally of the physical activity of investigating a matter by examining the physical evidence and interviewing eye-witnesses (e.g., Judg 6:29; Deut 13:15; 17:4, 9; 19:18), and figuratively (hypocatasasis) of mentally investigating abstract concepts (e.g., Eccl 1:13; Isa 1:17; 16:5; Pss 111:2; 119:45). Similarly, the verb rWT means "to explore; to seek out" (KBL3 1023 [2]; BDB 1064 [2]). The verb rWt is used literally of the physical action of exploring physical territory (Num 13:16-17; 14:6, 34-36; Job 39:8), and figuratively (hypocatastasis) of mentally exploring things (Eccl 1:13; 7:25; 9:1).
48tn (1:13) Heb "under heaven."
sn (1:13) Qoheleth states that he made a thorough investigation of everything that had been accomplished on earth. His position as king gave him access to records and contacts with people that would have been unavailable to others.
49tn (1:13) This phrase does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is added in the translation for clarity.
50tn (1:13) Heb "has given."
51tn (1:13) Heb "the sons of men."
52tn (1:13) The phrase ur /ynu ("rotten business; grievous task") is used only in Ecclesiastes (1:13; 2:23, 26; 3:10; 4:8; 5:2, 13; 8:16). It is parallel with lbh "futile" in 4:8, and describes a "grave misfortune" in 5:13. The noun /ynu ("business") refers to something that keeps a person occupied or busy: "business; affair; task; occupation" (HALOT 857; BDB 775). The related verb hnu II means "to be occupied, to be busy with" (with the preposition B=), e.g., Eccl 1:13; 3:10; 5:19 (HALOT 854; BDB 775). The noun is from the Aramaic loanword anynu ("concern, care"). The verb is related to the Aramaic verb "to try hard," the Arabic verb "to be busily occupied; to worry to be a matter of concern," and the Old South Arabic root "to be troubled; to strive with" (HALOT 854). The phrase ur /ynu is treated creatively by English translations: "sore travail" (KJV, ASV), "sad travail" (YLT), "painful occupation" (Douay), "sorry business" (NEB), "sorry task" (Moffatt), "evil task" (AB), "thankless task" (NAB), "grievous task" (NASB), "trying task" (MLB), "unhappy business" (RSV, NRSV, NJPS), and "heavy burden" (NIV).
53tn (1:13) The syntax of this line in Hebrew is intentionally redundant, e.g. (literally), "It is a grievous task [or, "unpleasant business"] that God has given to the sons of men to be occupied with it." The referent of the third masculine singular suffix on oB tonu&l^ ("to be occupied with it") is ur /ynu ("a grievous task"; "a rotten business").
54tn (1:13) Or "that keeps them occupied" or "that busies them." The verb hnu II ("to be occupied with") is related to the noun /ynu ("business; task; occupation") which also occurs in this verse. The verb hnu II means "to be occupied; to be busy with" (with the preposition B=), e.g., Eccl 1:13; 3:10; 5:19 (HALOT 854; BDB 775). The Hebrew verb is related to the Aramaic verb "to try hard," the Arabic verb "to be busily occupied; to worry; to be a matter of concern," and the Old South Arabic root "to be troubled; to strive with" (HALOT 854).
55tn (1:14) The phrase "by man" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
56tn (1:14) Heb "under the sun."
57tn (1:14) As mentioned in the note on "everything" in 1:2, the term lK)h^ ("everything") is often limited in reference to the specific topic at hand in the context (e.g., BDB 482 [2]). The argument of 1:12-15, like 1:3-11, focuses on secular human achievement. This is clear from the repetition of the root hcu ("do, work, accomplish, achieve") in 1:12-13.
58tn (1:14) The phrase "that is accomplished by man" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in translation for clarity.
59tn (1:14) This usage of lbh denotes "futile; profitless; fruitless" (e.g., 2 Kgs 17:15; Ps 78:33; Prov 13:11; 21:6; Eccl 1:2, 14; 2:1, 14-15; 4:8; Jer 2:5; 10:3; Lam 4:17; see HALOT 236-37; BDB 210-11; TWAT 2.334-43; TDOT 3.313-20; THAT 1.467-69; TWOT 1.204-05). The term is used with the simile "like striving after the wind" (j^Wr tWur+)--a graphic picture of an expenditure of effort in vain because no one can catch the wind by chasing it (e.g., 1:14, 17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 6:9; 7:14). When used in this sense, the term is often used with the following synonyms: Wht)l= ("for nothing, in vain; for no reason"; Isa 49:4), qyr! ("profitless; useless"; Isa 30:7; Eccl 6:11), and lyu!oh al) ("worthless; profitless"; Is 30:6; 57:12; Jer 16:19); "what profit?" (/wrty-hm); and/or "no profit" (/wrty /ya; e.g., 2:11; 3:19; 6:9, 19). It is also used in antithesis to terms connoting value: bof ("good; benefit; advantage") and /ort=y{ ("profit; advantage; gain"). Despite everything that man has accomplished in history, it is ultimately futile because nothing on earth really changes.
60tn (1:14) Heb "striving of wind."
61tn (1:15) The term twum (Pual participle masculine singular from twu ["to bend"]) is used substantively ("what is bent; what is crooked") in reference to irregularities in life and obstacles to human secular achievement accomplishing anything of ultimate value.
62tn (1:15) A parallel statement occurs in 7:13 which employs the active form of twu ("to bend") with God as the subject: "Who is able to strengthen what God bends?" The passive form occurs here: "No one is able to straighten what is bent" (/qtl lkwy-al twum). In the light of 7:13, the personal agent of the passive form is God.
63tn (1:15) The Hebrew noun /wrsj is used in the OT only here, and means "what is lacking" (as an antonym to /wrty ["what is profitable"]; HALOT 339; BDB 341). It is an Aramaic loanword meaning "deficit." The related verb rsj* means "to lack; to be in need of; to decrease; to lessen [in number]"; the related noun rs#j) refers to "one in want of"; and the noun rs#j# means "poverty; want" (HALOT 338; BDB 341). It refers to what is absent (zero in terms of quantity) rather than what is deficient (poor in terms of quality). The LXX misunderstood the term and rendered it as uJsterhma ("deficiency"): "deficiency cannot be numbered." It is also misunderstood by a few English versions: "nor can you count up the defects in life" (Moffatt); "the number of fools is infinite" (Douay). However, most English versions correctly understand it as referring to what is lacking in terms of quantity: "what is lacking" (RSV, MLB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, AB), "a lack" (NJPS), "that which is wanting" (KJV, ASV), "what is not there" (NEB), and "what is missing" (NAB).
64tn (1:15) Heb "cannot be counted" or "cannot be numbered." The term twnmh (Niphal infinitive construct from hnm ["to count"]) is rendered literally by most translations: "[cannot] be counted" or "[cannot] be numbered" (KJV, ASV, RSV, MLB, NEB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, JPS, NJPS). However, the nuance "count" might function as a metonymy of effect for cause, that is, "to supply." What is absent cannot be supplied (cause) therefore, it cannot be counted as present (effect). NAB adopts this approach: "what is missing cannot be supplied."
65tn (1:16) Heb "I said to my heart."
66tn (1:16) Heb "I have become great and increased in wisdom." The expression ytpsohw ytldgh is a verbal hendiadys; it means that Qoheleth had become the wisest man in the history of Jerusalem.
67tn (1:16) The phrase "who ruled" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
68tn (1:16) Heb "my heart" (ybl). The term "heart" is a metonymy of part for the whole ("my heart" = myself).
69tn (1:16) Heb "My heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge."
70tn (1:17) Heb "my heart."
71tn (1:17) The phrase "the benefit of" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
72tn (1:17) The word "over" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
73tn (1:17) The terms twlk? ("folly") and twllwh ("foolishness") are synonyms. The term twlk? (alternate spelling of twlks) refers to foolish behavior (HALOT 754-55), while twllwh refers to foolish ideas and mental blindness (HALOT 242). Qoheleth uses these terms to refer to foolish ideas and self-indulgent pleasures (e.g., Eccl 2:2-3, 12-14; 7:25; 9:3; 10:1, 6, 13).
74tn (1:17) The term <G ("even") is a particle of association and emphasis (HALOT 195).
75tn (1:17) This term does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
76tn (1:17) This term does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
77tn (1:17) Heb "striving of wind."
78tn (1:18) This term does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
79tn (1:18) This term does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
80tn (1:18) This term does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
81tn (1:18) This term does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
82sn (1:18) D. R. Glenn writes, "The greater the awareness that human efforts cannot alleviate inequities, irregularities, deficiencies of life the more the frustration, mental anguish and sorrow a wise man has" ("Exegesis of Ecclesiastes," unpublished class notes, Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall 1984, p. 5).
1tn (2:1) Heb "I myself spoke in my heart" (yblb yna ytrma). The term "heart" (bl) is a synecdoche of part ("heart") for the whole (the whole person), and thus means "I said to myself" (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 648).
2tn (2:1) The Hebrew verb hkl ("Come!") is a weakened imperative, used merely as an introductory word, e.g., Gen 19:32; 31:44; Judg 19:11; 1 Sam 9:9-10; 11:14; 2 Kgs 3:7; Ps 66:5; Song 7:12; Isa 1:18; 2:3; Mic 4:2 (HALOT 246 [2]; BDB 234 [I.5.f.2]). Whenever hkl introduces an exhortation, it functions as an invitation to the audience to adopt a course of action that will be beneficial to the addressee or mutually beneficial to both the speaker and the addressee. Here, Qoheleth personifies his "heart" (ybl) and addresses himself. The examination of self-indulgent pleasure is designed to be beneficial to Qoheleth. The purpose clause of v. 1 is indicated by the volitive sequence: imperative (hk*l=) followed by a cohortative (hk*S=n~a&) followed by vav + imperative (ha@r+W).
3tn (2:1) The cohortative hk*S=n~a& emphasizes the resolve of the speaker. The term hsn ("to test") means "to conduct a test," that is, to conduct an experiment (Judg 6:39; Eccl 2:1; 7:23; Dan 1:12, 14; see HALOT 702 [3]; BDB 650 [1]). The verb hsn ("to test") is often used as a synonym with /jB ("to examine"; BDB 103 and 650 [1]), and tudl ("to ascertain"; Deut 8:2).
4tn (2:1) Heb "I will test you with pleasure." The term hjmv ("pleasure") has a two-fold range of meanings: (1) it can refer to the legitimate enjoyment of life that Qoheleth affirms is good (5:17; 8:15; 9:7; 11:8, 9) and that God gives to those who please him (2:26; 5:19); or (2) it can refer to foolish pleasure, self-indulgent, frivolous merrymaking (2:1, 2; 7:4). The parallelism in 2:2 between hjmv ("pleasure") and qwjc ("laughter; frivolous merrymaking"), which always appears in the context of banqueting, drinking, and merrymaking, suggests that the pejorative sense is in view in this context.
sn (2:1) The statement I will examine self-indulgent pleasure is a figurative expression known as metonymy of association. As 2:1-3 makes clear, it is not so much Qoheleth who is put to the test with pleasure, but rather that pleasure is put to the test by Qoheleth.
5tn (2:1) Heb "See what is good!" The volitive sequence of the cohortative (hk*S=n~a& "I will test you") followed by vav + imperative (ha@r+W "and see!") denotes purpose/result: "I will test you...in order to see..." (see IBHS, 577). The verb ha*r* ("to see") has a broad range of meanings (e.g., 16 categories listed in KBL3). In this context it means "to discover; to perceive; to discern; to understand" (KBL3 1159 [13]; BDB 907 [5]).
6sn (2:1) The phrase "to see what is good" (har "to see" + bof "good") is repeated twice in 2:1-3. This is the key phrase in this section of Ecclesiastes. Qoheleth sought to discover (har) whether merry-making offered any value (bof) to mankind.
7tn (2:1) The particle hnhw (literally, "Behold!") occurs after verbs of perception to introduce what was seen, understood or discovered (HALOT 252 [8]). It is used to make the narrative graphic and vivid, enabling the reader to enter into the surprise of the speaker (BDB 244 [c]). This is an example of the heterosis of the deictic particle ("Behold!") for a verb of perception ("I found"). See Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 510-34.
8tn (2:1) This use of lb#h# (h#b#l) denotes "futile; worthless; fruitless; pointless" (HALOT 237 [2]; BDB 210 [2]). It is a synonym to ll*ohm= ("folly") in 2:2a and an antonym to bof ("worthwhile, beneficial") in 2:1b and 2:3c.
9tn (2:2) Heb "laughter." The term qwjc ("laughter") has a fourfold range of meanings: (1) "joyful laughter" (Ps 126:2; Prov 14:13; Job 8:21); (2) "frivolous laughter; merrymaking" (Eccl 2:2; 7:3, 6); (3) "pleasure; sport" (Prov 10:23; Eccl 10:19); and (4) "derision; mockery; laughingstock" (Jer 20:7; 48:26, 27, 39; Job 12:4; Lam 3:14). See HALOT 1315; BDB 966. In Ecclesiastes, qwjc ("laughter") is always used in contexts of self-indulgent banqueting, drinking, frivolous partying and merrymaking (Eccl 2:2; 7:3, 6; 10:19). It is distinct from "healthy" joy and laughter (Ps 126:2; Job 8:21). The connotation of "frivolous merrymaking" fits this context best.
10tn (2:2) The term hjmv ("pleasure") has a two-fold range of meanings in Ecclesiastes: (1) it can refer to the enjoyment of life that Qoheleth affirms is good (5:17; 8:15; 9:7; 11:8, 9) and that God gives to those who are pleasing to him (2:26; 5:19); and (2) it can refer to foolish pleasure, that is, frivolous merrymaking (2:1, 2; 7:4). The parallelism between hjmv ("pleasure") and qojc ("laughter, frivolous merrymaking") in 2:2 suggests that the pejorative sense is in view here.
11tn (2:2) The phrase "I said" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
12tn (2:2) Heb "What does it accomplish?" The rhetorical question "What does it accomplish?" is an example of erotesis of an expected negative answer: "It accomplishes nothing!" (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949-51). See, e.g., Gen 1:19; 18:14, 17; Deut 7:17; 1 Sam 2:25; Job 40:2; Pss 56:7[8]; 90:11; 94:16; 106:2; Eccl 3:21.
13sn (2:3) Heb "In my heart I explored." As the repetition of the term bl ("heart" or "mind") indicates (2:1, 3), this experiment appears to have been only an intellectual exercise or a cognitive reflection: "I said to myself (Heb "in my heart [or, "mind"]," 2:1); "I explored with my mind (Heb "heart," 2:3a); and "my mind (Heb "heart") guiding me with wisdom" (2:3b). Qoheleth himself did not indulge in drunkenness; but he contemplated the value of self-indulgence in his mind.
14tn (2:3) The verb rWT ("to seek out; to spy out; to explore") is used in the OT to describe: (1) the physical activity of "spying out" or "exploring" geographical locations (Num 13:2, 16, 17, 21, 25, 32; 14:6, 7, 34, 36, 38; Job 39:8) and (2) the mental activity of "exploring" or "examining" a course of action or the effects of an action (Eccl 1:13; 2:3; 7:25; 9:1). See BDB 1064 (2); KBL3 1023. It was used as a synonym with vrd ("to study") in 1:13: "I devoted myself to study (vord+l!) and to explore (rWtl*=)."
15tn (2:3) The phrase "the effects of" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
16tn (2:3) Or "I sought to cheer my flesh with wine." The term Eovm=!!l! (Qal infinitive construct from Ev^m* "to draw, pull") functions in a complementary sense with the preceding verb rWT ("to examine"): Heb "I sought to draw out my flesh with wine" or "I [mentally] explored [the effects] of drawing out my flesh with wine." The verb Ev^m* means "to draw; to drag along; to lead" (BDB 604) or "to draw out; to stretch out [to full length]; to drag; to pull; to seize; to carry off; to pull; to go" (HALOT 645-46). BDB 604 (7) suggests that this use be nuanced "to draw; to attract; to gratify" the flesh, that is, "to cheer." While this meaning is not attested elsewhere in the OT, it is found in Mishnaic Hebrew: "to attract" (Qal), e.g., "it is different with heresy, because it attracts [i.e., persuades, offers inducements]" (b. Avodah Zarah 27b) and "to be attracted, carried away, seduced" (Ithpeel), e.g., "he was drawn after them, he indulged in the luxuries of the palace" (b. Shabbat 147b). See M. Jastrow, Dictionary, 108-109. Here it denotes "to stretch; to draw out [to full length]," that is, "to revive; to restore" the body (HALOT 646 [3]). The LXX rendered Eovm=!!l! with ejklusai from ejkluw ("to relax"): "how to relax my body with wine." The context suggests that Qoheleth's experiment in 2:1-3 was not how to relax his body with wine, but whether self-indulgence with wine had any real value or profit. The statement is a metonymy of cause (i.e., indulging the flesh with wine) for effect (i.e., the effects of self-indulgence).
17tn (2:3) Or "I sought to cheer myself." The term yrcb ("my flesh") may function as a synecdoche of part (i.e., flesh) for the whole (i.e., whole person). See Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 642.
18tn (2:3) The phrase "the effects of" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
19tn (2:3) Heb "embracing." The verb zja ("to embrace") is used normally used to describe the physical action of taking hold of an object. Here is it is used metaphorically to describe a person's choice of lifestyle, that is, adopting a particular course of moral conduct (e.g., Job 17:9); see HALOT 31-32; BDB 28.
20tn (2:3) The phrase "the whole time" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
21tn (2:3) The word "me" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
22tn (2:3) The vav + noun yB!l!w+ introduces a disjunctive, parenthetical clause designed to qualify the speaker's remarks lest he be misunderstood: "Now my mind...." He emphasizes that he never lost control of his senses in this process. It was a purely mental, cognitive endeavor; he never actually gave himself over to wanton self-indulgence in wine or folly.
23tn (2:3) Or "until." The construction rv#a& du^ ("until") introduces a temporal result clause (e.g., Gen 27:44; 28:15; Num 21:35; Isa 6:11); see HALOT 787 (2.b). With an imperfect verb (such as ha#r+a# Qal imperfect first common singular from har "to see"), the compound construction rv#a& du^ ("until") usually refers to future time (Gen 27:44; 29:8; Exod 23:30; 24:14; Lev 22:4; Num 11:20; 20:17; 1 Sam 22:3; Hos 5:15), but it also rarely refers to past time (Jonah 4:5; Eccl 2:3); see BDB 725 (2.1.a.b). Joüon notes that when the compound construction rv#a& du^ ("until") is occasionally used with an imperfect depicting past action to denote a virtual nuance of purpose: "until" = "so that," e.g., Jon. 4:5; Eccl 2:3 (Joüon-Muraoka, Grammar, §113.k).
24tn (2:3) Heb "where is the good?" The interrogative particle ya ("where?") used with the demonstrative pronoun hz\ ("this") forms an idiom: "where [then]?" (HALOT 38 [2.a]; see, e.g., 1 Sam 9:18; 1 Kgs 13:12; 2 Kgs 3:8; Isa 50:1; 66:1; Jer 6:16; Job 28:12, 20; 38:19, 24; Esth 7:5). The phrase bof hz#-ya@ is an indirect question that literally means, "Where is the good?" that is, "what good?" (HALOT 38 [2.d]).
25tn (2:3) Heb "the sons of men."
26tn (2:3) Heb "under the heavens."
27tn (2:3) Heb "number of the days." The Hebrew noun rP^s=m! ("number"; "quantity") sometimes means "few" (e.g., Gen 34:30; Num 9:20; Deut 4:27; 33:6; Isa 10:19; Jer 44:28; Ezek 12:16; Ps 105:12; Job 16:22; 1 Chr 16:19); see HALOT 607 (2.b); BDB 709 (1.a). This phrase is an idiom that means, "during all their lives" (BDB 709 [1.a]), "during their total [short] time of life," that is, "as long as they live" (HALOT 608 [3.d]). Ecclesiastes often emphasizes the brevity of life (e.g., 5:17; 6:12; 9:9). The LXX rendered rP^s=m! ("number") in a woodenly literal sense: ajriqmon ("the number [of days of their lives]"). Several English translations adopt a similar approach: "all the days of their life" (ASV, Douay, AB) and "the number of days of their lives" (YLT). However, this idiom is handled well by a number of English translations: "during the few days of their lives" (RSV, NRSV, NASB, NIV, Moffatt, NJPS), "during the limited days of their life" (NAB), and "throughout the brief span of their lives" (NEB).
28tn (2:4) Or "my works"; or "my accomplishments." The term ycum ("my works") has been handled in two basic ways: (1) great works or projects, and (2) possessions. Both approaches are reflected in the major English translations: "works" (KJV, NEB, NAB, ASV, NASB, MLB, RSV, Douay, Moffatt, AB), "projects" (NIV), and "possessions" (NJPS).
sn (2:4) This section (2:4-11) is unified and bracketed by the repetition of the verb ldG ("to increase") which occurs at the beginning (2:4) and end (2:9), and by the repetition of the root h?u (noun: "works" and verb: "to do, make, acquire") which occurs throughout the section (2:4, 5, 6, 8, 11).
29sn (2:4) The expression for myself is repeated eight times in 2:4-8 to emphasize that Qoheleth did not deny himself any acquisition. He indulged himself in acquiring everything he desired. His vast resources as king allowed him the unlimited opportunity to indulge himself. He could have anything his heart desired, and he did.
30tn (2:5) The noun sdrp ("garden; parkland; forest") is a foreign loanword that occurs only 3 times in biblical Hebrew (Song 4:13; Eccl 2:5; Neh 2:8). The original Old Persian term pairidaeza designated the enclosed parks and pleasure-grounds that were the exclusive domain of the Persian kings and nobility (HALOT 963; LSJ 1308). The related Babylonian term pardesu "marvelous garden" referred to the enclosed parks of the kings (AHw 833a and 1582a). The term passed into Greek as paradeiso" ("enclosed park; pleasure-ground"), referring to the enclosed parks and gardens of the Persian kings (LSJ 1308). The Greek term has been transliterated into English as "paradise."
31tn (2:6) Or "forest."
32tn (2:7) The phrase "sons of the house" (tyb ynB) appears to be parallel to "a son of my house" (yt!yB-/B#) which refers to a person born into slavery from male and female servants in the master's possession, e.g., Eleazar of Damascus (Gen 15:3). The phrase appears to denote children born from male and female slaves already in his possession, that is, "homeborn slaves" (NASB) or "other slaves who were born in my house" (NIV). Apparently confusing the sense of the phrase with the referent of the phrase in Gen 15:3, NJPS erroneously suggests "stewards" in Eccl 2:7.
33tn (2:8) The term hL*g%s= denotes "personal property" (HALOT 742 [1]; TWOT 2.617) or "valued property; personal treasure" (BDB 688 [2]). Elsewhere, it refers to a king's silver and gold (1 Chr 27:3). It is related to Akkadian sug/kullu "flock" (AHw 1053-54) and sikiltu "private property [belonging to the king]" (AHw 1041a). The term refers to the personal, private and valued possessions of kings, which do not pass into the hands of the state.
34tn (2:8) The noun gwnut has a three-fold range of meanings: (1) "luxury; comfort" (Mic 2:9; Prov 19:10; Sir 6:28; 11:27; 14:16; 37:29; 41:1); (2) "pleasure; delight" of sexual love (Song 7:7); and (3) "daintiness; feminine" (Mic 1:16); see KBL3 1036; BDB 772. The related adjective gn{u* ("pampered; dainty") is used to describe a pampered woman (Deut 28:56), to personify Babylon as a delicate woman (Isa 47:1), and to ridicule delicate men (Deut 28:54); see HALOT 851; BDB 772. It is related to the noun gn\u) ("pleasure; exquisite delight; daintiness"; see HALOT 851; BDB 772) and the verb gn{u* which means "to be soft; to be delicate" and "pleasurable" (Pual) and "to pamper oneself" and "to take delight or pleasure in" (HALOT 851; BDB 772). The root gnu is paralleled with Er) (Deut 28:56), Er~ (Deut 28:54), and hK*r~ (Deut 28:56) with the meanings "delicate; soft; tender; weak; coddled; pampered." The context of Eccl 2:4-11 suggests that it denotes either "luxury" as in "the luxuries of commoners" (NJPS) or "pleasure; delight" as in "the delights of men" (KJV, NASB, NIV). Part of the difficulty in determining the meaning of this term is caused by the ambiguity in meaning of its referent, namely, the appositional phrase toDv!w+ hD´v! (v!DD*h w+v!DDot), the meaning of which is uncertain (see the note on the phrase "a harem of beautiful concubines" at the end of this verse).
35tn (2:8) The meaning of the superlative genitive construction toDv!w+ hD´v! is uncertain because the term hD´v! occurs only here in the OT. There are four basic approaches to the phrase: (1) Most scholars suggest that it refers to a royal harem, and that it is in apposition to "the sensual delights of men" (<dah ynb tgwnutw). There are four variations of this approach: (a) KBL3 (950) relates hD´v! to Ugaritic sd "Dame; lady" and Arabic sat "Dame; lady." (b) German scholars relate it to Assyrian sadadu "love" (Delitzsch, Konig, Wildeboer, Siegfried); however, BDB questions this connection (BDB 994). (c) Ibn Ezra relates it to dv^ II "plunder; spoil" or hdv "[women] taken by violence," and suggests that it refers to the occupants of the royal harem. (d) BDB connect it to the Hebrew noun dv^ I "breast" (e.g., Isa 28:9; Ezek 16:7; 23:3, 21, 34; Hos 2:4; 9:14; Song 1:13; 4:5; 7:4, 8, 9; 8:1, 8, 10; Job 3:12). ). BDB 994 suggests that hdv "breast" is related to the cognate Arabic and Aramaic roots meaning "breast." This would be a synecdoche of part (i.e., breast) for the whole (i.e., woman), similar to the idiom "one womb, two wombs" (<ytmjr <jr) where "womb" = woman (Judg 5:30). This is the approach taken by most English versions: "many concubines" (NASB, RSV, NRSV), "a wife and wives" (YLT), "women of all sorts" (AB), "mistresses galore" (MLB), "many a mistress" (Moffatt) and "a harem" (NIV). This is the approach suggested by the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project: "une femme et des femmes" = one or two women (e.g., Judg 5:30); see Dominque Barthelemy, ed. et al., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (New York: United Bible Society, 1979), 3.566. (2) Two translations (NJPS and La sainte Bible) connect it to the Mishnaic Hebrew noun hD´v! > hD´yv! "a strong box; chest" (M. Jastrow, Dictionary, 1558), and render the phrase "coffers and coffers of them" in apposition to the phrase "the luxuries of commoners" (<dah ynb tgwnutw). (3) KJV and ASV take the phrase in apposition to "male and female singers" and translate it as "musical instruments." However, there is no known Hebrew term that would justify this approach. (4) The LXX related the term to the Aramaic root adv "to pour out [wine]," and rendered the phrase as oijnocoon kai oijnocoa" "a male-butler and female cupbearers." Aquilla took a similar approach: kulikion kai kulikia "wine cups and wine vessels." This is reflected in the Vulgate and the Douay version: "cups and vessels to serve to pour out wine." Although the semantic meaning of the terms toDv!w+ hD´v! (Heb "a breast of breasts"?) is uncertain, the grammatical/syntactical form of the phrase is straightforward: (1) It is in apposition to the preceding line, "the delights of the son of men" (<dah ynb tgwnutw). (2) The phrase is a superlative genitive construction. When the genitive is plural and it follows a construct noun from the same root which is singular, it indicates the best or most outstanding example of the person or thing so described. Examples: <yvdqh vdq ("the holy of holies," i.e., the most holy place"; Exod 26:33), <yryvh ryv ("the song of songs," i.e., "the most excellent song"; Song 1:1), <yndah yndaw <yhlah yhla ("the God of gods and Lord of lords," i.e., "the Highest God and the Supreme Lord"; Deut 10:17); and <ydbu dbu ("a slave of slaves," i.e., "the most abject slave"; Gen 9:25). See GKC §133.i; Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §80; IBHS, 154. If the semantic meaning of the terms toDv!w+ hD´v! denotes "a breast of breasts" or "a lady of ladies" (Eccl 2:8, but see the previous note on the phrase "a man's sensual delights"), the superlative genitive construction may connote "the most beautiful breasts" (metonymy of part for the whole) or "the most beautiful woman." This might refer to a harem of concubines or to one woman (the wife of the king?) who was the most beautiful woman in the land.
sn (2:8) Concubines were slave women in ancient Near Eastern societies who were the legal property of their master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with their master. A concubine's status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. After the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (2 Sam 21:10-14; 1 Kgs 11:3).
36tn (2:9) The vav prefixed to ytldgw (vav + Qal perfect 1common singular from ldg "to be great; to increase") functions in a final summarizing sense, that is, it introduces the concluding summary of 2:4-9.
37tn (2:9) Heb "I became great and I surpassed" (ytpswhw ytldgw). This is a verbal hendiadys: the second verb functions adverbially, modifying the first: "I became far greater." Most translations miss the hendiadys and render the line in a woodenly literal sense (KJV, ASV, RSV, NEB, NRSV, NAB, NASB, MLB, Moffatt, AB), while only a few recognize the presence of hendiadys here: "I became greater by far" (NIV) and "I gained more" (NJPS).
38tn (2:10) Heb "I did not withhold my eyes from anything they asked for."
39tn (2:10) Heb "my heart." The term ybl ("my heart") is a synecdoche of part (i.e., heart) for the whole (i.e., whole person); see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 648. The term is repeated twice in 2:10 for emphasis.
40tn (2:10) Heb "I did not refuse my heart any pleasure."
41tn (2:10) Heb "my heart." See the note on "myself" earlier in this verse.
42tn (2:11) Heb "all my work that my hands had done."
43tn (2:11) Heb "and all the toil with which I had toiled in doing it." The term lmu ("toil") is repeated to emphasize the burden and weariness of the labor which Qoheleth exerted in his accomplishments.
44tn (2:11) Heb "Behold!"
45tn (2:11) The term lK)h^ ("everything" or "all") must be qualified and limited in reference to the topic that is dealt with in 2:4-11. This is an example of synecdoche of general for the specific; the general term "all" is used only in reference to the topic at hand. This is clear from the repetition of lK) ("everything") and ("all these things") in 2:11.
46tn (2:11) The phrase "secular achievements and acquisitions" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in translation for clarity.
47tn (2:11) The term "ultimately" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
48tn (2:11) The parallelism with /ort=y] ("profit; advantage; gain") indicates that lb#h# be nuanced "profitless; fruitless; futile" in this context. While labor offers some relative and temporal benefits, such as material acquisitions and the enjoyment of the work of one's hands, there is no ultimate benefit to be gained from secular human achievement.
49tn (2:11) The term "ultimately" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
50tn (2:11) The noun /ort=y] ("profit") has a two-fold range of meanings: (1) "what comes of [something]; result" (Eccl 1:3; 2:11; 3:9; 5:8, 15; 7:12; 10:10) and (2) "profit; advantage" (Eccl 2:13; 10:11); see HALOT 452-53. It is derived from the noun rt#y\ ("what is left behind; remainder"; HALOT 452). The related verb rty denotes "to be left over; to survive" (Niphal) and "to have left over" (Hiphil); see HALOT 451-52. When used literally, /ort=y] refers to what is left over after expenses (gain or profit); when used figuratively, it refers to what is advantageous or of benefit. Though some things have relative advantage over others (e.g., light over darkness, and wisdom over folly in 2:13), there is no ultimate profit in man's labor due to death.
51tn (2:11) The phrase "from them" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
52tn (2:11) Heb "under the sun."
53sn (2:12) Throughout 2:1-11, Qoheleth evaluated the merits of merrymaking (2:1-3), accomplishing grand things (2:4-6), amassing great wealth (2:7-8), and secular acquisitions and accomplishments (2:9-10). Now, he reflects on the benefit in life in living wisely and not giving oneself over to frivolous self-indulgence.
54tc (2:12) The MT reads WhWcu* "they have done it" (Qal perfect 3mpl from hcu + 3ms suffix). However, many medieval Hebrew MSS read Whc*u* ("he has done," Qal perfect 3ms from hcu), reflected in the LXX and Syriac. The error was caused by dittography (w written twice) or by orthographic confusion between w and h in wwh (confused as wwhw) at the end of 2:12 and beginning of 2:13. The 3ms referent of WhWcu* "[what] he has done" is the king, that is, Qoheleth himself.
55tn (2:13) The word "relative" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
56tn (2:14) Heb "has his eyes in his head." The term /yu ("eye") is used figuratively in reference to mental and spiritual faculties (BDB 744 [3.a]). The term "eye" is a metonymy of cause (eye) for effect (sight and perception).
57sn (2:14) The common fate to which Qoheleth refers is death.
58tn (2:14) The term <L*K% (Heb "all of them") denotes "both of them." This is an example of synecdoche of general ("all of them") for the specific ("both of them," that is, both the wise man and the fool).
59tn (2:15) The emphatic use of the 1cs personal pronoun yn]a& ("me") with the emphatic particle of association <G^ ("even, as well as"; HALOT 195-96) appears to emphasize the 1cs suffix on yn]r}q=y] "it will befall [or, "happen to"] me" (Qal imperfect 3ms + 1cs suffix from /rq "to befall; to happen to"); see GKC §135.e. Qoheleth laments, not that the fate of the wise man is the same as that of the fool, but that even he himself--the wisest man of all--would far no better in the end than the most foolish!
60tn (2:15) The adjective rt@oy means "too much; excessive," e.g., 7:16 "excessively righteous" (HALOT 404 [2]; BDB 452). It is derived from the root rt#y\ ("what is left over"); see HALOT 452. It is related to the verb rty (Niphal "to be left over"; Hiphil "to have left over"); see HALOT 451-52. The adjective is related to /ort=y] ("advantage; profit") which is a key-term in this section, creating a word-play: The wise man has a relative "advantage" (/ort=y]) over the fool (2:13-14a); however, there is no ultimate advantage because both share the same fate, i.e., death (2:14b-15a). Thus, Qoheleth's acquisition of tremendous wisdom (1:16; 2:9) was "excessive" because it exceeded its relative advantage over folly: it could not deliver him from the same fate as the fool. He had striven to obtain wisdom, yet it held no ultimate advantage.
61sn (2:15) The rhetorical question is an example of erotesis of negative affirmation, expecting a negative answer: "I gained nothing!" (Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949).
62tn (2:15) Heb "So I said."
63tn (2:15) Heb "in my heart."
64tn (2:15) The phrase "relative advantage of wisdom over folly" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in translation for clarity.
65tn (2:15) The word "ultimately" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
66tn (2:16) The preposition <u! ("with") may occasionally function in a comparative sense, meaning "together with; even as; like" (e.g., Eccl 1:11; 2:16; 7:11; Job 9:26; 1 Chr 14:10: 20:6; 25:8; see HALOT 839 [2]). When used to describe a common lot, it connotes "together with" (Gen 18:23, 25; 1 Chr 24:5; Job 3:14, 15; 30:1; Ps 26:9; 28:3; 69:29; Isa 38:11), hence "like" (Pss 73:5; 106:6; Eccl 2:16; see BDB 767-68 [1.e]).
67tn (2:16) As HALOT 798-99 and BDB 762-64 note, <l*ou has a wide range of meanings: (1) indefinite time: "long time; duration," (2) unlimited time: "eternal; eternity," (3) future time: "things to come," and (4) past time: "a long time back," that is, the dark age of prehistory. The context here suggests the nuance "a long time."
68tn (2:16) The preposition B= on rb*K=v#B= (the adverb rb*K= "already" + relative pronoun v# + preposition B=) is probably best classified as causal: "Because...already."
69tn (2:16) The verb jK*v=n] is a future perfect--it describes an event that is portrayed as a past event from the perspective of the future: "they will have been forgotten." The emphasis of the past perfect is not simply that the future generations will begin to forget him, but that he will already have been forgotten long ago in the past by the time of those future generations. This past perfect situation is brought out by the emphatic use of the temporal adverb rb*K= "already" (HALOT 459; BDB 460); see, e.g., Eccl 1:10; 2:12, 16; 3:15; 4:2; 6:10; 9:6-7.
70tn (2:16) The particle Eya ("Alas!") is an exclamation of lamentation and mourning (e.g., 2 Sam 1:19; Isa 14:4, 12; Jer 2:21; 9:18; Ezek 26:17; Mic 2:4); see HALOT 39 (5); BDB 32 (2); also Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 955.
71tn (2:16) The preposition <u! ("with") may occasionally function in a comparative sense, meaning "together with; even as; like" (e.g., Eccl 1:11; 2:16; 7:11; Job 9:26; 1 Chr 14:10: 20:6; 25:8); see HALOT 839 (2). When used to describe a common lot, it connotes "together with" (Gen 18:23, 25; 1 Chr 24:5; Job 3:14, 15; 30:1; Ps 26:9; 28:3; 69:29; Isa 38:11), hence "like" (Pss 73:5; 106:6; Eccl 2:16); see BDB 767-68 (1.e).
72tn (2:17) The term <yyjh ("life") functions as a metonymy of association, that is, that which is associated with life, that is, the profitlessness and futility of human secular achievement.
73tn (2:17) Heb "the deed that is done." The root hcu ("to do") is repeated in hc*u&N~v# hc#u&M^h^ (h^M^u&c#h c#N~u&c#h, "the deed that is done") for emphasis. Here, the term "deed" does not refer to human accomplishment, as in 2:1-11, but to the fact of death that destroys any relative advantage of wisdom over folly (2:14a-16). Qoheleth metaphorically describes death as a "deed" that is "done" to man.
74tn (2:17) Heb "under the sun."
75tn (2:17) The phrase "of the relative advantage of wisdom" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
76tn (2:18) The phrase "the fruit of" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity (see the following note on the phrase "hard labor").
77tn (2:18) Heb "I hated all my toil for which I had labored." The term ylmu ("my toil") is repeated throughout 2:18-21. In each case, it functions as a metonymy of cause (i.e., toil) for effect (i.e., fruit of labor). See, e.g., Ps 105:44; BDB 765 (3). The metonymy is indicated by several factors: (1) The 3ms suffix ("it") on wnjyna "I must leave it" in 2:18, and on wnnty "I must give it" in 2:21 refer to his wealth, that is, the fruit of his labor. (2) In 2:21 the 3ms suffix on wb-lmu alv ("who did not work for it") refers to the inheritance that Qoheleth must turn over to his successor, namely, the fruit of his labor. (3) While he himself enjoyed the fruit of his labor, he despaired that he had to turn the fruit of his labor over to his successor: "So I loathed all the [fruit of] my labor" (2:18a) and "I began to despair about the [fruit of] my labor" (2:20a). Although most translations render ylmu as "my toil" in 2:18, the metonymy is recognized by several English translations: "So I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored" (NASB); "So I detested all the fruits of my labor" (NAB); "I hated all the things I had toiled for" (NIV); and "So I loathed all the wealth that I was gaining" (NJPS).
78tn (2:18) Qoheleth uses an internal cognate accusative construction (accusative noun and verb from the same root) for emphasis: lmu ynav ylmu (Heb "my toil for which I had toiled"). See IBHS, 167.
79tn (2:18) Heb "under the sun."
80tn (2:18) The relative pronoun v# on WNj#yN]a^v# (relative pronoun v# + Hiphil imperfect 1cs from j^Wn "to leave" + 3ms suffix) is causal: "Because I must leave it behind."
81tn (2:18) The 3ms suffix on wnjyna ("I must leave it") refers to Qoheleth's wealth, that is, the fruit of his labor (see the note on the phrase "hard labor" in 2:18). The suffix is rendered literally by nearly all translations; however, a few make its referent explicit: "I have to leave its fruits" (NEB), "I must leave them [= all the fruits of my labor]" (NAB).
82tn (2:18) The verb j^Wn ("to rest") denotes "to leave [something] behind" in the hands of someone (e.g., Ps 119:121; Eccl 2:18); see HALOT 680 (B.2.c). The imperfect functions in a modal sense of obligation or necessity. At death, Qoheleth will be forced to pass on his entire estate and the fruit of his labors to his successor.
83tn (2:19) The vav on fl^v=y]w+ (conjunction + Qal imperfect 3ms from flv ["to be master"]) is adversative ("yet").
84tn (2:19) The phrase "the fruit of" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity (see the following note on the word "labor").
85tn (2:19) Heb "my labor." As in 2:18, the term ylmu ("my labor") is a metonymy of cause (i.e., my labor) for effect (i.e., fruit of my labor). The metonymy is recognized by several translations: "he will control all the wealth that I gained" (NJPS); "he will have control over all the fruits of my labor" (NAB); "he will have mastery over all the fruits of my labor" (NEB); "he will have control over all the fruit of my labor" (NASB); "he will have control of all the product of my toil" (AB); and "he will be master over all my possessions" (MLB).
86tn (2:19) An internal cognate accusative construction (accusative and verb from same root) is used for emphasis: ytlmuv ylmu ("my toil for which I had toiled"); see IBHS, 167. The two verbs ytmkjvw ytlmuv ("for which I had labored and for which I had acted wisely") form a verbal hendiadys (two separate verbs used in association to communicated one idea): "for I had labored so wisely." The second verb is used adverbially to modify the first verb, which functions in its full verbal sense.
87tn (2:19) Heb "under the sun."
88tn (2:20) Heb "I turned aside to allow my heart despair." The term ybl ("my heart") is a synecdoche of part (i.e., heart) for the whole (i.e., whole person); see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 648.
89tn (2:20) The phrase "the fruit of" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity (see the following note on the word "labor").
90tn (2:20) Heb "all my toil." As in 2:18-19, the term ylmu ("my labor") is a metonymy of cause (i.e., my labor) for effect (i.e., the fruit of my labor). The metonymy is recognized by several translations: "all the fruits of my labor" (NAB); "all the fruit of my labor" (NASB); "all the gains I had made" (NJPS).
91tn (2:20) Here the author uses an internal cognate accusative construction (accusative noun and verb from the same root) for emphasis: ytlmuv lmuh (Heb "the toil for which I had toiled"); see IBHS, 167.
92tn (2:21) Heb "he must give." The 3ms suffix on WNn\T=y] (Qal imperfect 3ms from /tn "to give" + 3ms suffix) refers back to wlmu ("his labor") which is treated in this line as a metonymy of cause for effect, that is, "he must give it" = "he must give his labor" = "he must give the fruit of his labor."
sn (2:21) As in 2:18-19, Qoheleth laments the injustice that a person who works diligently in wisdom must one day hand over the fruit of his labor (i.e., his fortune and the care of his achievements) to his successor. There is no guarantee that one's heir will be wise and be a good steward of this wealth, or be foolish and squander it--in which case, the former man's entire life's work would be in vain.
93tn (2:21) Heb "it"; the referent ("the fruit of his labor") has been specified in the translation for clarity.
94tn (2:21) Or "he must turn over an inheritance"; or "he must turn it over, namely, an inheritance." There are two approaches to the syntax of wqlj ("his inheritance"): (1) The 3ms suffix is a subjective genitive: "his inheritance" = the inheritance which he must give to his heir. The referent of the 3ms suffix is Qoheleth in 2:21a who worked hard to amass the fortune. The noun qlj ("inheritance") functions as an adverbial accusative of state (GKC §118.a) or a predicate accusative (Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §57): "He must give it [i.e., his fortune] as an inheritance." (2) The 3ms suffix is an objective genitive: "his inheritance" = the inheritance which the heir will receive from Qoheleth. The referent of the 3ms suffix is the heir in 2:21b. The noun qlj ("inheritance") functions as the accusative direct object in apposition (Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §71) to the 3ms suffix on WNn\T=y] "he must give it" (Qal imperfect 3ms from /tn + 3ms suffix): "He must give it, namely, his inheritance, to one who did not work for it."
95tn (2:21) The noun hur ("evil") probably means "misfortune" (HALOT 1263 [4]) or "injustice; wrong" (HALOT 1262 [2.b]). The phrase hbr hur connotes "grave injustice" or "great misfortune" (e.g., Eccl 2:17; 5:12, 15; 6:1; 10:5). It is expressed well as: "This too is...a great misfortune" (NAB, NIV, MLB) and "utterly wrong!" (NEB).
sn (2:21) Verses 18-21 are arranged into two sub-units (2:18-19 and 2:20-21). Each contains a parallel structure: (1) Introductory lament: "I hated all my toil" and "I began to despair about all my toil." (2) Reason for the lament: "I must turn over the fruit of my labor to the hands of my successor" and "he must hand over the fruit of his work as an inheritance." (3) Description of successor: "who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool?" and "he did not work for it." (4) Concluding statement: "This also is fruitless!" and "This also is profitless and an awful injustice!"
96tn (2:22) Heb "under the sun." The rhetorical question is an example of erotesis of negative affirmation, expecting a negative answer: "Man acquires nothing" (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949-51).
97tn (2:23) The syntax of this verse has been interpreted in two different ways: (1) The phrase "all his days" (wymy-lk) is the subject of a verbless clause, and the noun "pain" (<ybakm) is a predicate nominative or a predicate of apposition (see Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §71). Likewise, the noun "his work" (wnynu) is the subject of a second verbless clause, and the term "vexation" (sukw) is a predicate nominative: "All his days are pain, and his work is vexation." (2) The noun "his work" (wnynu) is the subject of both nouns, "pain and vexation" (sukw <ybakm), which are predicate nominatives, while the phrase "all his days" (wymy-lk) is an adverbial accusative functioning temporally: "All day long, his work is pain and vexation." The latter option is supported by the parallelism between "even at night" and "all day long." This verse draws out an ironic contrast/comparison between his physical toil/labor during the day and his emotional anxiety at night. Even at night, he has no break!
98tn (2:24) The preposition B= on <d*a*B* has been taken in two ways: (1) W. C. Kaiser interprets it as locative and, taking bof ("good") in reference to man's moral nature, renders the line: "There is nothing [inherently] good in man." (2) D. R. Glenn argues that B= denotes advantage, and taking bof ("good") in reference to the enjoyment theme of 2:24-26, renders the line: "There is nothing better for a man than..." (this assumes a comparative /m! on lk^aY)v#m!; see text critical note on the word "than" below). The latter is preferred for two reasons: (1) The preposition B= is used with a similar idiom in 3:12 in collocation with the particle phrase <a yk ("except"): "There is nothing better...than to rejoice/be happy" (NASB, NIV). (2) The theme of 2:1-26 focuses on the futility of human toil, concluding that the only real reward that man has in his labor is to find enjoyment in it (e.g., 2:10, 24-26). The section says nothing about man's inherent sinful nature.
99tc (2:24) The MT reads lk^aY{v# ("that he should eat"; Qal imperfect 3ms from lka "to eat," with relative pronoun v# "that"). W. C. Kaiser interprets this as, "There is nothing [inherently] good in man that he should eat." However, the variant textual tradition of lk^aY)V#m! "than he should eat" (comparative preposition /m! "than" + Qal imperfect 3ms from lka "to eat") is reflected in the LXX, Coptic, Syriac, Aramaic Targum, Old Latin, and Jerome. The textual error arose from a single writing of m from lkayvm <da (haplography). The same idiom appears in the expanded form <a yk bwf /ya ("there is nothing better for man than ...") in Eccl 3:12; 8:15.
100tn (2:24) The term ovp=n~ ("his soul") is a metonymy of part (i.e., soul) for the whole (i.e., whole person), e.g., Num 23:10; Judg 16:30; Pss 16:10; 35:13; 103:1 (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 640-41).
101tn (2:24) Heb "to cause his soul to see good." The idiom bwf har ("to see good") is a metonymy of association, meaning "to find enjoyment" (e.g., 3:13; 5:17; 6:6). In 3:12-13 and 5:17-18 it is in collocation and/or parallelism with B= + jmc ("to rejoice in," or "to find satisfaction or pleasure in" something). Here, it is used in collocation with vWj ("to enjoy").
102tn (2:24) The phrase "ability to find enjoyment" is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
103tn (2:24) Heb "is from the hand of God."
sn (2:24) The phrase translated is a sovereign gift of God (Heb "is from the hand of God") is an anthropomorphism (depicting God, who is an invisible spirit, in the form of man with hands) or anthropopatheia (depicting God performing human-like actions). The "hand of God" is a figure often used to portray God's sovereign providence and benevolence (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 878). The phrase "the hand of God" is often used to connote the favor or grace of God (2 Chr 30:12; Ezra 7:9; 8:18; Neh 2:8, 18); see BDB 390 (1.e.2).
104tn (2:25) Heb "For who can...?" The rhetorical question is an example of erotesis of negative affirmation, expecting a negative answer: "No one can!" (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949-51).
105tn (2:25) The phrase "and drink" is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for stylistic harmonization with v. 24.
106tn (2:25) The verb vwj II ("to enjoy") is a hapax legomenon which BDB 301 defines as "to feel; to enjoy [with the senses]" on the basis of the context, and the cognates: Arabic "to feel; to perceive [by senses]"; Aramaic vwj "to feel pain," and New Hebrew vwj "to feel pain." HALOT 300 (1) relates the Hebrew root to Akkadian havavu "to be delighted with." The Vulgate renders this term as "to enjoy." The Greek versions (LXX, Theodotion) and the Syriac Peshitta, however, did not understand this hapax; they rendered it as "to drink," making some sense of the line by filling out the parallelism "to eat [and drink]" (e.g., Eccl 8:15).
107tc (2:25) The MT reads yN]M#m! (m!M#N], "more than I"). However, an alternate textual tradition of WNM#m! (m!M#NW, "apart from him [= God]") is preserved in several medieval Hebrew MSS, and is reflected in most of the versions (LXX, Syriac, Syro-Hexapla, and Jerome). The textual deviation is a case of simple orthographic confusion between y and w as frequently happened, e.g., MT wxl wx wxl wx versus 1QIsaa yxl yx yxl yx (Isa 28:10); see P. Kyle McCarter, Jr., Textual Criticism: Recovering the Text of the Hebrew Bible, 47). It is difficult to determine which reading is original here. The MT forms a parenthetical clause, where Qoheleth refers to himself: no one had more of an opportunity to experience more enjoyment in life than he (e.g., 2:1-11). The alternate textual tradition is a causal clause, explaining why the ability to enjoy life is a gift from God: no one can experience enjoyment in life "apart from him," that is, apart from "the hand of God" in 2:24. It is possible that internal evidence supports the alternate textual tradition. In 2:24-26, Qoheleth is not emphasizing his own resources to enjoy life, as he had done in 2:1-11; but that the ability to enjoy life is the gift of God. On the other hand, the Jerusalem Hebrew Bible project retains the MT reading with a "B" rating; see Dominique Barthelemy, ed. et al., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (New York: United Bible Society, 1979), 3.570. The English versions are split on the textual problem: a few retain MT yN]M#m! (m!M#N], "more than I"), e.g., KJV, ASV, YLT, Douay, NJPS, while others adopt the alternate reading WnM#m! "m!M#NW, apart from him" (NEB, NAB, MLB, NASB, RSV, NRSV, NIV, Moffatt, AB).
108sn (2:26) The phrase the task of amassing wealth (Heb "the task of gathering and heaping up") is a hypocatastasis, drawing an implied comparison between the work of the farmer reaping his crops and storing them up in a barn, with the work of the laborer amassing wealth as the fruit of his labor. However, rather than his storehouse being safe for the future, the sinner is deprived of it.
109tn (2:26) The word "wealth" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
110sn (2:26) The three-fold repetition of the Hebrew word translated "give" in the first part of this verse creates irony: God "gives" the righteous the ability to prosper and to find enjoyment in his work; but to the wicked He "gives" the task of "giving" his wealth to the righteous.
111tn (2:26) The word "it" (an implied direct object) does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
112tn (2:26) The antecedent of the demonstrative pronoun hz# ("this") is debated: (1) Some refer it to the enjoyment which Qoheleth had just commended in 2:24-26. However, this is inconsistent with the enjoyment theme found elsewhere in the book. It also ignores the fact that 2:24-26 states that such enjoyment is a good gift from God. (2) Others refer it to the term "toil" (lmu) which is repeated throughout 2:18-26. However, Qoheleth affirmed that if one is righteous, he can find enjoyment in his toil, even though so much of it is ultimately futile. (3) Therefore, it seems best to refer it to the grievous "task" (/ynu) God has given to the sinner in 2:26b. Consistent with the meaning of lb#h# (h#b#l, "futile; profitless; fruitless"), 2:26b emphasizes that the "task" of the sinner is profitless: he labors hard to amass wealth, only to see the fruit of his labor given away to someone else. The righteous man's enjoyment of his work and the fruit of his labor under the blessing of God (2:24-26a) is not included in this.
113tn (2:26) The phrase "task of the wicked" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
1tn (3:1) Verse 1 is arranged in an ABB'A' chiasm (Jpj-lkl tuw /mz lkl): (A) "for everything"; (B) "a season"; (B') "a time"; (A') "for every matter." The terms "season" (/mz) and "time" (tu) are parallel. In the light of its parallelism with "every matter" (Jpj-lk), the term "everything" (lk) must refer to events and situations in life.
2tn (3:1) The noun /m*z= denotes "appointed time" or "appointed hour" (HALOT 273; BDB 273; see Eccl 3:1; Est 9:27, 31; Neh 2:6; Sir 43:7), e.g., the appointed or designated time for the Jewish feasts (Est 9:27, 31), the length of time that Nehemiah set for his absence from Susa (Neh 2:6), and the appointed times in the Jewish law for the months to begin (Sir 43:7). It is used in parallelism with duwm ("appointed time"), i.e., jry duwm ("the appointed time of the moon") parallels qj ynmz ("the appointed times of the law"; Sir 43:7). The related Pual verb /mz means "to be appointed" (HALOT 273); e.g. Ezra 10:14; Neh 10:35; 13:31. These terms may be related to the noun hM*z! I "plan; intention" (Job 17:11; HALOT 272), and hM*z!m= "purpose; plan; project," e.g., the purposes of God (Job 42:2; Jer 23:20; 30:24; 51:11) and man's plan (Isa 5:12); see HALOT 566; BDB 273.
sn (3:1) Verses 1-8 refers to God's sovereignly appointed time-table for human activities or actions whose most appropriate time is determined by men. Verses 9-15 state that God is ultimately responsible for the time in which events in human history occur. This seems to provide a striking balance between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. Man does what God has willed, but man also does what he "pleases" (see note on the word "matter" in 3:1).
3tn (3:1) The noun tu ("point in time") has a basic two-fold range of meanings: (1) "time of an event" and (2) "time for an event" (BDB 773). The latter has subcategories: (a) "usual time," (b) "the proper, suitable or appropriate time," (c) "the appointed time," and (d) "uncertain time" (Eccl 9:11). Here it connotes "a proper, suitable time for an event" (HALOT 900 [6]; BDB 773 [2.b]). Examples: "the time for rain" (Ezra 10:13), "a time of judgment for the nations" (Ezek 30:3), "an appropriate time for every occasion" (Eccl 3:1), "the time when mountain goats are born" (Job 39:1), "the rain in its season" (Deut 11:14; Jer 5:24), "the time for the harvest" (Hos 2:11; Ps 1:3), "food in its season" (Ps 104:27), "no one knows his hour of destiny" (Eccl 9:12), "the right moment" (Eccl 8:5); cf. HALOT 900 (6).
4tn (3:1) The noun Jp#j@ (here "matter, business") has a broad range of meanings: (1) "delight; joy," (2) "desire; wish; longing," (3) "the good pleasure; will; purpose," (4) "precious stones" (i.e., jewelry), i.e., what someone takes delight in, and (5) "matter; business," as a metonymy of adjunct to what someone takes delight in (Eccl 3:1, 17; 5:7; 8:6; Isa 53:10; 58:3, 13; Pss 16:3; 111:2; Prov 31:13); see HALOT 340 (4); BDB 343 (4). It is also sometimes used in reference to the "good pleasure" of God, that is, his sovereign plan, e.g., Judg 13:23; Isa 44:28; 46:10; 48:14 (BDB 343 [b.3]). While the theme of the sovereignty of God permeates Eccl 3:1-4:3, the content of 3:1-8 refers to human activities that are planned and purposed by man. The LXX translated it with pragmati ("matter"). The term is translated variously by modern English versions: "every purpose" (KJV, ASV, AB), "every event" (NASB), "every delight" (NASB margin), "every affair" (NAB), "every matter" (RSV, NRSV), "every activity" (NEB, NIV), "every project" (MLB), and "every experience" (NJPS).
5tn (3:1) Heb "under heaven."
6tn (3:2) The verb dly ("to bear") is used in the active sense of a mother giving birth to a child (HALOT 413; BDB 408). However, in light of its parallelism with "a time to die," it should be taken as a metonymy of cause (i.e., to give birth to a child) for effect (i.e., to be born).
7sn (3:2) In 3:2-8, Qoheleth uses fourteen sets of merisms (a figure using polar opposites to encompass everything in between, that is, totality), e.g., Deut 6:6-9; Ps 139:2-3 (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 435).
8tn (3:6) The term dB@a^l= (Piel infinitive construct from dba ["to destroy"]) here denotes "to lose" (e.g., Jer 23:1)--parallel to the Qal meaning "to be lost" (1 Sam 9:3, 20; Jer 50:6; Ezek 34:4, 16; Ps 119:176)--as its parallelism with vqb ("to seek to find") indicates (BDB 2 [3]). HALOT 1 (1) suggests that the parallelism with vqb ("to seek to find") points to the nuance "to give up as lost" here. This is the declarative or delocutive-estimative sense of the Piel: "to view something as lost" (Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §145; IBHS, 403).
9tn (3:9) The term hcwuh (article + Qal active participle ms from hcu "to do") functions substantively ("the worker"); see BDB 794 (II.1). This is a figurative description of man (metonymy of association), and plays on the repetition of hcu (verb: "to do," noun: "work") throughout the passage. In the light of God's sovereign immutable orchestration of human affairs, man's efforts cannot change anything. It refers to man in general with the article functioning in a generic sense (see IBHS, 244; Joüon-Muraoka, Grammar, §137.m).
10sn (3:9) This rhetorical question is an example of erotesis of negative affirmation, expecting a negative answer: "Man gains nothing from his toil!" (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949-51). Any advantage that man might gain from his toil is nullified by his ignorance of divine providence.
11sn (3:11) The Hebrew adjective translated beautifully functions as a metonymy of effect (i.e., to appear beautiful) for cause (i.e., to make it fit): "to fit beautifully." It is used in parallelism with Qoheleth's term for evaluation: bof (tob, "good") in 5:17.
12tn (3:11) The word "but" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
13tn (3:11) Heb "darkness"; perhaps "eternity" or "the future." The meaning of the noun <l*u) is debated. It may mean: (1) "ignorance"; (2) time reference: (a) "eternity" or (b) "the future"; or (3) "knowledge" (less likely). The arguments for these options may be summarized: (1) Most suggest that <l*u) is the defectively written form of <l*ou "duration; eternity" (e.g., Eccl 1:4; 2:16; 3:14; 9:6; 12:5); see BDB 762 (2.k). Within this school of interpretation, there are several varieties: (a) BDB 762 (2.k) suggests that here it denotes "age [i.e., duration] of the world," which is attested in postbiblical Hebrew. The term <lu III "eternity" = "world" (M. Jastrow, Dictionary, 1084) is used in this sense in postbiblical Hebrew, mostly in reference to the Messianic age, or the world to come (e.g., Targum Genesis 9:16; Targum Onqelos Exodus 21:6; Targum Psalms 61:7). For example, "the world [<lu] shall last six thousand years, and after one thousand years it shall be laid waste" (b. Rosh HaShanah 31a) and "the world [<lu] to come" (b. Sotah 10b). The LXX and the Vulgate took the term in this sense. This approach was also adopted by several English translations: "the world" (KJV, Douay, ASV margin). (b) HALOT 799 (5) and THAT 2.242 suggest that the term refers to an indefinite, unending future: "eternity future" or "enduring state referring to past and future" (see also BDB 762 [2.i]). In this sense, the noun <lu functions as a metonymy of association: "a sense of eternity," but not in a philosophical sense (see James Barr, Biblical Words for Time, 117 n. 4). This approach is supported by three factors: (i) the recurrence of <l*ou ("eternity") in 3:14, (ii) the temporal qualification of the statement in the parallel clause ("from beginning to end"), and (iii) by the ordinary meaning of the noun as "eternity" (HALOT 798-799). The point would be that God has endowed man with an awareness of the extra-temporal significance of himself and his accomplishments (D. R. Glenn, "Ecclesiastes," BKCOT, 984). This is the most frequent approach among English versions: "the timeless" (NAB), "eternity" (RSV, MLB, ASV, NASB, NIV, NJPS), "a sense of time past and time future" (NEB), and "a sense of past and future" (NRSV). (3) Other scholars suggest that <l*ou simply refers to the indefinite future: "the future," that is, things to come (e.g., HALOT 799 [2]; BDB 762 [2.a]; THAT 2.241). The plural <ymlu ("things to come") was used in this sense in Eccl 1:10 (e.g., 1 Kgs 8:13 = 2 Chr 6:2; Pss 61:5; 77:8; 145:13; Dan 9:24; cf. HALOT 799 [2]). The point would simply be that God has not only ordained all the events that will take place in man's life (3:1-8), but also preoccupies man with the desire to discover what will happen in the future in terms of the orchestration or timing of these events in his life (3:9-11). This fits well with the description of God's orchestration of human events in their most appropriate time (3:1-10) and the ignorance of man concerning his future (3:11b). Elsewhere, Qoheleth emphasizes that man cannot learn what the future holds in store for him (e.g., 8:7, 17). This approach is only rarely adopted: "the future" (NJPS margin). (2) The second view is that <lu is not defectively written <l*ou ("eternity") but the segholate noun <l#u# II that means "dark" (literal) or "ignorance; obscurity; secrecy" (figurative). The related noun hmlut means "hidden thing; secret," and the related verb <lu means "to hide; to conceal" (BDB 761; HALOT 834-35). This is related to the Ugaritic noun "dark" and the Akkadian verb "to be black; to be dark" (see HALOT 834-35). In post-biblical Hebrew the root <l#u# II means (i) "secret" and (ii) "forgetfulness" (M. Jastrow, Dictionary, 1084). Thus the verse would mean that God has "obscured" man's knowledge so that he cannot discover certain features of God's program. This approach is adopted by a few English translations: "ignorance" (AB) and "mystery" (Moffatt). Similarly, the term may mean "forgetfulness," that is, God has plagued man with "forgetfulness" so that he cannot understand what God has done from the beginning to the end (e.g., Eccl 1:11). (3) The third view (Delitzsch) is to relate <lu to a cognate Arabic root meaning "knowledge." The point would be that God has endowed man with "knowledge," but not enough for man to discover God's eternal plan. This approach is only rarely adopted: "knowledge" (YLT).
14sn (3:11) The Hebrew term translated heart functions as a metonymy of association for man's intellect, emotions, and will (BDB 524-25 [3-6, 9]). Here, it probably refers to man's intellectual capacities, as v. 11 suggests.
15tn (3:11) The compound preposition ylbm (preposition /m + negative particle ylb) is used as a conjunction here. Elsewhere, it can express cause: "because there is no [or, is not]" (e.g., Deut 9:28; 28:55; Isa 5:13; Ezek 34:5; Lam 1:4; Hos 4:6), consequence: "so that there is no [or, is not]" (e.g., Ezek 14:5; Jer 2:15; 9:9-11; Zeph 3:6), or simple negation: "without" (e.g., Job 4:11, 20; 6:6; 24:7-8; 31:19). BDB 115 (3.c) suggests the negative consequence: "so that not," while HALOT 133 (5) suggests the simple negation: "without the possibility of."
16tn (3:11) Heb "the work that God has done." The phrase hcu-rva hcumh-ta ("the work which he [i.e., God] has done") is an internal cognate accusative (direct object and verb are from the same root), used for emphasis (see IBHS, 167). The repetition of the verb hcu ("he has done") in 3:11 and 3:14 suggests that this phrase refers to God's sovereign foreordination of all the events and timing of human affairs: God has "made" ( = "foreordained"; hcu) everything appropriate in his sovereign timing (3:11a), and all that God has "done" ( = "foreordained"; hcu) will come to pass (3:14). Thus, the verb hcu ("to do") functions as a metonymy of effect (i.e., God's actions) for cause (i.e., God's sovereign foreordination). The temporal clause "from beginning to end" (3:11) supports this nuance.
17tn (3:11) Traditionally, "what God has done from the beginning to the end." The temporal clause [ws-duw varm ("from the beginning to the end") is traditionally taken in reference to "eternity" (the traditional understanding of <luh earlier in the verse; see the note on "ignorance"), e.g., KJV, NEB, AB, NAB, ASV, NASB, NIV, RSV, NRSV. However, if <luh simply denotes "the future" (e.g., HALOT 799 [2]; BDB 762 [2.a]; THAT 2.241), this temporal clause would refer to the events God has ordained to transpire in an individual's life, from beginning to end. This approach is adopted by one English version: "but without man ever guessing, from first to last, all the things that God brings to pass" (NJPS). This would fit well in the context begun in 3:1 with the fourteen merisms encompassing man's life, starting with "a time to be born" (i.e., from the beginning in 3:11) and concluding with "a time to die" (i.e., to the end in 3:11). This is approach is also supported by the admonition of 3:12-13, namely, since no one knows what will happen to him in the future days of his life, Qoheleth recommends that man enjoy each day as a gift from God.
18tn (3:11) The phrase "of their lives" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
19tn (3:12) Heb "I know that."
20tn (3:12) Heb "for them"; the referent (people, i.e., mankind) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
21tn (3:12) Qoheleth uses the exceptive particle <a yk "except" (BDB 474 [2]) to identify the only exception to the futility within man's life.
22tn (3:12) Heb "to do good." The phrase bwf twcul functions idiomatically for "to experience [or, see] happiness [or, joy]." The verb hcu probably denotes "to acquire; to obtain" (BDB 795 [II..7]), and bwf means "good; pleasure; happiness," e.g., Eccl 2:24; 3:13; 5:17 (BDB 375 [1]).
23tn (3:13) The referent of the 3ms independent person pronoun awh ("it") is probably the preceding statement: "to eat, drink, and find satisfaction." This would be an example of an anacoluthon (GKC §167.b).
24tn (3:15) The phrase "to do again" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
25tn (3:15) Heb "God will seek that which is driven away." The meaning of [drn-ta vqby is difficult to determine: vqby is Piel imperfect 3ms from vqb ("to seek") and [drn is a Niphal participle 3ms from [dr ("to drive away"). There are several options: (1) God watches over the persecuted: vqby ("seeks") functions as a metonymy of cause for effect (i.e., to protect), and [drn-ta ("what is driven away") refers to "those who are persecuted." But this does not fit the context. However, this approach is adopted by one English version: "God seeks him who has been persecuted" (AB). (2) God will call the past to account: vqby ("seeks") functions as a metonymy of cause for effect (i.e., to hold accountable), and [drn-ta ("that which is driven away") is a metonymy of attribute (i.e., the past). This approach is adopted by several English translations: "God requires that which is past" (KJV), "God will call the past to account" (NIV) and "God summons each event back in its turn" (NEB). (3) God finds what has been lost: vqby ("seeks") functions as a metonymy of cause for effect (i.e., to find), and [drn-ta ("what is driven away") refers to what has been lost: "God restores what would otherwise be displaced" (NAB). (4) God repeats what has already occurred: vqby ("seeks") functions as a metonymy of effect (i.e., to repeat), and [drn-ta ("that which is driven away") is a metonymy (i.e., that which has occurred). This fits the context and provides a tight parallel with the preceding line: "That which is has already been, and that which will be has already been" (3:15a) parallels "God seeks [to repeat] that which has occurred [in the past]." This is the most popular approach among English versions: "God restores that which has past" (Douay), "God seeks again that which is passed away" (ASV), "God seeks what has passed by" (NASB), "God seeks what has been driven away" (RSV), "God seeks out what has passed by" (MLB), "God seeks out what has gone by" (NRSV), and "God is ever bringing back what disappears" (Moffatt).
26tn (3:15) The phrase "in the past" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
27tn (3:16) Heb "under the sun."
28tn (3:17) The phrase "a time of judgment" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
29tn (3:18) The phrase "it is" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
30tn (3:18) Heb "of the sons of men." The phrase <dah ynb trbd-lu is handled variously: (1) introduction to the direct discourse: "I said to myself concerning the sons of men" (NASB), (2) direct discourse: "I thought, `As for men, God tests them'" (NIV), (3) indirect discourse: "I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men" (KJV), and (4) causal conjunction: "I said, `[It is] for the sake of the sons of men." Since the phrase "sons of men" is contrasted with "animals" the translation "humans" has been adopted.
31tn (3:18) The meaning of <rbl (preposition + Qal infinitive construct from rrb + 3mpl suffix) is debated because the root has a broad range of meanings: (1) "to test; to prove; to sift; to sort out" (e.g., Dan 11:35; 12:10); (2) "to choose; to select" (e.g., 1 Chr 7:40; 9:22; 16:41; Neh 5:18); (3) "to purge out; to purify" (e.g., Ezek 20:38; Zeph 3:9; Job 33:3); and (4) "to cleanse; to polish" (Isa 49:2; 52:11); see HALOT 163; BDB 141. The meanings "to prove" (Qal), as well as "to cleanse; to polish" (Qal), "to keep clean" (Niphal), and "to cleanse" (hiphal) might suggest the meaning "to make clear" (Eaton 85-86). The meaning "to make clear; to prove" is well attested in post-biblical Mishnaic Hebrew (M. Jastrow, Dictionary, 197). For example, "they make the fact as clear (bright) as a new garment" (b. Ketubbot 46a) and "the claimant must offer clear evidence" (b. Sanhedrin 23b). The point would be that God allows human injustice to exist in the world in order to make it clear to mankind that they are essentially no better than the beasts. On the other hand, the LXX adopts the nuance "to judge," while Targum and Vulgate take the nuance "to purge; to purify." BDB 141 (4) suggests "to test, prove," while HALOT 163 (2) prefers "to select, choose."
32tn (3:18) The two infinitives twarlw and <rbl (Heb "to make it clear to them...and to show") function as a verbal hendiadys (the two verbs are associated with one another to communicate a single idea). The first verb functions adverbially and the second retains its full verbal force: "to clearly show them."
33tn (3:19) Heb "of the sons of men."
34tn (3:22) Heb "after him" (so KJV, NASB, NIV) or "afterward" (so NJPS).
1tn (4:1) The prefixed vav on ytbvw (vav + perfect 1cs from bwv "to turn") might be: (1) introductory (and left untranslated): "I observed again"; (2) consequence of preceding statement: "So I observed again"; or (3) continuation of preceding statement: "And I observed again."
sn (4:1) This section is closely related to the preceding: Qoheleth's observation of oppression (4:1-3) links back to his previous observation of oppression and injustice (3:16). It stands in stark contrast with his admonition for man to enjoy life on earth as the reward for one's work (3:22). Now, Qoheleth turns his attention to consider the sorry fate of those who are not able to enjoy life on earth and their work because of oppression (4:1-3), over-obsessive competitiveness (4:4-6), and loneliness (4:7-12).
2tn (4:1) Heb "I turned and I saw." The phrase haraw...ytbvw ("I turned and I saw") is a verbal hendiadys (the two verbs represent one common idea). Normally in a verbal hendiadys, the first verb functions adverbially, modifying the second verb which retains its full verbal force. The verb ytbvw (vav + perfect 1cs from bwv "to turn") is used idiomatically to denote repetition: "to return and do" = "to do again" (e.g., Gen 26:18; 30:31; 43:2) or "to do repeatedly" (e.g., Lam 3:3); see KBL3 952 (6); BDB 998 (8); GKC §120.e: "I observed again" or "I repeatedly observed." On the other hand, the shift from the perfect ytbvw (vav + perfect 1cs from bwv "to turn") to the preterite ha#r=a#w´ (vav + Qal preterite 1cs from har "to see") might indicate a purpose clause: "I turned [my mind] to consider." The preterite ha#r=a#w´ (vav + Qal preterite 1cs from har "to see") follows the perfect ytbvw (vav + perfect 1cs from bwv "to turn"). When a wayyiqtul form (vav + preterite) follows a perfect in reference to a past-time situation, the preterite also represents a past-time situation. Its aspect is based on the preceding perfect. In this context, the perfect and preterite may denote definite past or indefinite past action ("I turned and considered" as hendiadys for "I observed again" or "I repeatedly observed") or past telic action ("I turned [my mind] to consider"). See IBHS, 554-55.
3tn (4:1) Heb "all the oppressions" or "all the oppression"; alternately, "all the various kinds of oppression." The term qvu denotes "oppression," e.g., Jer 6:6; 22:17; Ezek 18:18; 22:7, 12, 29; Pss 73:8; 119:134 (see HALOT 897 [1]; BDB 799 [1]). It occurs several times in the book, always in reference to personal rather than national oppression (4:1; 5:8 ET [5:7 HT]; 7:7). The noun <yqvuh is plural and articular (Heb "the oppressions"). The article indicates a generic class ("oppression"). The plural may be classified in one of two ways: (1) a plural of number, which refers to specific kinds of oppression that occur on earth: "the various kinds of oppression"; (2) an abstract plural, which is used to refer to abstract concepts: "the oppression"; or (3) a plural of intensity, which describes the oppression at hand as particularly grievous: "awful oppression" or "severe oppression." The LXX renders it as a plural of number: sukofantia" ("oppressions"), as does the Vulgate. Most English versions treat it as a plural of number: "the oppressions" (KJV, ASV, AB, NAB, RSV, NRSV, MLB, YLT); however, a few treat it as an abstract plural: "the oppression" (NJPS, NIV, Moffatt).
4tn (4:1) Heb "is done." The term <ycun (Niphal participle mpl from hcu "to do") is a probably a verbal use of the participle rather than a substantival use (NEB: "all the acts of oppression"). This verbal use of the participle depicts durative or universal gnomic action (see IBHS, 624). It emphasizes the lamentable continuity of oppression throughout human history. The English versions translate it variously: "[all the oppressions that] are done" (KJV, ASV, Douay, YLT), "[all the oppression] that goes on" (NJPS, Moffatt), "[all the oppressions] that are practiced" (AB, RSV, NRSV), "[all the oppressions] that occur" (MLB), "[all the acts of oppression] which were being done" (NASB), "[all the oppressions] that take place" (NAB), "[all the oppression] that was taking place" (NIV).
5tn (4:1) Heb "under the sun."
6tn (4:1) Heb "and behold." The deitic particle hnhw ("and behold!") often occurs after verbs of perceiving, such as har "to see" (e.g., Gen 19:28; 22:13; Exod 3:2; Lev 13:8). It introduces the content of what the character or speaker saw (HALOT 252 [8]). It is used for rhetorical emphasis, to draw attention to the following statement (e.g., Gen 1:29; 17:20; Num 22:32; Job 1:19; cf. HALOT 252 [5]). It often introduces something surprising or unexpected (e.g., Gen 29:6; Num 25:6; cf. HALOT 252 [6]).
7tn (4:1) The term <yqvuh (Qal passive participle mpl from qvu "to oppress") is a passive form, emphasizing that they are the objects of oppression at the hands of their oppressors. The participle functions substantivally, emphasizing the durative aspect of their condition and that this was the singular most characteristic attribute of this group of people: their lives were marked by oppression (see IBHS, 615).
8tn (4:1) The phrase "were weeping" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
9tn (4:1) Heb "tears of the oppressed." Alternately, "the oppressed [were in] tears." The singular noun humd ("tear") is used as a collective for "tears" (2 Kgs 20:5; Isa 16:9; 25:8; 38:5; Jer 8:23; 19:7; 13:17; 14:17; 31:16; Ezek 24:16; Mal 2:13; Pss 6:7; 39:13; 42:4; 56:9; 80:6; 116:8; 126:5; Lam 1:2; 2:18; Eccl 4:1); see HALOT 227; BDB 199. It is often used in reference to lamentation over calamity, distress, or oppression (e.g., Ps 6:7; Lam 1:2; 2:11; Jer 9:17; 13:17; 14:17). The LXX translated it as singular dakroun ("the tear"); however, the Vulgate treated it as a collective ("the tears"). Apart from the woodenly literal YLT ("the tear"), the major English versions render this as a collective: "the tears" or "tears" (KJV, ASV, NEB, AB, NAB, NASB, RSV, NRSV, NJPS, MLB, NIV). The term humd ("tears") functions as a metonymy of association for "weeping" (e.g., Isa 16:9; 8:23): "the oppressed [were weeping with] tears." The genitive-construct <yqvuh tumd (literally, "tear of the oppressed") is an objective genitive construction, that is, the oppressed are weeping. The singular tumd ("tear") is used as a collective for "tears." This entire phrase, however, is still given a woodenly literal translation by most English versions: "the tears of the oppressed" (NEB, AB, NAB, ASV, NASB, RSV, NRSV, MLB, NIV, NJPS). Some paraphrases attempt to fill out the meaning, e.g., "the oppressed were in tears" (Moffatt).
10tn (4:1) Heb "comforts." The verb <jn ("to comfort") is used as a metonymy of effect (i.e., comfort) for cause (i.e., deliverance), e.g., it is used in parallelism with lag ("to deliver") in Isa 52:9 (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 560-67).
11tn (4:2) The verb jbv has a two-fold range of meaning: (1) "to praise; to laud"; and (2) "to congratulate" (KBL3 941; BDB 986). The LXX translated it as ejphnesa ("I praised"). The English versions reflect the range of possible meanings: "praised" (KJV, ASV, Douay); "congratulated" (AB, MLB, NASB); "declared/judged/accounted/thought...fortunate/happy" (NJPS, NEB, NIV, RSV, NRSV, NAB).
12tn (4:3) The word "born" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
13tn (4:3) Heb "under the sun."
14tn (4:4) Heb "all the toil and all the skill." This Hebrew clause (/wrvk-lk taw lmu-lk-ta) is a nominal hendiadys (a figurative expression in which two independent phrases are used to connote the same thing). The second functions adverbially, modifying the first, which retains its full nominal function: "all the skillful work."
15tn (4:4) The phrase "nothing more than" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
16tn (4:4) The noun hanq ("competition") has a wide range of meanings: "zeal; jealousy; envy; rivalry; competition; suffering; animosity; anger; wrath" (HALOT 1110; BDB 888). Here, as in 9:6, it denotes "rivalry" (BDB 888 [1]) or "competitive spirit" (HALOT 1110 [1.b]). The LXX rendered it zhlo" ("envy; jealousy"). The English versions reflect this broad range: "rivalry" (NEB, NAB, NASB), "envy" (KJV, ASV, RSV, NRSV, MLB, NIV, NJPS), and "jealousy" (AB, Moffatt).
17tn (4:4) Heb "a man and his neighbor."
18tn (4:4) The word "like" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
19tn (4:5) Heb "the fool folds his hands." The Hebrew idiom means that he does not work (e.g., Prov 6:10; 24:33). In the translation the words "and does no work" (which do not appear in the Hebrew text) have been supplied following the idiom to clarify what is meant.
20tn (4:5) Heb "and eats his own flesh." Most English versions render the idiom literally: "and eats/consumes his flesh" (KJV, AS, NASB, AB, NAB, RSV, NRSV, NJPS). However, a few versions attempt to explain the idiom: "and lets life go to ruin" (Moffatt), "and wastes away" (NEB), "and ruins himself" (NIV).
21sn (4:6) Qoheleth lists three approaches to labor: (1) the competitive workaholic in 4:4, (2) the impoverished sluggard in 4:5, and (6) the contented laborer in 4:6. The balanced approach rebukes the two extremes.
22tn (4:7) The prefixed vav on ytbvw (vav + perfect 1cs from bwv "to turn") might be: (1) introductory (and left untranslated): "I observed again..."; (2) consequence of preceding statement: "So I observed again..."; or (3) continuation of preceding statement: "And I observed again...."
sn (4:7) This section is closely related to the preceding one: Qoheleth's observation of oppression (4:1-3) links back to his previous observation of oppression and injustice (3:16). It stands in stark contrast with his earlier statement in light of his admonition for man to enjoy life on earth as the reward for one's work (3:22). Now, Qoheleth turns his attention to consider the sorry fate of those who are not able to enjoy life on earth and their work because of oppression (4:1-3), over-obsessive competitiveness (4:4-6), and loneliness (4:7-12).
23tn (4:7) Heb "I turned and I saw..."; or "I again considered." The Hebrew phrase haraw...ytbvw ("I turned and I saw") is a verbal hendiadys (the two verbs represent one common idea). Normally in a verbal hendiadys, the first verb functions adverbially, modifying the second verb which retains its full verbal force. The verb bwv ("to turn") is used idiomatically to denote repetition: "to return and do" = "to do again" (e.g., Gen 26:18; 30:31; 43:2) or "to do repeatedly" (e.g., Lam 3:3); see KBL3 952 (6); BDB 998 (8); GKC §120.e: "I observed again" or "I repeatedly observed." On the other hand, the shift from the perfect ytbvw (vav + perfect 1cs from bwv "to turn") to the preterite ha#r=a#w´ (vav + Qal preterite 1cs from har "to see") might indicate a purpose clause: "I turned [my mind] to consider...." The preterite ha#r=a#w´ (vav + Qal preterite 1cs from har "to see") follows the perfect ytbvw (vav + perfect 1cs from bwv "to turn"). When a wayyiqtul form (vav + preterite) follows a perfect in reference to a past-time situation, the preterite also represents a past-time situation. Its aspect is based on the preceding perfect. In this context, the perfect and preterite may denote definite past or indefinite past action ("I turned and considered ..." as hendiadys for "I observed again" or "I repeatedly observed") or past telic action ("I turned [my mind] to consider..."). See IBHS, 554-55.
24tn (4:7) The word "another" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
25tn (4:7) Heb "under the sun."
26tn (4:8) Heb "There is one and there is not a second."
27tn (4:8) Heb "son nor brother." The terms "son" and "brother" are examples of synecdoche of specific (species) for the general (genus). The term "son" is put for offspring, and "brother" for siblings (e.g., Prov 10:1).
28tn (4:8) Heb "his eye." The term "eye" is a synecdoche of part (i.e., the eye) for the whole (i.e., the whole person) (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 647).
29tn (4:8) The phrase "he laments" is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. The direct discourse ("For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?") is not introduced with an introductory structure. As in the LXX, some translations suggest that these words are spoken by a lonely workaholic, e.g., "He says..." (AB, NAB, NEB, ASV, NIV, NRSV). Others suggest that this is a question that he never asks himself, e.g., "Yet he never asks himself..." (KJV, RSV, MLB, YLT, Douay, NASB, Moffatt).
30tn (4:8) Heb "my soul."
31tn (4:8) This rhetorical question is an example of erotesis of negative affirmation, that is, it expects a negative answer: "No one!" (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949-951).
32tn (4:8) The noun hur ("evil") here means "misfortune" (HALOT 1263 [4]) or "injustice, wrong" (HALOT 1262 [2.b]). The phrase ur /ynu ("unhappy business; rotten business; grievous task") is used only in Ecclesiastes (1:13; 2:23, 26; 3:10; 4:8; 5:2, 13; 8:16). It is parallel with lbh ("futile") in 4:8, and describes a "grave misfortune" in 5:13. The noun /ynu ("business") refers to something that keeps a person occupied or busy: "business; affair; task; occupation" (HALOT 857; BDB 775). The related verb hnu III means "to be occupied; to be busy with (B=)," e.g., Eccl 1:13; 3:10; 5:19 (HALOT 854; BDB 775). The noun is from the Aramaic loanword anynu "concern; care." The verb is related to the Aramaic verb "to try hard," the Arabic verb "to be busily occupied; to worry; to be a matter of concern," and the Old South Arabic root "to be troubled; to strive with" (HALOT 854). HALOT 857 renders the phrase as "unhappy business" here. The phrase ur /ynu is treated creatively by English translations: "sore travail" (KJV, ASV), "sad travail" (YLT), "grievous vexation" (Douay), "unhappy business" (RSV, NRSV, NJPS), "sorry business" (NEB, Moffatt), "miserable business" (NIV), "evil task" (AB), "worthless task" (NAB), "grievous task" (NASB), and "sorry situation" (MLB).
33tn (4:9) Heb "they have."
34tn (4:9) Heb "a good reward."
35tn (4:10) Heb "woe to him."
36tn (4:12) The verb [qt means "to overpower; to prevail over" e.g., Job 14:20; 15:24; Eccl 4:12; 6:10 (KBL3 1040; BDB 1075).
37tn (4:12) Heb "against him."
38tn (4:14) Heb "came from the house of bonds."
39tn (4:14) The phrase "what would become" is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness. However, it is not altogether clear whether the 3ms suffix ("his") on wtwklmb ("his kingdom") refers to the old foolish king or to the poor but wise youth of 4:13.
40tn (4:15) Heb "under the sun."
41tn (4:15) It is not clear whether "the second" (ynvh) refers to the young man who succeeds the old king or a second youthful successor.
42tn (4:15) The verb dmu ("to stand") may denote "to arise; to appear; to come on the scene" (e.g., Ps 106:30; Dan 8:22, 23; 11:2-4; 12:1; Ezra 2:63; Neh 7:65); cf. BDB 764 (6.a); HALOT 840 (1.a).
43tn (4:16) Heb "the people." The term <u ("people") can refer to the subjects of the king (BDB 766 [2]).
44tn (4:16) Heb "those who were before them."
45tn (4:16) Heb "those coming after." The Hebrew term <ynwrjah ("those coming after") is derived from the preposition rja ("behind"). When used in reference to time, it refers to future generations (e.g., Deut 29:21; Pss 48:14; 78:4, 6; 102:19; Job 18:20; Eccl 1:11; 4:16); cf. HALOT 36 (3); BDB 30 (b).
46tn (4:16) The word "like" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
1sn (5:1) Beginning with 5:1, the verse numbers through 5:20 in the English Bible differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 5:1 ET = 4:17 HT, 5:2 ET = 5:1 HT, etc., through 5:20 ET = 5:19 HT. Beginning with 6:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
2tn (5:1) Heb "Guard your feet."
3tn (5:1) Heb "feet." The Kethib is the plural iylgr ("your feet"), while the Qere is the singular ilgr ("your foot"), which is preserved in several medieval Hebrew MSS and is reflected in the versions (LXX, Aramaic Targum, Vulgate, Syriac Peshitta). For example, the LXX reads ton poda sou ("your foot") which reflects ilgr ("your foot").
sn (5:1) The exhortation, "Guard your feet" is an idiom for "Watch your steps," i.e., "Be careful what you do." This is a compound figure: "foot" is a metonymy for "step," and "step" is a metonymy for "action" (e.g., Job 12:5; 23:11; 31:5; Pss 119:59, 101, 105; Prov 1:16; 3:23; 4:26-27; 6:18; 19:2; Isa 58:13; 59:7; Jer 14:10). For example, "I have refrained my feet from every evil way" (Ps 119:101); see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 648.
4tn (5:1) Heb "the house of God." The term "house" (tyb) is a synecdoche of general (i.e., house) for specific (i.e., temple), e.g., 1 Kgs 6:3; 7:12; 1 Chr 9:11; 2 Chr 3:8; 28:11. See Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 620.
5tn (5:1) Alternately, "to obey." The term umvl (preposition + Qal infinitive construct from umv "to hear") may be taken in one of two ways: (1) literal: "to listen" in contrast to speak or (2) figurative (metonymy of cause for effect) "to obey" in contrast to sacrifice (KBL3 990-991; BDB 1033-34). The LXX took the term in the literal sense: tou ajkouein ("to listen"). The English versions reflect both literal and figurative options: "obedience" (NJPS, Douay, NAB, NEB, AB) versus "to hear [or, listen]" (KJV, ASV, YLT, MLB, RSV, NASB, NIV, NRSV). The section warns against rash vows therefore, the nuance "to listen" is more appropriate: the wise man will be slow to speak and quick to listen in the presence of God; however, the fool is unrestrained and speaks rashly.
6tn (5:1) The term "sacrifice" (jbz) is the general term that refers to the thank offering and free will offering (Lev 7:12, 16). This section focuses on making vows in prayer and fulfilling them, such as the vow offering. The term "sacrifice" functions as a synecdoche of general (i.e., sacrifice) for specific (i.e., vow offering).
7tn (5:1) Heb "the offering of fools." The term "fools" (<ylyskh) is an adverbial accusative of comparison (e.g., GKC §118.r): "rather than giving a sacrifice like fools" (jbz <ylyskh ttm). Contextually, the "sacrifice of fools" is a rash vow made to God that is not fulfilled. The rash vow is referred to in 5:2 as the "voice of a fool." Qoheleth admonishes the fool against making a rash vow that is not paid: "When you make a vow to God, do not delay in paying it; for God takes no pleasure in fools: Pay what you vow! It is better for you not to vow than to vow and not pay it" (vv. 4-5 [3-4 HT]).
8tn (5:3) The term /ynu means "business; affair; task; occupation" (HALOT 857; BDB 775). HALOT 857 nuances /ynu br as "excessive activity." Here, it is used as a metonymy of cause (i.e., tasks) for effect (i.e., cares). The term is nuanced variously: (1) literal sense: "business" (KJV, ASV, YLT, NEB, RSV, AB) and "effort" (NASB), and (2) metonymical: "cares" (NAB, NIV, NRSV), "concerns" (MLB, Douay), "worries" (Moffatt) and "brooding" (NJPS). The LXX mistakenly related /ynu to the root hnu II "to afflict," and rendered it as peirasmou ("trial").
9tn (5:3) The juxtaposition of the two lines joined by vav ("just as...so...") suggests a comparison (BDB 253 [1.j]); see Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §437.
10tn (5:3) Heb "voice." The Hebrew term loq ("voice") is used as a metonymy of cause (i.e., voice) for the contents (i.e., the thing said), e.g., Gen 3:17; 4:23; Exod 3:18; 4:1, 9; Deut 1:45; 21:18, 20; 1 Sam 2:25; 8:7, 9; 2 Sam 12:18); see HALOT 1084 (4.b); BDB 877 (3.a); also Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 545-46. Contextually, this refers to a rash vow made by a fool who made a mistake in making it because he is unable to fulfill it.
11tn (5:3) The word "occurs" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
12tn (5:4) Heb "vow a vow." The phrase rdn rdt ("to vow a vow") is a Hebrew idiom in which the root rdn is repeated for emphasis. The construction is a cognate accusative (see IBHS, 166). The verb rdn ("to vow") refers to the action of making a solemn promise to the LORD to perform an action or offer a sacrifice, e.g., Lev 27:8; Num 6:21; 30:11; Deut 23:23-24; Jonah 2:10; Mal 1:14; Pss 76:12; 132:2; see HALOT 674. The noun rdn ("vow") was a gift or offering promised to be given to the LORD (Num 30:3; Deut 12:11; 23:19; Isa 19:12; Nah 2:1 [1:15]; Ps 61:6, 9); see HALOT 674-75. It usually was a sacrifice or free-will offering (Deut 12:6; Ps 66:13) that was often promised during times of pressure (Judg 11:30; 1 Sam 1:11; 2 Sam 15:7-8; Pss 22:25; 66:13; 116:14, 18; Jonah 2:9).
13tn (5:4) The term wmlvl (preposition + Piel infinitive construct from <lv + 3ms suffix) is derived from <lv ("to pay; to fulfill") which is used in a general sense of paying a debt (2 Kgs 4:7; Ps 37:21; Prov 22:27; Job 41:3), and more specifically of fulfilling a vow to the LORD (Deut 23:22; 2 Sam 15:7; Pss 22:26; 50:14; 61:9; 66:13; 76:12; 116:14, 18; Prov 7:14; Job 22:27; Isa 19:21; Jonah 2:10; Nah 2:1); see KBL3 980 (3); BDB 1022 (4). An Israelite was never required to make a vow, but once made, it had to be paid (Lev 22:18-25; 27:1-13; Num 15:2-10; Nah 1:15 [2:1 HT]).
14tn (5:4) Heb "he"; the referent ("God") has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15tn (5:5) The word "it" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
16tn (5:6) Heb "your flesh." The term rcb ("flesh") is a synecdoche of part (i.e., flesh) for the whole (i.e., whole person), e.g., Gen 2:21; 6:12; Ps 56:4[5]; 65:2[3]; 145:21; Isa 40:5, 6; see HALOT 164; Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 642.
17tc (5:6) The MT reads Ealmh ("messenger"), while the LXX reads tou qeou ("God") which reflects an alternate textual tradition of <yhlah ("God"). The textual problem was caused by orthographic confusion between similarly spelled words. The LXX might have been trying to make sense of a difficult expression. The MT is preferred as the original. All the major translations follow the MT except for Moffatt ("God").
tn (5:6) Heb "the messenger." The term Ealm ("messenger") refers to a temple priest (e.g., Mal 2:7; cf. HALOT 585 [2.b]; BDB 521 [1.c]). The priests recorded what Israelite worshippers vowed (Lev 27:14-15). When an Israelite delayed in fulfilling a vow, a priest would remind him to pay what he had vowed. Although the traditional rabbinic view is that Qoheleth refers to an angelic superintendent over the temple, Rashi suggested that it is a temple-official. Translations reflect both views: "his representative" (NAB), "the temple messenger" (NIV), "the messenger" (AB, RSV, NRSV, NASB, MLB, NJPS), "the angel" (KJV, ASV, Douay) and "the angel of God" (NEB).
18tn (5:6) The Hebrew noun hggv denotes "error; mistake" and refers to a sin of inadvertence or unintentional sin (e.g., Lev 4:2, 22, 27; 5:18; 22:14; Num 15:24-29; 35:11, 15; Josh 20:3, 9; Eccl 5:5; 10:5); see KBL3 948; BDB 993. In this case, it refers to a rash vow thoughtlessly made, which the foolish worshipper claims was a mistake (e.g., Prov 20:25).
19tn (5:6) Heb "your voice." This is an example of metonymy (i.e., your voice) of association (i.e., you).
20tn (5:7) The syntax of this verse is difficult. Perhaps the best approach is to classify the vav on <ylbhw ("futilities") as introducing the predicate (e.g., Gen 40:9; 2 Sam 23:3; Prov 10:25; Isa 34:12; Job 4:6; 36:26); BDB 255 (5.c.g): "There is futility...." The phrase twmlh brb is an adverbial modifier ("in many dreams"), as is hbrh <yrbd ("many words"). The vav prefixed to <yrbdw and the juxtaposition of the two lines suggests a comparison: "just as...so also..." (BDB 253 [1.j]). The English versions reflect a variety of approaches: "In the multitude of dreams and many words there are also diverse vanities" (KJV); "Through many empty dreams come many vows" (AB); "In the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words" (ASV); "When dreams increase, empty words grow many" (RSV); "In many dreams and follies and many words" (MLB); "In the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound" (YLT); "Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities, and words without number" (Douay); "Many dreams and words mean many a vain folly" (Moffatt); "Much dreaming leads to futility and to superfluous talk" (NJPS); "In many dreams and in many words there is emptiness" (NASB); "Much dreaming and many words are meaningless" (NIV); "With many dreams comes vanities and a multitude of words" (NRSV).
21tn (5:8) Alternately, "oppression." The term qvu has a basic two-fold range of meaning: (1) "oppression; brutality" (e.g., Isa 54:14); and (2) "extortion" (e.g., Ps 62:11); see HALOT 897; BDB 799. The LXX understands the term as "oppression," as the translation sukofantian ("oppression") indicates. Likewise, HALOT 897 (1) classifies this usage as "oppression" against the poor. However, the context of 5:8-9 [7-8 HT] focuses on corrupt government officials robbing people of the fruit of their labor through extortion and the perversion of justice.
22tn (5:8) Heb "robbery." The noun lzg ("robbery") refers to the wrestling away of righteousness or the perversion of justice (HALOT 186). The related forms of the root lzg mean "to rob; to loot" (HALOT 186). The term "robbery" is used as a figure for the perversion of justice (hypocatastasis): just as a thief robs his victims through physical violence, so corrupt government officials "rob" the poor through the perversion of justice.
23tn (5:8) Heb "in the province."
24tn (5:8) The word "official" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
25sn (5:8) And there are higher ones over them! This may describe a corrupt system of government in which each level of hierarchy exploits its subordinates, all the way down to the peasants: "Set in authority over the people is an official who enriches himself at their expense; he is watched by a more authoritative governor who also has his share of the spoils; and above them are other officers of the State who likewise have to be satisfied" (A. Cohen, Soncino Books of the Bible, 12.141).
26tn (5:9) The phrase "is seized" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
27tn (5:9) The function of the term dbun (Niphal participle ms from dbu "to serve") has been understood in four ways: (1) adjectival use of the participle, modifying the noun hdc ("field"): "cultivated field" (AB, RSV, NRSV, NJPS, NAB); (2) adjectival use of the participle, modifying Elm ("king"): "the king who cultivates" (NASB); (3) verbal use of the participle, taking hdc ("field") as the subject: "field is cultivated" (NEB); and (4) verbal use of the participle, taking Elm ("king") as the subject: "the king is served" (KJV, NASB); also "the king profits" (NIV). BDB 713 (2) lists both the adjectival and verbal options: "a king for [i.e., devoted to] the cultivated field" and "a king that makes himself servant to the field [i.e., devoted to agriculture]." HALOT 774 suggests the line be rendered: "a king who serves the land." In the Qal stem the verb dbu is sometimes used in reference to tribute imposed upon a king's subjects (e.g., Jer 25:14; 27:7; 30:8; Ezek 34:27) and in reference to subjects serving a king (e.g., Judg 9:28, 38; 1 Sam 11:1; 1 Kgs 5:1; 2 Sam 22:44; Jer 27:7; 28:14; 2 Kgs 25:24); cf. BDB 713 (3); HALOT 773 (3). Likewise, it is also used in reference to tilling the ground (e.g., Gen 2:5; 4:2, 12; 2 Sam 9:10; Isa 30:24; Jer 27:11; Zech 13:5; Prov 12:11; 28:19) and a vineyard or garden (Gen 2:15; Deut 28:39); cf. HALOT 773 (1); BDB 713 (1).
28tn (5:9) The syntax and exegesis of the line is difficult. There are three basic interpretive options: (1) the king takes care of the security of the cultivated land: "in any case, the advantage of a country is that there is a king for the cultivated land"; (2) the king is in favor of a prosperous agricultural policy: "in any case, the advantage of a country is that there is a king who is obeyed for the sake of the agriculture"; and (3) the king exploits the poor farmers: "the produce of the land is [seized] by all, even the king is served by the fields." Perhaps the best option in the light of the context is to take the referent of lK{ (K{l, "all") to the government officials of 5:8 rather than to the people as a whole. The verse depicts the exploitation of the poor farmers by corrupt government officials. This is reflected in a few English versions: "the increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields" (NIV); "the profit of the land is among all of them; a cultivated field has a king" (RSV margin); and "the ruthless has an advantage in everything; he is king over the cultivated land" (AB). On the other hand, the LXX treated the syntax so the king is viewed in a neutral sense: kai perisseia gh" ejpi panti ejsti, basileu" tou argou eijrgasmenou ("The abundance of the earth is for everyone; the king is dependent on the tilled field"). Most English versions deal with the syntax so that the king is viewed in a neutral or positive sense: "the profit of the earth is for all; the king himself is served by the field" (KJV); "a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land" (NASB); "this is an advantage for a land: a king for a plowed field" (NRSV); "the greatest advantage in all the land is his: he controls a field that is cultivated" (NJPS); "a country prospers with a king who has control" (Moffatt); "a king devoted to the field is an advantage to the land" (MLB); "a king is an advantage to a land with cultivated fields" (RSV); "the best thing for a country is a king whose own lands are well tilled" (NEB); and "an advantage for a country in every respect is a king for the arable land" (NAB). See Dominique Barthelemy, ed. et al. Preliminary and Interim Report of the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (New York: United Bible Society, 1979), 3:576-77.
29tn (5:10) Heb "silver." The Hebrew term [sk ("silver") refers to "money" (HALOT 491 [3]). It is a synecdoche of specific (i.e., silver) for the general (i.e., money); see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 625-29.
30sn (5:10) The Hebrew term "silver" (translated "money") is repeated twice in this line for rhetorical emphasis.
31tn (5:10) The term /wmh ("abundance; wealth") has a wide range of meanings: (1) agitation; (2) turmoil; (3) noise; (4) pomp; (5) multitude; crowd = noisy crowd; and (6) abundance; wealth (HALOT 250 [1-6]). Here, it refers to abundant wealth (related to "pomp"); cf. HALOT 250 [6]), that is, lavish abundant wealth (Ezek 29:19; 30:4; 1 Chr 29:16).
32tn (5:10) The phrase "will never be satisfied" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
33tn (5:10) The word "his" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
34tn (5:11) The word "someone's" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
35tn (5:11) The term hbwf ("good") connotes "prosperity" (Deut 23:7; Job 9:25; 21:25; Ps 106:5; Lam 3:17; Eccl 4:8; 5:10, 17; 6:3, 6; 7:14; 9:18; Neh 2:10; Sir 6:11; 41:13); cf. HALOT 372 (2). The related term bwf ("good") connotes "prosperity" as well (Prov 11:10; Job 20:21; 21:16); cf. HALOT 372 (1.b). Here, it refers to the possessions and wealth a person acquires as the fruit of his labors. This nuance is well reflected in several English versions: "The more a man gains, the more there are to spend it" (Moffatt); "When riches multiply, so do those who live off them" (NEB); "As his substance increase, so do those who consume it" (NJPS); and "Where there are great riches, there are also many to devour them" (NAB). The line does not describe the economic law of "supply and demand," as some versions seem to imply, e.g., "As goods increase, so do those who consume them" (NIV); "When goods increase, those who eat them increase" (NRSV); cf. also KJV, ASV, RSV, MLB, NASB, AB.
36tn (5:11) The rhetorical question is an example of erotesis of negative affirmation, expecting a negative answer: "There is no ultimate advantage!" (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 947-48).
37tn (5:13) Heb "there is." The term vy ("there is") is often used in aphorisms to assert the existence of a particular situation that occurs sometimes. It may indicate that the situation is not the rule but that it does occur on occasion, and may be nuanced "sometimes" (e.g., Prov 11:24; 13:7, 23; 14:12; 16:25; 18:24; 20:15; Eccl 2:21; 4:8; 5:12; 6:1; 7:15 [2x]; 8:14 [3x]).
38tn (5:13) The noun hur ("evil") probably means "misfortune" (HALOT 1263 [4]) or "injustice, wrong" (HALOT 1262 [2.b]). The phrase hbr hur connotes "grave injustice" or "great misfortune" (Eccl 2:17; 5:12, 15; 6:1; 10:5).
39tn (5:13) Heb "under the sun."
40tn (5:14) Or "through a bad business deal." The basic meaning of /ynu is "business; affair" (HALOT 857) or "occupation; task" (BDB 775). The term is used in a specific sense in reference to business activity (Eccl 8:16), as well as in a more general sense in reference to events that occur on earth (Eccl 1:13; 4:8). BDB 775 suggests that the phrase ur /ynu in 5:13 refers to a bad business deal; however, HALOT 857 suggests that it means "bad luck." The English versions reflect the same two approaches: (1) bad luck: "some misfortune" (NAB, NIV) and (2) a bad business deal: "a bad investment" (NASB), "a bad venture" (RSV, NRSV, MLB), "some unlucky venture" (Moffatt, NJPS), "an unlucky venture" (NEB), "an unfortunate enterprise" (AB), "an evil adventure" (ASV).
41tn (5:14) Heb "there is nothing in his hand."
42tn (5:16) See the note on the phrase "depressing misfortune" in v. 13.
43tn (5:17) The phrase "of his life" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
44tn (5:18) The phrase "for man" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
45sn (5:18) The phrase "to eat and to drink" is a common idiom in Ecclesiastes for a person enjoying the fruit of his labor (e.g., 2:24; 3:13).
46tn (5:18) Heb "the toil which one toils."
47tn (5:18) Heb "under the sun."
48tn (5:18) The term qlj ("lot") has a wide range of meanings: (1) "share of booty" (Gen 14:24; Num 31:36; 1 Sam 30:24), (2) "portion of food" (Lev 6:10; Deut 18:8; Hab 1:16), (3) "portion [or, tract] of land" (Deut 10:9; 12:12; Josh 19:9), (4) "portion" or "possession" (Num 18:20; Deut 32:9), (5) "inheritance" (2 Kgs 9:10; Amos 7:4), (6) "portion" or "award" (Job 20:29; 27:13; 31:2; Isa 17:14) or "profit; reward" (Eccl 2:10, 21; 3:22; 5:17-18; 9:6, 9); see HALOT 323; BDB 324. Throughout Ecclesiastes, the term is used in reference to man's temporal profit from his labor and his reward from God (e.g., Eccl 3:22; 9:9).
49tn (5:19) The syntax of this verse is difficult. The best approach is to view wfylvh ("he has given him the ability") as governing the three following infinitives: lkal ("to eat"), taclw ("and to lift" = "to accept [or, receive]") and jmclw ("and to rejoice"). This statement parallels 2:24-26 which states that no one can find enjoyment in life unless God gives him the ability to do so.
50tn (5:19) The feminine singular demonstrative pronoun hz) ("this") refers back to all that preceded it in the verse (e.g., GKC §135.p), that is, the ability to enjoy the fruit of one's labor is the gift of God (e.g., Eccl 2:24-26).
51tn (5:20) The verb rkz ("to remember") may be nuanced "to call to mind; to think about," that is, "to reflect upon" (e.g., Isa 47:7; Lam 1:9; Job 21:6; 36:24; 40:32; Eccl 11:8); cf. BDB 270 (5); HALOT 270 (2).
52tn (5:20) The word "fleeting" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
53tn (5:20) The term hnum (Hiphil participle ms from hnu II "to be occupied") refers to activity that keeps a person physically busy and mentally preoccupied, e.g., Eccl 1:13; 3:10; 5:19 (HALOT 854; BDB 775). The related noun /ynu ("business; occupation; task") refers to activity that keeps man busy and occupies his time, e.g., Eccl 1:13; 2:26; 3:10 (HALOT 857; BDB 775). The participle form is used to emphasize durative, uninterrupted, continual action.
1tn (6:1) The term vy ("there is") is often used in aphorisms to assert the existence of a particular situation that occurs sometimes. It may indicate that the situation is not the rule but that it does occur on occasion, and may be nuanced "sometimes" (Prov 11:24; 13:7, 23; 14:12; 16:25; 18:24; 20:15; Eccl 2:21; 4:8; 5:12; 6:1; 7:15 [2x]; 8:14 [3x]).
2tn (6:1) The noun hur ("evil") probably means "misfortune" (HALOT 1263 [4]) or "injustice, wrong" (HALOT 1262 [2.b]); see, e.g., Eccl 2:17; 5:12, 15; 6:1; 10:5.
3tn (6:1) Heb "under the sun."
4tn (6:1) The word "weighs" does not appear in Hebrew, but is added in the translation for smoothness.
5tn (6:1) Heb "it is great upon men." The phrase <dah-lu ayh hbrw is taken in two basic ways: (1) commonality: "it is common among men" (KJV, MLB), "it is prevalent among men" (NASB), "that is frequent among men" (Douay). (2) oppressiveness: "it lies heavy upon men" (RSV, NRSV), "it weighs heavily upon men" (NEB, NAB, NIV), "it presses heavily on men" (Moffatt), "it is heavy upon men" (ASV, AB), and "a grave one it is for man" (NJPS). The preposition lu^ (u^l, "upon") argues against the first in favor of the second; the notion of commonality would be denoted by the preposition B= (bet, "among"). The singular noun <da is used as a collective, denoting "men." The article on <dah is used in a generic sense referring to humankind as a whole; the generic article is often used with a collective singular (IBHS, 244).
6tn (6:2) Heb "his flesh."
7tn (6:2) Heb "There is no lack in respect to his flesh"; or "his desire lacks nothing."
8tn (6:2) The verb flv ("to give power") means in the Qal stem "to domineer; to dominate; to lord it over; to be master of" and in the Hiphil stem "to give power to" (BDB 1020) and "to grant" (KBL3 977). God must grant a person the ability to enjoy the fruit of his labor, otherwise a person will not be able to enjoy his possessions and wealth. The ability to partake of the fruit of one's labor and to find satisfaction and joy in it is a gift from God (e.g., Eccl 2:24-26; 3:13; 5:18 [19]; 9:7).
9tn (6:2) Heb "to eat of it." The verb lka ("to eat") functions as a metonymy of association, that is, the action of eating is associated with the enjoyment of the fruit of one's labor (e.g., Eccl 2:24-26; 3:12-13, 22; 5:17-19; 8:15; 9:9).
10tn (6:2) The phrase "the fruit of his labor" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
11tn (6:2) Heb "a stranger." The Hebrew expression yrkn ?ya ("stranger") sometimes refers not to a foreigner or someone that the person does not know, but simply to someone else other than the subject (e.g., Prov 27:2). In the light of 6:3-6, it might even refer to the man's own heirs. The term is used as a synecdoche of species (foreigner for stranger) in the sense of someone else other than the subject: "someone else" (BDB 649 [3]).
12tn (6:2) Heb "eats it."
13sn (6:2) Instead, someone else enjoys it. A person may be unable to enjoy the fruit of his/her labor due to an unfortunate turn of events that robs a person of his possessions (5:13-14) or a miserly, lifelong hoarding of one's wealth that robs him of the ability to enjoy what he has worked so hard to acquire (5:15-17). Qoheleth recommends the enjoyment of life and the fruit of one's labor, as God enables (5:18-20). Unfortunately, the ability to enjoy the fruits of one's labor is often thwarted by the obstacles described in 6:1-2 and 6:3-9.
14tn (6:2) Heb "an evil sickness."
15tn (6:3) Heb "the days of his years are many."
16tn (6:3) Heb "he has no burial." The phrase htyh-al hrwbq-<gw ("he even has no burial") is traditionally treated as part of a description of the man's sorry final state, that is, he is deprived of even a proper burial (KJV, NEB, RSV, NRSV, AB, ASV, NASB, NIV, NJPS, MLB, Moffatt). However, the preceding parallel lines suggest that this a hyperbolic protasis: "If he were to live one hundred years...even if he were never buried [i.e., were to live forever]...." A similar idea occurs elsewhere (e.g., Pss 49:9; 89:48). See D. R. Glenn, "Ecclesiastes," BKCOT, 990.
17tn (6:3) The noun lpn denotes "miscarriage" and by metonymy of effect, "stillborn child" (e.g., Ps 58:9; Job 3:16; Eccl 6:3); cf. HALOT 711. The noun is related to one of the meanings of lpn ("to be born"); see Isa 26:18; cf. HALOT 710 (5).
18sn (6:3) The point of 6:3-6 is that the futility of unenjoyed wealth is worse than the tragedy of being stillborn.
19tn (6:4) Heb "he"; the referent ("the stillborn child") has been specified in the translation for clarity.
20tn (6:4) The phrase "into the world" does not appear in Hebrew, but is added in the translation for smoothness.
21sn (6:4) The birth of the stillborn was in vain--it did it no good to be born.
22sn (6:4) The name of the stillborn is forgotten.
23tn (6:5) Heb "it never saw the sun."
24tn (6:5) The phrase "what life is like" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
25sn (6:5) The Hebrew term translated rest here refers to freedom from toil, anxiety, and misery--part of the miserable misfortune that the miserly man of wealth must endure.
26tn (6:6) Heb "Do not both go to the same place?" The rhetorical question is an example of erotesis of positive affirmation, expecting a positive answer, e.g., Ps 56:13 [14] (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 947). It affirms the fact that both the miserly rich man who lives two thousand years, as well as the stillborn who never lived one day, both go to the same place--the grave. And if the miserly rich man never enjoyed the fruit of his labor during his life, his fate was no better than that of the stillborn who never had opportunity to enjoy any of the blessings of life. In a sense, it would have been better for the miserly rich man to have never lived than to have experienced the toil, anxiety, and misery of accumulating his wealth, but never enjoying any of the fruits of his labor.
27tn (6:7) The phrase "for nothing more than" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
28tn (6:7) Heb "All man's work is for his mouth." The term "mouth" functions as a synecdoche of part (i.e., mouth) for the whole (i.e., person), substituting the organ of consumption for the person's action of consumption (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 641-43), as suggested by the parallelism with vpn ("his appetite").
29tn (6:7) The term vpn ("desire; appetite") is used as a metonymy of association, that is, the soul is associated with man's desires and appetites (BDB 660 [5.c; 6.a]).
30sn (6:8) So what advantage does the wise man have over a fool? The rhetorical question in Hebrew implies a negative answer: the wise man has no absolute advantage over a fool in the sense that both will share the same fate: death. Qoheleth should not be misunderstood here as denying that wisdom has no relative advantage over folly; elsewhere he affirms that wisdom does yield some relative benefits in life (7:1-22). However, wisdom cannot deliver one from death.
31sn (6:8) As in the preceding parallel line, this rhetorical question implies a negative answer (see the note after the word "fool" in the preceding line).
32tn (6:8) Heb "to walk before the living"; or "how to get along in life."
33tn (6:8) The word "over the fool" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
34tn (6:9) The phrase "to be content with" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
35tn (6:9) The expression <ynyu harm ("the seeing of the eyes") is a metonymy of cause (i.e., seeing an object) for effect (i.e., being content with what the eyes can see); see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 552-54.
36tn (6:9) Heb "the roaming of the flesh." The expression vpn-Elhm ("the roaming of the flesh") is a metonymy for unfulfilled desires. The term "flesh" (vpn) is used as a metonymy of association for man's desires and appetites (BDB 660 [5.c; 6.a]). This also involves the personification of the roving appetite as "roving" (Elhm); see BDB 235 (II.3.f.1.b); 235 (II.f.2); 232 (I.3).
37tn (6:9) The phrase "continual longing" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
38tn (6:9) The term "like" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
39tn (6:10) Or "and what man is was foreknown."
40tn (6:10) Heb "He cannot contend."
41tn (6:10) Heb "him"; the referent ("God") has been specified in the translation for clarity.
42tn (6:10) Heb "he cannot contend with him who is more powerful than him." The referent of the first "him" (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
43tn (6:11) Heb "The more the words, the more the futility."
44tn (6:11) Or "What benefit does man have [in that]?"
45tn (6:12) Heb "For who knows what is good for a man in his life?" The rhetorical question ("For who knows...?") is an erotesis of negative affirmation, expecting a negative answer: "For no one knows...!" (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949-51). The translation renders this rhetorical device as a positive affirmation.
46tn (6:12) The vav prefixed to <cuyw (conjunction + Qal imperfect 3ms from hcu "to do" + 3mpl suffix) functions in an explanatory or epexegetical sense ("For ...").
47tn (6:12) The 3mpl suffix on the verb <cuyw (conjunction + Qal imperfect 3ms from hcu "to do" + 3mpl suffix) refers to wlbh yyj-ymy rpsm ("the few days of his fleeting life"). The suffix may be taken as an objective genitive: "he spends them [i.e., the days of his life] like a shadow" (HALOT 891 [8]) or as a subjective genitive: "they [i.e., the days of his life] pass like a shadow" (BDB 795 [11]).
48tn (6:12) Heb "Who can tell him what shall be after him under the sun?" The rhetorical question ("For who can tell him...?") features erotesis of negative affirmation, expecting a negative answer: "For no one can tell him...!" (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949-51). The translation renders this rhetorical device as a positive affirmation.
1tn (7:1) Heb "name." The Hebrew term <v ("name") is used metonymically for a person's reputation (e.g., Prov 22:1; Deut 22:14, 19; Neh 6:13; also Gen 6:4; 12:2; 2 Sam 7:9; 8:13; 23:18, 22; 1 Chr 5:24; 12:31; 2 Chr 26:15; Neh 9:10; Isa 63:12, 14; Jer 32:20; Ezek 16:14; Dan 9:15); cf. KBL3 983 (2); BDB 1028 (2.b).
2tn (7:1) The comparative term bof ("better") is repeated throughout 7:1-12. It term introduces a series of "Better-than sayings," particularly in 7:1-6 in which every poetic unit is introduced by bof ("better").
3tn (7:1) Heb "good perfume." The repetition of bof ("good") forms an inclusion (a structural device that rounds off the unit), while the two internal terms /mvm <v ("name...ointment") creates a paranomastic wordplay (see the note on the word "perfume"). The combination of these two sets of literary devices creates an AB:B'A' chiasm: bof /mvm <v bof (e.g., "good name"// "ointment good").
4tn (7:1) Or "oil"; or "ointment." The term /mv refers to fragrant "perfume; cologne; ointment" (Amos 6:6; Eccl 10:1; Song 1:2 [1:3 HT]; 4:10); see KBL3 990 (3). Odoriferous bodily oils were expensive (1 Kgs 17:12; 2 Kgs 2:4). Possession of oils and perfumes was a sign of prosperity (Deut 32:8; 33:24; Job 29:6; Prov 21:17; Ezek 16:13, 20). Wearing colognes and oils was associated with joy (Ps 45:8; Eccl 9:8; Isa 61:3) because they were worn on festive occasions (Prov 27:9). The similar sounding terms "name" (<v) and "perfume" (/mv) create a wordplay (paranomasia). See W. W. E. Watson, Classical Hebrew Poetry (Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1984), 242-43; I. M. Casanowicz, JBL 12 (1893) 105-67; J. J. Gluck, Semitics 1 (1970) 50-78; A. Guillaume, JSS 9 (1964) 282-90; J. M. Sasson, "Wordplay in the OT," IDBSup 968-70.
5tn (7:1) The vav prefixed to the form <wyw functions in a comparative sense, e.g., Job 5:7; 12:11; 16:21; Prov 25:25 (see Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §437).
6tn (7:1) The word "one's" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
7tn (7:1) The article prefixed to twmh ("death") probably functions in an indefinite possessive sense or in a generic sense: "one's death," e.g., Gen 44:2 (see Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §§86, 92).
8sn (7:1) There are two ways to understand this proverb: (1) Happy times (characterized by celebration and "fragrant perfume") teach us less than hard times ("the day of one's death") which can bring about moral improvement ("a good reputation"). (2) It is better to come to the end of one's life ("day of one's death") with a good reputation ("a good name") than to merely be starting life ("day of one's birth") in an auspicious manner in joy and wealth ("fine perfume"). Folly and wickedness could foil a good beginning so that a person ends life as a fool. For example, Solomon began as the wisest man who ever lived, only to end life as one of history's greatest fools.
9sn (7:2) The phrase house of mourning refers to a funeral where the deceased is mourned.
10tn (7:2) Heb "house of drinking"; or "house of feasting." The Hebrew noun htvm can denote (1) "feast; banquet," occasion for drinking-bouts (1 Sam 25:36; Isa 5:12; Jer 51:39; Job 1:5; Esth 2:18; 5:14; 8:17; 9:19) or (2) "drink" (exilic/post-exilic--Ezra 3:7; Dan 1:5, 8, 16); see KBL3 581; BDB 1059.
sn (7:2) Qoheleth recommended that people soberly reflect on the brevity of life and the reality of death (It is better to go to a house of mourning) than to waste one's life in the foolish pursuit of pleasure (than to go to a house of banqueting). Sober reflection on the brevity of life and reality of death has more moral benefit than frivolous levity.
11tn (7:2) Heb "this"; the referent ("death") has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12tn (7:2) Heb "the end." The noun [ws literally means "end; conclusion" (HALOT 747 [1]; BDB 693). It is used in this context in reference to death, as the collocated phrase "house of mourning" (i.e., funeral) suggests.
13tn (7:2) Heb "all men" or "every man."
14tn (7:2) The imperfect tense verb /ty (from /tn "to give") functions in a modal sense, denoting obligation, that is, the subject's obligatory of necessary conduct: "should" or "ought to" (see Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §172; IBHS, 508).
15tn (7:2) The word "this" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
16tn (7:3) NEB suggests "grief"; NJPS, "vexation."
17tn (7:3) Heb "A sad face is good for the heart."
18tn (7:3) Or possibly "Though the face is sad, the heart may be glad."
19sn (7:4) The expression the house of merrymaking refers to a banquet where those who attend engage in self-indulgent feasting and riotous drinking.
20tn (7:5) Heb "hear."
21tn (7:5) Heb "rebuke of the wise," a subjective genitive ("the wise" administer the rebuke).
22tn (7:5) Or "praise." The antithetical parallelism between "rebuke" (trug) and "song" (ryv) suggests that the latter is figurative (metonymy of association) for praise/flattery which is "music" to the ears: "praise of fools" (NEB, NJPS) and "flattery of fools" (Douay). However, the collocation of "song" (ryv) in 7:5 with "laughter" (qjc) in 7:6 suggests simply frivolous merrymaking: "song of fools" (KJV, NASB, NIV, AB, ASV, RSV, NRSV). The antithetical parallelism between "rebuke" (trug) and "song" (ryv) suggests that the latter is figurative (metonymy of association) for "music" to the ears: "praise of fools" (NEB, NJPS) or "flattery of fools" (Douay).
23tn (7:6) The term "thorns" (<yrysh) refers to twigs from wild thorn bushes which were used as fuel for quick heat, but burn out quickly before a cooking pot can be properly heated (e.g., Pss 58:9; 118:12).
24tn (7:6) The word "kind of folly" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
25tn (7:6) It is difficult to determine whether the Hebrew term lb#h# (h#b#l) means "fleeting" or "useless" in this context. The imagery of quick-burning thorns under a cooking pot is ambiguous and can be understood in more than one way: (1) It is useless to try to heat a cooking pot by burning quick-burning thorns because they burn out before the pot can be properly heated; (2) the heat produced by quick-burning thorns is fleeting--it produces quick heat, but lasts only for a moment. Likewise, the "laughter of a fool" can be taken in both ways: (1) In comparison to the sober reflection of the wise, the laughter of fools is morally useless: the burning of thorns, like the laughter of fools, makes a lot of noise but accomplishes nothing; (2) the laughter of fools is fleeting due to the brevity of life and certainty of death. Perhaps this is an example of intentional ambiguity.
26tn (7:7) Or "extortion." Scholars debate whether the noun qvu ("oppression; extortion") in this context denotes "oppression" (HALOT 897 [1]) or "gain of extortion" (BDB 799 [3]). The parallelism between qvu and hntm ("bribe") seems to suggest the latter; but the prominence of the theme of oppression in 7:8-10 argues for the former. Elsewhere in Ecclesiastes, the noun qvu denotes "oppression" (Eccl 4:1) and "extortion" (Eccl 5:8 [Heb 5:7]). The LXX rendered it as sukofantia ("oppression"). English translations are split between these two options: "extortion" (ASV, MLB, NIV), "oppression" (KJV, NAB, NASB, RSV, NRSV, YLT, Douay, Moffatt, AB), as well as "cheating" (NJPS) and "slander" (NEB).
27tn (7:7) Or "Oppression drives a wise man crazy"; or "Extortion drives a wise man crazy." The verb llh III ("to be foolish") denotes "to make foolish; to make a fool out of someone; to make into a madman" (Job 12:17; Isa 44:25); cf. BDB 239; HALOT 249. It has been handled variously: "deprives a wise man of reason" (Jastrow); "makes a wise man mad" (KJV, NASB, AB); "drives a wise man crazy" (NEB); "can make a fool of a wise man" (NAB); "makes the wise man foolish" (RSV, NRSV); and "turns a wise man into a fool" (NIV).
28tn (7:7) The vav prefixed to dbayw ("corrupts") may function in a comparative sense, e.g., Job 5:7; 12:11; 16:21; Prov 25:25 (see Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §437).
29tc (7:7) The MT Kethib is dbayw (conjunction + Piel imperfect 3ms from dba "to destroy"), but the Qere is hwuyw "twists" or "perverts" (conjunction + Piel imperfect 3ms from hwu I "to bend; to twist"). The Qere is supported by the Dead Sea Scrolls text 4QQoha which reads hwuyw (see J. Muilenburg, BASOR 135 (1954) 27). The verb hwu I ("to bend; to twist") is used in reference to moral perversion (e.g., 2 Sam 7:14; 19:20; 24:17; 1 Kgs 8:47; Job 33:27; Prov 12:8; Jer 9:4); cf. HALOT 796-97; BDB 730. The Kethib verb dbayw (conjunction + Piel imperfect 3ms from dba "to destroy") is used similarly in reference to moral corruption, e.g., Eccl 3:6; 9:18; Jer 23:1 (HALOT 3; BDB 2 [2]).
30tn (7:7) Or "and a bribe drives a person mad." The noun bl ("heart") may be taken as a synecdoche of part (i.e., heart) for the whole (i.e., a person). HALOT 3 suggests that bl dbayw ("destroys the heart") is an idiom meaning, "drives a person mad." The B-line is taken as a comparison with the preceding A-line. On the other hand, the A-line and B-line might be in synonymous parallelism in which case the two lines could be rendered: "Surely [the gain of] extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart." On the other hand, the lines could be rendered, "Surely oppression drives a wise man crazy, and a bribe drives a person mad."
31tn (7:8) The term rbd denotes "matter; thing" here rather than "speech; word," as the parallelism with "patience" suggests. The term was misunderstood as "speech; word" by the Vulgate (so also Douay).
32tn (7:8) Heb "the patient of spirit."
33tn (7:8) Heb "the proud of spirit."
34tn (7:9) Heb "Do not be hasty in your spirit to become angry."
35tn (7:9) Heb "bosom."
36tn (7:10) The word "days" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
37tn (7:10) Heb "It is not from wisdom that you ask about this."
38tn (7:11) Or "Wisdom with an inheritance, is good"; or "Wisdom is as good as an inheritance." This use of the preposition <u! may denote: (1) accompaniment: "together with," or (2) comparison: "as good as; like; in comparison to" (HALOT 839-40; BDB 767-69). BDB 767 (1) suggests the accompaniment nuance "together with," while HALOT 840 (2.c) suggests the comparative sense "in comparison to." The translations are also divided: "wisdom with an inheritance is good" (KJV, ASV margin, RSV, NASB, YLT, AB); "wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing" (NIV); "wisdom is as good as an inheritance" (ASV, NRSV, MLB, NJPS, Moffatt); "wisdom is better than an inheritance" (NEB). Because v. 12 compares wisdom with money (i.e., an inheritance), v. 11 is probably making a comparison as well: "Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good" (7:11a) = "Wisdom provides protection, just as money provides protection" (7:12a). The "good thing" that wisdom--like an inheritance or money--provides is protection.
39tn (7:11) Heb "see the sun."
40tn (7:12) Heb "wisdom is a shade." When used with a predicate nominative in a verbless clause, the preposition B= (bet) which appears twice in the line [skh lxb hmkjh lxb denotes identity, the so-called bet of essence (HALOT 104 [3]; BDB 88 [1.7]; see also Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §249).
41tn (7:12) The term lx ("shade; shadow") refers to that which provides protection or a shelter from the sun (Gen 19:8; Judg 9:36; Isa 25:5; 32:2; Jer 48:45; Jonah 4:5). It is used often in a figurative sense (hypocatastasis) to connote "protection" from calamity (Num 14:9; Isa 49:2; Hos 14:8; Pss 17:8; 36:8; 57:2; 63:8; 91:1; 121:5; Lam 4:20).
42tn (7:12) The phrase "just as" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness and clarity.
43tn (7:12) Heb "Wisdom is a shade, money is a shade." The repetition of lxb ("shade; protection") suggests that the A-line and B-line function as comparisons. Thus the Hebrew phrases "Wisdom is a shade, money is a shade" may be nuanced, "Wisdom [provides] protection [just as] money [provides] protection." This approach is adopted by several translations: "wisdom is a defense, as money is a defense" (ASV), "wisdom is protection just as money is protection" (NASB), "wisdom like wealth is a defense" (Moffatt), "the protection of wisdom is as the protection of money" (NAB), "the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money" (RSV, NRSV), "wisdom protects as wealth protects" (MLB), and "wisdom is a shelter, as money is a shelter" (NIV). The comparison is missed by KJV: "wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense." Less likely is taking B= (bet) in a locative sense: "in the protection of wisdom is the protection of money" (AB) or "to be in the shelter of wisdom is to be in the shelter of money" (NJPS).
44tn (7:12) The verb hyj ("to live") in the Piel denotes (1) "to let live; to keep alive; to preserve alive; to allow to live happily" (Gen 12:12; Exod 1:17; Num 31:15; Deut 6:24; Josh 9:15; Isa 7:21; Jer 49:11) and (2) "to bring back to life" of persons who are ill (Ps 30:4) or deceased (Hos 6:2); cf. HALOT 309. Its parallelism with lx ("protection") indicates that it means "to preserve someone's life" from premature death or calamity. Therefore, "preserves the life" (RSV, AB, NAB, ASV, NASB, NIV, NJPS) is preferable to "gives life to" (KJV, Douay, NRSV, YLT).
45tn (7:15) Heb "the day of good."
46tn (7:15) Heb "the day of evil."
47tn (7:15) Less probable renderings of this line are: "God has made one thing to balance another" (AB); "God hath made the one side by side with the other" (ASV); and "God has set the one alongside the other" (NEB).
48tn (7:15) Heb "anything after him." This line is misinterpreted by several versions: "that man may not find against him any just complaint" (Douay); "consequently, man may find no fault with Him" (NJPS); "so that man cannot find fault with him in anything" (NAB).
49tn (7:15) The word "life" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness and clarity.
50tn (7:15) As is the case throughout Ecclesiastes, the term lkh should be nuanced "both" rather than "all."
51tn (7:15) Heb "There is." The term vy ("there is") is often used in aphorisms to assert the existence of a particular situation that occurs sometimes. It may indicate that the situation is not the rule but that it does occur on occasion, and may be nuanced "sometimes" (Prov 11:24; 13:7, 23; 14:12; 16:25; 18:24; 20:15; Eccl 2:21; 4:8; 5:12; 6:1; 7:15 [2x]; 8:14 [3x]).
52tn (7:15) Heb "perishes."
53tn (7:15) Or "in his righteousness." The preposition B= (bet) on the terms oqr=x!B= ("his righteousness") and otu*r*B= ("his evil-doing") in the following line are traditionally taken in a locative sense: "in his righteousness" and "in his wickedness" (KJV, NASB, NIV). However, it is better to take the B= (bet) in the adversative sense "in spite of" (e.g., Lev 26:27; Num 14:11; Deut 1:32; Isa 5:25; 9:11, 16, 20; 10:4; 16:14; 47:9; Pss 27:3; 78:32; Ezra 3:3); cf. HALOT 104 (7); BDB 90 (3.7). NJPS renders it well: "Sometimes a good man perishes in spite of his goodness, and sometimes a wicked one endures in spite of his wickedness." In a similar vein, D. R. Glenn ("Ecclesiastes," BKCOT, 993-94) writes: "The word `in' in the phrases `in his righteousness' and `in his wickedness' can here mean `in spite of.' These phrases...argue against the common view that in 7:16 Solomon was warning against legalistic or Pharisaic self-righteousness. Such would have been a sin and would have been so acknowledged by Solomon who was concerned about true exceptions to the doctrine of retribution, not supposed ones (cf. 8:10-14 where this doctrine is discussed again)."
54tn (7:15) Heb "There is." The term vy ("there is") is often used in aphorisms to assert the existence of a particular situation that occurs sometimes. It may indicate that the situation is not the rule but that it does occur on occasion, and may be nuanced "sometimes" (Prov 11:24; 13:7, 23; 14:12; 16:25; 18:24; 20:15; Eccl 2:21; 4:8; 5:12; 6:1; 7:15 [2x]; 8:14 [3x]).
55tn (7:15) Heb "a wicked man endures."
56tn (7:16) The adjective rt@oy means "too much; excessive," e.g., 2:15 "excessively wise" (HALOT 404 [2]; BDB 452). It is derived from the root rt#y\ ("what is left over"; cf. HALOT 452), and related to the verb rty (Niphal "to be left over" and Hiphil "to have left over"; cf. HALOT 451-52). In 2:15 the adjective rt@oy is used with the noun /ort=y] ("advantage; profit") in a wordplay or pun: The wise man has a relative "advantage" (/ort=y]) over the fool (2:13-14a); however, there is no ultimate advantage because both share the same fate--death (2:14b-15a). Thus, Qoheleth's acquisition of tremendous wisdom (1:16; 2:9) was "excessive" because it exceeded its relative advantage over folly: it could not deliver him from the same fate as the fool. He strove to obtain wisdom, yet it held no ultimate advantage. Likewise, in 7:16, Qoheleth warns that wisdom and righteous behavior do not guarantee an advantage over wickedness and folly, because the law of retribution is sometimes violated.
57tn (7:16) Heb "So do not be overly righteous and do not be overly wise." The Hitpael verb <kjtt (from <kj, "to be wise") means "to make or show yourself wise" (HALOT 314; BDB 314). The Hitpael may be understood as: (1) benefactive reflexive use which refers to an action done for one's own behalf (e.g., Gen 20:7; Josh 9:12; 1 Kgs 8:33; Job 13:27): because the law of retribution is sometimes violated, it is not wise for a person to be overly dependent upon wisdom or righteousness for his own benefit; (2) estimative-declarative reflexive which denotes esteeming or presenting oneself in a certain state, without regard to the question of truthfulness (e.g., 2 Sam 13:5; Prov 13:6; Est 8:17): it is useless to overly esteem oneself as wise or to falsely present oneself as wiser than he really is because the law of retribution sometimes fails to reward the wise. The enigma of this line--"overly righteous and overly wise"--may be resolved by proper classification of the Hitpael stem of this verb.
58tn (7:16) Heb "Why should you be dumbfounded?"
59tn (7:16) The imperfect tense verb <mv functions in a modal sense, denoting possibility: "you might be..." (see IBHS, 508).
60 tn (7:16) Or "Why should you ruin yourself?"; or "Why should you destroy yourself?" The verb <mv is traditionally taken as "to destroy; to ruin oneself." For its use here KBL3 989 (2) has "to cause oneself ruin"; BDB 1031 (2) has "cause oneself desolation, ruin." Most English versions take a similar approach: "Why destroy yourself?" (KJV, ASV, NEB, NRSV, MLB, NIV); "Why ruin yourself?" (AB, NAB, NASB). However, in the Hitpolel stem the root <mv never means this elsewhere, but is always nuanced elsewhere as "to be appalled; to be astonished; to be dumbfounded; to be confounded; to be horrified" (e.g., Ps 143:4; Isa 59:16; 63:5; Dan 8:27); cf. BDB 1031 (1); KBL3 989 (1). It is taken this way in the English version of the Tanakh: "or you may be dumbfounded" (NJPS). Likewise, Cohen renders, "Why should you be overcome with amazement?" (A. Cohen, "Ecclesiastes," in Soncino Books of the Bible 14.154). If a person was trusting in his own righteousness or wisdom to guarantee prosperity, he might be scandalized by the exceptions to the doctrine of retribution that Qoheleth had observed in 7:15. D. R. Glenn ("Ecclesiastes," BKCOT, 994) notes: "This fits in nicely with Solomon's argument here. He urged his readers not to be over-righteous or over-wise `lest they be confounded or astonished.' He meant that they should not depend on their righteousness or wisdom to guarantee God's blessing because they might be confounded, dismayed, or disappointed like the righteous people whom Solomon had seen perishing in spite of their righteousness [in 7:15]." See GKC §54.c.
61tn (7:17) Heb "Why should you die before your time?"
62tn (7:18) The word "warning" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation two times in this line for clarity.
63sn (7:18) The other warning. Qoheleth is referring to the two words of advice in 7:16-17. He is not, as some suggest, urging his readers to grasp righteousness without letting go of wickedness. His point is not that people should live their lives with a balance of modest righteousness and modest wickedness. Because he urges the fear of God in 7:18b, he cannot be inconsistent in suggesting that his readers offend the fear of God by indulging in some degree of sin in order to counterbalance an overly righteous life. Rather, the proper fear of God will prevent a person from trusting in righteousness and wisdom alone for his security, and it will also prevent indulgence in wickedness and folly.
64tn (7:18) Or "will escape both"; or "will go forth in both." The Hebrew phrase <lk-ta axy ("he will follow both of them") has been interpreted in several ways: (1) To adopt a balanced lifestyle that is moderately righteous while allowing for self-indulgence in moderate wickedness ("to follow both of them," that is, to follow both righteousness and wickedness). However, this seems to unnecessarily encourage an antinomian rationalization of sin and moral compromise. (2) To avoid the two extremes of being over-righteous and over-wicked. This takes axy in the sense of "to escape," e.g., Gen 39:12, 15; 1 Sam 14:14; Jer 11:11; 48:9; cf. HALOT 426 (6.c); BDB 423 (1.d): "He who fears God shall escape both of them" (so Delitzsch, Hitzig, Noldeke, and the Mishnah). (3) To follow both of the warnings given in 7:16-17. This approach finds parallels in post-biblical rabbinic literature denoting the action of discharging one's duty of obedience and complying with instruction. In post-biblical rabbinic literature the phrase ydy axy ("to go out of the hands") is an idiom meaning "to comply with the requirements of the law" (M. Jastrow, Dictionary, 587). This fits nicely with the context of 7:16-17 in which Qoheleth issued two warnings. In 7:18a Qoheleth exhorted his readers to follow both of his warnings: "It is best to grasp the first warning without letting go of the second warning." The person who fears God will heed both warnings. He will not depend upon his own righteousness and wisdom, but upon God's sovereign bestowal of blessings. Likewise, he will not exploit the exceptions to the doctrine of retribution to indulge in sin, rationalizing sin away just because the wicked sometimes do not get what they deserve.
65tn (7:18) Heb "both." The term "warnings" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. Alternately, "both [extremes]" or "both [fates]." The point of this expression is either (1) " he achieves both things," (2) "he escapes all these misfortunes," (3) "he does his duty by both," or (4) "he avoids both extremes." See Dominique Barthelemy, ed. et al. Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (New York: United Bible Society, 1976), 3:580-81.
66tn (7:19) Heb "gives strength."
67tn (7:20) The introductory particle yK! is rendered variously: "for" (KJV); "indeed" (NASB); not translated (NIV); "for" (NJPS). The particle functions in an explanatory sense, explaining the need for wisdom in v. 19. Righteousness alone cannot always protect a person from calamity (7:15-16); therefore, something additional, such as wisdom, is needed. The need for wisdom as protection from calamity is particularly evident in the light of the fact that no one is truly righteous (7:19-20).
68tn (7:20) The term "truly" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. Qoheleth does not deny the existence of some people who are relatively righteous.
69tn (7:21) Heb "they"; the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
70tn (7:21) Heb "so that you do not hear..."; or "lest you hear...."
71tn (7:21) The imperfect tense verb umvt (from umv, "to hear") functions in a modal sense, denoting possibility: "you might hear" (see IBHS, 508).
72tn (7:22) Heb "your heart knows."
73tn (7:23) The cohortative hmkja (from <kj "to be wise") emphasizes the resolve (determination) of Qoheleth to become wise enough to understand the perplexities of life.
74tn (7:23) Or "I am determined to become wise"
75tn (7:23) Or "but it eluded me"; Heb "but it was far from me."
76tn (7:24) The word "human" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
77tn (7:24) Heb "is far away."
78tn (7:24) Heb "It is deep, deep--who can find it?"
79tn (7:25) Heb "my heart."
80tn (7:25) Heb "to seek."
81tn (7:25) The phrase "the role of" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
82tn (7:25) The phrase /wbvjw hmkj ("wisdom and the scheme of things") is a hendiadys (a figure of speech in which two nouns connote one idea): "wisdom in the scheme of things." This is similar to the hendiadys inrhw inwbxu ("pain and childbearing") which connotes "pain in childbearing" (Gen 3:16).
83tn (7:25) Or "the evil of folly" The genitive construct phrase lsk uvr may be taken as a genitive of attribution ("the wickedness of folly") or as a genitive of attribute ("the folly of wickedness"). The English versions treat it in various ways: "wickedness of folly" (KJV); "wrong of folly" (YLT); "evil of folly" (NASB); "stupidity of wickedness" (NIV); "wickedness, stupidity" (NJPS); "wickedness is folly [or, foolish]" (ASV, NAB, NRSV, MLB, AB, Moffatt), and "it is folly to be wicked" (NEB).
84tn (7:25) Or "the folly of madness" The genitive construct phrase twllwh twlkshw may be taken as a genitive of attribution ("the stupidity of wickedness") or a genitive of attribute ("the evil of folly"). The phrase is rendered variously: "foolishness and madness" (KJV); "foolishness of madness" (NASB); "madness of folly" (NIV); "madness and folly" (NJPS); "the foolishness which is madness" (NEB); and "foolishness [or, folly] is madness" (ASV, NAB, NRSV, MLB, AB, Moffatt).
85tn (7:26) The word "this" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
86tn (7:26) The phrase "kind of" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity (see the following note on the word "woman").
87tn (7:26) The article on hvah functions in a particularizing sense ("the kind of woman") rather than in a generic sense (i.e., "women").
88tn (7:26) Heb "is snares." The plural form <ydwxm (from the noun dwxm II "snare") is used to connote either intensity, repeated or habitual action, or moral characteristic. For the function of the Hebrew plural, see IBHS, 121-22. The term dwxm II "snare" is used in a concrete sense in reference to the hunter's snare or net, but in a figurative sense of being ensnared by someone (Job 19:6; Prov 12:12; Eccl 7:26).
89tn (7:28) The word "only" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
90tn (7:28) The word "upright" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation twice, here and in the following line, for clarity.
1tn (8:1) The preposition K= (kaf) prefixed to <kjhK= ("wise man") is traditionally taken in a comparative sense: "Who is like [or, as] the wise man?" On the other hand, it may denote identity, e.g., Gen 1:26; Num 11:1; 1 Sam 20:3; 2 Sam 9:8; Neh 7:2; Job 10:9; Nah 3:6 (see Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §261; IBHS, 202-203).
2tn (8:1) The definite article on <kjh ("wise man") may be taken in an individualizing ("the wise man") or generic sense ("a wise man").
3tn (8:1) Or "the explanation." The noun rvp denotes "solution; explanation; interpretation; meaning" (HALOT 982; BDB 833). The Hebrew term is an Aramaic loanword from arvp ("diagnosis; meaning; solution"). The Aramaic noun rv^P= ("interpretation of a dream or prophecy") and verb rv^P= ("to interpret a dream or prophecy") reflect a later meaning not present in Ecclesiastes, but current at the time of Daniel (Dan 2:5-7; 4:3, 15, 16; 5:12, 15, 16; 7:16) and Qumran (e.g., 1QpHab).
4tn (8:1) Heb "a thing."
5tn (8:1) Heb "his face."
6tc (8:1) The MT vocalizes the consonantal form an?y as aN\v%y+ (Pual imperfect 3ms from anv "to change"). However, the LXX misqhsetai reflects an alternate vocalization tradition of an}C*y] (Niphal imperfect 3ms from anc "to hate"), while the Vulgate's commutabit reflects hN\v^y+ (Piel imperfect 3ms from hnv III "to repeat").
tn (8:1) Heb "the strength of his face is changed."
7tn (8:1) Heb "the strength of his face is changed." The expression wynp zu ("strength of his face") is an idiom for "boldness; impudence" (BDB 739 [4]) or "hard face" = harsh countenance (HALOT 805 [2.c]).
8tc (8:2) The Leningrad Codex (the basis of BHS) reads yna (1cs independent personal pronoun): "I obey the king's command." Other medieval Hebrew MSS and all the versions (LXX, Vulgate, Targum, Syriac Peshitta) preserve an alternate textual tradition of the definite accusative marker -ta introducing the direct object: rwmv ilm-yp-ta ("Obey the command of the king"). External evidence supports the alternate textual tradition. The MT is guilty of simple orthographic confusion between similar looking letters. The BHS editors and the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project adopt -ta as the original reading. See Dominique Barthelemy, ed. et al. Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (New York: United Bible Society, 1976), 3.582-83.
9tn (8:2) The phrase "you took" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
10tn (8:2) The genitive-construct <yhla tuwbv ("an oath of God") functions as a genitive of location ("an oath before God") or an adjectival genitive of attribute ("a supreme oath").
11tn (8:3) Or "do not stand up for a bad cause."
12tn (8:4) Heb "word."
13tn (8:4) Heb "supreme."
14tn (8:4) Heb "Who can say...?"
15tn (8:4) The phrase "to him" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
16tn (8:5) The word "his" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness and clarity.
17tn (8:5) Heb "the heart of a wise man."
18tn (8:5) The term tu ("time") connotes "a proper, suitable time for an event; the right moment" (HALOT 900 [6]; BDB 773 [2.b]); e.g., "it was the time for rain" (Ezra 10:13); "a time of judgment for the nations" (Ezek 30:3); "there is an appropriate time for every occasion" (Eccl 3:1); "the time when mountain goats are born" (Job 39:1); "the rain in its season" (Deut 11:14; Jer 5:24); "the time for the harvest" (Hos 2:11; Ps 1:3); "food in its season" (Ps 104:27).
19tc (8:5) The MT reads fpvmw tu ("time and procedure"), while many medieval Hebrew MSS and the LXX read fpvm tu ("proper time"). The omission and addition of vav in the MT is commonplace. The MT reading is preferred because of the parallel use of the phrase fpvmw tu ("proper time and procedure") in the following verse.
20tn (8:6) Heb "evil"; or "misery."
21tn (8:6) Heb "the man."
22tn (8:6) Heb "upon him."
23tn (8:7) Heb "what will be."
24tn (8:7) Heb "no one call tell him"; or "a person can suffer great harm because of him."
25tn (8:7) Heb "Who can tell him what will be?"
26tn (8:8) Heb "There is no one who has mastery over the wind to restrain the wind."
27tn (8:8) Heb "There is no discharge in war."
28tn (8:8) Heb "its owners."
29tn (8:9) The term /wtnw (Qal infinitive absolute from /tn "to give") is a verbal use of the infinitive absolute, used with vav to indicate an action that took place simultaneous to the main verb (see IBHS, 596). Thus, the clause ybl-ta /wtnw ("while applying my mind...") indicates contemporaneous action to the clause, "All this I have seen" (ytyar hz-lk-ta). This is view is taken by several translations: "All this I have seen, having applied my mind to" (NEB); "All this I observed while applying my mind to" (RSV); "All this I observed, applying my mind to" (NRSV); "All this have I seen, having devoted my mind to" (AB); "All this I saw, as I applied my mind to" (NIV); "All this I saw, as thoughtfully I pondered" (Moffatt). On the other hand, the LXX took vav is taken in a coordinating sense ("and") and the infinitive absolute as an independent verb: Kai sumpan touto eijdon, kai ejdwka thn kardian mou eij" ("I saw all this, and I applied my heart to"). This reading is adopted by other English versions: "All this I have seen, and applied my heart" (KJV); "All these things I considered and I applied my mind" (NAB); "All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto" (ASV); "All this I have seen and applied my mind to" (NASB); "All these things I observed; I noted" (NJPS).
30tn (8:9) Heb "my heart."
31tn (8:9) Heb "every work"; or "every deed."
32tn (8:9) Heb "that is done under the sun." The phrase "that is done under the sun" (vmvh tjt hcun rva) is an idiom for "what happens in this world" or "on the earth" (BDB 1039 [4.c]). Moffatt renders this idiom, "what goes on within this world."
33tn (8:9) Heb "the man." The article on <dah ("the man") can be taken in a particularizing sense ("one man") or in a collective sense as mankind as a whole ("mankind"); see HALOT 14 (1); BDB 9 (2). So LXX: "All the things in which man has power over [his fellow] man to afflict him." This is adopted by the RSV ("man lords it over man to his hurt"); NJPS ("men still had authority over men to treat them unjustly"); Moffatt ("men have power over their fellows, power to injure them"); MLB ("man has mastery over another to harm him"); and YLT ("man hath ruled over man to his own evil"). On the other hand, 8:1-9 focuses on the absolute power of the king, so the referent of <dah is probably the king. The article functions in an individualizing, particularizing sense. The particularization of <dah is reflected in many English versions: "one man" (KJV, ASV, NEB, NAB, Douay, AB), "a man" (NASB, NIV), and "one person" (NRSV).
34tn (8:9) The verb flv denotes "to domineer; to dominate; to lord it over" (KBL3 977; BDB 1020). The English versions have: "rule over" (KJV, YLT, Douay), "have power over" (NEB, AB, ASV), "lord it over" (RSV, NIV), "have authority over" (NJPS), "exercise authority over" (NASB, NRSV); "have mastery over" (MLB); "tyrannize" (NAB).
35tn (8:9) Heb "man." The word "other" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. The singular noun <da ("man") functions as a collective singular, connoting "men" (HALOT 14 [1]; BDB 9 [2]). The absence of the article might suggest an indefinite than an individual, particular sense.
36tn (8:9) Heb "a man exercises power over [another] man to his harm" [or, "to his own harm"]. The 3ms singular pronominal suffix ol ("to his") may reference to the antecedent <da ("man" or "men"), being understood either in a singular sense (so NEB, RSV, NRSV, NAB, ASV, NASB, AB) or in a collective sense (Moffatt, NJPS, NIV margin). However, the antecedent might be <dah ("[one] man" = the king) with the suffix functioning reflexively: "to his own harm" (KJV, ASV margin, YLT, Douay, NIV).
37tn (8:10) Heb "Then..." The construction /kb means "then; thereupon; on this condition" (cf. Eccl 8:10; Est 4:16; Sir 13:7; see GKC §119.ii; BDB 486 [3.b]; HALOT 483 [8.c]). The line could be rendered, "It is was then that I saw."
38tc (8:10) There are three textual options: (1) The MT reads <wqmmw wabw <yrbq "they were buried, and they came, and from the place." The MT reads <yr!b%q= "being buried" (Qal passive participle mpl from rbq "to bury"). The MT reading is retained by most translations: "[And so I saw the wicked] buried, who had come and gone from the place [of the holy]" (KJV); "[Then I saw the wicked] buried; they used to go in and out of the [holy] place" (RSV, NRSV); "[I saw how the wicked] were buried, who had gone in and out from the [holy] place" (MLB); "[I have seen the wicked] buried, those who used to go in and out from the [holy] place" (NASB); "[Then too, I saw the wicked] buried--those who used to come and go from the [holy] place" (NIV); and "[And then I saw] scoundrels coming from the [Holy] Site and being brought to burial" (NJPS). (2) The LXX reflects the reading <wqmmw <ya!b*Wm <yr!b*q= ("to the tombs they are brought, and from the place"). The LXX reflects the consonantal text of <yrbq but tafou" ("tombs") reflects a vocalization tradition of <yr!b*q= ("tombs"). This approach is adopted by several translations: "emmenes a leur tombeau, et...du lieu [saint]" (La Sainte Bible). (3) Several scholars suggest emending the text to <wqmmw <yabw <yb rq ("approaching and coming to the place"). The emendation involves <yb! rq (Qal active participle mpl from brq "to approach; to draw near"). The emendation is adopted by several English versions: "I saw wicked men approach and enter...the sacred place" (NAB); "I saw wicked men approaching and even entering the holy place" (NEB). The emendation makes good sense because brq ("to approach; to draw near") is a synonym to aob ("to enter"), and is often used in reference to a person approaching the LORD at the tabernacle or temple. The textual corruption would be due to transposition of b and r in brq ("to approach") and rbq ("to bury"). See Dominique Barthelemy, ed. et al. Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (New York: United Bible Society, 1976), 3:584.
39tn (8:10) The phrase "the temple" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
40tn (8:10) Heb "the holy place."
41tc (8:10) The MT reads wjktvyw "and they were forgotten" (Hitpael imperfect 3mpl from jkv "to forget"). Apart from the MT reading here, the verb jkv "to forget" never occurs elsewhere in the Hitpael (KBL3 969; BDB 987). Many medieval Hebrew MSS read wjbtvyw "and they boasted" (Hitpael imperfect 3ms from jbv "praise, boast"). This alternate textual tradition is reflected in the Greek versions, e.g., Old Greek: kai ejphneqhsan ("and they were praised"), Aquilla and Theodotion: kai ejkauchsanto ("and they boasted"), and Symmachus: kai ejpainoumenoi ("and they were praised"). This is also reflected in the Vulgate. The English versions are divided; several follow the MT and translate "they were forgotten" (KJV, ASV, NASB, MLB, NJPS), but a good number adopt the alternate textual tradition and translate either "they were praised" or "they boasted" (NEB, RSV, AB, NAB, NIV, NRSV). The context of 8:10-17, which focuses on the enigmatic contradictions in divine retribution (sometimes the wicked are not punished), favors the alternate tradition. The wicked boast that they can come and go as they please in the temple, flaunting their irreligion without fearing divine retribution (8:10). This thought is continued in v. 11: failure to execute a sentence against a criminal emboldens the wicked to commit more crimes, confident they will not suffer retribution. It is likely that the original reading of wjbtvyw was confused for wjktvyw because the root jbv ("to praise; to boast") is much rarer than the common root jkv ("to forget"). The phrase is best rendered "they boasted" (NEB: "priding themselves") rather than "they were praised" (AB, NAB, RSV, NRSV, NIV)--the verb jbv means "to praise" in Piel, but "to boast" in Hitpael (Ps 106:47; 1 Chr 16:35) (KBL3 940-41; BDB 986). This approach is adopted by the committee for Jerusalem Hebrew Bible Project: see Dominique Barthelemy, ed. et al., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (New York: United Bible Society, 1976), 3:584-85.
42tn (8:10) The term lbh here means "enigmatic," that is, difficult to grasp (mentally). This sense is derived from the literal concept of breath, vapor or wind that cannot be seen; thus, the idea of "obscure, dark, difficult to understand, enigmatic" (see HALOT 236-37; BDB 210-11; TWAT 2.334-43; TDOT 3.313-20; THAT 1.467-69; TWOT 1.204-05). It is used in this sense in reference to enigmas in life (6:2; 8:10, 14) and the future which is obscure (11:8, 10).
43tn (8:11) The particle rva is used as a conjunction in a conditional/temporal clause to introduce the protasis ("when" or "if"), and /k-lu introduces the apodosis ("then"); cf. BDB 83 (8.d).
44tn (8:11) The noun <gtp ("decision; announcement; edict; decree") is a loanword from Persian patigama (HALOT 984; BDB 834). The Hebrew noun occurs twice in the OT (Eccl 8:11; Esth 1:20), twice in the Apocrypha (Sir 5:11; 8:9), and five times in Qumran (11QtgJob 9:2; 29:4; 30:1; 34:3; 1QapGen 22:27). The English versions consistently nuance this as a judicial sentence against a crime: "sentence" (KJV, NEB, AB, NAB, ASV, NASB, RSV, NRSV, MLB, YLT), "sentence for a crime" (NIV), "sentence imposed" (NJPS), "sentence on a crime" (Moffatt).
45tn (8:11) Heb "is not done." The verb hcu ("to do") refers to a judicial sentence being carried out (HALOT 892 [1]). The Niphal can denote "be executed; be carried out" of a sentence (Eccl 8:11) or royal decree (Est 9:1) (BDB 795 [1.a]). Similarly, the Qal can denote "to execute" vengeance (Judg 11:36) or judgment (1 Sam 28:18; Isa 48:14; Ezek 25:11; 28:26; Ps 149:7, 9) (BDB 794 [1.a]).
46tn (8:11) Heb "the heart of the sons of man." The singular noun bl ("heart") is used collectively. The term "heart"(bl) is often used figuratively (metonymy) in reference to inclinations and determinations of the will (BDB 525 [4]), moral character (BDB 525 [6]), and as a synecdoche for the man himself (BDB 525 [7]).
47tn (8:11) Heb "is full to do evil." The verb alm ("to fill") is used figuratively (metonymy): the lack of swift judicial punishment only emboldens the wicked to commit more crimes without fear of retribution. Most English versions translate the term literally: "are filled" (NIV, MLB, YLT), "is fully set" (KJV, ASV, RSV, NRSV), "is fully determined" (AB). However, several versions nuance it figuratively: "emboldened" (ASV, NJPS) and "boldly" (NEB). Moffatt renders the line, "Because sentence on a crime is not executed at once, the mind of man is prone to evil practices."
48tn (8:12) Heb "does evil one hundred [times]."
49tn (8:12) Heb "and prolongs his [life]."
50tn (8:12) Heb "those who fear God."
51tn (8:12) Heb "they fear."
52tn (8:13) Heb "he."
53tn (8:13) The word "their" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
54tn (8:13) The phrase "like a shadow" (lxk) modifies the verb ("prolong") rather than the noun ("days"). Several English versions misconstrue the line: "he will not prolong his days, [which are] like a shadow" (KJV, ASV); "the man who does not fear God is like a shadow" (NEB); and "he will not prolong his shadowy days" (NAB). It should be rendered "he will not prolong his days like a shadow" (RSV, NRSV, AB, NASB, MLB, NIV). Unlike a shadow that lengthens at sunset, the wicked do not normally live long.
55tn (8:13) Heb "he."
56tn (8:13) Heb "they do not fear."
57tn (8:14) Heb "there is." The term vy ("there is") is often used in aphorisms to assert the existence of a particular situation that occurs sometimes. It may indicate that the situation is not the rule but that it does occur on occasion, and may be nuanced "sometimes" (Prov 11:24; 13:7, 23; 14:12; 16:25; 18:24; 20:15; Eccl 2:21; 4:8; 5:12; 6:1; 7:15 [2x]; 8:14 [3x]).
58tn (8:14) The word "another" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
59tn (8:14) Or "vanity" (again at the end of this verse). The Hebrew term lb#h# (h#b#l) here denotes "enigma," that is, something that is difficult to understand. This sense is derived from the literal referent of breath, vapor or wind that cannot be seen; thus, "obscure; dark; difficult to understand; enigmatic" (see HALOT 236-37; BDB 210-11; TWAT 2.334-43; TDOT 3.313-20; THAT 1.467-69; TWOT 1.204-05). It is used in this sense in reference to enigmas in life (6:2; 8:10, 14) and the future which is obscure (11:8, 10).
60tn (8:14) Heb "to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked"; or "who are punished for the deeds of the wicked."
61tn (8:14) Heb "to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous"; or "who are rewarded for the deeds of the righteous."
62tn (8:15) Heb "the enjoyment." The phrase "of life" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
63tn (8:15) Heb "under the sun."
64tn (8:15) The phrase "to do" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
65tn (8:15) The construction <a-yk is used as a particle of exception to limit the preceding clause ("except; nothing but"). See, e.g., Gen 28:17; 39:9; Lev 21:2; Num 14:30; Deut 10:12; 1 Sam 30:22; 2 Kgs 4:2; 5:15; 2 Chr 21:17; Est 2:15; 5:12; Eccl 3:12; Isa 42:19; Dan 10:21; Mic 6:8 (cf. HALOT 471 [2]; BDB 474 [2.a]).
66sn (8:15) Except to eat, drink, and enjoy life. Qoheleth is not commending a self-indulgent lifestyle of Epicurean hedonism. Nor is he lamenting the absolute futility of life and the lack of eternal retribution. He is submitting to the reality that in a sin-cursed world there is much of human existence marked by relative futility. Since the righteous man cannot assume that he will automatically experience temporal prosperity and blessings on this earth, he should--at the very least--enjoy each day to its fullest as a gift from God. D. R. Glenn ("Ecclesiastes," BKCOT, 997) notes, "Each day's joys should be received as gifts from God's hands and be savored as God permits (3:13; 5:19)."
67tn (8:15) The term "life" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
68tn (8:15) The vav introduces a logical conclusion.
69tn (8:15) Heb "it"; the referent (joy) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
70tn (8:15) Heb "under the sun."
71tn (8:16) Heb "I applied my heart."
72tn (8:16) Heb "to know."
73tn (8:16) The term "human" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and stylistic considerations.
74tn (8:16) Heb "and to see the business."
75tn (8:16) Heb "for no one sees sleep with their eyes either day or night." The construction <g yk expresses a concessive sense: "even though" (e.g., Ps 23:4; Prov 22:6; Eccl 4:14; Isa 1:15; Lam 3:8; Hos 8:10; 9:16); cf. HALOT 196 (9); BDB 169 (6); 473 (2.c).
76tn (8:16) Heb "he does not see sleep."
77tn (8:16) Or "how it is that no one ever sleeps day or night."
78tn (8:17) Heb "all the work of God."
79tn (8:17) Heb "the work that is done."
80tn (8:17) Heb "under the sun."
81tn (8:17) Heb "his"; the referent (man, in a generic sense) has been specified in the translation as the adjective "human" for clarity.
82tn (8:17) Heb "find."
83tn (8:17) The term "it" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
84tn (8:17) The particle <a ("even if") introduces the protasis in a real conditional clause ("If a wise man ..."); see IBHS, 636-37; Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §453.
85tn (8:17) The imperfect tense verb rmay ("to say") functions in a modal sense, denoting possibility (see IBHS, 508; Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §169).
86tn (8:17) Heb "he cannot find"; or "he does not find."
87tn (8:17) The term "it" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is an implied direct object and has been supplied in the translation for smoothness and stylistic reasons.
1tn (9:1) Heb "I laid all this to my heart."
2tn (9:1) The term rwblw (conjunction + Qal infinitive construct from rWB "to make clear") denotes "to examine; to make clear; to clear up; to explain" (HALOT 116; BDB 101). The term is related to Arabic baraw "to examine" (G. R. Driver, JBL 55 [1936] 108). This verb is related to the Hebrew noun rB) ("cleanness") and adjective rB^ ("clean"). The term is used in the OT only in Ecclesiastes (1:13; 2:3; 7:25; 9:1). This use of the infinitive has a connotative sense ("attempting to"), and functions in a complementary sense, relative to the main verb.
3tn (9:1) The phrase "I concluded that" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
4tn (9:1) Heb "whether love or hatred."
5tn (9:1) Heb "man does not know anything before them."
6tn (9:2) Heb "One fate--all things just as to everyone."
7tc (9:2) The MT reads "the good," but the Greek versions read "the good and the bad." In contrast to the other four pairs in v. 2 ("the righteous and the wicked," "those who sacrifice, and those who do not sacrifice," "the good man...the sinner," and "those who make vows...those who are afraid to make vows"), the MT has a triad in the second line: amflw rwhflw bwfl ("the good, and the clean, and the unclean"). This reading in the Leningrad Codex (ca. A.D. 1008)--the basis of the BHS and BHK publications of the MT--is also supported by the Ben Asher text of the First Rabbinic Bible ("the Soncino Bible") published in A.D. 1488-94. On the other hand, the Greek version in B (Aquilla) has two pairs: tw ajgaqw kai tw kakw, kai tw kaqarw kai tw ajkaqartw ("the good and the bad, and the clean and the unclean"). Either Aquilla inserted kai tw kakw ("and the bad") to fill out a pair and to create six parallel pairs in v. 2, or Aquilla reflects an early Hebrew textual tradition of urlw bwfl ("the good and the bad"). Since Aquilla is well known for his commitment to a literal--at times even a mechanically wooden--translation of the Hebrew, with no room for improvisation, it is more than likely that Aquilla is reflecting an authentic Hebrew textual tradition. Aquilla dates to A.D. 130, while the Leningrad Codex dates to A.D. 1008; therefore, the Vorlage of Aquilla might have been the original Hebrew textual tradition, being much earlier than the MT of the Leningrad Codex. The alternate textual tradition of Aquilla is also seen in the Syriac and Latin versions (but these are dependent upon the Greek = Aquilla). On the other hand, the editors of BHK and BHS suggest that the presence of the anomalous bwfl ("the good") was an addition to the Hebrew text, and should be deleted. They also suggest that the Greek pair tw ajgaqw kai tw kakw ("the good and the bad") does not reflect an alternate textual tradition, but that their Vorlage contained only bwfl ("the good"): the Greek version intentionally added kai tw kakw ("and the bad") to create a pair. The English versions are divided. Several follow the Greek: "the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean" (NEB, NAB, RSV, NRSV, NIV, Moffatt). Others follow the Hebrew: "the good and the clean and the unclean" (KJV, ASV, MLB, NJPS) and "the righteous, the unrighteous, and the good" (AB). None, however, delete "the good" (bwfl) as suggested by the BHK and BHS editors. If the shorter text were original, the addition of kai tw kakw ("and the bad") would be intentional. If the longer text were original, the omission of urlw ("and the bad") could have caused by unintentional homoioarcton ("similar beginning") in the three-fold repetition of fl in amflw rwhfl urlw bwfl ("the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean"). The term urlw ("and the bad") was accidentally omitted when a scribe skipped from the first occurrence of fl in bwfl ("the good") to its second occurrence in the word rwhflw ("the clean").
8tn (9:2) Heb "As is the good man, so is the sinner."
9tn (9:3) Heb "evil."
10tn (9:3) Heb "under the sun."
11tn (9:3) The term "awaits" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness and stylistic reasons.
12tn (9:3) Heb "the heart of the sons of men." Here "heart" is a collective singular.
13tn (9:3) Heb "and after that [they go] to [the place of] the dead."
14tn (9:4) Heb "is joined to."
15tn (9:4) Heb "all the living."
16tn (9:6) Heb "their love."
17tn (9:6) Heb "their hatred."
18tn (9:6) Heb "their envy."
19tn (9:6) Heb "under the sun."
20tn (9:7) Heb "your bread."
21tn (9:9) Heb "See life."
22tn (9:9) Heb "the wife whom you love."
23tn (9:9) As discussed in the note on the word "futile" in 1:2, the term lb#h# (h#b#l) has a wide range of meanings, and should not be translated the same in every place (see HALOT 236-37; BDB 210-11; TWAT 2.334-43; TDOT 3.313-20; THAT 1.467-69; TWOT 1.204-05). The term is used in two basic ways in OT, literally and figuratively. The literal, concrete sense is used in reference to the wind, man's transitory breath, evanescent vapor (Isa 57:13; Pss 62:10; 144:4; Prov 21:6; Job 7:16). In this sense, it is often a synonym for "breath; wind" (Eccl 1:14; Isa 57:13; Jer 10:14). The literal sense lent itself to the metaphorical sense. Because breath/vapor/wind is transitory and fleeting, the figurative connotation "fleeting; transitory" arose (e.g., Prov 31:30; Eccl 6:12; 7:15; 9:9; 11:10; Job 7:16). In this sense, it is parallel to "few days" and "[days] which he passes like a shadow" (Eccl 6:12). It is used in reference to youth and vigor (11:10) or life (6:12; 7:15; 9:9) which are "transitory" or "fleeting." In this context, the most appropriate meaning is "fleeting."
24tn (9:9) Heb "he"; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
25tn (9:9) Heb "under the sun"
26tc (9:9) The phrase ilbh ymy lk ("all your fleeting days") is present in the MT, but absent in the Greek versions, other medieval Hebrew MSS, and the Targum. Its appearance in the MT may be due to dittography (repetition: the scribe copied twice what should have been copied once) from ilbh yyj ymy lk ("all the days of your fleeting life") which appears in the preceding line. On the other hand, its omission in the alternate textual tradition may be due to haplography with the earlier line.
27tn (9:9) Heb "in your toil in which you toil."
28tn (9:9) Heb "under the sun."
29tn (9:10) Heb "your hands."
30tn (9:10) Heb "Whatever your hands find to do."
31tn (9:10) Or "the grave."
32tn (9:10) Heb "are about to go"; alternately, "in Sheol where you are going."
33tn (9:11) Heb "I returned and."
34tn (9:11) Heb "under the sun."
35tn (9:11) The term "always" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation (five times in this verse) for clarity.
36tn (9:11) Heb "bread."
37tn (9:11) Heb "favor."
38tn (9:11) Heb "happen to."
39tn (9:12) Heb "man." The term is used here in a generic sense and translated "no one."
40tn (9:12) Heb "time." BDB 773 (2.d) suggests that tu ("time") refers to an "uncertain time." On the other hand, HALOT 901 (6) nuances it as "destined time," that is, "no one knows his destined time [i.e., hour of destiny]." It is used in parallelism with /mz ("appointed time; appointed hour") in 3:1 (HALOT 273; BDB 273). Eccl 3:9-15 teaches God's sovereignty over the appointed time-table of human events. Similarly, Qoheleth here notes that no one knows what God has appointed in any situation or time. This highlights the limitations of human wisdom and human ability, as 9:11 stresses.
41tn (9:12) Heb "the sons of man."
42tn (9:12) The Masoretes pointed the consonantal form <y?qwy ("are ensnared") as <yv!q*Wy (Pual participle mpl from vqy ["to be ensnared"]). This is an unusual form for a Pual participle: (1) The characteristic doubling of the middle consonant (Q) was omitted due to the lengthening of the preceding short vowel from <yv!Q*y| to <yv!q*Wy (GKC §§20.n, 52.s), and (2) The characteristic prefix m= is absent, as in a few other Pual participles, e.g., Exod 3:2; Judg 13:8; 2 Kgs 2:10; Isa 30:24; 54:11 (GKC §52.s). On the other hand, the consonant form <y?qwy might actually be an example of the old Qal passive participle which dropped out of Hebrew at an early stage, and was frequently mistaken by the Masoretes as a Pual form (e.g., Jer 13:10; 23:32) (GKC §52.s). Similarly, the Masoretes pointed lka as lK*a% (Pual perfect 3ms "he was eaten"); however, it probably should be pointed lk^a% (old Qal passive perfect 3ms "he was eaten") because lka only occurs in the Qal (see IBHS, 373-74).
43tn (9:12) Heb "evil." The term hur ("evil; unfortunate") is repeated in v. 12 in the two parts of the comparison: "fish are caught in an evil (hur) net" and "men are ensnared at an unfortunate (hur) time."
44tn (9:13) Heb "under the sun."
45tn (9:13) The term "burden" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
46tn (9:14) The verbs in this section function either as past definite actions (describing a past situation) or as hypothetical past actions (describing an imaginary hypothetical situation for the sake of illustration). The LXX uses subjunctives throughout vv. 14-15 to depict the scenario as a hypothetical situation: "Suppose there was a little city, and a few men [lived] in it; and there should come against it a great king, and surround it, and build great siege-works against it; and should find in it a poor wise man, and he should save the city through his wisdom; yet no man would remember that poor man."
47tn (9:14) The two perfect tense verbs bbsw ("he besieged") and hnbw ("he built") may be taken in a complementary sense, qualifying the action of the main perfect tense verb abw ("he attacked it").
48tn (9:14) The root ldg ("mighty; strong; large") is repeated in 9:13b for emphasis: "a mighty (lwdg) king...building strong (<yldg) siege-works." This repetition highlights the contrast between the vast power and resources of the attacking king, and the meager resources of the "little" (hnfq) city with "few" (fum) men in it to defend it.
49tn (9:15) "was found in it."
50tn (9:15) Heb "it"; the referent (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
51tn (9:15) Or "he delivered." The verb fL^m!W (from flm ["to deliver"]) is functioning either in an indicative sense (past definite action: "he delivered") or in a modal sense (past potential: "he could have delivered"). The literal meaning of rkz ("to remember") in the following line harmonizes with the indicative: "but no one remembered that poor man [afterward]." However, the modal is supported by v. 16: "A poor man's wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice." This approach must nuance rkz ("to remember") as "[no one] listened to [that poor man]." Most translations favor the indicative approach: "he delivered" or "he saved" (KJV, RSV, NRSV, AB, NAB, ASV, NASB, MLB, NIV); however, some adopt the modal nuance: "he might have saved" (NEB, NJPS, NASB margin).
52tn (9:15) Heb "remembered."
53tn (9:16) Or "power."
54tn (9:16) The participle form <yumvn (Niphal participle mpl from umv "to listen") is used verbally to emphasize a continual, durative, gnomic action.
55tn (9:16) Heb "his words are never listened to."
56tn (9:17) The phrase "is heard" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
1tn (10:1) Heb "flies of death."
2tn (10:1) Or "one dead fly makes." The plural form of "flies" (ybwbz) may be taken as a plural of number ("dead flies") or a distributive plural referring to one little fly ("one dead fly"). The parallelism supports the latter: "one little fly...so a little folly."
3tn (10:1) The verb vab means "to cause to stink; to turn rancid; to emit a stinking odor" (e.g., Exod 16:24; Ps 38:6; Eccl 10:1); see HALOT 107 (1); BDB 93. It is related to the noun vaB= "stench" (Isa 34:3; Joel 2:20; Amos 4:10); cf. HALOT 107; BDB 93. The verb ubn means "to ferment" or "to emit; to pour out; to bubble; to belch forth; to cause to gush forth" (HALOT 665; BDB 615). The two terms uyby vyaby ("to stink" and "to ferment") create a hendiadys: a figurative expression in which two terms are used to connote one idea: "makes a rancid stench." Several versions treat this as a hendiadys (Old Greek, Symmachus, Targum, Vulgate); however, the Syriac treats them as separate verbs. Most translations treat these as a hendiadys: "Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor" (KJV); "Dead flies make a perfumer's oil stink" (NASB); "dead flies give perfume a bad smell" (NIV); "Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off an evil odor" (RSV); Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a foul odor" (NRSV); "Dead flies cause a perfumer's perfume to send forth a stink" (YLT); "Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a foul odor" (NRSV). Others render both separately: "Dead flies make the perfumer's sweet ointment rancid and ferment" (NEB); "Dead flies turn the perfumer's ointment fetid and putrid" (NJPS).
4tn (10:1) Heb "carries more weight than"; or "is more precious than." The adjective rqy denotes "precious; valuable; costly" (HALOT 432) or "weighty; influential" (BDB 430 [4]). The related verb denotes "to carry weight," that is, to be influential (HALOT 432). The idea is not that a little folly is more valuable than much wisdom; but that a little folly can have more influence than great wisdom. It only takes one little mistake to ruin a life of great wisdom. The English versions understand it this way: "so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor" (NASB); "so a little folly outweighs massive wisdom" (NJPS); "so a little folly outweighs an abundance of wisdom" (MLB); "so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor" (RSV, NRSV, NIV); "so can a little folly make wisdom lose its worth" (NEB); "so a little folly annuls great wisdom" (ASV); "a single slip can ruin much that is good" (NAB); "so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor" (KJV). The LXX rendered the line rather freely: timion ojligon sofiaj uJper doxan ajfrosunh" megalhn ("a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly"). This does not accurately represent the Hebrew syntax.
sn (10:1) Qoheleth creates a wordplay by using two Hebrew words for social honor or influence: "weighty" = honorable (rqy) and "heavy" = honor) (dwbk).
5tn (10:1) The MT reads dwbkm hmkjm ("more than wisdom, more than honor"), but several medieval Hebrew MSS read dwbkmw hmkjm ("more than wisdom and honor"). However the textual problem is resolved, the two nouns form a hendiadys: two terms joined by vav that describe one concept. The first noun retains its full nominal sense, while the second functions adjectivally: "heavy wisdom" or better, "great wisdom."
6sn (10:2) The phrase "right hand" is a Hebrew idiom for the place of protection (e.g., Pss 16:8; 110:5; 121:5). In ancient warfare, the shield of the warrior on one's right-hand side protected one's right hand. Qoheleth's point is that wisdom provides protection (e.g., Eccl 7:12).
7sn (10:2) The fool lacks the protection of wisdom which is at the right-hand side of the wise man (see note on "right hand" in the previous line). The wise man's heart protects him, but the fool is always getting into trouble.
8tn (10:3) Heb "he lacks his heart."
9tn (10:3) Heb "he tells everyone."
10tn (10:4) Heb "spirit."
11tn (10:4) Heb "Do not leave."
12tn (10:4) Heb "your place." The term <wqm ("place") denotes a position, post or office (1 Kgs 20:24; Eccl 8:3; 10:4) (BDB 879 [1.c]).
13tn (10:4) The noun aprm II ("calmness") is used in reference to keeping one's composure with a peaceful heart (Prov 14:30) and responding to criticism with a gentle tongue (Prov 15:4); cf. HALOT 637. It is used in reference to keeping one's composure in an emotionally charged situation (BDB 951 [2]). The term "calmness" is used here as a metonymy of association, meaning "calm response."
14tn (10:4) The term "response" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification (see preceding note on the word "calm").
15tn (10:4) The verb jwn means "to leave behind; to leave untouched" (HALOT 680 [2]) in general, and in this passage, "to undo" or "to allay" offenses (HALOT 680 [3]; BDB 629 [5]) or "to avoid" offenses (BDB 629 [5]). The point is either that (1) a composed response can calm or appease the anger of the ruler, or (2) a calm heart will help one avoid great sins that would offend the king. The root jWn ("to rest") is repeated, creating a wordplay: "Do not leave" (jnt-la) and "to avoid; to allay" (jyny). Rather than resigning (i.e., leaving), composure can appease a king (i.e., cause the anger of the king to leave).
16tn (10:5) The term "another" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
17tn (10:5) Heb "an evil."
18tn (10:5) Heb "under the sun."
19tn (10:5) Heb "comes forth from the presence of a ruler."
20tn (10:6) Heb "folly."
21tn (10:6) Heb "high places."
22tn (10:7) Or "slaves" (also in the following line).
23tn (10:7) Heb "upon the earth."
24tn (10:8) The four imperfect verbs in vv. 8-9 may be nuanced in an indicative ("will...") or a modal sense denoting possibility ("may..."). The LXX rendered them with indicatives, as do many English translations (KJV, RSV, NRSV, ASV, MLB, YLT, NJPS). However, it is better to take them in a modal sense (NEB, AB, NAB, NASB, NIV).
25tn (10:8) Heb "a serpent will bite him." The clause "he who breaks through a wall" (rdg Jrpw) is a nominative absolute--the casus pendens is picked up by the resumptive pronoun in the following clause "a serpent will bite him" (vjn wnkvy). This construction is used for rhetorical emphasis (see IBHS, 76-77).
26tn (10:10) The term "axhead" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. The preceding noun "iron" functions as a metonymy of material (i.e., iron) for thing produced (i.e., axhead).
27tn (10:10) Heb "he"; the referent (the workman) is implied, and has been specified in the translation for clarity
28tn (10:10) The verb llq II means "to sharpen; to make a blade sharp" (HALOT 1104 [1]). This denominative verb is derived from the rare noun llq II "smooth; shiny" (referring to bronze; Ezek 1:7; Dan 10:6); cf. HALOT 1105. Sharpening the blade or head of a bronze ax will make it smooth and shiny. It is not derived from llq I "to treat light" or the noun hllq I "curse." Nor is it related to llq I "to shake" (Ezek 21:26); cf. HALOT 1104. BDB 886 (2) erroneously relates it to llq I, suggesting "to whet" or "to move quickly to and fro."
29tn (10:10) Heb "face."
30tn (10:10) Heb "strengths." The term <ylyjw (conjunction + plural noun from lyj "strength; efficiency") is an example of a plural of intensification (GKC §124.e). The point is that it is a waste of a great deal of strength and energy. If a person is not smart, he will have to use a lot of energy and waste his efficiency.
31tn (10:11) Heb "without charming."
32tn (10:11) Heb "a master of tongue."
33tn (10:11) Heb "has no profit."
34tn (10:12) Heb "of a wise man's mouth."
35tn (10:12) The phrase "win him" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
36tn (10:12) Or "are gracious." The antithetical parallelism suggests that /j does not denote "gracious character" but "[gain] favor" (e.g., Gen 39:21; Exod 3:21; 11:3; 12:36; Prov 3:4, 34; 13:15; 22:1; 28:23; Eccl 9:11); cf. HALOT 332 (2); BDB 336 (2). The LXX, on the other hand, rendered /j with cari" ("are gracious"). The English versions are divided: "are gracious" (KJV, YLT, AB, ASV, NASB, NIV) and "win him favor" (NEB, RSV, NRSV, NAB, MLB, NJPS, Moffatt).
37tn (10:12) Heb "lips."
38tn (10:12) Heb "consume him"; or "engulf him." The verb ulb I "to swallow" creates a striking wordplay on the homonymic root ulb II "to speak eloquently" (HALOT 135). Rather than speaking eloquently (ulb II "to speak eloquently"), the fool utters words that are self-destructive (ulb I "to swallow, engulf").
39tn (10:13) Heb "the words of his mouth."
40sn (10:13) The terms "beginning" and "end" form a merism, a figure of speech in which two opposites are contrasted to indicate totality (e.g., Deut 6:7; Ps 139:8; Eccl 3:2-8). The words of a fool are madness from "start to finish."
41tn (10:13) Heb "his mouth."
42tn (10:13) Heb "madness of evil."
43tn (10:14) This line is best taken as the third line of a tricola encompassing 10:13-14a (NASB, NRSV, NJPS, Moffatt) rather than the first line of a tricola encompassing 10:14 (KJV, NEB, RSV, AB, NAB, ASV, NIV). Several versions capture the sense of this line well: "a fool prates on and on" (Moffatt) and "Yet the fool talks and talks!" (NJPS).
44tn (10:14) Heb "after him"; or "after he [dies]."
45tn (10:15) The plural form of <ylyskh (from lysk "fool") denotes (1) plural of number: referring to several fools or (2) plural of habitual character or plural of intensity (referring to a single person characterized by a habitual or intense quality of foolishness). The latter is favored because the two verbs in 10:15 are both singular in form: "wearies him" (wnugyt) and "he does [not] know" (udy-al); see GKC §135.p. The article on <ylyskh is used in the generic sense.
46tn (10:15) This line may be interpreted in one of three ways: (1) "a labor of fools wearies him because he did not know enough to go to a town," referring to the labor of the peasants who had not been able to find a place in town where life was easier; (2) "the labor of the fools so wearies everyone of them (singular pronoun taken in a distributive sense) so much that he even does not know how to go to town," that is, he does not even know how to do the easiest thing in the world; (3) "let the labor of fools so weary him that he may not even know how to go to town," taking the verb as a jussive, describing the foolish man described in 10:12-14. See Dominique Barthelemy, ed. et al. Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (New York: United Bible Society, 1976), 3:592-93.
47tn (10:15) Heb "he does not know to go to the city."
48tn (10:16) Or "a child"; or "a servant." The term run has a wide range of meanings (HALOT 707; BDB 654-55; TWOT 2.585-86). Used in reference to age, it may refer to an infant (Exod 2:6; Judg 13:5; 1 Sam 1:22; 4:21; 2 Sam 12:16), a child just weaned (1 Sam 1:24), an adolescent in puberty (1 Sam 16:11), or a young man of marriageable age (Gen 34:19; 2 Sam 14:21; 18:5, 12). Its technical or titular use denotes "servant" (Num 22:22; Judg 7:10-11; 19:3; 1 Sam 3:9; 2 Sam 16:1; 2 Kgs 4:12, 25; 19:6), "retainer; attendant; follower" (Gen 14:24; 1 Sam 25:5; 2 Sam 2:14; 2 Kgs 19:6; Isa 37:6; Job 1:15-17; Neh 4:10, 17) and "soldier" (1 Kgs 20:15-16). The parallel Ugaritic term is used in reference to physical age (lad; son; youth) and in a technical sense (guild members; servitors; soldiers); see UT 19.445. The LXX rendered it with newtero" ("youthful"). The English versions vary: "child," (KJV, AB, ASV, NASB, MLB, RSV, NRSV margin, NIV margin); "childish" (NIV margin); "servant" or "slave" (NEB, NAB, ASV margin, NRSV, NIV); and "lackey" (NJPS). When used in reference to rulers, it emphasizes incompetence, naiveté, inexperience, and immaturity (Isa 3:4, 9; 1 Kgs 3:7). This use must be understood in the light of the parallel antonym: "son of freemen" (<yrwj-/b). This suggests "servant," that is, one who was not well trained and prepared by noble birth to ascend to the throne.
49tn (10:17) Heb "son of nobles"; or "son of freemen." The term <yrwj is from rj ("noble one; freeman"); cf. HALOT 348; BDB 359. It is related to the Aramaic noun rrj ("freeman"); Sabean rj ("freeman; noble"); Old South Arabic rj and Arabic hurr ("freedom"); cf. HALOT 348; BDB 359.
50tn (10:17) The noun tu ("point in time") has a basic two-fold range of meanings: (1) "time of an event" and (2) "time for an event" (BDB 773). The latter has four sub-categories: (a) "usual time," (b) "the proper, suitable or appropriate time," (c) "the appointed time," and (d) "uncertain time." Here it connotes "a proper, suitable time for an event" (HALOT 900 [6]; BDB 773 [2.b]). Examples: "it was the time for rain" (Ezra 10:13); "a time of judgment for the nations" (Ezek 30:3); "there is an appropriate time for every occasion" (Eccl 3:1); "the rain in its season" (Deut 11:14; Jer 5:24); "the time for the harvest" (Hos 2:11; Ps 1:3); "food in its season" (Ps 104:27); "the right moment" (Eccl 8:5); cf. HALOT 900 (6).
51tn (10:17) Heb "for strength and not for drunkenness"; or "as heroes and not as drunkards"; or "for nourishment and not for drunkenness." According to HALOT 172 (1.d) the term hrwbg ("strength") may here connote "self-control." This tactic is adopted by a few English versions: "with self-control, and not as drunkards" (NEB) and "with restraint, not with guzzling" (NJPS). On the other hand, most English versions render ytvb alw hrwbg in a woodenly literal sense, "for strength and not for drunkenness" (YLT, KJV, ASV, NASB, RSV, NRSV, NIV). However, a few attempt to express the idiom clearly: "as stalwarts and not as drunkards" (MLB); "stalwart men, not sots" (Moffatt); "as men and not as sots" (AB); "for vigor and not in drinking bouts" (NAB); "for refreshment, and not for riotousness" (Douay).
52tn (10:18) Or "the rafts sink."
53tn (10:18) Heb "lowering of hands."
54tn (10:19) Heb "bread." The term <jl is used literally of "bread" and figuratively (i.e., by metonymy) for "feast" (BDB 536-37). BDB 537 (1.a) suggests that <jl hycu in Eccl 10:19 means "make a feast." This obscure line has occasioned numerous proposals: "a feast is made for laughter" (KJV, ASV, NIV); "feasts are made for laughter" (NRSV); "men feast for merrymaking" (Moffatt); "men prepare a meal for enjoyment" (NASB); "the table has its pleasures" (NEB); "they [i.e., rulers of v. 16] make a banquet for revelry" (NJPS); "people prepare a banquet for enjoyment" (MLB); "for laughter they make bread and wine, that the living may feast" (Douay); "bread is made for laughter" (RSV); "with mirth they make bread" (AB); "bread [and oil] call forth merriment" (NAB).
55tn (10:19) The subject of the verb is not specified. When active verbs have an unspecified subject, they are often used in a passive sense: "Bread [feasts] are made...."
56tn (10:19) Heb "and wine gladdens life."
57tn (10:19) Or "and [they think that] money is the answer for everything."
58tn (10:20) Heb "the rich."
59tn (10:20) Heb "in chambers of your bedroom."
60tn (10:20) Heb "the." The article is used here with the force of a possessive pronoun.
61tn (10:20) The Hebrew phrase <ypnkh lub ("possessor of wings") is an idiom for a winged creature, that is, a bird (e.g., Prov 1:17; see HALOT 143 [A.6]; BDB 127 [5.a]). The term lub ("master; possessor") is the construct governing the attributive genitive <ypnkh ("wings"); see IBHS, 149-50.
62tn (10:20) The term "your" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
63tn (10:20) Heb "tell the matter."
1tn (11:1) The verb ilv ("to send; to cast") refers to the action of sending something to someone (e.g., Neh 8:12) (KBL3 976 [5]). The term is traditionally rendered here as "cast" (KJV, AB, NAB, RES, ASV, NASB, NIV); however, some render it "send" (NJPS, NRSV, NEB). LXX uses ajposteilon ("send").
2tn (11:1) Heb "your bread." The term <jl is traditionally rendered "bread" (KJV, AB, NAB, RSV, NRSV, ASV, NASB, NIV, NJPS). However, 11:1-2 seems to deal with exporting goods overseas (D. R. Glenn, "Ecclesiastes," BKCOT, 1002-3). It is better to take <jl ("bread") as a metonymy of product, standing for the grain and wheat from which bread is produced (e.g., Gen 41:54-55; 47:13, 15, 17, 19; 49:20; Num 15:19; 2 Kgs 18:32; Isa 28:28; 30:23; 36:17; 55:10; Jer 5:17; Ezek 48:18; Job 28:5; Ps 104:14; Prov 28:3); see HALOT 526 (1); BDB 537 (1.b). It is taken this way by several translations: "grain" (NEB) and "goods" (Moffatt). Qoheleth encouraged the export of grain products overseas in international trade.
3tn (11:1) Heb "upon the surface of the waters." This is traditionally viewed as extolling generosity from which a reward will be reaped. On the other hand, some scholars suggest that the imagery deals with commercial business through maritime trade. Jastrow took this verse as advice to take risks in business by trusting one's goods or ships that will after many days return with a profit (Cohen, Soncino Bible, 12.181). Sea trade was risky in the ancient Near East, but it brought big returns to its investors (e.g., 1 Kgs 9:26-28; 10:22; Ps 107:23); see D. R. Glenn, "Ecclesiastes," BKCOT, 1002-3. The verse is rendered thus: "Send your grain across the seas, and in time you will get a return" (NEB); or "Trust your goods far and wide at sea, till you get a good return after a while" (Moffatt).
4tn (11:1) Heb "find it."
5tn (11:2) Heb "give a portion."
6tn (11:2) The phrase "seven or eight" is a graded numerical saying depicting an indefinite plurality: "The collocation of a numeral with the next above it is a rhetorical device employed in numerical sayings to express a number, which need not, or cannot, be more exactly specified. It must be gathered from the context whether such formulae are intended to denote only an insignificant number (e.g., Is 17:6 "two" or at the most "three") or a considerable number (e.g., Mi 5:4). Sometimes, however, this juxtaposition serves to express merely an indefinite total, without the collateral idea of intensifying the lower by means of the higher number" (GKC §134.s). Examples: "one" or "two" (Deu 32:30; Jer 3:14; Job 33:14; 40:5; Ps 62:12); "two" or "three" (2 Kgs 9:32; Isa 17:6; Hos 6:2; Amos 4:8; Sir 23:16; 26:28; 50:25); "three" or "four" (Jer 36:23; Amos 1:3-11; Prov 21:19; 30:15, 18; Sir 26:5); "four" or "five" (Isa 17:6); "six" or "seven" (Job 5:19; Prov 6:16); "seven" or "eight" (Mic 5:4; Eccl 11:2).
7tn (11:2) This line is traditionally understood as an exhortation to be generous to a multitude of people (KJV, AB, NAB, ASV, NASB, RSV, NRSV, NIV, NJPS); however, it is better taken an shrewd advice to not commit all one's possessions to a single venture (Cohen, Soncino Bible, 12.181). D. R. Glenn ("Ecclesiastes," BKCOT, 1003) writes: "In view of the possibility of disaster, a person should make prudent investments in numerous ventures rather than put all his `eggs in one basket' (e.g., Gen 32:7-8 for a practical example of this advice)." Several translations reflect this: "Divide your merchandise among seven ventures, eight maybe" (NEB); "Take shares in several ventures" (Moffatt).
8sn (11:2) The phrase you do not know is repeated throughout this section (11:2, 5-6). Human beings are ignorant of the future. This should motivate a person to invest their financial resources wisely (11:1-3) and to work diligently (11:4-6).
9tn (11:2) The term hur (lit. "evil") refers to calamity (e.g., Eccl 5:13; 7:14; 9:12).
10tn (11:4) The repetition of the term "clouds" and "wind" (jwr) in 11:3-4 creates an AB:B'A' chiastic structure that unifies vv. 3-4: "clouds" (<ybuh) and wind implied in 11:3, and "wind" (jwr) and "clouds" (<ybub) in 11:4. The farmer who waits for the most opportune moment to plant when there is no wind to blow away the seed, and to reap when there is no rain to ruin a ripe harvest, will never do anything but sit around waiting for the right moment.
11tn (11:5) Heb "what is the way of the wind"; or "how the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a pregnant woman." There is debate whether jWrh ird-hm refers to the wind ("the path of the wind") or the human spirit of a child in the mother's womb ("how the spirit comes"). The LXX understood it as the wind: "the way of the wind" (hJ oJdo" tou pneumato"); however, the Targum and Vulgate take it as the human spirit. The English versions are divided: (1) spirit: "the way of the spirit" (KJV, YLT, Douay); "the breath of life" (NAB); "what the way of the spirit is into the bones in the pregnant womb" (AB); "how a pregnant woman comes to have...a living spirit in her womb" (NEB); "how the lifebreath passess into the limbs within the womb of the pregnant woman" (NJPS); "how the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child" (RSV); "how the breath comes to the bones in the mother's womb" (NRSV); and (2) wind: "the way of the wind" (ASV, RSV margin); "the path of the wind" (NASB, NIV); and "how the wind blows" (MLB, Moffatt).
12tn (11:5) The term "form" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
13tn (11:5) Heb "the one who is full." The feminine adjective halm (from alm "full") is used as a substantive referring to a pregnant woman whose womb is filled with her infant (HALOT 584 [2]; BDB 571). This term is used in reference to a pregnant woman in later Hebrew (HALOT 584). The LXX understood the term in this sense: kuoforoush" ("pregnant woman").
14tn (11:6) Heb "do not let your hand rest." The Hebrew phrase "do not let your hand rest" is an idiom that means "do not stop working" or "do not be idle" (e.g., Eccl 7:18); cf. BDB 628 (B.1). Several English versions capture the sense of the idiom well: "do not stop working" (NEB); "give your hand no rest" (AB); "do not be idle" (MLB); "let not your hand be idle" (NAB); "let not your hands be idle" (NIV); "stay not your hand" (Moffatt). The term "hand" is a synecdoche of part (i.e., do not let your hand rest) for the whole person (i.e., do not allow yourself to stop working).
15tn (11:6) The terms "morning" (rqb) and "evening" (bru) form a merism (a figure of speech using two polar extremes to include everything in between) that connotes "from morning until evening." The point is not that the farmer should plant at two times in the day (morning and evening), but that he should plant all day long (from morning until evening). This merism is reflected in several translations: "in the morning...until evening" (NEB, AB, Moffatt).
16tn (11:6) The term "activity" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
17tn (11:6) The verb rvk ("to prosper") is used metonymically to denote "will succeed." In 11:10, it means "skill in work."
18tn (11:6) Or "together."
19tn (11:7) The term "light" (rwah) is used figuratively (metonymy of association) in reference to "life" (e.g., Job 3:20; 33:30; Ps 56:14). By contrast, death is described as "darkness" (e.g., Eccl 11:8; 12:6-7).
20tn (11:7) The Hebrew term qwtm ("sweet") is often used elsewhere in reference to honey. The point is that life is sweet and should be savored like honey.
21tn (11:7) Heb "the eyes." The term "eyes" is a synecdoche of part (i.e., eyes) for the whole person. Used with the idiom "to see the sun" (i.e., to be alive), Qoheleth is simply saying that the experience of a life is a pleasant thing that should be savored.
22tn (11:7) The idiom "to see the sun" (both vmvh har and vmvh hzj) is an idiom meaning "to be alive" (e.g., Ps 58:9; Eccl. 6:5; 7:11; 11:7); cf. BDB 1039 (4.b). The opposite idiom, "the sun is darkened," refers to the onset of old age and death (Eccl 12:2).
23tn (11:8) The phrase "the days of darkness" refers to the onset of old age (Eccl 12:1-5) and the inevitable experience of death (Eccl 11:7-8; 12:6-7). Elsewhere, "darkness" is a figure of speech (metonymy of association) for death (Job 10:21-22; 17:13; 18:18).
24tn (11:8) The term lb#h# (h#b#l) here means "obscure," that is, unknown. This sense is derived from the literal concept of breath, vapor or wind that cannot be seen; thus, the idea of "obscure; dark; difficult to understand; enigmatic" (see HALOT 236-37; BDB 210-11; TWAT 2.334-43; TDOT 3.313-20; THAT 1.467-69; TWOT 1.204-05). It is used in this sense in reference to enigmas in life (6:2; 8:10, 14) and the future which is obscure (11:8).
25tn (11:9) Heb "in your youth"; or "in your childhood."
26tn (11:9) Heb "walk in the ways of your heart."
27tn (11:9) Heb "the sight."
28tn (11:10) The verb rWs ("to remove") normally depicts a concrete action of removing a physical object from someone's presence (HALOT 748 [1]). Here, it is used figuratively (hypocatastasis) of the emotional/psychological action of banishing unnecessary emotional stress from one's mind. The Hiphil usage means "to remove; to abolish; to keep away; to turn away; to push aside" (HALOT 748 [1]). The English versions render this term in a variety of ways, none of which is very poetic: "remove" (KJV, RSV, ASV, NASB); "turn aside" (YLT); "put away" (AB); "ward off" (NAB); and "banish" (NEB, MLB, NIV, NRSV, NJPS, Moffatt).
29tn (11:10) The root "vexation" (suk) has a broad range of meanings: "anger" (Deut 4:25; 9:18), "irritation" (Deut 32:21), "offend" (2 Kgs 23:26; Neh 3:37), "vexation" or "frustration" (Ezek 20:28), "grief" (1 Sam 1:6), and "worry" (Ps 112:10; Eccl 7:9); cf. HALOT 491. Here, it refers in general to unnecessary emotional stress and anxiety that can deprive a person of the legitimate enjoyment of life and its temporal benefits.
30tn (11:10) Heb "your heart."
31tn (11:10) In light of the parallelism, hur does not refer to ethical evil, but to physical injury, pain, deprivation or suffering (e.g., Deut 31:17, 21; 32:23; 1 Sam 10:19; Neh 1:3; 2:17; Pss 34:20; 40:13; 88:4; 107:26; Eccl 12:1; Jer 2:27; Lam 3:38); see HALOT 1263 (4.c); BDB 949 (2). This sense is best captured as "pain" (NASB, RSV, NRSV, MLB, Moffatt) or "the troubles [of your body]" (NEB, NIV), rather than "evil" (KJV, AB, ASV, YLT, Douay) or "sorrow" (NJPS).
32tn (11:10) Heb "your flesh."
33tn (11:10) Or "childhood."
34tn (11:10) Or "youth"; Heb "black hair" or "the dawn [of life]." The feminine noun tWrjvh is a hapax legomenon, occurring only here. There is debate whether it is from rjv I "black [hair]" (e.g., Lev 13:31, 37; Song 5:11) or rjv II "dawn" (e.g., Gen 19:15; Job 3:9; Song 6:10); cf. KBL3 962; BDB 1007. If this term is from rjv I "black [hair]," it is used in contrast to gray hair that characterizes old age (e.g., Prov 16:31; 20:29). This would be a figure (metonymy of association) for youthfulness. On the other hand, if the term is from rjv II ("dawn"), it connotes the "dawn of life" or "prime of life" (KBL3 962; BDB 1007). This would be a figure (hypocatastasis) for youthfulness. In either case, the term is a figure for "youth" or "prime of life," as the parallel term twdlyh ("youth" or "childhood") indicates. The term is rendered variously in the English versions: "black hair" (NJPS); "the dawn of youth" (NAB); "the dawn of life" (ASV, MLB, RSV, NRSV); "the prime of life" (NEB, AB, NASB); "vigor" (NIV); "youth" (KJV); and "manhood" (Moffatt). The plural forms of twrjvh ("youth") and twdlyh ("childhood") are examples of the plural of state or condition that a person experiences for a temporary period of time, e.g., <ynqz ("old age"); <yrwun ("youth"); and <ymwlu ("youthfulness"); see IBHS, 121.
35tn (11:10) The term lb#h# (h#b#l, "vanity") often connotes the temporal idea "fleeting" (e.g., Prov 31:30; Eccl 3:19; 6:12; 7:15; 9:9). This nuance is suggested here by the collocation of "youth" (twdlyh) and "the prime of life" (twrjvh).
1tn (12:1) The imperative rkz ("Remember!") is a figurative expression (metonymy of association) for obeying God and acknowledging his lordship over one's life (e.g., Num 15:40; Deut 8:18; Pss 42:6-7; 63:6-8; 78:42; 103:18; 106:7; 119:52, 55; Jer 51:50; Ezek 20:43; Jonah 2:7; Mal 4:4). The exhortation to fear God and obey his commands in 12:13-14 spells out what it means to "remember" God.
2tn (12:1) The temporal adjective du ("before") is repeated three times in 12:1-7 (vv. 1b, 2a, 6a). Likewise, the temporal preposition b ("when") is repeated twice (vv. 3a, 4b). These seven verses comprise one long sentence in Hebrew: the main clause is 12:1a ("Remember your Creator in the days of your youth"), while 12:1b-7 consists of five subordinate temporal clauses ("before...before...when...when...before...").
3tn (12:1) The adjective hur ("evil") does not refer here to ethical evil, but to physical difficulty, injury, pain, deprivation and suffering (e.g., Deut 31:17, 21; 32:23; 1 Sam 10:19; Neh 1:3; 2:17; Pss 34:20; 40:13; 88:4; 107:26; Eccl 11:10; Jer 2:27; Lam 3:38); see HALOT 1263 (4.c); BDB 949 (2).
4tn (12:2) Heb "the light and the moon and the stars." The phrase "the light and the moon" is a hendiadys (two separate terms denoting one idea) or perhaps even a hendiatrys (three separate terms denoting one idea) for "the light of the moon and stars" (e.g., Gen 1:14).
5tn (12:2) The verb bwv ("to return") here denotes "to desist" (KBL3 952 [2]). It pictures the disappearance of the clouds as a result of the precipitation of their contents.
6tn (12:3) Heb "the watchers of the house."
7tn (12:3) The verb uwz ("to tremble") probably does not refer to physical tremors but to trembling in fear (e.g., Esth 5:9; Hab 2:7; Sir 48:12); cf. HALOT 267). At the onset of old age, those who had been the most courageous during their youth suddenly become fearful.
8tn (12:3) The verb twu ("to bend; to stoop") means "to be stooped" (HALOT 804) rather than "to bend themselves" (BDB 736). The perfect tense may be taken in an ingressive sense ("begin to stoop over") or in a durative, iterative sense ("are continually stooped over").
9tn (12:3) The term twnjfh (Qal active participle fpl from /jf "to grind") is a double entendre. In its literal sense, it refers to female mill-grinders; in its figurative sense, it refers to molar teeth (HALOT 374). The related Hebrew noun hnjf refers to a "mill," and the related Arabic noun tahinat means "molar tooth" (HALOT 374).
10tn (12:3) The verb i?j ("to grow dim") is used elsewhere in reference to failing eyesight (e.g., Ps 69:24; Lam 5:17); see HALOT 361 (2). Therefore, the phrase "those who look through the windows" is probably a figurative description of the eyes, picturing failing eyesight at the onset of old age.
11tn (12:4) The noun hnjf refers to a "grinding-mill" where grain is ground into flour (HALOT 374). The term is here used as a double entendre, figuratively describing the loss of one's teeth at the onset of old age. The figurative usage also draws upon the polysemantic nature of this noun; the related Arabic root tahinat means "molar tooth" (HALOT 374).
12tn (12:4) Heb "rises up." The verb <wq ("to arise") refers to being awakened from sleep in the middle of the night by a sound (e.g., Exod 12:30; 1 Sam 3:6, 8) and awaking up early in the morning (e.g., Gen 24:54; Judg 16:3; Ruth 3:14; Neh 2:12; Job 14:12; 24:14); see HALOT 1086 (1); BDB 877 (1.a). Here it describes one of the frustrations of old age: the elderly person is unable to get a full night's sleep because every little sound awakens him in the middle of the night or too early in the morning.
13tn (12:4) The term "their" does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
14tn (12:4) Heb "all the daughters of song." The expression "the daughters of song" (ryvh twnb) is an idiom for "songs; musical sounds; melodious notes" (HALOT 166 [2]; BDB 123 [5]; GKC §127.v). The genitive ryvh ("song") represents the nature, quality, character or condition of the construct twnb ("daughters"); see IBHS, 149-50. The idiom refers to the musical songs sung during one's youth or to the ability to hear songs that are sung. This line is lamenting the loss of hearing which occurs at the onset of old age.
15tn (12:4) Heb "are brought low."
16tn (12:5) The Hebrew noun <ytjtj literally means "terrors" (HALOT 363; BDB 369). Here it is used as a metonymy (cause for effect) to refer to dangers that cause the elderly to be fearful of going outside or walking along the streets. The noun tjtj ("terror") is a reduplicated noun stem from the root ttj ("terror"); HALOT 363; BDB 369; BL 482 (d). The reduplication of the noun stem intensifies its meaning: the root noun ttj means "terror," so the intensified reduplicated form tjtj connotes something like "great terror" (see Sabatino Moscati, Comparative Grammar of the Semitic Languages, 12.9-13). The plural form <ytjtj ("great terrors") denotes plural of number (more than one) or plural of intensity (which would further intensify the experience of fear); see IBHS, 122-24.
17tn (12:5) The noun dqv is used in the OT in reference to the "almond nut" (e.g., Gen 43:11; Num 17:23) and metonymically (product for thing producing it) for the "almond tree" (e.g., Jer 1:11); cf. KBL3 1007; BDB 1052 (2).
18tn (12:5) The verb Jxn ("to blossom") is a geminate verb (II = III) that, in this case, is written with a matres lectionis (plene spelling) rather than the normal spelling of Jnyw (GKC §73.g). The Hiphil verb Janyw is from the root Jxn "to shine; to sparkle; to blossom" (HALOT 717; BDB 665). It is used in reference to almond blossoms whose color progresses from pink to white as they ripen (e.g., Song 6:11). This is an appropriate metaphor (comparison of sight) to describe white hair that often accompanies the onset of old age.
19tn (12:5) Or "locust."
20tn (12:5) The verb lbs ("to bear a heavy load") means "to drag oneself along" as a burden (BDB 687) or "to become thick; to move slowly forwards; to clear off" (HALOT 741).
21tn (12:5) The noun hnwyba ("caper berry, caper fruit") is a hapax legomenon, occurring only here in the Hebrew Bible. It refers to the Capparis spinosa fruit which was eaten as an aphrodisiac in the ancient Near East (HALOT 5; BDB 2-3). There are two options for the interpretation of this figure: (1) At the onset of old age, the sexual virility that marked one's youth is nothing more than a distant memory, and even aphrodisiacs fail to stimulate sexual desire to allow for sexual intercourse. (2) The onset of old age is like the shriveling up of the caper berry fruit; the once virile youth has passed his prime just like a shriveled caper berry can no longer provide a sexual stimulant.
22tc (12:5) The MT vocalizes consonantal rptw as rpt*w+ (conjunction + Hiphil imperfect 3fs from rrp "to burst"). However, an alternate vocalization tradition of rP^t%w+ (conjunction + Hophal imperfect 3fs "to be broken down") is reflected in the LXX which reads kai diaskedasqh ("is scattered") and Symmachus kai dialuqh ("is broken up") which is followed by the Syriac. On the other hand, Aquilla's kai karpeusei ("are enjoyed," of fruits) reflects hr#p=t!w+ (Qal imperfect 3fs from hrp "to bear fruit"); this does not reflect an alternate reading but a translator's error in word division between hnwybah rptw ("the caper berry bursts") and hnwyba hrptw ("the caper berry bears fruit").
tn (12:5) Or "fails"; or "bursts." The meaning of the verb rrp ("to break; to make ineffectual") is debated: (1) "to be ineffectual," that is, to fail to provide sexual power as an aphrodisiac, or (2) "to break; to burst," that is, the caper berry fruit shrivels as it lingers on its branch beyond its period of ripeness (HALOT 975; BDB 830 [2.d]).
23tn (12:5) In the construct phrase wmlwu tyb ("house of his eternity"), the genitive <lwu ("eternity") functions as an attributive adjective: "his eternal home." This is an idiom for the grave as the resting place of the body (e.g., Ps 49:12 [11]; Job 7:9; 14:10-12; Eccl 12:5) or Sheol as the residence of the dead (e.g., Job 17:13; 30:23); see HALOT 124 (2); 799 (5); BDB 109 (1.d). For example, the term tyb ("house") is used in Job 30:23 in parallelism with "death" (twm). The same idiom appears in post-biblical Hebrew: "the house of eternity" (<lu tyb) is a euphemism for burial ground or cemetery (Lam. Rab. 1:5; Lev. Rab. s. 12); see M. Jastrow, Dictionary, 1085. This idiom is also found in a Moabite text in reference to the grave (Deir Alla Inscription 2:6). A similar idiom is found in Phoenician and Palmyrene in reference to the grave (DISO 35). The idiom appears to have originated in Egyptian literature (TDOT 2.113). See F. Cumont, Afterlife in Roman Paganism, 48-50; "<lou" in THAT 2.79-81.
24tn (12:6) Heb "water-spring."
25tn (12:6) The term lglg ("wheel") refers to the "water wheel" or "paddle wheel" for drawing water from a well (HALOT 190 [2]; BDB 165 [1.b]). This Hebrew noun is related to the Akkadian term gulgullu ("pot"), as well as Phoenician lglg ("wheel for drawing water"). The Latin term girgillus ("lever for the bucket") is a late derivation from this term. See G. Dalman, Arbeit und Sitte in Palastina, 2.225-28.
26tn (12:8) Heb "futility of futilities." The phrase "absolutely futile" (<ylbh lbh) is a superlative genitive construction (GKC §133.i). When a plural genitive follows a singular construct noun of the same root, it indicates the best or most outstanding example of the person or thing described. Examples: <yvdqh vdq ("holy of holies" = "the most holy place"; Exod 26:33); <yryvh ryv ("song of songs" = "the most excellent song"; Song 1:1); and <ydbu dbu ("slave of slaves" = "the most abject slave"; Gen 9:25). See Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §80; IBHS, 154.
27tn (12:8) Elsewhere in the book, the author is identified with the anarthrous (non-articular) term tl#h#q) (q{h#l#t, Eccl 1:1, 2, 12; 7:27; 12:9, 10); however, in 12:8 it is used with the article, indicating that it is a professional title rather than a personal surname: tl#h#oQh^ (h^Qoh#l#t, "the Teacher"). Numerous English translations render tl#h#q) as a professional title: "the Speaker" (NEB, Moffatt); "the Preacher" (KJV, RSV, YLT, MLB, ASV, NASB); "the Teacher" (NIV, NRSV); "the Leader of the Assembly" (NIV margin); "the Assembler" (NJPS margin). Others render it as a personal surname: "Koheleth" (AB, JPS, NJPS) and "Qoheleth" (NAB, NRSV margin).
28tn (12:8) Heb "Everything." The term is rendered "all of these things" for clarity. Although lK) ("everything; all") is often used in an absolute or comprehensive sense (BDB 481 [1]), it is frequently used as a synecdoche of the general for the specific, that is, its sense is limited contextually to the topic at hand (BDB 482 [2]). This is particularly true of lK)h^ (BDB 482 [2.b]) in which the article particularizes or limits the referent to the contextual or previously mentioned topic (e.g., Gen 16:12; 24:1; Exod 29:24; Lev 1:9, 13; 8:27; Deut 2:36; Josh 11:19 [see 2 Sam 19:31; 1 Kgs 14:26 = 2 Chr 12:9]; 21:43; 1 Sam 30:19; 2 Sam 17:3; 23:5; 24:23; 1 Kgs 6:18; 2 Kgs 24:16; Isa 29:11; 65:8; Jer 13:7, 10; Ezek 7:14; Pss 14:3; 49:18; 1 Chr 7:5; 28:19; 29:19; 2 Chr 28:6; 29:28; 31:5; 35:7; 36:17-18; Ezra 1:11; 2:42; 8:34-35; 10:17; Eccl 5:8). Thus, "all" does not always mean "all" absolutely or universally in comprehension. In several cases the context limits its reference to two classes of objects/issues being discussed, so lK)h^ means "both" (e.g., 2:14; 3:19: 9:1, 2). Thus, lK)h^ ("all; everything") refers only to what Qoheleth characterizes as "futile" (lb#h#) in the context. This does not mean that everything is futile. For example, fearing God is not "futile" (2:26; 3:14-15; 11:9-10; 12:1, 9, 13-14). Only those objects/issues that are contextually placed under lK) are designated as "futile" (lb#h#).
29tn (12:8) The term lb#h# (h#b#l, "futile") is repeated three times within the six words of this verse for emphasis. The noun lbh ("futile") is the key word in Ecclesiastes. The root is used in two ways in the OT, literally and figuratively. The literal, concrete sense is used in reference to the wind, man's transitory breath, evanescent vapor (Isa 57:13; Pss 62:10; 144:4; Prov 21:6; Job 7:16). In this sense, it is often a synonym for "breath; wind" (Eccl 1:14; Isa 57:13; Jer 10:14). The literal sense lent itself to metaphorical senses: (1) breath/vapor/wind is non-physical, evanescent, and lacks concrete substance thus, the connotation "unsubstantial" (Jer 10:15; 16:19; 51:18), "profitless; fruitless" (Ps 78:33; Prov 13:11), "worthless" (2 Kgs 17:15; Jer 2:5; 10:3), "pointless" (Prov 21:6), "futile" (Lam 4:17; Eccl 1:2, 14; 2:1, 14-15); (2) breath/vapor/wind is transitory and fleeting--thus, the connotation "fleeting; transitory" (Prov 31:30; Eccl 6:12; 7:15; 9:9; 11:10; Job 7:16) and (3) breath/vapor/wind cannot be seen thus, the idea of "obscure; dark; difficult to understand; enigmatic" (Eccl 11:10); see HALOT 236-37; BDB 210-11; TWAT 2.334-43; TDOT 3.313-20; THAT 1.467-69; TWOT 1.204-05. The metaphorical sense is used with the following synonyms: WhT) ("empty," "vanity"; Isa 49:4), qyr! ("profitless," "useless"; Isa 30:7; Eccl 6:11), and lyu!oh aO ("worthless," "profitless"; Is 30:6; 57:12; Jer 16:19). It is parallel to "few days" and "[days] which he passes like a shadow" (Eccl 6:12). It is used in reference to youth and vigor (11:10) and life (6:12; 7:15; 9:9) which are "transitory" or "fleeting." The most common parallels to lbh in Ecclesiastes are the phrases "chasing after the wind" (jwr twur) (2:11, 17, 26; 7:14) and "what profit?" (/wrty-hm) or "no profit" (/wrty /ya); e.g., 2:11; 3:19; 6:9, 19. It is used in reference to enigmas in life (6:2; 8:10, 14) and to the future which is obscure (11:8). It is often used in antithesis to terms connoting value: bof ("good, benefit, advantage") and /ort=y] ("profit, advantage, gain"). Because the concrete picture of the "wind" lends itself to the figurative connotation "futile," the motto "This is futile" (lb#h# hz#) is often used with the metaphor, "like striving after the wind" (j^Wr tWur=)--a graphic picture of an expenditure of effort in vain because no one can catch the wind by chasing it (e.g., 1:14, 17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 6:9). Although it is the key word in Ecclesiastes, it should not be translated the same way in every place.
sn (12:8) Absolutely futile!...All of these things are futile! This motto is the theme of the book. Its occurs at the beginning (1:2) and end of the book (12:8), forming an envelope structure (inclusio). Everything described in 1:2--12:8 is the supporting proof of the thesis of 1:2. With few exceptions (e.g., 2:24-26; 3:14-15; 11:9-12:1, 9), everything described in 1:2--12:8 is characterized as "futile" (lb#h#).
30sn (12:9) Eccl 12:9-12 fits the pattern of a concluding colophon, that draws from a conventional stock of ancient Near Eastern scribal practices and vocabulary. See M. Fishbane, Biblical Interpretation in Ancient Israel (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1985), 29-31.
31tn (12:9) Heb "he weighed and studied." The verbs rqjw /zaw ("he weighed and he explored") form a hendiadys (a figurative expression in which two separate terms used in combination to convey a single idea): "he studiously weighed" or "carefully evaluated." The verb /zaw (conjunction + Piel perfect 3ms from /za II "to weigh; to balance") is related to the noun /zam "balances; scales" used for weighing money or commercial items (e.g., Jer 32:10; Ezek 5:1). This is the only use of the verb in the OT. In this context, it means "to weigh" = "to test; to prove" (BDB 24) or "to balance" (HALOT 27). Cohen suggests, "He made an examination of the large number of proverbial sayings which had been composed, testing their truth and worth, to select those which he considered deserving of circulation" (A. Cohen, The Soncino Books of the Bible, 12.189).
32tn (12:9) The verb /qt ("to make straight") connotes "to put straight" or "to arrange in order" (KBL3 1039; BDB 1075). This may refer to Qoheleth's activity in compiling a collection of wisdom sayings in an orderly manner, or writing the wisdom sayings in a straightforward, direct manner.
33tn (12:10) In the construct phrase Jpj-yrbd ("words of delight") the noun Jpj ("delight") functions as an attributive genitive ("delightful words") or a genitive of estimation or worth ("words viewed as delightful by Qoheleth" or "words that he took delight in"). For another example of a genitive of estimation of worth, see <yhla yjbz "sacrifices of God" = "sacrifices viewed as acceptable to God" (Ps 51:19). In other words, Qoheleth wrote his proverbs so effectively that he was able to take moral and aesthetic delight in his words.
34tc (12:10) The consonantal form bwtkw has been revocalized in three ways: (1) The Masoretes read bWtk*w+ (conjunction + Qal passive participle ms from btk "to write"): "Qoheleth sought to find pleasant words, what was written uprightly, namely, words of truth." This is supported by the LXX's kai gegrammenon (conjunction + perfect passive participle accusative ms from grafw "to write). (2) The BHS editors suggest the vocalization botk*w+ (conjunction + Qal infinitive absolute). The infinitive botk*w+ ("and to write") in the B-line would parallel the infinitive of purpose ax)m=l! ("to find") in the A-line: "Qoheleth sought to find pleasant words, and to write accurately words of truth." (3) Several medieval Hebrew MSS preserve an alternate textual tradition of bt^k*w+ (conjunction + Qal perfect 3ms). This is reflected in the Greek versions (Aquilla and Symmachus), Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate. The major English versions are divided among these three textual options: (1) bWtk*w+ (Qal passive participle): "and that which was written was upright, even words of truth" (KJV); "and what is written correctly, namely, true things" (AB); "and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth" (ASV); "and, written by the upright, words of truth" (YLT); "but what he wrote was the honest truth" (NEB); "and what he wrote was upright and true" (NIV). (2) botk*w+ (Qal infinitive absolute): "and to write words of truth correctly" (NASB); "and to write correctly the reliable words of truth" (MLB); "and to write down true sayings with precision" (NAB). (3) bt^k*w+ (Qal perfect 3ms): "and uprightly he wrote words of truth" (RSV); "and he wrote words of truth plainly" (NRSV); "even as he put down plainly what was true" (Moffatt); "and he wrote words most right, and full of truth" (Douay); and "and he recorded genuinely truthful sayings" (NJPS). The editors of the Jerusalem Hebrew Bible project favor botk*w+ "and to write" (option 2): see Dominique Barthelemy, ed. et al., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (New York: United Bible Society, 1976), 3.596-97.
35tn The construct phrase tma yrbd ("words of truth") is a genitive of content ("words containing truth") or an attributive genitive ("truthful words"). Depending upon the vocalization of bwtkw, the phrase functions in one of two ways: (1) as direct object of rv#y{ botk*w+ "and he accurately wrote truthful words"; or (2) in apposition to rv#y{ bWtk*w+ "and what is written uprightly, namely, truthful words."
36sn For further study, see M. Fishbane, Biblical Interpretation in Ancient Israel (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1985), 29-32.
37sn (12:12) The exhortation may be understood in two ways: (1) to avoid any so-called wisdom sayings beyond those mentioned in vv. 10-11: "The words of the wise...are given from one shepherd. And of anything beyond these, my son, be warned!" (see RSV, NRSV, NAB, Douay, NIV). This is paraphrased well by Moffatt: "My son, avoid anything beyond the scriptures of wisdom" (Moffatt). (2) The exhortation refers to the concerns of v. 12b, namely, diligent study is wearisome, i.e., "Furthermore, my son, be warned: there is no end to the making of books, and much study is wearisome to the body" (see NEB, AB, ASV, NASB, MLB).
38tn (12:12) The verb hcu ("to do") may mean "to make" (HALOT 890 [3]) or "to acquire" (HALOT 891 [6]). The LXX rendered it as poihsai ("making"), as do most English versions: "making" (KJV, YLT, RSV, NRSV, AB, NAB, ASV, MLB, NIV, NJPS). However, several English versions reflect a different nuance: "there is no end to the buying of books" (Moffatt); "the use of books is endless" (NEB); and "the writing of many books is endless" (NASB).
39tn (12:12) Heb "the flesh." The term rcb ("flesh") refers to the body, functioning as a synecdoche or part (i.e., flesh, skin) for the whole (i.e., body), e.g., Gen 17:13; Ps 16:9; Prov 14:30 (see Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 642).
40tn (12:13) Heb "This is all men"; or "This is the whole of man." The phrase <dah-lk hz ("this is all men") features rhetorical elision of a key word. The ambiguity over the elided word has led to no less than five basic approaches: (1) "this is the whole duty of man" (KJV, ASV, RSV, NAB, NIV); (2) "this is the duty of all men" (MLB, ASV margin, RSV margin); (3) "this applies to all men" (NASB, AB, NJPS); (4) "this is the whole duty of all men" (NRSV, Moffatt); and (5) "there is no more to man than this" (NEB). The four-fold repetition of lk ("all") in 12:13-14 suggests that Qoheleth is emphasizing the "bottom line," that is, the basic duty of man is simply to fear and obey God: After "all" (lk) has been heard in the book, his conclusion is that the "whole" (lk) duty of man is to obey God because God will bring "all" (lk) acts into judgment, including "all" (lk) that is hidden, whether good or bad. See Dominique Barthelemy, ed. et al., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (New York: United Bible Society, 1976), 3.596.