Pengkhotbah 11:7-8

Life Should Be Enjoyed Because Death is Inevitable

11:7 Light ¹  is sweet, ² 

and it is pleasant for a person ³  to see the sun. ⁴ 

11:8 So, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all,

but let him remember that the days of darkness ⁵  will be many – all that is about to come is obscure. ⁶ 

Kejadian 27:1

Jacob Cheats Esau out of the Blessing

27:1 When ⁷  Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he was almost blind, ⁸  he called his older ⁹  son Esau and said to him, “My son!” “Here I am!” Esau ¹⁰  replied.

Kejadian 48:10

48:10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing ¹¹  because of his age; he was not able to see well. So Joseph ¹²  brought his sons ¹³  near to him, and his father ¹⁴  kissed them and embraced them.

Kejadian 48:1

Manasseh and Ephraim

48:1 After these things Joseph was told, ¹⁵  “Your father is weakening.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.

1 Samuel 3:2

3:2 Eli’s eyes had begun to fail, so that he was unable to see well. At that time he was lying down in his place,

1 Samuel 4:15

4:15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes looked straight ahead; ¹⁶  he was unable to see.

1 Samuel 4:18

4:18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli ¹⁷  fell backward from his chair beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he ¹⁸  was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years.

[11:7]  ¹ tn The term “light” (הָאוֹר, ha’or) 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).

[11:7]  ² tn The Hebrew term מָתוֹק (matoq, “sweet”) is often used elsewhere in reference to honey. The point is that life is sweet and should be savored like honey.

[11:7]  ³ tn Heb “to 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.

[11:7]  ⁴ tn The idiom “to see the sun” (both רָאָה הָשָּׁמֶשׁ, ra’ah hashamesh, and חָזָה הַשָּׁמֶשׁ, khazah hashamesh) is an idiom meaning “to be alive” (e.g., Ps 58:9; Eccl 6:5; 7:11; 11:7); cf. BDB 1039 s.v. שֶׁמֶשׁ 4.b. The opposite idiom, “the sun is darkened,” refers to the onset of old age and death (Eccl 12:2).

[11:8]  ⁵ tn 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).

[11:8]  ⁶ tn The term הֶבֶל (hevel) 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 s.v. I הֶבֶל; BDB 210–11 s.v. I הֶבֶל). 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).

[27:1]  ⁷ tn The clause begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making it subordinate to the main clause that follows later in the sentence.

[27:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “and his eyes were weak from seeing.”

[27:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “greater” (in terms of age).

[27:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Esau) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:10]  ¹¹ tn Heb “heavy.”

[48:10]  sn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information that is important to the story. The weakness of Israel’s sight is one of several connections between this chapter and Gen 27. Here there are two sons, and it appears that the younger is being blessed over the older by a blind old man. While it was by Jacob’s deception in chap. 27, here it is with Jacob’s full knowledge.

[48:10]  ¹² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:10]  ¹³ tn Heb “them”; the referent (Joseph’s sons) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:10]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and one said.” With no expressed subject in the Hebrew text, the verb can be translated with the passive voice.

[4:15]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “were set” or “were fixed,” i.e., without vision.

[4:18]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:18]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “the man.”