Pengkhotbah 1:16

Futility of Secular Wisdom

1:16 I thought to myself, ¹ 

“I have become much wiser ²  than any of my predecessors who ruled ³  over Jerusalem; ⁴ 

I ⁵  have acquired much wisdom and knowledge.” ⁶ 

Pengkhotbah 3:22

3:22 So I perceived there is nothing better than for people ⁷  to enjoy their work, ⁸ 

because that is their ⁹  reward;

for who can show them what the future holds? ¹⁰ 

[1:16]  ¹ tn Heb “I spoke, I, with my heart.”

[1:16]  ² tn Heb “I, look, I have made great and increased wisdom.” The expression הִגְדַּלְתִּי וְהוֹסַפְתִּי (higdalti vÿhosafti) is a verbal hendiadys; it means that Qoheleth had become the wisest man in the history of Jerusalem.

[1:16]  ³ tn The phrase “who ruled” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:16]  ⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “my heart” (לִבִּי, libbi). The term “heart” is a metonymy of part for the whole (“my heart” = myself).

[1:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “My heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.”

[3:22]  ⁷ tn Heb “man.”

[3:22]  ⁸ tn Heb “his works.”

[3:22]  ⁹ tn Heb “his.”

[3:22]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “what will be after him” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV) or “afterward” (cf. NJPS).