Pengkhotbah 1:6

1:6 The wind goes to the south and circles around to the north;

round and round ¹  the wind goes and on its rounds it returns. ² 

Pengkhotbah 4:6

4:6 Better is one handful with some rest

than two hands full of toil ³  and chasing the wind.

Pengkhotbah 8:3

8:3 Do not rush out of the king’s presence in haste – do not delay when the matter is unpleasant, ⁴ 

for he can do whatever he pleases.

[1:6]  ¹ tn The Hebrew root סָבַב (savav, “to circle around”) is repeated four times in this verse to depict the wind’s continual motion: “The wind circles around (סוֹבֵב, sovev)…round and round (סוֹבֵב סֹבֵב)…its circuits (סְבִיבֹתָיו, sÿvivotayv).” 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).

[1:6]  ² tn The use of שָׁב (shav, Qal active participle masculine singular from שׁוּב, shuv, “to return”) creates a wordplay (paronomasia) with the repetition of סָבַב (savav, “to circle around”). The participle emphasizes continual, durative, uninterrupted action (present universal use).

[4:6]  ³ sn Qoheleth lists three approaches to labor: (1) the competitive workaholic in 4:4, (2) the impoverished sluggard in 4:5, and (3) the contented laborer in 4:6. The balanced approach rebukes the two extremes.

[8:3]  ⁴ tn Or “do not stand up for a bad cause.”