Pengkhotbah 1:7

1:7 All the streams flow ¹  into the sea, but the sea is not full,

and to the place where the streams flow, there they will flow again. ² 

Pengkhotbah 1:17

1:17 So I decided ³  to discern the benefit of ⁴  wisdom and knowledge over ⁵  foolish behavior and ideas; ⁶ 

however, I concluded ⁷  that even ⁸  this endeavor ⁹  is like ¹⁰  trying to chase the wind! ¹¹ 

Pengkhotbah 3:3

3:3 A time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

Pengkhotbah 4:15

4:15 I considered all the living who walk on earth, ¹² 

as well as the successor ¹³  who would arise ¹⁴  in his place.

Pengkhotbah 6:9

6:9 It is better to be content with ¹⁵  what the eyes can see ¹⁶ 

than for one’s heart always to crave more. ¹⁷ 

This continual longing ¹⁸  is futile – like ¹⁹  chasing the wind.

Pengkhotbah 12:13

12:13 Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion: ²⁰ 

Fear God and keep his commandments,

because this is the whole duty ²¹  of man.

[1:7]  ¹ tn Heb “are going” or “are walking.” The term הֹלְכִים (holÿkhim, Qal active participle masculine plural from הָלַךְ, halakh,“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).

[1:7]  ² tn Heb “there they are returning to go.” The term שָׁבִים (shavim, Qal active participle masculine plural from שׁוּב, shuv, “to return”) emphasizes the continual, durative action of the waters. The root שׁוּב 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.

[1:7]  sn 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.

[1:17]  ³ tn Heb “gave my heart,” or “set my mind.” See v. 13.

[1:17]  ⁴ tn The phrase “the benefit of” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:17]  ⁵ tn The word “over” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:17]  ⁶ tn The terms שִׂכְלוּת (sikhlut, “folly”) and הוֹלֵלוֹת (holelot, “foolishness”) are synonyms. The term שִׂכְלוּת (alternate spelling of סִכְלוּת, sikhlut) refers to foolish behavior (HALOT 755 s.v. סִכְלוּת), while הוֹלֵלוֹת refers to foolish ideas and mental blindness (HALOT 242 s.v. הוֹלֵלוֹת). 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).

[1:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “I know.”

[1:17]  ⁸ tn The term גַּם (gam, “even”) is a particle of association and emphasis (HALOT 195 s.v. גַּם).

[1:17]  ⁹ tn This term does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:17]  ¹⁰ tn This term does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:17]  ¹¹ tn Heb “striving of wind.”

[4:15]  ¹² tn Heb “under the sun.”

[4:15]  ¹³ tn Heb “the second youth.” It is not clear whether “the second” (הַשֵּׁנִי, hasheni) refers to the young man who succeeds the old king or a second youthful successor.

[4:15]  ¹⁴ tn The verb עָמַד (’amad, “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 s.v. עָמַד 6.a; HALOT 840 s.v. עמד 1.a.

[6:9]  ¹⁵ tn The phrase “to be content with” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:9]  ¹⁶ tn The expression מַרְאֵה עֵינַיִם (mar’eh ’enayim, “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 E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 552-54.

[6:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the roaming of the soul.” The expression מֵהֲלָךְ־נָפֶשׁ (mehalakh-nafesh, “the roaming of the soul”) is a metonymy for unfulfilled desires. The term “soul” (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh) is used as a metonymy of association for man’s desires and appetites (BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 5.c; 6.a). This also involves the personification of the roving appetite as “roving” (מֵהֲלָךְ); see BDB 235 s.v. הָלַךְ II.3.f; 232 I.3.

[6:9]  ¹⁸ tn The phrase “continual longing” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:9]  ¹⁹ tn The term “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.

[12:13]  ²⁰ tn Heb “The end of the matter, everything having been heard.”

[12:13]  ²¹ tn Heb “This is all men”; or “This is the whole of man.” The phrase זֶה כָּל־הָאָדָם (zeh kol-ha’adam, “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, 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 כֹּל (kol, “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” (כֹּל) has been heard in the book, his conclusion is that the “whole” (כֹּל) duty of man is to obey God because God will bring “all” (כֹּל) acts into judgment, including “all” (כֹּל) that is hidden, whether good or bad. See D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 3:596.