Pengkhotbah 12:10

12:10 The Teacher sought to find delightful ¹  words,

and to write ²  accurately truthful sayings. ³ 

Pengkhotbah 7:14

7:14 In times of prosperity ⁴  be joyful,

but in times of adversity ⁵  consider this:

God has made one as well as the other, ⁶ 

so that no one can discover what the future holds. ⁷ 

Pengkhotbah 11:1

Ignorance of the Future Demands Diligence in the Present

11:1 Send ⁸  your grain ⁹  overseas, ¹⁰ 

for after many days you will get a return. ¹¹ 

Pengkhotbah 7:28

7:28 What I have continually sought, I have not found;

I have found only ¹²  one upright ¹³  man among a thousand,

but I have not found one upright woman among all of them.

Pengkhotbah 8:17

8:17 then I discerned all that God has done: ¹⁴ 

No one really comprehends what happens ¹⁵  on earth. ¹⁶ 

Despite all human ¹⁷  efforts to discover it, no one can ever grasp ¹⁸  it. ¹⁹ 

Even if ²⁰  a wise person claimed ²¹  that he understood,

he would not really comprehend ²²  it. ²³ 

Pengkhotbah 9:11

Wisdom Cannot Protect against Seemingly Chance Events

9:11 Again, ²⁴  I observed this on the earth: ²⁵ 

the race is not always ²⁶  won by the swiftest,

the battle is not always won by the strongest;

prosperity ²⁷  does not always belong to those who are the wisest,

wealth does not always belong to those who are the most discerning,

nor does success ²⁸  always come to those with the most knowledge –

for time and chance may overcome ²⁹  them all.

Pengkhotbah 7:24

7:24 Whatever has happened is beyond human ³⁰  understanding; ³¹ 

it is far deeper than anyone can fathom. ³² 

Pengkhotbah 3:6

3:6 A time to search, and a time to give something up as lost; ³³ 

a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

Pengkhotbah 7:27

7:27 The Teacher says:

I discovered this while trying to discover the scheme of things, item by item.

Pengkhotbah 7:25-26

True Righteousness and Wisdom are Virtually Nonexistent

7:25 I tried ³⁴  to understand, examine, and comprehend ³⁵ 

the role of ³⁶  wisdom in the scheme of things, ³⁷ 

and to understand the stupidity of wickedness ³⁸  and the insanity of folly. ³⁹ 

7:26 I discovered this: ⁴⁰ 

More bitter than death is the kind of ⁴¹  woman ⁴²  who is like a hunter’s snare; ⁴³ 

her heart is like a hunter’s net and her hands are like prison chains.

The man who pleases God escapes her,

but the sinner is captured by her.

Pengkhotbah 9:3

9:3 This is the unfortunate fact ⁴⁴  about everything that happens on earth: ⁴⁵ 

the same fate awaits ⁴⁶  everyone.

In addition to this, the hearts of all people ⁴⁷  are full of evil,

and there is folly in their hearts during their lives – then they die. ⁴⁸ 

[12:10]  ¹ tn In the construct phrase דִּבְרֵי־חֵפֶץ (divre-khefets, “words of delight”) the noun חֵפֶץ (“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 זִבְחֵי אֱלֹהִים (zivkhe ’elohim) “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.

[12:10]  ² tc The consonantal form וכתוב has been revocalized in three ways: (1) The Masoretes read וְכָתוּב (vÿkhatuv, conjunction + Qal passive participle ms from כָּתַב, katav, “to write”): “Qoheleth sought to find pleasant words, what was written uprightly, namely, words of truth.” This is supported by the LXX’s καὶ γεγραμμένον (kai gegrammenon, conjunction + masculine accusative singular perfect passive participle from γράφω, grafw, “to write). (2) The BHS editors suggest the vocalization וְכָתוֹב (vÿkhatov, conjunction + Qal infinitive absolute). The infinitive וְכָתוֹב (“and to write”) in the B-line would parallel the infinitive of purpose לִמְצֹא (limtso’, “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 וְכָתַב (vÿkhatav, conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular). This is reflected in the Greek versions (Aquila and Symmachus), Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate. The major English versions are divided among these three textual options: (1) וְכָתוּב (Qal passive participle): “and that which was written was upright, even words of truth” (KJV); “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) וְכָתוֹב (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) וְכָתַב (Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular): “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 וְכָתוֹב “and to write” (option 2): see D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 3:596–97.

[12:10]  ³ tn The construct phrase דִּבְרֵי אֱמֶת (divre ’emet, “words of truth”) is a genitive of content (“words containing truth”) or an attributive genitive (“truthful words”). Depending upon the vocalization of וכתוב, the phrase functions in one of two ways: (1) as direct object of וְכָתוֹב יֹשֶׁר (vÿkhatov yosher) “and he accurately wrote truthful words”; or (2) in apposition to וְכָתוּב יֹשֶׁר (vÿkhatuv yosher) “and what is written uprightly, namely, truthful words.”

[7:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “the day of good.”

[7:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “the day of evil.”

[7:14]  ⁶ tn Less probable renderings of this line are “God hath made the one side by side with the other” (ASV) and “God has set the one alongside the other” (NEB).

[7:14]  ⁷ tn 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).

[11:1]  ⁸ tn The verb שָׁלַח (shalakh, “to send; to cast”) refers to the action of sending something to someone (e.g., Neh 8:12; HALOT 1995 s.v. שׁלח). The term is traditionally rendered here as “cast” (KJV, NAB, RES, ASV, NASB, NIV); however, some render it “send” (NJPS, NRSV, NEB). LXX uses ἀπόστειλον (aposteilon, “send”).

[11:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “your bread.” The term לֶחֶם (lekhem) is traditionally rendered “bread” (KJV, 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 לֶחֶם (“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 s.v. 1; BDB 537 s.v. 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.

[11:1]  ¹⁰ tn 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. M. 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 (A. Cohen, The Five Megilloth [SoBB], 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).

[11:1]  ¹¹ tn Heb “find it.”

[7:28]  ¹² tn The word “only” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.

[7:28]  ¹³ tn 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.

[8:17]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “all the work of God.”

[8:17]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the work that is done.”

[8:17]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “under the sun.”

[8:17]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “his”; the referent (man, in a generic sense) has been specified in the translation as the adjective “human” for clarity.

[8:17]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “find.”

[8:17]  ¹⁹ tn The term “it” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.

[8:17]  ²⁰ tn The particle אִם (’im, “even if”) introduces the protasis in a real conditional clause (“If a wise man …”); see IBHS 636-37 §38.2d; R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 74, §453.

[8:17]  ²¹ tn The imperfect tense verb יֹאמַר (yo’mar, “to say”) functions in a modal sense, denoting possibility (see IBHS 508 §31.4e; R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 31, §169).

[8:17]  ²² tn Heb “he cannot find”; or “he does not find.”

[8:17]  ²³ tn 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.

[9:11]  ²⁴ tn Heb “I returned and.” In the Hebrew idiom, “to return and do” means “to do again.”

[9:11]  ²⁵ tn Heb “under the sun.”

[9:11]  ²⁶ tn The term “always” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation (five times in this verse) for clarity.

[9:11]  ²⁷ tn Heb “bread.”

[9:11]  ²⁸ tn Heb “favor.”

[9:11]  ²⁹ tn Heb “happen to.”

[7:24]  ³⁰ tn The word “human” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:24]  ³¹ tn Heb “is far away.”

[7:24]  ³² tn Heb “It is deep, deep – who can find it?” The repetition of the word “deep” emphasizes the degree of incomprehensibility. See IBHS 233-34 §12.5a.

[3:6]  ³³ tn The term לְאַבֵּד (lÿ’abbed, Piel infinitive construct from אָבַד, ’avad, “to destroy”) means “to lose” (e.g., Jer 23:1) as the contrast with בָּקַשׁ (baqash, “to seek to find”) indicates (HALOT 3 s.v. I אבד; BDB 2 s.v. אבד 3). This is the declarative or delocutive-estimative sense of the Piel: “to view something as lost” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 28, §145; IBHS 403 §24.2g).

[7:25]  ³⁴ tn Heb “I turned, I, even my heart.”

[7:25]  ³⁵ tn Heb “to seek.”

[7:25]  ³⁶ tn The phrase “the role of” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.

[7:25]  ³⁷ tn The phrase חָכְמָה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן (khokhmah vÿkheshbon, “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 עִצְּבוֹנֵךְ וְהֵרֹנֵךְ (’itsÿvonekh vÿheronekh, “pain and childbearing”) which connotes “pain in childbearing” (Gen 3:16).

[7:25]  ³⁸ tn Or “the evil of folly” The genitive construct phrase רֶשַׁע כֶּסֶל (resha’ kesel) 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, Moffatt), and “it is folly to be wicked” (NEB).

[7:25]  ³⁹ tn Or “the folly of madness” The genitive construct phrase וְהַסִּכְלוּת הוֹלֵלוֹת (vÿhassikhlut holelot) 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, Moffatt).

[7:26]  ⁴⁰ tn The word “this” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.

[7:26]  ⁴¹ tn 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”).

[7:26]  ⁴² tn The article on הָאִשָּׁה (ha’ishah) functions in a particularizing sense (“the kind of woman”) rather than in a generic sense (i.e., “women”).

[7:26]  ⁴³ tn Heb “is snares.” The plural form מְצוֹדִים (mÿtsodim, from the noun I מָצוֹד, matsod, “snare”) is used to connote either intensity, repeated or habitual action, or moral characteristic. For the function of the Hebrew plural, see IBHS 120-21 §7.4.2. The term II מָצוֹד “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).

[9:3]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “evil.”

[9:3]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “under the sun.”

[9:3]  ⁴⁶ tn The term “awaits” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness and stylistic reasons.

[9:3]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “also the heart of the sons of man.” Here “heart” is a collective singular.

[9:3]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “and after that [they go] to [the place of] the dead.”