Pengkhotbah 2:12

Wisdom is Better than Folly

2:12 Next, I decided to consider ¹  wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. ² 

For what more can the king’s successor do than what the king ³  has already done?

Pengkhotbah 3:17

3:17 I thought to myself, “God will judge both the righteous and the wicked;

for there is an appropriate time for every activity,

and there is a time of judgment ⁴  for every deed.

Pengkhotbah 9:10

9:10 Whatever you find to do with your hands, ⁵ 

do it with all your might,

because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, ⁶ 

the place where you will eventually go. ⁷ 

[2:12]  ¹ tn Heb “and I turned to see.”

[2:12]  ² sn See 1:17 for the same expression. Throughout 2:1-11, Qoheleth evaluated the merits of merrymaking (2:1-3), accomplishing grand things (2:4-6), amassing great wealth (2:7-8), and secular acquisitions and accomplishments (2:9-10). Now, he reflects on the benefit in life in living wisely and not giving oneself over to frivolous self-indulgence.

[2:12]  ³ tc The Hebrew text reads עָשׂוּהוּ (’asuhu, “they have done it”; Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural from עָשַׂה [’asah] + 3rd person masculine singular suffix). However, many medieval Hebrew mss read עָשָׂהוּ (’asahu, “he has done”; Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular from עָשַׂה), reflected in the LXX and Syriac. The error was caused by dittography (ו, vav, written twice) or by orthographic confusion between ו and ה (hey) in הוו (confused as והוו) at the end of 2:12 and beginning of 2:13. The 3rd person masculine singular referent of עָשׂוּהוּ “what he has done” is the king, that is, Qoheleth himself. The referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:17]  ⁴ tn The phrase “a time of judgment” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[9:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “Whatever your hand finds to do.”

[9:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “Sheol.”

[9:10]  ⁷ tn Or “where you are about to go.”