Ecclesiastes 1:14

1:14 I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man ¹  on earth, ² 

and I concluded: Everything ³  he has accomplished ⁴  is futile ⁵  – like chasing the wind! ⁶ 

Ecclesiastes 2:13

2:13 I realized that wisdom is preferable to folly, ⁷ 

just as light is preferable to darkness:

Ecclesiastes 3:10

3:10 I have observed the burden

that God has given to people ⁸  to keep them occupied.

Ecclesiastes 3:13

3:13 and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil,

for these things ⁹  are a gift from God.

Ecclesiastes 3:16

The Problem of Injustice and Oppression

3:16 I saw something else on earth: ¹⁰ 

In the place of justice, there was wickedness,

and in the place of fairness, ¹¹  there was wickedness.

Ecclesiastes 5:13

Materialism Thwarts Enjoyment of Life

5:13 Here is ¹²  a misfortune ¹³  on earth ¹⁴  that I have seen:

Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery.

Ecclesiastes 6:1

Not Everyone Enjoys Life

6:1 Here is ¹⁵  another misfortune ¹⁶  that I have seen on earth, ¹⁷ 

and it weighs ¹⁸  heavily on people: ¹⁹ 

Ecclesiastes 6:5

6:5 though it never saw the light of day ²⁰  nor knew anything, ²¹ 

yet it has more rest ²²  than that man –

Ecclesiastes 7:13

Wisdom Acknowledges God’s Orchestration of Life

7:13 Consider the work of God:

For who can make straight what he has bent?

Ecclesiastes 7:27

7:27 The Teacher says:

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

Ecclesiastes 9:13

Most People Are Not Receptive to Wise Counsel

9:13 This is what I also observed about wisdom on earth, ²³ 

and it is a great burden ²⁴  to me:

Ecclesiastes 10:5

10:5 I have seen another ²⁵  misfortune ²⁶  on the earth: ²⁷ 

It is an error a ruler makes. ²⁸ 

Ecclesiastes 10:7

10:7 I have seen slaves ²⁹  on horseback

and princes walking on foot ³⁰  like slaves.

[1:14]  ¹ tn The phrase “by man” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:14]  ² tn Heb “under the sun.”

[1:14]  ³ tn As mentioned in the note on “everything” in 1:2, the term הַכֹּל (hakkol, “everything”) is often limited in reference to the specific topic at hand in the context (e.g., BDB 482 s.v. כֹּל 2). The argument of 1:12-15, like 1:3-11, focuses on secular human achievement. This is clear from the repetition of the root עָשַׂה (’asah, “do, work, accomplish, achieve”) in 1:12-13.

[1:14]  ⁴ tn The phrase “he has accomplished” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:14]  ⁵ tn This usage of הֶבֶל (hevel) denotes “futile, profitless, fruitless” (e.g., 2 Kgs 17:15; Ps 78:33; Prov 13:11; 21:6; Eccl 1:2, 14; 2:1, 14-15; 4:8; Jer 2:5; 10:3; Lam 4:17; see HALOT 236–37 s.v. I הֶבֶל; BDB 210–11 s.v. I הֶבֶל). The term is used with the simile “like striving after the wind” (רְעוּת רוּחַ, rÿ’ut ruakh) – a graphic picture of an expenditure of effort in vain because no one can catch the wind by chasing it (e.g., 1:14, 17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 6:9; 7:14). When used in this sense, the term is often used with the following synonyms: לְתֹהוּ (lÿtohu, “for nothing, in vain, for no reason”; Isa 49:4); רִיק (riq, “profitless; useless”; Isa 30:7; Eccl 6:11); לֹא הוֹעִיל (“worthless, profitless”; Is 30:6; 57:12; Jer 16:19); “what profit?” (מַה־יִּתְרוֹןֹ, mah-yyitron); and “no profit” (אֵין יִּתְרוֹן, en yyitron; e.g., 2:11; 3:19; 6:9). It is also used in antithesis to terms connoting value: טוֹב (tov, “good, benefit, advantage”) and יֹתְרוֹן (yotÿron, “profit, advantage, gain”). Despite everything that man has accomplished in history, it is ultimately futile because nothing on earth really changes.

[1:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “striving of wind.” The word “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text; it has been added in the translation to make the comparative notion clear.

[2:13]  ⁷ tn Heb “and I saw that there is profit for wisdom more than folly.”

[3:10]  ¹³ tn Heb “the sons of man.”

[3:13]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “for it.” The referent of the 3rd person feminine singular independent person pronoun (“it”) is probably the preceding statement: “to eat, drink, and find satisfaction.” This would be an example of an anacoluthon (GKC 505-6 §167.b). Thus the present translation uses “these things” to indicate the reference back to the preceding.

[3:16]  ²⁵ tn Heb “under the sun.”

[3:16]  ²⁶ tn Or “righteousness.”

[5:13]  ³¹ tn Heb “there is.” The term יֵשׁ (yesh, “there is”) is often used in aphorisms to assert the existence of a particular situation that occurs sometimes. It may indicate that the situation is not the rule but that it does occur on occasion, and may be nuanced “sometimes” (e.g., Prov 11:24; 13:7, 23; 14:12; 16:25; 18:24; 20:15; Eccl 2:21; 4:8; 5:12; 6:1; 7:15 [2x]; 8:14 [3x]).

[5:13]  ³² tn The noun רָעָה (ra’ah, “evil”) probably means “misfortune” (HALOT 1263 s.v. רָעָה 4) or “injustice, wrong” (HALOT 1262 s.v. רָעָה 2.b). The phrase רָעָה רַבָּה (ra’ah rabbah) connotes “grave injustice” or “great misfortune” (Eccl 2:17; 5:12, 15; 6:1; 10:5).

[5:13]  ³³ tn Heb “under the sun.”

[6:1]  ³⁷ tn The term יֵשׁ (yesh, “there is”) is often used in aphorisms to assert the existence of a particular situation that occurs sometimes. It may indicate that the situation is not the rule but that it does occur on occasion, and may be nuanced “sometimes” (Prov 11:24; 13:7, 23; 14:12; 16:25; 18:24; 20:15; Eccl 2:21; 4:8; 5:12; 6:1; 7:15 [2x]; 8:14 [3x]).

[6:1]  ³⁸ tn The noun רָעָה (ra’ah, “evil”) probably means “misfortune” (HALOT 1263 s.v. רָעָה 4) or “injustice, wrong” (HALOT 1262 s.v. רָעָה 2.b); see, e.g., Eccl 2:17; 5:12, 15; 6:1; 10:5.

[6:1]  ³⁹ tn Heb “under the sun.”

[6:1]  ⁴⁰ tn The word “weighs” does not appear in Hebrew, but is added in the translation for smoothness.

[6:1]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “it is great upon men.” The phrase וְרַבָּה הִיא עַל־הָאָדָם (vÿrabbah hi’ ’al-ha’adam) is taken in two basic ways: (1) commonality: “it is common among men” (KJV, MLB), “it is prevalent among men” (NASB), “that is frequent among men” (Douay). (2) oppressiveness: “it lies heavy upon men” (RSV, NRSV), “it weighs heavily upon men” (NEB, NAB, NIV), “it presses heavily on men” (Moffatt), “it is heavy upon men” (ASV), and “a grave one it is for man” (NJPS). The preposition עַל (’al, “upon”) argues against the first in favor of the second; the notion of commonality would be denoted by the preposition בְּ (bet, “among”). The singular noun אָדָם (’adam) is used as a collective, denoting “men.” The article on הָאָדָם (ha’adam) is used in a generic sense referring to humankind as a whole; the generic article is often used with a collective singular (IBHS 244 §13.5.1f).

[6:5]  ⁴³ tn Heb “it never saw the sun.”

[6:5]  ⁴⁴ tn The word “anything” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:5]  ⁴⁵ sn The Hebrew term translated rest here refers to freedom from toil, anxiety, and misery – part of the miserable misfortune that the miserly man of wealth must endure.

[9:13]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “under the sun.”

[9:13]  ⁵⁰ tn The term “burden” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[10:5]  ⁵⁵ tn The term “another” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation to indicate that this is not the first “misfortune” described by the Teacher. See 5:13, 16; 6:1-2.

[10:5]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “an evil.”

[10:5]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “under the sun.”

[10:5]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “like an error that comes forth from the presence of a ruler.”

[10:7]  ⁶¹ tn Or “servants,” so KJV, ASV, NCV, NLT (also in the following line).

[10:7]  ⁶² tn Heb “upon the earth.”