Ecclesiastes 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 ¹  for every deed.

Ecclesiastes 4:3

4:3 But better than both is the one who has not been born ² 

and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth. ³ 

Ecclesiastes 9:15

9:15 However, a poor but wise man lived in the city, ⁴ 

and he could have delivered ⁵  the city by his wisdom,

but no one listened ⁶  to that poor man.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

12:13 Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion: ⁷ 

Fear God and keep his commandments,

because this is the whole duty ⁸  of man.

[3:17]  ¹ tn The phrase “a time of judgment” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[4:3]  ² tn The word “born” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[4:3]  ³ tn Heb “under the sun.”

[9:15]  ³ tn Heb “was found in it”; the referent (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:15]  ⁴ tn Or “he delivered.” The verb וּמִלַּט (umillat, from מָלַט, malat, “to deliver”) is functioning either in an indicative sense (past definite action: “he delivered”) or in a modal sense (past potential: “he could have delivered”). The literal meaning of זָכַר (zakhar, “to remember”) in the following line harmonizes with the indicative: “but no one remembered that poor man [afterward].” However, the modal is supported by v. 16: “A poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice.” This approach must nuance זָכַר (“to remember”) as “[no one] listened to [that poor man].” Most translations favor the indicative approach: “he delivered” or “he saved” (KJV, RSV, NRSV, NAB, ASV, NASB, MLB, NIV); however, some adopt the modal nuance: “he might have saved” (NEB, NJPS, NASB margin).

[9:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “remembered.”

[12:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “The end of the matter, everything having been heard.”

[12:13]  ⁵ 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.