Ecclesiastes 3:21-22

3:21 Who really knows if the human spirit ¹  ascends upward,

and the animal’s spirit descends into the earth?

3:22 So I perceived there is nothing better than for people ²  to enjoy their work, ³ 

because that is their ⁴  reward;

for who can show them what the future holds? ⁵ 

Ecclesiastes 8:1

Human Government Demonstrates Limitations of Wisdom

8:1 Who is ⁶  a ⁷  wise person? Who knows the solution ⁸  to a problem? ⁹ 

A person’s wisdom brightens his appearance, ¹⁰  and softens ¹¹  his harsh countenance. ¹² 

Ecclesiastes 9:4

Better to Be Poor but Alive than Rich but Dead

9:4 But whoever is among ¹³  the living ¹⁴  has hope;

a live dog is better than a dead lion.

Ecclesiastes 10:14

10:14 yet a fool keeps on babbling. ¹⁵ 

No one knows what will happen;

who can tell him what will happen in the future? ¹⁶ 

[3:21]  ¹ tn Heb “the spirit of the sons of man.”

[3:22]  ² tn Heb “man.”

[3:22]  ³ tn Heb “his works.”

[3:22]  ⁴ tn Heb “his.”

[3:22]  ⁵ tn Heb “what will be after him” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV) or “afterward” (cf. NJPS).

[8:1]  ³ tn The preposition כְּ (kaf) prefixed to כְּהֶחָכָם (kÿhekhakham, “wise man”) is traditionally taken in a comparative sense: “Who is like [or as] the wise man?” On the other hand, it may denote identity, e.g., Gen 1:26; Num 11:1; 1 Sam 20:3; 2 Sam 9:8; Neh 7:2; Job 10:9; Nah 3:6 (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 47, §261; IBHS 202-4 §11.2.9b).

[8:1]  ⁴ tn The definite article on הֶחָכָם (hekhakham, “wise man”) may be taken in an individualizing (“the wise man”) or generic sense (“a wise man”).

[8:1]  ⁵ tn Or “the explanation.” The noun פֵּשֶׁר (pesher) denotes “solution; explanation; interpretation; meaning” (HALOT 982–83 s.v. פֵּשֶׁר; BDB 833 s.v. פֵּשֶׁר). The Hebrew term is an Aramaic loanword from פִּשְׁרָא (pishra’, “diagnosis; meaning; solution”). The Aramaic noun פְּשַׁר (pÿshar, “interpretation of a dream or prophecy”) and verb פְּשַׁר (pÿshar, “to interpret a dream or prophecy”) reflect a later meaning not present in Ecclesiastes, but current at the time of Daniel (Dan 2:5-7; 4:3, 15, 16; 5:12, 15, 16; 7:16) and Qumran (e.g., 1QpHab).

[8:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “a thing.”

[8:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “makes his face shine.”

[8:1]  ⁸ tc The MT vocalizes the consonantal form ישנא as יְשֻׁנֶּא (yÿshunne’, Pual imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from I שָׁנָה, shana, “to change”). However, the LXX μισθήσεται (misqhsetai) reflects an alternate vocalization tradition of יִשָּׂנֵא (yissane’, Niphal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from שָׂנֵא, sane’, “to hate”), while the Vulgate’s commutabit reflects יְשַׁנֶּה (yÿshanneh, Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from II שָׁנָה, shanah, “to repeat”).

[8:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “the strength of his face is changed.” The expression עֹז פָּנָיו (’oz panayv, “strength of his face”) is an idiom for “boldness; impudence” (BDB 739 s.v. עֹז 4) or “hard face” = harsh countenance (HALOT 805 s.v. I עֹז 1.c).

[9:4]  ⁴ tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has “is chosen, selected.” The translation follows the marginal reading (Qere), “is joined.” See BDB 288 s.v. חָבַר Pu.

[9:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “all the living.”

[10:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “and the fool multiplies words.” This line is best taken as the third line of a tricola encompassing 10:13-14a (NASB, NRSV, NJPS, Moffatt) rather than the first line of a tricola encompassing 10:14 (KJV, NEB, RSV, NAB, ASV, NIV). Several versions capture the sense of this line well: “a fool prates on and on” (Moffatt) and “Yet the fool talks and talks!” (NJPS).

[10:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “after him”; or “after he [dies].”