Ecclesiastes 3:22

3:22 So I perceived there is nothing better than for people ¹  to enjoy their work, ² 

because that is their ³  reward;

for who can show them what the future holds? ⁴ 

Ecclesiastes 7:2

7:2 It is better to go to a funeral ⁵ 

than a feast. ⁶ 

For death ⁷  is the destiny ⁸  of every person, ⁹ 

and the living should ¹⁰  take this ¹¹  to heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:18

7:18 It is best to take hold of one warning ¹²  without letting go of the other warning; ¹³ 

for the one who fears God will follow ¹⁴  both warnings. ¹⁵ 

Ecclesiastes 9:4

Better to Be Poor but Alive than Rich but Dead

9:4 But whoever is among ¹⁶  the living ¹⁷  has hope;

a live dog is better than a dead lion.

Ecclesiastes 9:7

Life is Brief, so Cherish its Joys

9:7 Go, eat your food ¹⁸  with joy,

and drink your wine with a happy heart,

because God has already approved your works.

Ecclesiastes 12:14

12:14 For God will evaluate every deed, ¹⁹ 

including every secret thing, whether good or evil.

[3:22]  ¹ tn Heb “man.”

[3:22]  ² tn Heb “his works.”

[3:22]  ³ tn Heb “his.”

[3:22]  ⁴ tn Heb “what will be after him” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV) or “afterward” (cf. NJPS).

[7:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “house of mourning.” The phrase refers to a funeral where the deceased is mourned.

[7:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “house of drinking”; or “house of feasting.” The Hebrew noun מִשְׁתֶּה (mishteh) can denote (1) “feast; banquet,” occasion for drinking-bouts (1 Sam 25:36; Isa 5:12; Jer 51:39; Job 1:5; Esth 2:18; 5:14; 8:17; 9:19) or (2) “drink” (exilic/postexilic – Ezra 3:7; Dan 1:5, 8, 16); see HALOT 653 s.v. מִשְׁתֶּה 4; BDB 1059 s.v. שָׁתַה.

[7:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “it”; the referent (“death”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “the end.” The noun סוֹף (sof) literally means “end; conclusion” (HALOT 747 s.v. סוֹף 1; BDB 693 s.v. סוֹף). It is used in this context in reference to death, as the preceding phrase “house of mourning” (i.e., funeral) suggests.

[7:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “all men” or “every man.”

[7:2]  ¹⁰ tn The imperfect tense verb יִתֵּן, yitten (from נָתָן, natan, “to give”) functions in a modal sense, denoting obligation, that is, the subject’s obligatory or necessary conduct: “should” or “ought to” (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 31-32, §172; IBHS 508-9 §31.4g).

[7:2]  ¹¹ tn The word “this” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.

[7:18]  ⁹ tn The word “warning” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation two times in this line for clarity.

[7:18]  ¹⁰ sn The other warning. Qoheleth is referring to the two words of advice in 7:16-17. He is not, as some suggest, urging his readers to grasp righteousness without letting go of wickedness. His point is not that people should live their lives with a balance of modest righteousness and modest wickedness. Because he urges the fear of God in 7:18b, he cannot be inconsistent in suggesting that his readers offend the fear of God by indulging in some degree of sin in order to counterbalance an overly righteous life. Rather, the proper fear of God will prevent a person from trusting in righteousness and wisdom alone for his security, and it will also prevent indulgence in wickedness and folly.

[7:18]  ¹¹ tn Or “will escape both”; or “will go forth in both.” The Hebrew phrase יֵצֵא אֶת־כֻּלָּם (yetse’ ’et-kullam, “he will follow both of them”) has been interpreted in several ways: (1) To adopt a balanced lifestyle that is moderately righteous while allowing for self-indulgence in moderate wickedness (“to follow both of them,” that is, to follow both righteousness and wickedness). However, this seems to unnecessarily encourage an antinomian rationalization of sin and moral compromise. (2) To avoid the two extremes of being over-righteous and over-wicked. This takes יֵצֵא in the sense of “to escape,” e.g., Gen 39:12, 15; 1 Sam 14:14; Jer 11:11; 48:9; cf. HALOT 426 s.v. יצא 6.c; BDB 423 s.v. יָצָא 1.d. (3) To follow both of the warnings given in 7:16-17. This approach finds parallels in postbiblical rabbinic literature denoting the action of discharging one’s duty of obedience and complying with instruction. In postbiblical rabbinic literature the phrase יַדֵי יֵצֵא (yetse’ yade, “to go out of the hands”) is an idiom meaning “to comply with the requirements of the law” (Jastrow 587 s.v. יָצָא Hif.5.a). This fits nicely with the context of 7:16-17 in which Qoheleth issued two warnings. In 7:18a Qoheleth exhorted his readers to follow both of his warnings: “It is best to grasp the first warning without letting go of the second warning.” The person who fears God will heed both warnings. He will not depend upon his own righteousness and wisdom, but upon God’s sovereign bestowal of blessings. Likewise, he will not exploit the exceptions to the doctrine of retribution to indulge in sin, rationalizing sin away just because the wicked sometimes do not get what they deserve.

[7:18]  ¹² tn Heb “both.” The term “warnings” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. Alternately, “both [extremes]” or “both [fates].” The point of this expression is either (1) “ he achieves both things,” (2) “he escapes all these misfortunes,” (3) “he does his duty by both,” or (4) “he avoids both extremes.” See D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 3:580–81.

[9:4]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “all the living.”

[9:7]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “your bread.”

[12:14]  ²¹ tn Heb “will bring every deed into judgment.”