Ecclesiastes 4:11

4:11 Furthermore, if two lie down together, they can keep each other warm,

but how can one person keep warm by himself?

Ecclesiastes 4:14

4:14 For he came out of prison ¹  to become king,

even though he had been born poor in what would become his ²  kingdom.

Ecclesiastes 5:17

5:17 Surely, he ate in darkness every day of his life, ³ 

and he suffered greatly with sickness and anger.

Ecclesiastes 6:5

6:5 though it never saw the light of day ⁴  nor knew anything, ⁵ 

yet it has more rest ⁶  than that man –

Ecclesiastes 6:9

6:9 It is better to be content with ⁷  what the eyes can see ⁸ 

than for one’s heart always to crave more. ⁹ 

This continual longing ¹⁰  is futile – like ¹¹  chasing the wind.

Ecclesiastes 9:13

Most People Are Not Receptive to Wise Counsel

9:13 This is what I also observed about wisdom on earth, ¹² 

and it is a great burden ¹³  to me:

[4:14]  ¹ tn Heb “came from the house of bonds.”

[4:14]  ² tn The phrase “what would become” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. However, it is not altogether clear whether the 3rd person masculine singular suffix (“his”) on בְּמַלְכוּתוֹ (bÿmalkhuto, “his kingdom”) refers to the old foolish king or to the poor but wise youth of 4:13.

[5:17]  ¹ tn Heb “all his days.” The phrase “of his life” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:5]  ¹ tn Heb “it never saw the sun.”

[6:5]  ² tn The word “anything” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:5]  ³ 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.

[6:9]  ¹ tn The phrase “to be content with” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:9]  ² tn The expression מַרְאֵה עֵינַיִם (mar’eh ’enayim, “the seeing of the eyes”) is a metonymy of cause (i.e., seeing an object) for effect (i.e., being content with what the eyes can see); see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 552-54.

[6:9]  ³ tn Heb “the roaming of the soul.” The expression מֵהֲלָךְ־נָפֶשׁ (mehalakh-nafesh, “the roaming of the soul”) is a metonymy for unfulfilled desires. The term “soul” (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh) is used as a metonymy of association for man’s desires and appetites (BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 5.c; 6.a). This also involves the personification of the roving appetite as “roving” (מֵהֲלָךְ); see BDB 235 s.v. הָלַךְ II.3.f; 232 I.3.

[6:9]  ⁴ tn The phrase “continual longing” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:9]  ⁵ tn The term “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.

[9:13]  ¹ tn Heb “under the sun.”

[9:13]  ² tn The term “burden” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.