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 5:7

5:7 Just as there is futility in many dreams,

so also in many words. ³ 

Therefore, fear God!

Ecclesiastes 5:10

Covetousness

5:10 The one who loves money ⁴  will never be satisfied with money, ⁵ 

he who loves wealth ⁶  will never be satisfied ⁷  with his ⁸  income.

This also is futile.

Ecclesiastes 6:4

6:4 Though the stillborn child ⁹  came into the world ¹⁰  for no reason ¹¹  and departed into darkness,

though its name is shrouded in darkness, ¹² 

Ecclesiastes 7:5

Frivolous Living Versus Wisdom

7:5 It is better for a person to receive ¹³  a rebuke from those who are wise ¹⁴ 

than to listen to the song ¹⁵  of fools.

Ecclesiastes 10:3

10:3 Even when a fool walks along the road he lacks sense, ¹⁶ 

and shows ¹⁷  everyone what a fool he is. ¹⁸ 

Ecclesiastes 10:19

10:19 Feasts ¹⁹  are made ²⁰  for laughter,

and wine makes life merry, ²¹ 

but money is the answer ²²  for everything.

[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.

[5:7]  ³ tn The syntax of this verse is difficult. Perhaps the best approach is to classify the vav on וַהֲבָלִים (vahavalim, “futilities”) as introducing the predicate (e.g., Gen 40:9; 2 Sam 23:3; Prov 10:25; Isa 34:12; Job 4:6; 36:26); BDB 255 s.v. ו 5.c.γ: “There is futility….” The phrase בְרֹב הֲלֹמוֹת (vÿrob halomot) is an adverbial modifier (“in many dreams”), as is דְבָרִים הַרְבֵּה (dÿvarim harbeh, “many words”). The vav prefixed to וּדְבָרִים (udÿvarim) and the juxtaposition of the two lines suggests a comparison: “just as…so also…” (BDB 253 s.v. ו 1.j). The English versions reflect a variety of approaches: “In the multitude of dreams and many words there are also diverse vanities” (KJV); “In the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words” (ASV); “When dreams increase, empty words grow many” (RSV); “In many dreams and follies and many words” (MLB); “In the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound” (YLT); “Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities, and words without number” (Douay); “Many dreams and words mean many a vain folly” (Moffatt); “Much dreaming leads to futility and to superfluous talk” (NJPS); “In many dreams and in many words there is emptiness” (NASB); “Much dreaming and many words are meaningless” (NIV); “With many dreams comes vanities and a multitude of words” (NRSV).

[5:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “silver.” The Hebrew term כֶּסֶף (kesef, “silver”) refers to “money” (HALOT 490–91 s.v. כֶּסֶף 3). It is a synecdoche of specific (i.e., silver) for the general (i.e., money); see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 625-29.

[5:10]  ⁶ sn The Hebrew term “silver” (translated “money”) is repeated twice in this line for rhetorical emphasis.

[5:10]  ⁷ tn The term הָמוֹן (hamon, “abundance; wealth”) has a wide range of meanings: (1) agitation; (2) turmoil; (3) noise; (4) pomp; (5) multitude; crowd = noisy crowd; and (6) abundance; wealth (HALOT 250 s.v. הָמוֹן 1–6). Here, it refers to abundant wealth (related to “pomp”); cf. HALOT 250 s.v. הָמוֹן 6, that is, lavish abundant wealth (Ezek 29:19; 30:4; 1 Chr 29:16).

[5:10]  ⁸ tn The phrase “will never be satisfied” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. Note the previous line.

[5:10]  ⁹ tn The word “his” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (“the stillborn child”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:4]  ⁸ tn The phrase “into the world” does not appear in Hebrew, but is added in the translation for clarity.

[6:4]  ⁹ sn The birth of the stillborn was in vain – it did it no good to be born.

[6:4]  ¹⁰ sn The name of the stillborn is forgotten.

[7:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “hear.”

[7:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “rebuke of the wise,” a subjective genitive (“the wise” administer the rebuke).

[7:5]  ¹¹ tn Or “praise.” The antithetical parallelism between “rebuke” (גַּעֲרַת, ga’arat) and “song” (שִׁיר, shir) suggests that the latter is figurative (metonymy of association) for praise/flattery which is “music” to the ears: “praise of fools” (NEB, NJPS) and “flattery of fools” (Douay). However, the collocation of “song” (שִׁיר) in 7:5 with “laughter” (שְׂחֹק, sÿkhoq) in 7:6 suggests simply frivolous merrymaking: “song of fools” (KJV, NASB, NIV, ASV, RSV, NRSV).

[10:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “he lacks his heart.”

[10:3]  ¹² tn Heb “he tells everyone.”

[10:3]  ¹³ sn A fool’s lack of wisdom is obvious to everyone, even when he is engaged in the simple, ordinary actions of life.

[10:19]  ¹³ tn Heb “bread.” The term לֶחֶם (lekhem) is used literally of “bread” and figuratively (i.e., by metonymy) for a “feast” (BDB 536–37 s.v. לֶחֶם). BDB suggests that עֹשִׂיה לֶחֶם (’osih lekhem) in Eccl 10:19 means “make a feast” (BDB 537 s.v. לֶחֶם 1.a). This obscure line has occasioned numerous proposals: “a feast is made for laughter” (KJV, ASV, NIV); “feasts are made for laughter” (NRSV); “men feast for merrymaking” (Moffatt); “men prepare a meal for enjoyment” (NASB); “the table has its pleasures” (NEB); “they [i.e., rulers of v. 16] make a banquet for revelry” (NJPS); “people prepare a banquet for enjoyment” (MLB); “for laughter they make bread and wine, that the living may feast” (Douay); “bread is made for laughter” (RSV); “bread [and oil] call forth merriment” (NAB).

[10:19]  ¹⁴ tn The subject of the verb is not specified. When active verbs have an unspecified subject, they are often used in a passive sense: “Bread [feasts] are made….”

[10:19]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and wine gladdens life.”

[10:19]  ¹⁶ tn Or “and [they think that] money is the answer for everything.”