Ecclesiastes 6:10

The Futile Way Life Works

6:10 Whatever has happened was foreordained, ¹ 

and what happens to a person ²  was also foreknown.

It is useless for him to argue with God about his fate

because God is more powerful than he is. ³ 

Ecclesiastes 8:16

Limitations of Human Wisdom

8:16 When I tried ⁴  to gain ⁵  wisdom

and to observe the activity ⁶  on earth –

even though it prevents anyone from sleeping day or night ⁷  –

[6:10]  ¹ tn Heb “already its name was called.”

[6:10]  ² tn Or “and what a person (Heb “man”) is was foreknown.”

[6:10]  ³ tn Heb “he cannot contend with the one who is more powerful than him.” The referent of the “the one who is more powerful than he is” (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The words “with God about his fate” have been added for clarity as well.

[8:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “I applied my heart.”

[8:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “to know.”

[8:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “and to see the business which is done.”

[8:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “for no one sees sleep with their eyes either day or night.” The construction גַם …כִּי (ki… gam) expresses a concessive sense: “even though” (e.g., Ps 23:4; Prov 22:6; Eccl 4:14; Isa 1:15; Lam 3:8; Hos 8:10; 9:16); cf. HALOT 196 s.v. גַּם 9; BDB 169 s.v. גַּם 6; 473 s.v. כִּי 2.c.