Discovery BoxEcclesiastes 6:12
Context6:12 For no one knows what is best for a person during his life 1 –
during the few days of his fleeting life –
for 2 they pass away 3 like a shadow.
Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth. 4
Ecclesiastes 9:12
Context9:12 Surely, no one 5 knows his appointed time! 6
Like fish that are caught in a deadly 7 net, and like birds that are caught in a snare –
just like them, all people 8 are ensnared 9 at an unfortunate 10 time that falls upon them suddenly.
Ecclesiastes 10:14
Context10:14 yet a fool keeps on babbling. 11
No one knows what will happen;
who can tell him what will happen in the future? 12
Proverbs 24:22
Context24:22 for suddenly their destruction will overtake them, 13
and who knows the ruinous judgment both the Lord and the king can bring? 14
Proverbs 29:1
Context29:1 The one who stiffens his neck 15 after numerous rebukes 16
will suddenly be destroyed 17 without remedy. 18
Matthew 24:44
Context24:44 Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. 19
Matthew 24:50
Context24:50 then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee,
Matthew 25:6-13
Context25:6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ 20 25:7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 25:8 The 21 foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 25:9 ‘No,’ they replied. 22 ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 25:10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then 23 the door was shut. 25:11 Later, 24 the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ 25 25:12 But he replied, 26 ‘I tell you the truth, 27 I do not know you!’ 25:13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. 28
Matthew 25:1
Context25:1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Matthew 5:1-3
Context5:1 When 29 he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. 30 After he sat down his disciples came to him. 5:2 Then 31 he began to teach 32 them by saying:
5:3 “Blessed 33 are the poor in spirit, 34 for the kingdom of heaven belongs 35 to them.
[6:12] 1 tn Heb “For who knows what is good for a man in life?” The rhetorical question (“For who knows…?”) is a negative affirmation, expecting a negative answer: “For no one knows…!” (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949-51). The translation renders this rhetorical device as a positive affirmation.
[6:12] 2 tn The vav prefixed to וְיַעֲשֵׂם (vÿya’asem, conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from עָשַׂה, ’asah, “to do” + 3rd person masculine plural suffix) functions in an explanatory or epexegetical sense (“For …”).
[6:12] 3 tn The 3rd person masculine plural suffix on the verb וְיַעֲשֵׂם (vÿya’asem, conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from ָָעשַׂה, ’asah, “to do” + 3rd person masculine plural suffix) refers to מִסְפַּר יְמֵי־חַיֵּי הֶבְלוֹ (mispar yÿme-khayye hevlo, “the few days of his fleeting life”). The suffix may be taken as an objective genitive: “he spends them [i.e., the days of his life] like a shadow” (HALOT 891 s.v. I ָָעשַׂה 8) or as a subjective genitive: “they [i.e., the days of his life] pass like a shadow” (BDB 795 s.v. ָָעשַׂה II.11).
[6:12] 4 tn Heb “Who can tell the man what shall be after him under the sun?” The rhetorical question (“For who can tell him…?”) is a negative affirmation, expecting a negative answer: “For no one can tell him…!” (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949-51). The translation renders this rhetorical device as a positive affirmation.
[9:12] 5 tn Heb “man.” The term is used here in a generic sense and translated “no one.”
[9:12] 6 tn Heb “time.” BDB 773 s.v. עֵת 2.d suggests that עֵת (’et, “time”) refers to an “uncertain time.” On the other hand, HALOT 901 s.v. עֵת 6 nuances it as “destined time,” that is, “no one knows his destined time [i.e., hour of destiny].” It is used in parallelism with זְמָן (zÿman, “appointed time; appointed hour”) in 3:1 (HALOT 273 s.v. זְמָן; BDB 273 s.v. זְמָן). Eccl 3:9-15 teaches God’s sovereignty over the appointed time-table of human events. Similarly, Qoheleth here notes that no one knows what God has appointed in any situation or time. This highlights the limitations of human wisdom and human ability, as 9:11 stresses.
[9:12] 7 tn Heb “bad, evil.” The moral connotation hardly fits here. The adjective would seem to indicate that the net is the instrument whereby the fish come to ruin.
[9:12] 8 tn Heb “the sons of man.”
[9:12] 9 tn The Masoretes pointed the consonantal form יוקשׁים (“are ensnared”) as יוּקָשִׁים (yuqashim, Pual participle mpl from ַָיקֹשׁ, yaqosh, “to be ensnared”). This is an unusual form for a Pual participle: (1) The characteristic doubling of the middle consonant was omitted due to the lengthening of the preceding short vowel from יֻקָּשִׁים to יוּקָשִׁים (GKC 74 §20.n and 143 §52.s), and (2) The characteristic prefix מְ (mem) is absent, as in a few other Pual participles, e.g., Exod 3:2; Judg 13:8; 2 Kgs 2:10; Isa 30:24; 54:11 (GKC 143 §52.s). On the other hand, the consonant form יוקשים might actually be an example of the old Qal passive participle which dropped out of Hebrew at an early stage, and was frequently mistaken by the Masoretes as a Pual form (e.g., Jer 13:10; 23:32) (GKC 143 §52.s). Similarly, the Masoretes pointed אכל as אֻכָּל (’ukkal, Pual perfect 3rd person masculine singular “he was eaten”); however, it probably should be pointed אֻכַל (’ukhal, old Qal passive perfect 3rd person masculine singular “he was eaten”) because אָכַל (’akhal) only occurs in the Qal (see IBHS 373-74 §22.6a).
[9:12] 10 tn Heb “evil.” The term רָעָה (ra’ah, “evil; unfortunate”) is repeated in v. 12 in the two parts of the comparison: “fish are caught in an evil (רָעָה) net” and “men are ensnared at an unfortunate (רָעָה) time.”
[10:14] 11 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] 12 tn Heb “after him”; or “after he [dies].”
[24:22] 13 tn Heb “will rise” (so NASB).
[24:22] 14 tn Heb “the ruin of the two of them.” Judgment is sent on the rebels both by God and the king. The term פִּיד (pid, “ruin; disaster”) is a metonymy of effect, the cause being the sentence of judgment (= “ruinous judgment” in the translation; cf. NLT “punishment”). The word “two of them” is a subjective genitive – they two bring the disaster on the rebels. The referents (the
[29:1] 15 tn The idiom “to harden the neck” (מַקְשֶׁה־עֹרֶף, maqsheh-’oref) is the idea of resisting the rebukes and persisting in obstinacy (e.g., Exod 32:9). The opposite of a “stiff neck” would be the bending back, i.e., submission.
[29:1] 16 tn The Hebrew construction is אִישׁ תּוֹכָחוֹת (’ish tokhakhot, “a man of rebukes”), meaning “a man who has (or receives) many rebukes.” This describes a person who is deserving of punishment and who has been given many warnings. The text says, then, “a man of rebukes hardening himself.”
[29:1] 17 sn The stubborn person refuses to listen; he will suddenly be destroyed when the calamity strikes (e.g., Prov 6:15; 13:18; 15:10).
[29:1] 18 tn Or “healing” (NRSV).
[24:44] 19 sn Jesus made clear that his coming could not be timed, and suggested it would take some time – so long, in fact, that some will not be looking for him any longer (at an hour when you do not expect him).
[25:6] 20 tc ‡ Most witnesses have αὐτοῦ (autou, “[with] him”) after ἀπάντησιν (apanthsin, “meeting”), a reading which makes explicit what is already implied in the shorter text (as found in א B 700). The translation likewise adds “him” for clarity’s sake even though the word is not considered part of the original text. NA27 has αὐτοῦ in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
[25:8] 21 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[25:9] 22 tn Grk “The wise answered, saying, ‘No.’”
[25:10] 23 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[25:11] 24 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[25:11] 25 tn Grk “Open to us.”
[25:12] 26 tn Grk “But answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
[25:12] 27 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[25:13] 28 tc Most later
[5:1] 29 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[5:1] 30 tn Or “up a mountain” (εἰς τὸ ὄρος, eis to oro").
[5:2] 31 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[5:2] 32 tn Grk “And opening his mouth he taught them, saying.” The imperfect verb ἐδίδασκεν (edidasken) has been translated ingressively.
[5:3] 33 sn The term Blessed introduces the first of several beatitudes promising blessing to those whom God cares for. They serve as an invitation to come into the grace God offers.
[5:3] 34 sn The poor in spirit is a reference to the “pious poor” for whom God especially cares. See Ps 14:6; 22:24; 25:16; 34:6; 40:17; 69:29.
[5:3] 35 sn The present tense (belongs) here is significant. Jesus makes the kingdom and its blessings currently available. This phrase is unlike the others in the list with the possessive pronoun being emphasized.
