Pengkhotbah 4:6

4:6 Better is one handful with some rest

than two hands full of toil ¹  and chasing the wind.

Pengkhotbah 7:4

7:4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

but the heart of fools is in the house of merrymaking. ² 

Pengkhotbah 7:8

7:8 The end of a matter ³  is better than its beginning;

likewise, patience ⁴  is better than pride. ⁵ 

Pengkhotbah 7:11

Wisdom Can Lengthen One’s Life

7:11 Wisdom, like ⁶  an inheritance, is a good thing;

it benefits those who see the light of day. ⁷ 

Pengkhotbah 7:19

Wisdom Needed Because No One is Truly Righteous

7:19 Wisdom gives a wise person more protection ⁸ 

than ten rulers in a city.

Pengkhotbah 10:2

Wisdom Can Be Nullified By the Caprice of Rulers

10:2 A wise person’s good sense protects him, ⁹ 

but a fool’s lack of sense leaves him vulnerable. ¹⁰ 

[4:6]  ¹ sn Qoheleth lists three approaches to labor: (1) the competitive workaholic in 4:4, (2) the impoverished sluggard in 4:5, and (3) the contented laborer in 4:6. The balanced approach rebukes the two extremes.

[7:4]  ² sn The expression the house of merrymaking refers to a banquet where those who attend engage in self-indulgent feasting and riotous drinking.

[7:8]  ³ tn The term דָבָר (davar) denotes “matter; thing” here rather than “speech; word,” as the parallelism with “patience” suggests. The term was misunderstood as “speech; word” by the Vulgate (so also Douay).

[7:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “the patient of spirit.”

[7:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “the proud of spirit.”

[7:11]  ⁶ tn Or “Wisdom with an inheritance, is good”; or “Wisdom is as good as an inheritance.” This use of the preposition עִם (’im) may denote: (1) accompaniment: “together with,” or (2) comparison: “as good as; like; in comparison to” (HALOT 839–40 s.v. עִם; BDB 767–69 s.v. עִם). BDB 767 s.v. 1 suggests the accompaniment nuance “together with,” while HALOT 840 s.v. 2.c suggests the comparative sense “in comparison to.” The translations are also divided: “wisdom with an inheritance is good” (KJV, ASV margin, RSV, NASB, YLT); “wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing” (NIV); “wisdom is as good as an inheritance” (ASV, NRSV, MLB, NJPS, Moffatt); “wisdom is better than an inheritance” (NEB). Because v. 12 compares wisdom with money (i.e., an inheritance), v. 11 is probably making a comparison as well: “Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good” (7:11a) = “Wisdom provides protection, just as money provides protection” (7:12a). The “good thing” that wisdom – like an inheritance or money – provides is protection.

[7:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “see the sun.”

[7:19]  ⁸ tn Heb “gives strength.”

[10:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “a wise man’s heart is at his right hand.” The phrase “right hand” is a Hebrew idiom for the place of protection (e.g., Pss 16:8; 110:5; 121:5). In ancient warfare, the shield of the warrior on one’s right-hand side protected one’s right hand. Qoheleth’s point is that wisdom provides protection (e.g., Eccl 7:12).

[10:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and the heart of a fool is at his left hand.” The fool lacks the protection of wisdom which is at the right-hand side of the wise man (see note on “right hand” in the previous line). The wise man’s heart (i.e., good sense) protects him, but the fool is always getting into trouble.