1 Tesalonika 5:8

5:8 But since we are of the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate ¹  of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation. ² 

Filipi 4:5

4:5 Let everyone see your gentleness. ³  The Lord is near!

Filipi 4:1

Christian Practices

4:1 So then, my brothers and sisters, ⁴  dear friends whom I long to see, my joy and crown, stand in the Lord in this way, my dear friends!

Titus 2:9

2:9 Slaves ⁵  are to be subject to their own masters in everything, ⁶  to do what is wanted and not talk back,

Titus 2:15

2:15 So communicate these things with the sort of exhortation or rebuke ⁷  that carries full authority. ⁸  Don’t let anyone look down ⁹  on you.

Titus 3:2

3:2 They must not slander ¹⁰  anyone, but be peaceable, gentle, showing complete courtesy to all people.

Titus 3:11

3:11 You know ¹¹  that such a person is twisted by sin ¹²  and is conscious of it himself. ¹³ 

Titus 2:6

2:6 Encourage younger men likewise to be self-controlled, ¹⁴ 

Titus 2:12

2:12 It trains us ¹⁵  to reject godless ways ¹⁶  and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

Titus 2:1

Conduct Consistent with Sound Teaching

2:1 But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with ¹⁷  sound teaching.

Pengkhotbah 1:13

1:13 I decided ¹⁸  to carefully ¹⁹  and thoroughly examine ²⁰ 

all that has been accomplished on earth. ²¹ 

I concluded: ²²  God has given people ²³  a burdensome task ²⁴ 

that keeps them ²⁵  occupied. ²⁶ 

Pengkhotbah 5:8

Government Corruption

5:8 If you see the extortion ²⁷  of the poor,

or the perversion ²⁸  of justice and fairness in the government, ²⁹ 

do not be astonished by the matter.

For the high official is watched by a higher official, ³⁰ 

and there are higher ones over them! ³¹ 

[5:8]  ¹ sn An allusion to Isa 59:17.

[5:8]  ² tn Grk “hope of salvation” (“a helmet…for salvation” is an allusion to Isa 59:17).

[4:5]  ³ tn Grk “let your gentleness be seen by all.” The passive voice construction has been converted to active voice in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[4:1]  ⁴ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:12.

[2:9]  ⁵ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 1:1.

[2:9]  ⁶ tn Or “to be subject to their own masters, to do what is wanted in everything.”

[2:15]  ⁷ tn Or “reproof,” “censure.” The Greek word ἐλέγχω (elencw) implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.

[2:15]  ⁸ tn Grk “speak these things and exhort and rebuke with all authority.”

[2:15]  ⁹ tn Or “let anyone despise you”; or “let anyone disregard you.”

[3:2]  ¹⁰ tn Or “discredit,” “damage the reputation of.”

[3:11]  ¹¹ tn Grk “knowing” (as a continuation of the previous clause).

[3:11]  ¹² tn Grk “is perverted and is sinning.”

[3:11]  ¹³ tn Grk “is sinning, being self-condemned.”

[2:6]  ¹⁴ tn Or “sensible.”

[2:12]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “training us” (as a continuation of the previous clause). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 12 by translating the participle παιδεύουσα (paideuousa) as a finite verb and supplying the pronoun “it” as subject.

[2:12]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “ungodliness.”

[2:1]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “say what is fitting for sound teaching” (introducing the behavior called for in this chapter.).

[1:13]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “I gave my heart” or “I set my mind.” The term לִבִּי (libbi, “my heart”) is an example of synecdoche of part (heart) for the whole (myself). Qoheleth uses this figurative expression frequently in the book. On the other hand, in Hebrew mentality, the term “heart” is frequently associated with one’s thoughts and reasoning; thus, this might be a metonymy of association (heart = thoughts). The equivalent English idiom would be “I applied my mind.”

[1:13]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “with wisdom,” that is, with careful reflection in light of principles observed by the sages.

[1:13]  ²⁰ tn Heb “to seek and to search out” (לִדְרוֹשׁ וְלָתוּר, lidrosh vÿlatur). This is an example of a verbal hendiadys (the use of two synonymous verbs to state a common idea in an emphatic manner). The terms are used because they are closely related synonyms; therefore, the similarities in meaning should be emphasized rather than the distinctions in meaning. The verb דָּרַשׁ (darash) means “to inquire about; to investigate; to search out; to study” (HALOT 233 s.v. דרשׁ; BDB 205 s.v. דָּרַשׁ). This verb is used literally of the physical activity of investigating a matter by examining the physical evidence and interviewing eye-witnesses (e.g., Judg 6:29; Deut 13:15; 17:4, 9; 19:18), and figuratively (hypocatastasis) of mentally investigating abstract concepts (e.g., Eccl 1:13; Isa 1:17; 16:5; Pss 111:2; 119:45). Similarly, the verb תּוּר (tur) means “to seek out, discover” (HALOT 1708 s.v. תּוּר 1.c; BDB 1064 תּוּר 2). The verb תּוּר is used literally of the physical action of exploring physical territory (Num 13:16-17; 14:6, 34-36; Job 39:8), and figuratively (hypocatastasis) of mentally exploring things (Eccl 1:13; 7:25; 9:1).

[1:13]  ²¹ tn Heb “under heaven.”

[1:13]  sn Qoheleth states that he made a thorough investigation of everything that had been accomplished on earth. His position as king gave him access to records and contacts with people that would have been unavailable to others.

[1:13]  ²² tn This phrase does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is added in the translation for clarity.

[1:13]  ²³ tn Heb “the sons of men/mankind.”

[1:13]  ²⁴ tn The phrase עִנְיַן רָע (’inyan ra’, “rotten business, grievous task”) is used only in Ecclesiastes (1:13; 2:23, 26; 3:10; 4:8; 5:2, 13; 8:16). It is parallel with הֶבֶל (hevel) “futile” in 4:8, and describes a “grave misfortune” in 5:13. The noun עִנְיַן (’inyan, “business”) refers to something that keeps a person occupied or busy: “business; affair; task; occupation” (HALOT 857 s.v. עִנְיָן; BDB 775 s.v. עִנְיָן). The related verb עָנַה (’anah) means “to be occupied, to be busy with” (with the preposition בְּ, bet), e.g., Eccl 1:13; 3:10; 5:19 (HALOT 854 s.v. III עָנָה; BDB 775 s.v. II עָנָה). The noun is from the Aramaic loanword עִנְיָנָא (’inyana’, “concern, care”). The verb is related to the Aramaic verb “to try hard,” the Arabic verb “to be busily occupied; to worry to be a matter of concern,” and the Old South Arabic root “to be troubled; to strive with” (HALOT 854 s.v. III עָנָה). The phrase עִנְיַן רָע is treated creatively by English translations: “sore travail” (KJV, ASV), “sad travail” (YLT), “painful occupation” (Douay), “sorry business” (NEB), “sorry task” (Moffatt), “thankless task” (NAB), “grievous task” (NASB), “trying task” (MLB), “unhappy business” (RSV, NRSV, NJPS), and “heavy burden” (NIV).

[1:13]  ²⁵ tn The syntax of this line in Hebrew is intentionally redundant, e.g. (literally), “It is a grievous task [or “unpleasant business”] that God has given to the sons of man to be occupied with it.” The referent of the third masculine singular suffix on לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ (la’anot bo, “to be occupied with it”) is עִנְיַן רָע (’inyan ra’, “a grievous task, a rotten business”).

[1:13]  ²⁶ tn Or “that keeps them occupied” or “that busies them.” The verb II עָנַה (’anah, “to be occupied with”) is related to the noun עִנְיַן (’inyan, “business, task, occupation”) which also occurs in this verse. The verb עָנַה means “to be occupied, to be busy with” (with the preposition בְּ, bet), e.g., Eccl 1:13; 3:10; 5:19 (HALOT 854 s.v. III עָנָה; BDB 775 s.v. עָנָה). The Hebrew verb is related to the Aramaic verb “to try hard,” the Arabic verb “to be busily occupied; to worry; to be a matter of concern,” and the Old South Arabic root “to be troubled; to strive with” (HALOT 854).

[5:8]  ²⁷ tn Alternately, “oppression.” The term עֹשֶׁק (’osheq) has a basic two-fold range of meaning: (1) “oppression; brutality” (e.g., Isa 54:14); and (2) “extortion” (e.g., Ps 62:11); see HALOT 897 s.v. עֹשֶׁק; BDB 799 s.v. עֹשֶׁק. The LXX understands the term as “oppression,” as the translation συκοφαντίαν (sukofantian, “oppression”) indicates. Likewise, HALOT 897 s.v. עֹשֶׁק 1 classifies this usage as “oppression” against the poor. However, the context of 5:8-9 [7-8 HT] focuses on corrupt government officials robbing people of the fruit of their labor through extortion and the perversion of justice.

[5:8]  ²⁸ tn Heb “robbery.” The noun גֵזֶל (gezel, “robbery”) refers to the wrestling away of righteousness or the perversion of justice (HALOT 186 s.v. גֵּזֶל). The related forms of the root גזל mean “to rob; to loot” (HALOT 186 s.v. גֵּזֶל). The term “robbery” is used as a figure for the perversion of justice (hypocatastasis): just as a thief robs his victims through physical violence, so corrupt government officials “rob” the poor through the perversion of justice.

[5:8]  ²⁹ tn Heb “in the province.”

[5:8]  ³⁰ tn The word “official” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[5:8]  ³¹ sn And there are higher ones over them! This may describe a corrupt system of government in which each level of hierarchy exploits its subordinates, all the way down to the peasants: “Set in authority over the people is an official who enriches himself at their expense; he is watched by a more authoritative governor who also has his share of the spoils; and above them are other officers of the State who likewise have to be satisfied”; see A. Cohen, The Five Megilloth (SoBB), 141.