Kejadian 18:19

18:19 I have chosen him ¹  so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep ²  the way of the Lord by doing ³  what is right and just. Then the Lord will give ⁴  to Abraham what he promised ⁵  him.”

Kejadian 18:1

Three Special Visitors

18:1 The Lord appeared to Abraham ⁶  by the oaks ⁷  of Mamre while ⁸  he was sitting at the entrance ⁹  to his tent during the hottest time of the day.

1 Samuel 15:22

15:22 Then Samuel said,

“Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices

as much as he does in obedience? ¹⁰ 

Certainly, ¹¹  obedience ¹²  is better than sacrifice;

paying attention is better than ¹³  the fat of rams.

Amsal 21:3

21:3 To do righteousness and justice

is more acceptable ¹⁴  to the Lord than sacrifice. ¹⁵ 

Pengkhotbah 12:13

12:13 Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion: ¹⁶ 

Fear God and keep his commandments,

because this is the whole duty ¹⁷  of man.

Yesaya 1:16-19

1:16 ¹⁸ Wash! Cleanse yourselves!

Remove your sinful deeds ¹⁹ 

from my sight.

Stop sinning!

1:17 Learn to do what is right!

Promote justice!

Give the oppressed reason to celebrate! ²⁰ 

Take up the cause of the orphan!

Defend the rights of the widow! ²¹ 

1:18 ²² Come, let’s consider your options,” ²³  says the Lord.

“Though your sins have stained you like the color red,

you can become ²⁴  white like snow;

though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet,

you can become ²⁵  white like wool. ²⁶ 

1:19 If you have a willing attitude and obey, ²⁷ 

then you will again eat the good crops of the land.

Yesaya 58:6-11

58:6 No, this is the kind of fast I want. ²⁸ 

I want you ²⁹  to remove the sinful chains,

to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke,

to set free the oppressed, ³⁰ 

and to break every burdensome yoke.

58:7 I want you ³¹  to share your food with the hungry

and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. ³² 

When you see someone naked, clothe him!

Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood! ³³ 

58:8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise; ³⁴ 

your restoration will quickly arrive; ³⁵ 

your godly behavior ³⁶  will go before you,

and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard. ³⁷ 

58:9 Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond;

you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’

You must ³⁸  remove the burdensome yoke from among you

and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully.

58:10 You must ³⁹  actively help the hungry

and feed the oppressed. ⁴⁰ 

Then your light will dispel the darkness, ⁴¹ 

and your darkness will be transformed into noonday. ⁴² 

58:11 The Lord will continually lead you;

he will feed you even in parched regions. ⁴³ 

He will give you renewed strength, ⁴⁴ 

and you will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring that continually produces water.

Yeremia 7:3-6

7:3 The Lord God of Israel who rules over all ⁴⁵  says: Change the way you have been living and do what is right. ⁴⁶  If you do, I will allow you to continue to live in this land. ⁴⁷  7:4 Stop putting your confidence in the false belief that says, ⁴⁸  “We are safe! ⁴⁹  The temple of the Lord is here! The temple of the Lord is here! The temple of the Lord is here!” ⁵⁰  7:5 You must change ⁵¹  the way you have been living and do what is right. You must treat one another fairly. ⁵²  7:6 Stop oppressing foreigners who live in your land, children who have lost their fathers, and women who have lost their husbands. ⁵³  Stop killing innocent people ⁵⁴  in this land. Stop paying allegiance to ⁵⁵  other gods. That will only bring about your ruin. ⁵⁶ 

Hosea 6:6

6:6 For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice;

I delight ⁵⁷  in acknowledging God, not simply in whole burnt offerings. ⁵⁸ 

Hosea 12:6

12:6 But you must return ⁵⁹  to your God,

by maintaining love and justice,

and by waiting ⁶⁰  for your God to return to you. ⁶¹ 

Amos 5:24

5:24 Justice must flow like torrents of water,

righteous actions ⁶²  like a stream that never dries up.

Zefanya 2:3

2:3 Seek the Lord’s favor, ⁶³  all you humble people ⁶⁴  of the land who have obeyed his commands! ⁶⁵ 

Strive to do what is right! ⁶⁶  Strive to be humble! ⁶⁷ 

Maybe you will be protected ⁶⁸  on the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.

Matius 3:8-10

3:8 Therefore produce fruit ⁶⁹  that proves your ⁷⁰  repentance, 3:9 and don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! 3:10 Even now the ax is laid at ⁷¹  the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Markus 12:30-34

12:30 Love ⁷²  the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ⁷³  12:31 The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁷⁴  There is no other commandment greater than these.” 12:32 The expert in the law said to him, “That is true, Teacher; you are right to say that he is one, and there is no one else besides him. ⁷⁵  12:33 And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength ⁷⁶  and to love your neighbor as yourself ⁷⁷  is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 12:34 When Jesus saw that he had answered thoughtfully, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Then no one dared any longer to question him.

Lukas 11:42

11:42 “But woe to you Pharisees! ⁷⁸  You give a tenth ⁷⁹  of your mint, ⁸⁰  rue, ⁸¹  and every herb, yet you neglect justice ⁸²  and love for God! But you should have done these things without neglecting the others. ⁸³ 

Titus 2:11-12

2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. ⁸⁴  2:12 It trains us ⁸⁵  to reject godless ways ⁸⁶  and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

Titus 2:2

2:2 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, ⁸⁷  sound in faith, in love, and in endurance. ⁸⁸ 

Pengkhotbah 1:5-8

1:5 The sun rises ⁸⁹  and the sun sets; ⁹⁰ 

it hurries away ⁹¹  to a place from which it rises ⁹²  again. ⁹³ 

1:6 The wind goes to the south and circles around to the north;

round and round ⁹⁴  the wind goes and on its rounds it returns. ⁹⁵ 

1:7 All the streams flow ⁹⁶  into the sea, but the sea is not full,

and to the place where the streams flow, there they will flow again. ⁹⁷ 

1:8 All this ⁹⁸  monotony ⁹⁹  is tiresome; no one can bear ¹⁰⁰  to describe it: ¹⁰¹ 

The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear ever content ¹⁰²  with hearing.

[18:19]  ¹ tn Heb “For I have known him.” The verb יָדַע (yada’) here means “to recognize and treat in a special manner, to choose” (see Amos 3:2). It indicates that Abraham stood in a special covenantal relationship with the Lord.

[18:19]  ² tn Heb “and they will keep.” The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive carries on the subjective nuance of the preceding imperfect verbal form (translated “so that he may command”).

[18:19]  ³ tn The infinitive construct here indicates manner, explaining how Abraham’s children and his household will keep the way of the Lord.

[18:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “bring on.” The infinitive after לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) indicates result here.

[18:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “spoke to.”

[18:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:1]  ⁷ tn Or “terebinths.”

[18:1]  ⁸ tn The disjunctive clause here is circumstantial to the main clause.

[18:1]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew noun translated “entrance” is an adverbial accusative of place.

[15:22]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “as [in] listening to the voice of the Lord.”

[15:22]  ¹¹ tn Heb “look.”

[15:22]  ¹² tn Heb “listening.”

[15:22]  ¹³ tn The expression “is better” is understood here by ellipsis (see the immediately preceding statement).

[21:3]  ¹⁴ tn The Niphal participle בָּחַר (bakhar, “to choose”) means “choice to the Lord” or “chosen of the Lord,” meaning “acceptable to the Lord”; cf. TEV “pleases the Lord more.”

[21:3]  ¹⁵ sn The Lord prefers righteousness above religious service (e.g., Prov 15:8; 21:29; 1 Sam 15:22; Ps 40:6-8; Isa 1:11-17). This is not a rejection of ritual worship; rather, religious acts are without value apart from righteous living.

[12:13]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “The end of the matter, everything having been heard.”

[12:13]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “This is all men”; or “This is the whole of man.” The phrase זֶה כָּל־הָאָדָם (zeh kol-ha’adam, “this is all men”) features rhetorical elision of a key word. The ambiguity over the elided word has led to no less than five basic approaches: (1) “this is the whole duty of man” (KJV, ASV, RSV, NAB, NIV); (2) “this is the duty of all men” (MLB, ASV margin, RSV margin); (3) “this applies to all men” (NASB, NJPS); (4) “this is the whole duty of all men” (NRSV, Moffatt); and (5) “there is no more to man than this” (NEB). The four-fold repetition of כֹּל (kol, “all”) in 12:13-14 suggests that Qoheleth is emphasizing the “bottom line,” that is, the basic duty of man is simply to fear and obey God: After “all” (כֹּל) has been heard in the book, his conclusion is that the “whole” (כֹּל) duty of man is to obey God because God will bring “all” (כֹּל) acts into judgment, including “all” (כֹּל) that is hidden, whether good or bad. See D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 3:596.

[1:16]  ¹⁸ sn Having demonstrated the people’s guilt, the Lord calls them to repentance, which will involve concrete action in the socio-economic realm, not mere emotion.

[1:16]  ¹⁹ sn This phrase refers to Israel’s covenant treachery (cf. Deut 28:10; Jer 4:4; 21:12; 23:2, 22; 25:5; 26:3; 44:22; Hos 9:15; Ps 28:4). In general, the noun ַמעַלְלֵיכֶם (ma’alleykhem) can simply be a reference to deeds, whether good or bad. However, Isaiah always uses it with a negative connotation (cf. 3:8, 10).

[1:17]  ²⁰ tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The translation assumes an emendation of חָמוֹץ (khamots, “oppressor [?]”) to חָמוּץ (khamuts, “oppressed”), a passive participle from II חָמַץ (khamats, “oppress”; HALOT 329 s.v. II חמץ) and takes the verb II אָשַׁר (’ashar) in the sense of “make happy” (the delocutive Piel, meaning “call/pronounce happy,” is metonymic here, referring to actually effecting happiness). The parallelism favors this interpretation, for the next two lines speak of positive actions on behalf of the destitute. The other option is to retain the MT pointing and translate, “set right the oppressor,” but the nuance “set right” is not clearly attested elsewhere for the verb I אשׁר. This verb does appear as a participle in Isa 3:12 and 9:16 with the meaning “to lead or guide.” If it can mean to “lead” or “rebuke/redirect” in this verse, the prophet could be contrasting this appeal for societal reformation (v. 17c) with a command to reorder their personal lives (v. 17a-b). J. A. Motyer (The Prophecy of Isaiah, 47) suggests that these three statements (v. 17a-c) provide “the contrast between the two ends of imperfect society, the oppressor and the needy, the one inflicting and the other suffering the hurt. Isaiah looks for a transformed society wherever it needs transforming.”

[1:17]  ²¹ tn This word refers to a woman who has lost her husband, by death or divorce. The orphan and widow are often mentioned in the OT as epitomizing the helpless and impoverished who have been left without the necessities of life due to the loss of a family provider.

[1:18]  ²² sn The Lord concludes his case against Israel by offering them the opportunity to be forgiven and by setting before them the alternatives of renewed blessing (as a reward for repentance) and final judgment (as punishment for persistence in sin).

[1:18]  ²³ tn Traditionally, “let us reason together,” but the context suggests a judicial nuance. The Lord is giving the nation its options for the future.

[1:18]  ²⁴ tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.

[1:18]  ²⁵ tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.

[1:18]  ²⁶ tn Heb “though your sins are like red, they will become white like snow; though they are red like scarlet, they will be like wool.” The point is not that the sins will be covered up, though still retained. The metaphorical language must be allowed some flexibility and should not be pressed into a rigid literalistic mold. The people’s sins will be removed and replaced by ethical purity. The sins that are now as obvious as the color red will be washed away and the ones who are sinful will be transformed.

[1:19]  ²⁷ tn Heb “listen”; KJV “obedient”; NASB “If you consent and obey.”

[58:6]  ²⁸ tn Heb “Is this not a fast I choose?” “No” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[58:6]  ²⁹ tn The words “I want you” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[58:6]  ³⁰ tn Heb “crushed.”

[58:7]  ³¹ tn Heb “Is it not?” The rhetorical question here expects a positive answer, “It is!”

[58:7]  ³² tn Heb “and afflicted [ones], homeless [ones] you should bring [into] a house.” On the meaning of מְרוּדִים (mÿrudim, “homeless”) see HALOT 633 s.v. *מָרוּד.

[58:7]  ³³ tn Heb “and from your flesh do not hide yourself.”

[58:8]  ³⁴ tn Heb “will burst out like the dawn.”

[58:8]  sn Light here symbolizes God’s favor and restored blessing, as the immediately following context makes clear.

[58:8]  ³⁵ tn Heb “prosper”; KJV “spring forth speedily.”

[58:8]  ³⁶ tn Or “righteousness.” Their godly behavior will be on display for all to see.

[58:8]  ³⁷ sn The nation will experience God’s protective presence.

[58:9]  ³⁸ tn Heb “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 9b-10 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in vv. 9b-10a), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 10b.

[58:10]  ³⁹ tn Heb “if you.” See the note on “you must” in v. 9b.

[58:10]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “If you furnish for the hungry [with] your being, and the appetite of the oppressed you satisfy.”

[58:10]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “will rise in the darkness.”

[58:10]  ⁴² tn Heb “and your darkness [will be] like noonday.”

[58:11]  ⁴³ tn Heb “he will satisfy in parched regions your appetite.”

[58:11]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “and your bones he will strengthen.”

[7:3]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God Israel.”

[7:3]  sn Compare the use of similar titles in 2:19; 5:14; 6:6 and see the explanation in the study note at 2:19. In this instance the title appears to emphasize the Lord as the heavenly King who drags his disobedient vassals into court (and threatens them with judgment).

[7:3]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “Make good your ways and your actions.” J. Bright’s translation (“Reform the whole pattern of your conduct”; Jeremiah [AB], 52) is excellent.

[7:3]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “place” but this might be misunderstood to refer to the temple.

[7:4]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “Stop trusting in lying words which say.”

[7:4]  ⁴⁹ tn The words “We are safe!” are not in the text but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[7:4]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these (i.e., these buildings).” Elsewhere triple repetition seems to mark a kind of emphasis (cf. Isa 6:3; Jer 22:29; Ezek 21:27 [32 HT]). The triple repetition that follows seems to be Jeremiah’s way of mocking the (false) sense of security that people had in the invincibility of Jerusalem because God dwelt in the temple. They appeared to be treating the temple as some kind of magical charm. A similar feeling had grown up around the ark in the time of the judges (cf. 1 Sam 3:3) and the temple and city of Jerusalem in Micah’s day (cf. Mic 3:11). It is reflected also in some of the Psalms (cf., e.g., Ps 46, especially v. 5).

[7:5]  ⁵¹ tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.

[7:5]  ⁵² tn Heb “you must do justice between a person and his fellow/neighbor.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.

[7:6]  ⁵³ tn Heb “Stop oppressing foreigner, orphan, and widow.”

[7:6]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “Stop shedding innocent blood.”

[7:6]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “going/following after.” See the translator’s note at 2:5 for an explanation of the idiom involved here.

[7:6]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “going after other gods to your ruin.”

[6:6]  ⁵⁷ tn The phrase “I delight” does not appear in the Hebrew text a second time in this verse, but is implied from the parallelism in the preceding line.

[6:6]  ⁵⁸ sn Contrary to popular misunderstanding, Hosea does not reject animal sacrifice nor cultic ritual, and advocate instead obedience only. Rather, God does not delight in ritual sacrifice without the accompanying prerequisite moral obedience (1 Sam 15:22; Pss 40:6-8; 51:16-17; Prov 21:3; Isa 1:11-17; Jer 7:21-23; Hos 6:6; Mic 6:6-8). However, if prerequisite moral obedience is present, he delights in sacrificial worship as an outward expression (Ps 51:19). Presented by a repentant obedient worshiper, whole burnt offerings were “an aroma pleasing” to the Lord (Lev 1:9, 13).

[12:6]  ⁵⁹ tn The verb תָשׁוּב (tashuv, Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular from שׁוּב, shuv, “to return”) functions as an imperfect of moral obligation, introducing the following imperatives (e.g., Gen 20:9; Exod 4:15). For this function of the imperfect, see IBHS 508-9 §31.4g.

[12:6]  ⁶⁰ tn The verb וְקַוֵּה (vÿqavveh, vav + Piel imperative 2nd person masculine singular from קָוָה, qavah, “to wait for”) means “to hope for, wait for, look eagerly for” (BDB 875 s.v. קָוָה 1; HALOT 1082 s.v. קָוָה 2.b). The Qal meaning refers to a general hope; the Piel meaning refers to hope directed toward an object, or hope inserted within a sequence of expectation and fulfillment. When the Piel is used in reference to a thing, it refers to waiting expectantly for something to occur (e.g., Gen 49:18; Isa 5:2, 4, 7; 59:9, 11; Jer 8:15; 13:16; 14:19; Ps 69:21; Job 3:9; 6:19; 11:20). When it is used in reference to God, it refers to the people of God waiting expectantly for God to do something or to fulfill his promise (e.g., Pss 25:5, 21; 27:14; 37:34; 40:2; 52:11; 130:5; Isa 8:17; 25:9; 26:8; 33:2; 51:5; 60:9; Hos 12:7). The personal object can be introduced by the preposition לְ (lamed, “for”; HALOT 1082 s.v. קָוָה 2.a) or אֶל (’el, “for”; HALOT 1082 s.v. קָוָה 2.b; e.g., Pss 27:14; 37:34; Isa 51:5; Hos 12:7). The point seems to be that if Israel will repent and practice moral righteousness, she can look to God in confident expectation that he will intervene on her behalf by relenting from judgment and restoring the covenant blessings.

[12:6]  ⁶¹ tn The phrase “to return to you” does not appear in the Hebrew text but is implied; it is provided in the translation for clarity. This ellipsis fills out the implicit connotations of the verb קָוָה (qavah, “to wait for”).

[5:24]  ⁶² tn Traditionally, “righteousness.”

[2:3]  ⁶³ tn Heb “seek the Lord,” but “favor” seems to be implied from the final line of the verse.

[2:3]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “poor.” The precise referent of this Hebrew term is unclear. The word may refer to the economically poor or to the spiritually humble.

[2:3]  ⁶⁵ tn The present translation assumes the Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) here refers to God’s covenantal requirements and is a synonym for the Law. The word can mean “justice” and could refer more specifically to the principles of justice contained in the Law. In this case the phrase could be translated, “who have promoted the justice God demands.”

[2:3]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “Seek what is right.”

[2:3]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “Seek humility.”

[2:3]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “hidden.” Cf. NEB “it may be that you will find shelter”; NRSV “perhaps you may be hidden.”

[3:8]  ⁶⁹ sn Fruit worthy of repentance refers to the deeds that indicate a change of attitude (heart) on the part of John’s hearers.

[3:8]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “fruit worthy of.”

[3:10]  ⁷¹ sn Laid at the root. That is, placed and aimed, ready to begin cutting.

[12:30]  ⁷² tn Grk “You will love.” The future indicative is used here with imperatival force (see ExSyn 452 and 569).

[12:30]  ⁷³ sn A quotation from Deut 6:4-5 and Josh 22:5 (LXX). The fourfold reference to different parts of the person says, in effect, that one should love God with all one’s being.

[12:31]  ⁷⁴ sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.

[12:32]  ⁷⁵ sn A quotation from Deut 4:35.

[12:33]  ⁷⁶ sn A quotation from Deut 6:5.

[12:33]  ⁷⁷ sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.

[11:42]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “Woe to you…because you…” The causal particle ὅτι (Joti) has not been translated here for rhetorical effect (and so to the end of this chapter).

[11:42]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “you tithe mint.”

[11:42]  ⁸⁰ sn These small herbs were tithed with great care (Mishnah, m. Demai 2:1).

[11:42]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “and rue.” Καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[11:42]  sn Rue was an evergreen herb used for seasoning.

[11:42]  ⁸² sn Justice was a major theme of OT ethics (Mic 6:8; Zech 7:8-10).

[11:42]  ⁸³ tn Grk “those”; but this has been translated as “the others” to clarify which are meant.

[2:11]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “all men”; but ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpois) is generic here, referring to both men and women.

[2:12]  ⁸⁵ 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]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “ungodliness.”

[2:2]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “sensible.”

[2:2]  ⁸⁸ sn Temperate…in endurance. See the same cluster of virtues in 1 Thess 1:3 and 1 Cor 13:13.

[1:5]  ⁸⁹ tn The Hebrew text has a perfect verbal form, but it should probably be emended to the participial form, which occurs in the last line of the verse. Note as well the use of participles in vv. 4-7 to describe what typically takes place in the natural world. The participle זוֹרֵחַ (zoreakh, “to rise”) emphasizes continual, durative, uninterrupted action (present universal use of participle): the sun is continually rising (and continually setting) day after day.

[1:5]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “the sun goes.” The participle בָּא (ba’, “to go”) emphasizes continual, durative, uninterrupted action (present universal use of participle): the sun is continually rising and continually setting day after day. The repetition of בָּא in 1:4-5 creates a comparison between the relative futility of all human endeavor (“a generation comes and a generation goes [בָּא]”) with the relative futility of the action of the sun (“the sun rises and the sun goes” [i.e., “sets,” בָּא]).

[1:5]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “hastens” or “pants.” The verb שָׁאַף (sha’af) has a three-fold range of meanings: (1) “to gasp; to pant,” (2) “to pant after; to long for,” and (3) “to hasten; to hurry” (HALOT 1375 s.v. שׁאף; BDB 983 s.v. I שָׁאַף). The related Aramaic root שׁוף means “to be thirsty; to be parched.” The Hebrew verb is used of “gasping” for breath, like a woman in the travail of childbirth (Isa 42:14); “panting” with eagerness or desire (Job 5:5; 7:2; 36:20; Ps 119:131; Jer 2:24) or “panting” with fatigue (Jer 14:6; Eccl 1:5). Here שָׁאַף personifies the sun, panting with fatigue, as it hastens to its destination (BDB 983 s.v. I שָׁאַף 1). The participle form depicts continual, uninterrupted, durative action (present universal use). Like the sun, man – for all his efforts – never really changes anything; all he accomplishes in his toil is to wear himself out.

[1:5]  ⁹² tn The verb זוֹרֵחַ (zoreakh, “to rise”) is repeated in this verse to emphasize that the sun is locked into a never changing, ever repeating monotonous cycle: rising, setting, rising, setting.

[1:5]  ⁹³ tn The word “again” does not appear in Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.

[1:6]  ⁹⁴ tn The Hebrew root סָבַב (savav, “to circle around”) is repeated four times in this verse to depict the wind’s continual motion: “The wind circles around (סוֹבֵב, sovev)…round and round (סוֹבֵב סֹבֵב)…its circuits (סְבִיבֹתָיו, sÿvivotayv).” This repetition is designed for a rhetorical purpose – to emphasize that the wind is locked into a never ending cycle. This vicious circle of monotonous action does not change anything. The participle form is used three times to emphasize continual, uninterrupted action (present universal use of participle). Despite the fact that the wind is always changing direction, nothing really new ever happens. The constant shifting of the wind cannot hide the fact that this is nothing but a repeated cycle; nothing new happens here (e.g., 1:9-10).

[1:6]  ⁹⁵ tn The use of שָׁב (shav, Qal active participle masculine singular from שׁוּב, shuv, “to return”) creates a wordplay (paronomasia) with the repetition of סָבַב (savav, “to circle around”). The participle emphasizes continual, durative, uninterrupted action (present universal use).

[1:7]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “are going” or “are walking.” The term הֹלְכִים (holÿkhim, Qal active participle masculine plural from הָלַךְ, halakh,“to walk”) emphasizes continual, durative, uninterrupted action (present universal use of participle). This may be an example of personification; this verb is normally used in reference to the human activity of walking. Qoheleth compares the flowing of river waters to the action of walking to draw out the comparison between the actions of man (1:4) and the actions of nature (1:5-11).

[1:7]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “there they are returning to go.” The term שָׁבִים (shavim, Qal active participle masculine plural from שׁוּב, shuv, “to return”) emphasizes the continual, durative action of the waters. The root שׁוּב is repeated in 1:6-7 to emphasize that everything in nature (e.g., wind and water) continually repeats its actions. For all of the repetition of the cycles of nature, nothing changes; all the constant motion produces nothing new.

[1:7]  sn This verse does not refer to the cycle of evaporation or the return of water by underground streams, as sometimes suggested. Rather, it describes the constant flow of river waters to the sea. For all the action of the water – endless repetition and water constantly in motion – there is nothing new accomplished.

[1:8]  ⁹⁸ tn The word “this” is not in Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:8]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “the things.” The Hebrew term דְּבָרִים (dÿvarim, masculine plural noun from דָּבָר, davar) is often used to denote “words,” but it can also refer to actions and events (HALOT 211 s.v. דָּבָר 3.a; BDB 183 s.v. דָּבָר IV.4). Here, it means “things,” as is clear from the context: “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done” (1:9). Here דְּבָרִים can be nuanced “occurrences” or even “[natural] phenomena.”

[1:8]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “is able.”

[1:8]  ¹⁰¹ tn The Hebrew text has no stated object. The translation supplies “it” for stylistic reasons and clarification.

[1:8]  sn The statement no one can bear to describe it probably means that Qoheleth could have multiplied examples (beyond the sun, the wind, and the streams) of the endless cycle of futile events in nature. However, no tongue could ever tell, no eye could ever see, no ear could ever hear all the examples of this continual and futile activity.

[1:8]  ¹⁰² tn The term מָלֵא (male’, “to be filled, to be satisfied”) is repeated in 1:7-8 to draw a comparison between the futility in the cycle of nature and human secular accomplishments: lots of action, but no lasting effects. In 1:7 אֵינֶנּוּ מָלֵא (’enennu male’, “it is never filled”) describes the futility of the water cycle: “All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never filled.” In 1:8 וְלֹא־תִמָּלֵא (vÿlo-timmale’, “it is never satisfied”) describes the futility of human labor: “the ear is never satisfied with hearing.”