Pengkhotbah 8:16

Limitations of Human Wisdom

8:16 When I tried ¹  to gain ²  wisdom

and to observe the activity ³  on earth –

even though it prevents anyone from sleeping day or night ⁴  –

Pengkhotbah 9:15

9:15 However, a poor but wise man lived in the city, ⁵ 

and he could have delivered ⁶  the city by his wisdom,

but no one listened ⁷  to that poor man.

[8:16]  ¹ tn Heb “I applied my heart.”

[8:16]  ² tn Heb “to know.”

[8:16]  ³ tn Heb “and to see the business which is done.”

[8:16]  ⁴ 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.

[9:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “was found in it”; the referent (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:15]  ⁶ tn Or “he delivered.” The verb וּמִלַּט (umillat, from מָלַט, malat, “to deliver”) is functioning either in an indicative sense (past definite action: “he delivered”) or in a modal sense (past potential: “he could have delivered”). The literal meaning of זָכַר (zakhar, “to remember”) in the following line harmonizes with the indicative: “but no one remembered that poor man [afterward].” However, the modal is supported by v. 16: “A poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice.” This approach must nuance זָכַר (“to remember”) as “[no one] listened to [that poor man].” Most translations favor the indicative approach: “he delivered” or “he saved” (KJV, RSV, NRSV, NAB, ASV, NASB, MLB, NIV); however, some adopt the modal nuance: “he might have saved” (NEB, NJPS, NASB margin).

[9:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “remembered.”