Pengkhotbah 1:6

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

round and round ¹  the wind goes and on its rounds it returns. ² 

Pengkhotbah 9:13

Most People Are Not Receptive to Wise Counsel

9:13 This is what I also observed about wisdom on earth, ³ 

and it is a great burden ⁴  to me:

Pengkhotbah 12:7

12:7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was,

and the life’s breath ⁵  returns to God who gave it.

[1:6]  ¹ 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]  ² 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).

[9:13]  ³ tn Heb “under the sun.”

[9:13]  ⁴ tn The term “burden” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[12:7]  ⁵ tn Or “spirit.” The likely referent is the life’s breath that originates with God. See Eccl 3:19, as well as Gen 2:7; 6:17; 7:22.