Revised Standard Version and many other translations reproduce literally the two brief Hebrew phrases with which this verse begins. Good News Translation joins them together in sentence form.

The end of the matter: the term used for end is also found in 3.11 and 7.2. It means the goal or final point. The noun matter may also be rendered as “word” or “thing.” This entire noun phrase lacks the definite article, so our problem is to determine what matter is being referred to. Our suggestion is that it functions like the earlier term yother in verses 9 and 11, as an introductory marker, here marking the final editorial comment. We can give its sense as an independent phrase, “one final word,” or “a final comment.” Alternatively matter may point back to the mention of hard and disciplined study required for being wise. In that case the editor is saying “Ultimately the issue is…” or “The final word on this matter is….”

All has been heard: although the Hebrew verb form can be either imperfect or imperative, it seems more likely to be imperfect. The passive form is “it has been heard,” but we can also render it in the active voice as does New English Bible, “you have heard it all.” The object all can refer back to what Qoheleth has discussed. As far as the sentence structure is concerned, these two phrases are independent and complementary. We can therefore give the meaning of the first phrase as “A final comment:….” The second then may be “you have heard all the discussion,” or “each issue has been discussed.” Jerusalem Bible combines the two as Good News Translation does, and says “To sum up the whole matter.” This is a reasonable solution, though we may feel the second phrase is not given adequate weight. To correct this we may better say “To sum up all you have heard…” or “This is the conclusion of what we had to say; all has been heard.” It may also be useful to reverse these two clauses as New International Version does: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter.” Some languages use a special ideophone to signal the end of an important discourse. If this is the case, such a marker can be used here.

Fear God: throughout this book the deity is spoken of as “God.” Fear is an imperative, urging the reader to have a reverent attitude to God, to honor and respect him.

Keep his commandments is the second imperative. In the biblical setting obeying the commandments explains how a person fears or honors God. Obedience is not different from the call to fear. It simply explains more fully what it means. The problem with using the conjunction and to join these two aspects is that obedience may be thought of as some additional requirement, when it is in fact the fuller explanation of what fear is. If this is a problem we can say “Fear God by keeping his commandments.”

For this is the whole duty of man is the motive for the two previous imperatives. If possible the relationship should be made clear with a conjunction like “because.” The noun phrase is very idiomatic in Hebrew—literally “this is all of humanity.” The noun duty is added in Revised Standard Version to try to bring out what it means. This refers back to the calls to fear and obey. By using the term ʾadam it seems the editor notes that every person should abide by these demands. It is not a requirement only for those who want wisdom; note New Revised Standard Version “everybody.” However, as Proverbs points out (1.7), “fear of God” is the first step toward becoming wise. The translator will need to find an idiomatic way to express these thoughts, especially the phrase “this is all.” We can say “because this is everyone’s duty,” “because this is required of everyone,” or “because this sums up everything people should do.”

The entire verse can be rendered:

• So to sum up, you have heard everything. Respect God by obeying his commandments, because this is what everyone should do.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Ecclesiates. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .