Verse 14 divides into two parts: there is a two-line saying about the wise person and the fool, contrasting their actions, and then an observation that indicates how the wise and the fool are alike. The first part may be a quotation or traditional saying; the second represents Qoheleth’s own statement of another truth. The problem is that, if the first part of the verse describes the truth about human life, then how do we account for the fact that death is common to both wise and foolish people?
As the first part of the verse seems to be a traditional saying, the translator may express the statement in a proverb-like form. Many languages will prefer a present imperfect verb form. The translator will also have to decide whether it is more natural to render the Hebrew singular for wise man by the general plural “wise people.”
The wise man has his eyes in his head is clearly an idiomatic expression, as no one has eyes elsewhere. What does the idiom mean? In the context it obviously refers to the actions of the wise person, his lifestyle. So the wise person having eyes in his head is a way of saying that such persons know or see clearly where they are going, and they act with care and caution. A literal translation may not be understood, so the translator can adapt this statement to something like “An intelligent person sees where he is going.”
In contrast the fool walks in darkness; he does not know where he is going and is a threat to his own and others’ safety. We note the same kind of comment throughout the book of Proverbs (for example, 13.9; 15.21; 16.17; 21.16). Many languages will have a metaphor like “walking in darkness,” but if not, another expression can be used: “The foolish person cannot see where he is going.” In some languages the comparison will have to be expressed with more detail: “The foolish person is like a person stumbling in the dark. He doesn’t know where he is going.”
Having established that there is an absolute contrast between the fool and the wise, and that this is proved by their actions, Qoheleth adds one of his own observations. And yet I perceived that begins with the conjunction that has a contrastive function. Revised Standard Version and yet or Good News Translation “But I also” both draw out this feature. We can express the point quite strongly with a form such as “Even though that is true, I also know that…” or “This is true, but I also know that….”
What is the problem Qoheleth observed? It is that one fate comes to all of them. If in all other respects there is such an obvious difference between the wise and the fool, why is there no difference between their fates? The term fate means “chance” or “whatever happens.” The translator may want to avoid using the word fate, because it may have other religious overtones, so we can simply say “The same thing happens to both of them.” In this instance and throughout Qoheleth, the word refers to only one event: death. Whether or not we spell out its meaning here will depend on the language we are translating into. In Hebrew the author assumes the readers know what he is talking about. The word “die” is not used until it dramatically appears in verse 16. Some languages will be able to follow the Hebrew pattern, but in others we will need to state its meaning clearly and refer to “death” rather than “fate.”
In translation we may say “All of them, the wise and the foolish, will die” or “The same thing happens to both of them: they die.” Another possibility is to use a word like “end,” which combines the meaning of “fate” and “death”: “The wise and the foolish end in the same way—they die.” If the word “fate” is retained, the translator must give thought to which verb should be used. The Hebrew speaks of “meeting” fate; Revised Standard Version uses comes. In some languages a word like “await” will be appropriate.
The phrase all of them points to the two kinds of people mentioned in the first part of the verse, namely, the wise and the foolish; so in place of the pronoun them, we can simply list the two types of people being spoken about. Alternatively we can use a term like “both.”
Two models for translation are:
• A wise man sees clearly where he is going; a fool gropes in the dark. But both end up the same way—they die.
• A wise man knows where he is going, while a foolish man wanders about in the dark. And yet both meet the same end [or, the same thing happens to both of them].
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 .