Verse 4 takes us into the next experiment Qoheleth undertook, which he discusses in verses 4-9; it should not be confused with the experiment in verses 1-3. Here Qoheleth begins by listing what he achieved, and ends in verse 9 with a summary statement similar to the one in 1.16. It is advisable to consider these verses as a unit.

Throughout this paragraph Qoheleth makes use of the Hebrew expression “for me,” translated as “myself.” Verse 4 says “I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards.” Note that “myself” is not the direct object of the verb; it means for myself as in Revised Standard Version. The expression occurs twice in each of verses 4, 7 and 8 and once in verse 6. In some languages such a repetition may not be acceptable, but if possible the emphasis should be maintained. The point seems to come clear in verse 10, where Qoheleth states emphatically that he carried out every desire in his heart. The expression can be rendered in a variety of ways. In some languages a reflexive construction is used, “I built myself.” In other languages a prepositional phrase, “for myself” or “for my own enjoyment,” can be used.

In most languages, phrases like “I built myself houses” pose no problem for translation. But in some, such expressions may mean that Qoheleth himself literally did the building. If this is a possible misunderstanding, an alternative construction can be used: “I had houses built” or “I had people build houses for me.”

I made great works tells us that Qoheleth had a reputation as a “doer of great things.” This general introduction may be rendered as “I accomplished great things,” “I did many great things,” or even “I became widely known for my achievements.” The word works sets the tone for this subsection, because we note its root form appearing as the initial verb in many of the following verses (see verses 5, 6, 8c).

I built houses and planted vineyards for myself: as a builder Qoheleth was famous. This claim of course follows closely the reputation of Solomon as a great builder (1 Kgs 7.9-10). He also planted vineyards. Translation of vineyard is always a problem where the grape is unknown. Some language groups use a borrowed term for “grape.” Instead of I … planted vineyards we can simply state “I grew grapes.” Where neither grapes nor vineyards are known, an alternative expression may be used, because here the planting of vineyards conveys the sense of Qoheleth’s general prosperity. A general word such as “fields” or “crops,” or a more descriptive equivalent such as “fruit-bearing vines,” may be substituted. The translator should try to avoid naming a crop that did not exist in the Biblical setting, such as rice or corn.

Two models for translation are:

• I became known for my great achievements. I built myself houses and planted vineyards.

• I became famous for all I did. I built houses and planted vineyards.

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 .