The phrase I saw regularly marks the beginning of subdivisions in this book, so here we have a subdivision within the larger unit, verses 13-16. We note that Qoheleth is about to offer another of his observations.

I saw can be rendered “I noted” or “I observed,” as in 3.10; 4.4. This way attention is drawn to Qoheleth’s purpose in looking at the things and events around him.

All the living is a description that can include any living creature, human and animal (see New English Bible/Revised English Bible “all life”). The sense probably should be limited to human activity here, hence Good News Translation “all the people.”

Who move about under the sun further modifies the term “the living.” As these are not coordinate terms, there is no need to follow the Jerusalem Bible view and translate “all who live and move.” The participial form “those who move about” pictures people coming and going; it does not mean that Qoheleth did not consider those who could not walk! Move about is thus a metaphor for the people going about their daily routine here on earth. What it indicates is that Qoheleth’s view was very broad, taking in all people and their daily affairs.

Under the sun: see comments on 1.3.

A suggested translation is “I observed everyone going about their daily lives” or “I observed everyone and what they did each day.”

As well as that youth, who was to stand in his place: we now come to two contrasts. The first is between the youth and all the living; the second is between his “standing” and their “moving about.” There is also a common concept, “under the sun” and “under it.” These literary features will influence our translation.

That youth is literally “the second youth.” For the most part commentaries and translators have assumed that the youth spoken of here is the same youth mentioned in verses 13-14. There is a certain basic problem with this view, however. First of all, the introductory “I saw” marks a new observation; secondly, the contrast is between a single youth and all humanity, not just a king as in the previous illustration. Therefore the numerical “second” is best rendered as “another,” or “yet another” as in New English Bible, and not as “the heir apparent,” which is the New American Bible suggestion.

Who was to stand in his place: for the most part, in his place is seen as a reference to the youth taking the place of the king mentioned above. Jerusalem Bible goes much further and claims that the youth actually took the throne, but this seems to read far too much into the text. However, if the youth in this verse is contrasted with the whole of humanity, then it seems logical to assume that Qoheleth is referring to yet another, a third youth. The Hebrew preposition can be translated as “under” rather than “in place of.” This would mean that in his place is best rendered “under it,” in which case “it” refers to the sun. So this third youth does not replace the king on the throne, but he, like the rest of humanity, also stands “under the sun.” We can catch the sense by translating as follows: “as well as [or, I also saw] another youth standing there [under the sun].”

A suggested translation for the whole verse is:

• I observed everyone going about their daily lives and I also saw another youth standing there.

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 .