As noted above, this section (verses 1-4) begins with a “better” saying (verse 1a) that sets the scene for what follows. Through a series of three more “better” sayings and other explanations, Qoheleth makes the point that it is better to reflect on sorrow and death than to have a good time. Such reflection makes us wiser people. The key terms of the section are “good,” “house,” “death,” and “mourning,” as well as the themes of “feasting,” “laughter,” and “pleasure.” Qoheleth states that reflecting on death can have a positive effect on our lives.

In the opening verse, two “better” sayings balance each other. While the Hebrew does not actually repeat the adjective “good” in the second clause, it is understood. This is why Good News Translation adds “better” to the second clause (“A good reputation is better…; and the day you die is better…”). In many languages it may be necessary to do the same thing.

The first saying, A good name …, is almost certainly a quotation from a well-known proverb. See Pro 22.1, “A good name is to be chosen rather than riches,” for a similar example. The second of the sayings is considered Qoheleth’s own because of its peculiar subject matter and because of the prominence it gives to death.

Literary features are outstanding here also. The first clause displays a chiastic or X-structure. The word good is used in the first part of the clause as a verb, “to be good,” and in the second part as an adjective. A further literary feature is assonance (words sharing similar sounds), as the words “name” (shem) and “oil” (shemen) sound very much alike.

Name is not simply a sound or sounds by which we can distinguish one person from another. In Hebrew the word also means the reputation a person has earned. In many cultures and languages around the world, the word “name” has this same sense. If this is not true a word closer to “reputation” will have to be used in place of “name.” Good News Translation adopts “reputation” as its translation. We can say “A good name” or “A good reputation.”

Is better than precious ointment: Hebrew here reads “good oil.” The oil may be ointment, perfume, or even medicine. To render the adjective “good” as precious has given a narrow meaning to the adjective, whereas it can also be rendered “fragrant” (as in Revised English Bible), “effective,” or “high quality.” Since we do not know what kind of oil it is, it is probably wiser to avoid narrow translations such as Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation (“expensive perfume”). A general translation could refer to any kind of oil and its superior quality. However, we need to be sure that it is not referring to petroleum! In Western cultures the phrase “good oil” does not necessarily mean something of value, but in many cultures in the world, oil has many of the same functions as in biblical times, and the thrust of the proverb will be readily appreciated.

The deliberate play on words based on the Hebrew terms shem “name” and shemen “oil” will be difficult to convey in most languages.

Better can be rendered as “is of more value” or “is more valuable than.” We have noted, however, that the same Hebrew word for “good” is used throughout this section, and that this is one of its significant literary features. It is preferable, then, if the translator can find one word for “better” and use it throughout the passage, if that is appropriate, in order to preserve the Hebrew literary flavor and unity.

The following are some models for translation:

• A good name is more valuable than good oil.

• Having a good reputation is of more value than good oil.

• A good reputation is better than fragrant oil.

• A good reputation is more fragrant than oil.

The purpose of this first “better” saying is to serve as a model for the next clause, which presents Qoheleth’s own special set of comparisons. In the same way that we recognize a good reputation as having great value, so too the next pair of values, according to Qoheleth, is equally valid.

The day of death can mean “the day you die,” as Good News Translation suggests, or the more universal “moment of death” of any individual. Since in verse 2 there is reference to the house of mourning, it seems that a more general sense is intended. We recommend that a more impersonal expression be used, such as “the day a person dies” or “a time of death.” Here day indicates the time at which something happens rather than a twenty-four hour period. Thus any expression that is natural in the translator’s language can be used: time, moment, day. Death brings us back to the theme touched on in 4.2 and 6.3. It is the major reality that confronts every living being. In cultures where it is difficult to speak openly about the subject of death, a euphemism like “pass away” or “disappear” may be required. The translator should bear in mind, however, that the verse is meant to shock the hearer or reader into reflection. Thus idioms that have a positive or hopeful association, such as “join our fathers [ancestors],” should be avoided in this context.

Than the day of birth: Good News Translation adds “is better than,” a phrase understood but not repeated in the Hebrew, to make clear the relationship between the two components of this clause. This is a good practice to follow. The phrase day of birth refers to the moment of birth, so again day can be rendered as “time” or “moment.” The Hebrew is repetitive, “day of death … day of birth,” and if possible, parallel structures should be used. Here Hebrew has “his birth,” using a structure that is a little unusual. We can render it as “a person’s birth” or simply “birth.”

If the first “better” saying in the verse is a quotation leading into a second saying, which is Qoheleth’s own, we can express that relationship in the following manner: “It is said that, ‘A good name … oil’; so also the day … birth,” or “They say ‘A good name…’; in the same way the day … birth.”

For translation translators may consider the following:

• A good name is better than fine oil, and the day of death is better than the day of birth.

• A good reputation is better than good oil; so also the day of death is better than the day of birth.

• It is said that “A good reputation is more valuable than fine oil.” In the same way, I say, a time of death is better than a time of birth.

The second of the two “better” sayings in this verse sets the tone for the next three verses. These explain what Qoheleth means by the saying in the second half of verse 1.

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 .