A generation goes, and a generation comes: as we look at the two halves of verse 4, we note immediately that it contains a contrast. It is this contrast that Qoheleth wants his readers to notice, for it will be seen again throughout the poem. Comes and goes in the first half contrast with remains in the second half; flow and change contrast with permanence. Both of these are features of the world in which we live and seek out some “benefit” or “gain.”

There are different opinions about the meaning of the term generation. Most versions (Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible) agree that it refers to generations of people on earth, with one generation replacing another as life and time move along. If generation does not exist as a concept, we can restructure to say “some die and others are born,” or “old people die; babies are born.” Translators need to be careful to avoid giving the impression that there is belief in reincarnation here. In some translations generation has been rendered by the word “world”: “one world comes and one world goes.” However, this may cause serious misunderstandings because of the various meanings of the word “world.” What is in focus is what happens on earth. No reference to another world (or heaven) is intended here.

There are some translations (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Knox) that understand generation to mean “an age” rather than the people who live during that time. This idea comes from the fact that the second half of the verse talks about the earth being here for ever. The original dictionary meaning of the Hebrew word dor refers to circular motion. Because of the lack of a particular context for this passage, it is more than likely that the word here is deliberately general; it does not refer to any one item, but simply reminds us that in the physical world there are some things that go through cycles. We may translate along the following lines: “One cycle follows another, but…,” or “Some things come as others go, but…,” or “One age follows another.”

Goes … comes translates the Hebrew literally, so translators can see that, to have a natural English expression, the verbs have been reversed in Good News Translation. In translation we may find a natural pair of verbs expressing this idea. Alternatively cyclical movement can be expressed by a single verb such as in “one age follows another.”

But the earth remains for ever: permanence is the theme of the second half of the verse. Earth, or the world, “stands” (remains) and endures for ever. The adverbial phrase for ever, which is literally “for an age,” is the regular way in which the Old Testament expresses a very long time. It does not mean “eternity” in the present technical sense of the word, but is the longest period of time the ancient Israelites could imagine, often only the lifetime of an individual, as in Deut 15.17. It can refer both to the past (“all the days of old,” Isa 63.9, 11) as well as the future (Isa 45.17). Good News Translation “the world stays just the same” indicates permanence without using the expression for ever.

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 .

Focusing more narrowly than in the previous section, Qoheleth now struggles over the question about what will happen to all his wealth when he dies. He has moved on from the simple fact of death to ask what happens after that. He cannot take his “portion” or “reward” with him, so someone else will inherit it. In the previous verse it was noted that the phrase “I hated life” was an idiom for the intense pain caused by certain apparently unjust situations. We apply that same insight to the use here. When Qoheleth says I hated all my toil, he means that his years of labor and all he acquired as a result of that now cause him great pain. We can render its meaning as “I almost came to hate my work and accomplishments” or “I no longer took any pleasure in all the work I did.” The expression my toil in which I had toiled may emphasize the difficulty of the task or the effort with which Qoheleth worked. Some languages can express this in the following way: “I grew to hate all the things I had worked so hard at.”

The phrase under the sun or “on earth” does not need to be translated literally every time it occurs, though it is a prominent aspect of Qoheleth’s style.

Seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me: the introductory relative clause marker rendered as seeing in Revised Standard Version, or “because” in Good News Translation, indicates the reason why Qoheleth reacted so strongly to the situation mentioned in the first half of the verse. He does not feel badly about his work and his accomplishments; it would be a mistake to draw that conclusion. Rather the problem is that all his earnings will be inherited by someone who may well be a fool. It is expressed in Hebrew by the addition of a pronominal suffix on the verb translated leave. It refers to the fruits of his labor, so it can be expressed as “my wealth” or “my goods.” Translators will have to reflect on how ideas such as “leaving an inheritance” are expressed in their language. In some languages emphasis is put on the person who inherits or “eats” an inheritance, rather than on the one who “leaves” it.

The clause the man who will come after me is simply the person who will inherit his goods, that is, his heir, or what Good News Translation calls “my successor,” or “one who takes my place.”

Some ways we can translate verse 18 are as follows:

• I almost came to hate having toiled and accomplished so much, because I must leave all I have [or, all my wealth] to an heir.

• I became disillusioned about all the work I did, since I have to leave everything I worked so hard for to my successor.

Some languages may prefer to put the reason clause before the result:

• I realized that everything I worked so hard for will go to the one who follows me. This makes me almost want to give up!

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 .

Revised Standard Version literally represents the Hebrew expression, but it is rather unnatural and redundant in English. It serves as a good reminder of how not to translate! But the problems of Revised Standard Version can easily be avoided.

And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate is the phrase that brings us Qoheleth’s reflection on the significance of what he witnessed. The initial conjunction And is probably better rendered as “So” or “Then.”

I thought … more fortunate: in Hebrew the verb is “commend” or “congratulate” used as an infinitive but with finite verb significance. To consider someone fortunate is not quite the same thing as congratulating them. Good News Translation “I envy” is an understandable response but does not correctly translate the Hebrew verb. The basic meaning “congratulate” should be preserved, because there is great irony in what Qoheleth says here. Normally life is better than death, even for Qoheleth, but when he is confronted by the many injustices and evils of human society, death seems preferable. Qoheleth offers his congratulations and best wishes to those who have died. They have been able to escape from oppression and injustice. A translation like “So I congratulated those who were dead” conveys that ironic mood. If such irony is not easily understood in the translator’s language, an expression closer to Revised Standard Version, but farther from the Hebrew, will have to be substituted: “So it seems that dead people are better off [than the living].”

Than the living who are still alive: the comparison places the dead in a more favorable position than the living. However, it is not a simple case of comparing the living and the dead; rather the dead and the living are here used as terms to describe those people who were oppressed or are presently being oppressed. The dead are those who have died and as a result have been “rescued” from oppression; the living are those who are still undergoing the pain of oppression. Within this context it is perfectly clear that the dead are now better off than those still suffering. When Qoheleth congratulates people for dying, he reveals his piercing irony. Some languages may need to avoid the redundant phrases of the Hebrew, “the living who are alive” and “the dead who have died.” One possibility is to state the link between living and oppression, and between dying and being freed from this terrible situation.

Translation may be along one of the following lines:

• I consider those who have died to be more fortunate than those still living under oppression!

• So I congratulate those who died under oppression; they are now better off than those still living under it.

• And I declare the dead to be better off than those still alive.

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 .

The Revised Standard Version translation of this verse is an incomplete sentence and reflects the problems in the text. There is no main clause and so the reader waits in vain to know what Qoheleth is going to say. The first clause is a relative clause (“all the people to whom God gives wealth and possessions”); the second begins with the conjunction “and” (“and he gives them power to eat, accept reward, and enjoy their work”), and the third seems to be an independent clause (“this is the gift of God”). We note that the whole verse begins with a multipurpose conjunction that can mean “also,” “as well as,” or “both.” It is possible to interpret the first two clauses as one single thought, with the last clause giving its conclusion. Somewhat literally the verse says “Also God gives people wealth and possessions, and in addition grants them the power to eat, accept their reward and enjoy the result of their work; this really is the [ultimate] gift of God,” or “Concerning the people to whom God gives wealth and possessions, he also gives them the power to enjoy these, to accept their reward, and to be satisfied with their work; this really is the gift of God.”

Every man also to whom God has given wealth and possessions: the fact that all citizens are not wealthy indicates that Every man … to whom is used in a limited way, pointing only to those privileged few. “Those who have…” or “Those to whom God gives…” conveys this limited sense.

In order to make sense out of this verse, we may have to turn it into a complete sentence. The Good News Translation conditional sentence “If God gives…” is also acceptable, as is Jerusalem Bible “Whenever God gives….” A further example can be “Now God gives certain people….”

Wealth: see comments on “riches” in verse 13.

Possessions is a term borrowed from Aramaic. It is translated “revenue” in Ezra 6.8 and “goods” in 7.26.

And power to enjoy them: in 6.2 Qoheleth distinguishes between having things and being able to enjoy what you have. This distinction is apparent from the structure of the verse also. The main verb is “give power to,” which can also be translated “enables.” The infinitive constructions involving “eat,” “accept,” and “enjoy” depend on this verb. It is therefore more important to have the power to enjoy things than merely to possess them. Power to enjoy them is an Aramaic expression, literally “and he empowers him to eat from it [them],” where the verb “eat” is idiomatic for enjoying something. Our translation can demonstrate that having and enjoying are separate gifts, by using the adverb “also”; for example, “he also enables them to enjoy these gifts.”

And to accept his lot: the notion of power to enjoy continues into this phrase. Not only is a person empowered by God to “eat,” but also to “take up” in the sense of accept his share or portion. On lot see comments on verse 18 and 3.22. It describes a reward, partial or limited in nature, which God gives. Translation can follow as “the reward God gives.”

At this point Good News Translation has “we should be grateful and enjoy.” If God is the subject of this action, the one who empowers people to enjoy, then Good News Translation is misleading. The focus is not on what people do, but on what God grants.

And find enjoyment in his toil expresses the same sentiments as 2.24; 3.13, 22.

The second main division of the verse can be translated as

• God also gives them power to enjoy those gifts, to accept their reward, and to find pleasure in what they do.

We can also say that God “enables” or “permits” people to enjoy these gifts. Alternatives are:

• God enables people to enjoy those gifts, accept their reward, and truly enjoy their work.

• Without God’s help, no one can enjoy those gifts, accept their reward, or truly enjoy their work.

This is the gift of God: this final sentence has all the appearances of an independent concluding statement. The demonstrative this points back to the “power to enjoy” the three activities mentioned. The gift of God repeats 3.13 and demonstrates again how Qoheleth’s calls to enjoyment are based on firm beliefs about God and his relationship to human beings. It also reminds us that work and enjoyment are not to be separated. It is preferable to find two separate words to distinguish between lot and gift. The first has the idea of “portion” or “share,” while the second speaks of a true “gift” or “present.”

The emphasis provided by this concluding sentence can be displayed by “These people have truly received God’s gift.” Alternatively we can place this final statement at the beginning of the verse, and say “The real gift of God is not only riches … but also the power to….” In some languages the phrase gift of God may have to appear in sentence form: “This is what God gives [to people, to human beings],” or even “This is the good thing God gives to people.”

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 .

In this verse and the next we come again to a set of negative imperatives, warning against a certain kind of foolish behavior. Verses 21 and 22 are linked in the Hebrew, both by the particle “for,” or “because,” which gives a reason for this advice, as well as by the repetition of the word “heart” (as discussed below). The link between this unit and what is before it is an open question. Verse 21 begins with a Hebrew particle that many versions leave untranslated. This particle can be an assertive marker, but more often it means “also” or “finally.”

As noted above, Jerusalem Bible treats verses 19-22 as a single unit, beginning verse 21 with “Another thing:….” The French version Pleiade takes a similar approach: “Moreover….” On the other hand Good News Translation and New Jerusalem Bible see these two verses as completely independent. The translator can set out the text according to the interpretation chosen.

Do not give heed to is literally “Do not give your heart.” The phrase “give one’s heart” is an idiom used regularly in this book to describe the serious examination Qoheleth made of human society. (See 1.13 “I applied my mind to seek…”; also 1.17; 8.9, 16.) So in the negative, Qoheleth’s meaning is that we should not allow these things to have too much influence, hence Good News Translation and New English Bible use the phrase “Pay no attention to.” Another possibility is to say “Don’t get upset at….”

All the things that men say is put at the beginning of the Hebrew clause for emphasis. In some languages the same sentence structure can be used: “Not everything people say should be taken to heart” or “Everything people say, don’t take it too seriously.”

In such a general saying, without the benefit of context to fix its meaning, our translation will need to avoid giving the impression that Qoheleth is saying “Don’t listen to anything people say!” The verse that follows describes this one, so we shall have to take the meaning of verse 22 into account as we translate here.

All the things uses the Hebrew word that can mean “matters” or “things.” So here we can also give a translation such as “every matter” or “every issue.” In English “everything” is probably the natural choice.

Men say renders a Hebrew plural verb that has no definite subject, merely “they.” Many languages use a similar impersonal form in such circumstances. If not, “people” is acceptable. Jerusalem Bible moves the focus from what is said to those who say it: “pay no attention to tell-tales.”

Some translation examples are:

• Don’t take too seriously every little thing people talk about.

• Don’t get upset over everything people say.

• Not everything a person says should be taken to heart.

Lest introduces the problem a person may encounter if the above warning is not heeded. Other alternatives are “otherwise,” or “in case,” or “or.” In some languages this expression may not need to be translated, since the meaning will be clear without it.

You hear your servant cursing you: when Hebrew here uses the imperfect form of the verb translated you hear, it carries the sense of possibility, such as “you might hear.” Your servant suggests that the reader is probably a wealthy and educated member of the society, with servants in his employment. Because the term servant reflects a certain social pattern, it may not always be easy to find an equivalent term where the social structure and thus the vocabulary are different. In such a case “helper” or “worker” are terms that can be used, even though they do not reflect a lower social class.

Cursing is a Hebrew participle indicating an ongoing condition. Used as a noun, cursing portrays a thing that is of little or no value. In its intensive verbal form it means to “revile” or regard a person as contemptible. Good News Translation “insult” is also a good term to use here.

There are two possible meanings for this phrase: “lest you hear your servant cursing you” or “lest you hear [from someone else] that your servant curses you.” The imperfect verb and the participle in this phrase make the latter the more likely sense. We can suppose that, if the master were to hear that the servant was saying evil things about him, he would be forced to take some action against the servant.

Models for translation:

• … otherwise you may hear that your servant [or, worker] is saying something evil about you.

• … in case you hear that your servant insults you [all the time].

• … or you might hear that your servant has been cursing you!

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 .

Although the verbs in this verse are, strictly speaking, imperatives or the equivalent, in certain contexts they may also express a longing or wish. Revised Standard Version Let … may be understood this way, but other major English versions all use imperatives here. Translators should use the most acceptable form in their language, that is, an imperative (“Always wear white”), a form expressing habit or custom (“You should always wear white”), or the equivalent of one of these.

The theme of enjoyment continues. In the phrase Let your garments be always white, the adjective white represents joy (compare Est 8.15). The white clothing is therefore worn as part of a celebration. White may also suggest that the clothes are clean and pure, though in the present context that meaning is less likely. In some cultures white is the color associated with death, so a literal translation would reverse Qoheleth’s point. The meaning of this saying will then need to be made clear. This can be done by indicating that the color white is used for festive occasions: “Always wear white festive clothes,” or “Always wear festive clothes, white and sparkling for the occasion!” In some extreme cases we may want to omit mention of the color and focus on the function: “Always wear festive clothes” or “Always dress as though it’s a feast time.”

Always, literally “on every occasion” or “all the time,” is not intended to mean we should never wear clothes of any other color. The entire verse is metaphorical, using the symbols of clothing and oil for advising the reader to live a life that is altogether joyous and happy.

Let not oil be lacking on your head is parallel to the first saying and so indicates something people do in preparation for a festival. In many cultures people cover their faces or bodies with oil, especially when they are dressing up for a special occasion. Within the context of the Old Testament, we note that oil on the head has special significance, and this may also be part of the meaning here. In Psa 23.5 “anointing the head with oil” is a metaphor for God’s special blessing and the joy that this brings. In Psa 45.7 reference to the “oil of gladness” is probably behind Good News Translation “Always look … cheerful.” Adopting a cultural substitute is always a possibility, but translators must be careful not to suggest to readers that certain of their own practices were typical of Hebrew culture. New American Bible and Bible en français courant refer to “perfume,” and this seems acceptable.

Let not … be lacking, which is parallel to Let … be always in the first saying, is Qoheleth’s advice to the wise person to take every opportunity to enjoy God’s blessing.

We have noted that white clothes and oil may be symbols for God’s blessings in general. We may want to bring this out with a translation such as “[May you] always wear festive clothes and anoint yourself with oil, symbol of gladness.” Good News Translation is more radical, translating meaning only: “Always look happy and cheerful.” Context is important here. Since surrounding verses speak of basic pleasures such as eating, drinking, and love, a straightforward translation is quite appropriate here.

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 .