Verses 6 and 7 make up the last subunit of the section dealing with “Remembering the Creator.” In previous verses we saw that there is a wide difference of opinion on whether we are dealing with images of old age, of death itself, or of something else. Here there are still difficulties of interpretation. We do not know precisely what the images of broken cords, bowls, pitchers, and wheels refer to. However, verse 7 is very clear: dust goes back to dust and the spirit goes to God. So there can be little doubt that the images of brokenness in verse 6 point to death as well. While in the previous verses we saw many different approaches to translation, here virtually all versions give a more literal rendering.

This verse begins with the third “time before which” phrase. As noted earlier, in many languages it will be necessary to insert the main clause “remember” at several places in this long series of actions. If so, this is an appropriate place for such an insertion.

A series of six phrases describe things that are broken or have come to the end of a useful life. The imagery differs a great deal from what was used in the previous section. Here the attention is focused on cords, pots, pitchers, and pulleys. In every instance something happens to the item so that it can no longer be used. Though the word “water” does not appear in the text, it is obvious from the context that it is no longer available. Qoheleth’s readers or listeners would have been familiar with water as a symbol for life. So here the message is clear: life has come to an end.

Verse 6 contains four parallel lines made up of a conjunction, a verb, and a noun phrase.

This structure helps to convey the emotion of this passage. The verbs in initial position designate actions that occur in an instant (“snap,” “break,” “shatter”), emphasizing the abruptness and the unexpectedness of death. At the same time the slow, repetitive rhythm seems to express the inevitability of death. Translators should see if similar structures will have the same effect in their language. In some languages ideophones may be used to emphasize the swiftness with which these objects are destroyed.

Before the silver cord is snapped: see comments on verse 1 relating to the “before” phrase. A cord or rope made of silver may suggest a necklace, though some commentators speak of a “counterweight” because of the general context of drawing water from a well. Though many languages have a word for “gold,” not all have a term for silver. If this is the case a word like “chain” may be used, which will indicate that the cord is made of metal; alternatively we can simply say “cord of metal.” As noted below, however, the focus is not on what the items are made of, but the fact that they no longer serve their purpose. The verb is snapped is understood differently in some texts that suggest a verb like “cut” and “break.” These other possible meanings are not essentially different from the meaning of the present Hebrew text and so we do not need to spend time discussing this point. The crucial thing to convey is that the cord (or “chain”) breaks.

Or the golden bowl is broken: the Hebrew word may refer to a bowl (1 Kgs 7.41-42) or “reservoir” (Zech 4.2-3); it is a container of some kind. If made from gold it is unlikely that the verb broken is the best translation, because gold is so soft. “Spoiled” or “crushed” may be more appropriate. The key point seems to be that what was once a valuable object is no longer of use. Good News Translation‘s “the golden lamp” assumes that the bowl refers to the bowl-like oil lamps used in those days. However, the images here imply the use of water rather than oil, so translators should not follow the Good News Translation rendering.

These and the following illustrations are clearly figurative in some sense; they refer to everyday items, although made from precious metals, but they speak in an illustrative fashion. The problem is that we do not know what they point to. However, that is less serious a problem here, because the key feature is the verb with its theme of brokenness and loss of usefulness. For this reason we can translate somewhat literally; translators will note that Good News Translation does this also, having no other interpretation in mind. The first two clauses can be rendered straightforwardly as:

• before the silver chain snaps, or the golden bowl is spoiled.

Or the pitcher is broken at the fountain: a pitcher is used to hold a drink that can be poured out for individual people. The difference between a bowl and a pitcher is not the issue here. The pitcher or “water jug,” like the bowl, is smashed. So these two items are parallel in that they both illustrate the theme of brokenness. They lie in pieces alongside the fountain. This latter term describes a place where water bubbles up out of the ground. “Spring” or “water hole” is probably a better term to use. The pitcher was generally left at the spring or well for anyone to use to draw water. Unfortunately it is broken and can no longer be used to draw or hold water. In many cultures today people use nonbreakable containers to draw water, such as plastic buckets, sacks, and so on. Such modern terms should be avoided. The translator should look for a general expression referring to something that can be broken. It may be necessary to use a longer expression such as “the [clay] pot they use for dipping water” to get the meaning across. Here again, however, the emphasis is not on the object itself but on the fact that in a swift moment of time it is spoiled. Translation can be:

• … or the jug smashed alongside the spring.

• … or the jug for drawing water from the spring lies smashed.

Good News Translation changes the order of material at this point. It places this phrase at the end of the verse, presumably because it assumes this phrase is related to the final one. We do not need to make this change, since each of the phrases in these two verses is an independent but parallel example of things that are broken.

Or the wheel broken at the cistern: the Hebrew galgal is thought to be a wheel by Revised Standard Version and New English Bible. Good News Translation suggests “rope at the well.” New American Bible and Jerusalem Bible think it is a “pulley.” The root gll is generally associated with something that rolls (see, for instance, Pro 26.27). We presume it is a pulley or wheel through which the rope and bucket for drawing water runs. A cistern is a man-made storage place for water rather than a naturally occurring thing like a spring. When the pulley holding the rope is broken, the device cannot be used for raising water. In some languages it will be helpful to make this idea explicit. We can say “The pulley [at the well] is broken, and there is no longer any way to draw water from the well.”

The three illustrations here mention the main items (chain, bucket, and pulley) for drawing water; the point is that each is broken and no longer usable. These three illustrations forcefully make the point that, before it is too late, people should make wise decisions that will affect the rest of life. Each illustration is an indirect reference to death. This is the main issue for Qoheleth, and he has reminded readers that death can come at any moment, not necessarily only when a person is old and feeble.

The entire verse can be rendered:

• [Remember your Creator] before the silver chain is snapped and the golden bowl is spoiled, before the jug for drawing water is smashed and the pulley at the well is broken [and there is no way to get water from the well].

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 .