complete verse (Ecclesiastes 3:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ecclesiastes 3:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “I know the things/tasks that God has given a person to do.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “I have seen the burden that God has put upon human.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I have-seen the works that God gave which mankind has-to-be-concern-of.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “I have seen the work that God has given people to do.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Honorary "rare" construct denoting God ("give")

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, atae-rare-ru (与えられる) or “give” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Ecclesiastes 3:10

I have seen carries Qoheleth’s usual sense of observation for the purpose of examination. It means “I have looked into the matter carefully….”

The business that God has given to the sons of men to be busy with: the basic ideas found in this verse have been commented on in 1.13. However, there “business” was something considered “unhappy.” The context here does not require that same evaluation. Here its meaning is closer to “the task of living responsibly in an orderly world.” The Hebrew expression business … to be busy with is an idiomatic one. Hebrew frequently uses this compound form of noun plus its verbal root. We can render the sense as “the task that God has given.” The verb has given can indicate God assigning tasks to people or allowing them to do them.

The sons of men is, of course, a general term for human beings. “All people” or “all of us” catches its meaning. Some languages, especially in Africa, use the expression “sons of men” or “sons of Adam” when referring to human weakness or mortality. In these languages a literal translation can be quite effective, since the sense will be the same as in the Hebrew context. Alternatively we can say “us mortals” and retain the flavor of the expression. See comments on 1.13.

Some models for translation are:

• I have carefully examined the task God has given to us mortals.

• I have observed what matters God allows people to spend their lives doing.

• I have noted what kinds of things God assigns people to do.

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 .