complete verse (Ecclesiastes 3:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ecclesiastes 3:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “What does a person get from working very hard?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “What will the one who works get for his pain?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If these times were- already -destined/appointed by God, what is the value of the hard-work/labor of mankind?” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “What do people gain from all the work that they do?/It seems that people gain very little from all the work that they do.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ecclesiastes 3:9

What gain…? is the same question as was put in 1.3; 2.22: “What lasting benefit…?” It is advisable to use the same form as was used for the question in those cases.

The worker replaces the more general term “humankind” (or, “man”) that was used in 1.3. It means literally “the person who does things [or, who works].”

His toil: see comments on 1.3.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 3:9

Section 3:9-3:15

God works in human life

3:9 What does the worker gain from his toil?

What do workers gain by all their hard work? ⌊They gain nothing.⌋
-or-
People get nothing for all the work that they do. (EASY2015)

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Commentaire sur la traduction de l'Ecclésiaste 3.9

Quel profit a l’artisan du travail qu’il fait ? : pour quel profit (יִתְרוֹן yitrôn), voir, Ecc 1.3 où la même expression apparaît. artisan de travail rend le participe du verbe générique עשׂה ʿśh, « faire », qui a plusieurs sens : « créer », « faire » ou « travailler ». Dans ce contexte, on pourrait parler de « celui qui travaille » (Bible en français courant, La Bible du Semeur, Bible de Jérusalem) ou « le travailleur » (Nouvelle Bible Segond, Parole de Vie).

du travail qu’il fait est litt. « dans ce que lui il a peiné ». Il s’agit du verbe correspondant au terme clé עָמֵל ʿâmâl, « peine » : עמל ʿml « peiner ». Il est bon de garder, si possible, les liens littéraires entre ce texte et ce qui précède en utilisant le même vocabulaire pour profit et « peine ». Voir Ecc 1.3.

La forme interrogative devrait aussi être maintenue si possible. Celle-ci suppose une négation. Si on ne peut pas garder la question, on pourrait dire « Le travailleur n’en tire (vraiment) aucun bénéfice de son travail (si dur) ».

Il serait bon de mettre cette question à part, en insérant une ligne vide entre celle-ci et les propos qui suivent.

Source: Zogbo, Lynell. L’Ecclésiaste – Manuel de traduction – Commentaire linguistique et exégétique de la Bible. Alliance biblique universelle, 2021.