complete verse (Ecclesiastes 5:19)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ecclesiastes 5:19:

  • Kupsabiny: “When God gives a person wealth and all other things and makes him to rejoice over those things, he should say thank you and enjoy himself with the things he has struggled for, since what comes from God is a gift/blessing.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Besides this, for anyone to whom God gives wealth, property and the opportunity to do field work, and enables him to accept his lot and to rejoice, doing his painful work — this is a gift of God.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “God gave man possessions and other wealth, and he allowed him to benefit from it, so he can receive what is for him and he can-enjoy from what he had-worked/toiled-for. This is the gift of God to him.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “If people are rich and have a lot of possessions, and are able to enjoy/be happy with the things that they have and to enjoy their work, those things are also gifts from God.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ecclesiastes 5:19

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 5:19

5:19a Furthermore, God has given riches and wealth to every man,

Also God gives some people wealth and possessions.
-or-
If God gives some people wealth, property, (English Easy-to-Read Version)

5:19b and He has enabled him to enjoy them,

⌊He can also give them⌋ the ability to enjoy those things.
-or-
and the power to enjoy those things, (English Easy-to-Read Version)

5:19c to accept his lot, and to rejoice in his labor.

⌊Thus⌋ they receive their reward, and enjoy their work.
-or-
they should enjoy them. They should accept the things they have and enjoy their work (English Easy-to-Read Version)

5:19d This is a gift from God.

That is a gift that God gives ⌊to some people⌋ .
-or-
that is a gift from God. (English Easy-to-Read Version)
-or-
God causes some people to experience ⌊joy with those things⌋ .

5:19a-d (combined)

And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life this is indeed a gift from God. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-

⌊But not all rich people are like that, unhappy and sick.⌋ Some people are rich. They have many possessions, accept their life the way it is and enjoy their work. This is a gift from God.
-or-
If someone has wealth and many possessions and if he is able to enjoy them as well as his work and the way his life worked out, that is a gift from God.

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Commentaire sur la traduction de l'Ecclésiaste 5.19

Qohéleth termine cette unité sur une note très positive, en décrivant cette personne à qui Dieu donne le pouvoir de profiter de ses biens matériels. Ces propos commencent par la conjonction כִּי kî que certains interprètent comme indiquant une affirmation emphatique, « En effet » (Nouvelle Bible Segond). D’autres y voient une sorte de conclusion, et commencent par « Alors » (Parole de Vie) ou « Ainsi » (La Bible du Semeur). La Traduction œcuménique de la Bible insère un non, qui sert à mettre en relief ce qui suit.

il ne songe guère aux jours de sa vie : il s’agit de la personne décrite en Ecc 5.18. Ainsi on pourrait parler de « cet homme » ou plus généralement, « cette personne ». Mais certains vont encore plus loin en pensant qu’il s’agit de tout être humain. Voir Bible en français courant. L’hébreu dit litt. « il ne se souvient pas beaucoup », avec la racine fréquente רבה rbh, « être beaucoup, en abondance ».

Pour jours de sa vie, voir Ecc 5.17. Comme ailleurs, on peut réduire à « sa vie ». songer guère aux jours de sa vie est une expression idiomatique en hébreu qui insiste sur la brièveté de la vie. On pourrait dire « il ne pensera pas à la durée/longueur de sa vie ». Mais dans plusieurs langues, il sera plus facile de reformuler en disant, par exemple, « Il oublie combien sa vie est courte ».

tant que Dieu le tient attentif à la joie de son cœur : ce propos commence aussi par כִּי kî, mais ici il introduit une raison. Ainsi on pourrait dire « parce que » ou « car ». Le texte est un peu compliqué, litt. « car Dieu s’occupant avec la joie de son cœur ».

le tient attentif est une bonne traduction du participe du verbe hébreu ענה ʿnh, ici au sens plutôt positif. Voir Ecc 1.13 pour une utilisation dans un contexte négatif, et Ecc 3.10 pour une utilisation dans un contexte neutre. On pourrait aussi dire « le tient occupé » (Romerowski : 283).

Pour joie voir Ecc 2.1, Ecc 2.10, Ecc 2.26. Parfois ce mot semble renvoyer aux joies physiques ou le plaisir. Ici il s’agit de la joie du cœur.

Les traductions dans certaines versions françaises sont peu naturelles (Nouvelle Bible Segond). D’autres sont naturelles, « Dieu remplit son cœur de bonheur » (Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie), mais omettent un élément : « s’occupant ». La personne est tellement « occupée » à être contente qu’elle ne se rend pas compte du passage du temps.

Ainsi Qohéleth termine cette partie de sa réflexion par une note très positive. Même si la vie est pleine de souffrances, de troubles et de choses qu’on ne comprend pas, il reste quand même une part de bonheur ou joie, que le Sage voit comme un don de Dieu.

La réflexion sur la richesse continue.

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