With verses 7-8 we meet a series of negative statements about limitations to human knowledge and power. Verse 7 links back to the thematic question in 6.12, “For who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone?” Here Qoheleth affirms that no one knows what will happen, and then repeats the question, “For who can tell him how it will be?” Verses 7 and 8 are linked together by the particle ʾen “there is not,” which appears 4 times within the two verses. This structure builds on and contrasts with the clause introduced by yesh (“there is”) in verse 6. Not only do people not know what the future holds (verse 7), but also they have no control in this life over a great number of things (verse 8).

Verse 7 can be seen as a direct response to the questions posed in 6.12. Note the repeated phrases and terms: the participle form “who knows,” the phrase “what will happen,” and the question “who can tell…?” We have already seen in 7.14 and find it repeated here that nobody can tell what will happen “after him.” Thus the material in chapter 7 and 8.1-6 shows that even the wise person cannot know the future.

For he does not know: the introductory particle For marks this verse as offering evidence that life is full of burdensome questions. The reason is quite simple: human intelligence has its limits, so that not even the wisest person knows very much of all that can be known. Human beings can never know the mind of God who arranges everything, so naturally they cannot understand everything. The ʾen plus participle construction is well known in Hebrew; here it can be translated as “nobody knows.” The pronoun he refers back to the term “man,” that is, “people,” in verse 6. So many things are within the power of the human mind to know; for example, the appropriate times for action (verse 5). But on the other hand there are many more things beyond our power to know; for example, we cannot know the future.

What is to be is a variation of the phrase found in 1.9; 3.22; 10.14; and especially in 6.12. Although the grammar does not require that what is to be refer to what happens after a person dies, the fact that verse 7 is so clearly a response to 6.12 will affect the way we understand it. We therefore must translate it in the same spirit as 6.12. See comments on 6.12 for examples. We suggest a translation that is general, such as “what will happen in the future.”

For who can tell him how it will be?: the problem here is in knowing whether the introductory particle translated as for expresses cause or result. Should we translate it as “because” to indicate cause, or as “so” to indicate result? Regardless of the particular “future” being discussed, whether it refers to the future of a person after death or future events on earth after a person departs, the grammatical problem remains. Our translation will have to be broad enough to allow both possibilities.

Who can tell him? is a rhetorical question and can be retained in that form. Alternatively we can use a statement form and convey clearly what Qoheleth means, namely, that nobody can tell what will happen in the future. Tell generally means “announce” or “expound.” Nobody can describe what the future is like because they have no evidence for it. The wise person is at least aware of this, but fools are ignorant and think they know what will happen.

Translation possibilities are:

• … so nobody can tell us about the future.

• … so can anyone explain to us what will happen in the future?

• … because nobody can tell what the future holds.

This verse may seem redundant, especially if the second sentence is rendered as a statement rather than as a rhetorical question. Some of the redundancy results from the repetition in Hebrew of the verbal phrase “what will be,” which occurs in the middle of the verse (though in slightly varying forms). The pattern of the verse is chiastic.

This chiastic structure is Qoheleth’s way of emphasizing this important point. Since chiastic structures are not natural in many languages, translators may have to look for alternative ways of expressing this emphasis.

The entire verse can be translated:

• No one knows what will happen, so who can tell what the future is going to be?

• Nobody knows what the future holds, so who can announce what that future will be?

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 .