Ecclesiastes 5:6–7

Footnotes

1. 15 Heb “your flesh.” The term בָּשָׂר (basar, “flesh”) is a synecdoche of part (i.e., flesh) for the whole (i.e., whole person), e.g., Gen 2:21; 6:12; Ps 56:4[5]; 65:2[3]; 145:21; Isa 40:5, 6; see בָּשָׂר; E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, .
2. 16 The reads הַמַּלְאָךְ (hammal’akh, “messenger”), while the reads τοῦ θεοῦ (tou theou, “God”) which reflects an alternate textual tradition of הָאֱלֹהִים (ha’elohim, “God”). The textual problem was caused by orthographic confusion between similarly spelled words. The might have been trying to make sense of a difficult expression. The is preferred as the original. All the major translations follow the except for (“God”). Heb “the messenger.” The term מַלְאָךְ (mal’akh, “messenger”) refers to a temple priest (e.g., Mal 2:7; cf. מַלְאָךְ 2.b; 521 מַלְאָךְ 1.c). The priests recorded what Israelite worshipers vowed (Lev 27:14–15). When an Israelite delayed in fulfilling a vow, a priest would remind him to pay what he had vowed. Although the traditional rabbinic view is that Qoheleth refers to an angelic superintendent over the temple, Rashi suggested that it is a temple-official. Translations reflect both views: “his representative” (), “the temple messenger” (), “the messenger” (, , , , ), “the angel” (, , ) and “the angel of God” ().
3. 17 The Hebrew noun שְׁגָגָה (shégagah) denotes “error; mistake” and refers to a sin of inadvertence or unintentional sin (e.g., Lev 4:2, 22, 27; 5:18; 22:14; Num 15:24–29; 35:11, 15; Josh 20:3, 9; Eccl 5:5; 10:5); see שְׁגָגָה; 993 שְׁגָגָה. In this case, it refers to a rash vow thoughtlessly made, which the foolish worshiper claims was a mistake (e.g., Prov 20:25).
4. 18 Heb “at your voice.” This is an example of metonymy (i.e., your voice) of association (i.e., you).
5. 19 The syntax of this verse is difficult. Perhaps the best approach is to classify the vav on וַהֲבָלִים (vahavalim, “futilities”) as introducing the predicate (e.g., Gen 40:9; 2 Sam 23:3; Prov 10:25; Isa 34:12; Job 4:6; 36:26); 255 ו 5.c.γ: “There is futility.…” The phrase בְרֹב הֲלֹמוֹת (vérob halomot) is an adverbial modifier (“in many dreams”), as is דְבָרִים הַרְבֵּה (dévarim harbeh, “many words”). The vav prefixed to וּדְבָרִים (udévarim) and the juxtaposition of the two lines suggests a comparison: “just as … so also …” ( 253 ו 1.j). The English versions reflect a variety of approaches: “In the multitude of dreams and many words there are also diverse vanities” (); “In the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words” (); “When dreams increase, empty words grow many” (); “In many dreams and follies and many words” (); “In the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound” (); “Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities, and words without number” (); “Many dreams and words mean many a vain folly” (); “Much dreaming leads to futility and to superfluous talk” (); “In many dreams and in many words there is emptiness” (); “Much dreaming and many words are meaningless” (); “With many dreams comes vanities and a multitude of words” ().