Ecclesiastes 7:25–8:1

Footnotes

1. 79 Heb “I turned, I, even my heart.”
2. 80 Heb “to seek.”
3. 81 The phrase “the role of” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
4. 82 The phrase חָכְמָה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן (khokhmah vékheshbon, “wisdom and the scheme of things”) is a hendiadys (a figure of speech in which two nouns connote one idea): “wisdom in the scheme of things.” This is similar to the hendiadys עִצְּבוֹנֵךְ וְהֵרֹנֵךְ (’itsévonekh véheronekh, “pain and childbearing”) which connotes “pain in childbearing” (Gen 3:16).
5. 83 Or “the evil of folly” The genitive construct phrase רֶשַׁע כֶּסֶל (resha’ kesel) may be taken as a genitive of attribution (“the wickedness of folly”) or as a genitive of attribute (“the folly of wickedness”). The English versions treat it in various ways: “wickedness of folly” (); “wrong of folly” (); “evil of folly” (); “stupidity of wickedness” (); “wickedness, stupidity” (); “wickedness is folly [or foolish]” (, , , , ), and “it is folly to be wicked” ().
6. 84 Or “the folly of madness” The genitive construct phrase וְהַסִּכְלוּת הוֹלֵלוֹת (véhassikhlut holelot) may be taken as a genitive of attribution (“the stupidity of wickedness”) or a genitive of attribute (“the evil of folly”). The phrase is rendered variously: “foolishness and madness” (); “foolishness of madness” (); “madness of folly” (); “madness and folly” (); “the foolishness which is madness” (); and “foolishness [or folly] is madness” (, , , , ).
7. 85 The word “this” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
8. 86 The phrase “kind of” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity (see the following note on the word “woman”).
9. 87 The article on הָאִשָּׁה (ha’ishah) functions in a particularizing sense (“the kind of woman”) rather than in a generic sense (i.e., “women”).
10. 88 Heb “is snares.” The plural form מְצוֹדִים (métsodim, from the noun I מָצוֹד, matsod, “snare”) is used to connote either intensity, repeated or habitual action, or moral characteristic. For the function of the Hebrew plural, see §7.4.2. The term II מָצוֹד “snare” is used in a concrete sense in reference to the hunter’s snare or net, but in a figurative sense of being ensnared by someone (Job 19:6; Prov 12:12; Eccl 7:26).
11. 89 The word “only” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
12. 90 The word “upright” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation twice, here and in the following line, for clarity.
13. 1 The preposition ךְּ (kaf) prefixed to כְּהֶחָכָם (kéhekhakham, “wise man”) is traditionally taken in a comparative sense: “Who is like [or as] the wise man?” On the other hand, it may denote identity, e.g., Gen 1:26; Num 11:1; 1 Sam 20:3; 2 Sam 9:8; Neh 7:2; Job 10:9; Nah 3:6 (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 47, §261; §11.2.9b).
14. 2 The definite article on הֶחָכָם (hekhakham, “wise man”) may be taken in an individualizing (“the wise man”) or generic sense (“a wise man”).
15. 3 Or “the explanation.” The noun פֵּשֶׁר (pesher) denotes “solution; explanation; interpretation; meaning” ( פֵּשֶׁר; 833 פֵּשֶׁר). The Hebrew term is an Aramaic loanword from פִּשְׁרָא (pishra’, “diagnosis; meaning; solution”). The Aramaic noun פְּשַׁר (péshar, “interpretation of a dream or prophecy”) and verb פְּשַׁר (péshar, “to interpret a dream or prophecy”) reflect a later meaning not present in Ecclesiastes, but current at the time of Daniel (Dan 2:5–7; 4:3, 15, 16; 5:12, 15, 16; 7:16) and Qumran (e.g., 1QpHab).
16. 4 Heb “a thing.”
17. 5 Heb “makes his face shine.”
18. 6 The vocalizes the consonantal form ישנא as יְשֻׁנֶּא (yéshunne’, Pual imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from I שָׁנָה, shana, “to change”). However, the μισθήσεται (misthēsetai) reflects an alternate vocalization tradition of יִשָּׂנֵא (yissane’, Niphal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from שָׂנֵא, sane’, “to hate”), while the ’s commutabit reflects יְשַׁנֶּה (yéshanneh, Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from II שָׁנָה, shanah, “to repeat”). Heb “the strength of his face is changed.”
19. 7 Heb “the strength of his face is changed.” The expression עֹז פָּנָיו (’oz panayv, “strength of his face”) is an idiom for “boldness; impudence” ( 739 עֹז 4) or “hard face” = harsh countenance ( I עֹז 1.c).