Ecclesiastes chapter 4 - is out the door

Be who you are and say what you feel,
because those who mind don't matter,
and those who matter don't mind.

I must have learned from Dr Seuss somehow

In Ecclesiastes chapter four
we have some serious work begun
We meditate on two and one
and how we might not oppress or
exploit or be faithless or worry too much
as we toil through our life and our hopes and such
and just so you know in case you were wondering
I've checked my phrases but I might still be blundering

וְשַׁבְתִּי אֲנִי וָאֶרְאֶה אֶת כָּל הָעֲשֻׁקִים אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשִׂים תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְהִנֵּה דִּמְעַת הָעֲשֻׁקִים וְאֵין לָהֶם מְנַחֵם וּמִיַּד עֹשְׁקֵיהֶם כֹּחַ וְאֵין לָהֶם מְנַחֵם	4.1 vshàbty )any va)er)eh )et kal ha`ashuqym )asher nà`asym tàxàt hàshamesh vhinéh dim`àt ha`ashuqym v)éyn lahem mnàxém vumyàd `oshqéyhem koàx v)éyn lahem mnàxém	and I turned myself and I saw all the exploitations that are done --- under the sun and note the tears of the exploited and there is not for them any comforter and from the hand of their exploiters is power and there is not for them any comforter	Note that consolation is for all - both sides of the exploited and exploiting are tortured. The antecedent of them is ambiguous in the second case.
וְשַׁבֵּחַ אֲנִי אֶת הַמֵּתִים שֶׁכְּבָר מֵתוּ מִן הַחַיִּים אֲשֶׁר הֵמָּה חַיִּים עֲדֶנָה	4.2 vshàbéàx)any )et hàmétym shekbar métvu min hàxàyym )asher hémah xàyym `adenah	So I myself commend the dead that are already dead over the living that are alive yet	..
וְטוֹב מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר עֲדֶן לֹא הָיָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא רָאָה אֶת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הָרָע אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ	4.3 v+vob mishnéyhem )ét )asher `aden lo) hayah )asher lo) ra)ah )et hàmà`aseh hara` )asher nà`asah tàxàt hàshamesh	but the good over both is the one that has not yet been that has not seen the evil deed that is done --- under the sun	Yes I could use better but I am stubborn
וְרָאִיתִי אֲנִי אֶת כָּל עָמָל וְאֵת כָּל כִּשְׁרוֹן הַמַּעֲשֶׂה כִּי הִיא קִנְאַת אִישׁ מֵרֵעֵהוּ גַּם זֶה הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ	4.4 vra)yty )any )et kal `amal v)ét kal kishrvon hàmà`aseh ky hy) qin)àt )ysh méré`éhvu gàm zeh hebel vur`vut rvuàx	and I saw, I did, all the toil and every successful work for which a human is envied --- by its friend Even this is futility and tending of wind	..
הַכְּסִיל חֹבֵק אֶת יָדָיו וְאֹכֵל אֶת בְּשָׂרוֹ	4.5 hàksyl xobéq )et yadayv v)okél )et bsarvo	The foolish clasps its hands and eats its flesh	..
טוֹב מְלֹא כַף נָחַת מִמְּלֹא חָפְנַיִם עָמָל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ	4.6 +vob mlo) kàph naxàt mimlo) xapnàyim `amal vur`vut rvuàx	Good is a full palm at rest over fists-full of toil and tending of wind	A proverb - I wonder if I will ever translate these - later on we will find several more, so I get to wrestle with the better - since I already like the good, the better is not needed. The good is the light that was from the beginning and that light is the anointing of the elect. (No I am not going Calvinist but I am considering the quantum decision for the whole universe - and as 1 John notes, love can be an object that is known. See this post - noting the grammar not the interpretation.)
וְשַׁבְתִּי אֲנִי וָאֶרְאֶה הֶבֶל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ	4.7 vshàbty )any va)er)eh hebel tàxàt hàshamesh	and I turned myself and I saw futility --- under the sun	Seow has an idiomatic use of 'turn' as an auxilliary verb - marking discontinuity with the previous section. (BDB p998 and compare Eccl 3:16). I would not consider 4:1 and 4:7 equivalent to 3:16 for they are different even if they are the same!
יֵשׁ אֶחָד וְאֵין שֵׁנִי גַּם בֵּן וָאָח אֵין לוֹ וְאֵין קֵץ לְכָל עֲמָלוֹ גַּם עֵינוֹ לֹא תִשְׂבַּע עֹשֶׁר וּלְמִי אֲנִי עָמֵל וּמְחַסֵּר אֶת נַפְשִׁי מִטּוֹבָה גַּם זֶה הֶבֶל וְעִנְיַן רָע הוּא	4.8 yésh )exad v)éyn shény gàm bén va)ax )éyn lvo v)éyn qéc lkal `amalvo gàm `éynvo lo) tisbà` `osher vulmy )any `amél vumxàsér )et nàpshy mi+vobah gàm zeh hebel v`inyàn ra` hvu)	There is one but there is not two there's for it not even a son or a brother and there is no end to its toil. Even its eye is not satisfied with wealth and for whom do I myself toil and deprive my being of good? Even this is futility and it is an evil business.	..
טוֹבִים הַשְּׁנַיִם מִן הָאֶחָד אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ לָהֶם שָׂכָר טוֹב בַּעֲמָלָם	4.9 +vobym hàshnàyim min ha)exad )asher yésh lahem sakar +vob bà`amalam	Good the two over the one that there is to them a good wage in their toil	This two is almost three given the wage
כִּי אִם יִפֹּלוּ הָאֶחָד יָקִים אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ וְאִילוֹ הָאֶחָד שֶׁיִּפּוֹל וְאֵין שֵׁנִי לַהֲקִימוֹ	4.10 ky )im yipolvu ha)exad yaqym )et xabérvo v)ylvo ha)exad sheyipvol v)éyn shény làhaqymvo	for if they fall the one will raise up its companion. But alas for the one that falls alone there is no second to raise it up	..
גַּם אִם יִשְׁכְּבוּ שְׁנַיִם וְחַם לָהֶם וּלְאֶחָד אֵיךְ יֵחָם	4.11 gàm )im yishkbvu shnàyim vxàm lahem vul)exad )éyk yéxam	Even if two lie together there is warmth for them but for the one - how will it be warm?	..
וְאִם יִתְקְפוֹ הָאֶחָד הַשְּׁנַיִם יַעַמְדוּ נֶגְדּוֹ וְהַחוּט הַמְשֻׁלָּשׁ לֹא בִמְהֵרָה יִנָּתֵק	4.12 v)im yitqpvo ha)exad hàshnàyim yà`àmdvu negdvo vhàxvu+ hàmshulash lo) bimhérah yinatéq	And if someone prevails over the one the second will stand near it and the three ply thread is not quickly torn	Three-ply is an improvement on binary - consider Hooker, or a three-legged stool, or this morning's suggestion that there is a three-fold set of concepts in Genesis - not twofold. (Pamela H. Miles - triads of Leviticus and of Genesis. SBL Regional meeting UVIC)
טוֹב יֶלֶד מִסְכֵּן וְחָכָם מִמֶּלֶךְ זָקֵן וּכְסִיל אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדַע לְהִזָּהֵר עוֹד	4.13 +vob yeled miskén vxakam mimelek zaqén vuksyl )asher lo) yadà` lhizahér `vod	Good child - poor but shrewd over a king old and foolish that does not know how to be warned any more	..
כִּי מִבֵּית הָסוּרִים יָצָא לִמְלֹךְ כִּי גַּם בְּמַלְכוּתוֹ נוֹלַד רָשׁ	4.14 ky mibéyt hasvurym yaca) limlok ky gàm bmàlkvutvo nvolàd rash	for from the house of obligation it emerges to rule for even in its kingdom it was born poor	..
רָאִיתִי אֶת כָּל הַחַיִּים הַמְהַלְּכִים תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ עִם הַיֶּלֶד הַשֵּׁנִי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲמֹד תַּחְתָּיו	4.15 ra)yty )et kal hàxàyym hàmhàlkym tàxàt hàshamesh `im hàyeled hàshény )asher yà`amod tàxtayv	I saw all the living that walk --- under the sun are with the child, the second that stands in its place	This child is strangely introduced.
אֵין קֵץ לְכָל הָעָם לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר הָיָה לִפְנֵיהֶם גַּם הָאַחֲרוֹנִים לֹא יִשְׂמְחוּ בוֹ כִּי גַם זֶה הֶבֶל וְרַעְיוֹן רוּחַ	4.16 )éyn qéc lkal ha`am lkol )asher hayah lipnéyhem gàm ha)àxarvonym lo) yismxvu bvo ky gàm zeh hebel vrà`yvon rvuàx	there is no end to all the people to all that were before them Even those that are after will not be happy about it for even this is futility and a tending of wind	לֹא יִשְׂמְחוּ בוֹ - I wonder if the child is meant or if it is just a generic third person singular pronoun?
שְׁמֹר רַגְלְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ אֶל בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים וְקָרוֹב לִשְׁמֹעַ מִתֵּת הַכְּסִילִים זָבַח כִּי אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים לַעֲשׂוֹת רָע	4.17 shmor ràglka kà)asher télék )el béyt ha)elohym vqarvob lishmoà`mitét hàksylym zabàx ky )éynam yvod`ym là`asvot ra`	Keep your footing when you go into the house of God and more ready to hear than to give in the foolish offering for they haven't a clue that what they do --- is evil	=5:1 AV - Should this be a chapter heading and total new thought? beit ha'elohim could be seen as a normal construct so no emphasized specific