Qohelet 6 is a very short chapter. Seow outlines a circular structure from 5:8 (Hebrew 5:7) to 6:9. Perhaps I will diagram it more fully in a future life. I think the problems of showing it in text make the shape unconvincing. But that is for later.
In the meanwhile, here is his / her main complaint - that the earthling that is greedy and fearful even if it lives 1000 years and has 100 children is not better than a stillborn. Reminds me of JB's instruction to the soldiers - be satisfied with your wages.
Even after the rant, we return to the same result - no knowledge of the future and again the implication of the same end for all.
| יֵשׁ רָעָה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְרַבָּה הִיא עַל הָאָדָם | 6.1 yésh ra`ah )asher ra)yty tàxàt hàshamesh vràbah hy) `àl ha)adam | Here is an evil which I have seen --- under the sun and frequent it is with the earthling | .. |
| אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִתֶּן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים עֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְכָבוֹד וְאֵינֶנּוּ חָסֵר לְנַפְשׁוֹ מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר יִתְאַוֶּה וְלֹא יַשְׁלִיטֶנּוּ הָאֱלֹהִים לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי אִישׁ נָכְרִי יֹאכְלֶנּוּ זֶה הֶבֶל וָחֳלִי רָע הוּא | 6.2 )ysh )asher yiten lvo ha)elohym `osher vunkasym vkabvod v)éynenvu xasér lnàpshvo mikol )asher yit)àvueh vlo) yàshly+envu ha)elohym le)ekol mimenvu ky )ysh nakry yo)klenvu zeh hebel vaxaly ra` hvu) | a human such that to him this God has given riches and wealth and glory so it has nothing lacking in its life from all that it desires and this God does not give it power to eat of them for an alien human eats them This is futility and it is an evil sickness | I was tempted to neuter this human, but refused twice re glory - kbod is always glory to me - says Humpty Dumpty |
| אִם יוֹלִיד אִישׁ מֵאָה וְשָׁנִים רַבּוֹת יִחְיֶה וְרַב שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יְמֵי שָׁנָיו וְנַפְשׁוֹ לֹא תִשְׂבַּע מִן הַטּוֹבָה וְגַם קְבוּרָה לֹא הָיְתָה לּוֹ אָמַרְתִּי טוֹב מִמֶּנּוּ הַנָּפֶל | 6.3 )im yvolyd )ysh mé)ah vshanym ràbvot yixyeh vràb sheyihyvu yméy shanayv vnàpshvo lo) tisbà` min hà+vobah vgàm qbvurah lo) haytah lvo )amàrty +vob mimenvu hànapel | if a human birth a hundred and live many years and many there be of the days of iys years and its being is not satisfied from this good then even a burial is not for it I say the miscarriage is good compared to it | Seow - a burial plot |
| כִּי בַהֶבֶל בָּא וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ יֵלֵךְ וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ שְׁמוֹ יְכֻסֶּה | 6.4 ky bàhebel ba) vubàxoshek yélék vubàxoshek shmvo ykuseh | for in futility it comes and in darkness it goes and in darkness its name is covered | I left the neuter here as with earthling for the most part. While odd, it slows down the thinking while reading. |
| גַּם שֶׁמֶשׁ לֹא רָאָה וְלֹא יָדָע נַחַת לָזֶה מִזֶּה | 6.5 gàm shemesh lo) ra)ah vlo) yada` nàxàt lazeh mizeh | Even sun it has not seen and it has no knowledge There is quietness for this one over the other | Following Seow in the line break know is used intransitively in this case |
| וְאִלּוּ חָיָה אֶלֶף שָׁנִים פַּעֲמַיִם וְטוֹבָה לֹא רָאָה הֲלֹא אֶל מָקוֹם אֶחָד הַכֹּל הוֹלֵךְ | 6.6 v)ilvu xayah )eleph shanym pà`amàyim v+vobah lo) ra)ah halo) )el maqvom )exad hàkol hvolék | and to the other there be a thousand pulsing years but no good has it seen? Is it not to one place that all go? | Now we are back to the human - read he or she |
| כָּל עֲמַל הָאָדָם לְפִיהוּ וְגַם הַנֶּפֶשׁ לֹא תִמָּלֵא | 6.7 kal `amàl ha)adam lpyhvu vgàm hànepesh lo) timalé) | all the toil of that earthling is in its mouth and even that being is not satisfied | One could be more physical with nephesh - but one could also consider that 'being' is physical as well I find myself not wanting to emphasize the eating metaphor |
| כִּי מַה יּוֹתֵר לֶחָכָם מִן הַכְּסִיל מַה לֶּעָנִי יוֹדֵעַ לַהֲלֹךְ נֶגֶד הַחַיִּים | 6.8 ky màh yvotér lexakam min hàksyl màh le`any yvodéà` làhalok neged hàxàyym | For what is left to the shrewd over the fool? What for the afflicted, knowing how to walk in front of the living? | .. |
| טוֹב מַרְאֵה עֵינַיִם מֵהֲלָךְ נָפֶשׁ גַּם זֶה הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ | 6.9 +vob màr)éh `éynàyim méhalak napesh gàm zeh hebel vur`vut rvuàx | Good are eyes seeing over a walk of such a being. Even this is futility and a tending of wind | .. |
| מַה שֶּׁהָיָה כְּבָר נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ וְנוֹדָע אֲשֶׁר הוּא אָדָם וְלֹא יוּכַל לָדִין עִם שֶׁתַּקִּיף מִמֶּנּוּ | 6.10 màh shehayah kbar niqra) shmvo vnvoda` )asher hvu) )adam vlo) yvukàl ladyn `im shetàqyph mimenvu | What is it that is? Already it is called its name. And it is known that it is an earthling And it cannot judge with one who prevails against it. | .. |
| כִּי יֵשׁ דְּבָרִים הַרְבֵּה מַרְבִּים הָבֶל מַה יֹּתֵר לָאָדָם | 6.11 ky yésh dbarym hàrbéh màrbym habel màh yotér la)adam | For there are multiple things that multiply futility. What is left to the earthling? | .. |
| כִּי מִי יוֹדֵעַ מַה טּוֹב לָאָדָם בַּחַיִּים מִסְפַּר יְמֵי חַיֵּי הֶבְלוֹ וְיַעֲשֵׂם כַּצֵּל אֲשֶׁר מִי יַגִּיד לָאָדָם מַה יִּהְיֶה אַחֲרָיו תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ | 6.12 ky my yvodéà`màh +vob la)adam bàxàyym mispàr yméy xàyéy heblvo vyà`asém kàcél )asher my yàgyd la)adam màh yihyeh )àxarayv tàxàt hàshamesh | For who knows what is good for the earthling in these lives? in the tale of the days of the lives of its futility? And he makes them as a shadow but who will relate to the earthing what has become after it --- under the sun? | The 'he' is ambiguous as to antecedent See Psalm 144:4, 102:11, 109:23 I suppose in the vagueness of my sieve-like memory, I could see shadow as of my own making. If so, read 'it' for 'he' |
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