Who says "good is vexation over laughter
for in a facial grimace the heart is pleased"!
and is not laughing himself in the heaven of heavens?
There are many one liners in this chapter - it bears a read.
The end of the chapter is a curious revelation and a curious twist. I have not fathomed it (ha ha).
| טוֹב שֵׁם מִשֶּׁמֶן טוֹב וְיוֹם הַמָּוֶת מִיּוֹם הִוָּלְדוֹ | 7.1 +vob shém mishemen +vob vyvom hàmavet myvom hivualdvo | a good name may be compared with good oil and the day of death with the day of its birth | Compare Song 1:3 Note what is almost a palindrome in the Hebrew The pronoun is there in the text - Does 'it' refer to the birth of the name? |
| טוֹב לָלֶכֶת אֶל בֵּית אֵבֶל מִלֶּכֶת אֶל בֵּית מִשְׁתֶּה בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא סוֹף כָּל הָאָדָם וְהַחַי יִתֵּן אֶל לִבּוֹ | 7.2 +vob laleket )el béyt )ébel mileket )el béyt mishteh bà)asher hvu) svoph kal ha)adam vhàxày yitén )el libvo | it is good to go to a house of lament (over going to a house of feasting) for this is the end of every earthling and one who lives will take it to heart | .. |
| טוֹב כַּעַס מִשְּׂחוֹק כִּי בְרֹעַ פָּנִים יִיטַב לֵב | 7.3 +vob kà`às misxvoq ky broà`panym yy+àb léb | good is vexation over laughter for in a facial grimace the heart is pleased | Qohelet is the grinch |
| לֵב חֲכָמִים בְּבֵית אֵבֶל וְלֵב כְּסִילִים בְּבֵית שִׂמְחָה | 7.4 léb xakamym bbéyt )ébel vléb ksylym bbéyt simxah | the heart of the shrewd is in the house of lament and the heart of the foolish is in the house of happiness | .. |
| טוֹב לִשְׁמֹעַ גַּעֲרַת חָכָם מֵאִישׁ שֹׁמֵעַ שִׁיר כְּסִילִים | 7.5 +vob lishmoà`gà`aràt xakam mé)ysh shoméà`shyr ksylym | It is good to hear the rebuke of the shrewd over one's hearing of the song of fools | .. |
| כִּי כְקוֹל הַסִּירִים תַּחַת הַסִּיר כֵּן שְׂחֹק הַכְּסִיל וְגַם זֶה הָבֶל | 7.6 ky kqvol hàsyrym tàxàt hàsyr kén sxoq hàksyl vgàm zeh habel | for as the voice of the fat in the fire or the sizzle of the frying pan so is the laughter of the fool and even this is futility | I have doubled the words to get at the crackling of the thorns that is evident in the sound of the Hebrew |
| כִּי הָעֹשֶׁק יְהוֹלֵל חָכָם וִיאַבֵּד אֶת לֵב מַתָּנָה | 7.7 ky ha`osheq yhvolél xakam vy)àbéd )et léb màtanah | for the exploitation maddens the shrewd and a gift destroys a heart | .. |
| טוֹב אַחֲרִית דָּבָר מֵרֵאשִׁיתוֹ טוֹב אֶרֶךְ רוּחַ מִגְּבַהּ רוּחַ | 7.8 +vob )àxaryt dabar méré)shytvo +vob )erek rvuàxmigbàh rvuàx | Good is a thing's end over its beginning good is the patient wind over the proud wind | my favorite 'thing' a.k.a word But word is a round vowel and thing a narrow one a heavy sound over a light one |
| אַל תְּבַהֵל בְּרוּחֲךָ לִכְעוֹס כִּי כַעַס בְּחֵיק כְּסִילִים יָנוּחַ | 7.9 )àl tbàhél brvuxaka lik`vos ky kà`às bxéyq ksylym yanvuàx | Do not be rash to be vexed in your wind for vexation reposes in the bosom of fools | wind/spirit (ruax) as elsewhere |
| אַל תֹּאמַר מֶה הָיָה שֶׁהַיָּמִים הָרִאשֹׁנִים הָיוּ טוֹבִים מֵאֵלֶּה כִּי לֹא מֵחָכְמָה שָׁאַלְתָּ עַל זֶה | 7.10 )àl to)màr meh hayah shehàyamym hari)shonym hayvu +vobym mé)éleh ky lo) méxakmah sha)àlta `àl zeh | Do not say - how is it that the days of the beginning were good over these? for it is not from shrewdness that you pine for them | .. |
| טוֹבָה חָכְמָה עִם נַחֲלָה וְיֹתֵר לְרֹאֵי הַשָּׁמֶשׁ | 7.11 +vobah xakmah `im nàxalah vyotér lro)éy hàshamesh | shrewdness is good with inheritance and is left to those that see the sun | .. |
| כִּי בְּצֵל הַחָכְמָה בְּצֵל הַכָּסֶף וְיִתְרוֹן דַּעַת הַחָכְמָה תְּחַיֶּה בְעָלֶיהָ | 7.12 ky bcél hàxakmah bcél hàkaseph vyitrvon dà`àt hàxakmah txàyeh b`aleyah | For in the shadow of shrewdness, is in the shadow of silver and what is left of knowledge is shrewdness she keeps her husband alive | .. |
| רְאֵה אֶת מַעֲשֵׂה הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי מִי יוּכַל לְתַקֵּן אֵת אֲשֶׁר עִוְּתוֹ | 7.13 r)éh )et mà`aséh ha)elohym ky my yvukàl ltàqén )ét )asher `ivutvo | Look at the work of God for who can straighten what was perverse? | cf Eccl 1:15 |
| בְּיוֹם טוֹבָה הֱיֵה בְטוֹב וּבְיוֹם רָעָה רְאֵה גַּם אֶת זֶה לְעֻמַּת זֶה עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים עַל דִּבְרַת שֶׁלֹּא יִמְצָא הָאָדָם אַחֲרָיו מְאוּמָה | 7.14 byvom +vobah heyéh b+vob vubyvom ra`ah r)éh gàm )et zeh l`umàt zeh `asah ha)elohym `àl dibràt shelo) yimca) ha)adam )àxarayv m)vumah | in a day of good, be in the good and in a day of evil - look out: even this against that, this God has made about things that the earthling will not find --- after him nothing! | cf Eccl 7:18 bazeh ... mizeh |
| אֶת הַכֹּל רָאִיתִי בִּימֵי הֶבְלִי יֵשׁ צַדִּיק אֹבֵד בְּצִדְקוֹ וְיֵשׁ רָשָׁע מַאֲרִיךְ בְּרָעָתוֹ | 7.15 )et hàkol ra)yty byméy hebly yésh càdyq )obéd bcidqvo vyésh rasha` mà)aryk bra`atvo | All these I have seen in the days of my futility here is a righteous one destroyed in his righteousness and here is a wicked one prolonged in his evil | .. |
| אַל תְּהִי צַדִּיק הַרְבֵּה וְאַל תִּתְחַכַּם יוֹתֵר לָמָּה תִּשּׁוֹמֵם | 7.16 )àl thy càdyq hàrbéh v)àl titxàkàm yvotér lamah tishvomém | Do not be too much righteous and do not leave yourself with to much shrewdness why give yourself difficulty? | .. |
| אַל תִּרְשַׁע הַרְבֵּה וְאַל תְּהִי סָכָל לָמָּה תָמוּת בְּלֹא עִתֶּךָ | 7.17 )àl tirshà` hàrbéh v)àl thy sakal lamah tamvut blo) `iteka | Do not be too much evil and don't be foolish why die when it's not your time? | .. |
| טוֹב אֲשֶׁר תֶּאֱחֹז בָּזֶה וְגַם מִזֶּה אַל תַּנַּח אֶת יָדֶךָ כִּי יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים יֵצֵא אֶת כֻּלָּם | 7.18 +vob )asher te)exoz bazeh vgàm mizeh )àl tànàx )et yadeka ky yré) )elohym yécé) )et kulam | It is good that you should seize into this and even from that not leave your hand for the one fearing God emerges from them all | .. |
| הַחָכְמָה תָּעֹז לֶחָכָם מֵעֲשָׂרָה שַׁלִּיטִים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ בָּעִיר | 7.19 hàxakmah ta`oz lexakam mé`asarah shàly+ym )asher hayvu ba`yr | Shrewdness strengthens the shrewd over ten masters that are in the city. | .. |
| כִּי אָדָם אֵין צַדִּיק בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה טּוֹב וְלֹא יֶחֱטָא | 7.20 ky )adam )éyn càdyq ba)arec )asher yà`aseh +vob vlo) yex+a) | For there is no righteous earthling in the earth that does good and does not sin | .. |
| גַּם לְכָל הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּרוּ אַל תִּתֵּן לִבֶּךָ אֲשֶׁר לֹא תִשְׁמַע אֶת עַבְדְּךָ מְקַלְלֶךָ | 7.21 gàm lkal hàdbarym )asher ydàbérvu )àl titén libeka )asher lo) tishmà` )et `àbdka mqàlleka | And of all the things that are thought don't take them to your heart that you not hear your servant slight you | .. |
| כִּי גַּם פְּעָמִים רַבּוֹת יָדַע לִבֶּךָ אֲשֶׁר גַּם אַתָּה קִלַּלְתָּ אֲחֵרִים | 7.22 ky gàm p`amym ràbvot yadà` libeka )asher gàm )t )àtah qilàlta )axérym | for even your many pulsed heart knows that even you have slighted others | .. |
| כָּל זֹה נִסִּיתִי בַחָכְמָה אָמַרְתִּי אֶחְכָּמָה וְהִיא רְחוֹקָה מִמֶּנִּי | 7.23 kal zoh nisyty bàxakmah )amàrty )exkamah vhy) rxvoqah mimeny | All this I have proved with shrewdness I said 'I will be shrewd' but it was far from me | .. |
| רָחוֹק מַה שֶּׁהָיָה וְעָמֹק עָמֹק מִי יִמְצָאֶנּוּ | 7.24 raxvoq màh shehayah v`amoq `amoq my yimca)envu | What is it that is so far? and deep unsearchable - who will find it? | .. |
| סַבּוֹתִי אֲנִי וְלִבִּי לָדַעַת וְלָתוּר וּבַקֵּשׁ חָכְמָה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן וְלָדַעַת רֶשַׁע כֶּסֶל וְהַסִּכְלוּת הוֹלֵלוֹת | 7.25 sàbvoty )any vliby ladà`àt vlatvur vubàqésh xakmah vxshbvon vladà`àt reshà` kesel vhàsiklvut hvolélvot | I circled, I did, and my heart, to know and to explore and desire shrewdness and reason and to know wickedness, folly and foolishness and madness | cf Eccl 1:17 - we are in the second half of the book (though I did not see an exact centre in the 222 verses (c 6:10, 11) - and we see a number of reminders of the first chapter as if Qohelet is starting or about to start a new section |
| וּמוֹצֶא אֲנִי מַר מִמָּוֶת אֶת הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר הִיא מְצוֹדִים וַחֲרָמִים לִבָּהּ אֲסוּרִים יָדֶיהָ טוֹב לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים יִמָּלֵט מִמֶּנָּה וְחוֹטֵא יִלָּכֶד בָּהּ | 7.26 vumvoce) )any màr mimavet )et ha)ishah )asher hy) mcvodym vàxaramym libah )asvurym yadeyah +vob lipnéy ha)elohym yimalé+ mimenah vxvo+é) yilaked bah | and I found, I did, more bitter than death the woman, that she of nets and destructions her heart, bonds her hands good in the presence of God is escape from her but the sinner is captured by her | The only way for me to identify with this cultural imposition is to see the 'obvious' as in Job 31: if my heart is enticed by a woman and at the opening of my friend I take advantage let my wife grind for another and over her let others bow |
| רְאֵה זֶה מָצָאתִי אָמְרָה קֹהֶלֶת אַחַת לְאַחַת לִמְצֹא חֶשְׁבּוֹן | 7.27 r)éh zeh maca)ty )amrah qohelet )àxàt l)àxàt limco) xshbvon | You see this I have found, she said, Qohelet (that is) one by one to find out reason | Aha - Qohelet herself has found this, one by one. Perhaps shrewdness is not so far that she must climb up to heaven to bring it down. |
| אֲשֶׁר עוֹד בִּקְשָׁה נַפְשִׁי וְלֹא מָצָאתִי אָדָם אֶחָד מֵאֶלֶף מָצָאתִי וְאִשָּׁה בְכָל אֵלֶּה לֹא מָצָאתִי | 7.28 )asher `vod biqshah nàpshy vlo) maca)ty )adam )exad mé)eleph maca)ty v)ishah bkal )éleh lo) maca)ty | that yet my being desires and I have not found an earthling one of a thousand I have found and a woman among all these I have not found | Seow considers the last line a scribal 'enhancement'. Pity. If this be projection, it is not missing today either. It is not above a man to blame the woman for his own weakness. But shrewdness should let a man discover his own heart and not impute the cause to another. |
| לְבַד רְאֵה זֶה מָצָאתִי אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם יָשָׁר וְהֵמָּה בִקְשׁוּ חִשְּׁבֹנוֹת רַבִּים | 7.29 lbàd r)éh zeh maca)ty )asher `asah ha)elohym )et ha)adam yashar vhémah biqshvu xishbonvot ràbym | alone, see, this I have found that this God has made the earthling upright but they have desired many devices | work vs make? עָשָׂה Make, work, do etc is frequent in Eccl ( c 60 times this sound will occur). It is also used in English as a sound in the causative. There is both sonority missing and in the passive nature of 'make' also some possible lost effect as to the cost of making, doing or working. |
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