thing 1 and thing 2, a perfect pair,
to be the representative mind
of the earthlings - and they have blue hair!
Now chapters 8, 9, and 10 are less and less coherent and more and more like a collection of things which may or may not be related - but are juxtaposed - which is of course a relationship.
As per usual I have given a literal reading with some care and perplexity.
| מִי כְּהֶחָכָם וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ פֵּשֶׁר דָּבָר חָכְמַת אָדָם תָּאִיר פָּנָיו וְעֹז פָּנָיו יְשֻׁנֶּא | 8.1 my khexakam vumy yvodéà` pésher dabar xakmàt )adam ta)yr panayv v`oz panayv yshune) | Who is as the shrewd and who knows the interpretation of a thing An earthling's shrewdness makes its face shine and the strength of its face is changed | Seow has who is so shrewd - splitting the word. Also 'impudent face' - a nice gloss but I wonder how might shrewdness lead into such a change? His gloss implies the movement from negative judgment to positive. I think it over-translates and resolves multiple readings into one only. |
| אֲנִי פִּי מֶלֶךְ שְׁמֹר וְעַל דִּבְרַת שְׁבוּעַת אֱלֹהִים | 8.2 )any py melek shmor v`àl dibràt shbvu`àt )elohym | I, --- 'read the lips' of the king. and concerning the thing of the oath of God | Read the lips - lit. keep the mouth. Here we have another 'thing' section with a proleptic ellipsis - O Dr Seuss, here you are in story land with an opening mystery. |
| אַל תִּבָּהֵל מִפָּנָיו תֵּלֵךְ אַל תַּעֲמֹד בְּדָבָר רָע כִּי כָּל אֲשֶׁר יַחְפֹּץ יַעֲשֶׂה | 8.3 )àl tibahél mipanayv télék )àl tà`amod bdabar ra` ky kal )asher yàxpoc yà`aseh | Do not be rash to go from his presence nor let yourself stand in a wicked thing for all that pleases him he does | .. |
| בַּאֲשֶׁר דְּבַר מֶלֶךְ שִׁלְטוֹן וּמִי יֹאמַר לוֹ מַה תַּעֲשֶׂה | 8.4 bà)asher dbàr melek shil+von vumy yo)màr lvo màh tà`aseh | in whatever thing the king has mastery and who says to him, what are you doing? | .. |
| שׁוֹמֵר מִצְוָה לֹא יֵדַע דָּבָר רָע וְעֵת וּמִשְׁפָּט יֵדַע לֵב חָכָם | 8.5 shvomér micvah lo) yédà` dabar ra` v`ét vumishpa+ yédà` léb xakam | who keeps his command will not know an evil thing both time and judgment the heart of the shrewd will know | .. |
| כִּי לְכָל חֵפֶץ יֵשׁ עֵת וּמִשְׁפָּט כִּי רָעַת הָאָדָם רַבָּה עָלָיו | 8.6 ky lkal xépec yésh `ét vumishpa+ ky ra`àt ha)adam ràbah `alayv | for in all delight there is time and judgment for the evil of the earthling is great upon it | .. |
| כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ יֹדֵעַ מַה שֶּׁיִּהְיֶה כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה מִי יַגִּיד לוֹ | 8.7 ky )éynenvu yodéà`màh sheyihyeh ky kà)asher yihyeh my yàgyd lvo | For it has no knowledge of what is to be As for what is to be - who will tell it? | .. |
| אֵין אָדָם שַׁלִּיט בָּרוּחַ לִכְלוֹא אֶת הָרוּחַ וְאֵין שִׁלְטוֹן בְּיוֹם הַמָּוֶת וְאֵין מִשְׁלַחַת בַּמִּלְחָמָה וְלֹא יְמַלֵּט רֶשַׁע אֶת בְּעָלָיו | 8.8 )éyn )adam shàly+ barvuàx liklvo) )et harvuàx v)éyn shil+von byvom hàmavet v)éyn mishlàxàt bàmilxamah vlo) ymàlé+ reshà` )et b`alayv | it is not for an earthling to be master in the wind that it might hold back the wind for there is no mastery in the day of death and there is no handing over in war and wickedness will not let escape any that belong to it | but cf the giving of the spirit in John and Acts- and he handed over his spirit - to whom? And he breathed on them? And they were filled... The battle is definitely to be engaged to receive such |
| אֶת כָּל זֶה רָאִיתִי וְנָתוֹן אֶת לִבִּי לְכָל מַעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ עֵת אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַט הָאָדָם בְּאָדָם לְרַע לוֹ | 8.9 )et kal zeh ra)yty vnatvon )et liby lkal mà`aseh )asher nà`asah tàxàt hàshamesh `ét )asher shalà+ ha)adam b)adam lrà` lvo | all this I saw and gave to my heart of every deed that is done --- under the sun of the time that the earthling takes power over an earthling to its own evil | .. |
| וּבְכֵן רָאִיתִי רְשָׁעִים קְבֻרִים וָבָאוּ וּמִמְּקוֹם קָדוֹשׁ יְהַלֵּכוּ וְיִשְׁתַּכְּחוּ בָעִיר אֲשֶׁר כֵּן עָשׂוּ גַּם זֶה הָבֶל | 8.10 vubkén ra)yty rsha`ym qburym vaba)vu vumimqvom qadvosh yhàlékvu vyishtàkxvu ba`yr )asher kén `asvu gàm zeh habel | and in this I saw the wicked buried and they come to the place of holiness and they go and are forgotten in the city where they did such even this is futility | .. |
| אֲשֶׁר אֵין נַעֲשָׂה פִתְגָם מַעֲשֵׂה הָרָעָה מְהֵרָה עַל כֵּן מָלֵא לֵב בְּנֵי הָאָדָם בָּהֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת רָע | 8.11 )asher )éyn nà`asah pitgam à`aséh hara`ah mhérah `àl kén malé) léb bnéy ha)adam bahem là`asvot ra` | that there is no edict done for an evil deed - quickly therefore the heart of the children of earth is filled in them to do evil | pitgam - only here and in Esther Who says justice was ever speedy! |
| אֲשֶׁר חֹטֶא עֹשֶׂה רָע מְאַת וּמַאֲרִיךְ לוֹ כִּי גַּם יוֹדֵעַ אָנִי אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה טּוֹב לְיִרְאֵי הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר יִירְאוּ מִלְּפָנָיו | 8.12 )asher xo+e) `oseh ra` m)àt vumà)aryk lvo ky gàm yvodéà`)any )asher yihyeh +vob lyir)éy ha)elohym )asher yyr)vu milpanayv | that a sinner do evil a hundredfold and it be prolonged yet even I know, I do, that it will be good to those that fear God that fear him in his presence | .. |
| וְטוֹב לֹא יִהְיֶה לָרָשָׁע וְלֹא יַאֲרִיךְ יָמִים כַּצֵּל אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ יָרֵא מִלִּפְנֵי אֱלֹהִים | 8.13 v+vob lo) yihyeh larasha` vlo) yà)aryk yamym kàcél )asher )éynenvu yaré) milipnéy )elohym | but good will not be to the wicked and he will not prolong days as a shadow that they have no fear in the presence of God | .. |
| יֶשׁ הֶבֶל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ צַדִּיקִים אֲשֶׁר מַגִּיעַ אֲלֵהֶ כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים וְיֵשׁ רְשָׁעִים שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ אֲלֵהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַצַּדִּיקִים אָמַרְתִּי שֶׁגַּם זֶה הָבֶל | 8.14 yesh hebel )asher nà`asah `àl ha)arec )asher yésh càdyqym )asher àgyà`)aléhem kmà`aséh harsha`ym vyésh rsha`ym shemàgyà`)aléhem kmà`aséh hàcàdyqym )amàrty shegàm zeh habel | Here is futility that is done on the earth that there are the righteous such that they are touched as those who do wickedness and there are the wicked such that they are touched as those who do righteousness I say that this too is futility | Seow has it that there are righteous who are treated as wicked and vice versa. He cites these idioms from post-Biblical Hebrew and they do sound convincing. The verb is also used in Eccl 12:1. and Genesis 3:3 - neither will you touch it. |
| וְשִׁבַּחְתִּי אֲנִי אֶת הַשִּׂמְחָה אֲשֶׁר אֵין טוֹב לָאָדָם תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי אִם לֶאֱכֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת וְלִשְׂמוֹחַ וְהוּא יִלְוֶנּוּ בַעֲמָלוֹ יְמֵי חַיָּיו אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ | 8.15 vshibàxty )any )et hàsimxah )asher )éyn +vob la)adam tàxàt hàshemesh ky )im le)ekol vlishtvot vlismvoàx vhvu) yilvenvu bà`amalvo yméy xàyayv )asher natàn lvo ha)elohym tàxàt hàshamesh | And I commended, I did, happiness that there is no good for the earthling --- under the sun in this case to eat, to drink, and be happy for this will join to its toil all the days of its life that this God gives it --- under the sun | .. |
| כַּאֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי אֶת לִבִּי לָדַעַת חָכְמָה וְלִרְאוֹת אֶת הָעִנְיָן אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ כִּי גַם בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה שֵׁנָה בְּעֵינָיו אֵינֶנּוּ רֹאֶה | 8.16 kà)asher natàty )et liby ladà`àt xakmah vlir)vot )et ha`inyan )asher nà`asah `àl ha)arec ky gàm bàyvom vubàlàylah shénah b`éynayv )éynenvu ro)eh | for that I gave my heart to know shrewdness and to see the business that is done on the earth for even by day and by night sleep is in its eyes and it is without sight | .. |
| וְרָאִיתִי אֶת כָּל מַעֲשֵׂה הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי לֹא יוּכַל הָאָדָם לִמְצוֹא אֶת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בְּשֶׁל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲמֹל הָאָדָם לְבַקֵּשׁ וְלֹא יִמְצָא וְגַם אִם יֹאמַר הֶחָכָם לָדַעַת לֹא יוּכַל לִמְצֹא | 8.17 vra)yty )et kal mà`aséh ha)elohym ky lo) yvukàl ha)adam limcvo) )et hàmà`aseh )asher nà`asah --- tàxàt hàshemesh bshel )asher yà`amol ha)adam lbàqésh vlo) yimca) vgàm )im yo)màr hexakam ladà`àt lo) yvukàl limco) | And I saw all the work of this God for the earthling cannot find out the deed that is done --- under the sun in that which the earthling toils to seek, but it will not find out and even if the shrewd one says it knows, it will not be able to find out | the preacher sees but there is no seeing to the earthling I see that I have confined 'work' to God and deed to the earthling for the most part... It wasn't quite deliberate. |
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