Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - Ecclesiastes 2:21 - 2:21

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Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - Ecclesiastes 2:21 - 2:21


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“For there is a man who labours with wisdom, and knowledge, and ability; and to a man who has not laboured for it, must he leave it as his portion: also that is vain, and a great evil.” Ewald renders: whose labour aims after wisdom. But בְּחַ וטו do not denote obj. (for the obj. of עמל is certainly the portion which is to be inherited), but are particular designations of the way and manner of the labour. Instead of שֶׁעָמַל, there is used the more emphatic form of the noun: שׁעֲמָלוֹ, who had his labour, and performed it; 1Sa 7:17, cf. Jer 9:5, Jer 9:6, “Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit,” and Hitz. under Job 9:27. Kishron is not ἀνδρεία (lxx), manliness, moral energy (Elster), but aptness, ability, and (as a consequence connecting itself therewith) success, good fortune, thus skilfulness conducting to the end. בּוֹ refers to the object, and יִתְּנֶנּוּ to the result of the work; חֶלְקוֹ is the second obj.-accus., or, as we rather say, pred.-accus.: as his portion, viz., inheritance.

That what one has gained by skill and good fortune thus falls to the lot of another who perhaps recklessly squanders it, is an evil all the greater in proportion to the labour and care bestowed on its acquisition.