Discovery BoxEcclesiastes 5:17 
Context5:17 Surely, he ate in darkness every day of his life, 1
and he suffered greatly with sickness and anger.
Ecclesiastes 6:5
Context6:5 though it never saw the light of day 2 nor knew anything, 3
yet it has more rest 4 than that man –
Ecclesiastes 7:11
Context7:11 Wisdom, like 5 an inheritance, is a good thing;
it benefits those who see the light of day. 6
1 tn Heb “all his days.” The phrase “of his life” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “it never saw the sun.”
3 tn The word “anything” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
4 sn The Hebrew term translated rest here refers to freedom from toil, anxiety, and misery – part of the miserable misfortune that the miserly man of wealth must endure.
5 tn Or “Wisdom with an inheritance, is good”; or “Wisdom is as good as an inheritance.” This use of the preposition עִם (’im) may denote: (1) accompaniment: “together with,” or (2) comparison: “as good as; like; in comparison to” (HALOT 839–40 s.v. עִם; BDB 767–69 s.v. עִם). BDB 767 s.v. 1 suggests the accompaniment nuance “together with,” while HALOT 840 s.v. 2.c suggests the comparative sense “in comparison to.” The translations are also divided: “wisdom with an inheritance is good” (KJV, ASV margin, RSV, NASB, YLT); “wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing” (NIV); “wisdom is as good as an inheritance” (ASV, NRSV, MLB, NJPS, Moffatt); “wisdom is better than an inheritance” (NEB). Because v. 12 compares wisdom with money (i.e., an inheritance), v. 11 is probably making a comparison as well: “Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good” (7:11a) = “Wisdom provides protection, just as money provides protection” (7:12a). The “good thing” that wisdom – like an inheritance or money – provides is protection.
6 tn Heb “see the sun.”
