(9.) And for the rest (for now is to be added something over and above, to form a supplement to what went before; compare 1 Kings xiv. 19 both for the Hebrew and Greek. As the word וְיֹתֵ֕ר stands first, it is the subject: whether we point it as noun or participle will not make much difference to the sense, but the Masoretic pointing is best; they also, with great taste, put a large distinctive accent on the word. The meaning is, ‘there is something yet to be added;’) that he was (the contract-relative with subject verb) even a Koheleth (i.e. a preacher or gatherer) who was wise, yet (the LXX. render καὶ ὅτι , ‘nevertheless,’ but their rendering is very remarkable and we will discuss it at length presently) taught knowledge (and in the sense so common in this book, of the knowledge how to act under a given set of circumstances) with respect to the people (not as usually understood that he taught the people knowledge, but taught knowledge with regard to the people, the collected body of humanity; compare chapter iv. 16) and he gave heed, and he sought out (Deuteronomy xiii. 4; Psalms cxxxix. 1) an order (chapter i. 15, viii. 18; this is the third time of occurrence of this root, which is peculiar to this book. The Masorets point as piel pret., it might however be a noun, as the LXX. render it, and we shall see reason presently for adopting this interpretation) of parables the many.
10 The Preacher sought to find out [¹]acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
[¹] Hebrew words of delight.
The Preacher, indeed, sought to discover the reasons for a providence, but what he has written is the real matter of truth.
(10.) Sought Koheleth to find words of providence (דבר and חפץ, both in their usual technical senses) and written (full participial form) uprightness, words of truth. (The passage is very obscure; the LXX. render καὶ περισσὸν ὅτι ἐγένετο ὁ ἐκκλησιαστὴς σοφὸς [καὶ] ὅτι ἐδίδαξεν γνῶσιν σὺν τὸν ἄνθροπον καὶ οὖς ἐξιχνιάσεται κόσμιον παραβολῶν. Πολλὰ, κ.τ.λ. ‘and for the rest, because the Preacher was wise, and because he taught knowledge with respect to the man, and his ear will trace out the orderly arrangement of parables.’ Now, some curious features in this rendering deserve notice——the word κόσμιον occurs 1 Timothy ii. 9, and iii. 2; it is used as a neuter, ‘orderliness.’ Again, את העם is rendered σὺν τὸν ἄνθρωπον. B. omits and A² includes in brackets the καὶ, so marked, in the text; A² reads ἔτι; F.X. omit σὺν; F. reads [for ἄνθρωπον] λαὸν; E. ἐξιχνίασε; and D. κόσμον. Thus it appears probable that the LXX. read יחקר and as this future follows the past, we have the sense of the imperfect: they also translated σὺν τὸν ἄνθρωπον, because they considered העם as used generically——see [chapter iv. 16], and in the same sense. If, however, the Hebrew text were altered, which would be done simply by lengthening the jud י into van ו, the rendering of the LXX. would become unintelligible, and hence the variations, especially that of E. Then אזן, which is really nominative to יחקר, and emphatic as standing before it, came to be regarded as a verb and pointed piel, the only instance of such pointing that occurs, and then accenting וְחִקֵּ֔ר with zakeph, the Masorets made these two words a parenthesis, and pointed תִּקֵּן as a piel pret., instead of a noun as do the LXX.; they then make הרבה singular agree with the plural משלים, which would, according to the usage of this book, be distributive. On the whole, however, it seems very probable that the LXX. have preserved the right reading, or at least the meaning of the passage; this meaning is, ‘and for the rest, because Koheleth was a wise man, still he taught knowledge with respect to the people, and his ear [i.e. judgment, for the word contains the idea of weighing as in a balance] was seeking out an orderly meaning [or solution] of parables;’ by parables he means doubtless the mysterious facts cited. The next verse takes this thought up thus: ‘Very much sought Koheleth in order to find words of providence——and written correctly words of truth.’ If the reading were really וכתוב, and not, as we may conjecture, יכתוב, we should then read ‘he was writing,’ which it must be confessed makes excellent sense. The LXX. render here [καὶ] γεγραμμένον εὐθύτητος λόγους ἀληθείας, in the accusative, governed by ἐζήτησεν, and the meaning is therefore, ‘sought ... a thing written of right [even] words of truth.’ This agrees altogether with the context, and also is cognate with what follows).
11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
These reasons of the wise are like goads, but they are like stakes as well, deeply fixed, dominating over the herd, appointed so by a shepherd, who is the only one.