Moreover, in this is discovered that evil infirmity, that precisely as he began, so does he leave off; and what possible advantage can there be, that he toiled for the wind?
(16.) And, moreover, this same evil sickness, all over against (כל עמת occurs as two words here only; לעמת is the ordinary form, it has the meaning of ‘against,’ ‘over against,’ see Exodus xxv. 27, 2 Samuel xvi. 13; it has been proposed to read כלעמת, in which case the meaning will be as in the above——‘precisely as,’ LXX. ὥσπερ γὰρ, but this is to a certain extent to cut the knot rather than untie it. Now עמת occurs separately here only, and if עמת really exists, it is a noun feminine in regimen; now the meaning of עם, which is presented both in ‘people’ and in the preposition ‘with,’ gives evidently something ‘collected’ or ‘gathered,’ hence עמה would mean a ‘collection’ or ‘instance,’ and עמת ‘collection’ or ‘instance of,’ and then the exact meaning of כל ע״ will be ‘every instance of his going’), which he comes (close relative, the reason of which is now sufficiently evident, meaning, ‘just as he comes;’ he simply goes round in a circle without accomplishing anything, or returns back on his own track in every instance) so (emphatic, standing apart from its noun, equal ‘just so’) does he go, and what profit to him who has toiled (close relative again, ‘in that he has toiled’) to the wind? (which, see [chapter i. 6], returns back again as it did before. ‘To’ is here not exactly the same as ‘like to,’ but very near it; but perhaps also because his toil or care is to his spirit, as it has no effect otherwise.)
17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
Moreover, all his days he consumes in darkness: his disappointment is very great indeed: he has sickness and is sorry.
(17.) Moreover, all his days in darkness (for, of course, all this time he has never any idea which way he was really going, or what he is doing) he eats (or consumes), and disappointment is the much (or is multiplied), and his sickness and wrath (קצף is that kind of wrath which arises from anger with a person on account of something wrong. This miserable life is summed up, it appears, in four particulars——(1.) All his days he eats in darkness; (2.) the vexation of disappointment consumes him; (3.) he is sick, or rather, in this general sense, he is afflicted; (4.) he is angry, for those mistakes and disappointments.)
18 ¶ Behold that which I have seen: [¹]it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun [²]all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.