6 ¶ Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?
Suppose he had even lived a thousand years twice over, and seen no good in them, does he not arrive at altogether the same result as abortion?
(6.) And if (this particle occurs Esther vii. 4 only, equivalent to וְאִם לוֹ, but common in later Hebrew and Chaldee. It is one of those words from which many critics infer a late date to this book; but is it not used for the sake of the alliteration with הלא below?) he lived a thousand years twice told, and goodness not seen (as there is no nominative expressed, these verbs are in the nature of impersonals, and express the fact generally), is it not to a place which is the same (literally ‘one’) the whole (i.e. the totality of such persons) is going?
7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the [¹]appetite is not filled.
[¹] Hebrew soul.
All the toil of humanity is for the gratification of appetite, and yet the desires are never satisfied.