Introduction to Ecclesiastes 6:3
Ecclesiastes 6:3 presents a hypothetical scenario emphasizing the futility of a long life and many children without true satisfaction. The conditional clause beginning with אִם (“if”) sets up a hypothetical situation, while the rhetorical comparison with הַנָּֽפֶל (“the stillborn child”) reinforces the theme of existential vanity. This verse is part of Kohelet’s broader exploration of the limits of human achievement and the fleeting nature of worldly success.
This study will analyze the syntactic structure of the conditional clause, the function of the comparison, and the theological implications of the passage.
אִם־יֹולִ֣יד אִ֣ישׁ מֵאָ֡ה וְשָׁנִים֩ רַבֹּ֨ות יִֽחְיֶ֜ה וְרַ֣ב שֶׁיִּהְי֣וּ יְמֵֽי־שָׁנָ֗יו וְנַפְשֹׁו֙ לֹא־תִשְׂבַּ֣ע מִן־הַטֹּובָ֔ה וְגַם־קְבוּרָ֖ה לֹא־הָ֣יְתָה לֹּ֑ו אָמַ֕רְתִּי טֹ֥וב מִמֶּ֖נּוּ הַנָּֽפֶל׃
Analysis of Key Words/Phrases
1. אִם־יֹולִ֣יד אִ֣ישׁ מֵאָ֡ה (im yolid ish me’ah)
– Root: יָלַד (“to beget, give birth”)
– Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd masculine singular
– Translation: “If a man fathers a hundred [children]”
– Function: Introduces the hypothetical conditional clause, setting up an extreme scenario.
2. וְשָׁנִים֩ רַבֹּ֨ות יִֽחְיֶ֜ה (veshanim rabbot yihyeh)
– Verb: יִֽחְיֶ֜ה (“he will live”)
– Translation: “And he lives many years”
– Function: A secondary condition, intensifying the hypothetical scenario.
3. וְנַפְשֹׁו֙ לֹא־תִשְׂבַּ֣ע מִן־הַטֹּובָ֔ה (venafsho lo tisba min-hatovah)
– Verb: תִשְׂבַּ֣ע (“be satisfied”)
– Translation: “Yet his soul is not satisfied with good things”
– Function: Main consequence of the condition, suggesting that quantity of life and children do not ensure fulfillment.
4. וְגַם־קְבוּרָ֖ה לֹא־הָ֣יְתָה לֹּ֑ו (vegam kevurah lo haytah lo)
– Noun: קְבוּרָה (“burial”)
– Translation: “And also, he had no burial”
– Function: Represents ultimate dishonor, reinforcing the theme of futility.
5. טֹ֥וב מִמֶּ֖נּוּ הַנָּֽפֶל (tov mimenu hannefel)
– Verb: טֹ֥וב (“better”)
– Translation: “Better than him is the stillborn child”
– Function: A rhetorical comparison, showing that a stillborn child, though never experiencing life, is better off than the unsatisfied man.
Explanation of Grammatical Function
The Conditional Clause Introduced by אִם (“If”)
The verse begins with a conditional clause, introduced by אִם (“if”), presenting a hypothetical scenario.
– Structure of the condition:
– אִם־יֹולִ֣יד אִ֣ישׁ מֵאָ֡ה → “If a man fathers a hundred”
– וְשָׁנִים֩ רַבֹּ֨ות יִֽחְיֶ֜ה → “And he lives many years”
– וְרַ֣ב שֶׁיִּהְי֣וּ יְמֵֽי־שָׁנָ֗יו → “And the days of his years are many”
– Function of the conditional:
– The Hifil imperfect verb יֹולִ֣יד (“he fathers”) expresses a hypothetical possibility, not a definite event.
– The imperfect verbs יִֽחְיֶ֜ה (“he lives”) and יִּהְי֣וּ (“they will be”) continue the hypothetical framework.
– The result clause וְנַפְשֹׁו֙ לֹא־תִשְׂבַּ֣ע (“yet his soul is not satisfied”) negates the expected benefit of long life and many children.
The Rhetorical Comparison: הַנָּֽפֶל (“The Stillborn Child”)
The phrase טֹ֥וב מִמֶּ֖נּוּ הַנָּֽפֶל (“Better than him is the stillborn child”) serves as a rhetorical device:
– Parallel to Job 3:16, where Job laments not being stillborn.
– The stillborn child never experiences dissatisfaction → Unlike the man who suffers despite great achievements.
– Irony: A stillborn, which never “lived,” is depicted as having a preferable fate to the long-lived, unfulfilled man.
The Theological Implication of Vanity in Ecclesiastes 6:3
Ecclesiastes 6:3 uses a conditional clause and rhetorical comparison to highlight the futility of external achievements without true fulfillment.
– Life’s length and success are meaningless if one does not experience joy.
– Burial represents dignity—dying without burial is shameful.
– The stillborn metaphor emphasizes existential futility—sometimes, non-existence is better than an unfulfilled life.
Thus, the hypothetical scenario and poetic parallelism serve to reinforce Kohelet’s central theme: Without contentment, even the greatest worldly achievements are ultimately empty.
