(4.) =And I have seen myself= (equivalent to ‘I have also observed’), =with respect to the whole toil= (in respect ‘of all toil whatsoever.’ Notice the twice-repeated emphatic את and σὺν), =and with respect to all success whatever= (that is, toil or pains which come to a successful issue――כשרון occurs ii. 21, here, and v. 11 (10), with the meaning ‘success.’ The verb occurs xi. 6, x. 10; and the only other place in which the root occurs is Esther viii. 5. It has been said in consequence to be a late word; but the force of any reasoning, derived from its occurrence, is much weakened by noticing that it is a technical term, and is used to signify the ‘successful issue’ which results. See chapter xi. 6, which is decisive. The LXX. render by ἀνδρείαν, ‘bravery,’ which is also the rendering at chapter v. 11) =of the working= (המעשה, in the usual sense of the working, or what is accomplished), =for= (or ‘how,’ rather) =it is= (feminine pronoun emphatic, see chapter iii. 13) =envy= (or jealousy) =of a man= (not אדם here, but איש, ‘any one,’ or ‘one.’ German, ‘man.’ The meaning then is, ‘one’s jealousy’) =over his neighbour.= (Thus the whole sentiment is, that Koheleth had observed that even when _toil_, the trouble attending labour, seemed to have a successful result, it produced more envy than pleasure, which Koheleth expresses by the pregnant words, ‘It is just the envy of a man over his neighbour.’) =Also this= is =a vanity= and =vexation of spirit= (_i.e._ is another instance of it). 5 The fool foldeth his hands │ The befooled wrings his hands together, and eateth his own │ and eats his heart, flesh. │ (5.) =The fool= (_i.e._ the ‘befooled,’ הכסיל, doubtless by envy) =folds= (occurs iii. 5, 2 Kings iv. 16; or perhaps ‘wrings’) =his hands and eats his flesh=. (It has been much disputed what we are to understand by this figure; but Proverbs vi. 10, xxiv. 23――where the same formula occurs to express the idleness of the sluggard――seems conclusive as to the meaning of folding his hands, as also ‘flesh’ in this book has a technical meaning, ‘the sensuous nature’――see chapter ii. 3. We can best understand it of the self-mortification of envy: thus the connexion will be apparent both with what went before, and is to follow). 6 Better _is_ an handful │ and yet a real good is but a _with_ quietness, than both │ fistful of rest; better than the hands full _with_ travail │ both palms full of toil and and vexation of spirit. │ vexation of spirit. (6.) =Good= (_i.e._ a real good) =filling a hand= (כף, ‘the open palm’) =with rest, than to fill= (which repeated twice is emphatic) the =double hand= (חפנים occurs only Exodus ix. 8, Leviticus xvi. 12, Proverbs xxx. 4, Ezekiel x. 2, 7,――the ‘two hands’ held together so as to hold the most they can) =of a toil= and =vexation of spirit=.