As in verse 15, where Qoheleth quoted a proverb to support his conclusion, so here in verse 18 we find him using the same method. The quotation is to lend weight to the conclusion reached in verse 17. Revised Standard Version indicates clearly how each half of the saying is made up of repeated terms, much and increases. It illustrates well how Hebrew poetry and proverbs are made up of parallel phrases. The structure is an important part of the presentation, as it allows Qoheleth to link together two things that may appear not to belong together. Here he links wisdom and vexation, knowledge and sorrow. Generally, wise men in Israel taught people that the wiser they became, the better off they would be. A wise person could expect more happiness and blessing (see Pro 15.6; 16.16, 22). What Qoheleth wants to stress is that this is not always true. Gaining more wisdom and knowledge can sometimes become a great burden. Because Qoheleth has not yet given us examples or illustrations of what he means, the reasons why he came to this conclusion are not clear. We shall find them only as we read on in the book.

If Qoheleth’s real conclusion was that life was meaningless and futile, as many translations have decided, then it would seem right to conclude that he was at a “dead end.” There would be no point to continuing his search for “lasting benefit.” However, what we find is that the problems Qoheleth encountered as he searched only made him more diligent in looking for the true benefits that wisdom could bring.

In translating the phrase in much wisdom, the preposition “in” can also mean “by” or “with” in the sense of “by means of.” Revised Standard Version vexation describes the anger a person feels when something undeserved happens to them. Here it can also mean “grief,” the aching pain someone feels when things go wrong. Becoming more wise, knowing more about the human condition, will make a person more understanding. If a person has any real feelings for the tragedies and the pain that some people have to endure, then “vexation” is natural. Good News Translation puts it very well: “the more you know, the more it hurts.” This is even more true for a religious person like Qoheleth. When we look at these problems from the point of view of faith in God, our inability to understand why certain things happen is much more painful. Job had a similar problem. His pain was much more than physical—it was mostly caused by the fact that he could not understand why he was suffering as he did.

If possible, translators should use proverbial forms common to their language. In some languages this may make the verse shorter:

• More wisdom, more grief.
More knowledge, more sorrow.

In others it may be necessary to use verbs with their subjects. Subjects can conform to those used in proverbs in the language: “one,” “you,” “we.” Contemporary English Version gives a good model:

• The more you know,
the more you hurt;
the more you understand,
the more you suffer.

In some languages it may be more natural to combine the two similar clauses, that is the first clause of each line, and the second clause of each line, as Bible en français courant does. We can say:

• The more one becomes wise and knowledgeable, the more one knows grief and sorrow.

Indenting this verse will draw attention to the fact that it is a quoted proverb, serving a special function as a conclusion (see also verse 15).

We have not yet read enough of Qoheleth to know why he draws these various conclusions in chapter 1, but he will gradually reveal what experiences led him to think this way. Chapter 1 is therefore a moving autobiographical introduction to the author’s search for answers to life’s perplexing questions. Details will follow.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Ecclesiates. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .