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B
9:6.
No portion unto the age.
Under the sun.
A
12:5. Man goeth to his long (age) home.
The passing generation.
The primary meaning of olam, translated 'ever' and 'world' is derived
from the word alam, 'secret', and is found so translated in Ecclesiastes
12:14, 'every secret thing'. When this idea is applied to time, it indicates
a period, the end of which is hidden or obscure, a period of undefined
limits. Consequently, the Old Testament uses the expression, 'for ever and
ever' which is a questionable translation of the Hebrew, le -olam va -ed,
'unto the age and yet'. The Old Testament prophets knew that there was
something to come beyond their own age, but what it was, was hidden from
them. While, therefore, we must retain the word 'age' in Ecclesiastes 3:11
we must remember that it cannot be separated from its root meaning of
secrecy, and consequently indicates that the enigmatic and obscure character
of the ages has been divinely employed to limit the search of man, during the
present life, into the purpose of the Lord. The thought of 'finding' or
'finding out' runs through Ecclesiastes as a thread upon which a great deal
of the argument depends. The Hebrew word is matsa, and occurs as follows:
Matsa, 'to find', in Ecclesiastes
Eccles. 3:11.'So that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the
beginning to the end'.
7:14. 'The day of prosperity ... the day of adversity consider: God
also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man
should find nothing after him'.
7:24. 'That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?'
7:26. 'I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares
and nets'.
7:27. 'Behold, this have I found ... counting one by one, to find out
the account'.
7:28. 'Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a
thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not
found'.
7:29. 'Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but
they have sought out many inventions'.
8:17. 'Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out
the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour
to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther, though a
wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it'.
9:10. 'Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for
there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the
grave, whither thou goest'.
9:15. 'Now there was found in it a poor wise man'.
11:1. 'Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after
many days'.
12:10.
'The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words'.
Here we have something which it is not permitted to man to find out,
some things which may be found out by bitter experience, and some things
which man can legitimately find to do even in this present limited sphere.
We have included the reference in 9:15 for the sake of completeness.