Ecc 6:12 | NETfull | STEP | For no one knows what is best for a person during his life – during the few days of his fleeting life – for they pass away like a shadow. Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth.

Ecclesiastes 6:12

12 For no one knows what is best for a person during his life ^{▼▼ Heb “For who knows what is good for a man in life?” The rhetorical question (“For who knows…?”) is a negative affirmation, expecting a negative answer: “For no one knows…!” (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949–51). The translation renders this rhetorical device as a positive affirmation.} –
during the few days of his fleeting life –
for ^{▼▼ The vav prefixed to וְיַעֲשֵׂם (v^eya’asem, conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from עָשַׂה, ’asah, “to do” + 3rd person masculine plural suffix) functions in an explanatory or epexegetical sense (“For …”).} they pass away ^{▼▼ The 3rd person masculine plural suffix on the verb וְיַעֲשֵׂם (v^eya’asem, conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from ָָעשַׂה, ’asah, “to do” + 3rd person masculine plural suffix) refers to מִסְפַּר יְמֵי־חַיֵּי הֶבְלוֹ (mispar y^eme-khayye hevlo, “the few days of his fleeting life”). The suffix may be taken as an objective genitive: “he spends them [i.e., the days of his life] like a shadow” (HALOT 891 s.v. I ָָעשַׂה 8) or as a subjective genitive: “they [i.e., the days of his life] pass like a shadow” (BDB 795 s.v. ָָעשַׂה II.11).} like a shadow.
Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth. ^{▼▼ Heb “Who can tell the man what shall be after him under the sun?” The rhetorical question (“For who can tell him…?”) is a negative affirmation, expecting a negative answer: “For no one can tell him…!” (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949–51). The translation renders this rhetorical device as a positive affirmation.}