Translation
Whatever
Go to footnote numberis, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it?
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
Everything about life is out of our reach and too deep for us to understand. Is there anyone who is capable of discovering all its truths?
Footnotes
1
The Hebrew only says “whatever,” and it leaves to speculation the rest of what is being discussed. It could mean “whatever happens, what is, whatever has come about in the past,” or something similar. It doesn’t really matter how you fill in that blank as long as it is general enough to point to everything in life, in history or in wisdom and truth.
2
Even though Solomon is willing to give many people advice about life and truth, he acknowledges that, in reality, these things are beyond all of us. This reality check he is sharing with others grows out of a reality check that he has been forced to go through in his own life.