Jerome — on Eccl 1:14 (Commentary on Ecclesiastes)

“"I have seen all the deeds done underneath the sun, and behold all is futile and a vexation of the spirit." We are compelled here by necessity to examine the Hebrew words more closely than we wish. It is also not possible to know the real meaning of the text, unless we learn it through studying the original Hebrew words. Aquila and Theodotion translate "routh "as the Greek "nomen", Symmachus has "boskesin". The Septuagint does not express the Hebrew meaning, but the Syriac, as shown in the Greek word "proairesin". Therefore either "nome", or "boskesis", is the noun coming from "vexation." "Proairesis "sounds more like 'will' than 'vexation'. Every single man however is said to do what he "wishes", and what seems right to him; and men are borne with different dispositions (i.e. good and wicked) of their own free will. And all things under the sun are vain, when we displease each other by doing what is the greatest good and greatest evil. A Hebrew, who was instructing me as I read the Holy Scriptures, said to me that above the word "routh" was written ""it means rather suffering and wickedness in this place than vexation and will"", and the meaning does not come from the evil which is contrary to good, but from that which is written in the Gospel: ""Sufficient to the day is its wickedness."" [Matth. 6, 34.] The Greeks call this more significantly "kakouchian", so the verse essentially means: "I have considered all things, which are done in the world, and I discovered nothing except vanity and wickedness, that is distress of the soul, by which the spirit is afflicted in contrary thoughts.”