The Most Existential Book in the Bible
Part 2, Hebel as "Fleeting"
I mentioned yesterday that most Bible translations do not translate the Hebrew word hebel literally in the book of Ecclesiastes, as "mist" or "vapor." Such a translation would highlight the fleeting and transitory nature of life. Rather, most Bible translations translate hebel as "vanity" or "meaninglessness."
One translation that does attempt to stick to a more literal translation of hebel is The Voice. Throughout Ecclesiastes, The Voice consistently translates hebel as "fleeting."
To get a feel for how that translation might change a reading of Ecclesiastes, years ago I made for my Bible class a table comparing the NIV with The Voice listing every passage containing hebel in Ecclesiastes. That table is below in a PDF:
Apparently the Hebrew word is related to the name Abel. I read someone's blog post tying this to the idea of unfairness and watching your enemies get the benefits you deserve.
This isn't that article but it's a starting point:
https://twitter.com/joelwlynn/status/1386381257395916801?t=EvGpFZSxvkB1yNX2MQkiPw&s=19
The relatively new NET version translates hebel as “futile” but then has a very long and informative note at the end of 1:2. Worth checking out.