Charles Ellicott Commentary Ecclesiastes 2:16

"For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool!" — Ecclesiastes 2:16 (ASV)

It might be argued in favor of Solomonic authorship that Solomon himself might imagine that in future days he and his wisdom would be forgotten, but such a thought is not fitting for a much later writer who was led by Solomon’s reputation for wisdom to make him the hero of his work. It seems to follow, then, that the writer is here only recounting Solomon’s reflections, and not his ultimate conclusions. It would be better to omit the question mark after “wise man” and put an exclamation point after “fool,” the “how” being used as it is in Isaiah 14:4; Ezekiel 26:17.