Book of Ecclesiastes

This paper re-examines the relation between the Gilgamesh tradition and Qohelet. It presents formerly recognized analogies between the two texts, along with a newly identified parallel. Analysis of the data indicates that Gilgamesh is the only currently known ancient text that can be considered
a direct literary source of Qohelet. The paper then discusses the nature of the Gilgamesh epic used by Qohelet's author. It shows that this version is not identical with any Gilgamesh recension known to us. Consequently, an attempt is made to describe this unique Gilgamesh version, and to locate it within Qohelet’s historical and intellectual context.

The historical-critical method that characterizes academic biblical studies remains often separate from approaches that stress the history of interpretation, which are employed most frequently in the area of Second Temple or Dead Sea Scrolls research.  This paper examines a test-case where the two methods mutually reinforce one another.  The law of vows in Deuteronomy 23:22-24 is difficult both in its syntax and in its legal content.  The difficulty is resolved once it is recognized that the law contains a previously unrecognized interpolation that disrupts the original coherence of the law.  However, once that interpolation was added and became accepted as part of the textual tradition, it created a “ripple effect” whereby Second Temple readers were forced to resolve the disruption in order to make sense of the text’s content and syntax.  The divergent reformulations of the law by Qoheleth 5:4–7, on the one hand, and 11QTemple 53:11–14, on the other, suggest that each of these independent witnesses sensed the textual disruption and sought to compensate for it.  The fact that each did so in a different way, while seeming to respond to the same textual “trigger,” appears to confirm the hypothesis of the interpolation.  In that way, the history of interpretation offers a window into the composition history of Deuteronomy’s law of vows.

Keywords
law of vows; intertextuality; inner-biblical exegesis; linguistic updating; protasis; conditional clauses; interpolation; Deut 23:22–24; Qoh 5:4–7; Eccl 5:4-7; 11QTemple 53:11–14; Temple Scroll; Numbers 30, Sipre Deuteronomy; Sifre; Matthew 5:33-37

The consensus that Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job are the primary members of a 'Wisdom' collection is nearly universal, though the category's origin is unknown and its definition debated. This article identifies that origin and argues that it has caused that continuing debate. Wisdom was not born in early Jewish and Christian interpretation, as some suggest, but in nineteenth-century Germany to make the Old Testament palatable to its 'cultured despisers'. The uncritical acceptance of the category perpetuates the presuppositions that inspired it, which continue to plague its interpretation. Now, as the category's vital weaknesses are increasingly recognized, the time has come to declare Wisdom Literature dead and replace it with a new approach to genre that reads texts, not in exclusive categories, but in multiple overlapping groupings. This will offer a more nuanced understanding of the so-called Wisdom texts' place in the intricate intertextual network of the canon and beyond. It will free Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job, as well as the Israelite concept of wisdom to be interpreted more independently, beyond their connections with one another, and thus more fully and accurately.

The last decade has witnessed a lively scholarly debate regarding the diachrony of biblical Hebrew and the validity of the differentiation between CBH and LBH. Lately, two of the prominent challengers of the traditional views have criticised the diachronic school from a new perspective, arguing against the use of the Masoretic Text as a basis for the linguistic discussion. This paper seeks to establish the validity of the Masoretic Text as a basis for diachronic linguistic analysis from the angle of Tiberian vocalisation. Three case studies from the Book of Qoheleth are examined, each involving an LBH component whose existence in the text is revealed to us only through Masoretic vocalisation. The case studies include the assimilation of third aleph with third he participles; the use of the abstract nominal pattern qitlôn; and the feminine demonstrative ‫ֹז‬ ‫.ה‬ The case studies show that the Masoretes had preserved the difference between CBH and LBH pronunciations, although they were probably unaware of the historical nature of these different pronunciations and of their diachronic dimension. These findings testify to a strong and stable oral Masoretic tradition which accompanied the written one. Both were transmitted for many centuries, and they were, in many cases, precise to the extant they could reflect dialectological differences within Biblical Hebrew. The paper concludes with a comment regarding Masoretic anachronisms and their place in the overall picture of Masoretic traditions.

The following syllabus was used for an upper-level course on the Hebrew Bible at UC-Santa Barbara in the spring of 2017. The title (and level) suggested something other than an introduction, but since this is the only course in the catalog dedicated to the Hebrew Bible, I still had to assume little to no knowledge of biblical scholarship and the historical-critical method, and in many cases, even no familiarity with the Hebrew Bible at all. I decided that I will keep this in mind in my choice of texts, but at the same time change the focus from an introduction to aspects of " literature " and " religion " as the title anticipates.

Die vorliegende Sammlung zahlreicher Beiträge aus ganz unterschiedlichen Gebieten des Alten Testaments verdeutlicht die enorme Quelle der Inspiration, zu welcher Hendrik Koorevaar über viele Jahre für seine Schüler und Freunde geworden ist. Orientiert ist der Titel »Das heilige Herz der Tora« an einem Aufsatz, den Hendrik Koorevaar in einem Themenbuch zur Theologie des Alten Testaments im Jahr 2007 veröffentlicht hat. 

Content:

ERSTER TEIL – HISTORIE UND HERMENEUTIK

Herbert H. Klement
Narrative Historie und Identität des Gottesvolkes: Zur Bedeutung von Geschichte und Geschichten im Alten Testament 3

Carsten Vang
Deuteronomy and the Notion of Exile 23

Walter Gisin
Adam, Eva und die Jakobsfamilie in Hosea 6,7-11a 41

G. W. Lorein
Dealing with Scripture and Circumstances in Nehemiah 9-10 61

Kristofer D. Holroyd
Multiple Speech Act Layers, Jeremiah, and the Future of Studies in
Structural Theology 79

ZWEITER TEIL – KANON UND STRUKTUR

Benjamin Kilchör
Zur literarischen und theologischen Funktion der An- und Absageformeln in den Pentateuchgesetzen 97

Raymond R. Hausoul
Leviticus 25-27 in de metafysische grootheid Exodus-Leviticus-Numeri 121

Gunnar Begerau
Strukturelle und inhaltlich-theologische Verbindungen der Ketuvim in der Anordnung der BHS 135

Walter Hilbrands
Die Bedeutung der Struktur und Integrität des Predigerbuches für dessen Theologie 153

Julius Steinberg
Das Hohelied – ein integrativer Ansatz 167

Hans van Nes
Traces of A Three Part Canon underlying 1 Peter 183

DRITTER TEIL – THEOLOGIE UND ETHIK

Jan L. Verbruggen
The History of Interpretation of Exodus 21:22-25 201

Eveline van Staalduine-Sulman
Impurity 237

Pieter A. Siebesma
Het boek Jona in de uitleg van de Middeleeuwse Joodse exegeten 257

W. Creighton Marlowe
Righteous People in Proverbs 267

Mart-Jan Paul
The Translation of Hebel in Ecclesiastes 285

Gie Vleugels
The Destruction of the Second Temple  in the Odes of Solomon 303

Patrick Nullens
Value Personalism as a Lens to Read the Ten Commandments 311

Siegbert Riecker
Altes Testament und allgemeingültige Ethik: Plädoyer für ein
Second Quest nach den Noachidischen Geboten 325

Key words:

Altes Testament; Historie; Hermeneutik; Kanon; Theologie; Ethik; Deuteronomium; Speech Act Theory; Kohelet; Abtreibung; Pentateuch; Ketuvim; Hoheslied; Hosea 6; Nehemia 9-10; Oden Salomos; 1. Petrus; Jona; Impurity; Noachitische Gebote.

This paper argues for the presence of three distinct voices in Ecclesiastes: Qfn, Qs, and Qp. Qfn is the Frame-Narrator. Speaking in the third person, he introduces and concludes the skeptic’s words and worldview via proverbial reflections. His trademark phrases are “vanity of vanities” and “says the Preacher.” Qs is the voice of Qoheleth taking on the persona of Solomon. Speaking in the first person, he is Qoheleth’s foil, the skeptic whose views will ultimately be defeated by Qp, the Preacher. If even Solomon, the richest and wisest man in ancient Israel, could find life meaningless, how much more would that be the case for the hoi polloi? Despite the futility of Solomon’s endeavors, Qp teaches his students to fear God, keep his commandments, and consider the works of God, because “God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (12:14).

DeRouchie is convinced that Qoheleth is a realist and godly sage, whose message provides clarity and hope in the midst of this beautiful but crooked world. In this essay, DeRouchie argues that "enigma" best captures the meaning of the key term HEBEL in Ecclesiastes, and one support is found in the repeated phrase "a shepherding of wind." Grasping all God's purposes in this world is like trying to shepherd wind––impossible. Yet we must fear the "one Shepherd" who is overseeing all things well and who will provide and protect us through this crooked world unto life beyond death.

Course Description

This course is intended to be a verse-by-verse exegetical study of the book of Ecclesiastes with a view to: 1) properly translating and evaluating the text grammatically from the original language, 2) properly interpreting the basic meaning, as well as the theological and practical significance of the text, and 3) preparing the student to engage in a personal expository series from the text.  The course will further refine skills covered in Hebrew Exegetical Methodology, including:

• Principles of translation
• Syntactical analysis—Hebrew grammar and syntax
• Structural analysis
• Textual analysis—OT textual criticism
• Lexical analysis—Hebrew philology, semantics, and lexicography
• Literary analysis—OT literary devices, structures and forms
• Ancient near eastern (hereafter, ANE) backgrounds
        (historical/political, social/cultural, geographical)
• Evaluation of OT commentaries
• Exposition

Leave behind your selfish desires and pursue wisdom through faith in God - Ecclesiastes 7:15-29

The independent search for the wisdom is futile because humanity selfishly pursues its desires; however, God made mankind upright and will restore wisdom beginning with fear of God.

Second Baruch is a Jewish apocalypse written in the wake of the Roman sacking of the Jerusalem temple. This essay examines how deliberately Second Baruch uses the biblical sapiential tradition and closely connects it with the apocalyptic tradition in Daniel. Particularly, Second Baruch eschatologizes the idea of elusive wisdom in Job 28 against the backdrop of the apocalyptic concept of two-group in Daniel 11-12. To deal with the theological crisis Judaism behind Second Baruch faced, Second Baruch integrates the sacred past that Scripture enshrined with the apocalyptic future that Second Baruch advocates.

Is the book of Ecclesiastes the introspections of a confused, pessimistic, cynical, aged man teetering on the brink of madness, or is this discourse the rational, sage advice of a realist akin to the preacher previously mentioned? Should it be read, taught, and preached or should it be relegated to the scrapheap of literature that an educated, evolved, and post-modern society deems no longer relevant or useful for them today? Is the book even relevant for a modern, civilized humanity and does it share with mankind today any lasting benefit, especially for the Christian? Does Ecclesiastes press the reader to ensure that “their feet have landed in the real world?”

There has been no general agreement among scholars about the argument of the book of
Ecclesiastes. There are several interpretive paradigms for handling tension in the book. Many
scholars think the book does not affirm afterlife or a divine judgment in it. This dissertation studies
what the book teaches about divine judgment and how it contributes to the argument of the book.
The argument of the book is evaluated by studying key lexemes and their usage. Key passages
discussing divine judgment are exegeted to determine what the book teaches about divine judgment
and how that relates to the argument of the book. The teaching on divine judgment is placed in the
context of the canon. Finally, homiletic implications of the study are discussed.
This study concludes that the book of Ecclesiastes argues that no permanent profit is possible in this
life. This makes all work futile with respect to the goal of securing permanent profit. This futility is
discussed using the key word
הבל
'futility', which is used as an antonym of
יתרון
'profit' and with a
singular meaning whenever used in reference to the summary “all is futile”. This futility is used to
argue for valuing joy instead of living an achievement-centered life. The book of Ecclesiastes
teaches a personal divine judgment of all deeds in the afterlife in the epilogue and probably in the
body of the work. In the area of divine judgment, tensions in the book are to be solved by reading
the book harmonistically. There is a possible allusion to the Egyptian view of afterlife in
Ecclesiastes 3:21. The theme of divine judgment is used to address lack of justice in this life, as a
basis for revering God, and to guide the pursuit of joy. The teaching on divine judgment is in
agreement with the rest of the canon.
The use of the key word
הבל
'futility' argues for a unified meaning, but such a meaning has been
elusive. I present a novel solution to the lexical dilemma. While the idea that
הבל
means 'futility' is
not novel, this study shows that the futility is specifically in relationship to an attempt to secure
permanent profit. The minority view that Qohelet consistently affirmed a conscious afterlife and a
divine judgment in it has significant ramifications for understanding the book and for Old testament
biblical theology. The view that this is a plausible interpretation of the book is supported by new
arguments.

This article is a philosophical re-examination of Ecclesiastes using the work of Martin Heidegger, particularly his early work in Being and Time. Heidegger's focus on death, temporality, and history provides a powerful and compelling framework for understanding these same themes in Ecclesiastes. In elaborating these philosophical motifs and correspondences, this article proposes that ‭לכה‬ should be understood as an analog to Heidegger's concept of Geschichtlichkeit (historicity). If ‭לכה‬ is understood as such, then most of the traditionally puzzling terms in Ecclesiastes (e.g. ‭םלעה‬, ‭למע‬, ‭החמש‬) can be made sense of using the aforementioned philosophical framework. This framework additionally shows that Ecclesiastes (like Being and Time) cannot be understood as a proto-existentialist text.

The meaning of הֶבֶל is a crux interpretum for the book of Ecclesiastes. Notwithstanding some variation, Jerome’s vanitas reading of הֶבֶל in Ecclesiastes dominated scholarship for several centuries. Since the rise of modern biblical scholarship, הֶבֶל as ‘vanity’ has been largely rejected; however, little consensus has been reached regarding the word’s meaning. The result has been a rich history of interpretation as scholars develop various suggestions for how הֶבֶל should be understood in Ecclesiastes. This essay briefly sketches the history of interpretation of הֶבֶל, then surveys proposals for the meaning of הֶבֶל in Ecclesiastes during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

This work examines how the book Ecclesiastes is situated in its traditional and historical context. Specific research concerning the traditional background is based on the wisdom literature of the Old Testament while the Hellenistic Age provides the historical frame. The main topics are: How did the Hellenistic Period affect the book of Ecclesiastes, which is written in the third century B.C.? How did the author interpret his own traditions in this historical context? Are there similar thoughts in the theology of Ecclesiastes and the Hellenistic philosophy? To answer these questions the paper provides a comparison of the main theological thoughts in the book of Ecclesiastes with texts from the wisdom literature and the Hellenistic philosophy.

Faith of Ecclesiastes is put to a severe trial - as the faith of Abraham, Moses and Job. Koheleth has nothing to support his faith: he has no experience of God's love and God's closeness, he has no evidence for God acting for the benefit of man. Finally, he has no hope of any reward for good, wise and godly life. This is a test of faith - perhaps the most difficult in the history of the characters of the Bible. We all have times when emptiness and meaninglessness seem absolute. Then the voice of Qoheleth speaks our pain and offers us the consolation of companionship, if not of explanation.

The book of Ecclesiastes (here 'Qohelet'), like many other books of the Hebrew Bible, is often discussed with reference to its supposed 'ethics'. Within biblical scholarship, such research is often characterized by a metalanguage filled with philosophically vague and fuzzy descriptive jargon, largely bereft of technical distinctions and nuance. One possible reason for this state of affairs may be the fact that Qohelet's assumptions about the nature of morality have never been studied against the backdrop of issues and theories in contemporary analytic meta-ethics. In response to this gap in the research, and with proposals for conceptual refinement in mind, this article offers the first ever meta-theoretical introduction to some of the semantic, ontological, epistemological and other related meta-ethical concerns and categories which may be of use in future analyses of the foundations of Qohelet's 'ethics'.

Attending to ongoing debates about the "meaning of life" in Ecclesiastes, this article determines how Qoheleth addressed meaningfulness by drawing on a threefold scheme of definitions for life's meaning. These definitions are derived from psychological research and used to argue that all three conceptions appear within the book of Ecclesiastes. Qoheleth was primarily concerned with life's "coherence," which depends on predictable and reliable patterns in life that render it sensible, yet he also addressed life's "purpose" and "significance." While primarily determining how these three forms of meaning, along with their attendant ideas, are handled within Ecclesiastes itself, this article also demonstrates how resources from psychological research help to resolve debates among biblical interpreters, who agree far more than it at first appears once clearer definitions of "meaning" are employed.

This study explores the timeliness of the book of Qohelet in Christian Apologetics. It follows a methodology of close reading in Qohelet conducted within the conceptual frame of Charles Taylor’s Secular Social Imaginary. This is an interdisciplinary study including biblical theology, rhetorical analysis, and Christian apologetics. These come together to show both how humanism provides an invalid construction for meaning and how Qohelet destroys all meaning-making undertaken apart from God. Subsequent apologetic cues from this comparison will be discussed. All this is done to chase readers to the present and eternal meaning found only in Christ.