The Words of the Wise Are like Goads: Engaging Qohelet in the 21st Century

Published by Penn State University Press 2013

The Words of the Wise Are like Goads

Engaging Qohelet in the 21st Century

Edited by: Mark J. Boda , Tremper Longman III and Cristian Rata

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781575066929

Overview
Contents

About this book

“Meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless.” The word “meaningless” (hebel) appears more than 40 times in the book of Ecclesiastes and raises the question why a book that appears to deny meaning or purpose is included in the Bible. Many questions of interpretation as well as relevance surround the book of Ecclesiastes, including indeed the proper translation and understanding of the word hebel. If, after all, the book does examine the question of the meaning of life, what could be more important?

The present volume explores Ecclesiastes/Qohelet on many different levels: linguistic, text-critical, theological, historical, and literary. The contributors, chosen from many of the leading and emerging experts on the book, present both the state of the field and their own assessment of the varied interpretive issues of Ecclesiastes. They include scholars, preachers, and philosophers. It should be helpful not only to scholars but also to all who want to study this book seriously.

The first section of this volume deals with the history of interpretation. The second section is concerned with issues of history, form, and rhetoric. Section three is about key concepts and passages. The fourth section focuses on the language and grammar of Qohelet. The last section engages practical issues of interpretation. The volume is designed to provide exposure to a variety of readers who seek to engage Qohelet in fresh ways in the twenty-first century—from historians of interpretation to biblical exegetes to linguists to theological students.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Part 1. Early History of Interpretation
Ecclesiastes in Premodern Reading: Before 1500 c.e. Eric S. Christianson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	3
Qohelet and the Rabbis Ruth Sandberg Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	37
Ecclesiastes and the Reformers Al Wolters Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	55
Sweet and Lawful Delights: Puritan Interpretations of Ecclesiastes Cristian G. Rata Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	69
Part 2. History, Form, and Rhetoric
Determining the Historical Context of Ecclesiastes Tremper Longman Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	89
The Book of Qohelet “Has the Smell of the Tomb about It”: Mortality in Qohelet and Hellenistic Skepticism Leo G. Perdue Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	103
Qohelet and Royal Autobiography Martin A. Shields Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	117
Framed! Structure in Ecclesiastes David J. H. Beldman Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	137
The Poetry of Qohelet John F. Hobbins Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	163
Part 3. Key Concepts and Passages
Epistemology in Ecclesiastes: Remembering What It Means to Be Human Ryan P. O’Dowd Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	195
“Riddled with Ambiguity”: Ecclesiastes 7:23–8:1 as an Example Doug Ingram Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	219
The Meaning of הבל in Qohelet: An Intertextual Suggestion Russell L. Meek Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	241
Speaking into the Silence: The Epilogue of Ecclesiastes Mark J. Boda Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	257
Part 4. Language and Grammar
The Grammar of שׁ and אשׁר in Qohelet Robert Holmstedt Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	283
The Verb in Qohelet John A. Cook Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	309
“Aramaisms” in Qohelet: Methodological Problems in Identification and Interpretation Eva Mroczek Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	343
Part 5. Interpreting Qohelet
The Theology of Ecclesiastes Craig G. Bartholomew Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	367
Ecclesiastes and the Canon Stephen G. Dempster Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	387
Fresh Perspectives on Ecclesiastes: “Qohelet for Today” Iain Provan Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	401
Preaching Qohelet Daniel C. Fredericks Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	417
Solomon’s Sexual Wisdom: Qohelet and the Song of Songs in the Postmodern Condition Peter J. Leithart Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	443
Works Cited Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	461
Index of Authors Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	491
Index of Scripture Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	499
Index of Other Ancient Sources Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	513

Language: English
Publisher: Penn State University Press
Pages
- Main content: 528

eBook

Published: March 19, 2013
ISBN: 9781575066929