Ecclesiastes 2:18-2:19

Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, 2013

This article examines Ecclesiastes 9:7–10, which contains the carpe diem motif in connection with the hebel theme of death and to explain how this text links to the message of Ecclesiastes, and thus teaches us how to live realistically "under the sun." After analyzing 9:7–10, it demonstrates how this text concatenates with the overall context of Ecclesiastes, including an examination of the antithetical nature of Ecclesiastes. The sage designs his work to reflect the paradoxes of life in a sin-cursed and fallen world. The nature of life "under the sun" hinders his search for meaning and purpose. Another facet of this placement focuses on how 9:7–10 functions in Ecclesiastes. After a brief synopsis of Qohelet's message, three explanation of this passage's function are summarized: the resignation, the celebration-of-life, and the culmination-in-celebrating-life views. This last view offers the best explanation since it shows how death in 9:1–12 provides a motivation for God's people to celebrate life as a gift of God.

The paper is intended to show the relevance of 12:13b-14 as the worthwhile purpose of life. Whilst its relevance should be nearest to Qoheleth and his audience, and those who share a similar culture and adhere to similar religious convictions, it is found that to be the case for humanity as a whole, even for those with no belief in God or knowledge of his commands.

2012

Any attempt to come to grips with 'the fear of the Lord' as a key concept for the interpretation of Old Testament wisdom, must appreciate that it is rooted in texts that presuppose an encounter with God that can cause a variety of responses: a feeling of horror or terror; as well as reverent awe that forms the basis of the pious veneration of the Lord in the form of obedience and praise. Although statistical analysis reveals a concentration of occurrences in Deuteronomy (and the so-called Deuteronomistic History), the Psalms and Wisdom literature, it does not presuppose a clear linear development. The theological interpretation of Old Testament wisdom literature must be aware of the ongoing creative tension between order (keeping the commandments) and mystery (fearing the Lord)-as summarized in the conclusion of the Book of Ecclesiastes (12:13).

CCAR Journal, 2020

In America in 2020, the fissures of income inequality are wider than ever before, and debates about poverty and wealth are equally broad. As in so many other realms of our social discourse, views have hardened into conservative and liberal stances. The publication of "The Sacred Exchange: Creating a Jewish Money Ethic" by the CCAR Press should spark a community-wide reflection about wealth and its influence over our Jewish communities. It should also elicit a return to Jewish sources to analyze the proper Jewish spiritual-ethical stance towards money and its role in our lives. This study, which focuses on the role of wealth, poverty, and their respective causes in the Book of Proverbs, is intended to be a modest contribution towards that conversation.

ETS Northeast Region Annual Meeting, 2014

A number of important books on Ecclesiastes have appeared in recent years, including works by Sneed, Barbour, Weeks, and Robinson. The first two of these began as doctoral dissertations (which usually means a fresh approach). Sneed contributes a thoroughly sociological interpretation of Ecclesiastes, following the theories of Max Weber. Sneed locates Qoheleth as one of the retainer class. He argues that Qoheleth used pessimism as a coping mechanism and survival strategy within the oppressive socio-historical context of Ptolemaic Judah. Barbour's approach is unique because she sees historical allusions in Ecclesiastes, although not in the obvious way that others have seen the presence of some historical situations. Her major contribution is the interpretation of Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 in terms of a city lament. The thesis of Weeks' book is that Ecclesiastes cannot properly be called skeptical. A more important contribution, however, is in his innovative interpretation of several passages, including the identification of rhetorical questions, which other interpreters had always taken as statements. Robinson has done a great service to Ecclesiastes scholarship in his translation and publication of Salmon ben Yeroham's medieval commentary of Ecclesiastes (written in Arabic, using Hebrew characters). The document was previously translated only into Hebrew (in an unpublished dissertation), and Robinson has also provided critical apparatus for most of the available manuscripts. My presentation will introduce and evaluate the new ideas in these four publications on Ecclesiastes. Bibliographical data: Mark R. Sneed, The Politics of Pessimism in Ecclesiastes: A Social-Science Perspective, Ancient Israel and its Literature. Atlanta, Ga.: Society of Biblical Literature, 2012. Reviewed by Stephen J. Bennett and Charles Awasu in Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 13 (2013). Available online at: http://jhsonline.org/reviews/reviews_new/review692.htm Jennie Barbour, The Story of Israel in the Book of Qohelet: Ecclesiastes as Cultural Memory, Oxford Theological Monographs. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. Reviewed by Stephen J. Bennett in Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 56/3 (2013) 603-605. Stuart Weeks, Ecclesiastes and Scepticism. LHBOTS 541. New York: T & T Clark International, 2012. Reviewed by Stephen J. Bennett in Vetus Testamentum 63/3 (2013) 510-512. Available online for subscribers at: http://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/content/10.1163/15685330-12340011 James T. Robinson, Asceticism, Eschatology, Opposition to Philosophy: The Arabic Translation and Commentary of Salmon ben Yeroham on Qohelet (Ecclesiastes).Études sur le Judaïsme Médiéval, Tome XLV. Karaite Texts and Studies, Volume 5. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2012. Reviewed by Stephen J. Bennett in Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 57/1 March, 2014 (anticipated).