Book of Ecclesiastes

This paper examines Jeremiah 2:7 through the lens of contemporary African ecotheology, exploring its implications for environmental stewardship and sustainable resource management in Africa. Employing historical-grammatical exegesis, the study analyses the verse's historical and literary context within the book of Jeremiah. An analysis of key Hebrew terms and rhetorical structure reveals the theological underpinnings of land stewardship and environmental care. The paper then applies these insights to the African context, utilizing a comparative approach to draw parallels between ancient Israel's environmental challenges and those facing modern Africa. An African ecological hermeneutic is developed, integrating biblical exegesis with traditional African worldviews and ecological knowledge. This interdisciplinary approach yields a culturally resonant framework for addressing current environmental issues. The study discovers that Jer 2:7 offers a theocentric model of environmental stewardship that aligns with many African traditional concepts of land and nature.

journals.sagepub.com/home/ext 1 This essay, in order to avoid confusion, shall use the word 'Ecclesiastes' to refer to the biblical book and the word 'Kohelet' to refer to its author. This essay shall also presume that Kohelet was a male, which-despite the feminine suffix to his nom de plume-was almost certainly the case.

How do faith and philosophy relate? For the purpose of this paper, faith is pistis, or loyal, obedient belief in God and His word. This paper will loosely follow the outline of books for this course in discussing the relationship between faith and philosophy. Accordingly, we should ask: what is philosophy? Clement of Alexandria states: “For truly it appears to me to be a proper point for discussion, Whether we ought to philosophize: for its terms are consistent. But if we are not to philosophize, what then? (For no one can condemn a thing without first knowing it): the consequence, even in that case, is that we must philosophize.”

La literatura sapiencial es uno de los principales vehículos de transmisión de la sabiduría moral y práctica, que aborda los principios de la vida que guían al individuo en su camino existencial. El libro de los Proverbios representa un ejemplo significativo de esta sabiduría, destacando por su lenguaje conciso y directo 1. Sin embargo, al analizar los proverbios surgen aparentes contradicciones, tanto internamente como en relación con otros textos sapienciales, como el Libro de los Cantares, el Eclesiastés, los Salmos y Job. Tales contradicciones sirven de argumento para aquellos que no atribuyen la inspiración divina al conjunto de textos sapienciales. Este artículo trata de explorar estas tensiones, contextualizándolas y analizando sus posibles explicaciones. Metodología

Schon immer stellen sich Menschen die Frage: Was ist der Sinn des Lebens? Manchmal scheint alles sinnlos und vergeblich zu sein. Das Buch Prediger thematisiert diese Lebenserfahrung. Es fragt, wie ein Leben gelingen kann, obwohl vieles unverständlich bleibt. Ein Buch, das zeigt, wie man weise in einer Welt voller Ungewissheiten leben kann.

"On Toil and Creation and What Lies Between Them"
Dr. Nurit Jacobs Cederboum

This article explores the motivations behind creative work, particularly writing and poetry, beginning with the question, "For whom do I toil?". The author, Dr. Nurit Jacobs Cederboum, uses this question, which arose during a panel discussion, as a starting point to delve into the philosophical, psychological, and personal dimensions of the creative process.
The Paradox of Ecclesiastes and the Burden of "Toil"
The article opens by examining the biblical verse from Ecclesiastes 12:12, "of making many books there is no end," a statement that seems to discourage literary creation. Cederboum analyzes this paradoxical warning, coming from a book within the Bible itself, through the lens of various commentators like Rashi and Ibn Ezra, as well as philosophical and academic perspectives. These interpretations suggest the verse could be a warning against the futile pursuit of infinite knowledge, a critique of non-canonical texts, or an acknowledgment of the limits of human reason which in its biblical context carries negative connotations of suffering, unrewarded hardship, and meaningless effort. She proposes reframing the discussion away from "toil" and toward "creation"' יצירה), yetzira ') viewing it not as a burden but as an intrinsic process of birthing something new, driven by an inner need. The question thus transforms from "For whom do I toil?" to "Why do I create? "..
The author then shifts focus to the word "toil", עמל )  amal (   
The Creator's Need for Recognition
The article acknowledges the deep human need for an audience. From a psychological standpoint, drawing on the theories of Heinz Kohut and D.W. Winnicott, the author explains that creators need 'recognition and mirroring'. The audience-even a small one-acts as a "self-object" that affirms the artist's sense of value and existence. Without this external validation, the creative act can lead to feelings of emptiness or self-doubt.
Sociologically, the world of poetry is often a "subculture" where, as theorist Pierre Bourdieu noted, recognition from peers can be more significant than mass appeal. Historically, many great artists like Kafka were not recognized until after their deaths, suggesting that immediate popularity is not a measure of a work's value.
The Existential Drive to Create
The article posits that the most profound motivation for creation is existential. Drawing on philosophers like 'Sartre, Frankl, and Camus', Cederboum argues that creating is an act of defining one's own meaning in an often absurd world.
'For Sartre' - the choice to write is an act of freedom and self-realization.
'For Frankl'-  it is a manifestation of the human "will to meaning".
'For Camus' - art is a form of rebellion against the absurd, an assertion of existence even if the act itself seems "useless".
In this view, the creative act is its own reward, making the size of the audience a secondary concern.

The Journey Over the Destination: Creation as "The Way"
Cederboum presents her central thesis and personal philosophy: 'the ultimate purpose of creation lies in the process itself—"the way"  - הדרך), haderech) not in the final product. The goal is to be immersed in the journey of discovery, a state she links to the psychological concept of 'flow', where one is fully absorbed in an activity and loses sense of time and self.

She powerfully illustrates this idea with Constantine Cavafy's poem "Ithaka," where the long, adventurous journey is more valuable than reaching the destination. The final product - book or an exhibition- is merely the "evidence" or the "footprints" left behind by this vital process.

Why Publish? From Personal Act to Cultural Contribution
If the process is paramount, why share the work at all? The author argues that publishing transforms a personal act into a public and cultural one. By sharing their intimate creations, artists contribute to a collective dialogue, articulate feelings that others may share and offer new language for human experience. This creates a reciprocal relationship where the audience can also find recognition in the artist's work.

Conclusion
The article concludes that the question "Why create?" is not an obstacle but the very engine of the creative process - a central theme of 'ars poetica' (poetry about poetry). The author describes her own artistic method of deconstructing and recycling old works into new ones, embodying the idea of an infinite, ever-evolving creative cycle where the process is never truly finished. Ultimately, creation is a continuous journey of becoming, where the act of questioning and searching is what gives the journey its profound meaning.

Hermann Hesse, der "Literat der Krise", hat in seinen Romanen seine eigenen persönlichen Krisenerfahrungen ebenso wie die kisenhaften Umbrüche seiner Zeit verarbeitet und mit dem Konzept des Weisen aus der indischen und chinesischen Weisheit, der im Einverständnis mit der Einheit aller Gegensätze lebt und stirbt, beantwortet. Auch die jüngere biblische Weisheitsliteratur (Koh, Sir, Weish) reflektiert die Krisis, durch die sie hindurchgeht, indem sie die Gegensätze des Lebens durcharbeitet, an denen tradierte Weisheitslehren fraglich werden. Während Kohelet in Relativierungsketten mit Hilfe polarer Strukturen zu einer letzten Alternative Windhauch vs. Glück kommt und das Glück als von Gott geschenkten Anteil am Leben empfiehlt (carpe diem), entwickelt Ben Sira die alttestamentliche Außenseiterposition von der gottgewollten polaren Einheit der Gegensätze in der Schöpfung.

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words. 4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the One you must fear. [English Standard Version] Of this passage Derek Kidner writes, the Preacher's "tone is quiet, though his words are razorsharp." He's absolutely right and remarkably, that is just how our worship is to be -calm and 1 peaceful but weighty and piercing. This is a particularly somber passage; it could be counted among the most sober and heavy passages within all of Scripture. The reason for such solemnity -a solemnity we see again at the end of the book -is because here the Preacher (Qoheleth) addresses how we are to come to God in worship. The worship of God is the reason for our salvation and the center of our life in Christ. For those reasons we should expect such soberness and weight attached to the subject of worship. These seven verses are the center of Ecclesiastes; they are integral to the book. As the centering 2 hinge of the book, the conclusion in ch. 12 is an expansion of the main exhortation here -to fear God. 3

The article deals with an aphorism from the Book of the Proverbs of Solomon (chapter 20, verse 5). This aphorism is unique in that it has no direct parallels either in the Book of Proverbs or in the Holy Scripture as a whole. Besides, neither the Masoretic text nor the Septuagint point clearly to what is to be done with the «counsel» in question -should it be gotten rid of or should it be implemented? The saying also lacks any clear indication as to the content of the «counsel»is it good or evil? An inquiry into these questions constitutes the subject of the present article. In order to answer the questions posed, the authors make use of text-critical analysis, of internal scriptural parallels as well as of ecclesiastical exegesis. The comparison of the «counsel» with deep water made by the author of the book is quite rare in the old Testament; there is only one aphoristic parallel to the text under scrutiny -this is the saying in Proverbs 18, 4. The research conducted by the authors shows that, according to the ecclesiastical exegesis (origen, St Ambrose of Milan, the Sayings of the Fathers of the Desert), the analogy drawn by the biblical author of a man's heart to deep water points to his spiritual maturity and to his experience in the knowledge of God, while the drawing out of the water is symbolically understood by the tradition of the Church as repentance. The authors of the article hypothesize that the spiritual science of differentiating the thoughts was born in the didactic Wisdom literature of the ancient Israel many centuries before the emergence of the Christian asceticism.

In a 1967 issue of Science, Lynn White claimed that "[e]specially in its Western form, Christianity is the most anthropocentric religion the world has ever seen… [and] not only established a dualism of man and nature but also insisted that it is God's will that man exploit nature for his proper ends." White and many others have regarded such a subject-object relationship to nature as the teaching of the Old Testament itself, especially in its account of Adam being created in God's image, ostensibly to bring nature into submission. This worldview of subjugating an unruly Other (both people and resources) would become the pseudo-biblical rationale for wars of conquest by Christendom's empires. By contrast, Bishop Desmond Tutu is prominent among non-western thinkers who hold that the imago Dei in humanity stands opposed to every form of colonial domination of the Other. Tutu also extends his signature notion of Ubuntu (human interdependence) to include the entire created order within "Eco Ubuntu." Since the Old Testament has thus featured in both (more) western narratives of unfettered domination over nature as well as (more) non-western narratives of creation stewardship, it is essential to adjudicate between these religio-cultural clashes in interpretation during the Anthropocene by revisiting the witness of the Bible's creation texts. In showing that holism characterises the most recent creation theologies, this study will also examine recent uses of the Old Testament in the rather disparate arguments of advocates of subsistence economics, sceptics of global warming, and climate apocalypticists.

על תרומתה של ספרות המזרח הקדום, ובכללה ספרות מסופוטמיה, מצרים ואוגרית לחקר המקרא ולהבנתו – דומה שאין חולק. לפיכך צמצום מקומו של העיון המשווה בין הטקסטים המקראיים לטקסטים מהתרבויות הקדומות – בתוכנית הלימודים החדשה (תשע”ט) – מעורר תמיהה. העיון המשווה הוא כלי שחשיבותו ללימוד רבה. לימוד התנ”ך בלעדיו או כמעט בלעדיו, בהכרח יהיה חסר. החוסר יבוא לידי ביטוי בשני היבטים: (1) בהיבט העיוני־פרשני – בעת העתיקה, התרבות הישראלית הקדומה הייתה חלק ממרחב היסטורי־גאוגרפי ותרבותי אחד שבו עמים שונים קיימו ביניהם קשרים מגוונים. ללא ההשוואה של המקרא לספרות עמי קדם, קשה יהיה להגיע להבנה מעמיקה של המקרא כיצירתו התרבותית־הרוחנית הקדומה של עם ישראל; (2) בהיבט הפדגוגי־דידקטי – התבוננות בתרבויות הזרות והמרוחקות מעולמו של הלומד ועמידה על הזיקות ביניהן ובין המקרא מעודדות לחשיבה רחבה, השוואתית וביקורתית, ובהיעדרן – יצומצמו בהכרח ממדי חשיבה אלו בלמידה. מאמר זה דן בחשיבות הלימוד של טקסטים מקראיים מתוך הסתייעות בעיון משווה בינם ובין טקסטים מקבילים מספרות המזרח הקדום – בהוראת המקרא בחטיבות הביניים ובחטיבה העליונה בבתי הספר הממלכתיים. להמחשת הרעיונות ולהבהרתם הסתייענו בסוגיות מספר שמואל.

James’s use of Old Testament wisdom has long been recognized.  Nearly twenty-five years ago, Richard Bauckham concluded that James adopts Jewish wisdom themes and language as refracted through Jesus, the ultimate sage and teacher. While acknowledging James’s close connection to Jesus’ teaching, in the following essay I argue that James relies more directly on OT wisdom than is often recognized. In developing this connection, I contend that James refers intertextually to all three books of the OT wisdom corpus. In addition, James’s dependence on OT wisdom is not restricted to literary citation, allusion, and echo but incorporates a wisdom approach characterized by wisdom style, wisdom modes of thought, and wisdom instruction, all grounded in antecedent biblical wisdom

Este texto exhaustivo examina los Libros bíblicos de Proverbios, Eclesiastés y Sabiduría, ofreciendo un análisis comparativo con la sabiduría popular y refranes de diversas culturas como la española, china, japonesa, india y árabe. Se profundiza en temas universales como la humildad, la diligencia, la justicia y la gestión emocional, explorando sus conexiones con la psicología (positiva y social cognitiva) y el interaccionismo simbólico.

Ecclesiastes only features once every three years in the Lectionary followed by the Church of England. So I took the opportunity on this Sunday in August 2025 to offer a sermon on the book as a whole, also drawing in some concluding comments on the Gospel for the day, Luke 12:13-21.

Ayn Rand u svojoj knjizi "Umjetnost publicistike" sastavlja šesnaest predavanja s kraja 1960-ih, nudeći neprocjenjive smjernice ambicioznim piscima. Rand predstavlja publicistiku kao vještinu koju je moguće savladati, vodeći čitatelje kroz proces pisanja, od odabira teme do usavršavanja stila. Istražuje psihološke aspekte pisanja, ulogu svjesnog uma te nudi tehnike za teorijski i novinarski rad. Ova zbirka predstavlja Randine trajne uvide novoj generaciji.

Free download. Unpublished. Philosophy research in the form of a one page poem. The view is perfectly in tune with my theory of value continuums in my book _Metaphysical Ecumenicism_ (2025), also a free download on Academia. The theory is that for any two possibly conflicting finite in re values, there are infinitely many logically possible situations in which the one value applies, infinitely many in which the other value applies, and infinitely many in which neither value clearly or determinately applies. The poem is modeled after the famous passage in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes.

Translation of “Die historisch-kritische Methode
und der historisch-kanonische Ansatz.”
In: Walter Hilbrands and Hendrik J. Koorevaar (eds.),
Einleitung in das Alte Testament. Ein historisch-kanonischer Ansatz.
Gießen: Brunnen, 2023, 71-82.

There is a discussion about the genre labels of Ecclesiastes and some authors consider that the message of the Book is "anti-apocalyptic" (J. N. Douglas 2011). Quotations from the Old Testament Book Ecclesiastes are very rare as a part of the historical and apocalyptic works both in Greek and Old Church Slavonic. For example, it is cited in the Interpretation of the Book of Daniel by Hippolytus of Rome both in the Greek prototype and in the Slavonic translation. An interpretation of Ecclesiastes 12: 3-6 has been found in the last folia of a newly discovered manuscript of Russian National Library Q.I.622 (main collection), middle of 15th c. The excerpt is interpreted allegorically and has a typical rhetorical structure for apocalyptic texts. It is interesting not only with arguments for apocalyptic interpretation but also in its language characteristic in comparison with other manuscripts of the Book Ecclesiastes in the translation of Old Church Slavonic. The context of the interpretation also is important concerning the history and transmission of the text, and the understanding of the author's message in the Slavic milieu.

The œuvre of the sculptor Georg Raphael Donner
(1693–1741) has long been considered a core component of
the Baroque canon in Central Europe and has consistently
drawn the attention not only of art historians but also
of a broader audience. However, further investigation
and analysis remain to be conducted. This paper presents
a previously unknown contract signed by Donner in 1734
relating to the high altar of the new parish church of
St Stephen in Jablonica (Slovakia). At that time, Donner
was employed at the court of Archbishop and Hungarian
Primate Emmerich Eszterházy (1664–1745) in Bratislava.
Ladislaus Korlátköy de Laps († 1750) served as the primary
patron of the church in Jablonica and was instrumental
in commissioning the high altar. Although the altarpiece
was apparently not implemented, the detailed contract is
an important document for the history of the church in
Jablonica and for an understanding of Donner’s creative and
economic activities during his ten-year tenure in presentday Slovakia. The contract demonstrates not only Donner’s
collaboration with a circle of artists close to the court of
Emmerich Eszterházy, but also the considerable breadth of
the sculptor’s competence. This ranged from the supply of
stone, perhaps in part from a quarry he managed himself,
to the design of an altarpiece intended for the centre of
the altar, as well as the provision of collaborators and
subcontractors

На протяжении всей своей истории советское правительство стремилось не допускать создания общесоюзных центров для еврейских организаций. Даже еврейские секции, созданные при коммунистической партии в 1918 году и просуществовавшие до 1930 года, были лишены единого руководства. По такому же принципу-с разбивкой на республики и без общесоюзной «вертикали»-существовали в 1934-1948 годах еврейские секции Союза советских писателей. Трагическая судьба Еврейского антифашистского комитета (1942-1948) частично связана с тем, что он, созданный для выполнения чисто пропагандистских задач, стал восприниматься в качестве центрального представительства советских евреев. Антифашистский комитет советских женщин мог в мирное время стать Комитетом советских женщин, а аналогичный комитет советской молодежи-Комитетом молодежных организаций, но общесоюзный еврейский комитет был недопустим. Разговоры о создании какого-то органа велись в начале 1980-х, но в итоге появился ходульный Антисионистский комитет советской общественности1. Не было центральной надстройки и у еврейских религиозных общин, что существенно ограничивало возможности их деятельности, особенно по сравнению с Русской православной церковью (РПЦ). Например, даже мечтать не приходилось о периодическом издании, сходном с «Журналом Московской патриархии». Отсутствие центра существенно влияло на статус еврейского «служителя культа»: если в РПЦ священник назначался вышестоящей религиозной структурой, то раввин выбирался руководством общины2. В том и в другом случае не обходилось, конечно, без деятельного

Intertextual links between Ecclesiastes and John have been noted by a few scholars but remain largely unexplored. In this essay I seek to trace tangible ways that the Gospel writer echoes and alludes to Ecclesiastes in establishing Jesus as the ultimate wise teacher who leads his disciples to find joy in a fallen world beset by death. General links between the books include the mysterious movement of wind (Eccl 11:5; John 3:8), the coming judgment of good and evil (Eccl 12:14; John 5:28-29), and the closing epilogue highlighting the prominent sage/teacher who instructs his disciples with words of authority and truth (Eccl 12:9-14; John 20:30-31; 21:24-25). A specific link may be drawn in the contrast between the house of feasting and the house of mourning in Ecclesiastes 7, a contrast that anticipates Jesus's movement in the first half of John's Gospel. Jesus begins at a house of feasting in Cana and ends at a house of mourning in Bethany. Both miracles (turning water to wine and raising Lazarus from the dead) are unique to John and serve by their uniqueness to highlight Ecclesiastes as a potential literary precursor for this distinctive Johannine material. I argue that Jesus's ministry procession from a house of joyful feasting to a house of mourning for the dead anticipates his own transformative death and resurrection whereby he metamorphoses the grieving of his disciples into the promised eschatological joy to come. These links serve also to reinforce the positive approach to Ecclesiastes as I have argued elsewhere.

After Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph offered a sacrifice at the Temple as prescribed for purification after childbirth. Many assume that they did this because she was ritually impure, but a careful look at the law in question casts serious doubt on this interpretation. The Fathers were certain that it did not apply to her. This article looks at what they said and whether the Hebrew text supports their interpretation.

An English only version of Qohelet, otherwise known as Ecclesiastes. The translation endeavours to be form-faithful and to translate metaphors with metaphors rather than abstraction. The result, it is contended, is a translation that finally catches the cranky style of the original.

With this volume, Steve Walton begins to address a major lacuna in the Word Biblical Commentary (WBC). This series has established itself over the past half century as a significant and authoritative contribution to biblical scholarship, deriving from a confessionally evangelical standpoint and widely read and respected across the field. Yet no contribution on Acts had appeared until this point-when revised editions of some volumes have already appeared or are in train. Acts is no peripheral text within the New Testament or biblical canon: it stands, sui generis, as the sole narrative of the emergence of the early church, written by Luke as a sequel to his Gospel and received by the church as a bridge between Gospels and Epistles, an encapsulation of both Pauline and catholic strands within early Christianity. Steve Walton is amply qualified to write on this text, with a steady string of articles and essays on Acts over the past two and a half decades since his monograph comparing Paul's speech at Miletus (Acts 20) with 1 Thessalonians demonstrating his close familiarity with the text and his contribution to our understanding of it.

This paper gives an answer to the question "how should partnership in mission be in todays' contexts?", by exploring the marital relatioship in a biblical passage. this passage from Ecclesiastes helps in understanding how partnership works. The complementarity in the marital relationship of Adam and Eve is really a good model of partnership. Alone, Adam would not achieve better results; then God created a helper, a partner to take care of the creation (Gen 2:15). This teaches us that reliable and complementary partner is a gift from God. He Himself creates the context where and when partners in His mission would meet, exactly like in Eden. Accordingly, partnership starts from this feeling of incompleteness that leads to need for collaboration (v9), and asks partners to mutually support and empower (v10), in unity (v11) and to be committed to the mission (v12), and this, whatever may happen, by keeping God at center.

Wissenschaftliches Schreiben gehört zum Studium – doch oft fehlt der Einstieg. Dieses E-Book ist ein ruhiger, praxisnaher Begleiter für alle, die nicht mit Fachvokabular beeindrucken, sondern mit Struktur, Klarheit und eigener Haltung überzeugen wollen. Es zeigt, wie man eine Forschungsfrage entwickelt, den roten Faden findet, sinnvoll gliedert und schreibt, ohne sich im Zitierchaos oder Schreibblockaden zu verlieren.
Ein Text für alle, die akademisch schreiben müssen – und trotzdem bei sich bleiben wollen.

O presente artigo, atraves do metodo de pesquisa bibliografico, propoe-se a analisar, dentro da Literatura Sapiencial, o livro de Proverbios, sua formatacao em seu contexto primeiro, mostrando algumas de suas enfases, apos breves consideracoes iniciais. Considerado de baixo teor teologico por alguns, este livro desempenhou e continua a desempenhar importante papel para o meio cristao e teologico. As “maximas” de Proverbios sao altamente praticas e tambem teologicas. Palavras-chaves : Proverbios. Sabedoria. Teologia. Proverbs: our each day theology ABSTRACT This article, through the method of bibliographical research, proposes to analyze, within Sapiential Literature, the book of Proverbs, its formatting in its first context, showing some of its emphases, after brief initial considerations. Considered to be of low theological value by some, this book has played and continues to play an important role for the Christian and theological milieu. The "maxims" of Proverbs are hig...

Paulo e também autor de outros livros. A obra, que possui 222 páginas estruturadas em treze capítulos, destaca alguns temas de Eclesiastes sob a perspectiva da vitória. Sua linguagem é agradável para a leitura e busca expor a profundidade dos temas de Eclesiastes. Na apresentação, o autor trabalha questões técnicas, tais como: data, autoria, tema, conceitos, palavraschave e contexto. Conforme o autor, todas estas questões têm por base o sentido da vida sob a ótica da "vida que vale a pena ser vivida" (p. 12). O trabalho foi desenvolvido devido às inquietações suscitadas principalmente por alguém que o autor apresenta no livro como sendo uma "menina". A inquietação principal surge da pergunta: "O que é a vida senão uma sucessão de fatos sem sentido?". 1 A autora é Bacharel em Teologia pela FTBP e Licenciada em Pedagogia pela UNIJUÍ. É mestre e doutora em Teologia pela EST (São Leopoldo). É professora da Faculdade Batista Pioneira (Ijuí) e da Faculdade Teológica Batista do Paraná.

Everyone lives in inner war between injured narcissism and inflated self-regard. Religions and teachings profer help, but just make things worse. There is no cure, but love or other passion can bring temporary relief. Psychoanalysis sometimes helps.

Ecclesiastes is undoubtedly a book written for our times. It talks about the things that seem important to us, but are not. It makes us think about what is really significant in the universe. And in the end, we discover that everything is connected to God and our relationship with Him.
These eight chapters will encourage you to reflect on your relationship with the world and with the people we find in it. It will be a great opportunity to pause and think, think with a sense of perspective.

Kétségkívül a mi időnk számára íródott Prédikátor könyve. Azokról szól, amik látszólag számunkra fontosak, miközben dehogy azok. Elgondolkodtat, igazából minek van jelentősége a világegyetemben. És végül rájövünk, hogy minden összefügg Istennel és a hozzá fűződő kapcsolatunkkal.
Ez a nyolc rész majd arra ösztönöz, hogy elmélkedjetek a világhoz és a benne élő emberekkel való kapcsolatotokon. Remek lehetőség lesz megállni és nagyobb távlatokból elgondolkodni.

Pridigar je knjiga za današnji čas. Govori o stvareh, ki se nam zdijo pomembne, a v resnici niso. Spodbuja nas k premisleku o tem, kar je v vesolju zares pomembno. Na koncu odkrijemo, da je vse povezano z Bogom in našim odnosom z njim.
Teh osem poglavij te bo spodbudilo k razmisleku o tvojem odnosu do sveta in ljudi. To bo odlična priložnost, da se ustaviš in razmisliš – razmisliš s perspektivo.

Kazateľ je nepochybne kniha napísaná pre našu dobu. Hovorí o veciach, ktoré sa nám zdajú dôležité,
ale v skutočnosti nie sú. Núti nás zamyslieť sa nad tým, čo je skutočne dôležité. Nakoniec zistíme, že všetko dôležité súvisí s Bohom a naším vzťahom s ním.
Týchto osem kapitol nás núti zamyslieť sa nad svojím vzťahom k svetu a ľuďom v ňom. Je to skvelá príležitosť zastaviť sa a rozmýšľať, uvažovať s nadhľadom.

Kazatel je bezpochyby kniha napsaná pro naši dobu. Mluví o věcech, které se nám zdají důležité, ale ve skutečnosti tomu tak není. Nutí nás zamyslet se nad tím, co je skutečně důležité. Nakonec zjistíme, že všechno důležité souvisí s Bohem a naším vztahem s ním.
Těchto osm kapitol nás nutí zamyslet se nad svým vztahem ke světu a lidem v něm. Je to skvělá příležitost zastavit se a uvažovat nad těmito tématy s nadhledem.

Knjiga propovjednika nesumnjivo je knjiga napisana za naše vrijeme. Govori o onome što nam se čini važnim, a nije. Tjera nas da razmislimo o onome što je stvarno značajno u svemiru. Na kraju, otkrivamo da je sve povezano s Bogom i našim odnosom s Njim.
Ovih osam poglavlja potaknut će vas da razmislite o svom odnosu prema svijetu i ljudima koje u njemu nalazimo. Bit će to odlična prilika da stanete i razmislite – da razmišljate s perspektivom.

Kazatel je bezpochyby kniha napsaná pro naši dobu. Mluví o věcech, které se nám zdají důležité, ale ve skutečnosti tomu tak není. Nutí nás zamyslet se nad tím, co je skutečně důležité. Nakonec zjistíme, že všechno důležité souvisí s Bohem a naším vztahem s ním.
Těchto osm kapitol nás nutí zamyslet se nad svým vztahem ke světu a lidem v něm. Je to skvělá příležitost zastavit se a uvažovat nad těmito tématy s nadhledem.

The books of Kings (1 Kings 15:11-12 and 2 Kings 23:7) refer indirectly to pagan sexual practices in ancient Israel which King Asa and King Josiah abolished. The Hebrew word 0 5 9 6 ‫ים‬ ִ ׁ ‫ֵש‬ ‫ְד‬ ּ ‫ַק‬ ‫ה‬ in verses 12 and 5 pronounced haqadashim is derived from the word ׁ ‫ֹש‬ ‫ָדו‬ ‫ק‬ pronounced qadash which means special and separate. In these verses Haqadashim means special and separate men associated with religious practices. The terminology is obtuse and strange because, the word ׁ ‫ֹש‬ ‫ָדו‬ ‫ק‬ also refers to the Hebrew name of God and His temple, whereas most Bible scholars translate haqadashim in verses 12 and 5 to mean "male shrine prostitutes."

Can one know what one wants? Should one ask this question of oneself, recognizing that there may be no answer? Zen meditation facing a blank wall has been said to be practicing not getting an answer to one’s questions. Perhaps liberation is to stop asking, to accept that things are as they are, one knows not why.

One of the wisdom literature books that is frequently quoted, though often interpreted out of context, is the book of Ecclesiastes, which remains relevant to the life of believers. However, there are still differences in interpretation and limitations in historical cultural analysis, as well as varying approaches to textual focus and accountability in understanding life. This article aims to bridge the contradictory aspects of the vanity of wisdom in Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 and its harmony with the benefits of wisdom in the book of Proverbs. The methodology used in this research is wisdom literature hermeneutics, which includes an in-depth textual analysis and historical analysis of the text of Ecclesiastes 1:12-18. This approach provides a bridging understanding that allows for recognizing the contradictions (negation) and harmony in the books of Ecclesiastes and Proverbs, as well as their theological and practical implications for readers. Despite the variety of interpretations, integrating these elements offers a comprehensive view of wisdom and provides a critical reflection both scientifically and practically for real-life application through a relevant, proportional, and balanced theological interpretation in understanding hebel and hokmah. Thus, the awareness of the limitations of human wisdom should be oriented towards complete dependence on the fear of the Lord.

Delle traduzioni bibliche del poeta Guido Ceronetti (1927-2018) gli studiosi hanno notato l’alto numero di stilemi, di virtuosismi, di allusioni, l’ambizione a essere non soltanto traduzione ma vera e propria poesia, e una poesia elitaria. Quel che appare evidente è che l’impegno del poeta fu tanto appassionato da risultare sofferto e ispirato quanto un martirio. Questo volume analizza in particolare la traduzione del Qohélet, il libro che impegnò maggiormente Ceronetti, attraverso tre casi di studio relativi al sistema verbale, alle parole chiave del testo e ad alcuni stilemi e dispositivi retorici, allo scopo di osservare i risultati di un progetto ambizioso: la creazione di un linguaggio nuovo e difficile, poetico ed erudito, austero e potente abbastanza da svelare la verità su Dio.

From the biblical book of Genesis, to pandemic communication in 19th century England and contemporary children's Bibles, 1–2 Samuel has animated its readers and interlocutors over the centuries. In seventeen essays engaging different intertexts and works of reception, this volume explores the narrative, thematic, and theological riches of 1–2 Samuel, expanding its interpretive horizons for scholars and contemporary readers alike.

The Hebrew word "hebel" in Ecclesiastes is best to be transliterated instead of using any English word to translate it so keep the metaphorical use of that word and its emotional impact on the reader. Just as commentators use Qoheleth instead of "the Teacher," "the Preacher," or other nomenclature, we must do the same with the Hebrew word hebel.

In the absence of God, life is free of consequence but remains absent of meaning and purpose beyond the short term significance we can grant it. It is the existence of God that gives our existence meaning and purpose; and as His creation, we are called to reflect Him by preaching the message of that meaning and purpose to others, not just in words, but in the way that we live.