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The Book of Qoheleth / Ecclesiastes (see Online Text) is a Second Temple Jewish document, now included in collections of the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament.

Overview

Qoheleth belongs to the same tradition of skeptical wisdom as Job and Jonah. Faithful to the sapiential method, Qoheleth also puts the Zadokite theology under the scrutiny of experience. As in Job and Jonah, the revolt of Qoheleth is in the name of practical experience.

I applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that os done under heaven (Qo 1:13)

Yet Qihelth skepticism is much more radical; it shows no restrain, no happy ending. Irony turns into bitterness and sarcasm. The crisis is complete and the conceptual impossibility of the Zakodite covenantal theology is affirmed.

Qoheleth's analysis is lucid, almost merciless.

In my vain life I have seen everything; there are righteous people who perish in their righteousness, and there are wicked people who prolong their life in their evildoing. (Qo 7:15).

Too often the lives of the righteous and the wicked are undistinguishable for people to believe in any rule that guarantees vindication for those who obey the Mosaic covenant.

There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people who are treated according to the conduct of the wicked, and there are wicked people who are treated according to the conduct of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. (Qo 8:14).

Where people see disorder and evil, Qoheleth sees the omnipotent presence of God, who is the supreme king of the universe:

8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and right, do not be amazed at the matter; for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But all things considered, this is an advantage for a land: a king for a plowed field. (Qo 5:8-9)

People may not understand it, they can even suffer because of it, but there is a time for everything:

1. For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2. a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

3. a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4. a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5. a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6. a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

7. a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8. a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

(Qo 3:1-8).

Human happiness, the "joy" Qoheleth invites people to seek, is not to be found in active partnership but in total submission.

In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one has well as the other" (Qo 7:14).

References

• / [[]] / In: The Anchor Bible Dictionary (1992 Freedman), dictionary,

• Qoheleth / Samuel L. Adams / In: The Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism (2010 Collins / Harlow), dictionary, 1125-1126

External links

• Wikipedia