Overview

“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.

Full Product Details

Author:   Mark J. Boda ,  Tremper Longman III ,  Cristian Rata
Publisher:   Pennsylvania State University Press
Imprint:   Eisenbrauns
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 4.30cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.907kg
ISBN:  

9781575062655

ISBN 10:   1575062658
Pages:   528
Publication Date:   19 March 2013
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Out of stock  
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Table of Contents

Preface Part 1: Early History of Interpretation Ecclesiastes in Premodern Reading: Before 1500 C.E. Eric S. Christianson Qohelet and the Rabbis Ruth Sandberg Ecclesiastes and the Reformers Al Wolters Sweet and Lawful Delights: Puritan Interpretations of Ecclesiastes Cristian G. Rata Part 2: History, Form, and Rhetoric Determining the Historical Context of Ecclesiastes Tremper Longman III The Book of Qohelet “Has the Smell of the Tomb about It”: Mortality in Qohelet and Hellenistic Skepticism Leo G. Perdue Qohelet and Royal Autobiography Martin A. Shields Framed! Structure in Ecclesiastes David J. H. Beldman The Poetry of Qohelet John F. Hobbins Part 3: Key Concepts and Passages Epistemology in Ecclesiastes: Remembering What It Means to Be Human Ryan P. O’Dowd “Riddled with Ambiguity”: Ecclesiastes 7:23–8:1 as an Example Doug Ingram The Meaning of hebel in Qohelet: An Intertextual Suggestion Russell L. Meek Speaking into the Silence: The Epilogue of Ecclesiastes Mark J. Boda Part 4: Language and Grammar The Grammar of -? and ??? in Qohelet Robert Holmstedt The Verb in Qohelet John Cook “Aramaisms” in Qohelet: Methodological Problems in Identification and Interpretation Eva Mroczek Part 5: Interpreting Qohelet The Theology of Ecclesiastes Craig G. Bartholomew Ecclesiastes and the Canon Stephen G. Dempster Fresh Perspectives on Ecclesiastes: “Qohelet for Today” Iain Provan Preaching Qohelet Daniel C. Fredericks Solomon’s Sexual Wisdom: Qohelet and the Song of Songs in the Postmodern Condition Peter J. Leithart Works Cited Indexes

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