Qoheleth, Second Edition (Readings, a New Biblical Commentary) - Hardcover

Ogden, Graham

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1906055084 ISBN 13: 9781906055080

Publisher: Sheffield Phoenix Press Ltd, 2007

Synopsis

Qoheleth's driving question, according to Ogden, is posed in the opening lines of his book. It is the question, What lasting advantage (yithron) results from the multitude of activities in which humans find themselves engaged? In a word, the answer is, None; but the supplementary question remains, How shall we then live? Qoheleth is no pessimist. Even though he believes that nothing survives from the activities of life, he encourages his readers to live life to the full, to 'eat, drink and enjoy what God provides'. Wisdom is one of those enjoyable benefits of life, but even it has its limitations: it can never produce an understanding of the totality. What of the classic term hebel (traditionally translated 'vanity') in Qoheleth's thought? It is much better understood, argues Ogden, as 'enigma' or 'mystery', and the mystery it points to is the mystery of the yithron: how is joy the proper goal of human life when we know it must inevitably come to an end without leaving any surplus?

About this title

About the Author:

Ogden was Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew in Taiwan Theological College for seven years before accepting an appointment as Translations Consultant with the United Bible Societies in Taiwan.

About this edition

• Publisher: Sheffield Phoenix Press Ltd
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1906055084
• ISBN 13: 9781906055080
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 256