Determinism in the Book of EcclesiastesA&C Black, 2001 M09 1 - 234 pages Is the author of Ecclesisastes a determinist? Many readers, from the Targumist and Ibn Ezra up to the present day, have thought so. But there has been no systematic investigation of Qoheleth's determinism, its nature and extent, its relationship to free will and its philosophical background. In separate chapters, Rudman discusses key terms and texts that express a deterministic worldview, then explores the sources for Qoheleth's thought. He concludes that the author was a sage writing in the third quarter of the third century BCE, who was profoundly influenced by Stoic ideas. |
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Page 36
... appointed time [ ] . Like fishes caught in an evil net [ 771 ] ; like birds taken in a snare [ D ] , so human beings are caught at the appointed time [ 7 ] when it falls suddenly on them ' . Quite apart from the reference to such events ...
... appointed time [ ] . Like fishes caught in an evil net [ 771 ] ; like birds taken in a snare [ D ] , so human beings are caught at the appointed time [ 7 ] when it falls suddenly on them ' . Quite apart from the reference to such events ...
Page 41
... appointed time ' ( so BDB , pp . 273-74 ) occurs elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible only in Neh . 2.6 ; Est . 9.27 , 31. All of these occurrences have the idea of an appointed time for some event . In Neh . 2.6 , Nehemiah tells the king at ...
... appointed time ' ( so BDB , pp . 273-74 ) occurs elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible only in Neh . 2.6 ; Est . 9.27 , 31. All of these occurrences have the idea of an appointed time for some event . In Neh . 2.6 , Nehemiah tells the king at ...
Page 42
... appointed by God.21 b . Modern commentators The term has been viewed by commentators in a number of ways . In 3.1-8 , it is seen by some commentators as exemplifying the ideal of doing the right thing at the right time , which pervaded ...
... appointed by God.21 b . Modern commentators The term has been viewed by commentators in a number of ways . In 3.1-8 , it is seen by some commentators as exemplifying the ideal of doing the right thing at the right time , which pervaded ...
Page 43
... appointed time'.27 Yet while many commentators will agree with the first part of this reading , the force of the rhetorical question in 3.9 seems to be rather : ' what do human beings get out of all the toil ( denoted by 3.1-8 ) which ...
... appointed time'.27 Yet while many commentators will agree with the first part of this reading , the force of the rhetorical question in 3.9 seems to be rather : ' what do human beings get out of all the toil ( denoted by 3.1-8 ) which ...
Page 45
... ( appointed ) time ' is also evident in the phrase a time to die ' in the catalogue of seasons ( 3.2 ) . The timing of one's death is not usually considered as something over which human beings have any control , and indeed this idea is ...
... ( appointed ) time ' is also evident in the phrase a time to die ' in the catalogue of seasons ( 3.2 ) . The timing of one's death is not usually considered as something over which human beings have any control , and indeed this idea is ...
Contents
7 | |
8 | |
11 | |
33 | |
THE DETERMINATION OF THE COSMOS AND HUMANITY IN ECCLESIASTES 138 | 70 |
A REREADING OF ECCLESIASTES 3115 | 83 |
THE DIVINE DETERMINATION OF EMOTION IN ECCLESIASTES | 99 |
QOHELETH AND HUMAN JOY | 126 |
Chapter 7 QOHELETH AND THE PROBLEM OF FREE WILL | 144 |
Chapter 8 DETERMINISM IN EARLY JEWISH LITERATURE | 160 |
Chapter 9 QOHELETH AND STOIC DETERMINISM | 173 |
Chapter 10 CONCLUSION | 200 |
Bibliography | 207 |
Index of References | 214 |
Index of Modern Authors | 224 |
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Common terms and phrases
activity apocalyptic apocalyptic literature appears appointed Aramaic Ben Sira Biblical Blenkinsopp book of Daniel book of Ecclesiastes Chapter Chrysippus clause Cleanthes concept context Crenshaw dating of Ecclesiastes death deity Delitzsch determinism deterministic deterministic worldview divine Eccl Ecclesiastes NCBC elsewhere evidence evil example existence expression fact fate Gammie gift Glasser God's Gordis Greek Hebrew Bible Hellenistic period Hengel Heraclitus Hertzberg human action human free humankind iastes idea individual interpretation Israel Jewish Judaism and Hellenism judgment king L'Ecclésiaste labour logos Lohfink meaning MT's Murphy NCBC noun occurs one's parallel passage Persian period Peshitta philosophy phrase pleasure Plumptre Podechard portion Prediger problem Qoheleth Qoheleth's deterministic Qoheleth's statement Qoheleth's thought refers righteous Royal Experiment sense Seow Sira speak Stoic Stoicism Stoicism and Anti-Stoicism suggests things toil translation understanding usage verb verse Vulgate Whybray wicked wickedness wisdom wise woman Yahweh האלהים מעשה תחת