Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Pere Casanellas <pere.casanellas AT bcn.servicom.es>]

David Humpal wrote on June 25 and 28:

<<In Ecclesiastes 3:11 the word ha'olam is translated "eternity" in many
translations.  NIV -- "He has also set eternity in the hearts of men."  But
this idea seems to contradict the usual assumption that Qoheleth was a
cynic.  Other suggestions have been made such as world, desire, darkness, or
even emended to labor.  Isn't eternity the only sensible meaning for 'olam
in this context?>>

I think "the eternity", or better "the sense of duration/history", is a
possible translation. But maybe Qohelet plays with the double meaning of
the Hebrew root, which also means "to be hidden, secret" (this double
meaning is very in accordance with the context).

See James L. Crenshaw: _Ecclesiastes_, London: SCM Press, 1988, p. 97:
<<Many modern interpreters follow the Septuagint's lead in translating
_aion_ "eternity, duration, the flow of time, incessancy," and the like.
Others supply different vowels and interpret the word as "ignorance",
"darkness," or "secret." This meaning of the root _'lam_ occurs in Eccl.
12:14 [...]; Job 28:12[...]; Job 42:3 [...]. It is supported by the
Ugaritic _wglm_ [...].>>


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Pere Casanellas
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