Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Dave Humpal <ebedyah AT Elite.Net>]

Jim wrote, "As in so many things, I have my own perceptions of this as 
well.  I have always seen Qoh as a rather intentionally ironic book.  
Beginning with the presupposition that God is not really interested in 
the daily affairs of life, the author composes a book which absents 
God...  such a life is, ironically, hebel, empty, void, pointless.  Now 
to be sure the author does not believe that God is absent.  Rather he 
paints the picture of life without God purely in order to show how empty 
such a life is."

Jim,
You're not the only one with this view.  This seems to me the only view 
that gives a satisfactory answer for all the apparent contradictions 
throughout the book.  It's been a while since I did my research on 
Qoheleth, but if I remember correctly, Murphy also supports this view as 
well as Garrett and from the previous Century MacDonald.

Dave Humpal ebedyah AT elite.net
First Christian Church (DOC), Merced, California
"Help for the Hurting Christian" Site with alphabetical index of topics
http://www.elite.net/~ebedyah/PastorsHomePage.htm
Church Site = http://www.elite.net/~ebedyah/FirstChristianHomePage.htm