Biblical Hebrew Forum

[George Athas <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>]

Jerry,

I haven't started writing my commentary, yet. Next year.

Fox's suggestion has much going for it, especially in the way it plugs into the wider concerns of Qohelet. However, in the immediate context, where time is a critical issue, I think there is reason enough for maintain עלם as original. Humans have a sense of time as a whole, but they have no control over what type of time happens to them. The point of the time poem earlier in the chapter is not to give advice on discerning wisely when to do things and when not to do things. Rather, it's about the apparent randomness of different types of time and humanity's complete inability to govern it. Yet, if humanity has a sense of time as a whole — eternity — this exacerbates the feeling of powerlessness and meaninglessness. And that, I think, is the point of that part of the book.

GEORGE ATHAS

Dean of Research,

Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au)

Sydney, Australia