The peaceable kingdom (not)

A dog I know named Tuffy showed her stuff yesterday - to our horror. There was a noise behind me like the sound of a rushing wind. The quail was flying away from the dog - apparently on only one wing. She was feigning hurt so that the dog would chase her and be led away from her chicks and eggs. The owner was not happy with the dog but she was momentarily not under control.

Tuffy is a recovered dog from a reserve. She has had a tough life but has found a home. She is pleasant to be with but has a hidden hunting capability. The owner brought her back to the patio. We had not figured out that there was a nest near where we were sitting. This was not a random feint. A few moments later, mouth full of chicks, and broken eggs on the patio, the dog had done its damage.

The dog was removed from the scene. The owner buried the corpses. The mother quail (not an endangered species) was clucking mournfully in the background. The sensitive were in tears and those of us who are quick to see that we can do nothing were comforting them. A chick appeared at our feet stumbling back towards the nest. I took a piece of paper and moved it closer to the nest location - without touch. There was little language that could be shared. Consideration was given to whether the dog should live. (I did not think this was a 'sin unto death', a phrase my wife chuckled at later in the evening.)

לֹֽא־יָרֵעוּ וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁחִיתוּ בְּכָל־הַר קָדְשִׁי
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain - they will not do evil - they will not be bad - O how often the struggle with the bad dog - operating on survival - has occurred in conversation this last 24 hours. (Today though we got away for a great bike ride around Skaha Lake 25 km - and a few games of tennis before we got rained out.)

Esther and Canon

I can see that Esther has not been a well-loved book. Many have asked within both the Christian and Jewish tradition - why is this book in the Canon? I can see too that the translation of such a work will not be a slam-dunk.  I will confine myself to the Hebrew 10 chapters. I got a few books from the library but first I must just read the text slowly and then consider what it does in me.

I will be away on holiday for a week. And I am planning some more holidays in the East of Canada and Europe - can anyone suggest some activities to keep me busy in England or the Continent or North Africa between Sept 27 and Oct 8? Maybe a trip to Tripoli and rediscover the travels of Simon of Cyrene? Or a retreat somewhere - or another conference following the Oxford conference on the Psalms. (Assuming I can secure a place.)  I already have tickets from Victoria to Tel Aviv and back for October - but... what can I arrange - they can be cancelled.

Just a thought

The word satisfaction is full of meaning for me. Besides T. S. Eliot's Journey of the Magi, there is the final word on Job (Job 42:17). And Job died old and sated of days. And someone asked recently - what is morality?  Here is a definition in a few words. A moral act is one where the actor does not take satisfaction at another's expense. This statement is the complement of one by Bishop Stephen Neill who remarked many years ago that love is the directed action of the will for the good of another.

But there is one who gave his life for the life of the world. He invites us to use his love for our satisfaction at his expense. This is a bit like having your cake and eating it too. (For holding things together that are mutually contradictory, see this most recent post by Nicholas Knisely, the Dean of Trinity Cathedral in Phoenix Arizona. I often share his posts.)

The fifth scroll

I have to come finally to the fifth scroll, Esther. I do not know yet where this will take me. My current writing has made me focus on theology as well as Hebrew translation. I find the way each book treats God has made me think about the personages in the text and their relationship as portrayed.

So Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz are very personal towards God, but the characters in Job are filled with near to far tension among the various names of God that they use. And Qohelet has its singular perspective. Lamentations is like the Psalms (as is the character of Job) in that the lament directly addresses God. This is not the case in either Ruth or Qohelet.

In Esther, a name meaning star but very similar to the Hebrew for hidden, no name of God appears at all. This is not even true of the Song where Yah appears briefly in chapter 8 and is hidden in the word play of the hosts of roe and the goodly hart. So how is God hidden in Esther - or should I even ask this question?

I have not read Esther for 33 years. I can date this because I was reading it to my children when we first came to Calgary (1977), and since we had no house, we were in a hotel and I was reading it to them at breakfast (I know, I know). A man at the next table was seriously affronted by my reading, though my voice was discreet (but I am a tenor), and he came up to me and said I should not be reading such a book to my children. So what will I learn from this book? I have been reluctant to start translating! 

Robert Alter gives it a mention in his 'Art of Biblical Narrative' and he calls this post-exilic story "a kind of fairytale - the lovely damsel, guided by a wise godfather, is made queen and saves her people - richly embellished with satiric invention; its comic art departs from historical verisimilitude in ways that pre-exilic Hebrew narrative seldom does,..." so in true literary critical form, I will be looking for these in the story -  they are not very hard to find in the first chapter.

But what is its serious underbelly?

The spring of the year

From Collages

Last night there was a beautiful light on the mountains. Early this morning, circa 6:30 AM my wife and I went for a walk on the beach.

God in Qohelet

In an earlier post on morality I note that Qohelet never uses any designation for God except Elohim and ha-Elohim - that is God with the definite article. "There is no Lord, no LORD, no El Shaddai, no El, in that book."  But what about Ecclesiastes 12:1 - remember your creator etc. Does this appearance of 'create' violate the designations of God in the text? It does seem to jump out somewhat.

Seow has much to say about whether creator is apt. The letters בּוֹרְאֶיךָ can of course spell 'your creator'. It appears to be a qal active participle with a plural ending as usual truncated when a singular second person direct object is appended. So the 'meaning' is 'the plural one creating thee.' The plural might be a plural of majesty but even though Elohim is naturally plural, it does take a singular verb form - so the phrase is rather odd.

There is another word with the same letters in BDB - p 135, meaning to be fat - or sound, healthy. And given the vav, perhaps 'well' as a symbol for wife, or 'cistern' or 'pit' for grave, as a recognition that you will die. Seow lists a number of suggested alternatives.

בּוֹר as wife seems unlikely. Qohelet seems to have no metaphor for wife in Eccl 9:9 where the author uses אִשָּׁה as expected. Cistern / pit seems even more unlikely though the word occurs in Eccl 12:6 and would perhaps provide a recurrence pattern in the poem. Both these choices are still encumbered with the plural singular conundrum.  So I stayed with 'creator' - just that one word - in tension with 'make / do' which is pervasive in Qohelet, might be enough to suggest the responsibility each of us has towards this mysterious plural One who loves us.

Psalms Diagrams refreshed

There have been a lot of improvements since I last published these diagrams. I am not changing them significantly at this time, but all the queries are now showing the Hebrew rather than the transliteration and the root algorithm is I think about 90-95% more accurate than it was. Also the identification of recurrence in the Psalms is more accurate and shows in verse order so they are easier to spot if you a colouring the text.

My first time through the psalms, I noted how often I was warned, rebuked, or corrected. This time I have occasionally glanced at the translation and jumping out at me are promises and consolation - Psalms are awesome. Read them. Here's Psalm 3 for example. Note how 'the many' continues the bruhaha of Psalm 2. [I missed the rise/arise double because of the mater.] Already in this personal individual psalm we have the anticipation of the transformation of the many through the means of the anointed king and we have the realization of security for the one in his faithfulness.

In these diagrams you will find my inimitable overdone colouring. The Hebrew is automatically coloured by transforming its gematria. The background colour of the diagram is the colour of the Psalm's gematria as a whole. The formula is  round(62.415238095*gematria(hebrew-text),0)*-1. I have no idea why it works. Mapping colour codes is very mysterious, but somehow this spreads the gematria over the 16 million range and does allows a distinction of hues in all three RGB components.

Notice the chiasm in verse 8

A Psalm of David, when he fled from the face of Absalom his son.

יְהוָה, how many my straits!

Many rising against me

Many saying of my life

'There is no victory for him in God'

Selah

But you, יְהוָה, a shield about me

my glory, and raising my head

My voice, to יְהוָה I call

and he answers me

from the hill of his holiness

Selah

I lie down, and I sleep

I awake, for יְהוָה sustains me

I am not afraid of the many many people

surrounding, set against me

Arise, יְהוָה

save me, my God

for you strike all my enemies on the cheek

teeth of the many wicked broken

To יְהוָה is victory

To your people your blessing

Selah

The question of morality

Everyday Thomist posed a question: What is morality? It is a common question and a difficult one. We so want to know what's good and what's not. After some preliminaries she writes: In response to the question “what does it mean to choose the good?” Aquinas asks “what do we even mean by goodness?”

She concludes with "Morality is simply what we do as human beings, trying to be good at what we are." I think I like this direction, but then in the comments, she notes that “In response to Job’s friends who claim that righteousness is rewarded with blessings in this life, Aquinas argues that righteousness is a spiritual good… ”

Spiritual as adjective? As if that explains anything. Spirit is more than a grammatical modifier. Spirit creates matter by its Word - so even Qohelet notes in chapter 11

As there is not for you the knowing of the way of the wind as bones in the belly of the full
so you do not know the work of this God that works all

Yes, this is my tiresome literal translation, but just look at it - the wind as bones! This phrase is in parallel with the work of this God. - that the work of God might be shown in material things.

So I responded to the comment with this:

Job does not argue this way or make a move to spiritual as adjective, nor does Yhwh, nor does Elihu, nor do I, and I am Christian – though the baggage in the label sometimes does not fit. I do not see any resolution of any part of this problem with an adjective ‘spiritual’. In this epic parable, Job is satiated with material good. He is commended for not making such a move. It is no different than Eliphaz’s opening gambit (where Eliphaz invokes the ghostly spirit in the night, Job 4:12 ff.)

It is not that I am against Spirit – quite the contrary. It is Spirit that deals with Behemoth and Leviathan including the theological evanescence of the abuse of its own name in a non-incarnational adjective. The wind blows where it wills and you see its effect in the real and sensible world of matter. One might even say that it is the Spirit that makes the world through, in, and with our decisions.

The point is simple: God is with us through the incarnation in Jesus and through the incarnation of the Spirit of the Anointed in each of us.

So what is the goodness that Aquinas asks about?

I began my teaching of Hebrew at Sunday School with the word כּי-טוב from Genesis 1 - And God saw the light, that it was good. This alone is a statement of faith. One only needs to look up 'good' in the Hebrew to know that we have both choice and invitation in that word. E.g. Psalm 34:8 (34:9 Hebrew) O taste and see that the LORD is good.

Or we could read Ecclesiastes and see that we should enjoy the good as a gift from God. Each of these is of faith. And this faith will find a full reward. It is not futile. When the faith is engaged with this God - and who can say how this happens - then the reward is good beyond measure. This is Job's reward - the presence of the LORD as the response to his parable.

The 'laws' of the Scripture are best thought of as teaching and promise rather than a moral code to be followed. The rebellious among us will question every rule. The questioning also is good. In this way the good stands against a regulation that has lost its spirit in the application. Laws thought of as teaching and promise presuppose a teacher and one who promises. This too is the goodness of faith.

Many Christians judge against the Torah thinking of it as legalism but they have their own demanding customs that are worse. There can be no legalism when the recipient of the teaching is engaged in faith with the Teacher. If there were no Teacher, then this good is simply social learning. The rebellious as they mature would gradually conform to the pressure and follow the spirit of the society. Is this good? It is easy to see how circular this is. I do not find any society which can fill this role and so create good.

I have come to the conclusion that good without God is impossible. And the goodness of God is known only by faith. Such goodness includes the confrontation with which God faces me on any decision I make that goes against what I have been taught by God assuming I have done any listening to the Other at any time. What possible freedom from this God is there when my freedom is caught in my relationship with this God?

Perhaps you notice that Qohelet never uses any name for God except Elohim and ha-Elohim  - that is God with the definite article. There is no Lord, no LORD, no El Shaddai, no El, in that book. What God will I chose for good? I know my answer - I chose the One that gives me words with which to describe how 'the God' works with me. That is my only basis for morality and my only basis for life.

But did I chose? Or was the 'election' out of my hands? And when I chose, does this God resolve for me the moral dilemmas that have no human solution? No - at least not as far as I can see. That is why I allow for abortion and for life choices other than those I have personally made even though others would say they appear to have been forbidden. I do not follow the appearance of forbidden things - there are no such things, "but not everything builds up".

I agree with the Apostle Paul that my good is only by faith. "Whatever is not of faith is sin." And that is not good. So I can "love God and do as I will" in faith. And I will to discover the good that comes only from God. All the words I have written about Jesus, the Spirit, the Anointing, Christ, God are predicated on this good - even if I still search for ways to speak these words creatively for others.

Morality is not then a 'what is' question - it reduces to a 'with whom am I engaged' question in relation to a Necessary Transcendence.

Essence of Christianity - Information

I recently wrote a comment that is like frozen concentrated orange juice - hard to read. So I am going to spin it out - thin it out - a bit - add 3 cans of water and apply heat by stirring with a holey metal spoon.

What is the essence of Christianity?

I am not fond of the word 'Christianity' - it speaks of a movement rather than its essence. I like the elaboration of the question that Margaret suggests in her answer "If we had to distill Christianity and the Bible down to its essential oil, what would the fragrance be?"  The vines with the tender grapes give a good smell. Distilling the movement is a good idea. But the word 'Xianity' has "too many syllables".

Margaret suggests 'redemption'. My counter to this is that the Hebrew Canon is filled with redemption as an essence. Redemption does not uniquely summarize Christianity. It applies also to other faiths. To prove this I only need to point to one example that predates the Jesus Christ movement.

Redemption is the core of Ruth for example. For some within the Hebrew faith, the core might be conversion (as noted at that link) - but conversion misses the affront of the Moabite in Israel which makes illegal David's kingship (since he is within the limit of generations for the Moabite to be accepted in Israel). If I had to put the Psalms into one word, perhaps it would be 'the redeemed' if you will allow the definite article (I prefer 'the mercied' but English won't allow it without coinage - the word I am thinking of is in Psalm 149. It occurs 3 times - word 9, 32, and 62 of 64 words - so it provides the essential frame and  theme.) Here again this is redemption. It is the creation of a new multitudinous class of humans that have been shown the covenant mercy and are thus given power over the political turmoil to "bind their kings in chains".

I chose 'information' in answer to Margaret's original question a month ago. In this I was following the lead of The Journey of the Magi by T. S. Eliot and his line in that poem. "But there was no information".

Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.

What is new in Christ Jesus is that we who toil here (note the recurrence of the word 'toil' in Ecclesiastes) and cannot comprehend the work of God (Eccl 8:17, 11:5) are not without hope - as some might read Qohelet - (but there is hope there too, Eccl 5:19).

The Hebrew election (this is God's chosen people) informs the redemption that Christ Jesus accomplishes.  The toil/work axis of Qohelet is summarized by the work that Jesus came to do (see the theme of work in both creation and redemption in John's gospel). Besides linking TNK and NT in this way (as a silly aside - the Bible is TNKNT - a chiasm with the writings in the middle), information encompasses redemption - we are formed in our inner person through the Spirit. Such inner-formation is greatly to be desired. (This pun on in-formation should not be tossed out too quickly as a slight of rhetoric.)

That's why I like information over other one-word summaries. It is unique to the Anointing that is in Christ Jesus. Other 'religions' are not without redemption, or hope, or healing, or love, but they have an incomplete language with which we might be informed. It is in this sense that Jesus completes election. (Job's completeness anticipates this fullness and the satisfactory that was to come.)

What do you think - is my claim justifiable that other religions have not got the language to express the Anointing that is in Christ Jesus, i.e. to express the incarnation of the Spirit?  (I labour that Christ might be formed in you. Galatians 4:19)

Random graphs of structure

Believe it or not these graphs are made from the same data. The first definitely shows that Qohelet is the grinch (Eccl 7:3), the second that it is all about money (Eccl 10:19). Each of them is a graph of the words used in chapter 12 that are repeated in other chapters.

Ecclesiastes chapter 12 - many books and things

This entire post got wiped out by the blogger editor. It's a bug in the undo logic. The blogger editor has a number of bugs. Frequently it forgets where the cursor should be. There doesn't seem to be anyone to tell. And if there were, they might not have any control over it anyway. Most of the time, though, it gets the right to left and the left to right right! That's a lot more than I can say for Word.

Fortunately there was nothing lost but some doggerel that I now totally forget. It must have been a loser in the quantum field. (The rest of the post is in another tool that allows some diagramming and so on.)

Finally we are at chapter 12 and complete as far as a first pass at this very strange book. Dr Seuss wrote many books of course.  As many as Qohelet's proverbs.  But he was not wearied by them - at least it doesn't seem that way. He is as opposite to Qohelet as one can imagine - if one reads the Preacher piously. Qohelet is sure a curiosity. No priests, no church or assembly, except the one possible mention of a collective in this chapter - maybe this is a poke at the name Qohelet. He almost supports 'eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die' in contrast to the dour apostle Paul.  But you know what? Paul is not as bad as many believe. There is no distortion that his Lord cannot set to toil as produce in the garden - as it is written, the earth has brought forth its produce, let all the peoples praise him.

וּזְכֹר אֶת בּוֹרְאֶיךָ בִּימֵי בְּחוּרֹתֶיךָ עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָבֹאוּ יְמֵי הָרָעָה וְהִגִּיעוּ שָׁנִים אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵין לִי בָהֶם חֵפֶץ	12.1 vuzkor )et bvor)eyka byméy bxvuroteyka `àd )asher lo) yabo)vu yméy hara`ah vhigy`vu shanym )asher to)màr )éyn ly bahem xépec	Remember your creator in the days of your youth before the arrival of the days of evil and the impact of years in which you say there is for me in them no pleasure	..
עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא תֶחְשַׁךְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְהָאוֹר וְהַיָּרֵחַ וְהַכּוֹכָבִים וְשָׁבוּ הֶעָבִים אַחַר הַגָּשֶׁם	12.2 `àd )asher lo) texshàk hàshemesh vha)vor vhàyaréàx vhàkvokabym vshabvu he`abym )àxàr hàgashem	before the darkening of the sun or the light or the moon or the stars when the clouds return after the rain	I think returning clouds are like the light shining - a positive perceived sign of continuing life as opposed to the darkening of perception
בַּיּוֹם שֶׁיָּזֻעוּ שֹׁמְרֵי הַבַּיִת וְהִתְעַוְּתוּ אַנְשֵׁי הֶחָיִל וּבָטְלוּ הַטֹּחֲנוֹת כִּי מִעֵטוּ וְחָשְׁכוּ הָרֹאוֹת בָּאֲרֻבּוֹת	12.3 bàyvom sheyazu`vu shomréy hàbàyit vhit`àvutvu )ànshéy hexayil vuba+lvu hà+oxanvot ky mi`é+vu vxashkvu haro)vot ba)arubvot	in the day that the keepers tremble in the house when human strength is made crooked and the grinders cease for they are few and those who look in the windows are darkened	crooked closes a trio that acts as a frame for the work similarly the three mentions of Qohelet - we will find more.
וְסֻגְּרוּ דְלָתַיִם בַּשּׁוּק בִּשְׁפַל קוֹל הַטַּחֲנָה וְיָקוּם לְקוֹל הַצִּפּוֹר וְיִשַּׁחוּ כָּל בְּנוֹת הַשִּׁיר	12.4 vsugrvu dlatàyim bàshvuq bishpàl qvol hà+àxanah vyaqvum lqvol hàcipvor vyishàxvu kal bnvot hàshyr	and the doors are shut in the street and low is the voice of the grinder and it rises at the voice of a bird and subdued are the daughters of song	..
גַּם מִגָּבֹהַּ יִרָאוּ וְחַתְחַתִּים בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְיָנֵאץ הַשָּׁקֵד וְיִסְתַּבֵּל הֶחָגָב וְתָפֵר הָאֲבִיּוֹנָה כִּי הֹלֵךְ הָאָדָם אֶל בֵּית עוֹלָמוֹ וְסָבְבוּ בַשּׁוּק הַסּוֹפְדִים	12.5 gàm migabohà yira)vu vxàtxàtym bàderek vyané)c hàshaqéd vyistàbél hexagab vtapér ha)abyvonah ky holék ha)adam )el béyt `volamvo vsabbvu bàshvuq hàsvopdym	Even from pride they will fear and terrors are in the way and the almond will be a derision and the grasshopper will drag itself along and appetite will be frustrated for the earthling goes to his eternal home and those who wail circle in the street	wail - Eccl 3:4 same word
עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא ירחק חֶבֶל הַכֶּסֶף וְתָרוּץ גֻּלַּת הַזָּהָב וְתִשָּׁבֶר כַּד עַל הַמַּבּוּעַ וְנָרֹץ הַגַּלְגַּל אֶל הַבּוֹר	12.6 `àd )asher lo) yératéq xbel hàkeseph vtarvuc gulàt hàzahab vtishaber kàd `àl hàmàbvuà` vnaroc hàgàlgàl )el hàbvor	while the silver cord is not distant or crushed the golden bowl or the pitcher broken at the fountain or the wheel crushed at the well	distant - Eccl 3:5
וְיָשֹׁב הֶעָפָר עַל הָאָרֶץ כְּשֶׁהָיָה וְהָרוּחַ תָּשׁוּב אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר נְתָנָהּ	12.7 vyashob he`apar `àl ha)arec kshehayah vharvuàxtashvub )el ha)elohym )asher ntanah	and the dust returns to the earth as it was and the spirit returns to the God who gave it	all these phrases are governed by the negative in verse 1 - עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא
הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר הַקּוֹהֶלֶת הַכֹּל הָבֶל	12.8 habél habalym )amàr hàqvohelet hàkol habel	An utter futility, touts the Qohelet, total futility.	What's a qohelet? Surely we could find a picture.
וְיֹתֵר שֶׁהָיָה קֹהֶלֶת חָכָם עוֹד לִמַּד דַּעַת אֶת הָעָם וְאִזֵּן וְחִקֵּר תִּקֵּן מְשָׁלִים הַרְבֵּה	12.9 vyotér shehayah qohelet xakam `vod limàd dà`àt )et ha`am v)izén vxiqér tiqén mshalym hàrbéh	and it was left that Qohelet became shrewd still he taught knowledge to the people --- and he listened and he examined straightening out many proverbs	note the closing of the trope of both crooked and the straight
בִּקֵּשׁ קֹהֶלֶת לִמְצֹא דִּבְרֵי חֵפֶץ וְכָתוּב יֹשֶׁר דִּבְרֵי אֱמֶת	12.10 biqésh qohelet limco) dibréy xépec vkatvub yosher dibréy )emet	Qohelet sought to find delightful things and wrote upright things of truth	There are several closing brackets in this chapter - some sevenfold.
דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים כַּדָּרְבֹנוֹת וּכְמַשְׂמְרוֹת נְטוּעִים בַּעֲלֵי אֲסֻפּוֹת נִתְּנוּ מֵרֹעֶה אֶחָד	12.11 dibréy xakamym kàdarbonvot vukmàsmrvot n+vu`ym bà`aléy )asupvot nitnvu méro`h )exad	The things of the shrewd are as goads and as nails fixed of the owners of gathered sayings given by one shepherd	..
וְיֹתֵר מֵהֵמָּה בְּנִי הִזָּהֵר עֲשׂוֹת סְפָרִים הַרְבֵּה אֵין קֵץ וְלַהַג הַרְבֵּה יְגִעַת בָּשָׂר	12.12 vyotér méhémah bny hizahér `asvot sparym hàrbéh )éyn qéc vlàhàg hàrbéh ygi`àt basar	and what is left from these, my child, be warned: of the making of many books - there is no end and much study is a weariness of the flesh	warn Eccl 4:13 weary Eccl 10:15
סוֹף דָּבָר הַכֹּל נִשְׁמָע אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים יְרָא וְאֶת מִצְו‍ֹתָיו שְׁמוֹר כִּי זֶה כָּל הָאָדָם	12.13 svoph dabar hàkol nishma` )et ha)elohym yra) v)et micvotayv shmvor ky zeh kal ha)adam	the end of the thing - the whole - let us hear Fear this God and keep his commandments for this is the whole for the earthling	..
כִּי אֶת כָּל מַעֲשֶׂה הָאֱלֹהִים יָבִא בְמִשְׁפָּט עַל כָּל נֶעְלָם אִם טוֹב וְאִם רָע ש	12.14 ky )et kal mà`aseh ha)elohym yabi) bmishpa+ `àl kal ne`lam )im +vob v)im ra`	for every deed this God will bring into judgment on all that is hidden whether good or evil	cf Psalm 90:8

Possible frames with chapter 12

Chapter 12 closes the conversation in Qohelet.

• There are several words used exactly twice in the whole book which have their second usage in chapter 12.
• And there are several that are used 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, etc up to 90 times (asher) where the last time is in chapter 12. 
• There are 33 of 187 words in chapter 12 that only appear once (using my counting scheme and algorithm which I have just 'improved' by looking for prefix before suffix in the simplest 4 letter case.) 
• There appear to my new algorithm to be 101 distinct roots in chapter 12. 
• And there are if I drew them 1,626 connections between chapter 12 words and the rest of the book.  I have 859 connections if I stop at havel - futility which is used 38 times.

So drawing them would require an automation which I don't quite have.  If I limit the list to distinct root and count, I will give you 101 words in 50 table records - almost workable.

The question is - is this deliberate or would it happen at this frequency in any coherent book in any language?

Count	Calculated root of the 101 words used in chapter 12 and at least one other chapter
2	אסף, גשׁם, זהב, ספד, בור, זהר, שׁוב, ישׁב, אנשׁ, צפר, חבל, שׁוק, ישׁר, שׁיר, תפר, אזן, טחן, גע
3	יגע, סוף, קץ, תקן, אור, עפר, משׁל, שׁפל, עב
4	נטע, דר, חור, רחק, ספר, דרך
5	גבה, מעט, חל, המה, עד
6	כסף, קול, שׁב, בקשׁ, סבב, עוד
7	בעל, קהל, זכר, שׁפט, יום
8	חפץ, ירא, שׁמע, בהם, עלם, חשׁך
9	שׁה, שׂר, שׁמר
10	בא, בית , קום
11	לי
12	אחר, הלך, עם
13	ארץ, יתר
14	שׁן, רעה
15	בן
16	נתן
17	אחד, מצא
18	אמר, הכל
19	רבה, דע
20	עשׂ, ים
23	אם
24	רוח
26	וא
29	רא
30	רע
32	דבר
35	שׁמשׁ
37	על, זה
38	הבל, עשׂה
41	אין
42	אל
43	אלה
49	אדם
50	חכם
51	טוב
55	גם
62	לא
69	את
70	כל
87	כי
90	אשׁר

Ecclesiastes chapter 11 -

There are things that are good together
sweet in spite of their futility
given as gift by the one who selects
and chooses the beloved for love

In the midst of what it doesn't know
the earthling must learn to be
in the moment of its own choosing
one who takes pleasure in the gift of its life.

שַׁלַּח לַחְמְךָ עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם כִּי בְרֹב הַיָּמִים תִּמְצָאֶנּוּ	11.1 shàlàx làxmka `àl pnéy hàmayim ky brob hàyamym timca)envu	Send out your bread on the face of the waters and in many days you will find it	..
תֶּן חֵלֶק לְשִׁבְעָה וְגַם לִשְׁמוֹנָה כִּי לֹא תֵדַע מַה יִּהְיֶה רָעָה עַל הָאָרֶץ	11.2 ten xéleq lshib`ah vgàm lishmvonah ky lo) tédà` màh yihyeh ra`ah `àl ha)arec	Give a portion to seven and even to eight for you do not know what evil will be on the earth	..
אִם יִמָּלְאוּ הֶעָבִים גֶּשֶׁם עַל הָאָרֶץ יָרִיקוּ וְאִם יִפּוֹל עֵץ בַּדָּרוֹם וְאִם בַּצָּפוֹן מְקוֹם שֶׁיִּפּוֹל הָעֵץ שָׁם יְהוּא	11.3 )im yimal)vu he`abym geshem `àl ha)arec yaryqvu v)im yipvol `éc bàdarvom v)im bàcapvon mqvom sheyipvol ha`éc sham yhvu)	If the clouds are full of rain on the earth they empty themselves and if a tree falls to the south or to the north the place where the tree falls - there it is	There are a number of words here that pair off with words in earlier chapters and there are three new words that repeat only in later chapters.
שֹׁמֵר רוּחַ לֹא יִזְרָע וְרֹאֶה בֶעָבִים לֹא יִקְצוֹר	11.4 shomér rvuàx lo) yizra` vro)eh be`abym lo) yiqcvor	One who watches wind will not sow and one who sees clouds will not reap	O the danger of the concordant gloss - so I ignore it this time I'm sure we could translate as - 'one whose head is in the clouds'
כַּאֲשֶׁר אֵינְךָ יוֹדֵעַ מַה דֶּרֶךְ הָרוּחַ כַּעֲצָמִים בְּבֶטֶן הַמְּלֵאָה כָּכָה לֹא תֵדַע אֶת מַעֲשֵׂה הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֶת הַכֹּל	11.5 kà)asher )éynka yvodéà`màh derek harvuàx kà`acamym bbe+en hàmlé)ah kakah lo) tédà` )et mà`aséh ha)elohym )asher yà`aseh )et hàkol	As there is not for you the knowing of the way of the wind as bones in the belly of the full so you do not know the work of this God that works all	spirit as bones - this is a cool image. Sure we can read it is 'how spirit comes into the bones of a child in the womb' but I wonder - spirit as bones, wind as material.
בַּבֹּקֶר זְרַע אֶת זַרְעֶךָ וְלָעֶרֶב אַל תַּנַּח יָדֶךָ כִּי אֵינְךָ יוֹדֵעַ אֵי זֶה יִכְשָׁר הֲזֶה אוֹ זֶה וְאִם שְׁנֵיהֶם כְּאֶחָד טוֹבִים	11.6 bàboqr zrà` )et zàr`ka vla`reb )àl tànàx yadeka ky )éynka yvodéà` )éy zeh yikshar hazeh )vo zeh v)im shnéyhem k)exad +vobym	In the morning sow your seed and in the evening do not leave your hand inactive for it is not for you the knowing whether this or that will succeed of if the two together are good	..
וּמָתוֹק הָאוֹר וְטוֹב לַעֵינַיִם לִרְאוֹת אֶת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ	11.7 vumatvoq ha)vor v+vob là`éynàyim lir)vot )et hàshamesh	Sweet is the light and it is good for the eyes to see the sun	Qohelet is mellowing Sweet also in Eccl 5:12 (5:11)
כִּי אִם שָׁנִים הַרְבֵּה יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם בְּכֻלָּם יִשְׂמָח וְיִזְכֹּר אֶת יְמֵי הַחֹשֶׁךְ כִּי הַרְבֵּה יִהְיוּ כָּל שֶׁבָּא הָבֶל	11.8 ky )im shanym hàrbéh yixyeh ha)adam bkulam yismax vyizkor )et yméy hàxoshek ky hàrbéh yihyvu kal sheba) habel	for if the earthling lives many years and in them be happy let it remember the days of darkness for many they will be all that comes is futility	whoops - Qohelet remembered to stay on message
שְׂמַח בָּחוּר בְּיַלְדוּתֶיךָ וִיטִיבְךָ לִבְּךָ בִּימֵי בְחוּרוֹתֶיךָ וְהַלֵּךְ בְּדַרְכֵי לִבְּךָ וּבְמַרְאֵי עֵינֶיךָ וְדָע כִּי עַל כָּל אֵלֶּה יְבִיאֲךָ הָאֱלֹהִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּט	11.9 smàx baxvur byàldvuteyka vy+ybka libka byméy bxvurvoteyka vhàlék bdàrkéy libka vubmàr)éy `éyneyka vda` ky `àl kal )éleh yby)aka ha)elohym bàmishpa+	Be happy, select one, in your youth and let your heart make you feel good in the days of your selection and walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes and know that for all these this God will bring you to judgment	..
וְהָסֵר כַּעַס מִלִּבֶּךָ וְהַעֲבֵר רָעָה מִבְּשָׂרֶךָ כִּי הַיַּלְדוּת וְהַשַּׁחֲרוּת הָבֶל	11.10 vhasér kà`às milibeka vhà`abér ra`ah mibsareka ky hàyàldvut vhàshàxarvut habel	so remove vexation from your heart and put away evil from your flesh for youth and the time of dawn are futility	perhaps thinking back to Qoh's futility of beginning and preference to ending over beginning...

The circle seen as a graph

I continue to play around with word recurrence to see just how 'subjective' it is. Perhaps I will publish more diagrams later. The graphs are pretty but they contain errors - false matches and missing points - since they are automated with a somewhat defective algorithm to derive a root from a lexical word, which I hope I will eventually publish as a web-service.  It is technical fun at least.

The graph on the right is the set of pairs of words (words that occur only twice in the book) where the second of the pair is in chapter 12. These sets are everywhere - and while thy may be 'significant' I am beginning to think that sometimes we 'overdo' structure.  Anyway, I am hoping over the next indeterminate period of time to develop an 'eyeball' for structure with various apertures: frequency, placement, etc. This will be a way of converting text into a map and allowing some forms of drill down.

On the left is an image of the circle we examined a few days ago. The three dimensional graph shows repeated words in order by verse.

Here is the text and there is a hand drawn diagram here.  All these ways of looking should show the same structural judgment.

הִנֵּה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי אָנִי טוֹב אֲשֶׁר יָפֶה לֶאֱכוֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת וְלִרְאוֹת טוֹבָה בְּכָל עֲמָלוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מִסְפַּר יְמֵי חַיָּו אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי הוּא חֶלְקוֹ	5.17	Note I have seen, I have, a good that is beautiful, to eat and to drink and to see good in all his toil that he toils --- under the sun in the tale of the days of his life that this God gives him for it is his portion
גַּם כָּל הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים עֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְהִשְׁלִיטוֹ לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ וְלָשֵׂאת אֶת חֶלְקוֹ וְלִשְׂמֹחַ בַּעֲמָלוֹ זֹה מַתַּת אֱלֹהִים הִיא	5.18	Even every earthling to whom this God gives riches and wealth and power to eat from them and to lift up its portion and to be happy in his toil this is the giving of God here and now
כִּי לֹא הַרְבֵּה יִזְכֹּר אֶת יְמֵי חַיָּיו כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים מַעֲנֶה בְּשִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ	5.19	For it will not much remember the days of its life for this God answers in the happiness of its heart
יֵשׁ רָעָה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְרַבָּה הִיא עַל הָאָדָם	6.1	Here is an evil which I have seen --- under the sun and frequent it is with the earthling
אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִתֶּן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים עֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְכָבוֹד וְאֵינֶנּוּ חָסֵר לְנַפְשׁוֹ מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר יִתְאַוֶּה וְלֹא יַשְׁלִיטֶנּוּ הָאֱלֹהִים לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי אִישׁ נָכְרִי יֹאכְלֶנּוּ זֶה הֶבֶל וָחֳלִי רָע הוּא	6.2	a human such that to him this God has given riches and wealth and glory so he has nothing lacking in his life from all that he desires and this God does not give him power to eat of them for an alien human eats them This is futility and it is an evil sickness

Ecclesiastes chapter 10

Left foot right foot - left hand right hand. What's left of the left over the right? A dear and capable person had her left hand maimed by her own father only because she was left-handed. Now tell me - is that acceptable on the grounds of cultural sensitivity?

At this point I might well have some disagreement with Qohelet for some of its proverbs are to be questioned. E.g. Eccl 10:2.

A shrewd heart is on the right hand
and the foolish heart on the left

I'll give Sportin' Life's opinion

De t'ings dat yo li'ble
To read in de Bible -
It ain't necessarily so.

Well I remember in my youth being disturbed by such a thought. What! That I might not be able to say for certain what the Bible means! Yep. (And you don't even need to agree with it.)

But how can I be sure - well let's wait till the end

זְבוּבֵי מָוֶת יַבְאִישׁ יַבִּיעַ שֶׁמֶן רוֹקֵחַ יָקָר מֵחָכְמָה מִכָּבוֹד סִכְלוּת מְעָט	10.1 zbvubéy mavet yàb)ysh yàbyà`shemen rvoqéàx yaqar méxakmah mikabvod siklvut m`a+	A dead fly makes a stink in a bowl of perfumer's oil from shrewdness, from glory - a little foolishness	stumped on this proverb in the MT- plural subject and singular verb, Seow suggests the missing bowl. The second half is reversed order with a very complex ellipsis. The surrounding proverbs help a bit - but did the writer not want to admit the trouble with folly - Qohelet sought it out after all.
לֵב חָכָם לִימִינוֹ וְלֵב כְּסִיל לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ	10.2 léb xakam lymynvo vléb ksyl lismo)lvo	A shrewd heart is on the right hand and a foolish heart on the left	It may be a happy accident that there is nothing left in the comparison of right over left.
וְגַם בַּדֶּרֶךְ כְּשֶׁסָּכָל הֹלֵךְ לִבּוֹ חָסֵר וְאָמַר לַכֹּל סָכָל הוּא	10.3 vgàm bàderek kshesakal holék libvo xasér v)amàr làkol sakal hvu)	and even in the way as the foolish walks its heart is lacking and it says to all - here is a fool	..
אִם רוּחַ הַמּוֹשֵׁל תַּעֲלֶה עָלֶיךָ מְקוֹמְךָ אַל תַּנַּח כִּי מַרְפֵּא יַנִּיחַ חֲטָאִים גְּדוֹלִים	10.4 )im rvuàx hàmvoshél tà`aleh `aleyka mqvomka )àl tànàx ky màrpé) yànyàx xa+a)ym gdvolym	If the wind of the ruler rise against you do not leave your place for healing relieves great sins	I picked relieve for the second gloss to sound like the 'leave' I have chosen in all other instances
יֵשׁ רָעָה רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ כִּשְׁגָגָה שֶׁיֹּצָא מִלִּפְנֵי הַשַּׁלִּיט	10.5 yésh ra`ah ra)yty tàxàt hàshamesh kishgagah sheyoca) milipnéy hàshàly+	Here is an evil I have seen --- under the sun as an error that emerges from the presence of one who has mastery	The situation here sounds good in contrast to what a king might consider good. Where is the tongue and where the cheek!
נִתַּן הַסֶּכֶל בַּמְּרוֹמִים רַבִּים וַעֲשִׁירִים בַּשֵּׁפֶל יֵשֵׁבוּ	10.6 nitàn hàsekel bàmrvomym ràbym và`ashyrym bàshépel yéshébvu	Foolishness is given great dignity and the wealthy in lowliness sit	..
רָאִיתִי עֲבָדִים עַל סוּסִים וְשָׂרִים הֹלְכִים כַּעֲבָדִים עַל הָאָרֶץ	10.7 ra)yty `abadym `àl svusym vsarym holkym kà`abadym `àl ha)arec	I have seen servants on horses and princes walking as servants on the earth	..
חֹפֵר גּוּמָּץ בּוֹ יִפּוֹל וּפֹרֵץ גָּדֵר יִשְּׁכֶנּוּ נָחָשׁ	10.8 xopér gvumac bvo yipvol vuporéc gadér yishkenvu naxash	one who digs a pit into it will fall and one who breaks a wall a snake will bite him	Consider psalm 80:12 - who suffers when the hedges of the vineyard are broken down?
מַסִּיעַ אֲבָנִים יֵעָצֵב בָּהֶם בּוֹקֵעַ עֵצִים יִסָּכֶן בָּם	10.9 màsyà`)abanym yé`acéb bahem bvoqéà``écym yisaken bam	one who removes stones will be hurt by them one who splits trees is endangered in them	these two verses are between the snake bites - why? Slow down.
אִם קֵהָה הַבַּרְזֶל וְהוּא לֹא פָנִים קִלְקַל וַחֲיָלִים יְגַבֵּר וְיִתְרוֹן הַכְשֵׁיר חָכְמָה	10.10 )im qéhah hàbàrzel vhvu) lo) panym qilqàl vàxayalym ygàbér vyitrvon hàkshéyr xakmah	if a blade is dull and one does not sharpen its edges one must use great strength and what is left of shrewdness to prosper	concord irrelevant - sharpen edges rather than lighten faces is obviously what is intended - the word occurs as 'slight' three other times. And face is not a sound in this book - that word is usually 'before' or 'presence'.
אִם יִשֹּׁךְ הַנָּחָשׁ בְּלוֹא לָחַשׁ וְאֵין יִתְרוֹן לְבַעַל הַלָּשׁוֹן	10.11 )im yishok hànaxash blvo) laxàsh v)éyn yitrvon lbà`àl hàlashvon	if the snake bites without a charm there is nothing left to the owner of the tongue	nothing left - no advantage. I stubbornly stay with 'left' as my gloss for יִתְרוֹן which is an important sound in the book as a whole. Other glosses like advantage or profit could be easier to handle.
דִּבְרֵי פִי חָכָם חֵן וְשִׂפְתוֹת כְּסִיל תְּבַלְּעֶנּוּ	10.12 dibréy py xakam xén vsiptvot ksyl tbàl`nvu	the things of the mouth of the shrewd are grace but the lips of the foolish swallow him	..
תְּחִלַּת דִּבְרֵי פִיהוּ סִכְלוּת וְאַחֲרִית פִּיהוּ הוֹלֵלוּת רָעָה	10.13 txilàt dibréy pyhvu siklvut v)àxaryt pyhvu hvolélvut ra`ah	the beginning of the things of his mouth is foolishness and the end of his mouth is evil boasting	the things of chapter 10 and chapter 8 enclose chapter 9 - maybe this requires another diagram
וְהַסָּכָל יַרְבֶּה דְבָרִים לֹא יֵדַע הָאָדָם מַה שֶּׁיִּהְיֶה וַאֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה מֵאַחֲרָיו מִי יַגִּיד לוֹ	10.14 vhàsakal yàrbeh dbarym lo) yédà` ha)adam màh sheyihyeh và)asher yihyeh mé)àxarayv my yàgyd lvo	and the foolish is full of things the earthling does not know what it is that will be and what will be after it who can tell it?	..
עֲמַל הַכְּסִילִים תְּיַגְּעֶנּוּ אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדַע לָלֶכֶת אֶל עִיר	10.15 `amàl hàksylym tyàg`nvu )asher lo) yadà` laleket )el `yr	The toil of the foolish wearies them that none know how to go to a city	plural - then singular indeterminate city read into it what you like - I will not translate it as if it 'made sense' I like Seow's reading - 'they do not know the way to town'
אִי לָךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ נָעַר וְשָׂרַיִךְ בַּבֹּקֶר יֹאכֵלוּ	10.16 )y lak )erec shemàlkék na`àr vsaràyik bàboqr yo)kélvu	Alas for you, earth, that your king is a child and your princes eat in the morning	..
אַשְׁרֵיךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ בֶּן חוֹרִים וְשָׂרַיִךְ בָּעֵת יֹאכֵלוּ בִּגְבוּרָה וְלֹא בַשְּׁתִי	10.17 )àshréyk )erec shemàlkék ben xvorym vsaràyik ba`ét yo)kélvu bigbvurah vlo) bàshty	happy are you, earth, that your king is the son of the freeborn and your princes in time eat for strength and not in drinking	..
בַּעֲצַלְתַּיִם יִמַּךְ הַמְּקָרֶה וּבְשִׁפְלוּת יָדַיִם יִדְלֹף הַבָּיִת	10.18 bà`acàltàyim yimàk hàmqareh vubshiplvut yadàyim yidloph hàbayit	in sloth what happens decays and in the letting down of hands the house leaks	..
לִשְׂחוֹק עֹשִׂים לֶחֶם וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח חַיִּים וְהַכֶּסֶף יַעֲנֶה אֶת הַכֹּל	10.19 lisxvoq `osym lexm vyàyin ysàmàx xàyym vhàkeseph yà`aneh )et hàkol	in laughter is the making of bread and wine makes life happy but silver is the whole answer	..
גַּם בְּמַדָּעֲךָ מֶלֶךְ אַל תְּקַלֵּל וּבְחַדְרֵי מִשְׁכָּבְךָ אַל תְּקַלֵּל עָשִׁיר כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת הַקּוֹל וּבַעַל כְּנָפַיִם יַגֵּיד דָּבָר	10.20 gàm bmàda`aka melek )àl tqàlél vubxàdréy mishkabka )àl tqàlél `ashyr ky `voph hàshamàyim yvolyk )et hàqvol vubà`àl hknpym knapàyim yàgéyd dabar	even in your knowledge do not slight the king and in your inner chamber lying down do not slight the wealthy for the bird of heaven will go with the voice and an owner of wings will declare the thing	..

Ecclesiastes chapter 9 - and thanks for all the fish

Je suis fini, je suis, avec tous les poissions
et j'espère que tu les trouveras fun
que je te donne les chapitres, un par un
dans les jours suivants qui viennent 

Qohelet did after all search for delightful things
so why should we be miserable?

Cheer up, little fishes, this God is love
and though it's costly, it's real
worth seeking out even if we must
for some reason, seek it in fear

It is difficult though, isn't it to see one's own fear...

כִּי אֶת כָּל זֶה נָתַתִּי אֶל לִבִּי וְלָבוּר אֶת כָּל זֶה אֲשֶׁר הַצַּדִּיקִים וְהַחֲכָמִים וַעֲבָדֵיהֶם בְּיַד הָאֱלֹהִים גַּם אַהֲבָה גַם שִׂנְאָה אֵין יוֹדֵעַ הָאָדָם הַכֹּל לִפְנֵיהֶם	9.1 ky )et kal zeh natàty )el liby vlabvur )et kal zeh )asher hàcàdyqym vhàxakamym và`abadéyhem byàd ha)elohym gàm )àhabah gàm sin)ah )éyn yvodéà`ha)adam hàkol lipnéyhem	because all this I gave to my heart and to think that all this stuff, the righteous and the shrewd and all their service, is in the hand of this God neither love nor hate does an earthling know of all of their presence	..
הַכֹּל כַּאֲשֶׁר לַכֹּל מִקְרֶה אֶחָד לַצַּדִּיק וְלָרָשָׁע לַטּוֹב וְלַטָּהוֹר וְלַטָּמֵא וְלַזֹּבֵחַ וְלַאֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ זֹבֵחַ כַּטּוֹב כַּחֹטֶא הַנִּשְׁבָּע כַּאֲשֶׁר שְׁבוּעָה יָרֵא	9.2 hàkol kà)asher làkol miqreh )exad làcàdyq vlarasha` là+vob vlà+ahvor vlà+amé) vlàzobéàx vlà)asher )éynenvu zobéàx kà+vob kàxo+e) hànishba` kà)asher shbvu`ah yaré)	As for all it is for all - one event - to the righteous and to the wicked to the good and to the clean and to the unclean and to one that sacrifices and to one for whom there is no sacrifice as good so sinner the one who swears an oath so the one that fears an oath	..
זֶה רָע בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי מִקְרֶה אֶחָד לַכֹּל וְגַם לֵב בְּנֵי הָאָדָם מָלֵא רָע וְהוֹלֵלוֹת בִּלְבָבָם בְּחַיֵּיהֶם וְאַחֲרָיו אֶל הַמֵּתִים	9.3 zeh ra` bkol )asher nà`asah tàxàt hàshemesh ky miqreh )exad làkol vgàm léb bnéy ha)adam malé) ra` vhvolélvot bilbabam bxàyéyhem v)àxarayv )el hàmétym	This is an evil in all that is done --- under the sun for one event is for all and even the heart of the children of the earth is filled with evil and madness is in their heart in their lives and after it - to the dead	..
כִּי מִי אֲשֶׁר יְחֻבַּר אֶל כָּל הַחַיִּים יֵשׁ בִּטָּחוֹן כִּי לְכֶלֶב חַי הוּא טוֹב מִן הָאַרְיֵה הַמֵּת	9.4 ky my )asher yxubàr )el kal hàxàyym yésh bi+axvon ky lkeleb xày hvu) +vob min ha)àryéh hàmét	for who that is joined to all the living is there to trust? for to a living dog there is good from the dead lion	Let's have puzzle rather than consistency - this Qohelet, though we love him, she is not tame.
כִּי הַחַיִּים יוֹדְעִים שֶׁיָּמֻתו וְהַמֵּתִים אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים מְאוּמָה וְאֵין עוֹד לָהֶם שָׂכָר כִּי נִשְׁכַּח זִכְרָם	9.5 ky hàxàyym yvod`ym sheyamutvu vhàmétym )éynam yvod`ym m)vumah v)éyn `vod lahem sakar ky nishkàx zikram	For the living know they will die but of the dead there is not knowledge or anything for there is no more wage for them for forgotten is their memory	..
גַּם אַהֲבָתָם גַּם שִׂנְאָתָם גַּם קִנְאָתָם כְּבָר אָבָדָה וְחֵלֶק אֵין לָהֶם עוֹד לְעוֹלָם בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ	9.6 gàm )àhabatam gàm sin)atam gàm qin)atam kbar )abadah vxéleq )éyn lahem `vod l`volam bkol )asher nà`asah tàxàt hàshamesh	even their love, even their hatred, even their envy is already destroyed and there is no more a portion to them in the age, in all that is done --- under the sun	..
לֵךְ אֱכֹל בְּשִׂמְחָה לַחְמֶךָ וּשְׁתֵה בְלֶב טוֹב יֵינֶךָ כִּי כְבָר רָצָה הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת מַעֲשֶׂיךָ	9.7 lék )ekol bsimxah làxmeka vushtéh bleb +vob yéyneka ky kbar racah ha)elohym )et mà`aseyka	Go, eat your bread in happiness and drink with a good heart your wine for already God accepts your deeds	This is a sudden change of address - more and more I am associating the persona of Qohelet with the learning of an anointed king. Such could be any commoner in the phrase, "He has made us kings and priests to our God." (Rev 1:6 et al)
בְּכָל עֵת יִהְיוּ בְגָדֶיךָ לְבָנִים וְשֶׁמֶן עַל רֹאשְׁךָ אַל יֶחְסָר	9.8 bkal `ét yihyvu bgadeyka lbanym vshemen `àl ro)shka )àl yexsar	In all time, let your garments be white and oil on your head let it not be lacking	..
רְאֵה חַיִּים עִם אִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ כָּל יְמֵי חַיֵּי הֶבְלֶךָ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לְךָ תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כֹּל יְמֵי הֶבְלֶךָ כִּי הוּא חֶלְקְךָ בַּחַיִּים וּבַעֲמָלְךָ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עָמֵל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ	9.9 r)éh xàyym `im )ishah )asher )ahàbta kal yméy xàyéy hebleka )asher natàn lka tàxàt hàshemesh kol yméy hebleka ky hvu) xlqka bàxàyym vubà`amalka )asher )àtah `amél tàxàt hàshamesh	See life with a wife that you love all the days of the life of your futility that he gives you --- under the sun all the days of your futility for this is your portion of life and in the toil that you yourself toil --- under the sun	..
כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָא יָדְךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּכֹחֲךָ עֲשֵׂה כִּי אֵין מַעֲשֶׂה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן וְדַעַת וְחָכְמָה בִּשְׁאוֹל אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה הֹלֵךְ שָׁמָּה ס	9.10 kol )asher timca) yadka là`asvot bkoxaka `aséh ky )éyn mà`aseh vxshbvon vdà`àt vxakmah bish)vol )asher )àtah holék shamah {s}	all that you find to your hand to do in your strength do it for there is no deed or reason or knowledge or shrewdness in Sheol there where you yourself go	Pause for consideration
שַׁבְתִּי וְרָאֹה תַחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי לֹא לַקַּלִּים הַמֵּרוֹץ וְלֹא לַגִּבּוֹרִים הַמִּלְחָמָה וְגַם לֹא לַחֲכָמִים לֶחֶם וְגַם לֹא לַנְּבֹנִים עֹשֶׁר וְגַם לֹא לַיֹּדְעִים חֵן כִּי עֵת וָפֶגַע יִקְרֶה אֶת כֻּלָּם	9.11 shàbty vra)oh tàxàt hàshemesh ky lo) làqàlym hàmérvoc vlo) làgibvorym hàmilxamah vgàm lo) làxakamym lexm vgàm lo) lànbonym `osher vgàm lo) làyod`ym xén ky `ét vapegà` yiqreh )et kulam	I turned and saw --- under the sun and not to the swift is the race and not to the warriors is the war and even not to the wise is the bread and even not to the understanding is wealth and even not to the knowledgeable is grace for time and change happen to them all	Note how this phrase is also used in Revelation If you have come this far with me, the result - the time and chance - needs to be seized that even misery is not to be considered a theft by others, but the opportunity to find to hand an escape with all strength
כִּי גַּם לֹא יֵדַע הָאָדָם אֶת עִתּוֹ כַּדָּגִים שֶׁנֶּאֱחָזִים בִּמְצוֹדָה רָעָה וְכַצִּפֳּרִים הָאֲחֻזוֹת בַּפָּח כָּהֵם יוּקָשִׁים בְּנֵי הָאָדָם לְעֵת רָעָה כְּשֶׁתִּפּוֹל עֲלֵיהֶם פִּתְאֹם	9.12 ky gàm lo) yédà` ha)adam )et `itvo kàdagym shene)exazym bimcvodah ra`ah vkàciparym ha)axuzvot bàpax kahém yvuqashym bnéy ha)adam l`ét ra`ah kshetipvol `aléyhem pit)om	for even the earthling does not know its time as the fish that are seized in an evil net and as the birds seized in the snare as with them, enticed are the children of earth in an evil time as it falls on them in an instant	..
גַּם זֹה רָאִיתִי חָכְמָה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וּגְדוֹלָה הִיא אֵלָי	9.13 gàm zoh ra)yty xakmah tàxàt hàshamesh vugdvolah hy) )élay	Even this I saw - shrewdness --- under the sun and she was magnified for me	there is a male and female difference here - to be considered
עִיר קְטַנָּה וַאֲנָשִׁים בָּהּ מְעָט וּבָא אֵלֶיהָ מֶלֶךְ גָּדוֹל וְסָבַב אֹתָהּ וּבָנָה עָלֶיהָ מְצוֹדִים גְּדֹלִים	9.14 `yr q+ànah và)anashym bah m`a+ vuba) )éleyah melek gadvol vsabàb )otah vubanah `aleyah mcvodym gdolym	a small city and a few humans in it and there came a great king and he circled her and built against her great siege-works	A parable
וּמָצָא בָהּ אִישׁ מִסְכֵּן חָכָם וּמִלַּט הוּא אֶת הָעִיר בְּחָכְמָתוֹ וְאָדָם לֹא זָכַר אֶת הָאִישׁ הַמִּסְכֵּן הַהוּא	9.15 vumaca) bah )ysh miskén xakam vumilà+ hvu) )et ha`yr bxakmatvo v)adam lo) zakàr )et ha)ysh hàmiskén hàhvu)	and in her there was a human poor and shrewd and he devised an escape for the city in his shrewdness and no earthling remembered this poor human	..
וְאָמַרְתִּי אָנִי טוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִגְּבוּרָה וְחָכְמַת הַמִּסְכֵּן בְּזוּיָה וּדְבָרָיו אֵינָם נִשְׁמָעִים	9.16 v)amàrty )any +vobah xakmah migbvurah vxakmàt hàmiskén bzvuyah vudbarayv )éynam nishma`ym	and I said, I did, good is wisdom over might yet the wisdom of the poor is despised and his things - there is no hearing for them	..
דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים בְּנַחַת נִשְׁמָעִים מִזַּעֲקַת מוֹשֵׁל בַּכְּסִילִים	9.17 dibréy xakamym bnàxàt nishma`ym mizà`aqàt mvoshél bàksylym	The things of the shrewd are in quiet heard over the cry of the ruler among the foolish	..
טוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִכְּלֵי קְרָב וְחוֹטֶא אֶחָד יְאַבֵּד טוֹבָה הַרְבֵּה	9.18 +vobah xakmah mikléy qrab vxvo+e) )exad y)àbéd +vobah hàrbéh	good is shrewdness over instruments of war and one sinner destroys good in plenty	..

Notes made while visiting other blogs

Well, beloved, what have I learned this month? Sometimes the best things come in very small packages - like this one at the Velveteen Rabbi.

Besides learning from Qohelet - and who knows yet where this leads, I have been daring to comment on theological issues. One day I will read some more theological principles. But I am not actually much interested in theology per se - I am more interested in the implied questions - who do they say that I am? and who do you say that I am? (That I is not me)

I note the following conversations because it is sometimes difficult for me to figure out how to get email or reader followup. When I note them here, I can go back to them more easily to see if there are any more comments.

• Tim for instance has a question on cold-blooded. How to get the death of the firstborn into 5 minutes. Can you help him? 
• Peter B meditates on good and evil as a matter of taste.  
• Peter L considers blessing and cursing. 
• The ever disciplined Richard Beck tells how George MacDonald affected him. 
• The Everyday Thomist Mrs. Haile has a post on the god of metphysics.

Ecclesiastes chapter 8 - the thing's the thing we'll contemplate

I really didn't expect to find
thing 1 and thing 2, a perfect pair,
to be the representative mind
of the earthlings - and they have blue hair!

Now chapters 8, 9, and 10 are less and less coherent and more and more like a collection of things which may or may not be related - but are juxtaposed - which is of course a relationship.

As per usual I have given a literal reading with some care and perplexity.

מִי כְּהֶחָכָם וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ פֵּשֶׁר דָּבָר חָכְמַת אָדָם תָּאִיר פָּנָיו וְעֹז פָּנָיו יְשֻׁנֶּא	8.1 my khexakam vumy yvodéà` pésher dabar xakmàt )adam ta)yr panayv v`oz panayv yshune)	Who is as the shrewd and who knows the interpretation of a thing An earthling's shrewdness makes its face shine and the strength of its face is changed	Seow has who is so shrewd - splitting the word. Also 'impudent face' - a nice gloss but I wonder how might shrewdness lead into such a change? His gloss implies the movement from negative judgment to positive. I think it over-translates and resolves multiple readings into one only.
אֲנִי פִּי מֶלֶךְ שְׁמֹר וְעַל דִּבְרַת שְׁבוּעַת אֱלֹהִים	8.2 )any py melek shmor v`àl dibràt shbvu`àt )elohym	I, --- 'read the lips' of the king. and concerning the thing of the oath of God	Read the lips - lit. keep the mouth. Here we have another 'thing' section with a proleptic ellipsis - O Dr Seuss, here you are in story land with an opening mystery.
אַל תִּבָּהֵל מִפָּנָיו תֵּלֵךְ אַל תַּעֲמֹד בְּדָבָר רָע כִּי כָּל אֲשֶׁר יַחְפֹּץ יַעֲשֶׂה	8.3 )àl tibahél mipanayv télék )àl tà`amod bdabar ra` ky kal )asher yàxpoc yà`aseh	Do not be rash to go from his presence nor let yourself stand in a wicked thing for all that pleases him he does	..
בַּאֲשֶׁר דְּבַר מֶלֶךְ שִׁלְטוֹן וּמִי יֹאמַר לוֹ מַה תַּעֲשֶׂה	8.4 bà)asher dbàr melek shil+von vumy yo)màr lvo màh tà`aseh	in whatever thing the king has mastery and who says to him, what are you doing?	..
שׁוֹמֵר מִצְוָה לֹא יֵדַע דָּבָר רָע וְעֵת וּמִשְׁפָּט יֵדַע לֵב חָכָם	8.5 shvomér micvah lo) yédà` dabar ra` v`ét vumishpa+ yédà` léb xakam	who keeps his command will not know an evil thing both time and judgment the heart of the shrewd will know	..
כִּי לְכָל חֵפֶץ יֵשׁ עֵת וּמִשְׁפָּט כִּי רָעַת הָאָדָם רַבָּה עָלָיו	8.6 ky lkal xépec yésh `ét vumishpa+ ky ra`àt ha)adam ràbah `alayv	for in all delight there is time and judgment for the evil of the earthling is great upon it	..
כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ יֹדֵעַ מַה שֶּׁיִּהְיֶה כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה מִי יַגִּיד לוֹ	8.7 ky )éynenvu yodéà`màh sheyihyeh ky kà)asher yihyeh my yàgyd lvo	For it has no knowledge of what is to be As for what is to be - who will tell it?	..
אֵין אָדָם שַׁלִּיט בָּרוּחַ לִכְלוֹא אֶת הָרוּחַ וְאֵין שִׁלְטוֹן בְּיוֹם הַמָּוֶת וְאֵין מִשְׁלַחַת בַּמִּלְחָמָה וְלֹא יְמַלֵּט רֶשַׁע אֶת בְּעָלָיו	8.8 )éyn )adam shàly+ barvuàx liklvo) )et harvuàx v)éyn shil+von byvom hàmavet v)éyn mishlàxàt bàmilxamah vlo) ymàlé+ reshà` )et b`alayv	it is not for an earthling to be master in the wind that it might hold back the wind for there is no mastery in the day of death and there is no handing over in war and wickedness will not let escape any that belong to it	but cf the giving of the spirit in John and Acts- and he handed over his spirit - to whom? And he breathed on them? And they were filled... The battle is definitely to be engaged to receive such
אֶת כָּל זֶה רָאִיתִי וְנָתוֹן אֶת לִבִּי לְכָל מַעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ עֵת אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַט הָאָדָם בְּאָדָם לְרַע לוֹ	8.9 )et kal zeh ra)yty vnatvon )et liby lkal mà`aseh )asher nà`asah tàxàt hàshamesh `ét )asher shalà+ ha)adam b)adam lrà` lvo	all this I saw and gave to my heart of every deed that is done --- under the sun of the time that the earthling takes power over an earthling to its own evil	..
וּבְכֵן רָאִיתִי רְשָׁעִים קְבֻרִים וָבָאוּ וּמִמְּקוֹם קָדוֹשׁ יְהַלֵּכוּ וְיִשְׁתַּכְּחוּ בָעִיר אֲשֶׁר כֵּן עָשׂוּ גַּם זֶה הָבֶל	8.10 vubkén ra)yty rsha`ym qburym vaba)vu vumimqvom qadvosh yhàlékvu vyishtàkxvu ba`yr )asher kén `asvu gàm zeh habel	and in this I saw the wicked buried and they come to the place of holiness and they go and are forgotten in the city where they did such even this is futility	..
אֲשֶׁר אֵין נַעֲשָׂה פִתְגָם מַעֲשֵׂה הָרָעָה מְהֵרָה עַל כֵּן מָלֵא לֵב בְּנֵי הָאָדָם בָּהֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת רָע	8.11 )asher )éyn nà`asah pitgam à`aséh hara`ah mhérah `àl kén malé) léb bnéy ha)adam bahem là`asvot ra`	that there is no edict done for an evil deed - quickly therefore the heart of the children of earth is filled in them to do evil	pitgam - only here and in Esther Who says justice was ever speedy!
אֲשֶׁר חֹטֶא עֹשֶׂה רָע מְאַת וּמַאֲרִיךְ לוֹ כִּי גַּם יוֹדֵעַ אָנִי אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה טּוֹב לְיִרְאֵי הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר יִירְאוּ מִלְּפָנָיו	8.12 )asher xo+e) `oseh ra` m)àt vumà)aryk lvo ky gàm yvodéà`)any )asher yihyeh +vob lyir)éy ha)elohym )asher yyr)vu milpanayv	that a sinner do evil a hundredfold and it be prolonged yet even I know, I do, that it will be good to those that fear God that fear him in his presence	..
וְטוֹב לֹא יִהְיֶה לָרָשָׁע וְלֹא יַאֲרִיךְ יָמִים כַּצֵּל אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ יָרֵא מִלִּפְנֵי אֱלֹהִים	8.13 v+vob lo) yihyeh larasha` vlo) yà)aryk yamym kàcél )asher )éynenvu yaré) milipnéy )elohym	but good will not be to the wicked and he will not prolong days as a shadow that they have no fear in the presence of God	..
יֶשׁ הֶבֶל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ צַדִּיקִים אֲשֶׁר מַגִּיעַ אֲלֵהֶ כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים וְיֵשׁ רְשָׁעִים שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ אֲלֵהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַצַּדִּיקִים אָמַרְתִּי שֶׁגַּם זֶה הָבֶל	8.14 yesh hebel )asher nà`asah `àl ha)arec )asher yésh càdyqym )asher àgyà`)aléhem kmà`aséh harsha`ym vyésh rsha`ym shemàgyà`)aléhem kmà`aséh hàcàdyqym )amàrty shegàm zeh habel	Here is futility that is done on the earth that there are the righteous such that they are touched as those who do wickedness and there are the wicked such that they are touched as those who do righteousness I say that this too is futility	Seow has it that there are righteous who are treated as wicked and vice versa. He cites these idioms from post-Biblical Hebrew and they do sound convincing. The verb is also used in Eccl 12:1. and Genesis 3:3 - neither will you touch it.
וְשִׁבַּחְתִּי אֲנִי אֶת הַשִּׂמְחָה אֲשֶׁר אֵין טוֹב לָאָדָם תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי אִם לֶאֱכֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת וְלִשְׂמוֹחַ וְהוּא יִלְוֶנּוּ בַעֲמָלוֹ יְמֵי חַיָּיו אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ	8.15 vshibàxty )any )et hàsimxah )asher )éyn +vob la)adam tàxàt hàshemesh ky )im le)ekol vlishtvot vlismvoàx vhvu) yilvenvu bà`amalvo yméy xàyayv )asher natàn lvo ha)elohym tàxàt hàshamesh	And I commended, I did, happiness that there is no good for the earthling --- under the sun in this case to eat, to drink, and be happy for this will join to its toil all the days of its life that this God gives it --- under the sun	..
כַּאֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי אֶת לִבִּי לָדַעַת חָכְמָה וְלִרְאוֹת אֶת הָעִנְיָן אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ כִּי גַם בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה שֵׁנָה בְּעֵינָיו אֵינֶנּוּ רֹאֶה	8.16 kà)asher natàty )et liby ladà`àt xakmah vlir)vot )et ha`inyan )asher nà`asah `àl ha)arec ky gàm bàyvom vubàlàylah shénah b`éynayv )éynenvu ro)eh	for that I gave my heart to know shrewdness and to see the business that is done on the earth for even by day and by night sleep is in its eyes and it is without sight	..
וְרָאִיתִי אֶת כָּל מַעֲשֵׂה הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי לֹא יוּכַל הָאָדָם לִמְצוֹא אֶת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בְּשֶׁל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲמֹל הָאָדָם לְבַקֵּשׁ וְלֹא יִמְצָא וְגַם אִם יֹאמַר הֶחָכָם לָדַעַת לֹא יוּכַל לִמְצֹא	8.17 vra)yty )et kal mà`aséh ha)elohym ky lo) yvukàl ha)adam limcvo) )et hàmà`aseh )asher nà`asah --- tàxàt hàshemesh bshel )asher yà`amol ha)adam lbàqésh vlo) yimca) vgàm )im yo)màr hexakam ladà`àt lo) yvukàl limco)	And I saw all the work of this God for the earthling cannot find out the deed that is done --- under the sun in that which the earthling toils to seek, but it will not find out and even if the shrewd one says it knows, it will not be able to find out	the preacher sees but there is no seeing to the earthling I see that I have confined 'work' to God and deed to the earthling for the most part... It wasn't quite deliberate.