Ecclesiastes Through the Centuries E-Book

Eric S. Christianson

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: Blackwell Bible Commentaries
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 630

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

Ecclesiastes Through the Centuries "A rich tour down many significant streams of Western interpretation of this fascinating biblical book... Heartily recommended, without reservation." Bible and Critical Theory "A fundamental resource on biblical interpretation, especially in the modern world, this book is a winner." International Review of Biblical Studies "The introduction and commentary proper cover many topics, from patristic and rabbinic exegesis through to modern science-fiction, with numerous stops on the way... Very well written and accessible...an excellent book." Society for Old Testament Study Book List Over the centuries, Ecclesiastes has influenced numerous aspects of life and thought. Ecclesiastes Through the Centuries assesses the diverse effects of the book on culture in religion, art, and social contexts. Ecclesiastes shaped the life of European abbeys of the middle ages. For Renaissance thinkers, it provided a sceptical line of inquiry weighted with the disquieting authority of Scripture. It has inspired the imaginations of artists, musicians, and poets from the Renaissance to the present day. The influence of Ecclesiastes on literature has engaged authors as diverse as Bacon, Donne, Eliot, Hardy, Melville, and numerous Elizabethan poets. This commentary traces these influences as well as the fascinating range of Jewish and Christian readings. The result is an informative and broad-ranging approach to the impact of this book through the centuries that will engage all those studying the Bible. For further information about the Blackwell Bible Commentaries please visit www.bbibcomm.net.

Leseprobe

Contents

Series Editor’s Preface

Preface

A Pragmatic Note

Preface to the Paperback Edition

Testimonia

The Vagaries of Interpreting Ecclesiastes

Charting a Harsh Terrain

Qoheleth the Philosopher

Wrought by Melancholy

Preacher of Joy

True to Life

Qoheleth and Christianity

Qoheleth and Justice

Introduction

1 A History of Reception Histories

2 Reading Strategies and Lines of Influence

Ecclesiastes 1

The Life and Death of Solomon the Author: 1:1 et passim

Vanitas Vanitatum: 1:2 et passim

The Overture Played Out: 1:3–18

Ecclesiastes 2

Wrestling with the Test of Pleasure: 2:1–10

Understanding Wisdom, Folly and God’s Gifts: 2:11–24

Ecclesiastes 3:1–8

The Totality of Times

Ecclesiastes 3:9–6:12

On Fate, Knowledge and Anthropology: 3:9–22

On Oppression and the Value of Companionship: 4:1–12

On Conducting Oneself in the House of God: 5:1–8

On the Possibility of Profit and Relief from hebel: 5:10–6:12

Ecclesiastes 7–8

The Curious Values of Wisdom: 7:1–12

The Incongruity of Experience and the Inaccessibility of Wisdom: 7:13–29

About Wisdom, Power and Authority: 8:1–17

Ecclesiastes 9:1–12

The Wisdom of Death and Life

Ecclesiastes 9:13–11:10

Wise Conduct in the Light of Uncertainty: 9:13–11:6

The Final Call to Joy: 11:7–10

Ecclesiastes 12:1–7

The Rule of Allegory

Beyond Allegory

Ecclesiastes 12:8–14

The Final Word

A Hermeneutical Postscript

Understanding the Pervasive Appeal of Qoheleth

The Exegetical ‘Fidelity’ of Ecclesiastes’ Reception History

How Might This Reception History Inform the Discipline?

Bibliography

Primary Sources

Reception Histories of Ecclesiastes

Specialist Comparative Studies

Ecclesiastes General Secondary Sources

Other Secondary Sources

Appendix – The Quotable Qoheleth: Ecclesiastes in Popular Discourse

Illustrations

Acknowledgements

Name Index

Subject Index

Praise forEcclesiastes Through the Centuries

“Christianson’s study of Ecclesiastes’s cultural impact is rich and rewarding. [He] beautifully exposits the material that he treats, and suggests by brief reference some other avenues of fruitful exploration. In these ways, Ecclesiastes Through the Centuries serves both as an excellent treatment of the title theme and a good model for other reception histories to follow. The book may be heartily recommended, without reservation.”

Bible and Critical Theory

“Students of Ecclesiastes have been waiting a good many years for a book like Eric Christianson’s study … Not since the time of Christian David Ginsburg’s magisterial commentary Coheleth (commonly called the Book of Ecclesiastes) in 1861 has there been such a thorough survey of the reception history of Ecclesiastes.”

Lutheran Theological Journal

“With the text’s many difficult and provocative passages, the reception history of Ecclesiastes is always going to be more interesting than that of many biblical books, and in this erudite but entertaining commentary, Christianson takes full advantage of the rich materials at his disposal … The introduction and commentary proper cover many topics, from patristic and rabbinic exegesis through to modern science-fiction, with numerous stops on the way … Christianson is a genial guide throughout, and his own enthusiasm is clear; the book is very well written and accessible, moreover, so that it should appeal to both specialists and a wider public … Overall an excellent book.”

Society for Old Testament Study Book List

“A fundamental resource on biblical interpretation, especially in the modern world, this book is a winner.”

International Review of Biblical Studies

“The Bible’s boldest dissonant voice, often muted in the interpretations of theologians, rings out clearly when amplified by the candid commentaries of such eclectic literary masters as Bunyan, Voltaire, Thackeray, and T.S. Eliot. Christianson’s book draws the reader into the company of many distinguished earlier readers, admiring and critical alike. Those who, like me, appreciate the dissenting voice of Ecclesiastes will treasure this book as a new favourite about an old one.”

Bernhard Lang, University of Paderborn

“Sophisticated and illuminating at every turn, this is an exemplary history of interpretation. A gem of a book.”

Harold C. Washington, Saint Paul School of Theology

Blackwell Bible Commentaries

Series Editors: John Sawyer, Christopher Rowland, Judith Kovacs, David M. Gunn

John Through the CenturiesMark Edwards

Revelation Through the CenturiesJudith Kovacs & Christopher Rowland

Judges Through the CenturiesDavid Gunn

Exodus Through the CenturiesScott M. Langston

Ecclesiastes Through the CenturiesEric S. Christianson

Esther Through the CenturiesJo Carruthers

Psalms Through the Centuries: Volume ISusan Gillingham

Galatians Through the CenturiesJohn Riches

Pastoral Epistles Through the CenturiesJay Twomey

1 & 2 Thessalonians Through the CenturiesAnthony C. Thiselton

Six Minor Prophets Through the CenturiesBy Richard Coggins and Jin H. Han

Forthcoming:

1 & 2 Samuel Through the CenturiesDavid M. Gunn

1 & 2 Kings Through the CenturiesMartin O’Kane

Psalms Through the Centuries: Volume IISusan Gillingham

Song of Songs Through the CenturiesFiona Black

Isaiah Through the CenturiesJohn F. A. Sawyer

Jeremiah Through the CenturiesMary Chilton Callaway

Lamentations Through the CenturiesPaul M. Joyce and Diana Lipton

Ezekiel Through the CenturiesAndrew Mein

Jonah Through the CenturiesYvonne Sherwood

Mark Through the CenturiesChristine Joynes

The Acts of the Apostles Through the CenturiesBy Mikeal C. Parsons and Heidi J. Hornik

Romans Through the CenturiesPaul Fiddes

1 Corinthians Through the CenturiesJorunn Okland

Hebrews Through the CenturiesJohn Lyons

James Through the CenturiesDavid Gowler

Genesis 1-21 Through the CenturiesChristopher Heard

Genesis 22-50 Through the CenturiesChristopher Heard

Deuteronomy Through the CenturiesJonathan Campbell

DanielThroughtheCenturiesDennis Tucker

This paperback edition first published 2012© 2012 Eric S. Christianson

Edition History: Blackwell Publishing Ltd (hardback, 2007)

Blackwell Publishing was acquired by John Wiley & Sons in February 2007. Blackwell’s publishing program has been merged with Wiley’s global Scientific, Technical, and Medical business to form Wiley-Blackwell.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ecclesiastes through the centuries / Eric S. Christianson.p. cm.—(Blackwell Bible commentaries)Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN: 978-0-631-22529-4 (hbk.)–ISBN: 978-0-470-67491-8 (pbk.)1. Bible. O.T. Ecclesiastes—Commentaries. I. Title. II. Series.BS1475.53.C47 2007223′.807—dc22

2006012585

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

For Juliana and Elliot

Series Editors’ Preface

The Blackwell Bible Commentaries series, the first to be devoted primarily to the reception history of the Bible, is based on the premise that how people have interpreted, and been influenced by, a sacred text like the Bible is often as interesting and historically important as what it originally meant. The series emphasizes the influence of the Bible on literature, art, music, and film, its role in the evolution of religious beliefs and practices, and its impact on social and political developments. Drawing on work in a variety of disciplines, it is designed to provide a convenient and scholarly means of access to material until now hard to find, and a much-needed resource for all those interested in the influence of the Bible on Western culture.

Until quite recently this whole dimension was for the most part neglected by biblical scholars. The goal of a commentary was primarily if not exclusively to get behind the centuries of accumulated Christian and Jewish tradition to one single meaning, normally identified with the author’s original intention. The most important and distinctive feature of the Blackwell Commentaries is that they will present readers with many different interpretations of each text, in such a way as to heighten their awareness of what a text, especially a sacred text, can mean and what it can do, what it has meant and what it has done, in the many contexts in which it operates.

The Blackwell Bible Commentaries will consider patristic, rabbinic (where relevant), and medieval exegesis as well as insights from various types of modern criticism, acquainting readers with a wide variety of interpretative techniques. As part of the history of interpretation, questions of source, date, authorship, and other historical-critical and archaeological issues will be discussed, but since these are covered extensively in existing commentaries, such references will be brief, serving to point readers in the direction of readily accessible literature where they can be followed up.

Original to this series is the consideration of the reception history of specific biblical books arranged in commentary format. The chapter-by-chapter arrangement ensures that the biblical text is always central to the discussion. Given the wide influence of the Bible and the richly varied appropriation of each biblical book, it is a difficult question which interpretations to include. While each volume will have its own distinctive point of view, the guiding principle for the series as a whole is that readers should be given a representative sampling of material from different ages, with emphasis on interpretations that have been especially influential or historically significant. Though commentators will have their preferences among the different interpretations, the material will be presented in such a way that readers can make up their own minds on the value, morality, and validity of particular interpretations.

The series encourages readers to consider how the biblical text has been interpreted down the ages and seeks to open their eyes to different uses of the Bible in contemporary culture. The aim is to write a series of scholarly commentaries that draw on all the insights of modern research to illustrate the rich interpretative potential of each biblical book.

John SawyerChristopher RowlandJudith KovacsDavid M. Gunn

Preface

Qoheleth himself hints at the reality of the situation. The world may run its course with elegant regularity, but the stuff of interpretation – the articulation of words and the pursuit of understanding especially – is marred by fatigue, cognitive exasperation and endless publication. Rendering such boundless her-meneutical energy has required the use of fat paintbrushes, often resulting in far simpler lines than the subject would demand if examined more closely (though often that scrutiny has been more comprehensive than the lines suggest). In this respect I share wholeheartedly the views of James Barr in his preface to The Bible in the Modern World, that the phrases he found himself using (such as ‘in the early church’ or ‘up to modern times’) ‘must be the abomination of the true historian’ (1973: p. x).

It has of course not been possible to fully contextualize all of the examples of Ecclesiastes’ reception presented here, but I hope that will not be conceivedas a criticism. This commentary provides a portal of sorts to more in-depth investigation, and it is hoped that at least some of these examples will tempt readers to get out their spades and dig further. Indeed, this is precisely my own experience. In the course of research I was so enticed by the story of Voltaire’s Précis of Ecclesiastes that I selected it as a case study for detailed scrutiny (the results of which are published in Christianson 2005). I have done my best, therefore, to point the way to studies that fill out the areas that this commen­tary has by necessity excluded. And with primary material I have spent many hours producing as full and as accurate references as I could manage.

As for selection, I do not pretend to have followed an objective set of crite­ria. I have, however, sought to indicate the ongoing relationship in Ecclesiastes’ reading history between the well established and the subversive. While in many cases my own proclivities have biased me to showcase the latter, subversive readings nevertheless can say a great deal about what is conventional. Often the selection was driven by a moment of piqued curiosity or by the recognition of some strange and perceptive response to Qoheleth’s words. In such a choice there is little in the way of science.

Readers would of course be right to recognize the inordinate swelling of the Introduction, an abscess that suggests some form of unchecked verbal abandon, but the growth comes from the inordinate attention given by readers to the person of Qoheleth and the tenor of the book. In the manner of Ray Bradbury’s hero Guy Montag/Ecclesiastes in Fahrenheit 451, Ecclesiastes itself has become a byword for all sorts of critical ideas. The same can be said for the Testimonia chapter, which compiles citations on a range of subjects that authors have in some way related to ‘Qoheleth’ or the book as a whole. It is perhaps due to the manageable size of Ecclesiastes and its relatively easily grasped themes that writers have characterized its entirety with alarming frequency.

About seven years ago John Sawyer invited me to write this commentary. I immediately warmed to the spirit of the series but was wary of retreading material I had previously covered. Indeed, I set to work on a proposal for another book and surprised myself by coming to the conclusion that I did not want anyone else to write the Ecclesiastes volume! I am, then, immensely grate­ful to John for the invitation. The project has transformed my views on the nature of interpretation.

In charting this vast interpretive activity, I have been truly overwhelmed by the support of friends and colleagues who have been generous with their time, resources and skills. Among those who brought relevant material to my atten­tion, I would like to thank George Aichele, Andy Benson, Jane Day, Paul Fiddes, Paul Joyce and Tina Nicolson. I would also like to thank those who have kindly made available to me their unpublished or soon-to-be published work (often in the form of old conference papers which their authors had presumed forgot­ten!): Rebecca Beal, Howard Clarke, Eric Eliason, Paul Flesher, Michael Fox, Larry Kreitzer, Scott Langston and Anthony Perry. I must offer particular thanks to Robin MacGregor Lane who allowed me to make use of his as yet unpublished translation of Jerome’s commentary on Ecclesiastes. David Gunn, John Jarick, John Sawyer and Anthony Thiselton each gave of their valuable time reading portions of this book, and I am grateful for their many improve­ments (and I hereby exonerate them of any errors that follow). I am also grate­ful to those who kindly provided their translation skills: Andrew Dawson, Robert Evans, Terry McWilliams and Victor Morales (who also located some very useful material during a stint as research assistant). My own understand­ing of many of the odd occurrences of reception has benefited from conversa­tions with friends and colleagues, for which I offer particular thanks to Trevor Dennis, John Jarick, Chris Partridge and Mike Williams. Mike’s knowledge of classical music and perceptive listening skills was positively enlightening. Col­leagues in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Chester have supported this work in numerous ways, and I offer them my wholehearted thanks. And thanks as well to the editorial staff at Blackwell – in particular, Hannah Berry, Rebecca Harkin, Andrew Humphries, Karen Wilson, Jean van Altena and Cameron Laux – who have shown remarkable patience and support for this long-term project.

Of course a project like this requires exceptional resources, and many library staff have offered far more of their time and expertise than can reasonably be expected. They include: staff at St Deiniols library in Hawarden, North Wales (Peter Francis, Jenny Jones, Gregory Morris, Karen Parry, Nicola Pickett and Patsy Williams); staff in charge of rare collections at the Bodleian and University of Cambridge libraries; staff at the University of Chester library, in particular our indefatigable inter-library loan officer, Donna Crookall.

A special note of thanks must be offered to Catherine Milnes, who under­took a work placement as my research assistant in the early stages. It was not until I had reached the latter stages of writing that I came to realize the aston­ishing energy and detail of Catherine’s work, particularly on the vanitas arts tradition. She was, it seems, as enamoured as I with this extraordinary interpre­tive history.

I would like to thank my parents, who continue to show their support across many miles of ocean. I also thank Bob and Carol Rowberry, my parents in-law. They will never know just how much their unstinting generosity has enriched my life in the UK. I can offer only the most inadequate thanks to my wife, Sonya, for once again enduring my obsession with Qoheleth, but also for showing me uncommon support (including late night coffee and toast!). Finally, our children, Juliana and Elliot, have supported me no less with laugh­ter and a steady stream of reality doses.

A Pragmatic Note

In the commentary proper each chapter begins with a brief précis of the passage and its literary context in Ecclesiastes. The remainder of each chapter charts its interpreters. These readings are arranged chronologically, but are not cat­egorized under epochs or interpretive provenances (the only exceptions are the sections that deal with 1:1–2 and 12:1–7, which suited another scheme). Readers can, however, find extensive discussion of roughly conceived shifts of reading Ecclesiastes along such lines in the Introduction (e.g. Ecclesiastes in Renaissance readings, in modern literature etc.).

I have sought to preserve the variant spellings of early and pre-modern English, and I have not inserted ‘sic’ where exclusive language occurs (I use it only sparingly to clarify sense). Such language is so frequent in the sources that it would have become tiresome to do so.

Eric S. Christianson

1 March 2006

Preface to the Paperback Edition

It has been over five years since completing Ecclesiastes Through the Centuries. While I have been delighted by the volume’s warm reception, it was inevitable that some shortcomings would become apparent to me almost immediately. Perhaps most importantly, I realized while looking at the Preface that I had introduced ‘Qoheleth’ in the first sentence without a word of explanation. As it is the hope of the writers and editors of this series that the commentaries will have an appeal beyond the guild of biblical studies, this was an embarrassing slip-up. So, for those outside of Hebrew Bible studies especially, ‘Qoheleth’ is a transliteration of the Hebrew term for the book’s main character (alternatively transliterated as Qohelet, and more commonly in the past as Koheleth, Cohelet etc., and appearing at 1:1, 2, 12; 7:27; 12:8, 9, 10). A participle of the Hebrew verb qahal (to gather, assemble), most English translations of the Bible have alighted on a title such as ‘the Preacher’ or ‘the Teacher’ (and the ‘titling’ is supported by the prefixing of the definite article to qoheleth at 7:27 and 12:8). The majority of biblical scholarship, however, treats the word as a name, Qoheleth, and that is followed in this commentary.

Of course, some reviewers mentioned some of the gaps in the commentary’s coverage (not so much as a criticism as a point towards even further directions for readers). In terms of the primary material, the most pertinent gap to me was that there was little coverage of discourse outside of the Western European and North American. This is fair, and something I tried hard to avoid. A couple of years into the research of the commentary I was blessed with a research assistant who had studied in South Africa, was originally from Mexico and had travelled extensively. We drafted a letter/email which was sent to as many of his contacts as possible and came up empty-handed. I also explored the routes of postcolonial Bible criticism, but again was disappointed. I am certainly not suggesting the discourse is not there, but its treatment will clearly have to wait for someone more resourceful!

In terms of the secondary literature, I was pretty satisfied by the coverage of the commentary. However, in the same week that this commentary was launched at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature 2006, I found a fascinating and relevant volume hidden in the depths of the massive bookstalls of the conference. This was Mark Swift’s Biblical Subtexts and Religious Themes in Works of Anton Chekhov (Peter Lang, 2004). Remembering what I understood to be the fleeting presence of Ecclesiastes in the playwright’s work, I had a leaf through, and Ecclesiastes’ influence was plain to see. Swift argues that Qoheleth and Anton Chekhov shared ‘an epistemological questioning about the limits of knowledge’ and a form of ‘scientific skepticism’ accompanied by ‘compassion, moral conviction and practicality’ (178–79). Swift considers the thematic affinity of Ecclesiastes to selected stories (‘The Steppe’, ‘Happiness’, ‘The Beauties’ and ‘Gusev’) and finds that they all exhibit a search for meaning, the value of wisdom and learning, the method of epistemological observation, truth as a relative concept and the purposelessness of life, and these themes emerged from a direct relationship to the text of Ecclesiastes. Swift refers to Chekhov’s attempt to dramatize Ecclesiastes in a notebook fragment entitled ‘Solomon’ (something that I had briefly covered in the commentary; see p. 68). Swift argues that the fragment is ‘an adumbration of Chekhovian themes’, such as the quest for meaning, the burden of wealth and fame and existential despair. In other words, these are the themes that occupied the playwright even at the height of his creative powers.

Two works that arrived too late for consideration are worth mentioning. James Limburg’s Encountering Ecclesiastes: A Book for Our Time (Eerdmans, 2006) offers scores of mainly anecdotal, personal and compelling examples of readers engaging with Qoheleth, in times of grief (such as the carving of Eccl. 7:2 on his grandfather’s tombstone) and joy especially. Lastly, James T. Robinson has had a long-time interest in the Jewish medieval reception of Ecclesiastes and his work has come to a fruition of sorts in Samuel Ibn Tibbon’s Commentary on Ecclesiastes: The Book of the Soul of Man (Mohr Siebeck, 2007). A key work in rabbinic exegesis that is touched on occasionally in this commentary (access to which was made possible through Robinson’s earlier, less lengthy work on Tibbon), Robinson’s translation will be of great interest to students of Ecclesiastes’ reception history (and Robinson’s Hebrew critical edition is apparently in the works).

I wish to thank Wiley-Blackwell for commissioning the paperback edition. Apart from some minor corrections and this second Preface, the text remains the same.

Eric Christianson

Chester, September 2011

Testimonia

The Vagaries of Interpreting Ecclesiastes

For just as those who have trained in wrestling in the gymnasium strip for greater exertions and efforts in the athletic contests, so it seems to me that the teaching of Proverbs is an exercise, which trains our souls and makes them supple for the struggle with Ecclesiastes. . . . Indeed, one could think of every hyperbole and still not properly express in words what great struggles the contest with this scripture involves for the contestants, as they fight for a foothold for their thoughts, using their skill as athletes so that they may not find their argument overthrown, but in every intellectual encounter keep the mind on its feet to the end through the truth.

Gregory of Nyssa, Homilies on Ecclesiastes, c.380 (hom. 1, in Gregory of Nyssa 1993: 33)

[commenting on 1:9, ‘There is nothing new under the sun’:] A similar idea was suggested by the comic poet [Terence]: ‘Nothing has been said which has not been said before.’ Thus my teacher Donatus, when he would explain this verse, said, ‘They can go to hell who have said my interpretations before me.’

Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, 388/9 (in Kraus 1999–2000: 183)

I, in my humility, have considered the writings and compositions of those who have commented on the book of Ecclesiastes, both the more ancient and those of later date, and have found that they divide themselves into several classes; some have explained it by strange and far-fetched primary interpretations; and some by deep and subtle scientific disquisitions; and some by the method of recondite interpretation have drawn from it just and right doctrines; but the phase of resemblance between them is, that they have all been forced to alter its sense with glossing expressions, and not one of them has given us reason by any sufficient causes which he alleges, to give it any higher praise than that of ‘a rock which produces wholesome food’; or ‘a strong lion from whence cometh forth sweetness’.

Isaac Aramah, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, 1492 (Preface, in Preston 1845: 14–15)

This book is . . . one which no one has ever completely mastered. Indeed, it has been so distorted by the miserable commentaries of many writers that it is almost a bigger job to purify and defend the author from the notions which they have smuggled into him than it is to show his real meaning.

Martin Luther, Notes on Ecclesiastes, 1532 (in Luther 1972: 7)

If we look upon this Sermon in the Text, or any of the rest in the whole Book, as the word of man, though as the wisest of men, for so was King Solomon, we shall finde work for our wits to censure it, if not for our wilfulness to contradict it; (for no one book in all the Bible hath been more upon the rack, more stretched upon the tenter-hooks, by all sorts of men, then [sic] this) . . .

Edward Hyde, Allegiance and Conscience Not Fled out of England. . . (1662: 18)

It was impossible to compare the interpreters together, without being struck at the wonderful diversity of their opinions, which the light Solomon’s design and method appeared in to me gave me little room to expect . . . but the more I inquired into the grounds of every scheme that differed from mine, the more I found reason to conclude mine the most probable . . . For some find nothing in it but what appears to them perfectly agreable [] to the purest notions we can have of a revealed Doctrine; whereas others imagine they spy out Monsters, and discover many things which they can by no means reconcile with those notions, nor of consequence look upon as worthy of the holy Ghost.