Symbol and Rhetoric in Ecclesiastes: The Place of Hebel in Qohelet's Work : 9781589830295

Interpreters of Ecclesiastes have struggled with the word hebel (traditionally "vanity" but literally "vapor"). The positions they have adopted regarding the term have influenced their interpretation of the book as a whole. This work defends a new thesis for hebel. It presents a methodology for metaphor and symbol, then demonstrates how Qohelet employs hebel in the book with referents related to "insubstantiality," "transience," and "foulness." These referents are incorporated into a single, multivalent vapor-symbol by which Qohelet represents human experience. The study provides significant substantiation for the "realist" position on Ecclesiastes: Qohelet does not declare life to be entirely meaningless or absurd, but rather says that life is filled with limitations and complications and counsels his readers how to make the most of that life. The study concludes with a proposal for the rhetoric of Ecclesiastes in light of the symbol thesis. Paperback edition is available from the Society of Biblical Literature (www.sbl-site.org)

Author: Douglas B. Miller

Publisher: Society of Biblical Literature

Publication Date: Jan 01, 2002

Number of Pages: 258 pages

Binding: Paperback or Softback

ISBN-10: 1589830296

ISBN-13: 9781589830295