"Hebel": Variations in the translation of Eccl 1:2

Hebel הֶבֶל means "vapor or breath," an important metaphor for something that is short-lived or ephemeral. This word in Eccl 1:2 is translated variously. What do you think is the best translation or how can you translate Eccl 1:2 in your way? More importantly, what is the meaning of "hebel" in Ecclesiastes? That is a matter of interpretation. See below a few examples of English translation:

NRSVue (NRSV updated edition):
Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

NIV (New International Version):
“Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”

CEB (Common English Bible):
Perfectly pointless, says the Teacher, perfectly pointless.
Everything is pointless.

NASB (New American Standard Bible):  
“Futility of futilities,” says the Preacher,
“Futility of futilities! All is futility.”

CJB (Complete Jewish Bible):
Pointless! Pointless! — says Kohelet —
Utterly meaningless! Nothing matters!

Eccl 1:1-12 (hebel)

I just began to read Qohelet (Ecclesiastes) verse by verse. The first section of Eccl 1:2-11 sets the tone for the entire book, which concerns the nature of human life and its meaning or purpose. The question is, How can one live in a world of contrariness and ephemerality? One of the pivotal metaphors throughout the book is "hebel" (breath or vapor). The issue is not that we are a mere breath or vapor but how we interpret it as we live in a world of nonsense-like realities. "Vanity of vanities" does not convey the nuances of this word because the point is not so much on the complete futility of human life as on the short yet valuable life.

Let's go to Ecclesiastes

I will read Ecclesiastes verse by verse for the next couple of weeks. It has only 12 chapters; that is a huge relief. I came through 31 chapters of Proverbs and 42 chapters of Job. After Ecclesiastes, I will do lots of brainstorming on all three books of wisdom literature. Wisdom is my food these days. I will eat dozens of the reading notes that I produced.

I finished reading the Book of Job

Finally, I reached the last chapter 42 of the Book of Job. Why is the wisdom book so long? I am not a big fan of a long book with all the elaborate words. However, I love poetic expressions in the middle sections of the book and Job's authentic, persistent engagement with God without being swayed by his friends. Job's friends failed to minister to him, busy persuading him with words of empty theology. But God acknowledges Job and his case while not answering him about why he suffers. In the end, God seems to admit unwittingly that his experiment with Job was too cruel for any lesson.

Elihu appears on the scene

I took dizzy rollercoasters with Job and his three friends, going through 31 chapters of the Book of Job so far. While Job was consistently arguing for his innocence, his three buddies were preaching to him three different times with the same kind of tedious, judgmental sermon. They did not have pity on him, let alone their pastoral sensitivity or silence. Finally, in chapter 32, a young man, Elihu, appears suddenly on the scene and criticizes both Job and his friends. He is overconfident and dares to present his opinion/answer. He thinks he has the answer. I will see him going to argue for his case. Will he be successful? 

Handwritten notes (Job)

I am in chapter 24 of the Book of Job. It’s so helpful to make handwritten notes. I am just halfway on page 7. In the computer age, we tend to forget handwriting. When I read an important book, including scriptures, notetaking with a pencil or colored pen is crucial. It is material that I can touch and feel.

 

The Parable of Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-8)

 



Luke 16:1 Then Jesus said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. 2 So he summoned him and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.' 3 Then the manager said to himself, 'What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.' 5 So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6 He answered, 'A hundred jugs of olive oil.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.' 7 Then he asked another, 'And how much do you owe?' He replied, 'A hundred containers of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill and make it eighty.' 8 And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light (NRSV).

The parable of Unjust Steward is complex. How can we see the unjust manager? He probably practiced usury. He lent a lot of money to his customers (village people) with a very high-interest rate, which means they could not pay him back easily or fast. He takes the interest-difference amount in his pocket. This means he deceives both his master and his village people. As a result, his master's reputation was ruined due to his malpractice of business. His customers were also ruined due to this and perhaps cried for justice. Now the master heard about this and is going to fire him. Then, this manager does something shrewd to his customers by cutting the debt so that he may be welcomed into their homes when he is fired. Seeing this, his master commended his action not because of his dishonesty but because of his fixing the high-interest debt. As a result, his customers are happy along with his master whose reputation is recovered. Then, could the lesson of this parable be "Save yourself by saving others"? This manager saves himself by saving others.

Job's Suffering and Justice

[Courtesy of FreeBibleImages.org] 

Job does not know why he suffers and argues that he is blameless. Even if he is not sinless or perfect, he does not deserve such excruciating suffering. He concludes that God must be cruel or impartial because "He destroys both the blameless and the wicked" (Job 9:22). So, he feels nothing and laments: "If I am wicked, woe to me! If I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head, for I am filled with disgrace and look upon my affliction. Bold as a lion you hunt me; you repeat your exploits against me" (Job 10:15-16).

Job operates within the traditional theology of reward and punishment and struggles to understand his innocent suffering. In this view, the logic is "you reap what you sow." But he challenges this traditional wisdom because it does not work for him. In later chapters, he even points out that his friends are not faultless and the wicked are at ease (Job 12:6; 13:7-12). He persistently argues that he is blameless and does not deserve all-loss calamity, including his unbearable suffering. He knows that normative wisdom failed in his eyes. He must live and deal with the traditional worldview. Worse, no one heard him. Even God is silent. His three friends keep saying: "You have sinned; you deserve punishment; repent; then you will prosper again." Traditional theology intoxicated his friends. They don't listen to him at all. They speak all the time. Job is even more despondent and dejected.

The alternative worldview may help Job understand his misery better. That is, anyone falls victim to anything under heaven. Tragedy may happen anywhere to anyone. In that regard, heaven and earth are merciless and impartial. In the case of Job, suffering or misfortune is caused not necessarily by God's action or due to sin. As the sun shines on all, and as the storm hits anyone, things may happen to anyone (c.f., Matt 5:45; Dao De Jing 5).

As we approach the end of the Book of Job, God appears finally and speaks to Job. But he still does not answer Job why he suffers. Perhaps the only good news is that God is there with him.

*See my article about Job 

JOB 9:15-22 (NRSVue):

9:15 Though I am innocent, I cannot answer him;
I must appeal to my accuser for my right.
16 If I summoned him and he answered me,
I do not believe that he would listen to my voice.
17 For he crushes me with a tempest
and multiplies my wounds without cause;
18 he will not let me get my breath
but fills me with bitterness.
19 If it is a contest of strength, he is the strong one!
If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?
20 Though I am innocent, my own mouth would condemn me;
though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.
21 I am blameless; I do not know myself;
I loathe my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’

One Year Anniversary of Promotion

I just realized that it has been one year since my promotion to full professor last year. My body and spirit go well hand in hand. I pray that I will maintain speed and quality in my teaching and research. I am that I am. I will be that I will be.

Power of note (Proverbs)

The Book of Proverbs feeds my imagination. Just finished reading all 31 chapters with notes. Here is my first-page note to which I will come back. Close reading is the beginning of biblical interpretation. Tomorrow I will move on to the Book of Job.