Ecclesiastes - GA Barton - 1908.pdf

PRAISE OF QOHELETH [Cn. 12- 199
This is, perhaps, suggested by Qoheleth's own words
of the flesh}.
in i 18 . The editor would deter his pupil from unorthodox or
heathen literature by the thought of the weariness of study.
13 a . End of discourse], the end of the book. All has been heard}.
These words probably formed the conclusion of the editor's
work, and once formed the end of the book.
13 b . Fear God and keep his commandments}. These begin the
Chasid glossator's final addition. It is in harmony with his previous
insertions, cf. 3 17 8 8 n 9b . This is every man}. A Hebrew
metaphorical way of saying, "this is what every man is destined
for and should be wholly absorbed in." For parallels, see crit.
note. 14. For every work God will bring into the judgment concern-
ing every secret thing]. This echoes the words of the Chasid in 1 1 .
With this note of judgment the book, as the Chasid left it, closes.
The Massorets thought the ending too harsh, and accordingly re-
peated vs. 13 after it, to make the book close with a more pleasant
thought. They made similar repetitions at the end of Isaiah,
the Minor Prophets and Lamentations.
12 9 . in>] was taken by Heil., Z6. and Dale to mean "as to the rest,"
or "it remains" (to speak of). The word is, however, an adv. as in
2 is
716. jn those passages it means "excessively," here, "besides,"
cf. 5DB. 45 2b. This approaches the Mishnic meaning of "additional,"
given to a kindred 1
form, see Ja. 6o5a. ID ?] Piel with causative force
of nnV= "to learn," cf. BD. It takes two objects, cf. Ko. 327^ oyn].
(6, A, read DINH, which Gr. 5
preferred. ft ?] was connected by the Ver-
sions with f;.N = "ear," either as noun or verb. It is in reality the only
survival in BH. of fTN="to weigh" (cf. Ar. wazari), from which comes
O' IJ?ND=" scales." Here it seems to mean "weigh"
"test" (cf. Ges. Bu -
in the sense of
p. 23a and DB. 24b). -ij5n]="to search out,"
occurs in Piel only here. Zap. would erase it on metrical grounds as a
gl. fiP.ri] is used by Q. only in the sense of "making straight the
crooked," cf.
15
i 7 13 . Here it means "set in order," "arranged," as in
the Targ. and Tal. (cf. Ja. 1692). This difference from the usage of
Qoheleth confirms our suspicion that the verse is from a later editor.
nain], on the use of this word with nouns, see Ko. 3i8e. (6 takes