Meaningless, Meaningless?

That funny word that translators scratch their heads at is the refrain through Ecclesiastes and probably its key:

Hebel (Hebrew): heh'-bel, hab-ale' (English: havel). Often used as an adverb, emptiness or vanity, figuratively something transitory and unsatisfactory. Mist, vapour.

You get Meaningless (NIV), Vanity (KJV), Enigma (Lindsay Wilson, OT guy at Ridley). Others have gone with Smoke (The Message), Vapour (The Amplied). Fox has interpreted it as something like Absurdity, CEV says Nonsense, Useless (CEV), Holman's gone with Absolute Futility.

Someone said the point of it was 'transience'. Why not, since the literal sense is "mist", "vapour"? Earthly things are ephemeral.



"Hebel" bears an allusion to "Abel", who made a cameo at the start of the episode about the first family (he died at the hands of his brother, killer Cain, early in the piece).

The writer of Ecclesiastes is a wise and faithful follower of the true God. He throws himself into life, succeeds at everything and is still deeply frustrated. And in parts of the picture, he's despairing at how long things lasts. What's the point of building up an empire, when you'll have to give it over to someone when you die, who'll stuff it all up in a few days? It's like chasing the wind.

The transience of everything under the sun makes a good contrast to the Everlasting Lord and his eternal kingdom. We are like the grass of the field.

And here's where we readers can sober up. Whatever pleasures, riches, good things on earth won't last. So don't put your stock in them. Whatever sufferings, injustices, evils on earth won't last. So grieve over those things as those with hope. And be comforted that this too shall pass.

There is a day coming that will last forever. And in that day The Doorkeeper and The Prize is God himself. Ecclesiastes 12:13-4

Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.

For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

Jean: if you're reading, I didn't mean for our blogs to cross-pollinate. I've been mulling over Hebel for a while, as a part of my thinking on theodicy. Your post on work was really stimulating.