Luca Mazzinghi, «The Divine Violence in the Book of Qoheleth», Vol. 90 (2009) 545-558
In the face of violence, Qoheleth’s answer: “There is no one to console them” (Qoh 4,1) seems to be a hostile allusion aimed at God (cf. Isa 40,1) who is considered responsible for that violence. Yet Qoheleth’s God is not an abstract and remote deity; Qoheleth’s criticism is directed rather at the God of retribution (cf. Qoh 9,1-3). By stressing divine transcendence, Qoheleth considers that God is beyond all human comprehension (cf. 8,16-17). In Qoheleth one cannot speak of divine violence, but there is the problem of human language about God. Man can only “fear God” and accept the joy that God grants him as a gift in his fleeting life.
The Divine Violence in the Book of Qoheleth
To speak of the relationship between God and violence within Scripture
is always difficult. In fact, our notion of “violence†is quite different
from that entertained by biblical man (1). For this reason, the exegete has
to adopt a double perspective: both the historical context of the texts
that he or she is examining and also that in which he or she is living.
Then, at the theological level, we must not forget that the biblical
authors are writing in a context in which faith in God is something to be
taken for granted, even when this faith creates problems for the human
person. This is no longer the case for modern humanity which can quite
easily distance itself from the very idea of God.
1. The Tears of the Oppressed (Qoh 4,1)
These observations will serve as introduction to our subject: we ask
if it is possible to speak of divine violence in connection with the book
of Qoheleth.
Qoh 4,1 is a useful starting point: in fact, it is a passage which is not
infrequently given as an example of Qoheleth’s pessimism (2):
“Again (3) I saw
all the oppressions that are practised under the sun.
And behold, the tears of the oppressed,
and they had no one to comfort them!
On the side (4) of their oppressors there was power,
and there was no one to comfort them†(Qoh 4,1).
(1) In this connection, cf. the Acts of the XXXIX Settimana Biblica Italiana,
L. MAZZINGHI (ed.), La violenza nella Bibbia, RicStoBib 20 (2008), with
numerous articles and an abundant bibliography.
(2) Cf., for example, F. CRÜSEMANN, “Die unveränderbare Welt: Über-
legungen zur ‘Krisis der Weisheit’ beim Prediger (Kohelet)â€, W. SCHOTTROFF –
W. STEGEMANN (eds.), Der Gott der kleinen Leute. Sozialgeschichltliche
Bibelauslegungen (21979) I, 80-104. For a detailed analysis of this passage with a
further bibliography, cf. F. BIANCHI, “‘Essi non hanno chi li consoli’ (Qo 4,1)â€,
RivBibIt 40 (1992) 299-307; and also A. PASSARO, “Non c’è chi li consoli. La
violenza nei libri sapienzialiâ€, La violenza nella Bibbia, 95-110, centered
precisely on the theme of violence. Cf. also J.-J. LAVOIE, “De l’inconvénient d’être
né. Etude de Qohélet 4,1-3â€, SR 24 (1995) 297-308.
(3) The verb bwv is to be understood here in an adverbial sense.
(4) M. FOX, A Time to Tear Down and a Time to Build Up. A Rereading of
Ecclesiastes (Grand Rapids, MI 1999) 218, reads dyb instead of dym and translates:
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