A Specific Application of the Proverb in Ecclesiastes 1:15

Bernon Lee, University of Calgary

1. Introduction

1.1	The obscurity of Ecclesiastes 1:15 has caused many interpreters to stumble over the question of its application and contribution to Qohelet's message. The verse speaks of a certain entity that is "crooked" and lacking and emphasizes Qohelet's inability to rectify these perceived deficiencies.

Nqotli lkaw@y-)lo tw@f(um	[The] crooked cannot be straightened,
twnm@fhil lkaw@y-)lo Nwrsxew	and the deficiency cannot be numbered (Eccl 1:15).

The obscurity of the verse stems from the fact that it, like most aphorisms, is an abstract saying that loses its significance when interpreted apart from specific situations that supply a requisite subject matter. The subjects in both lines are adjectival nouns; they do not identify the subjects, but only denote their qualitative aspects. We are thus left with the question: what, according to verse 15, is crooked and deficient?

1.2	In this article, I propose that the verse depicts the frustration of the author as he observes the many injustices in the world. In particular, I relate the proverb of 1:15 to the subject matter that immediately follows the verse with its expanded commentary in 2:12-17: Qohelet's search for an advantage to wisdom (1:16-18). The proverb describes the results of his quest; the world is crooked and bereft of any permanent advantage for the wise. My identification of a situation that fits the descriptive content of Ecclesiastes 1:15 is based on the existence of a literary structure surrounding the proverb (1:13-17 + 18), a structure which finds the proverb of 1:15 as its focus. Prior to presenting the details of this structure, I hope to clarify the need to identify a particular application of 1:15 in a specific situation with a brief summary of recent scholarship on the problems with the verse.

2. Recent Views on the Interpretation of Ecclesiastes 1:15

2.1	A survey of recent scholarship on the book of Ecclesiastes finds scholars seeking to identify the subject of the proverb in 1:15. Some resist a thorough exploration of the implications of the verse by maintaining a broad and non-specific subject matter for the verse. J. L. Crenshaw understands the verse to be an ancient aphorism quoted to denote the permanence of divine decrees. For Crenshaw, the statement stands to reinforce the fact that it is impossible to improve human circumstances. A. Lauha admits that the operative arena for the proverb is unclear and, like Crenshaw, designates its contribution as a general statement about human impotence. R. E. Murphy too recommends a broad interpretation for 1:15 encompassing the physical and the spiritual realms. Murphy further sees the proverb as a justification for the lbehe-judgment on the deeds under the sun in verse 14. M. V. Fox opts for a similar link and sees the proverb as a restatement of the lbehe-judgment in 1:14. Most recently, C. L. Seow has joined the ranks of scholars who relate the proverb to the quest of the preceding verses. Like Crenshaw, he thinks that the aphorism reinforces the thought that the matters of the world are beyond any human corrective ability. Although I am not in disagreement with the application of the proverb to the general undertaking of 1:13-14, Qohelet's stated intention to explore the world's events does little to explain the proverb of 1:15. The scope of the task as designated by Myimf#,$fha txata@ h#&f(jna r#$e)j-lk@ is too general and broad to indicate a specific entity in need of correction and completion. The programmatic statement of 1:13 is as ambiguous as the proverb of verse 15.

2.2	More specific explanations of the proverb strive to supply a concrete subject for the verse. H.W. Hertzberg proposes that 1:15 refers to the inability of humans to attain wisdom; as such, the missing element in verse 15b would refer to wisdom's absence. But Hertzberg's interpretation relies on the substitution of wisdom (hmfkxf) for 'all deeds under heaven' (Myimf#,$fha txata, h#&f(jna r#$e)j-lkf@) as the object of Qohelet's inquiry in 1:13a. Such a reading of 1:13a is doubtful and the search for a suitable explanation for the proverb, once again, falls on the ambiguity of Qohelet's inspection of everything under heaven. Kurt Galling thinks that the cryptic proverb originally referred to the crooked back of an old man; consequently, the missing element of the second line refers to a loss in height. According to Galling, the proverb stands as a metaphorical statement denoting the inevitability and incomprehensible nature of death. Although death is an expressed concern for Qohelet (2:16; 3:19; 5:14; 9:3, 10; 12:6-8), it does not feature as a subject matter in the immediate vicinity of 1:15. W. Zimmerli sees the aphorism as a stab at the fool's lack of learning. However, a pointed remark about the fool's deficiencies seems out of place here. In 1:13-18, Qohelet deals with the inexorable task of observing the world's events with the aid of wisdom (1:13), and later on, with an experiment in wisdom and folly (1:17) which ends in grief (1:18). Nowhere in 1:13-18 does 'folly' or the 'fool' appear as an independent subject matter with which the reader may associate the ambiguous proverb. Zimmerli's proposition lacks the prerequisite systematic narrowing of focus on the fool to the exclusion of other subject matter in 1:13-18; without the 'fool' as a ready and prominent subject, one can hardly assume such a specific reference in 1:15.

2.3	In my view, this brief review of scholarship on the interpretation of 1:15 reveals two areas that require further exploration and/or clarification.

(i) Those who recommend a general interpretation for 1:15 are correct; the preceding verses (1:13-14) cast a wide net with the programmatic statement of purpose to examine all events under the heavens. Indeed a brief moment of reflection would produce a myriad of things in the world in need of straightening and completion. However, the precise implications of the proverb within a specific situation remain largely unexplored. Does Qohelet provide any specific examples of crooked things in need of correction? I believe he does.

(ii) Those who do attempt to apply the proverb to a specific situation often have recourse to subject matter outside the surrounding material of the verse. The absence of an immediate link (whether thematic or by proximity) renders these applications somewhat tenuous.

3. The Surrounding Material of Ecclesiastes 1:13-17 + 18: A Literary Structural Unity

3.1	I suggest that the proverb has a double reference. Firstly, it refers to the divinely appointed task of discovering the work that has been done under heaven (1:13-14). Secondly, the proverb also refers to, a specific variant of the above task, the quest to understand wisdom, madness, and folly (1:16-17). I believe this to be true for two reasons:

(i) The proverb is enclosed by thematic inclusio; the common elements of Qohelet's two parallel tasks of 1:13-18 surround the proverb. The prominence of hmfkxf is expressed in 1:13 and emphasized by hyperbolic exaggeration in 1:16b: Qohelet recounts the vast amount of wisdom that he has accumulated. The descriptions of both tasks also end with a similar conclusion that hmfkxf is insufficient for either task; similar phrases are employed as analogies for both tasks (xwr tw@(r/xwr Nwy(r). Formally, 1:13-14 begins with a statement of what the task is and then goes on to narrate Qohelet's involvement (1:14). This order is reversed in 1:16-17; Qohelet first describes the rigours of multiplying wisdom and then states his intention "to know wisdom" (1:17a). When 1:13-14 and 1:16-17 are placed together, the sequence forms a chiasmus. The structure of 1:13-17 leaves the impression of two related tasks (vss. 13-14 and 16-17), with some common elements, that point to the proverb of 1:15 as the focus of the unit.

hmfkxfb rw,tlfw: #$wrdli ybi@li-t) yttnw:	Qohelet states the task,
Myimf#$fha txata@ h#&f(jna r#&e)j-lk,f l(
Mdf)fhf ynbli Myhilo)v Ntanf (r Nyan(i )w,h
(1:13) wb, twn(jla
My#&i&(jm,aha-lk,f-t)e ytiy)ir	and then proceeds to describe part of its process.
#$me#$@fha txat,a w,#&(jn@#$e
(1:14) xwr tw,(rw, lbehe lk,oha hnhiw:
rmo)l yb,ili-M(i yni)j yt,irb,ad,	He describes his accomplishment of multiplying
hmfkxf yt,ipsawhw: yt,ild,ag:hi hn,hi yni)j	wisdom through the process of the task,
Mlf#$fw,ry-l(a ynpfl hyfhf-r#$e)j-lk,f l(a
(1:16) t(adfwf hmfkxf hb,rha h)fr yb,iliw:
hmfkxf t(adalf yb,ili hnt,)ew	and then restates the task with a narrowing of its
tw,lk#&iw: twllwh t(adaw:	focus to the contemplation of wisdom, madness,
(1:17) xw,r Nwy(ra )w,h hze-Mg,#$e yt,i(day	and folly.

Although verse 18 stands outside the general scheme outlined above, its elaboration on the theme of wisdom and folly leaves little doubt that it should be a part of the unit.

(ii) A partial repetition of the proverb of 1:15 in 7:13 unambiguously refers to the "work of God" (Myhilo)vhf h#&(jma) which is synonymous to #$me#$@fha txat,a w,#&(jn#$e My#&i&(jm,aha-lkf. 7:13 therefore makes a clear association between the proverb and, at least, one of the tasks described in 1:13-18.

4. The Ambiguity of the First Task 1:13-14

4.1

hmfkxfb rw,tlfw: #$wrdli ybi@li-t)e yt@itanw:	I gave my heart to seek and to explore by wisdom
Myimf#$fha txata@ h#&f(jna r#&e)j-lk,f l(a	everything that is done under the heavens.
Mdf)fhf ynbli Myhilo)v Ntanf (r Nyan(i )w,h	That is the evil toil God gave to humanity
(1:13) . wb, twn(jla	to labour with (1:13).
My#&i&(jm,aha-lk,f-t)e ytiy)ir	I saw all the deeds
#$me#$@fha txat,a w,#&(jn#$e	which were done under the sun
(1:14) xwr tw,(rw, lbehe lk,oha hn,hiw:	and behold, everything is a chasing of the wind

The initial sub-unit of 1:13-14 does not help to clarify the descriptive content of 1:15 because of the ambiguity of its undertaking. The author introduces his task with a reflective stance employing the usage of first-person endings in the two verbs which denote investigation (#$wrdli...... yt,itanw:) and perception (ytiy)ir). The heart (bl) which is the seat of understanding in biblical Hebrew (Prov 15:32; 19:8) is given over to the task of investigating all that is done under the heavens.

4.2	The object of investigation, Myimf#$f,ha txata@ h#&f(jn r#&e)j-lk,f, is rephrased in 1:14 as
#$me#$@fha txat,a w,#&(jn,a#$e My#&i(jm,aha-lk,f; both phrases depict large and general categories. The field of investigation is also designated as 'divine activity'; this is evident from 8:17 where Qohelet uses
#$me#$,eha-txata h#&f(jn r#$e)j h#&e(jm,aha and Myhilo)vhf h#(jma-lk,f interchangeably. Furthermore, 3:11 concurs with 8:17 by designating the comprehension of divine activity as the toil (Nyfn(i) given to humans

4.3	The description of the undertaking in 1:13-14 is very broad and lacking in specific detail. What precisely are the 'deeds of the world' and what is the nature of an inspection of every event under the sun? As long as these questions remain unanswered, one simply cannot determine how the descriptions of 1:15 apply to the quest of 1:13-14. We therefore turn to the other task (vss. 16-18) of 1:13-18 for an explanation of the proverb in 1:15.

5. The Second Task: 1:16-17 + 18

5.1	The second task of the literary unit (1:13-17 + 18) is a contemplation of wisdom and folly.

rmo)l yb,ili-M(i yni)j yt,irb,ad,i	I said in my heart,
hmfkxf yt,ipsawhw: yt,ild,ag:hi hn,h ynia)a:	"behold, I have magnified and multiplied wisdom
Mlf#$fw,ry-l(a ynpfl hyfhf-r#$e)j-lk,f l(aa	[more than] all who were before me in Jerusalem.
(1:16) t(adfwf hmfkxf hbrha h)fr yb,iliw:	And my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge
hmfkxf t(adalf yb,ili hnt,)ew	I gave my heart to know wisdom,
tw,lk#&iw: twllwh t(adaw:	and to know madness and folly.
(1:17) xw,r Nwy(r )w,h hze-Mg,#$e yt,i(day	I realized that this also is a chasing of the wind
s(akf,-br hmfkxf brob yk,i	For in much wisdom is much sorrow,
(1:18) . bw)kma Pysiwy t(ad,a Pysiwyw:	and to multiply knowledge is to multiply pain.

Like 1:13-14, 1:16-18 employs generous usage of first-person verbs: yt,irb,ad,i; yt,ild,aghi; yt,ipsawh; yt,i(day;hnft@)ew. The emphasis on Qohelet as the subject of experience is also reinforced by the emphatic use of the first-person pronoun (yn)j) in 1:16 in 1:16. The use of the verbs "I magnified" and "I multiplied" to depict Qohelet's quest for wisdom lends exaggeration to his efforts.

5.2	There is a shift from the observation of external phenomena (Myimf#$fha txata, h#&f(jna r#&e)j-lk,f) to the investigation of Qohelet's epistemological premises in 1:16-18. In 1:13, hmfkxf is the standard by which all deeds are evaluated; but in 1:17, it is hmfkxf and its antonymic counterpart, tw,lk#&i, that constitute the focus of Qohelet's interest. Qohelet's contemplative gaze in 1:17 has shifted to the hermeneutical parameters which governed his quest in 1:13.

5.3	The presence of the phrase xw,r Nwy(r in 1:17b is reminiscent of 1:14b. Likewise, hz-Mg#$e looks back to 1:14 which designates the task there as a "chasing of the wind". The particle Mg creates a second category of action that also fits the analogy of a "chasing of the wind"; in 1:17, the phrase refers to Qohelet's self-immersion in wisdom and folly. It is therefore clear that 1:13-18 outlines a dual nature to Qohelet's inquiry; the first is to understand the events of the world, and the second is to know wisdom, madness and folly.

5.4	The passage draws to a close with a synonymously parallel couplet describing the failure of wisdom (1:18): much wisdom brings much sorrow and increasing knowledge brings increasing pain.

5.5	Hitherto, the experimental venture into "wisdom", "madness", and "folly" has cast little light on the significance of the proverb of 1:15 to this particular situation. What sort of a problem do the above three qualities present to Qohelet and why does the multiplication of knowledge lead only to more sorrow? What is crooked and deficient about the pursuit of wisdom and folly? The expanded description of Qohelet's task to understand wisdom and folly in 2:12-17 provides an answer to these questions.

6. The Quest to Know Wisdom and Folly and the Link with 2:12-17

6.1	The exact details of Qohelet's contemplation of wisdom and folly come into focus in 2:12-17.

hmfkxf tw)rli yn)j ytiynpfw	I turned to consider wisdom,
tw,lksiw: twllwhw:	madness, and folly.
K7lem,eha yrxj)a )wby#$e Mdf)fhf hme yki,	Indeed, what can the man who comes after the king [do],
(2:12)w,hw,#&(f rbfk,-r#$e)j t)	but what they have already done.
Nwrty #$y,"#$e yn)f ytiy)irw:	I saw that there is an advantage
tw,lksi,ha-Nmi hmfkxfla	for wisdom over folly,
(2:13) K7#$exoha-Nmi rw)hf Nwrtyk,i	like [the] advantage of light over darkness
w#$)rob, wyny( Mkfxfhe	The wise one [has] eyes in his head,
K7lwh K7#$exob,a lysik,haw:	but the fool walks in darkness.
dxf)e hreqm,i#$e yn)f-Mg yt,i(dayw:	But I also know that one lot
(2:14) . Ml,fk,u-t)e hreqyi	befalls both [/all].
yb,ilib, yn)j yti,rma)fw:	I said in my heart,
ynrqy yn)j-Mg lysikha hrqmik	"the lot of the fool will also befall me.
rtwy z)a yn)j yti,mkaxf hmaf,lfw:	Why have I been so extremely wise?"
(2:15) lbehf hz-Mg,A#$e ybi,lib yt,irb,adiw:	I spoke in my heart that this is also a vanity
Mlfw(l lysikha-M(i Mkfxfle Nwrkz Ny) yki,	For there is no remembrance for the wise one as with the fool in the distant future;
xk,f#$n lk,oha My)ib,fha Mymiyha rbfk#$eb,	in the coming days all shall be forgotten.
(2:16) lysik,ha-M(i Mkfxfhe tw,my K7y)w:	How the wise one, as with the fool, shall perish
Myy,xaha-t)e yti)n"#f&w:	I hated life,
#$me#$,fha txata, h#&f(jn#$e h#&e(jm,ah yla(f (ra ykai,	for the deeds which were done under the sun were troublesome to me;
(2:17) xw,r tw,(rw, lbehe lk,oha-yki,	for everything was futility and a chasing of the wind

The relation between 1:17-18 and 2:12-17 is apparent in two factors.

(i) The programmatic statement of 2:12a is reminiscent of 1:17. There is an almost identical repetition of the phraseology and syntax of 1:17a in 2:12a:

hmfkxf t(adalf yb,ili hnt,)ew	I gave my heart to know wisdom,
(1:17a) tw,lk#&iw: twllwh t(adaw:	and to know madness and folly.
hmfkxf tw)rli yn)j ytiynpfw,	I turned to consider wisdom,
(2:12a) tw,lksiw: twllwhw:	madness, and folly.

Verse 2:12a maintains the sequence tw,lksiw: twllwhw: hmfkxf. On the other hand, Qohelet replaces 1:17a's t(adalf yb,ili hnft)ew with tw)rli yn)j ytiynpfw, in 2:12a. However the general meaning of a surrender of the interactive consciousness to the experimental consideration of "wisdom, madness and folly" remains constant in both verses. The similarity between 1:17a and 2:12a is quite unmistakable.

(ii) The concluding comment of 2:17 echoes Qohelet's sentiments in 1:17b and 1:18.

(1:17) xw,r Nwy(ra )w,h hze-Mg#$e yt,i(dayf	I realized that this also is a chasing of the wind
s(akf,-br hmfkxf brob yki	For in much wisdom is much sorrow,
(1:18) bw)kma Pysiwy t(ad,a Pysiwyw:	and to multiply knowledge is to multiply pain.
Myy,xaha-t)e yti)n"#f&w:	I hated life,
#$me#$,fha txata, h#&f(jn#$e h#&e(jm,ah yla(f (ra yka,i	for the deeds which were done under the sun were troublesome to me;
(2:17) xw,r tw,(rw, lbehe lk,oha-yki,	for everything was futility and a chasing of the wind

Besides the use of parallel phrases (xw,r Nwy(r//xw,r tw,(r) to qualify the deeds of the world (2:17) and the experiment with wisdom and folly (1:17), both passages emphasize the quality of vexation. In 1:18, "wisdom" and "knowledge" bring "sorrow" and "pain". Similarly, the consideration of wisdom in 2:12-17 only leads to the conclusion that #$me#$,fha txata, h#&f(jn#$e h#&e(jm,ah is futile and troublesome to Qohelet.

6.3	1:17-18 encapsulates the introduction and the conclusion of the task in 2:12-17. The similarities suggest that 2:12-17 is a larger unit expanding on the description of the task mentioned in 1:17-18. In 2:12-17, the consideration of wisdom and folly meets with the problem that one fate befalls both the wise and the foolish (2:13-14a). 2:13-14a raises the problem by assuming wisdom's excellence which 2:14b-16 challenges with the counterpoint that the commonality of death cancels any certain advantage the wise may claim. Viewed as a catalogue of comparison clauses, the first conservative sub-unit presents three statements asserting wisdom's superiority over folly. Two statements lay claim to the excellence of wisdom and a third is a clause providing an analogy for that superiority:

Nwrty #$y,"#$e yn)f ytiy)irw:	I saw that there is an advantage
tw,lksi,ha-Nmi hmfkxfla	for wisdom over folly,
w#$)rob wyny( Mkfxfhe	The wise one [has] eyes in his head,
K7lwh K7#$exob,a lysikhaw:	but the fool walks in darkness.
K7#$exoha-Nmi rw)hf Nwrtyk,i	...like [the] advantage of light over darkness.

The latter sub-unit of verses 14b-16 is more pessimistic in its outlook and responds with four contradictory statements of comparison. Where the former sub-unit affirms an advantage (Nwrtyi) for the wise, the latter negates the perception of any such advantage with its reflections on the common human fate.

dxf)e hreqm,i#$e yn)f-Mg yt,i(dayw:	But I also know that one lot
(2:14) Ml,fk,u-t)e hreqyi	befalls both [/all].
yb,ilib, yn)j yti,rma)fw:	I said in my heart,
(2:15) ynrqy yn)j-Mg lysik,ha hrqmik,	"the lot of the fool will also befall me.
Mlfw(l lysikha-M(i Mkfxfle Nwrkz Ny) yki,	For there is no remembrance for the wise one as with the fool in the distant future;
(2:16) lysikha-M(i Mkfxfhe tw,my K7y)w:	How the wise one, as with the fool, shall perish

The clash is also evident in the choice of the connecting phrase between the two contending views of 2:13-14a and 2:14b-16: yn)f-Mg yt,i(dayw:. Two opposite perspectives on the value of wisdom contend for Qohelet's allegiance.

6.4	Qohelet's inability to find any advantage for the wise over the foolish leads to the removal of any reason to practice wisdom. His observation of a common lot for all humans provokes a question concerning the efficacy of wisdom (2:15), which Qohelet then rounds off with an extended restatement of humanity's common fate.

yb,ilib yn)j yti,rma)fw:	I said in my heart,
(2:15a) ynrqy yn)j-Mg, lysik,ha hrqmik	"the lot of the fool will also befall me.
(2:15b) rtwy z)a yn)j yti,mkaxf hmaf,lfw:	Why have I been so extremely wise?"
lbehf hz-Mg@#$e ybi,lib yt,irb,adiw:	I spoke in my heart that this is also a vanity
Mlfw(l lysik,ha-M(i Mkfxfle Nwrkz Ny) yki,	For there is no remembrance for the wise one as with the fool in the distant future;
xk,f#n lk,oha My)ib,fha Mymiyha rbfk,#$eb,	in the coming days all shall be forgotten.
(2:15c-6) lysik,ha-M(i Mkfxfhe tw,my K7y)w:	How the wise one, as with the fool, shall perish

Two statements about the futility of being wise encircle a pointed rhetorical question. The two statements (2:15a and 2:15c-16) are marked by similar thematic content. While the latter statement is devoted to the representation of generic categories (the foolish and the wise), the former is more concerned with Qohelet's own plight as a wise man; ynrqy yn)j-Mg,.... A similar introductory phrase precedes each pessimistic observation; yb,ilib, yn)j yti,rma)fw:/ybi,lib yt,irb,adiw:. In both instances, Qohelet converses with his 'heart'. The question which raises doubt about wisdom's desirability is couched in a reflective moment on the commonality of human expiration. The observation that the wise and the foolish meet the same end (2:16b) leads directly into Qohelet's statement of disgust and futility (2:17), which, as already shown, is similar to his concluding remarks about the quest to know wisdom, madness, and folly in 1:17b-18.

6.5	The expansion of 2:12-17 on the experiment with wisdom and folly presents two antithetic world-views (vss. 13-14a and 14b-16). The latter challenges the hierarchical structure of preference in the former by raising the very issue of contention between the disparate views; the question of a tangible advantage/benefit (Nwrty) for the practitioners of wisdom. The search for an advantage to being wise (2:14b-16) is a direct consequence of the experiment with wisdom and folly and the main preoccupation of 2:12-17. The identification of any such advantage would be a remedy to the situation in 2:14b-16, an answer to Qohelet's question in 2:15b, and an affirmation of the conservative perspective in 2:13-14a. The absence of an appropriate consequence for the practice of wisdom signals the failure of the quest which causes grief to Qohelet (2:17; 1:17b-18).

6.6	At last, we find a specific situation in 1:16-18 (with its longer thematic expansion in 2:12-17) to fit the descriptive construction of the proverb in 1:15. The crooked, which cannot be straightened, may refer to the failure of the events under the sun, or perhaps wisdom, to yield a profit/advantage for the wise (2:17). Consequently, the advantage (Nwrty) which Qohelet so desperately seeks in 2:15-16 is the deficiency that escapes his calculation (1:15). The double occurrence of lkaw,y-)lo in 1:15 aptly emphasizes Qohelet's inability to redress the problem of the breakdown in the mechanism of justice which leads to feelings of futility and vexation (1:17b-18; 2:17).

6.7	The thematic expansion of 1:16-18 in 2:12-17 explains the nature of the quest to know "wisdom, madness, and folly". It is a task which seeks to explain the distinction between the wise and the foolish by discerning the different consequences for each party. In clearly defining the task and describing its failure, 2:12-17 provides the necessary environment for the abstract proverb of 1:15 to operate in a meaningful manner.

7. The Contribution of 1:15 to Overall Meaning in 1:12-18

7.1	What remains unexamined at this point is the semantic increment that the proverb offers to our understanding of Qohelet's quests in 1:16-18 and 1:13-14. If the events of 1:16-18 provide the situational environment within which the proverb may operate, then how, in turn, does the proverb enhance Qohelet's description of his task?

7.2	An implication in the word-choices of 1:15, "crooked" (tw,(um) and "deficiency" (Nwrsxe), together with their accompanying infinitive constructs is that Qohelet yearns for some restitutive measure to effect the imbalances he perceives. The implication in his evaluation of things being "crooked" and deficient is that there exists, in his mind, an ideal state (real or conceptual) where these imbalances are addressed. A glance at the grammar and syntax of 1:15 reveals Qohelet's reliance on such an ideal for his evaluation of the world.

Nqootli lkaw@y-)lo tw@f(um	[The] crooked cannot be straightened,
twnm@fhil lkaw@y-)lo Nwrsxew:	and the deficiency cannot be numbered (1:15).

7.3	The verse consists of two parallel lines that are syntactically similar. The subject of the first line is represented by a Pual participial form of tw(; its grammatical parallel in the second line is a nominal derivative of rsx. Semantically, the subjects of both lines suggest the need for some form of rectification; for the first, it is correction (tw@f(um), and the second, completion (Nwrsxe). This deficiency is picked up by the infinitive construct in each line. In the first line the Kal infinitive Nqootli stands as a corresponding syntactic entity poised to address the 'crookedness' of tw@f(um. The parallel infinitive construct in the second line is the Niphal form of hnamf: twnm@fhil. Like its counterpart in the first line, twnm@fhil has a similar syntactic function to address the need in Nwrsxe. The double occurrence of lkaw@y-)l interrupts the projected course of action in each line by negating the possibility of its accomplishment. The overall suggestion of the two parallel lines is a need for an effective rectifying addition of some sort which the author feels unable to accomplish.

7.4	The deficiencies in the events of the world suggested by the proverb of 1:15 are only visible through the interpretative 'grid' which is Qohelet's consciousness. The identification of such a preconceived idealistic notion within Qohelet's hermeneutic explains and brings together several outstanding features noted in the examination of 1:13-14 and 1:16-18. In both passages, there is a preponderance of first-person verb endings and first-person possessive suffixes. The complementary prominence of the 'heart' (bl) in the investigative processes of both passages adds to the overall impression of a preponderant subjective consciousness in the described tasks. With emphatic recurrence, the allusion to Qohelet's subjective consciousness forms the prerequisite interactive base for his emotional and judgmental outbursts which are interspersed in the observations of 1:13-18. For Qohelet, the task of deciphering divine intention in all that happens beneath the sun is not just impossible, but irksome (1:13b) and vain (1:14b). Moreover, pain and sorrow (1:18) accompany Qohelet's scorn (2:16-17) for a world that reveals no distinction between the foolish and the wise.

7.5	The repeated allusion to Qohelet's perceptive consciousness finds its function within the hermeneutic of desired restitution as suggested by 1:15. In fact, the literary unit of 1:13-18, as a whole, points to the fact that Qohelet's epistemological preconceptions are an essential part of the investigative process. Without the inclusion of his epistemological preconceptions, the pejorative nuance in every judgmental exclamation (and as the close reading has shown, there are many) loses its experiential subjective source.

8. Conclusion: From the General to the Specific, and Back Again

The search for a specific application of the proverb in 1:15 has brought us full circle. In seeking to identify a crooked thing in need of straightening, we are forced to come to terms with the author's subjective sentiments about a particular issue. But the isolation of such a subjective interpretative interjection in an ambiguous aphorism fosters a certain amount of disengagement between the interpretative content of 1:15 and the variety of situations where the proverb may apply. The effect of the literary structure in 1:13-18 is to highlight a family resemblance in a range of phenomena under the sun: a unity of deficiency and inequity in a situational variety. As such, the ambiguity of the proverb functions, at once, to maintain its fluidity from one specific scenario to another, and to emphasize the one essential quality readers should notice among the various situations. Amidst the ensuing 'flip-flopping' between the general and the specific, the reader receives the author's communication of the essential emotion that characterizes his examination of all the world's events: the feeling of impotence amidst yearning for restitution.

Abstract:

The article seeks to apply the interpretative content of Ecclesiastes 1:15 within a specific situation. The quest to do so uncovers a surrounding literary structure (1:13-18) that describes two parallel tasks. With specific reference to one of the tasks (1:16-17 + 18) and its thematic expansion in 2:12-17, the article understands the proverb of 1:15 to describe a crooked world which is without any permanent reward for the wise. The article also proposes that the proverb depicts the strong presence of a subjective idealism in the evaluation of the world's events.