Book of Qohelet/ Ecclesiastes – Messages in Moments of Hope and Despair

Lifetime

Intermediate

31 lessons

0 quizzes

16 students

Overview
Curriculum
Instructor

The Book of Qohelet (Ecclesiastes) is one of the wisdom books in the Hebrew Bible. Over the last few months, Jenny, Lyn, and I have studied the 12 chapters of the book containing prismatic messages and ideas. Rich in genres, Qohelet is the closest any Biblical text comes to philosophy.

In James Crenshaw’s words, the book is a “kaleidoscopic image whereby apparently incongruent features of the text come together in many different meaningful configurations.

Course Materials

This is a pre-recorded course. The materials that come with the course include the recordings of 26 lessons. There is at least one hour of video material to every lesson, usually more. Every lesson is accompanied by extensive notes on vocabulary, grammar, and text-related issues. We have discussed various aspects of the Hebrew language: structure, form, historical setting, influences, messages and ideas, philosophy, genres.

Course Level

You should have finished and introductory course to Biblical Hebrew, preferably one that introduced the weak verbs. Reference material is available on my website hebrewthroughthebible.com (BH Resources: Hebrew Grammars, Hebrew Lexicons; Paradigms)

Some of the Topics Under Discussion during the Course:

Qere Perpetuum
Prepositions ב,ל,כ before word that begins withי
Cantillation marks and their syntactic functions
Strong and Weak Dagesh in begadkefat
Hebrew Grammar books and lexicons
(Aramaic, Persian) loanwords in Qohelet
Ketiv and Qere
Metathesis
Web Services for studying Biblical Hebrew
Hapax Legomena
Pausal Forms
Onomatopoeia and alliteration
Metathesis
Parallelism
…and so much more…

In the Classroom:

Jennifer – Hebrew Learning Bio

Hi! My name is Jennifer and I have been learning biblical Hebrew with Michal for approximately 7 years. I have flourished under her caring teaching style and through the application of her scaffolded mode of instruction. I am now able to read most of the biblical Hebrew text, with growing application of grammar and with increased understanding. Michal has high standards and will challenge you to reach your

potential. I enjoy the classes so much! They are a highlight of the week and the additional understanding of the message in the original language is inspiring.

I look forward to many more years of study as there is so much to discover and an exciting journey to last a lifetime.

Lyn – My Hebrew Story

My interest started when I visited Israel in 2014 and I got the idea that I’d like to learn Hebrew.

It took me another year or so but I finally enrolled at eTeacher to do Course A in Biblical Hebrew. As soon as I started things went crazy in my life and it was obvious I couldn’t commit to regular classes at that time. eTeacher suggested I switch to private lessons so I could have flexibility. It sounded better for me and I was assigned to Michal for private lessons.

I eventually completed Course A and went on to complete Courses B C D & E.

As I was nearing the end of Course E Michal invited me to study with her. Readings in Qohelet sounded interesting so for a few weeks I completed Course E and started Qohelet at well. We are now at the final chapter of Qohelet.

Michal Shmuel, Instructor

Michal immigrated to Israel after completing her M.A. in Semitic Languages and Linguistics. She has taught Biblical Hebrew for more than 13 years to students from all over the world. The word of the Hebrew Bible is her passion in life.

Visit my website Hebrew Through the Bible for resources, private tutorials, etc.

Curriculum

14 Sections
31 Lessons
Lifetime

Expand all sectionsCollapse all sections

Syllabus and Bibliography
3
Qohelet Chapter 1
After the general introduction to the book, we read and discuss in the next four lessons the first chapter of the Book of Qohelet. Our topics will be: Meaning of the word קהלת, Keyword הבל, Keywords עמל, יתרון, Self-Presentation Formula in ANE, Keywords חכמה, עשה, רעיון רוח, רעות רוח, Qere Perpetuum, Prepositions ב,ל,כ before word that begins with י, Cantillation marks and their syntactic functions
5
Qohelet Chapter 2
In the next three lessons we will read and discuss chapter 2. We will encounter his take on pleasure and toil, as well as wisdom and folly. Topics of study are: difference between silluq and meteg, strong and weak dagesh, using the Hebrew Lexicon online, enhanced Semitic Language Family vs. Indo-European Languages, Persian loanword פַּרְדֵּס, the history of the biblical books, Difference between (shofar) yetiv and mahpach
3
Qohelet Chapter 3
Chapter three opens with the famous "Catalogue of Times." We will use the grammar book to deal with a difficult verse
3
Qohelet Chapter 4
In the next four lessons we explore the relationship between the Book of Qohelet and the Epic of Gilgamesh, meet Qohelet's take on Social Cycle Theory, and review ordinal and cardinal numbers in Biblical Hebrew.
3
Qohelet Chapter 5
In Lesson fourteen we continue our reading from chapter 4, because Qoh 4:17-5:6 create a thematic unit focusing on the importance of keeping vows according to the Bible. We will read in comparison what other biblical passages say about un-reflected speech and vows. Topics: Negative Jussive and Imperative. Because of the repeated exhortation to "eat and drink" throughout the book, we will explore the topic of food in the Bible and its source for pleasure in the Book of Qohelet
2
- 6.0
  14 – Fourteenth Lesson – Qoh 4:16-5:8
- 6.1
  15 – Fifteenth Lesson – Qoh:5-19
Qohelet Chapter 6
This is a short chapter in which Qohelet gives his opinion on wealth and pleasure. Amassing wealth is pointless if one doesn't enjoy it. It is better to enjoy what one has and to appreciate it, as life ends at some point. Topics: range of meanings of the word נֶפֶשׁ , the word אִלוּ Qoh 6:6, Ketiv and Qere in the Masoretic text, marginal notes by the Masoretes in manuscripts
1
- 7.0
  16 – Sixteenth Lesson – Qoh 6:1-12
Qohelet Chapter 7
In the next two lessons we encounter the Hebrew comparative in a number of so-called "Better X than Y Proverbs." Other topics: review Qere/ Ketiv Qoh 6:10, marginal notes by the Masoretes in the Westminster Leningrad Codex indicating the middle of the book, abbreviations I use in the footnotes, example of onomatopoeia and alliteration in v. 6, inflection of the root נתן (v. 7), discussion on patience and suffering in Hebrew and English (סבל), use of grammar book, alternative meanings of the root מרר based on Arabic, what is a wicked person according to Qohelet?
2
- 8.0
  17 – Seventeenth Lesson – Qoh 7:1-14
- 8.1
  18 – Eighteenth Lesson – Qoh 7:15-29
Qohelet Chapter 8
The first eight verses are difficult to understand. They speak about the power of the king and the duty of the subservient individual to obey his command. In v. 5 we read about a מצוה “commandment.” The Hebrew Bible uses this word equally for the commandment of a king as well as for a commandment decreed by G’d (see BDB, p. 846). It is likely that Qohelet refers by “king” to both the supremacy of a human ruler over the people as well as to the supremacy of G’d over humankind. Topics: Metathesis, Persian loanword, abbreviations in the BDB, chiastic parallelism, the Hebrew letter combination טו for 15 and טז for 16
1
- 9.0
  19 – Nineteenth Lesson – Qoh 8:1-17
Qohelet Chapter 9
More observations: Carpe Diem. Topics: pausal forms, web services, mobile phone application, pronunciation of the letter ח (according to Modern Hebrew Pronunciation), stress at accented syllables, division of v. 11 into syntactic units with the help of the cantillation marks
2
- 10.0
  20 – Twentieth Lesson – Qoh 9:1-10
- 10.1
  21 – Twenty-First Lesson – Qoh 9:11-18
Qohelet Chapter 10
Some more observations: On wisdom and folly. Topics: Hapax Legomena, Energetic Nun, more examples for ketiv and qere, a re-interpretation of the word אשרי
1
- 11.0
  22 – Twenty-Second Lesson – Qoh 10:1-20
Qohelet Chapter 11
Carpe Diem!
2
- 12.0
  23 – Twenty-Third Lesson – Qoh 11:1-6
- 12.1
  24 – Twenty-Fourth Lesson – Qoh 11:7-10
Qohelet Chapter 12
Conclusion of the Book in Qohelet’s words: Three possible readings: 1.Allegorical, 2.Literal, 3. Eschatological, הבל הבלים Inclusio
2
- 13.0
  25 – Twenty-Fifth Lesson – Qoh 12:1-8
- 13.1
  26 – Twenty-Sixth Lesson – Qoh 12:9-14
Attribution
1
- 14.0
  Image Sources

Michal Shmuel

My name is Michal Shmuel. I live in Israel with my four rumbunctious sons. I have an MA in Semitic Languages and Linguistics and have been teaching Biblical Hebrew for the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, for eTeacher, and for the Israel Institute of Biblical Studies for more than 10 years.

Target audiences

Intermediate Students