Language:
Italian
Year of publication:
2019
Titel der Quelle:
Bibbia e Oriente
Angaben zur Quelle:
61,3 (2019) 113-168
Keywords:
Bible. Criticism, interpretation, etc.
;
Bible. Theology
;
New Testament. Criticism, interpretation, etc.
;
New Testament. Relation to Ecclesiastes
;
New Testament Parables
;
Criticism, interpretation, etc.
;
Work Biblical teaching
Abstract:
Qohelet’s book spreads about work man carries out “under the sun”, on the aims he proposes to achieve withhis work, how he tries to achieve them, on the degree of satisfaction it offers him. On the other hand,Qohelet underlines that the joy man derives from his labour is a God’s gift which opens up an interval ofmeaning in the general hebel of life on earth and work itself.This being the case, what attitude should man assume towards work when God does not offer him propitiousmoments? And if the joy linked to the enjoyment of one’s work is exclusively a God’s gift, what is the pointfor man of trying to reach it only with his own efforts rather than waiting for it and accepting it from Him?In my paper I intend to answer these questions, investigating in the book of Qohelet the complicatedrelationship between the man’s action, usually doomed to failure but absolutely central in his life, and thefact that the joy it brings him depends on God.To this end, I analyse some brief pericopes about the topic and study them in depth through the comparisonwith parallel passages taken from other biblical books. From this review it emerges that joy is a gift whichGod bestows on man now and then according his will. However that must neither induce man to be idlebecause of the uncertainties and unforeseen obstacles that hinder human activity nor induce him to try toobtain by himself what is a God’s gift.In fact, the need to act is what really marks Qohelet’s speech on work. It concerns man’s life here “under thesun” and constitutes the basic condition to grasp the moments of joy that God could offer him. In addition,FRANCO PIOTTI, “Dalla gioia ‘sotto il sole’ a quella del regno: Qohelet, Matteo el’urgenza di agire”, Bibbia e Oriente LXI, 281 (3/2019), pp. 113-168man must hurry to grasp them, if he wants to make an opening of meaning in his short life fully pervadedwith hebel. Inactivity or passivity, unceasing overwork or wild competition with one’s fellowmen, theattempt to reach by himself that joy which is only a God’s gift are not practicable paths.To grasp this joy man really must act well, that is, in a context of solidarity and collaboration. Then it mayhappen that the distant God, to whom man looks with a respectful but cautious attitude, comes closer to himand allows him to enjoy the fruits of his labour, a prerequisite for the enjoyment of other earthly joys.In my opinion, this need to act in order to seize the joy given by God has some points in common with theMatthean Parable of the Talents (Mt 25.14-30), even if the two texts are situated on completely differentplanes. In the last part of my paper, I carefully examine Matthew’s parable in parallel with Qohelet’s speechon work. Qohelet’s passages on man’s work “under the sun” are marked by the need to act, in order to createthe conditions for being able to grasp the God’s gift. This atmosphere marked by the need to act, by the needfor dynamism seems to characterize the Matthean version of the parable of the talents (Mt 25,14-31) too,despite the great difference of forms, contents, messages, and contexts in which the two texts shaped or hadtheir final drafting.
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