<\/p>
Thanks to my friend Alex Trochez for stimulating the following line of thought. <\/p>\n
According to Jordan\u2019s count (confirmed by my own), the phrase \u201cshepherding wind\u201d occurs twice in Ecclesiastes by itself (1:17; 4:6) and 7 times with the word \u201cvapor\u201d (1:14; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 16; 6:9). In addition, the NASB has the word \u201cwind\u201d another seven times (1:6 [2x]; 5:16; 8:8 [2x]; 11:4-5). Each of these uses translates the Hebrew RUACH (wind, spirit), and the phrase \u201cshepherding wind\u201d is in Hebrew the breathy pun R\u2019AH RUACH. The NASB translates RUACH as \u201cspirit\u201d three times (7:8 [2x]; 12:7), the last referring to the \u201cspirit\u201d that returns to God, as three times as \u201cbreath\u201d (3:19, 21 [2x]). By my count, Solomon uses the word 22x in the whole book. <\/p>\n
Throughout the book, Solomon is reflecting on the character of created reality and human life, and there are multiple connections with the early chapters of Genesis. Jordan suggests that the creation issues of lighting, forming, and filling run through the early chapters of Ecclesiastes; Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 is modeled on Yahweh\u2019s construction project in Genesis 2; 1:3-11 talks about the vaporousness manifest in the threefold universe of creation \u2013 the earth (1:4: Day 3) that remains forever, the sun (1:5: Day 4), the wind that blows in all directions and circles back (1:6; cf. Genesis 1:2), the network of oceans and rivers (1:7: Day 3), and man toiling on the earth under the sun (1:8). Throughout the book, Solomon reflects on the life of \u201cAdam\u201d and \u201csons of Adam.\u201d <\/p>\n
The repeated references to \u201cwind\u201d or \u201cspirit\u201d also allude back to Genesis 1:2. The vaporous world is formed by the Spirit, and is moved by the Spirit. The reason why the world is wispy and impossible to grasp is because the ultimate ground of reality \u2013 the one in whom we live, move, and have our being \u2013 is the Spirit who blows where He lists. Human existence is particularly vaporous for the same reason, because we are Spirit-animated dust. <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Thanks to my friend Alex Trochez for stimulating the following line of thought. According to Jordan\u2019s count (confirmed by my own), the phrase \u201cshepherding wind\u201d occurs twice in Ecclesiastes by itself (1:17; 4:6) and 7 times with the word \u201cvapor\u201d (1:14; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 16; 6:9). In addition, the NASB has the word \u201cwind\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3021,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-ot-ecclesiastes"],"yoast_head":"\n