Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Saturday, February 19. 2011

Vanity of vanities...

Our group is still reading Ecclesiastes and yes, I do know that a more accurate translation would be "futilities," or "meaninglessness."


Despite the wisdom of the Preacher, our animal spirits and desires are ever-present and ever-pressing.


There's not much that I desire, but I really want one of these systems: Heated Driveway. A flame-thrower would be cheaper and more fun, though it might melt the asphalt.

Posted by Bird Dog at 14:22 | Comments (7) | Trackbacks (0)

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Bird Dog- At last, something I actually know something about. Not because I have a BA in Hebrew (which I do, but that was 1979 and I've forgotten 90% of it) but because of the adult education classes I've taken from my good friend, Dr. Sam Meier (Professor of Hebrew, OSU, PhD in Hebrew from Harvard).

This is perhaps the most badly translated word in the OT- whether translated "vanity", "futility", or especially "meaninglessness". Here's the smell test- does the Bible anywhere teach the meaninglessness of life? Absolutely not. It teaches that nothing could be more meaningful than this life; especially how we live it.

The word means "brevity", and of course, life is just that- brief. All is brief and ephemeral, like your breath made visible on a cold day.

You'll be hard pressed to read a more fascinating book in 2011 than Dr. Meier's "Themes and Transformations in OT Prophecy" (IVP Academic). Trust me.
#1 steve boggs on 2011-02-19 14:45 (Reply)
OK, but let's let Ben David chime in on this too.
#1.1 Bird Dog on 2011-02-19 14:50 (Reply)
You recently posted a passage from this book, no?

The word used here - "hevel" - is literally "breath", the mist in front of your mouth on a cold day.

By extension it means "prattle".
It's certainly fleeting.

In a different connection, the Talmud says: The world's continued existence depends on the prattle of children at their lessons.
#1.1.1 Ben David on 2011-02-20 13:49 (Reply)
Took in a vagabond for a night years ago in Salida, CO.

He assured me, "When ya die you're dead."

Reminded me of brevity, then as brevity reminds me of him, now.
#1.2 Leag on 2011-02-19 15:16 (Reply)
An afterthought-

When the good folks that translated the KVJ (in what- 1611?) chose the word "vanity", it meant something more nearly akin to brevity than it does now. In other words, it was not a bad translation then, but the English language has changed over time. The culprits are the modern translators that, knowing better, defer too everyone's beloved KJV.
#1.2.1 steve boggs on 2011-02-19 15:46 (Reply)
"The Preacher" commented on 'Life here under the Sun', which is brief and inconsequential, in the greater scheme of things....or not. It all depends on how one approaches this life.

Like a lot of the folks 'round here, I've been blessed. But I, unlike some, know that.

My Lord chose to put me into the best of times. Can I thank him enough without doing a bit extra to help those who need it?

It can all go south on us tomorrow. And given the current Administration, it just might. Find "The Way of The Lord", and go walk in it. That's all we can do.
#2 jefferson101 on 2011-02-19 21:50 (Reply)
Flame throwers do interesting things to concrete, too. I used one of the propane wand-type ones to try to burn off some wax from some steps (the skateboarders wax the steps so they can slide their boards along them).

The concrete pops! Apparently there is some water trapped in pockets in the mix, and when it heats to steam, the pocket explodes. They're small pops, but you wouldn't want your face near one.
#3 Gordon (Link) on 2011-02-20 06:33 (Reply)

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