Qohelet’s Twists and Turns

Abstract

Biblical texts regularly emphasize following the straight path that is marked out by God’s teachings. Just as in English, ‘straightness’ is prized as ‘right’ and ‘crookedness’ scorned as perverse. This quality is praised both in action and in thought. By contrast, Qohelet’s search for wisdom is specifically expressed in language which gives turning, not straightness, the highest value. This study explores how Qohelet uses words and images of turning to express both what he has learned and how he has learned about the world, as well as how circularity is an element not merely of Qohelet’s thought, but of his style.