Tiresias: The Ancient Mediterranean Religions Source Database

6279

Hebrew Bible, Ecclesiastes, 3.14-3.22

יָדַעְתִּי כִּי כָּל־אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הָאֱלֹהִים הוּא יִהְיֶה לְעוֹלָם עָלָיו אֵין לְהוֹסִיף וּמִמֶּנּוּ אֵין לִגְרֹעַ וְהָאֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה שֶׁיִּרְאוּ מִלְּפָנָיו׃

I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it; and God hath so made it, that men should fear before Him.

מַה־שֶּׁהָיָה כְּבָר הוּא וַאֲשֶׁר לִהְיוֹת כְּבָר הָיָה וְהָאֱלֹהִים יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־נִרְדָּף׃

That which is hath been long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God seeketh that which is pursued.

וְעוֹד רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ מְקוֹם הַמִּשְׁפָּט שָׁמָּה הָרֶשַׁע וּמְקוֹם הַצֶּדֶק שָׁמָּה הָרָשַׁע׃

And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

אָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי אֶת־הַצַּדִּיק וְאֶת־הָרָשָׁע יִשְׁפֹּט הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי־עֵת לְכָל־חֵפֶץ וְעַל כָּל־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שָׁם׃

I said in my heart: ‘The righteous and the wicked God will judge; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.’

אָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי עַל־דִּבְרַת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם לְבָרָם הָאֱלֹהִים וְלִרְאוֹת שְׁהֶם־בְּהֵמָה הֵמָּה לָהֶם׃

I said in my heart: ‘It is because of the sons of men, that God may sift them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.’

כִּי מִקְרֶה בְנֵי־הָאָדָם וּמִקְרֶה הַבְּהֵמָה וּמִקְרֶה אֶחָד לָהֶם כְּמוֹת זֶה כֵּן מוֹת זֶה וְרוּחַ אֶחָד לַכֹּל וּמוֹתַר הָאָדָם מִן־הַבְּהֵמָה אָיִן כִּי הַכֹּל הָבֶל׃

For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them; as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; for all is vanity.

nan	All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all return to dust.

מִי יוֹדֵעַ רוּחַ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם הָעֹלָה הִיא לְמָעְלָה וְרוּחַ הַבְּהֵמָה הַיֹּרֶדֶת הִיא לְמַטָּה לָאָרֶץ׃

Who knoweth the spirit of man whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast whether it goeth downward to the earth?

וְרָאִיתִי כִּי אֵין טוֹב מֵאֲשֶׁר יִשְׂמַח הָאָדָם בְּמַעֲשָׂיו כִּי־הוּא חֶלְקוֹ כִּי מִי יְבִיאֶנּוּ לִרְאוֹת בְּמֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אַחֲרָיו׃

Wherefore I perceived that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

Intertexts (texts cited often on the same page as the searched text):

6 results

1. Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 1.26-1.28, 3.17-3.19 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)

1.26. וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל־הָאָרֶץ וּבְכָל־הָרֶמֶשׂ הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל־הָאָרֶץ׃ 1.27. וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בָּרָא אֹתָם׃ 1.28. וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁהָ וּרְדוּ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבְכָל־חַיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת עַל־הָאָרֶץ׃ 3.17. וּלְאָדָם אָמַר כִּי־שָׁמַעְתָּ לְקוֹל אִשְׁתֶּךָ וַתֹּאכַל מִן־הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ לֵאמֹר לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ אֲרוּרָה הָאֲדָמָה בַּעֲבוּרֶךָ בְּעִצָּבוֹן תֹּאכֲלֶנָּה כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ׃ 3.18. וְקוֹץ וְדַרְדַּר תַּצְמִיחַ לָךְ וְאָכַלְתָּ אֶת־עֵשֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶה׃ 3.19. בְּזֵעַת אַפֶּיךָ תֹּאכַל לֶחֶם עַד שׁוּבְךָ אֶל־הָאֲדָמָה כִּי מִמֶּנָּה לֻקָּחְתָּ כִּי־עָפָר אַתָּה וְאֶל־עָפָר תָּשׁוּב׃

1.26. And God said: ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.’" 1.27. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." 1.28. And God blessed them; and God said unto them: ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth.’" 3.17. And unto Adam He said: ‘Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying: Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; in toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life." 3.18. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field." 3.19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.’"

2. Hebrew Bible, Psalms, 8.6, 104.13-104.15 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)

8.6. וַתְּחַסְּרֵהוּ מְּעַט מֵאֱלֹהִים וְכָבוֹד וְהָדָר תְּעַטְּרֵהוּ׃ 104.13. מַשְׁקֶה הָרִים מֵעֲלִיּוֹתָיו מִפְּרִי מַעֲשֶׂיךָ תִּשְׂבַּע הָאָרֶץ׃ 104.14. מַצְמִיחַ חָצִיר לַבְּהֵמָה וְעֵשֶׂב לַעֲבֹדַת הָאָדָם לְהוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן־הָאָרֶץ׃ 104.15. וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח לְבַב־אֱנוֹשׁ לְהַצְהִיל פָּנִים מִשָּׁמֶן וְלֶחֶם לְבַב־אֱנוֹשׁ יִסְעָד׃

8.6. Yet Thou hast made him but little lower than the angels, And hast crowned him with glory and honour." 104.13. Who waterest the mountains from Thine upper chambers; The earth is full of the fruit of Thy works." 104.14. Who causeth the grass to spring up for the cattle, And herb for the service of man; To bring forth bread out of the earth," 104.15. And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, Making the face brighter than oil, And bread that stayeth man's heart."

3. Hebrew Bible, Lamentations, 1.2 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)

1.2. רְאֵה יְהוָה כִּי־צַר־לִי מֵעַי חֳמַרְמָרוּ נֶהְפַּךְ לִבִּי בְּקִרְבִּי כִּי מָרוֹ מָרִיתִי מִחוּץ שִׁכְּלָה־חֶרֶב בַּבַּיִת כַּמָּוֶת׃ 1.2. בָּכוֹ תִבְכֶּה בַּלַּיְלָה וְדִמְעָתָהּ עַל לֶחֱיָהּ אֵין־לָהּ מְנַחֵם מִכָּל־אֹהֲבֶיהָ כָּל־רֵעֶיהָ בָּגְדוּ בָהּ הָיוּ לָהּ לְאֹיְבִים׃

1.2. She weeps, yea, she weeps in the night, and her tears are on her cheek; she has no comforter among all her lovers; all her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies."

4. Hebrew Bible, Ecclesiastes, 3.9-3.13, 3.15-3.22 (5th cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)

3.9. מַה־יִּתְרוֹן הָעוֹשֶׂה בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא עָמֵל׃ 3.11. אֶת־הַכֹּל עָשָׂה יָפֶה בְעִתּוֹ גַּם אֶת־הָעֹלָם נָתַן בְּלִבָּם מִבְּלִי אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יִמְצָא הָאָדָם אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים מֵרֹאשׁ וְעַד־סוֹף׃ 3.12. יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אֵין טוֹב בָּם כִּי אִם־לִשְׂמוֹחַ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת טוֹב בְּחַיָּיו׃ 3.13. וְגַם כָּל־הָאָדָם שֶׁיֹּאכַל וְשָׁתָה וְרָאָה טוֹב בְּכָל־עֲמָלוֹ מַתַּת אֱלֹהִים הִיא׃ 3.15. מַה־שֶּׁהָיָה כְּבָר הוּא וַאֲשֶׁר לִהְיוֹת כְּבָר הָיָה וְהָאֱלֹהִים יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־נִרְדָּף׃ 3.16. וְעוֹד רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ מְקוֹם הַמִּשְׁפָּט שָׁמָּה הָרֶשַׁע וּמְקוֹם הַצֶּדֶק שָׁמָּה הָרָשַׁע׃ 3.17. אָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי אֶת־הַצַּדִּיק וְאֶת־הָרָשָׁע יִשְׁפֹּט הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי־עֵת לְכָל־חֵפֶץ וְעַל כָּל־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שָׁם׃ 3.18. אָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי עַל־דִּבְרַת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם לְבָרָם הָאֱלֹהִים וְלִרְאוֹת שְׁהֶם־בְּהֵמָה הֵמָּה לָהֶם׃ 3.19. כִּי מִקְרֶה בְנֵי־הָאָדָם וּמִקְרֶה הַבְּהֵמָה וּמִקְרֶה אֶחָד לָהֶם כְּמוֹת זֶה כֵּן מוֹת זֶה וְרוּחַ אֶחָד לַכֹּל וּמוֹתַר הָאָדָם מִן־הַבְּהֵמָה אָיִן כִּי הַכֹּל הָבֶל׃ 3.21. מִי יוֹדֵעַ רוּחַ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם הָעֹלָה הִיא לְמָעְלָה וְרוּחַ הַבְּהֵמָה הַיֹּרֶדֶת הִיא לְמַטָּה לָאָרֶץ׃ 3.22. וְרָאִיתִי כִּי אֵין טוֹב מֵאֲשֶׁר יִשְׂמַח הָאָדָם בְּמַעֲשָׂיו כִּי־הוּא חֶלְקוֹ כִּי מִי יְבִיאֶנּוּ לִרְאוֹת בְּמֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אַחֲרָיו׃

3.9. What profit hath he that worketh in that he laboureth?" 3.10. I have seen the task which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith." 3.11. He hath made every thing beautiful in its time; also He hath set the world in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end." 3.12. I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to get pleasure so long as they live." 3.13. But also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy pleasure for all his labour, is the gift of God." 3.15. That which is hath been long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God seeketh that which is pursued." 3.16. And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there." 3.17. I said in my heart: ‘The righteous and the wicked God will judge; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.’" 3.18. I said in my heart: ‘It is because of the sons of men, that God may sift them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.’" 3.19. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them; as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; for all is vanity." 3.20. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all return to dust." 3.21. Who knoweth the spirit of man whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast whether it goeth downward to the earth?" 3.22. Wherefore I perceived that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?"

5. Septuagint, Ecclesiasticus (Siracides), 17.4 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)

17.4. He placed the fear of them in all living beings,and granted them dominion over beasts and birds.

6. New Testament, Matthew, 25.34 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)

25.34. Then the King will tell those on his right hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

Subjects of this text:

subject	book bibliographic info
achilles	Legaspi, Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition (2018) 74
aristotle	Legaspi, Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition (2018) 77
church, as mother	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
creation topoi	Garcia, On Human Nature in Early Judaism: Creation, Composition, and Condition (2021) 32
dating systems	Beyerle and Goff, Notions of Time in Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature (2022) 456
death, and paradise	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
death	Garcia, On Human Nature in Early Judaism: Creation, Composition, and Condition (2021) 32
dust	Garcia, On Human Nature in Early Judaism: Creation, Composition, and Condition (2021) 32
earth, and heaven	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
earth, as witness	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
ecclesiastes, book of	Legaspi, Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition (2018) 71, 74, 77
evil, and paradise/new kingdom	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
evil	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
fear of god	Legaspi, Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition (2018) 71, 74
festivals	Beyerle and Goff, Notions of Time in Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature (2022) 456
fox, michael	Legaspi, Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition (2018) 77
futility	Garcia, On Human Nature in Early Judaism: Creation, Composition, and Condition (2021) 32
goodness, and paradise	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
heaven, and earth	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
heaven, as witness	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
hebel	Legaspi, Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition (2018) 77
human, life	Garcia, On Human Nature in Early Judaism: Creation, Composition, and Condition (2021) 32
image of god	Garcia, On Human Nature in Early Judaism: Creation, Composition, and Condition (2021) 32
injustice	Legaspi, Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition (2018) 71
israel, as mother	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
israel, mothers of	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
israel, people of/gods people	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
jerusalem	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
judgment	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
kingdom, of jerusalem	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
kugel, james	Legaspi, Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition (2018) 77
metaphor/metaphorical network	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
metaphor	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
mother, as church	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
mother, as israel	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
mother	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
odysseus	Legaspi, Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition (2018) 74
paradise	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
pessimism	Garcia, On Human Nature in Early Judaism: Creation, Composition, and Condition (2021) 32
phronēsis	Legaspi, Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition (2018) 77
sabbath	Beyerle and Goff, Notions of Time in Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature (2022) 456
sharp, carolyn	Legaspi, Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition (2018) 74
spirit	Garcia, On Human Nature in Early Judaism: Creation, Composition, and Condition (2021) 32
temple, second	Estes, The Tree of Life (2020) 143
temple	Legaspi, Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition (2018) 71
temporal language	Beyerle and Goff, Notions of Time in Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature (2022) 456
topoi, creation	Garcia, On Human Nature in Early Judaism: Creation, Composition, and Condition (2021) 32
torah	Legaspi, Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition (2018) 74
visions	Beyerle and Goff, Notions of Time in Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature (2022) 456
wisdom, in ecclesiastes	Legaspi, Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition (2018) 74, 77
yitron'	Legaspi, Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition (2018) 71