“This Too is Hebel:” Divine Absence, Oppression, and the Problem of Suffering in Qoheleth Open Access
Jenkins, Luke (Spring 2026)
Abstract
This thesis explores the problem of innocent suffering and divine absence in the book of Ecclesiastes, focusing on the portrayals of systemic oppression and injustice within Ecclesiastes 3:16–5:8. Employing a literary-theological methodology centered on the Masoretic Text, the study considers how the author, Qoheleth, uses literary strategies, particularly poetic ambiguity, irony, repetition, and the recurring motif of hebel (vanity/futility/enigma), to confront experiences where God appears silent or unresponsive. The central argument is that Ecclesiastes articulates a theology of absence, portraying God as a Deus absconditus (hidden God) and deliberately eschewing traditional theodicy or resolution. Instead, it uses hebel as a literary-theological marker to name divine hiddenness as an experienced reality. Through close readings of key passages depicting the prevalence of injustice (3:16–22), the suffering of the powerless (4:1) and unchecked corruption (5:7–8), alongside analyses of divine distance (4:17–5:8), the analysis contends that Qoheleth models a form of theological protest grounded in ambiguity. Ecclesiastes challenges doctrinal assumptions by refusing to harmonize divine justice with observed reality. It offers a perspective that dares to voice the incoherence of suffering when God does not seem to speak. This project contributes to biblical theology by demonstrating how Ecclesiastes’ literary form is integral to its difficult theological witness to divine absence.
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 1: “No One to Comfort Them:” Oppression and the Unanswered Cry in Ecclesiastes 3:16–4:3 9
Introduction......................................................................................................................... 9
The Perversion of Order: Wickedness in the Place of Justice (Ecc. 3:16).......................... 9
Qoheleth’s Internal Deliberation: The Problem of Divine Judgment (Ecc. 3:17–22)....... 10
Ontological Equivalence or Epistemological Crisis?........................................................ 12
Divine Hiddenness and the Potency of Hebel................................................................... 13
The Strategic Deployment of Hebel as Indictment........................................................... 14
The Zenith of Despair: The Oppressed and the Vacancy of Comfort (Ecc. 4:1).............. 15
The Scope of Oppressions: From Specific Injustice to a Comprehensive Human Condition 17
Textual Intricacies and the Scope of “All”: Ha-ashuqim as Abstract Acts or Concrete Individuals? 20
The Crisis of Comfortlessness: Human Failure or Divine Absence?..................... 22
Preferring Death and Non-Being in Light of Uncomforted Suffering (Ecc. 4:2–3) 25
Conclusion: From Injustice to Indictment......................................................................... 27
Chapter 2: God in Heaven, You on Earth: Divine Distance, Systemic Corruption, and Hebel (Ecclesiastes 4:4–5:8) 30
Introduction: Hebel as Protest........................................................................................... 30
Toil and Rivalry as Hebel: The Crisis of Divine Hiddenness (Ecc. 4:4–16)..................... 32
Hebel in Human Extremes: Idleness and Excess under Divine Absence.......................... 33
Isolation and Meaninglessness: Hebel as Response to Divine Hiddenness (4:7–8)......... 35
Cultic Anxiety and Divine Hiddenness: Worship in a Silent World (Ecc. 4:17–5:6)........ 37
The Deus Absconditus: Caution Before the Hidden God.................................................. 39
Systemic Oppression, Hebel, and the Lived Reality of Divine Absence.......................... 41
The Continuity of the Bureaucracy in 5:7......................................................................... 45
Asymmetrical Reverence and the Danger of Misstep....................................................... 46
Conclusion: The Existential Weight of Divine Hiddenness.............................................. 49
Chapter 3: Beyond Resolution: Qoheleth’s Protest and the Fragmented Theology of Absence... 52
Introduction....................................................................................................................... 52
Qoheleth’s God: A Portrait of Divine Hiddenness and Inscrutability............................... 55
Hebel as Indictment: Naming the Experienced Incoherence............................................ 59
Literary Strategies of Dissent: Ambiguity and Repetition................................................ 62
The Deliberate God: Divine Hiddenness as an Active Stance.......................................... 63
The Unsettling Witness: Qoheleth’s Fragmented Faith and Enduring Challenge............. 69
Bibliography.................................................................................................................................. 72
About this Master's Thesis
| School | |
|---|---|
| Department | |
| Degree | |
| Submission | |
| Language |
|
| Research Field | |
| Keyword | |
| Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor | |
| Committee Members |
Primary PDF
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
“This Too is Hebel:” Divine Absence, Oppression, and the Problem of Suffering in Qoheleth () | 2026-05-01 15:41:20 -0400 |
|
Supplemental Files
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
|---|