The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-08-20
Very Poor Logic.
THE article by $500 is properly
named: not so much in the lit
eral meaning of his title, eff

eral meaning OF MS Title, 1T
Not Solomon, Who then ?"
as the lack of argumentative power
conveyed by it. Because it is not known
who did write Ecclesiastes, is not evil
dence to prove Solomon wrote it. 1t
might be said with equal reason, If the
moon is not made of green cheese, what
is it made of? Therefore it is green
cheese. He asks: "How do we know it
was originally written in Greek ?"
Probably there is no positive proof; yet
the ancient Greek copies of this Book
are as ancient as those of the Hebrew,
and at date not so far distant from
the time of the occurrence of the
events described in said Book as to
prove to us that their authors were
men familiar with the actual facts as
we'll known events of their own day.
Then why, therefore, does this verb
twas" appear in the aorist tense? The
reasoning of 5599 is peculiar when he
asks why cited that particular 18th
verse, and if would interpret chapter
1919 as meaning: Moreover because
the Preacher was ii. e., was at one time,
but now has ceased to be) wise and still
taught the people knowledge;" and if
I ascribe dozen different meanings to
one word. cited the 18th verse of the
1st chapter, as the verb "was" therein
is found in the aorist tense. certain
ly could not interpret chapter 12:9 in the
same way, as the twas" therein. is not
in the aorist tense. There is no occa-
sion to interpret the same word in
dozen different ways, as the same word
does not occur in the Greek in these
two verses. There is no tense in the
English to properly express the aorist
tense. Our verb "was" is indefinite.
1t may mean, twas at one time, but is
not now," and it may mean, "was at
one time" and express no meaning that
sit is not now" The aorist is definite;
and as it cannot be properly expressed
in English, we must go to the Greek
in this, as in many other instances, for
the true version of the text. It is not
to be supposed, as the words of 5599
imply, that every Greek verb "was" is
in the aorist tense.
His statement that "no descendent of
David was ever king over Israel in Je-
rusalem" is open to question. The
term "Son of David" is certainly far
reaching, as the original, either in He
brew or Greek, means descendent;
and defy 5599 or anyone else to prove
his statement. The history of that
time is not sufficiently complete to sus-
tain such claim.
He further asks: "Who else but Sol
omon went into the wholesale proverh
business ?" The author of Ecclesiastes
whoever he may be, may safely say he
wrote many proverbs, as the Book is
full of them.
i L do most certainly fully appreciate
the Book and consider it a masterpiece
5599 seemingly does not enter into the
spirit of the work or catch the authors
idea in condemnlng it. Nothing is fur
ther from the mind of the author thar
to sanction or advise his course in life
cannot imagine how 5599 could hav,
aquired such an idea from the contents
8 of the Book. The author states his ex
!, perience and thereby shows his reader
, that he sneaks from experience. Mucl
of his language if taken by isolatet
verses would seem to convey the ide,