Introduction to Ecclesiastes
12 Chapters
1. Author and Time of Writing
2. Purpose of Writing
3. Peculiarities
4. Overview of Contents
1. Author and Time of Writing
No author's name is mentioned in Ecclesiastes. Old Jewish tradition says that King Solomon is the author of this book of the Bible. Yet Solomon's authorship has many times been doubted for two reasons: language and the absence of the name Jehovah in the book. Both reasons, however, are neither sound nor compelling (compared with what is said under Peculiarities).
In Ecclesiastes chap. 1:1+12, the author calls himself the son of David and king in Jerusalem. In verse 16, he speaks of his great wisdom, which, according to 1 Kings 3:12; 4:2f; 10:1, only King Solomon had. In Eccl. 12:9, he mentions that he set many proverbs in order. This fact also speaks for Solomon only (see 1 Kings 4:32; Prov. 1:1).
Various expressions in Ecclesiastes indicate that Solomon wrote the book only in old age (Eccl. 1:12 - 2:11; 11:9 - 12:7). In this section, the author reviews his long life and all his thoughts and deeds, warning youth and pointing to old age.
King Solomon ruled from around 970 to 931 BC. Therefore, the book of Ecclesiastes must date from the end of this period.
2. Purpose of Writing
Ecclesiastes belong to the last part of the Hebrew Bible, the "writings" (Hebr. ketubim), and further to the so-called five scrolls (Hebr. megillot), which are still read at Jewish feast days. Ecclesiastes is being read in the synagogueAt the time of the New Testament, the synagogue was a place where people gathered to hear the law. The beginnings of synagogues probably date back to the time of... for the feast of Tabernacles.
Verses 2 and 3 of the first chapter suitably summarize the book's contents and purpose: "Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun?" The word "vanity" appears not less than 37 times in this book! The Hebrew word "hevel" is also to be found in the name Adam and Eve gave to their second son Abel (Gen. 4:2) after sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... had entered the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... by their disobedience.
The expression "under the sun" also appears 29 times. This expression stresses the book's character, which describes life on this earth from the viewpoint of a fallen man. It has, therefore, rightly been called a scene of the consequences of the fall of man (compare Gen. 3:17-19).
The underlying crucial question could be as follows: Which is the best way for a human to spend life? - The answers to these questions are mostly given from a human viewpoint. They, therefore, give the impression of the author being far away from the divine truth. Some of such false conclusions can be found in Eccl. 3:19-22; 7:16-17; 8:15; 9:6+10.
Such statements might make the reader wonder how such a thing can be written in the Word of God. And yet, the explanation is not difficult. This human reasoning is no divine revelation (e.g., the Epistle to the Ephesians in the NT), but it has been added to the Bible by divine inspirationBy inspiration (literally: to breathe into), we understand that the Bible comes from God. It is inspired by Him word for word (1 Cor 2:13). This applies to the OT.... Solomon's experiences and thoughts are recorded as utterances of a man who is disappointed in life, even if man is not viewed in the book as having a living relationship of faith to God (although every man is responsible as a creature towards God his Creator). This is why Ecclesiastes is often called a book of skeptical or pessimistic characters. We find no word of praising God or graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... and redemptionRedemption is part of God's plan of salvation. Redemption means that someone is freed from bondage. The redemption of Israel from the power of Pharaoh is an example of this.... throughout the book. If the name of God appears, the expression used is Elohim, but never the name Jehovah (over 40 times in total).
God's direct teaching of man appears only in chap. 12:11-14. These final words can be considered a suitable introduction to the book of Proverbs. Although Proverbs precedes Ecclesiastes, it is a step ahead of it in spiritual matters.
Ecclesiastes is one of the few books of the OT that is not once referred to in the NT, although there might be many parallel thoughts (e.g., Eccl. 5:1 and Mat. 6:7; Eccl. 12:14 and 2 Cor. 5:10; Eccl. 7:9 and Jas 1:19).
3. Peculiarities
The title "preacher" is the rendering of the Hebrew word qohelet (female gender), which is derived from the verb Chahal (Engl. to gather). The word qohelet appears seven times in Ecclesiastes (chap. 1:1, 2,12; 7:27; 12:8-10) but nowhere else in the Bible. The translators of the Septuagint have rendered it with ecclesiastics (from ecclesia, Engl. Assembly, church). Martin Luther was the first to translate this word (which is difficult) with "preacher." But this meaning has been questioned. Another explanation is based on the principle meaning of "gathering publicly."
Accordingly, the wisdom described in Ecclesiastes is accessible to all men. It is so to say that the wisdom taught in the temple court, whereas the hidden wisdom taught in the sanctuary (Ps. 73:17), is only opened up for believers. This wisdom is described in Proverbs, which, as already mentioned, is the "sequel" to Ecclesiastes.
b) The Name of God
Typically, the name Jehovah appears not once in this book, whereas the name Elohim (God) appears over 40 times. By studying the Pentateuch and the Psalms, we have already seen that Elohim shows God in His absoluteness and omnipotence as Creator. On the other hand, Jehovah is God's name, which shows His graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... and relationship to men, especially to his covenant people, Israel. The fact that the name Jehovah appears not at all in Ecclesiastes is a signThe Gospel of John tells us about eight signs that the Lord Jesus performed. These signs, which are also miracles, point to something special. They aim to help us grow... that the subject is not one man or one person in a certain relation of covenant or faith to Him. It instead shows that the topic is a general man responsible to His Creator-God (Eccl. 11:9; 12:1).
4. Overview of Contents
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11: Introduction - Emptiness of Life without God
Ecclesiastes 1:12- 6:12: Question for Sense in all that Happens on Earth
Chapter 1:12-18 The Seeker
Chapter 2 Result of Seeking: Worthlessness of All Labour
Chapter 3 Certainty of Death
Chapter 4 Comparison of Various Circumstances of Life
Chapter 5 Correct Conduct Towards God and the Neighbour
Chapter 6 Vanity of the Various Circumstances of Life
Ecclesiastes 7:1 - 12:10: Good Counsels
Chapter 7 Various Aspects of Wisdom
Chapter 8 Goings-On of Men
Chapter 9 Equal Fate for Everybody
Chapter 10 Human Doings and Its Consequences
Chapter 11:1-12:10 Vanity of Human Life from Youth to Old Age
Ecclesiastes 12:10-14: End - Life in Light of Eternity
