Introduction to Ecclesiastes
“Qoheleth”
The Hebrew Title
“Qoheleth” or “Koheleth” is from the Hebrew דִּבְרֵי֙ קֹהֶ֣לֶת “Dabari Qoheleth” (soft “b” pronounced davari) the first words of the Hebrew text meaning literally “words of the preacher.” Qoheleth appears 7 times in Ecclesiastes: 1:1, 2, 12; 7:27; 12:8, 9, 10.
More literal (formal equivalence) translations render Qoheleth as “Preacher” (ESV, KJV, NKJV, ASV, NASB, RSV). More liberal (dynamic equivalence) translations render it “Teacher” (NIV, NRSV, NCV, NLT). Some suggest it may be considered a “job description” vs. a proper name. It can refer to a convenor of a gathering or assembly (cf. the roots of the words “synagogue” and “church”), or a speaker in an assembly.
Qoheleth can also refer to a collector of wise sayings, a sage, one who assembled students to study and one who assembled proverbs and wisdom material and taught as we see in Ecclesiastes: 12:9–10, In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.
Ecclesiastes 11:9–12:1 emphasizes Qoheleth’s teaching work: Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. 10 So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.
12:1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them…”
Ecclesiastes
The Greek/English Title
“Ecclesiastes” comes from the ca. third century BC translation of qoheleth in the Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint (LXX) which is Εκκλησιαστής (Ekklesiastes). This is the translation that Greek speaking Jews of the Dispersion used. It is related to ekklesia (ἐκκλησία) “assembly,” “congregation,” vs. the word “church” which is a medieval dutch/germanic/anglicism of the Greek kuriakon from kuriakon from kurios “Lord” vs. the correct translation of ekklesia which is “assembly”.
Solomon’s Authorship
Ecclesiastes 1:1 affirms Solomon’s authorship of Ecclesiastes: “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.” Solomon is the only Jewish monarch of any era with the wisdom, wealth and influence to afford the lavish experiments he records in Ecclesiastes. During his reign, Israel was at its peak, the zenith, of its geographical size and wealth. He uses consistent key words and phrases (see next section). History, transmission and its inclusion in the Biblical Canon support Solomon’s authorship. God gave Solomon an exceptional gift of wisdom (1 Kings 3:9, 12; 4:29–31). The literary nature of Ecclesiastes is very similarities to Solomon’s writing in Proverbs. Solomon’s vast building projects parallel the scope of projects in Ecclesiastes. He fortified Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer (1 Kings 9:15). Archaeology identifies characteristic gate and casements wall fortifications of Solomon.
Key Words & Phrases
Solomon uses many key words and phrases in Ecclesiastes. “See” (ra’ah), occurs 50 times. “Wisdom” (hokmah), occurs 53 times. In Proverbs 2:6, Solomon wrote that “For the LORD gives wisdom, From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Wisdom has to do with “skill.”It comes from long experience. It combines knowledge, understanding and experience to discern the best course of action in a situation that will lead to the best outcome. “Vanity,” (hebel), occurs 38 times (see list below).
A few examples of key phrases are: “under the sun” (30 times) which emphasizes the universality of experiences. “Striving after wind” occurs 9 times emphasizing the vanity and futility of much toil. “Eat and drink” occurs 5 times, “fear God,” 4 times and “fear Him,” 2 times.
God in Ecclesiastes
Qoheleth learned a lot about God during his experiments in pursuit for the meaning of life:
- God is our Creator: transcendent, sovereign, inscrutable (beyond human understanding, impossible to understand fully).
- God is active in His creation:
- He makes everything appropriate/beautiful in its time (3:1–11)
- God places eternity in human hearts (3:11).
- God controls the ultimate future of His creation.
- Like Job, Qoheleth refers to God as אֱלהִים Elohim 40 times a name emphasizing the universality of His works presence, truth and eternal wisdom. In Genesis 1:1, Elohim is the first of many wonderful names of God. His most frequent in Scripture overall is יְהוָֹה (YHWH, Jaweh), 6,828 times.
- Qoheleth speaks about God most intensely at the end of chapter 2 and in chapters 3 and 5, 27 out of 47 times in 12 chapters.
- God is to be feared and obeyed: “fear God,” “fear Him” (3:14; 5:7; 7:18; 8:12, 13; 12:13).
- Accept God’s transcendent power & acknowledge our limits (3:14).
- God is in heaven, we are on earth: approach God with reverence (5:2).
- Remember God your Creator in your youth (12:1, 2, 6).
- True holy and satisfying enjoyment of life and people is a gift from God (5:8–6:9; 5:18–19–20)
- God is our Shepherd who gives us wise words and goads (urges, spurs) us on (12:11)
- God gets the final word in Qoheleth’s conclusion: “fear God and keep His commandments” (12:13)
The Big Questions of Life
Qoheleth wrestles with the big questions of life. Many dimensions of the big issues and pursuits in Ecclesiastes are still the very same in the world today. Similarly, about 1,000 years after Solomon, 2 Timothy 3:1–13 prophetically describes the state of humankind today. On the plus side, Ecclesiastes gives answers. The answers Ecclesiastes gives to time’s problems are timeless.
- God’s sovereign will and human will (cf. Proverbs 16:1–9)
- The meaning of life
- The purpose of my life
- How to find God’s wisdom and knowledge
- Futility and faith
- The vanity & costly risks of worldly pursuits and pleasures
- Justice & injustice
- Contrasts: wisdom vs. foolishness, good vs. evil, joy vs. trouble
- Why is there suffering? The justice of God despite the presence of evil (theodicy)
- The mystery of life
- Our potential & limits
- God’s blessings of family, assembly (people of God: Israel, church), and godly living in all realms including work
- Our responsibility & accountability to God (11:9; 12:14)
- God understands the overwhelming frustrations and injustices of life:
- this is very important for sensitive & discouraged people to know
- God provides ways forward
- Keeping life in perspective in light of mortality & eternity
- “The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun” (11:7)
- Preparing for eternity with God
Ecclesiastes, Proverbs and the New Testament: Romans 8
Qoheleth mourns the futility of life but ends with a vision hope for the future in God based on fearing Him and obeying His commandments. These will enable us to stand at the Great Day of Judgment (cf. Jude 6):
Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
In one sense, Ecclesiastes ends by drawing the same conclusions as Proverbs and Psalms “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7) “The fear of the LOD is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10; Psalm 111:10). The righteous meditate on God’s law and bear fruit with Him (Psalm 1:2–3).
Although Jesus and New Testament writers don’t quote Ecclesiastes directly they use many important allusions and verbal parallels. The New Testament reveals much more about the spiritual realities behind the frustrations of life and also ends on a pathway of faith, hope and love. Paul’s statement in Romans 8:18–25 is one of the most profound commentaries on the frustrating state of the world and the ultimate purpose of God that people would turn to Him in hope:
Romans 8:18–25 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
21 Areas of Vanity
Qoheleth identifies many pursuits as vain:
- all works of men (1:14)
- indulgence in pleasure (2:1)
- profit from one’s labour (2:11) (can also be a gift/reward of God)
- quest for wisdom (2:15, 17) (ultimately commended by God and Solomon)
- focus on earthly accomplishments (2:19, 21, 23)
- achievement while ignoring God (2:26)
- over–emphasis on life & living (319)
- competition (4:4)
- hoarding riches (4:7, 8)
- trying to please everyone (4:16)
- foolish use of words and promises (5:7 emptiness)
- having much money (5:10)
- irresponsible use of wealth (6:2, 4)
- greedy ambition (6:9)
- the use of many words masterfully (6:11)
- associating with foolish friends (7:6)
- trying to understand anomalies of life (7:15)
- indifference toward evil (8:10)
- the system of justice & retribution (8:14)
- looking to days ahead for meaning and happiness (11:8, 10)
- death itself (12:1–8)
Qoheleth’s Perspective: Pessimist of Optimist?
People look at Qoheleth’s overall perspective on God and life in various ways:
- he is pessimistic and sceptical
- he is frustrated with life’s inconsistencies
- he is self–centred and materialistic
- he is the original existentialist (focuses on individual experience in an overwhelming uncertain universe)
- he is an apologist and evangelist
- he is a wise man and preacher who came to realize the focus of life must be God:
- he has learned the ultimate meaning and purpose of life
- his experience and experiments have filtered and sifted life’s ultimate meaning to its core: faith in God
- the paramount lesson learned is “fear God and keep His commandments” (12:13)
- he is driven to share this important lesson with others
Date, Hebrew Text and Use in Isreal
Solomon reigned ca. 970–931 BC so his writing of Ecclesiastes occurs somewhere in this time frame.
The Hebrew text is excellent which provides strong support for Solomon’s authorship. The Dead Sea Scrolls fragments testify to this (4QQoha 5:14–18; 6:1, 3–8; 7:1–9, 19, 20; 4QQohb 1:10–14). There are no significant variants from the Masoretic Tex (MT) from ca. AD 950–1000. This means no changes of any consequence after nearly 2,000 years between the time Solomon wrote and the Masoretes completed their copies.
Ecclesiastes is read in synagogues the third day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Feast of Booths, Sukkot) commemorating the time when Jews lived in temporary shelters after being freed from Egypt (Leviticus 23:43). Ecclesiastes reflects the temporary fleeting nature of life and the paramount priority of trusting God at all times.
Structure: Cycles of Futility and Faith
Ecclesiastes is a combination of narrative prose, Hebrew poetry and proverbs. The insertion of Hebrew poetry into primarily narrative books is frequent in the all Hebrew Scriptures from the Torah (five books of Moses), the writing prophets and historical books (“former prophets” in the Hebrew canon of Bible books) and the Writings.
The poetic passages in Ecclesiastes are:
1:1–11 On vanity, futility and repetition of everything
3:1–8 “To everything there is a season…”
7:1–14 Proverbs in the centre of Ecclesiastes
Outline and Conclusion
Ecclesiastes has cycles of
1) the vanity & futility of life
2) practical faith, purpose, meaning and blessing from God
Solomon’s positive conclusions are highlighted in italics.
1) Solomon Tests His Thesis: Is All Vanity?
1:1–2 Heading & Motto/Theme Statement
1:3–11 Nature is a repetitive closed system
1:12–18 Even wisdom seems vain
2:1–11 Pleasure, projects & possessions don’t satisfy
2:12–17 Wisdom exceeds folly but all die
2:18–23 Labour is fruitless, the mind does not rest
2:24–26 God’s gift of enjoyment, food, good labour, “I have seen that it is from the hand of God.”God gives wisdom, knowledge and joy!
2) Solomon’s Revised Thesis: With God Life Can Have Meaning
3:1–10 There is a time for everything
3:11–15 God set eternity in the heart, rejoice & do good; everything God does will remain forever, God’s gift of enjoyment, food, gift of labour
3:16–21 Injustice & the fate of all living things
3:22 Be happy in your activities
4:1–16 “Better than” sayings; cf. 7:1–12
4:1–8 Oppression, rivalry, childless rich
4:9–12 Two are better than one (strength in numbers)
4:13–16 Failure of kings
5:1–9 Guard your steps, listen to God
fulfil your vows, injustice to poor
5:10–17 folly of riches, as people are born with nothing so they die
5:18–20 What I have seen to be good: enjoyment of life and labour, food, God’s reward
God’s gift, gladness of heart
3) With God, Man Can Pursue a Balanced Perspective on Life
6:1–12 futility of money & lack of satisfaction
7:1–14 “Better-than” proverbs: consider God’s work; cf. 4:1–16
balance, limits, mystery (many parallels to Proverbs)
God made man upright but he goes after vain pursuits
8:1 wisdom illuminates the wise
8:2–17 obey kings before God, experience no trouble
reversal of expectations, God’s work is beyond discovery
8:15 simple pleasures of life: be merry, enjoy food, all the days God gives
4) With God Man Can Face the Unknown with Optimism
9:1–6 uncertainty & 1 fate for all
9:7–10 eat and drink in happiness, God approves your works, let your clothes be white, enjoy life with woman you love, this is your reward; work with all your might (cf. Colossians 3:23)
9:11–12 uncertainty, time and chance overtake all
9:13–18 superiority of wisdom (cf. Proverbs 1–9; Job); the poor wise man
10:1–20 wise vs. foolish living & leadership
11:1–6 wise reaping & sowing
5) God’s Ultimate Answers: Prepare for Tomorrow, Death, Meaningful Life
11:7–10 rejoice all your years; God will judge
remove vexation & pain; life is fleeting
12:1–8 Remember your Creator in in the days of your youth
12:9–14 Qoheleth’s search/arrangement of many proverbs delightful words (cf. Proverbs on speech) wise words of God our Shepherd goad (urge, spur) us on
12:13–14 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.