Content
The Greek word Ecclesiastes translates Hebrew Qoheleth, a pen name associating the principal speaker in this unique piece of Old Testament Wisdom literature with King Solomon (cf. 1 Kings 8). The verbal root of the name means "to gather/assemble," and so English Bibles variously translate Qoheleth as "Teacher;" "Preacher," or "Speaker" - one who addresses a group of people.
Content
In a manner similar to ancient "pessimism literature," which dates to 2000 B.C. in Egypt and Mesopotamia, Ecclesiastes presents the opposite of the black-and-white world portrayed in Proverbs. Abandoning that book's idealistic generalizations, Ecclesiastes reveals life for what it is, warts and all. The Teacher is scandalized by the unfairness of life: the wicked do not always perish and the righteous do not always prosper. Even worse, the wicked and the righteous share the same ultimate fate: death, which in the Old Testament view ends robust existence and the realization of rewards and punishments based on personal conduct. The Teacher's realism creates a crisis of fate, to which he responds pessimistically: "Enjoy life while you can." Nevertheless, the book ultimately expresses the faith that divine judgment will right life's wrongs, and so reverence for God and the keeping of his commandments set the bounds of the pleasure game.
Ecclesiastes includes sections written in narrative prose and groups of proverbs. The Teacher often appears to be confused, arguing with himself, or at least with the conventional wisdom of the day, in a struggle to reconcile the Hebrew belief in a just God with the unpredictable, often contradictory realm of human existence "under the sun." By denoting general knowledge about the world and nature in ad dition to moral discernment, the "wisdom" to which he appeals and refers carries a broader and more existential meaning than in Proverbs.
Authorship
Ecclesiastes' wider definition of "wisdom" fits the tradition of King Solomon (1 Kgs. 4:29-34), to whom the book alludes in 1:1, 12-18, though it stops short of claiming Solomonic authorship. The presence of two Persian loanwords puts the book's anonymous authorship or compilation at least four centuries after Solomon's reign. The insufficiency of other internal evidence (e.g., historical or political allusions) precludes a precise dating, but the discoveries at Qumran yielded fragments of the Hebrew text of Ecclesiastes indicating its existence by at least the mid-2nd century.
1-3 The Impermanence of Earthly Life Declared
The Teacher begins by declaring the impermanent, fleeting nature of life. The Hebrew word traditionally translated "vanity," "meaninglessness;" or "uselessness" literally means "a puff of air;" "a breath, or "nothingness;" expressions that characterize life as brief, fragile, and devoid of lasting significance. But a number of the bool's later comments make clear that life is not necessarily futile - perhaps thereby reflecting a "mature" teacher or the framework of a later narrator who has quoted and then provides a broader, more orthodox perspective on the words of the Teacher. The contrast between the repetitiveness and transience of human existence and the completeness and eternity of divine works produces human reverence for God (3:14).
The groundwork the Teacher lays for the centerpiece of his advice - "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die" - does seem depressingly cynical if viewed from a Godless standpoint. In chapter 1, the Teacher observes that lessons from the past go unremembered, so human history only repeats itself in a wearisome "circle of life;" just as the elements of nature go through their endless but progressionless motions (1:2-7). Universal forgetfulness creates only an illusion that anything new appears or happens "under the sun," a recurring phrase synonymous with "on earth" and "under heaven," all of which refer to the world of humans (1:9-11). The Teacher's own realization that at death he must pass on the achievements of his wisdom - perhaps to an incompetent fool - and his conclusion that neither people nor the products of their labor generate a lasting legacy leave him despairing of his earthly accomplishments (2:16-20).
Pool of Solomon, south of Bethelehem, "from which to water the forest of growing trees" (Eccl. 2:6). (Phoenix Data Systems, Neal and Joel Bierling)
In autobiographical style, the Teacher describes his pursuit of self-indulgent remedies for this perplexity: acquiring unprecedented wisdom (1:17-18; cf. Prov. 3:13-26); enjoying unbounded sensual and material pleasures; amassing unparalleled wealth and possessions; and engaging in physical labor. Though these activities brought him enlightenment and temporary pleasure, he acknowledges that none of them permanently cured his cynicism (compare 2:10, 12-14 and 2:17-18, 20). He is a confused wise man, constantly alternating between what he knows from tradition (3:17; 9:1; 11:9) and what he sees in life.
Despite the inevitability and finality of death, the Teacher acknowledges the good that does come from God in this earthly life. All the ups and downs of life happen according to their divinely appointed times - even God's judgment of the righteous and the wicked (3:17). Humans may not fully understand God's works (3:11), but they might as well rejoice, do good deeds, and appreciate life as a gift from God - make the best of a bad situation.
4:1-11:6 Observations and Advice concerning Life "Under the Sun"
4 The situation is bad indeed. Observation of the earthly pain inflicted by powerful oppressors of the uncomforted leads the Teacher to consider the dead better off than the living, and the nonexistent the most fortunate of all. People's actions appear motivated only by "keeping up with the Joneses" N. 4), and heirless workaholics engage in pointless self-denial of life's pleasures (v. 8). While Proverbs warns that a little "folding of the hands" renders one a pauper, the existentialist in Ecclesiastes touts leisure over work - better a little instant though temporary gratification than a lot of work for nothing that lasts (vv. 5-6; cf. Prov. 24:30-34).
Verse 9 introduces a proverbial style that punctuates the rest of the book with teaching and advice. The advantages of companionship form the theme of verses 9-12. In the realm of politics, wisdom trumps seniority, social status, and power (vv. 13-16), but the chapter ends on a familiar note of cynical resignation.
5-6 Despite his grim lament over the deficiencies of life, the Teacher assumes that his students will nevertheless pursue the worship of God, and he instructs them toward that end (5:1ff.). Practical fear (= reverence) for God involves approaching him in a posture of receptiveness, praying with careful deliberation, and keeping one's vows (cf. Deut. 23:21-23). The "house of God" (v. 1) refers to the temple. "Fools" - the wicked - offer insincere sacrifices, which they attempt to pass off as "mistakes, or unwitting sins (5:5-6; cf. Lev. 4:1-5:13; 6:24-30 for atoning sacrifices). Jesus' instructions on how to pray echo Ecclesiastes' warning against excessive wordiness with God (Matt. 6:7ff.).
Though the Teacher acknowledges that material wealth does not permanently satisfy, nevertheless he bemoans its loss, which at death leaves a rightful heir unsupported and returns one to the same humble, naked state in which he entered the world as a baby (5:10-17). This observation reinforces the Teacher's emphasis on the futility of pursuing impermanent fortune and fame (cf. 2:18-23). Once again, he concludes that a person must concentrate on the enjoyment of life, including finding delight in one's work. Enjoyment of the here and now offers the added benefit of preventing one from becoming too reflective (5:18-20). In fact, those who are stillborn are better off than even the most blessed person - here described in ideal ancient Near Eastern terms as a wealthy, longlived father of many children, who likewise cannot both have his cake and eat it (ch. 6).
7 Here the Teacher's observations about life waver back and forth. On the one hand, he celebrates the end of life over its beginning. After all, death releases one from earthly ills: oppression, corruption, anger, nostalgic longing, adversity (vv 1-14). Nevertheless, he considers wisdom advantageous in that it "preserves" one's life (v 12). Then again, he recognizes the exceptions to this theological rule embodied by the short-lived righteous and the long-lived wicked (v. 15). The conclusion he draws addresses the natural human instinct to prolong life, despite his affirmation of death, and he speaks from a human perspective when he prescribes the avoidance of moral extremes to ensure longevity (vv. 16-18).
The modern cliche, "Don't believe everything you hear," echoes the meaning of verse 21. The speaker's quest for wisdom as an elusive woman reflects Prov. 31:10 (compare V. 26 and the description of seductive Ms. Folly in Prov. 9:13-18). The chapter closes with the Teacher's acknowledgment that humans have pursued moral mischief on their own initiative, in direct conflict with their divinely created condition (v. 29).
8:1-9:12 The Teacher commends the prudence of civil obedience for several reasons, including the keeping of one's divinely witnessed promise and the authority of the king to punish those he deems traitors (though the king's lack of authority over the divinely determined "day of death" strips him of control over the ultimate fate of his subjects; 8:2-9).
That neither the wicked nor the righteous get what they deserve disturbs the Teacher. The righteous suffer the just deserts of the wicked, while the wicked enjoy the rewards due the righteous. The fact that these injustices occur does not destroy the Teacher's faith that, ultimately, the tables will turn in favor of the righteous (8:12-13). But human incomprehension of why God allows this topsy-turvy situation to continue leads the Teacher to repeat his conclusion that pleasure is the only redeeming element of life.
The first half of chapter 9 reemphasizes the injustice that the righteous and the wicked share the same ultimate fate, with the only comfort for the wise/righteous consisting in their deeds' resting "in the hand of God" (9:1). Verse 2 refers to the "clean" and the "unclean;" terms that relate to ritual purity. Verses 4-6, 1o reflect the Old Testament view that death brings a halt to any robust existence.
Once again, the existentialist's answer to this crisis of fate consists in maintaining a posture not of pouting but of perpetual celebration, signified by the prescribed white clothes and oil-anointed head (9:8), and in living life to its fullest (v. lo). Present reality is all there is, says the Teacher. Since life is not fair, since time and chance eventually catch up with everyone, and since death strikes at an unpredictable time, seize the day for pleasure and enjoy life while you can.
9:13-11:6 A military vignette that demonstrates the power of wisdom over might illustrates the higher value of wisdom but also comments on the social prejudice that cancels wisdom's reward for the wise but poor (9:13-18). A good number of the proverbs that follow contrast wisdom and folly, and several find expression in modern sayings. In the biblical world, the direction "right" - the direction in which the wise turn in 10:2 - signified the good, the place of honor (cf. Matt. 25:31-46; Mark 16:19).
Koheleth, "son of David, and king in Jerusalem"; engraving by Gustave Dore
11:7-12:8 The Teacher's Conclusion
In his concluding remarks, the Teacher uses light and darkness in association with youth and old age (11:7-8; 12:2). He encourages the young to follow their dreams and pursue their desires during the prime of life, but he also counsels their remembrance of God and mindfulness of the ultimate certainty of divine judgment (cf. 12:13-14). A series of metaphors in 12:3-5 describes an elderly person with weakened limbs; idle, sparse teeth; dimmed eyesight; diminished hearing; light slumber; fear of heights and pedestrian road hazards; whitened hair; impaired ambulation; and sexual impotence. Two metaphors for death follow in 12:6. As the speaker ponders humans' return to the dust from which God formed them (12:7), he again emphasizes his opening declaration of the impermanence of this earthly life (v. 8) - a plausibly hopeful note, considering the litany of life's shortcomings laid out by the Teacher.
12:914 Postscript
This postscript presents the interpretive guide to the entire book, perhaps from the hand of a second wise man who has just quoted the confused, perplexed Teacher to his son. It affirms the limited truth of the Teacher's wisdom ("yes, life sucks and then you die - under the sun"), but points beyond. If the Teacher's preceding prescription, "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die;" is the best medicine to suppress the symptoms of human cynicism, this concluding admonition represents the accompanying catalyst required to effect the medication's potency: "fear God and keep his commandments ... because God will bring every act to judgment" (vv. 13-14).