Authorship
The title of this book reflects the term that
is used to describe the author. The English title, Ecclesiastes, comes from the
Greek word (ekklesiastes) that means “one who addresses an assembly (ekklesia)".
The Hebrew title is Qohelet [pronounced
ko-HEL-et], which means “one who leads an assembly.”
How does your Bible translate Ecc. 1:1. “The
words of the ____________” ?
Who was Qohelet?
Some people think the author was King Solomon. Take a look at the following
passages and explain how they might point to Solomon as the author:
1:1
1:12
1:16
On the other hand, many commentators believe
that Solomon was not the author. Some of these arguments are based on
linguistic features of the book (certain words that seem to come from a later
period than Solomon). However, while it is true that the Hebrew vocabulary in
the book is unusual for Solomon’s period, we simply do not know enough about
the history of the development of the Hebrew language to make any conclusive
arguments on that basis alone.
Take a look at the following passages and
explain how they might point away
from Solomon as the author:
1:1
1:12
1:16
We may never know who wrote this book, but
that does not matter. According to 12:11, the words of this book were
ultimately given by whom?
The Structure of the Book
Ecclesiastes is framed by a narrator. This
narrator gives a preface to Qohelet’s message in 1:1, and then gives an
epilogue to Qohelet’s message in
12:9-14. The middle section of the book, 1:2-12:8, contains various reflections
of Qohelet.
If you have read through Ecclesiastes, you
probably noticed that it seems to bounce from one subject to another, and often
treats the same subject several times.
It also contains many different styles of
writing. Match the following passages with the appropriate description of
style:
____ 1.
Proverb A. 1:13-14
____ 2.
Poem B. 9:13-16
____3.
Autobiography C. 10:1
____ 4.
Rhetorical question D. 8:1
____ 5.
Example story E. 3:2-8
The Message of the Book
There are two basic themes of the book that
seem to be in conflict with each other.
First, notice the key term that frames the
message of Qohelet in 1:2 and 12:8: ______________
This word is hard to translate. It comes from
the Hebrew word hebel, and is related
to the name of Abel. The ESV has a footnote to explain the meaning of this
term: “Hebel refers concretely to a ‘mist,’ ‘vapor,’ or ‘mere breath,’ and
metaphorically to something that is fleeting or elusive (with different nuances
depending on the context). It appears five times in this verse and in 29 other
verses in Ecclesiastes.”
If you have access to other translations,
list some other ways this term is translated:
How does the idea that life is “vanity”
relate to the message of Genesis 3?
At first glance the message of the book seems
profoundly pessimistic. But there is another theme found in Ecclesiastes, passages
that suggest we should seize the day (carpe
diem) and enjoy life’s blessings. Read the following passages, and list at
least three things they call the reader to enjoy: 2:24-26; 3:10-15; 5:18-20;
9:7-10.
How do these carpe diem passages related to the message of Genesis 1-2?
So there is a tension in the Bible story
generally, and in Ecclesiastes particularly. We were given a world to enjoy,
and yet this world is now under a curse. The issue in Ecclesiastes is how to
deal with life on a cursed planet.
Some commentators think that Qohelet’s basic
message is that life is absurd, and that in 12:9-14 the narrator of the book
disagrees with Qohelet’s conclusions. I believe this is incorrect, and
simplistic. In fact, in 12:9-12, the narrator says many positive things about
what Qohelet has said:
· Qohelet
was __________ and taught the people _________________ (12:9).
· Qohelet
wrote words of ____________ (12:10).
· Qohelet’s
words were given by one __________________ (12:11).
· The
reader should beware of any words _______________ these (12:12).
What, then, is the solution to the tension of
the “vanity” passages and the “seize the day” passages? The answer is found in
12:13-14 – to fear _________.
This world is indeed vain and absurd if one
tries to live life without the fear of the Lord. Qohelet uses the hard truths
of life without God like a goad to point us toward God (12:11). But living
under the fear of the Lord allows us to enjoy the good that this life has to
offer while bearing up under the pain that this life also brings.
As a final question for you to consider, how
does the message of the New Testament provide an even more comprehensive
solution to the tension of Ecclesiastes? (Read Romans 8:20-23).
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