Ecclesiastes

Background

Authorship.   Solomonic authorship is hinted in the book (1:1), but generally disputed among scholars. The biggest reason scholars, including leading conservatives, have rejected Solomon’s connection is linguistic. It is contended,

… the Hebrew of Ecclesiastes differs in vocabulary and syntax from that of the period of Solomon and is much closer to a later stage of Hebrew reflected in the Mishnah (ca. A.D. 200). Also certain Aramaic and Persian words in the book have led scholars to date the book after Solomon.[1]

Another problem with Solomonic authorship is the reference to multiple predecessor kings in Jerusalem (1:16; 2:7, 9).

“In conclusion, it’s not impossible that Solomon was Qoheleth, but evidence to the contrary is sufficient to make it doubtful. Since Scripture is silent on the matter, we cannot be confident in identifying Qoheleth.”[2]

Date of composition.   The book bears marks of being the product of an older person.  Since Solomon died in 931, date the book 940 or later.

Historical setting.   See Proverbs.

Argument

The preacher takes his reader by the collar, shakes him, and screams in his face, “Life is futile; you are going to die, and besides that nothing in this life is ultimately satisfying.” In light of that sobering fact he proceeds to build his case for existential living apart from despair. His thesis, quite simply, is “Life under the sun is vain.” That is, life has no meaning when separated from the ultimate reference point of eternity. Where Proverbs looks at life as generally predictable, and the universe as generally just, Ecclesiastes deals especially with the inequities and unpredictability of life due to a brokenness about the world, advising man to accept life as it comes to him without resentment, but thankfully, as a good gift from God, to be lustily enjoyed within the bounds of godly (wise, obedient) living.

The introduction (1:1–18) means to set forth Qoheleth’s thesis by contrasting mankind’s mortality (1:4) with nature’s non-progressive ‘eternality’: there is a certain ‘futility’ in the natural system itself (1:5–8). The best production of man yields no real progress (1:9–11). He then introduces the major points in support of his thesis to be developed in the body of the message (2:1—11:6): the futility of human achievement (1:12–14; cf. 2:1—6:9), and the limitations of human wisdom (1:15–18; cf. 6:10—10:11).

Qoheleth addresses first the common ways people seek meaning in life, beginning with pleasure (2:1–11), and then wisdom or intellectual pursuits (2:12–17): both fail.

He then moves on to the topic of labor, giving it much more space (2:18—6:9), seemingly because of the great contradictions inherent in it. It is unavoidable and designed for profit, but its material profit must ultimately pass to another, perhaps unworthy person (2:18–21). Not only can it not alleviate pain and unrest, but it actually brings and compounds them (2:22–23). His interjected advice is to discover life’s joys (2:24–26). His point continues by noting contravening realities in life so that benefits are nullified (3:1–11). Again he interjects advice to accept God’s sovereignty (3:12–22), and look at the bright side even of death (4:1–3). Labor tends to bring problems (4:4–6) without satisfaction (4:7–12). Its vanity is compounded by the fickleness of people (4:13–16). The profit of labor can be lost through a rash vow to God (5:1–7), or through the oppression of corrupt rulers (5:8–9). And even when retained, that profit brings no real satisfaction (5:10–17). The summary advice with respect to labor (5:18—6:9) is to look for enjoyment in the labor itself as well as in its fruit (5:18–20); guard one’s heart from anticipation of expected gains (6:1–2). Life is meant to be enjoyed (6:3–6); accept the fact that no amount of human labor is going to ‘cure’ the world of its inequities (6:7–9).

Not only is labor incapable of repairing the world’s ills, neither can even the best of human wisdom solve them (6:10—10:11). The essential fact of life that leads to that conclusion is the unpredictability of life (6:10–12). He grants the relative goodness of wisdom (7:1–14), and recommends its pursuit, though with reasonable, moderated expectations (7:15–18). However, human wisdom is incapable of eradicating sin (7:19–22) and of unraveling the great mysteries of life (7:23–29). Qoheleth then advises that it is still wise to submit to authority (8:1–9), and to pursue a life of enjoyment … apart from sin (8:10–15). Restating his point, not even wisdom can peer into the future (8:16–17). Since even wisdom must bow to death (9:1–6), his advice is to enjoy life to the full while it is had (9:7–10). Balancing his pessimism somewhat, he notes that while wisdom does not always deliver one from trouble (9:11–12), it still is powerful beyond the appreciation of many (9:13–16). Its frailty is observed in how little folly it takes to nullify it (9:17—10:1), in how often folly is more highly honored (10:2–7), and in how it can be nullified by carelessness or bad timing (10:8–11).

Having thus recommended wisdom with reservations, he next relates what advice wisdom would give for living in this inequitable and unpredictable world, discouraging criticism because of its destructiveness (10:12–15), in spite of the fact that it is all too often justified (10:16–19), and because of the way it often reaches the ears of its object (10:20). And because of man’s ignorance of nature, he is thus forced to live by faith, and ought to do so in wisdom (11:1–6). In sum, wisdom’s advice is for a balance of joy and prudence (11:7–10).

One final word of advice before concluding is that youth is the right time of life to apply wisdom (12:1–7). The conclusion points to the intended meaning of the whole work: when all is said and done (12:9–12), the bottom line of life is that one should revere the God who will be his Judge (12:13–14).

Outline

Introduction: Life is vain. 1:1–18

I. Author  1:1

A. His role—Preacher

B. His lineage—son of David

C. His position—king in Jerusalem

II. Theme: All is utterly vain.  1:2

III. Introduction to the theme: All toil is profitless.   1:3–11 
Implicit is the assumption that wisdom (which implies diligent toil) is man at his best; the life of wisdom is the best that man can hope for.

A. Rhetorical summary: There is no profit in toil.  1:3

B. Nature illustrates the principle.  1:4–8

1. Generation after generation leave the world unaltered.  1:4

2. The sun, wind, and rivers continue their cycles without altering the world.  1:5–7

C. All toil does not produce any real progress. 1:9–11

1. History does not alter life’s futilities.  1:9–10

2. Man’s forgetfulness numbs him to the futility of life.  1:11

IV. Introduction to the main points  1:12–18

A. Human achievement is futile.  1:12–14

1. The author’s credentials  1:12

2. The author’s mission: Empirical exploration of life, especially as toil  1:13

3. The author’s conclusion: All is vanity.  1:14

B. Human wisdom is limited.  1:15–18

1. There are some things man simply cannot do.  1:15

2. The author’s credentials: Jerusalem’s wisest  1:16

3. The author’s mission: to explore the dimensions and limits of wisdom and folly  1:17a

4. The author’s conclusion: No amount of wisdom can overcome the futilities of life.  1:17b

5. Explanation: (If ignorance is bliss) knowledge is painful.  1:18

Body: 2:1—11:6

V. The Futility of Human Achievement  2:1—6:9

A. The achievement of pleasure is vain.  2:1–11

1. The author’s test: pleasure  2:1a

2. The author’s conclusion: vanity  2:1b–2

3. The author’s tests of pleasure  2:3–8

a) Wine in moderation  2:3

b) Material acquisitions 2:4–8

(1) Houses  2:4a

(2) Vineyards  2:4b

(3) Gardens and parks  2:5

(4) Ponds for irrigagion  2:6

(5) Slaves  2:7a

(6) Flocks and herds  2:7b

(7) Silver and gold  2:8a

c) Amusements  2:8b, c

(1) Singers (entertainment)  2:8b

(2) Concubines (sex)  2:8c

4. Summary of the tests: He tried it all.  2:9–10

5. Evaluation of the tests: Pleasure does not prevent futility.  2:11

B. The acquisition of wisdom is vain.  2:12–17

1. The test  2:12

2. Wisdom’s superiority to folly: The wise man is aware of life (though he can do nothing about it).  2:13–14

3. The common limitation of wisdom and folly: Man is still mortal.  2:15–16

4. Conclusion: Despair because man’s best hope—wisdom—is impotent to overcome life’s futilities.  2:17

C. The accomplishment of labor is vain.  2:18—6:9

1. Labor is vain because its fruit will one day de­volve on one who did not work for it.  2:18–21

a) The fruit of one’s labor will be left (at death) to another.  2:18

b) It is entirely possible that he who inherits that fruit will be an unworthy fool.  2:19

c) That knowledge leads to despair, because it shows the futility of labor.  2:20–21

2. Labor is vain because it brings pain and unrest.  2:22–26

a) Its unpleasantries  2:22–23

b) The only answer: find the joy  2:24–26

3. Labor is vain because contravening realities coexist and cancel the benefit of themselves.  3:1—4:3

a) The contravening realities  3:1–11

(1) Summary statement: God has decreed place (and time) for evil as well as for good  3:1

(2) Birth and death  3:2a

(3) Planting and uprooting  3:2b

(4) Killing and healing  3:3a

(5) Razing and building  3:3b

(6) Weeping and laughter  3:4a

(7) Mourning and dancing  3:4b

(8) Scattering and gathering  3:5a

(9) Embracing and not embracing  3:5b

(10) Searching and giving up for lost  3:6a

(11) Saving and discarding  3:6b

(12) Rending and sewing together  3:7a

(13) Silence and speaking  3:7b

(14) Love and hate  3:8a

(15) War and peace  3:8b

(16) Summary statement and conclusion: Since there is a time for everything, the negative realities nullify the fruit of toil.  3:9–11

b) Intermediate conclusion: Accept God’s sovereignty and life as he gives it.  3:12–22

(1) Because God sovereignly designed life to be enjoyed under him  3:12–15

(a) Life is to be enjoyed.  3:12–13

(b) Man cannot change the order God has established.  3:14–15

(2) In light of God’s judgment  3:16–22

(a) Wickedness often supplants righteousness.  3:16

(b) God will judge thoroughly.  3:17

(c) Man is as mortal as beasts.  3:18–21

(d) Conclusion: Enjoy life.  3:22

c) Death is better than life because of the evil of oppression.  4:1–3

(1) There are oppressors, who are powerful to maintain their malevolence, and there are oppressed, who are powerless against oppressors.  4:1

(2) Because of such injustice, the dead have the advantage over the living.  4:2

(3) The unborn have still greater advantage.  4:3

4. Labor is vain because it is prone to problems.  4:4–6

a) The problem of motive—rivalry  4:4

b) The problem of sloth  4:5

c) The problem of workaholism  4:6

5. Labor is vain because it does not bring satisfac­tion.  4:7–12

a) The vanity of acquisitiveness  4:7–8

b) The consolation of society  4:9–12

(1) Summary statement: Two heads are better than one.  4:9

(2) The advantage of assistance  4:10

(3) The advantage of shared assets  4:11

(4) The advantage of mutual defense  4:12

6. Labor to become popular is vain because people are fickle.  4:13–16

a) Youth and poverty if accompanied by wisdom are better than age and rank if accompanied by folly.  4:13

b) Wisdom can rise from society’s depths to replace rank.  4:14–15

c) The populace being fickle may rejoice briefly in the rise of a wise underdog only to grow tired of him as king.  4:16

7. Second intermediate conclusion: In religion be careful not to offend God. Assuming that reverence for God is a good to be cultivated, be aware of its pitfalls.  5:1–7

a) Summary: Since even fools feign worship, be careful not to be similarly guilty.  5:1

b) Specifically, rash vows  5:2–6

(1) Take vows seriously.  5:2–5

(2) God takes vows seriously.  5:6

c) God is not to be trifled with.  5:7

8. Labor is vain because corrupt rulers may oppress.  5:8–9  (See 4:1–3.)

9. Labor for money is vain because money does not bring satisfaction.  5:10–17

a) Summary statement  5:10

b) Wealth has unique drawbacks.  5:11–12

(1) Wealth attracts leeches.  5:11

(2) Wealth promotes worry.  5:12

c) Wealth can be lost, and at any rate cannot follow one beyond the grave.  5:13–17

(1) Hoarding wealth is hazardous.  5:13

(2) When it is lost (and it is slippery), there is insecurity.  5:14–15

(3) When life is over wealth is of no benefit.  5:16–17

10. Conclusion: Toil, yes, but with modest expecta­tions.  5:18—6:9

a) Focus on the present enjoyment of work and its fruit.  5:18–20

(1) Life is too short to live without joy.  5:18

(2) Joy is God’s gift in life.  5:19–20

b) Do not set your heart on the expected gain of your labor, for you may never receive it.  6:1–2

c) If life is not enjoyed, it is worse than never to have lived.  6:3–6

d) Ultimately no amount of labor can bring any real progress.  6:7–9

VI. The Limitations of Human Wisdom  6:10—10:11

A. Introduction: Life is uncertain, and the future un­knowable and impenetrable to assured human predic­tion.  6:10–12

B. Wisdom, despite its limitations, is superior to folly.  7:1–14

1. Wisdom grows through pain: “Sadder but wiser”  7:1–10

a) Wisdom is learned not in mirth, but in sober awareness of death’s inevitability.  7:1–4

b) Wisdom is gained by heeding rebukes, not laughing them off.  7:5–6

c) Wisdom refuses to grow bitter and cynical about life.  7:7–10

2. Wisdom protects its adherents.  7:11–12

3. Wisdom accepts its lot in life, whether prosperity or adversity, as from God.  7:13–14

C. In light of its limitations, wisdom ought to be pur­sued yet with a degree of moderation.  7:15–18

D. Wisdom cannot eradicate sin. Even the righteous still fall.  7:19–22

E. The ultimate answers and ideals of life elude wisdom.  7:23–29

1. Wisdom cannot answer the ultimate issues of life.  7:23–24

2. Wisdom cannot secure the ideals of life.  7:25–29

F. Wisdom counsels man to submit to authority.  8:1–9

1. Wisdom gives good advice.  8:1

2. Rebellion against authority will be discovered.  8:2–4

3. The time of the law catching up with a violator is uncertain.  8:5–9

a) Submission to authority delivers from trouble.  8:5

b) Time will eventually catch up to a violator.  8:6–7

c) The authority’s judgment cannot be averted.  8:8–9

G. Though man is given to sin and seems at times to get away with it, wisdom and the enjoyment of life are still preferable.  8:10–15

1. The wicked seem at times to escape retribution, which is futility.  8:10

2. The lack of retribution often encourages others to pursue wickedness.  8:11

3. Ultimately to fear God is better than to live wickedly.  8:12–13

4. It is disconcerting (futility) to see the wicked blessed and the righteous suffering.  8:14

5. In light of man’s ignorance of retribution one should seek to enjoy life.  8:15

H. Intermediate conclusion: Man cannot predict what life will bring, regardless of how wisely he lives and studies.  8:16–17

I. Wisdom cannot safeguard from death.  9:1–6

1. No one can know his future.  9:1

2. The same fate—death—awaits all.  9:2–3

3. Life is better than death because it holds hope.  9:4–6

J. Second intermediate conclusion: Focus on enjoying life and living it to the hilt.  9:7–10

1. God approves of man’s enjoyment of life.  9:7–8

2. Life’s pleasures are meant to be enjoyed.  9:9

3. Life should be lived to the hilt.  9:10

K. Wisdom does not always deliver from trouble, and cer­tainly not from death.  9:11–12

L. Wisdom’s great power is often unappreciated.  9:13–16

1. Wisdom may deliver a city.  9:13–15a

2. The wise may be quickly forgotten.  9:15b–16

M. Wisdom’s value can be nullified by a little folly.  9:17—10:1

1. Wisdom is better than bombast.  9:17–18a

2. A little folly can neutralize the good of wisdom.  9:18b—10:1

N. Sadly, folly occasionally is more honored than wis­dom.  10:2–7

1. By wisdom one may be protected from danger.  10:2–4

2. Capricious rule may exalt folly.  10:5–7

O. Wisdom’s value may be nullified by carelessness or bad timing.  10:8–11

1. Hard work may backfire on the worker.  10:8–9

2. Wisdom assists in one’s work (10), unless the worker exercises bad timing (11).  10:10–11

VII. Advice of wisdom  10:12—11:10

A. Criticism is foolish.  10:12–20

1. Criticism is destructive.  10:12–15

2. Criticism is all too often justified.  10:16–19

3. Criticism has a way of reaching the ears of him criticized.  10:20

B. In light of his ignorance of life, man ought to live wisely (i.e., work hard) in faith.  11:1–6

1. Nature’s ways are not fully knowable by man.  11:1–3

2. In view of this ignorance one ought simply to do the best he knows to do, knowing that such wise living has the best chance of succeeding.  11:4–6

Conclusion: Enjoy life early in life, keeping one eye on the coming pain of old age and future judgment. 11:7—12:14

C. Because of life’s futility one ought to look for the joy to be had, while living in light of coming judgment.  11:7–10

1. One should focus on enjoyment of life, recognizing that entire freedom from pain is unattainable.  11:7–8

2. One should focus on enjoyment of life while young, because old age and death come all too quickly.  11:9–10

VIII. Because of life’s brevity one ought to take the preacher’s advice in his youth.  12:1–7

A. Youth is the best opportune time to enjoy life.  12:1

B. The frailties of old age detract from enjoyment of life.  12:2–7

1. Declining vision  12:2

2. Diminishing strength  12:3

3. Defective hearing  12:4

4. Phobias and impotence  12:5

5. Inevitable death  12:6–7

IX. Theme reiterated: All is utter futility.  12:8

X. Epilogue: The wise man’s words are designed to lead one to fear God and obey him.  12:9–14

A. The author’s intentions  12:9–11

1. He collected proverbs.  12:9

2. He sought to teach persuasively.  12:10

3. His words when applied would equip others to live successfully.  12:11

B. The author’s caution concerning academic inquiry: Ultimate failure awaits him who ignores the Truth.  12:12

C. Final conclusion  12:13–14

1. Fear and obey God.  12:13

2. God will judge all.  12:14