Ecclesiastes

What makes Ecclesiastes special?

The book's title comes from the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew word Qoheleth, which means “one who assembles.” The author is not known, but many suggest he was a teacher, preacher, or philosopher. The author is not telling a story, but is sharing his thoughts on the meaning of life. He uses sayings, proverbs, and poems to illustrate his point. A key phrase, “nothing makes sense,” begins and ends the book (1.2; 12.8), and is repeated throughout the book, emphasizing that the answers to many of life's questions are not easy to find.

Why was Ecclesiastes written?

This book is a search for meaning in life. The writer sees that, from the human viewpoint, life is full of contradictions and mysteries. Hard work is a gift from God (5.19), but work can be painful and senseless (2.17), because after people die they won't have anything to show for their hard work (5.13-15), and others will get to enjoy their wealth (6.2). When people are poor, no one pays attention to them (9.16), but being wealthy doesn't guarantee happiness and satisfaction either (2.4-11; 5.10-12). Wisdom is better than foolishness, but whether a person is wise or foolish, everyone dies (2.13-16; 3.20), and knowing too much can be painful (1.18). Above all, human wisdom cannot not help people understand the ways of God (8.17), who makes everything happen (3.11; 6.10; 7.13, 14; 9.1). People are to respect and obey God (5.7; 8.12,13; 12.13), for God will judge what they do (12.4; 3.17). But the same thing happens to all people, whether they live right or sin (9.2).

With life being so full of contradictions, where do humans find meaning? It is not surprising that some readers think the message of Ecclesiastes lacks hope and gives no answers regarding the meaning of life. However, others see hope and answers in the author's repeated invitations to enjoy life as a gift from God (2.24-26). The author faces life's realities and sees how senseless life can seem to people with limited (human) understanding. But he also recognizes God's gifts and finds joy in them. He cannot understand God's mysterious ways, but he knows God holds the future. And so, he holds on to God and urges others to respect God and keep God's commandments, too.

What's the story behind the scene?

The wise author is identified in 1.1 as being a son of David and a king in Jerusalem. While Solomon is not mentioned by name anywhere in Ecclesiastes, he is the only one of David's sons who was a king in Jerusalem (1 Kgs 1). Also, Solomon was known for his wisdom and was given credit for writing many wise sayings and songs (1 Kgs 3.5-12; 4.29-34; Prov 1.1).

It was not uncommon in ancient times to write “in the name” of an important person such as Solomon, and most scholars now agree that Solomon did not write Ecclesiastes. One reason they believe this is that the Hebrew language of this book appears to come from a period many centuries after the time of Solomon, who ruled around 970 to 931 b.c. Also, the presence of Persian words suggests that the book was written sometime after the exile when the people returned to Judah from exile in Babylon (538 b.c.). From this time on, for nearly two hundred years, the Jewish people were strongly influenced by Persian language and culture. Another reason many scholars don't think Solomon wrote this book personally is that the writer speaks as though he is not a king, but a subject (5.8,9; 8.2-5; 10.5-7,16,17,20).

How is Ecclesiastes constructed?

The following is just one of the dozens of different outlines that have been suggested for Ecclesiastes. The book's title (also known as a “superscription”) is given in 1.1, and a repeated theme phrase in 1.2 and 12.8 begins and ends the main body of the book. In the outline below the main body has been divided into three sections. A conclusion (or “epilogue”) is found in 12.9-14.