A. Superscription.
Eccl. 1:1.
B. Nature’s Aimless Toil.
Eccl. 1:2-11.
C. Purposelessness of Life.
Eccl. 1:12-2:26.
D. Futility of Human Effort.
Eccl. 3:1-15.
E. Amorality of Nature.
Eccl. 3:16-4:3.
A. Wise Conduct of Life.
Eccl. 4:4-5:20.
B. Frustration of Hope.
Eccl. 6:1-12.
C. Enjoyment of Good.
Eccl. 7:1-22.
D. Source of Wisdom.
Eccl. 7:23-29.
E. Necessity of Compromise.
Eccl. 8:1-9.
F. Aimlessness of History.
Eccl. 8:10-17.
G. Death as Fate.
Eccl. 9:1-16.
1. The “Preacher” lived in Jerusalem or its environs, during a time of oppression.
2. He was a high-minded and realistic humanist.
3. The epilogue was added by some devout and admiring intellectual.
4. The book got in the sacred canon because it was supposed to have been written by Solomon.
5. Koheleth is a fictitious name ascribed as author by some later-day editor.
6. Date: As late as 200 B.C. It probably grew by accumulation.
Σ.
IV. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
1. This was the most controversial of all books admitted into the Old Testament canon.
2. The key to the book is: “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”
Eccl. 1:2;
Eccl. 12:8.
3. The book possesses no form. Thirty to forty maxims are loosely held together.
4. Ecclesiastes is a post-exilic book.
5. Nature is presented as moving in a circle-an ever-recurring cycle. This was a widespread philosophy-Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Greek.
6. The book is cynical and mildly pessimistic.
7. The book discusses wisdom, pleasure, wealth, labor, and evildoing.
8. The plight of the oppressed, the discontented, the lonely, is presented- along with the incongruities of society.
9. The philosophy is mildly Epicurian — “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”
V. CONTENTS
1. The course of nature does not alter-the present is as the past. Nothing is new.
2. There is but little satisfaction in great accomplishments. Better get wisdom-improve the mind. But in the end the wise man dies like the fool.
3. The frustration of “opposites.” The futile struggle of life. Weeping and laughing-what is the purpose of life?
4. How is man better than the beast — both live and die — return to dust.
5. It is vain to toil for riches and then leave them to others.
6. Quietness has twice the value of toil.
7. When you worship be humble and listen. Don’t talk much.
8. Don’t make rash vows, but pay when you do make them.
9. Don’t be surprised by injustice and corruption.
10. Learn how to accept your lot-practice contentment.
11. Too much levity and mirth become fools.
12. The righteous may have misfortune, and the wicked may prosper. But the wise man will avoid extremes and fear God.
13. The author of Ecclesiastes decides that he cannot solve the “riddle of life.”
14. As long as there is life, there is hope-but the dead know nothing.
15. Time and chance happen to all. Wisdom is the only real comfort and satisfaction.
16. Folly may plague you, but wisdom removes difficulties.
17. Take life as it is. “Master the art of living with yourself as you are, and the world as it is.”
18. “In the days of your youth remember your Creator.”
19. The book presents little hope for the future life. Immortality and the resurrection find no mention in Ecclesiastes.
VI. COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE
1. There is evidence that orthodox editors may have, here and there, added thoughts tending to correct the author’s pessimism, and uphold the doctrine of God’s supremacy.
2. Such an addition: “Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment.”
Eccl. 12:13-14.
3. One theory of authorship of Ecclesiastes contends that:
A. The first author was a Greek philosopher.
B. The next editor was a Sadducean Jew.
C. The book was revised by an Epicurean, followed by a “wisdom” editor.
D. The last of the redactors was a pious Hebrew who sought to introduce touches of orthodox theology.
4. Critics claim that there are thirty-seven kinds of teaching in the book.
5. Maybe the trouble in Ecclesiastes represents the conflict of an orthodox Jew’s becoming a Greek humanist-complicated by the later ideas of wisdom editors.
6. When all is said and done, we still think the book was originally written by one person.
7. It has been suggested that this book was not written for the general public, but as a textbook for the wisdom schools.
8. Ecclesiastes reflects many teachings found in Greek, Egyptian, Iranian, and Babylonian literature.
VII. THEOLOGY
1. Ecclesiastes uses Elohim for God. The outlook is universalistic. The name Israel occurs only once.
2. The book does not regard “nature” as a revelation of God.
3. But the author did regard God as a Creator. But nature seemed to be a “soulless mechanism.”
4. Koheleth depersonalizes all nature. His thought is highly modern in concept.
5. The account of opposites and contrasts is the most impressive part of the book.
6. The book is strongly fatalistic and deterministic.
7. The book is strongly predestination in philosophy.
8. At death “all go to one place-both man and beast.” There is little hope of a future life.
9. The doctrine of Ecclesiastes is found in
Eccl. 2:24-25. “There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God; for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?”
10. On the other hand, the book declares that “happiness is the gift of God.”
11. The whole book, like Proverbs, exalts wisdom. Only the wise discover the “meaning of life.”
12. The whole book is marked by Hebrew skepticism, like the
28th chapter of Job.
13. But all are warned against depending on wisdom without the recognition of God.
14. But still the author was a conformist.
15. The real theology of the book is to be found in the epilogue.
16. The God of mercy and love is never mentioned. Prayer is not anywhere noted.
17. After all, the book, taken as a whole, seems to repudiate the “humanism” which at first seems to be the keynote of the book.
18. Koheleth was an opportunist-he was something of a modern pragmatist.
19. But it is a far cry from these teachings to the New Testament gospel of the heavenly kingdom.
Note: ECCLESIASTICUS-The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach-is one of the outstanding books of the Apocrypha, and in many respects is very much like Ecclesiastes. Some have found it difficult to understand how the one got into the sacred canon, while the other got left out.
VIII. SELECTED TEXTS
1. Theme song. “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”
Eccl. 1:2.
2. Everpresent weariness. “All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it.”
Eccl. 1:8.
3. Fatalism. “‘What befalls the fool will befall me also; why then have I been so very wise?’”
Eccl. 1:15.
4. Can’t take it with you. “I hated an my toil...seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me.”
Eccl. 2:18.
5. The seasons. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
Eccl. 3:1.
6. Divine stability. “Whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it.”
Eccl. 3:14.
7. Dust to dust. “All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.”
Eccl. 3:20.
8. Love of money. “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money; nor he who loves wealth, with gains this also is vanity.”
Eccl. 5:10.
9. Sweet sleep. “Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much; but the surfeit of the rich will not let him sleep.”
Eccl. 5:12.
10. A good name. “A good name is better than precious ointment.”’
Eccl. 7:1.
11. Folly of anger. “Be not quick to anger, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.”
Eccl.7:9.
12. Self-righteousness. “Be not righteous overmuch, and do not make yourself overwise.”
Eccl. 7:16.
13. Man’s uprightness. “This alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.”
Eccl. 7:29.
14. Delayed punishment. “Because sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the sons of men is fully set to do evil.”
Eccl. 8:11.
15. Uncertain future. “The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing.”
Eccl. 9:5.
16. Bread and wine. “Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything.”
Eccl. 10:19.
17. Cast your bread. “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.”
Eccl. 11:1.
18. Remember your Creator. “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth.”
Eccl. 12:1.
19. Dust to dust. “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
Eccl. 12:7.
20. Making books. “Of making many books there is no end.”
Eccl. 12:12.