The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes' opening cry of "Meaningless, everything is meaningless" sounds hauntingly familiar. Qohelet, like many today, is driven by the question, "Where can we find meaning in the world?" This commentary by Tremper Longman III offers a new approach to Ecclesiastes that clarifies how the pessimistic outlook of the book fits into the rest of biblical revelation and what abiding message Ecclesiastes has for Christians today.

General Editor's Preface

xi

(2)

Author's Preface

xiii

(2)

Abbreviations

xv

INTRODUCTION

1

(56)

I. TITLE

1

(1)

II. AUTHORSHIP

2

(7)

III. EXCURSUS: WHO WAS QOHELET?

9

(1)

IV. DATE

9

(2)

V. LANGUAGE

11

(4)

VI. GENRE

15

(6)

VII. STRUCTURE

21

(2)

VIII. LITERARY STYLE

23

(2)

IX. TEXT

25

(1)

X. CANON

26

(3)

XI. THEOLOGICAL MESSAGE

29

(3)

XII. QOHELET'S THEOLOGY

32

(5)

XIII. THEOLOGY OF THE BOOK AS A WHOLE

37

(2)

XIV. FROM A NEW TESTAMENT PERSPECTIVE

39

(1)

XV. BIBLIOGRAPHY

40

(17)

TEXT AND COMMENTARY

57

(228)

I. FRAME NARRATIVE: PROLOGUE (1:1-11)

57

(18)

A. SUPERSCRIPTION (1:1)

57

(1)

B. INTRODUCTION TO QOHELET'S THOUGHT (1:2-11)

58

(17)

II. QOHELET'S AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SPEECH (1:12-12:7)

75

(199)

A. AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL INTRODUCTION (1:12)

76

(1)

B. "SOLOMON'S" QUEST FOR THE MEANING OF LIFE (1:13-2:26)

77

(34)

1. Introductory Reflections (1:13-18)

77

(9)

2. The Pursuit of Meaning in Pleasure (2:1-11)

86

(8)

3. Death Renders Both Wisdom and Folly Meaningless (2:12-17)

94

(6)

4. Death Renders Toil Meaningless (2:18-23)

100

(6)

5. Carpe Diem! -- God Allows Some to Enjoy Life (2:24-26)

106

(5)

C. THE QUEST CONTINUES (3:1-6:9)

111

(65)

1. The Burden of the "Proper Time" (3:1-15)

111

(14)

2. Is There Any Justice? (3:16-22)

125

(7)

3. Better Off Dead (4:1-3)

132

(4)

4. Once Again -- The Meaninglessness of Work (4:4-6)

136

(2)

5. Another Reflection on Meaninglessness: The Lonely Miser (4:7-8)

138

(2)

6. The Advantages of Companionship (4:9-12)

140

(4)

7. Political Power Is Meaningless: An Anecdote (4:13-16)

144

(4)

8. God Is in Heaven (4:17-5:6) [English 5:1-7])

148

(8)

9. The Network of Oppression (5:7-8) [English 5:8-9])

156

(3)

10. The Meaninglessness of Wealth (5:9-6:9 [English 5:10-6:9])

159

(17)

D. QOHELET'S WISE ADVICE (6:10-12:7)

176

(98)

1. The Future -- Determined and Unknown (6:10-12)

176

(3)

2. Miscellaneous Advice (7:1-14)

179

(13)

3. The Limitations of Human Wisdom and Righteousness (7:15-22)

192

(7)

4. Inaccessible Wisdom (7:23-24)

199

(2)

5. Seeking and (Not) Finding (7:25-29)

201

(7)

6. No One Is Like the Wise! (8:1)

208

(1)

7. The Word of the King Is Supreme (8:2-9)

209

(6)

8. Are the Wicked Really Punished? (8:10-15)

215

(6)

9. Not Even the Wise Know (8:16-17)

221

(3)

10. One Fate for All (9:1-10)

224

(8)

11. Time and Chance (9:11-12)

232

(1)

12. Limitations of Wisdom: An Example Story (9:13-16)

233

(2)

13. Assessments of Wisdom (9:17-18)

235

(3)

14. Miscellaneous Proverbs on Wisdom and Folly (10:1-4)

238

(3)

15. An Example Story: The World Upside Down (10:5-7)

241

(2)

16. The Disastrous "Accidents" of Life (10:8-11)

243

(3)

17. Fools (10:12-15)

246

(2)

18. The King: Blessing or Curse? (10:16-17)

248

(2)

19. Miscellaneous Wisdom (10:18-19)

250

(2)

20. Advice Concerning the King -- Once Again (10:20)

252

(2)

21. Risk and Uncertainty (11:1-6)

254

(4)

22. Youth, Old Age, and Death (11:7-10)

258

(4)

23. Approaching Old Age and Death (12:1-7)

262

(12)

III. FRAME NARRATIVE: EPILOGUE (12:8-14)

274

(11)

A. THE EVALUATION OF THE FRAME NARRATOR (12:8-12)

274

(7)

B. THE CONCLUSION: FEAR GOD (12:13-14)

281

(4)

INDEXES

285

I. SUBJECTS

285

(3)

II. AUTHORS

288

(4)

III. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

292

(9)

IV. FOREIGN WORDS

301

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The Book of Ecclesiastes

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

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