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The title “Ecclesiastes” is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Qōhelet, which means “teacher” or “preacher.” Later, the LXX translated this Hebrew word with the Greek word Ekklēsiastēs. This Hebrew word comes from the term “assembly” (qāhal). Students of the New Testament might recognize the term ekklēsia, which refers to the “gathering” or the “church.” The term “assembly” (qāhal) is the Hebrew equivalent (which just means an assembly of people). Ecclesiastes should probably be rendered “one who gathers an assembly,” because the term “preacher” comes from anachronistic church culture in our time—not theirs. In modern terms, we would call him a “professor,” who is challenging the ideas of his listeners.
Table of Contents
Is this a work of Greek philosophy?. 4
What about the language and grammatical differences with other pre-exilic literature?. 4
Ecclesiastes 1:16 speaks of “all who were… before me.”. 5
Canonicity: Is Ecclesiastes really Scripture?. 6
Why is Solomon so nihilistic (or at the very least pessimistic) about life?. 6
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes. 9
Commentary on Ecclesiastes. 10
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 (Life is absurd without God). 10
Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 (Is wisdom the solution?). 12
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 (Hedonism). 14
Ecclesiastes 2:12-23 (Wisdom). 19
Ecclesiastes 2:24-3:22 (Does a shift occur here?). 20
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 (Time and Eternity). 22
Solomon reflects on verses 1-8. 24
Ecclesiastes 3:16-17 (Justice and Injustice). 26
Ecclesiastes 3:18-22 (The Afterlife). 26
Ecclesiastes 4:1-3 (The Oppressed and the Oppressors). 27
Ecclesiastes 4:4-8 (Hard work, rivalry, and laziness). 28
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (We need friends). 29
Ecclesiastes 4:13-16 (We need advisors). 29
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 (Approaching God). 29
Ecclesiastes 5:8-9 (The Problem of Poverty). 31
Ecclesiastes 5:10-6:9 (The Problem of Wealth). 32
Ecclesiastes 6:10-7:6 (Death and Dying). 35
Ecclesiastes 7:7-10 (Dealing with prosperity and adversity). 38
Ecclesiastes 7:11-14 (Wisdom and Wealth). 38
Ecclesiastes 7:15-29 (The search for true virtue). 39
Ecclesiastes 7:26-29 (The wrong women). 40
Ecclesiastes 8:1-9 (Being under the authority of the king). 41
Ecclesiastes 8:10-14 (Justice and injustice). 42
Ecclesiastes 8:15-17 (Enjoy the simple pleasures of life). 43
Ecclesiastes 9:1-10 (Death and dying). 44
Ecclesiastes 9:11-10:20 (Various proverbs). 45
Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 (Take calculated risks). 49
Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8 (Enjoy your youth). 50
Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 (Solomon’s conclusion). 53
Authorship
Solomon never explicitly claims to have written the book. Yet we hold that he is the most likely candidate for authorship. Frequently, others have been considered to be the author, but none have the evidence of Solomon.
Internal evidence. The author needs to have been the son of David (Eccl. 1:1) and the king of Israel (Eccl. 1:1, 12). He also needed to have been a man of incredible wisdom (Eccl. 1:16; 1 Kings 4:34), wealth (Eccl. 2:8; 1 Kings 10:10-14), and women (Eccl. 2:8; 1 Kings 11:1). All of these descriptions fit Solomon to a tee, and no other proponents come even close to fitting these descriptions of the author.
External evidence. One ancient Jewish text (Baba Bathra 15a) states that Hezekiah wrote the book, but Archer writes, “[This] probably means no more than that Hezekiah and his company simply edited and published the text for public use.”[1] Other Jewish traditions state that Solomon was the author (Megilla 7a and Shabbath 30). Moreover, Solomon uses the verb (qhl) frequently in 1 Kings 8 to gather the people together for the inauguration of the Temple (1 Kings 8:1-2, 14, 22, 25).[2]
Is this a work of Greek philosophy?
Because Ecclesiastes seems to be such a fatalistic book, older critics believed that it was actually a byproduct of Greek philosophy. Yet Rooker writes, “Critics such as George A. Barton argued that the resemblance between Ecclesiastes and Stoicism was artificial and in fact the philosophies represented in the works were in complete opposition. Since Barton’s study the attempts to link Ecclesiastes with Greek philosophy have met stern rebuttals from the academic community. The issues pondered by Qoheleth are thoroughly Semitic and totally independent of Greek influence. Moreover, there are no clear Greek constructions or idioms in the book and not one Greek word. In addition, Brevard Childs has noted the drift of modern scholarship is to view the book as a unified composition of one author. This trend began early in the twentieth century when S. R. Driver recognized that the epilogue should be attributed to the author of the whole book.”[3]
What about the language and grammatical differences with other pre-exilic literature?
Some scholars deny that Solomon wrote this book (among these are even Martin Luther). Some expressions in this book seem to date to the post-exilic era. Franz Delitzsch cites “ninety-six words, forms, and expressions found nowhere else in the Bible except in exilic and post-exilic works like Ezra, Esther, Nehemiah, Chronicles, Malachi—or else in the Mishnah.”[4] In other words, the basis of this argument is that the Hebrew doesn’t fit with Solomon’s era in history (10th century BC).
However, the Hebrew really doesn’t fit with any known era of Hebrew literature, so this argument is really erroneous. Rooker writes,
Many scholars note that the Hebrew of Ecclesiastes differs from the Hebrew of any other OT book. The book fits into no known period of the history of the Hebrew language. Yet Daniel Fredericks has convincingly shown that the language reflects an earlier stage in the history of the Hebrew language. Clearly the language can certainly not be classified with later postexilic and postbiblical Hebrew works.[5]
Archer notes,
It should be carefully observed that a comprehensive survey of all the data, including vocabulary, morphology, syntax, and style, yields the result that the text of Ecclesiastes fits into no known period in the history of the Hebrew language.[6]
Aramaisms (i.e. loans words) could be explained by the fact that Solomon was heavily invested in trade with various peoples from all across the known world. Archer continues, “Commercial ties with both the Phoenician-speaking and the Aramaean peoples of the Syrian areas during Solomon’s reign were closer than any other period in Israel’s history (with the possible exception of Ahab in the ninth century.”[7] Moreover, language differences could be explained by the uniqueness of Ecclesiastes. Archer also speculates that loan words could have been imported from India, as Solomon’s trade was quite widespread, bringing loan words from farther than we might expect.[8] J. Stafford Wright speculates that Solomon may have used an amanuensis.[9]
Ecclesiastes 1:16 speaks of “all who were… before me.”
Critics point out that “Solomon” states, “I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me” (Eccl. 1:16). He also writes, “I have been king over Israel in Jerusalem” (Eccl. 1:12). These are odd statements coming from Solomon, because David and Saul were the only two kings that reigned before him. Who then could he be referring to?
Of course, 1 Kings 14:9 makes a similar claim to Jeroboam (“you also have done more evil than all who were before you”). This passage (like Eccl. 1:16) doesn’t explicitly speak against kings, but could refer to prophets or judges, or really anyone, in Israel’s history. In fact, Jerusalem was a city during the time of Melchizedek (~2,000 BC), having a very ancient history. Moreover, this could refer to Solomon’s great wisdom over the wise men in Israel’s long history (1 Kings 4:31).
Canonicity: Is Ecclesiastes really Scripture?
The canonicity of Ecclesiastes was questioned by many of the early rabbis, because it has such a skeptical outlook on life. Rabbi Hillel accepted the book, but Rabbi Shammai opposed it because of apparent contradictions (e.g. Eccl. 8:15; 2:2; 7:3).[10] How could this be included in Scripture with such a fatalistic view of the meaning of life?
(1) Internal evidence. The book claims to be inspired by God: “The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd” (Eccl. 12:11). The “one Shepherd” refers to God (Gen. 49:24; Ps. 23:1; 80:1). This is the wisdom literature’s equivalent to writing, “Thus says the Lord.”[11]
(2) External evidence. Historical evidence supports the canonicity of Ecclesiastes. It is found in the canon of Josephus, the canon of Aquila, and was “quoted with standard formulas for citing Scripture, in the Mishnah (Sukkah 2.6; Hagigah 1.6; Kiddushin 1.10) and the other tannaitic literature.”[12] Melito (late second century) included it. Canonicity scholar Roger Beckwith writes, “Pseudo-Philo, De Sampsone 44, quotes with the formula ‘Scripture says’ words which come either from Prov. 26.27 or Eccles. 10.8. More definite is the reference in Greek Testament of Naphtali 8.7f. to Eccles. 3.5, which it ascribes to ‘the Law’, i.e. Scripture.”[13] Furthermore, there is “little doubt” that Paul refers to Ecclesiastes when writing about the futility of creation (Rom. 8:20).[14] Other allusions—though not quotations—abound throughout the NT.
Why is Solomon so nihilistic (or at the very least pessimistic) about life?
Solomon captures what life looks like apart from God. In his Proverbs, Solomon writes what life is like with God, but in Ecclesiastes, he writes about what it is like to reject God. Since Solomon had tried out both perspectives, he is eminently qualified to write on these topics. At points, Ecclesiastes reads like a modern piece of atheistic existential literature. But this is because Solomon is trying to engage his readers with the folly and uselessness of living apart from God. This type of wisdom literature is closer to Job, than to Proverbs.[15]
To be clear, however, Solomon was no atheist. He speaks of God roughly 40 times throughout the book, and he mentions the “fear of God” several times (3:14; 5:7; 7:18; 8:12-13; 12:13).[16] In fact, the conclusion to the book is that life is meaningful and valuable when we factor God into the picture (Eccl. 12:10-14). But interestingly, Solomon only refers to God as the Creator (Elohim), not the Covenant-Maker (Yahweh). This may be a literary device to show that Solomon is appealing to general revelation—not specific revelation.
Consequently, Ecclesiastes can be very difficult to interpret. We simply need to realize that sometimes Solomon is reasoning from the perspective of the “ground up” (i.e. starting from human experience and moving outward), while other times he is reasoning from the “top down” (i.e. explaining how God makes sense of the human condition).
The purpose of this book
Ecclesiastes explains the uselessness of life apart from God. Solomon’s purpose in writing this book is to show that even the wisest man on Earth (1 Kings 4:30) cannot know the meaning of life apart from God. He writes, “I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun (used 29x). Solomon writes, “No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it” (Eccl. 8:17 NIV). Archer writes,
The purpose of Ecclesiastes was to convince men of the uselessness of any worldview which does not rise above the horizon of man himself. It pronounces the verdict of ‘vanity of vanities’ upon any philosophy of life which regards the created world or human enjoyment as an end in itself.[17]
Solomon is an apt teacher, because he experienced the fullness of pleasures in this world, including sex, power, and wealth. And yet, he is highly critical of the fulfillment and purpose of these things. Instead, his conclusion is to seek after God (Eccl. 12:13-14). Thus, Solomon brutally and incisively shows the abject futility of any pursuit besides God.
J. Stafford Wright: “Man chose to become self-centered and self-guided rather than remaining God-centered and God-guided. Thus man became earthbound and frustrated, and this book demonstrates that there is no firm foundation under the sun for earthbound man to build on so as to find meaning, satisfaction, and the key to existence.”[18]
Derek Kidner: “[Solomon follows] such trains of thought much further than they would care to take them. Path after path will be relentlessly explored to the very point at which it comes to nothing. In the end, only one way will be left.”[19]
Derek Kidner: “Qoheleth plans to bring us to that point last of all, when we are desperate for an answer. There are hints of it in passing, but his main approach is from the other end: the resolve to see how far a man will get with no such basis. He puts himself—and us—in the shoes of the humanist or secularist. Not the atheist, for atheism was hardly a going concern in his day, but the person who starts his thinking from man and the observable world, and knows God only from a distance… He is demolishing to build.”[20]
Michael Eaton: “What, then, is the purpose of Ecclesiastes? It is an essay in apologetics. It defends the life of faith in a generous God by pointing to the grimness of the alternative… For the Preacher these are facts, but they are not the whole truth.”[21]
Michael Eaton: “The Preacher wishes to deliver us from a rosy-coloured, self-confident godless life, with its inevitable cynicism and bitterness, and from trusting in wisdom, pleasure, wealth, and human justice or integrity. He wishes to drive us to see that God is there, that he is good and generous, and that only such an outlook makes life coherent and fulfilling.”[22]
Duane Garrett: “[The most popular reading is] generally assumed that the purpose of Ecclesiastes is to show the futility of the world over against eternity,” and hence, “the book is evangelistic.”[23]
Duane Garrett: “In short, Ecclesiastes urges its readers to recognize that they are mortal. They must abandon all illusions of self-importance, face death and life squarely, and accept with fear and trembling their dependence on God.”[24]
This “under the sun” terminology “falls into the background”[25] at key points (Eccl. 2:24-26; 11:1-12:14). There are times where Solomon acknowledges God to be present, and giving generously (Eccl. 1:13; 2:26; 3:10, 11; 5:18, 19; 6:2; 8:15; 9:9; 12:7, 11). God gives joy to people through a “portion” (Eccl. 2:10, 21; 3:22; 5:18, 19; 9:6, 9). But on the whole, Solomon allows his audience to experience life functionally apart from God. Solomon married one woman at the beginning of his life (1 Kin. 3:1). Later, he had 1,000 wives and concubines (1 Kin. 11:3). Gold was so plentiful that silver wasn’t even used (1 Kin. 10:27).
It was written to an “aristocratic audience,”[26] and people who had the ability to do the things Solomon was speaking about: “They were people for whom the pursuit of wealth was a real possibility and not just a fantasy and who had the leisure time for intellectual pursuits.”[27]
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes
Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993)
Garrett’s commentary was terse and to the point. He offered great insight into the text. This was, so far, the best commentary we have read on Ecclesiastes.
Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983)
Eaton’s commentary was the most detailed and technical that we have read so far. He interacted with other interpreters well.
Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes: A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance, ed. J. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984)
Kidner is a fantastic writer and an insightful commentator. However, the downside to this commentary was that it was too short. It seemed more like a devotional companion to the book, rather than an exposition of the text.
J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991)
Commentary on Ecclesiastes
Unless otherwise stated, all citations are taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).
Ecclesiastes 1
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 (Life is absurd without God)
(1:1) The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Even though Solomon was the king, he chooses not to play that role here. He calls himself the “Preacher” (Qoheleth), which refers to a “speaker in an assembly.”[28] Hence, the book contains “advice and reflection rather than decrees.”[29] The “Preacher” (Qoheleth) gathers people to teach them, pressing their convictions and thoughts to their extreme. To place him in a modern setting, we could understand him as “the Professor.”[30] This “gathering” (qahal) is like a colloquium, where Solomon gathers the aristocrats (and us) to debate.
What does the esteemed Solomon have to tell us? After all of his riches, experiences, and wisdom, what does he have to say…?
(1:2-3) “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” 3 What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun?
In order to show emphasis in Hebrew grammar, an author would repeat himself. For instance, Jesus would often say, “Truly, truly…” Here, Solomon says, “Vanity of vanities.” Then he repeats himself. And then, he writes, “All is vanity.” He is really trying to emphasize the futility of life apart from God.
“Vanity” (hebel) can be rendered “vanity” (NASB, ESV), “meaningless” (NIV, NLT), or “futile” (NET). When the NASB and NIV render this term “vanity,” they don’t mean narcissism. Instead, it refers to someone pursuing a goal in vain. Paul refers to the “creation being subjected to futility” (Rom. 8:20), which expresses the same idea. Sometimes, the term refers to “vapor” or “breath” (Isa. 57:13; Job 7:16; Prov. 21:6; Ps. 39:5, 11; 62:9; 144:4). It is also rendered as “vain” or worthless (Isa. 49:4; Zech. 10:2). Rooker writes, “This term occurs 38 times in the book, more than half of its total occurrences in the Old Testament… Hebel conveys notions of transience and insubstantiality.”[31]
“Under the sun” is used 29 times in this book, and it appears nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible. The phrase is similar to being “under heaven” (Eccl. 1:13; 2:3; 3:1). Surely, “under the sun” and “under heaven” refers to being apart from God. Elsewhere, Solomon stated, “God is in heaven and you are on the earth” (Eccl. 5:2). Moreover, when he dedicated the Temple, Solomon said, “Will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You” (1 Kin. 8:27).
Jesus seems to be quoting the Professor, when asks, “What is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?” (Lk. 9:25).
“Advantage” (yitrôn) refers to “‘advantage,’ ‘gain’ or ‘profit.’”[32]
(1:4) A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
From the naturalistic worldview, humanity replaces itself on the Earth, but nothing ultimately changes. The Earth will shake off our “generation” like a bad cold—given enough time. Garrett writes, “Like ants on a rock, we leave no trace of having been here.”[33] How tragic that the human habitat remains while the human race decays.
(1:5-7) Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; and hastening to its place it rises there again. 6 Blowing toward the south, then turning toward the north, the wind continues swirling along; and on its circular courses the wind returns. 7 All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again.
The natural course of the sun, the wind, and the waters do not give meaning—only repetition. Activity does not relate to progress. The flow of the rivers doesn’t refer to the water cycle but to “futile activity.”[34] The universe existed before us, and it doesn’t even notice that we’re here. It itself is “trapped in a cycle of monotonous and meaningless motion. It is forever moving, but it accomplishes nothing.”[35]
(1:8) All things are wearisome; man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear filled with hearing.
Everything that we read is illustrative of the human predicament: “Like the ocean, our senses are fed and fed, but never filled.”[36] This repetition doesn’t result in some sort of meaning. It only results in being “wearisome.”
“Man is not able to tell it.” Garrett writes, “Humans, confronted by the monotony and aimlessness of the situation in which they have been placed, have nothing to say… Humanity, for all its intellectual investigations, must accept life and death and the coming and going of generations in this world as an unexplained and inexplicable given. Before this riddle humans are like the dumb animals. Language, the greatest power human beings have, is of no advantage.”[37]
(1:9-10) That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there anything of which one might say, “See this, it is new”? Already it has existed for ages which were before us.
Each generation strives to find some meaning in the monotony, but there are no new answers to gain from the regularity of nature. While technology, art, and industry all race forward, the “fundamental events of life” have “remain[ed] unchanged.”[38] Technology makes life easier and faster… but for what purpose? We are merely hurling with greater speed and ease toward a meaningless goal.
(1:11) There is no remembrance of earlier things; and also of the later things which will occur, there will be for them no remembrance among those who will come later still.
“No remembrance.” Our lives may feel important, but no one will remember us in the future. Likewise, those future generations will be forgotten as well.
It is, indeed, shocking how quickly people forget us. Do you know Sir Tim Berners-Lee? No? He is the person responsible for inventing the Internet. And he’s not even dead yet![39]
Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 (Is wisdom the solution?)
(1:12) I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Solomon was the last king to rule over all of Israel. He was extremely qualified to conduct this existential survey: He was rich, powerful, and wise.
(1:13) And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
“Seek and explore.” Together, these words communicate “exhaustive study.”[40] Apart from God, it is truly “grievous” to search for a meaning or purpose to life. God has given us this task so that we would ultimately find him (Eccl. 3:11). Francis Schaeffer distinguished between “rational” and “rationalistic.” The rationalistic approach starts with myself and reasons outward to ultimate conclusions. This is fatal, says Schaeffer, because it results in absurdity. Solomon is grasping this very concept, or rather, Schaeffer grasped what Solomon wrote three millennia before him.
(1:14-15) I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.
Everything that people do is ultimately meaningless—like trying to capture the wind. As soon as you get your hands on it, it slips through your fingers. Even the horrors of the past cannot be ultimately fixed. Eaton writes, “It is because there are twists (what is crooked) and gaps (what is lacking) in all thinking. No matter how the thinker ponders, he cannot straighten out life’s anomalies, nor reduce all he sees to a neat system. Thus he reiterates the age-old problem of the wise men of the ancient Near East: awareness of finitude and inability to discover unaided the truth about life. Frustration and perplexity surround the philosopher. His wisdom may help in some things, but it cannot solve the fundamental problem of life.”[41] Therefore, the “crooked” refers to a “problem that cannot be solved,”[42] and the “lacking” refers to “missing data”[43] from the problem.
(1:16) I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”
“I said to myself” is literally “I spoke, I, with my heart” (NET). Even the wisest man who ever lived could not find a meaning or purpose apart from God. Solomon was a scientist (1 Kin. 4:33), and he inspected the world, only to find that all of his study led to madness.
(1:17) And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind.
He seems to be saying that wisdom, madness, and folly are equally meaningless without God (cf. Eccl. 2:16).
(1:18) Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.
The more we reflect on this, the worse we feel. From this standpoint, it would be better to be ignorant of these topics entirely. Wright states, “Those who take life seriously can never take it lightly.”[44]
Conclusion
Solomon destroys all hope apart from God. The solution isn’t “under the sun,” but “above the sun.”
We have a “new covenant” (2 Cor. 3:6; Heb. 8:8).
We are a “new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17).
We have a “new” identity (Col. 3:10).
We have a “new commandment” (1 Jn. 2:7-8).
We live in a “new” community (Eph. 2:15).
We come to God in a “new and living way” (Heb. 10:20).
We look forward to a “new heavens and new earth” (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1).
Ecclesiastes 2
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 (Hedonism)
Solomon moves from the abstract to the autobiographical. He pursued all sorts of pleasures, but what was the result? He tried hedonism (e.g. sex, wine, etc.) and materialism (e.g. building projects). Indeed, God promised Solomon both wisdom and wealth (1 Kin. 3:3-15), and God gave him both (1 Kin. 4:20-34; 9:10-28; 10:1ff; 2 Chron. 1:13-17). Sadly, Solomon took the gifts from God, and made these gifts his infatuation. His heart slowly learned to love the gifts more than the Giver.
(2:1) I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility.
Pleasure ultimately ended in futility (cf. Eccl. 7:26). The paradox of pleasure is that the more you hunt for it, the less you can enjoy it.[45] Social scientists refer to this as the “hedonic treadmill.”
Laughter
(2:2) I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”
The “madness” refers to “moral perversity rather than mental oddity.”[46] The term is later paired with “evil” (Eccl. 9:3). For Solomon, the laughter of the parties eventually grew boring and banal.
People often cover up their sadness with smiles and laughs. They play the “funny guy,” and never learn how to be serious about their hurt and pain. Elsewhere, Solomon writes, “Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains” (Prov. 14:13 NLT). Later, Solomon writes, “Sorrow is better than laughter, for when a face is sad a heart may be happy” (Eccl. 7:3). This seems to mean that sorrow can be good for our souls during times of grief. It would be inappropriate to laugh our grief away.
Wine
(2:3) I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives.
Solomon turned to the hedonism of wine. Often, conservative interpreters don’t like to teach that Solomon got drunk here. They argue that he explored how far he could go to pleasure himself with wine—almost like a scientist testing his body. While the verse supports this scientific interpretation to some degree (“I explored with my mind… my mind was guiding me wisely”), how does this fit with the later statement that he wanted to “take hold of folly”? The term “folly” (siklût) is used in various ways to refer to being a “fool.” It has been understood as “practical atheism.”[47] Suffice to say, Solomon drank to the point where he was having trouble the next morning.
Building projects
(2:4) I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself.
In this verse and what follows, Solomon’s focus isn’t hard to discern. He mentions himself (“I… I… I…”) six times in verse 4-8. Duane Garrett calls this “the ‘gospel’ of selfishness.”[48] Indeed, in verse 4 alone, he refers to “I” or “myself” six times.
Solomon invested a lot of time in his building projects. He spent 13 years building his own home (1 Kin. 7:1), he built the Temple (1 Kin. 9:1), he built vineyards (Song 8:11), and he built many towns (2 Chron. 8:3-6). He had so much money that they stopped using silver as a meaningful currency, because he was so flooded with gold (1 Kin. 10:21). In fact, King Solomon “made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem” (2 Chron. 9:27).
(2:5-6) I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6 I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.
It was common for royalty in the ancient Near East to own lush gardens, and Solomon owned many (Song 5:1; 6:2, 11). Moreover, Solomon owned lots of timber for his building projects (“a forest of growing trees”).
Some interpreters think that Solomon was trying to rebuild the paradise of the Garden in Eden.[49] Indeed, the term “gardens” (pardēsîm) could simply refer to places with plants. But this could be an allusion to the Garden in Eden and to a recreation of “Paradise.” The LXX uses a similar Greek word (paradeisos) to refer to the “garden of God” in Genesis 2:8-10, 16.[50]
(2:7) I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.
Solomon was enjoying his control of people (“male and female slaves”) and his competition with people (“larger than all who preceded me”).
Sex
(2:8) Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men—many concubines.
“Male and female slaves.” Solomon had so much money that he could literally buy people.
“Flocks and herds.” Solomon possessed so much flour and so many animals that he could feed somewhere between 5,000 to 14,000 people per day (1 Kin. 4:22-23).[51]
“Silver and gold.” Solomon brought in about 50,000 pounds (or 25 tons) of gold per year (1 Kin. 10:14). Moreover, this didn’t include the taxes he received from the merchants, traders, and foreign kings (1 Kin. 10:15).
“Male and female singers.” Solomon didn’t have a sound system, so he hired the band.
“Many concubines.” Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kin. 11:3). This was an ancient version of a streaming porn website: Only instead of digital harem, Solomon had a literal harem.
(2:9-10) Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. 10 All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.
“I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.” Indeed, “King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom” (1 Kin. 10:23).
“My wisdom also stood by me.” This may mean that he was trying to employ his mind as he pursued these pleasures—almost like a scientist experimenting.
(2:11) Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.
The result? All of these endeavors were meaningless. The words “I considered” are literally “I faced,” which means “to look someone in the eye.”[52] Solomon needed to come face to face with his lifestyle.
When we fall into the destructive path of hedonism, we often justify ourselves. In one moment, we think, “There’s something wrong with this path that I’m on. I’m enjoying it less and less. This can’t be what it’s all about, can it?” But then, we often suppress this sort of thinking by arguing, “No, there’s nothing wrong with the path. The problem is that I just haven’t gone far enough.”
Social scientists refer to this as the “hedonic treadmill.” Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky (professor of psychology at the University of California) writes, “An impressive body of research now shows that trying to be happy by changing our life situations ultimately will not work. Why do life changes account for so little? Because of a very powerful force that psychologists call hedonic adaptation… Human beings adapt to favorable changes in wealth, housing, and possessions, to being beautiful or being surrounded by beauty, to good health, and even to marriage… Although we may achieve temporary boosts in well-being by moving to new parts of the country, securing raises, or changing our appearances, such boosts are unlikely to be long-lasting. The primary reason… is that people readily and rapidly adapt to positive circumstantial changes.”[53]
Ed Diener (research psychologist at the University of Illinois) writes, “People who try to make themselves really happy—those folks who chase excitement in relationships, a big paycheck at work, and intense thrills in their leisure time—are a bit like rats on a treadmill, running and running, but not really getting anywhere. You probably know people like this. These are the kind of people who thrive on pressing deadlines, social crises, constant novelty, and thrill seeking. The problem is that pay raises, new lovers, new jewelry, and new jobs can all seem exciting and rewarding at first, but over time you adjust, and their emotional luster dims. What was once thrilling eventually seems no more than mildly pleasant. Brickman called this phenomenon—the idea that people can chase emotional highs but adaptation will drag them back to a neutral mood—the ‘hedonic treadmill.’”[54] Daniel Gilbert (professor of psychology at Harvard University) writes, “Among life’s cruelest truths is this one: Wonderful things are especially wonderful the first time they happen, but their wonderfulness wanes with repetition.”[55]
Fill in the blank: “I will be happy when __________?”
How did you feel when you got accepted to college? How does this compare with your every day experience? (Are students in Harvard regularly elated at being accepted there?)
How did you feel the first time you went out with your girlfriend? (Do you still have butterflies when you pick her up at her house?)
How did it feel to be engaged? (How does it feel a week later?)
How does it feel to be married? (How does it feel six months later? Did you go from “Just Married!” to “just married”?)
Ecclesiastes 2:12-23 (Wisdom)
(2:12) So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done?
This passage is very difficult to translate and to interpret. Eaton contends that this refers to how Solomon wonders what future kings will do with this information.[56] Garrett takes a different view, paraphrasing this passage in this way: “Is a human likely to come along who will be better than the king—Adam—whom God made long ago?” He explains, “This line states that there is little chance that humans will behave with greater wisdom than their first ancestor, Adam, who came directly from the hand of God.”[57]
In our estimation, it seems that Solomon is wondering what future humans will be able to do that he wasn’t able to accomplish. Indeed, Solomon had a brilliant mind, unlimited wealth, and freedom from war. He had the means to explore these deep philosophical questions, and he came up with nothing. In the future, who could possibly do better?
(2:13-14) And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both.
In the short term, the wise person will live a far better life than the fool. The wise person will spare himself much grief, and he will experience greater joy. At the same time, both the wise and foolish person will face the same “fate” of death. So, in the final analysis, it didn’t matter either way.
(2:15-16) Then I said to myself, “As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said to myself, “This too is vanity.” 16 For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die!
The final fate of death must have really bothered Solomon. After all, he was the wisest man who ever lived, yet “death is the great leveler.”[58] Solomon would still be worm food right alongside the fool. How degrading for him to consider!
It’s shocking how quickly we will be forgotten. Only the righteous will be remembered (Prov. 10:7; Ps. 112:6).
(2:17) So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.
These realizations led Solomon to hate life itself.
(2:18-21) Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity. 20 Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun. 21 When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.
Many people claim that they are living for their kids. They want to leave behind a major inheritance to take care of them. However, Solomon argues that this could actually have the opposite effect on the heirs: they could be a fool who squanders it, or they could be a wise person who didn’t earn it. Either way, there is no guarantee of them being fulfilled by the money. Incidentally, Solomon’s son Rehoboam almost squandered his empire after he died (1 Kin. 12:16-19; 14:25-26). Perhaps Solomon could see this coming. He had one son named in Scripture, and he may have thought, “I’ve got to leave everything I’ve built… to him?!”
(2:22-23) For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun? 23 Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity.
Even with all of his wealth, women, and wine, Solomon still couldn’t sleep at night (compare with Ecclesiastes 5:12 and Mark 4:38).
Ecclesiastes 2:24-3:22 (Does a shift occur here?)
Eaton[59] sees a shift here for a number of reasons. First, up until this point, God is only mentioned once, and only in a negative sense (Eccl. 1:13). Here, however, God is a giver of good things. Second, humans need to gain wisdom autonomously in the earlier section (Eccl. 1:16), while God gives wisdom to humans (Eccl. 2:26). Indeed, wisdom is seen as a gift from God. Moreover, wisdom is seen as vanity (Eccl. 2:21), while wisdom is seen as a gift of “joy” (Eccl. 2:26). Third, chapters 1-2 are pessimistic, but chapter 3 is optimistic of God’s gifts. Eaton writes, “Having exposed the bankruptcy of our pretended autonomy, the Preacher now points to the God who occupies the heavenly realm, and to the life of faith in him.”[60]
We disagree. Solomon immediately returns to his “under the sun” thinking in chapter 3 (Eccl. 3:1), and his pessimistic (or nihilistic?) outlook from “under the sun” remains in chapter 3. We agree with Kidner writes that “the veil is lifted”[61] only momentarily here to foreshadow Solomon’s ultimate conclusion to the book (Eccl. 12:13-14).
(2:24-25) There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?
“There is nothing better…” This is the first of for proverbs with this opening (Eccl. 2:24; 3:12, 22; 8:15). The expression “nothing better” should not be read in a “rigidly literal sense.”[62] Wright notes, “The terms ‘good’ and ‘better’ always take their significance from their context. Here the reference is not to moral goodness but to functional behavior; i.e., this is the best way for man to pass along the road of life.”[63]
Solomon isn’t saying that eating, drinking, and working are the meaning to life. Rather, these are examples of good gifts of God, and we shouldn’t try to squeeze our significance out of them. As Derek Kidner comments, “What spoils them is our hunger to get out of them more than they can give.”[64] The goal is “contentment”[65] in living a simple life (1 Tim. 4:4; 6:6-8, 17).
Solomon could be thinking back to when life was simple: He had one wife, and he loved her (Song of Solomon). The life of simple living is really the key—not living for excess. God gives us all of these pleasures to enjoy.
(2:26) For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.
The sinner is clearly frustrated because he cannot gain contentment from the ordinary events in life.[66] This results in feeling an on-going thirst for more.
“So that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight.” The Preacher typically states, “I have seen.” But he doesn’t include this remark here. It’s likely that the “sinner” gives his wealth to the righteous in the afterlife (Mt. 5:5; Lk. 19:24; 1 Cor. 3:21; 2 Cor. 6:10). Elsewhere, Solomon writes, “The wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous” (Prov. 13:22). And again he writes, “He who increases his wealth by interest and usury gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor” (Prov. 28:8).
Ecclesiastes 3
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 (Time and Eternity)
The band “The Byrds” wrote the song “Turn, Turn, Turn” that contains the first eight verses of this chapter. Solomon would’ve never thought that he would have a number one hit 3,000 years later! The song sounds upbeat, but is this Solomon’s message?
Some interpreters think that Solomon’s message is positive. Michael Eaton[67] takes this to be a positive message, building on 2:24-26. He thinks that these “times” show that God is in “complete control.”[68] In his view, these refer to “a providential control of life, but with little interpretation or comment.”[69] J. Stafford Wright argues that the purpose of this chapter is to show that “man is responsible to discern the right times for the right actions; and when he does the right action according to God’s time, the result is ‘beautiful’ (v. 11).”[70]
We think that the “times” show us that life is oppressive “under heaven.” This opening verse is key: “There is a time for every event under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1). Solomon is still pressing the implications of reality from “under heaven” or apart from God. We agree with Derek Kidner that the “to and fro” of these verses has “disturbing implications.”[71] Solomon is teaching that there are times for happiness and heartache, and this is out of our control. Just when we think that life is going well, there is a time for just the opposite. Kidner writes, “Perhaps our choices are no freer than our responses to winter and summer, childhood and old age, dictated by the march of time and of unbidden change.”[72] Likewise, Duane Garrett writes, “We must accept that we are mortal and governed by time.”[73]
(3:1) There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every matter under heaven.
In what follows, Eaton takes these statements to be merisms.[74] That is, Solomon is describing the extremes and everything in between. In our estimation, Solomon is showing the positive, only to show that suffering comes to wipe it all away. This fits with his “under heaven” thesis, and shows the futility of life apart from God.
(3:2) A time to give birth and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
The section stars with the boundaries of life: birth and death. This is parallel to planting and harvesting crops. Eaton writes, “The widespread figurative uses of these verbs strongly suggest they were chosen here to express not only specific activities but all the manifold pursuits of men, creative and destructive, good and evil, benevolent and malevolent. Mankind is not self-sufficient in these activities; he is within the control of God.”[75]
(3:3) A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up.
The word of “kill” (hārag) is not the word used in the sixth commandment (Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17). That term refers to premeditated murder—not just war or capital punishment.[76] Garrett comments, “The Teacher is merely asserting that in a world where death is a central fact of life, there will also be a time to kill.”[77]
(3:4) A time to weep and a time to laugh. A time to mourn and a time to dance.
Other societies (especially ancient ones) didn’t spurn the expression of emotion as we do today (Ps. 6:6-7; Rom. 12:15; Jn. 11:35). These emotions are both private and public.
(3:5) A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
“A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones.” The Mishnah Rabbah understood this as a euphemism for sexual union—especially in light of line B (“a time to embrace”).
Wright understands the “throwing” and “gathering” of stones to refer to building some sort of edifice (e.g. house).[78]
Eaton understand this as referring to “preparing the way for a military conqueror” in view of Isaiah 62:10, as well as “military aggression by ruining an enemy’s fields.”[79]
(3:6) A time to search and a time to give up as lost. A time to keep and a time to throw away.
This refers to our keeping or giving of possessions.
(3:7) A time to tear apart and a time to sew together. A time to be silent and a time to speak.
This might refer to the “destructive and creative” capabilities of humans.[80]
It could also refer to mourning, and the tearing of clothes.[81]
(3:8) A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.
It is okay to “hate” certain things (Rom. 12:9), as long as “we love and hate the proper things.”[82] This could refer back to verse 3.
Solomon reflects on verses 1-8
(3:9-10) What benefit is there for the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the task which God has given the sons of mankind with which to occupy themselves.
One interpretation is that the “burden” (NIV) is to know which time is appropriate for which action. Yet, we disagree: Solomon is concluding that verses 1-8 show that our “entrapment in time is another indication of our mortality” and a “lifelong affliction with no eternal results.”[83] We die, and so does all of our work or “labors.”
“I have seen the task which God has given the sons of mankind with which to occupy themselves.” Garrett translates this verse, “I have seen all the business God has given to people to afflict them.”[84] The idea is similar to Ecclesiastes 1:13 and Genesis 3:17-19.
(3:11) He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, without the possibility that mankind will find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
“Appropriate” (yāpeh) can be translated “fair” or “beautiful,”[85] or simply “appropriate.”[86] God knows the plan from beginning to end, wanting to make it “beautiful in its time” (NIV).
Does this refer to the afterlife? Yes! The word “eternity” (hāʿōlām) is later translated “forever” (Eccl. 3:14). We lost eternal life in the Garden (Gen. 3:22), and God himself is eternal (Ps. 90:2). Eaton writes, “We have a capacity for eternal things, are concerned about the future, want to understand ‘from the beginning to the end’, and have a sense of something which transcends our immediate situation.”[87]
Yet, ironically, our sense of “eternity” is our problem. Even though we have a sense of “eternity” (hāʿōlām, cf. Eccl. 1:4; 12:5), we cannot grasp the entire picture from “beginning to end.” We are so myopic that we can only grasp our little inch on a line that stretches from one end of the universe to the other. Hence, we need to trust God for what we should do in the present. Kidner writes, “We are like the desperately nearsighted, inching their way along some great tapestry or fresco in the attempt to take it in. We see enough to recognize something of its quality, but the grand design escapes us, for we can never stand back far enough to view it as its Creator does, whole and entire, from the beginning to the end.”[88] Garrett comments, “We feel like aliens in the world of time and yearn to be part of eternity. We feel the need for ourselves and our work to be eternal and yet are grieved to be trapped in time. We also desire to understand our place in the universe against the backdrop of eternity. But we cannot find out what God has done from beginning to end. That is, we are not able to discern any plan or pattern to all of this. God’s purposes are outside our realm of control or investigation. We thus have a sense of alienation and bewilderment in time.”[89]
(3:12-13) I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime. 13 Moreover, that every person who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—this is the gift of God.
As in Ecclesiastes 2:24-26, this refers to doing “good” in the sense of enjoying life.[90] Because God is working from eternity and for eternity (v.11), we should live our lives based on this. God has arranged the world—and perhaps this sense of eternity—so that we would “fear him.”
During our stay on Earth, we should enjoy life (“rejoice and do good… this is a gift of God”).
(Eccl. 3:12-13) Is eating and drinking the meaning of life?
(3:14-15) I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it. And God has so worked, that people will fear Him. 15 That which is, is what has already been, and that which will be has already been; and God seeks what has passed by.
God’s work stands in utter contrast to ours. His work will “remain forever.” To the unbeliever, this dwarfs our sense of purpose, because God’s work overshadows ours. Yet, to the believer, God’s sovereignty and knowledge is a comfort.[91] This is what it means to see life from the perspective of eternity.
Ecclesiastes 3:16-17 (Justice and Injustice)
(3:16-17) Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. 17 I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked,” for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.
“The place of justice” refers to the “law courts.”[92] In the current moment, we do not see righteousness on the Earth. The expression “under the sun” again appears to show life apart from God. Regardless of our sight, “God is [still] judicially at work.”[93] He will bring every deed to justice “there” in the end (Ps. 14:5; Job 3:17-19).[94] Thus, Solomon “acknowledges that political oppression is a universal phenomenon but offers the hope, albeit an undefined one, of divine judgment and vindication.”[95] Sadly, very often the wicked win, and the righteous lose.
Ecclesiastes 3:18-22 (The Afterlife)
(3:18-22) I said to myself regarding the sons of mankind, “God is testing them in order for them to see that they are as animals, they to themselves.” 19 For the fate of the sons of mankind and the fate of animals is the same. As one dies, so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath, and there is no advantage for mankind over animals, for all is futility. 20 All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust. 21 Who knows that the spirit of the sons of mankind ascends upward and the spirit of the animal descends downward to the earth? 22 I have seen that nothing is better than when a person is happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?
Apart from God, we have no guarantee that we’ll have eternal life. Humans will expire and go extinct just like any other animal species. We may not all live like animals, but we will surely die like one. Both return to the ground (Gen. 2:7). Solomon seems to be questioning the assumptions of the afterlife—if there is no God. We might as well pursue happiness, because we won’t be able to know what happens after death (v.22).
(Eccl. 3:18-22) Are humans worthless animals?
Ecclesiastes 4
Chapters 4-10 take a perspective of living life practically “under the sun.” Eaton states that Solomon is telling us to realize the brutality of life while intersplicing verses where we show our need for God.[96] Wright lumps the contents of this chapter into the subject of politics in general.[97] But this seems to be too reductionistic. Many themes are discussed in this section.
Ecclesiastes 4:1-3 (The Oppressed and the Oppressors)
(4:1) Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold, I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and power was on the side of their oppressors, but they had no one to comfort them.
Solomon wrestles with the severe state of injustice in the lives of many people who are oppressed. Earlier, he affirmed that God would judge people after death: “God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man” (Eccl. 3:17). However, in the meantime, the oppressed look completely abandoned.
(4:2) So I congratulated the dead who are already dead, more than the living who are still living.
If this life is all there is, and if there is no God, then it would truly be better to cease having life rather than endure abject oppression. When God is in the picture, the viewpoint changes (Ps. 119:50; Isa. 25:8). Wright states, “There are times when we thank God for delivering some poor tortured sufferer through death.”[98]
(4:3) But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.
This is similar to Solomon’s later statement (Eccl. 6:3-5; cf. Jer. 20:18). Jesus said something similar regarding Judas (Mt. 26:24). He also stated that it is the evil person who will wish that they were never born (Mt. 18:6-7).
Ecclesiastes 4:4-8 (Hard work, rivalry, and laziness)
(4:4) I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a person and his neighbor. This too is futility and striving after wind.
Solomon seems to state that the root of our desire to perform at work and hoard money is really egotism and selfish rivalry. This person is the achiever, while the next person is the drop-out.
(4:5) The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.
“The fool folds his hands.” This refers to laziness (Prov. 6:10). The fool could conclude (based on verse 4) that we should just become idle and lazy. However, he is going from the frying pan into the fire. Solomon argues that the fool would starve, or he would have to cannibalize himself (!!). This is hyperbole or perhaps biting sarcasm.
(4:6) One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.
Our work should be measured with some times of rest. This seems to be a balance of the rat race of verse 4 and the laziness of verse 5.[99] The way to avoid “striving after wind” is to live a simple life.
(4:7-8) Then I looked again at futility under the sun. 8 There was a man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches, and he never asked, “And for whom do I labor and deprive myself of pleasure?” This too is futility, and it is an unhappy task.
The workaholic doesn’t stop to ask himself why he is working himself to death. He isn’t following Solomon’s earlier advice: “I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot” (Eccl. 3:22). Eaton writes, “On secular premises… there is no answer.”[100] For this person, money is their only family and only legacy.[101]
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (We need friends)
(4:9-12) Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor; 10 for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up! 11 Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.
The need for companionship stands in contrast to the oppression (vv.1-3) and competition (vv.4-8) mentioned above. Humans are a social species, and we desperately need one another.
Who is the third strand? Many preachers and officiants at weddings apply to this God, but is that who Solomon had in mind? We don’t see any evidence for this in the text. Kidner[102] speculates that children are in view, but this probably too specific in his estimation.
(Eccl. 4:9-12) Should we quote this passage at weddings?
Ecclesiastes 4:13-16 (We need advisors)
(4:13-16) A poor yet wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction— 14 for he has come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom. 15 I have seen all those living under the sun move to the side of the second youth who replaces him. 16 There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them. Even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him; for this too is futility and striving after wind.
This old king grew up poor, but rose to a high status in the kingdom (v.14).[103] Now, however, the old king doesn’t take “instruction” from anyone, and he is easily replaced even though he occupies a throne that he worked so hard to possess.
Ecclesiastes 5
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 (Approaching God)
(5:1) Guard your steps as you go to the house of God, and approach to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know that they are doing evil.
“The house of God” refers to the Temple that Solomon built. The expression “guard your steps” was an idiom that referred to approaching cautiously or “to proceed with reverence.”[104] We come to God to “listen,” rather than to perform a phony display of religion (“offer the sacrifice of fools”). This is similar to Jesus’ indictment against the people who honor God with their lips, but not their hearts (Mt. 15:8; Isa. 29:13; cf. Lk. 18:9-14).
(5:2) Do not be quick with your mouth or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.
“Let your words be few.” God is maximally great in every way. When we come into his presence, are we there to talk or to listen? (v.2) The purpose of not speaking a lot is a display of humility in the presence of God. A great deal of prayer should be spent in silence, listening to God and meditating on his word (v.1). Jesus taught that we should not use “meaningless repetition” in prayer (Mt. 6:7-8).
(5:3) For the dream comes through much effort, and the voice of a fool through many words.
The wisdom principle seems to be that we should leave our personal business at the door before we enter into prayer. Wright explains, “When we come before God, our minds are full of our own business rather than with the worship of God.”[105] This could explain why the person is talking too much in prayer: they are talking about their carnal desires, rather than focusing on God’s will (Jas. 4:2-3). Additionally, Eaton states, “Heavy responsibility is apt to hinder concentration and lead to impatience in prayer. The fool will consequently pour out a flood of words, but this is no remedy.”[106]
Vows
(5:4-6) When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! 5 It is better that you not vow, than vow and not pay. 6 Do not let your speech cause you to sin, and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
Wright gives the examples of following through on a specific ministry or with a financial pledge that is going towards God’s work.[107] If we pledge our time, talent, or treasure, then we fulfill this. If we can’t, then we shouldn’t have made a vow in the first place (Deut. 23:21-23). We need to do what we say, and say what we do.
Because we are fallen and finite, we should be very careful about making pledges in the first place. Solomon wants to impress upon us the “limitations of human knowledge and the contingency of human existence.”[108]
(5:7) For in many dreams and in many words there is futility. Rather, fear God.
Instead of imposing our dreams or our demands on God, we should stand in reference before him. Kidner states that these dreams “appear to be daydreams, reducing worship to verbal, doodling.”[109]
Ecclesiastes 5:8-9 (The Problem of Poverty)
(5:8-9) If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight; for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them. 9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is beneficial to the land.
Solomon writes about the hierarchy and corruption of governmental powers. Fortunately, we don’t need to worry about corrupt government officials today. (We hope our sarcasm is evident. Not much has changed in human nature in 3,000 years.)
“For one official watches over another official.” This refers to a system or “network for protecting one another and thus it is impossible to root out corruption.”[110]
His point is that we shouldn’t be surprised at human nature. Bureaucracy is bad and even oppressive (v.8), but authority is better than anarchy (v.9). Indeed, “even tyranny is better than anarchy.”[111] Garrett concurs, “In an anarchic society no boundaries or property rights can be maintained, access to wells and other common resources cannot be fairly regulated, aqueducts and dikes will not be kept in good repair, and no organized resistance to ravaging armies can be offered. In short, the agricultural economy will collapse. Government may be evil, but it is a necessary evil.”[112]
Ecclesiastes 5:10-6:9 (The Problem of Wealth)
(5:10) One who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor one who loves abundance with its income. This too is futility.
This is very similar to 1 Timothy 6:10 (“For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil”). The love of money leads to more and more dissatisfaction. Materialism is addictive.
(5:11) When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look at them?
Rich people need to constantly wonder if their acquaintances really care for them—or just their money. The more that they have, the more stress and expenses accompany them.[113] After all, if someone gave you a Lamborghini, you would need to pay insurance on that car. The insurance alone could bankrupt someone with my earnings! It would be far better to liquidate the car and put the money toward giving or toward debt.
(5:12) The sleep of the laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich person does not allow him to sleep.
Wealth brings anxiety: “The anxieties of the man of money drive him to sleeping pills and tranquilizers.”[114] Meanwhile, a simple-liver sleeps soundly after a hard day’s work. Kidner comments, “We offer an unconscious comment on it by our modern exercise-machines and health clubs—for it is one of our human absurdities to pour out money and effort just to undo the damage of money and ease.”[115]
(5:13) There is a sickening evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth being hoarded by its owner to his detriment.
The hoarding of money actually hurts the person himself. When we have more than we need, we become obsessed with it. It dominates our thoughts, emotions, and decisions. As Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt. 6:21).
(5:14) When that wealth was lost through bad business and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him.
This man should’ve had his eyes on his “son,” not focused on growing his money. Instead, he greedily tried to invest his money in an insecure investment, and he lost everything. It would’ve been better to keep his original money to take care of his family instead.
(5:15-17) As he came naked from his mother’s womb, so he will return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. 16 This also is a sickening evil: exactly as a person is born, so will he die. What then is the advantage for him who labors for the wind? 17 All his life he also eats in darkness with great irritation, sickness, and anger.
These verses are strikingly similar to Paul’s argument against materialism in 1 Timothy 6:7. The man’s materialism landed him in “darkness,” which symbolizes “misery” (Eccl. 2:13-14).[116] How horrible to spend your entire life investing in something that you know for certain you will lose!
The solution: Simple-living
(5:18) Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink, and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.
If we can, we should enjoy our work for what it is—not as an end in itself but as a means to making a living. God has given us money to enjoy (1 Tim. 6:17), but never to love (1 Tim. 6:10).
(5:19) Furthermore, as for every person to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also given him the opportunity to enjoy them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.
We should view money as a gift from God—not a master over us (v.19). The Hebrew literally reads, “God… makes a master/gives mastery in order to enjoy.”[117] This suggests that a “man must be in control of his attitude to wealth rather than his attitude to wealth in control of him.”[118]
(5:20) For he will not often call to mind the years of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.
The key to a happy life is to get our focus off our money, and get our focus on the good works that God has given us to do in life. In our context in the new covenant, this would refer to the Great Commission and loving others.
Ecclesiastes 6
(6:1-2) There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is widespread among mankind: 2 a person to whom God has given riches, wealth, and honor, so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God has not given him the opportunity to enjoy these things, but a foreigner enjoys them. This is futility and a severe affliction.
“Widespread among mankind” can be rendered, “Presses heavily on men.”[119] This is a weight that we carry around throughout life. What is this weight? Two options seem plausible:
(1) This could mean that the person has a status of wealth, when this is taken away, it fundamentally ruins them.[120]
(2) This could also mean that the person has a “playboy’s boredom,” or that he has “no appetite or no opportunity to enjoy it.”[121] Thus, the wealthy man was bored with his money and pleasures, or he lost them (in death?) before he could enjoy them. This could explain why a “foreigner enjoys them,” because the wealthy man’s home was invaded and pillaged.
(6:3-6) If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, “Better the miscarriage than he, 4 for a miscarriage comes in futility and goes into darkness; and its name is covered in darkness. 5 It has not even seen the sun nor does it know it; yet it is better off than that man. 6 Even if the man lives a thousand years twice, but does not see good things—do not all go to one and the same place?”
A family legacy isn’t the key to meaning in life. These figures are hyperbolic. In the ancient Near East, “the three traditional conditions for happiness were wealth, long life, and many children.”[122] Yet, our offspring don’t give us meaning. Psychiatrist R.D. Laing writes, “We wish to die leaving our imprints burned into the hearts of others. What would life be if there were no one left to remember us, to think of us when we are absent, to keep us alive when we are dead? And when we are dead, suddenly or gradually, our presence, scattered in ten or ten thousand hearts, will fade and disappear. How many candles in how many hearts? Of such stuff is our hope and despair.”[123] Likewise, Ernest Becker writes, “I saw that often menopausal women in psychiatric hospitals were there because their lives were no longer useful. In some cases their role as wives had failed because of late divorce; in others this circumstance combined with the expiration of their role as mothers because their children had grown up and married, and they were now alone with nothing meaningful to do. As they had never learned any social role, trade, or skill outside of their work in the family, when the family no longer needed them they were literally useless.”[124]
The length of life isn’t the key to meaning in life. In this hypothetical case, it takes 2,000 years to reach a state of meaninglessness. How is this different than 2,000 hours or 2,000 minutes? The destination is the same. This language is similar to Job: “Like a miscarriage which is discarded, I would not be, as infants that never saw light” (Job 3:16). Both Job and Solomon make very similar statements, but one was in luxury and the other was in abject poverty. Do you see the similarity between the suffering of these two men? Solomon is suffering just as badly as Job—not from external pain but from the internal misery of meaninglessness.
(6:7) All a person’s labor is for his mouth, and yet his appetite is not satisfied.
The wealthy hedonist doesn’t need more food, but a filling of the soul.[125] Kidner shows the circularity of the modern person: “He works to eat, for the strength to go on working to go on eating.”[126]
(6:8-9) For what advantage does the wise person have over the fool? What does the poor person have, knowing how to walk before the living? 9 What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and striving after wind.
The wealthy are consumed with materialism. The average person who is content with “what the eyes see” is better off.[127] He should be content with what he has—whether wisdom or money—and shouldn’t yearn for more.[128]
(Eccl. 6:8) Is wisdom worthless?
Ecclesiastes 6:10-7:6 (Death and Dying)
(6:10-12) Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with the one who is mightier than he is. 11 For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a person? 12 For who knows what is good for a person during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a person what will happen after him under the sun?
Garrett understands this as an allusion back to Adam in Genesis 2-3, and Solomon’s point is that humans continue to walk in his footsteps. This is because the word “man” is the same Hebrew word for “Adam” (ʾādām). Garrett writes, “What is true of him is equally true of all who bear his name, ʾādām/humanity. We are but weak mortals before an omnipotent God.”[129] Likewise, Kidner writes that this “is another way of saying, with the rest of Scripture, that they owe their being to the command of God; and this command now includes the sentence passed at Adam’s fall.”[130]
Solomon describes what it is like to live in a naturalistic system without God in the picture (or perhaps, a deistic God). He cannot know what is good (“who knows what is good…?”), and he doesn’t know his purpose (“who can tell a person what will happen after him…?”). Eaton comments, “The Preacher is slamming every door except the door of faith.[131] Wright argues that Solomon will give practical advice to this problem in the next chapter.[132]
“Who can tell a person what will happen after him under the sun?” Solomon doesn’t know the answer to this, but we do. That’s because we have a greater Preacher than Solomon.
Ecclesiastes 7
Wright introduces this chapter by stating that this is the solution to the fatalism at the end of chapter 6: “We now have some practical proverbs for daily living, showing that God’s will for man is not a set of meaningless rules but a walk that brings a sense of fulfillment. The advice is clearly an answer to the petulant objection of 6:12. Here are some of the things known to be good for man both for the present and for the future.”[133]
It appears that many commentators keep trying to “brighten up” the book of Ecclesiastes. They want to see a break from its message of meaninglessness. But we don’t think that Solomon relents. We contend that this chapter only continues along the same “under the sun” theme.
(7:1) A good name is better than good ointment. And the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.
We should strive to have a good character (“good name” šēm), rather than just a good public image (“good ointment” šemen). A person’s name referred to their inner nature.[134] So, Solomon is saying that the inner heart of a person is better than the cosmetic, outward appearance (“good ointment”).
In the same way, a person’s death is more important because it is sobering to the soul. A person’s day of birth is a celebration, but it doesn’t come to grips with the ultimate questions Solomon has been raising.[135]
(7:2) It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every person, and the living takes it to heart.
The laughter and levity of parties doesn’t reveal the meaning of life. When we go to a funeral, it reminds us that life is transitory. This experience leads us to search for answers to the big questions of life.
(7:3-4) Sorrow is better than laughter, for when a face is sad a heart may be happy. 4 The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, while the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.
“A heart may be happy” is more literally “a heart may be put right.”[136] This means that a person is shocked into the reality of death.
Mourning together could be better for our soul than just laughing or kidding around. Wright notes, “A sorrow shared may bring more inner happiness than an evening with back-slapping jokers.”[137]
(7:5-6) It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise person than for one to listen to the song of fools. 6 For as the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool; and this too is futility.
A “rebuke” can change our lives, while a “song” merely amuses us. Likewise, the laughter of fools is compared to the quick burning thorns (sîrîm) under a cooking pot (sîr). This pun has been captured with Moffatt’s translation, “Nettles crackling under kettles.”[138] They spark for a moment, but then they are gone.
“This too is futility.” The fool laughs all the way to oblivion—never coming to terms with his life. How would you like to get to the end of your life and realize it was a lot of laughs, but signified nothing? Some people actually think this sounds like a good life. That person is a fool.
Ecclesiastes 7:7-10 (Dealing with prosperity and adversity)
(7:7) For oppression makes a wise person look foolish, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
Bribes and extortion don’t just ruin our reputation (“look foolish”), but they poison our hearts (“corrupts the heart”). The results aren’t merely external, but internal.
(7:8-9) The end of a matter is better than its beginning; patience of spirit is better than arrogance of spirit. 9 Do not be eager in your spirit to be angry, for anger resides in the heart of fools.
This could refer to suffering and enduring trials. This is why it is better to be patient throughout these times.[139]
(7:10) Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.
We shouldn’t allow the past to take over the present. Wright comments, “Wise people certainly learn from the past, but they live in the present with all its opportunities.”[140] Eaton states, “To evaluate the times may be needful; to ask specifically for days gone by is wrong and foolish. One cannot face the difficulties of one age by pining for another.”[141] Garrett writes, “It is pointless to look back to the good old days when corruption was not so common. Such days never existed.”[142]
Ecclesiastes 7:11-14 (Wisdom and Wealth)
(7:11-12) Wisdom along with an inheritance is good, and an advantage to those who see the sun. 12 For wisdom is protection just as money is protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom keeps its possessors alive.
We shouldn’t trust in money (“inheritance”). Wisdom is a safer protection than money could ever be. Money doesn’t always live into the next generation, but wisdom could. Of course, our great wisdom ends when we die (“an advantage to those who see the sun”).
(7:13-14) Consider the work of God, for who is able to straighten what He has bent? 14 On the day of prosperity be happy, but on the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other so that a person will not discover anything that will come after him.
The point is not that God is doing something immoral; rather, this refers to his sovereignty (cf. Eccl. 1:15; Rom. 8:20?).[143] We need to see prosperity and adversity through the eyes of faith, knowing that God can bring something out of both good and bad seasons of life (Rom. 8:28). The “constant fluctuation between them keeps us dependent not on our own guesswork, but on God who holds the key to all unknown.”[144]
Ecclesiastes 7:15-29 (The search for true virtue)
(7:15) I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is a righteous person who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked person who prolongs his life in his wickedness.
Living a life of wisdom does not always result in prosperity. Life is not that simple. Solomon doesn’t explain this proverb, but merely asserts it. He does so, most likely, to shock us with the reality of life.
Righteousness and wickedness
(7:16) Do not be excessively righteous, and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?
(Eccl. 7:16) Is it possible to be “excessively righteous”?
(7:17-19) Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be foolish. Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you grasp one thing while not letting go of the other; for one who fears God comes out with both of them. 19 Wisdom strengthens a wise person more than ten rulers who are in a city.
The extremes are self-righteousness or wickedness. Being “excessively wicked” would be to allow “one’s native wickedness to run its own course.”[145] The solution is to “fear God” (v.18). This is true wisdom (v.19). If people had wisdom like this, then we wouldn’t need “ten rulers” to enforce the laws of a city.
(7:20) Indeed, there is not a righteous person on earth who always does good and does not ever sin.
A sinless life is practically impossible. This matches with Solomon’s earlier words, “There is no man who does not sin” (1 Kin. 8:46).
(7:21-22) Also, do not take seriously all the words which are spoken, so that you do not hear your servant cursing you, 22 for you know that even you have cursed others many times as well.
We shouldn’t be overly judgmental of other people gossiping about us, when we do the very same thing. Again, this fits with the context of being self-righteous (v.16), but not actually righteous (v.20).
(7:23-25) I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” but wisdom was far from me. 24 What has been is remote and very mysterious. Who can discover it? 25 I directed my mind to know and to investigate, and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of foolishness and the foolishness of insanity.
Solomon is still viewing the world “under the sun.” All of these earlier statements were made while his “wisdom was far from [him].” These ultimate questions are impossible to answer from a purely rationalistic perspective. We need revelation—not rationalism (i.e. reasoning purely outward from self, rather than including God).
Ecclesiastes 7:26-29 (The wrong women)
(7:26-29) And I discovered as more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains. One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her. 27 “Behold, I have discovered this,” says the Preacher, “by adding one thing to another to find an explanation, 28 which I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these.
Solomon would’ve been better off if he had followed his own advice: to have one good wife (Eccl. 9:9; Prov. 31), rather than polygamy and a massive harem (1 Kings 11:3). If Solomon is being misogynistic, then his point is only that men are 0.1% better than women! No, his point likely refers to the thousand women in his harem (1 Kin. 11:3). In this group, he found none with wisdom.
(7:29) “Behold, I have found only this, that God made people upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
The word for “man” or “people” (ʾādām) seems to look back to the Fall. Garrett writes, “A more succinct yet complete statement of ‘total depravity’ could not be given.”[146] Kidner states that there is a ray of hope shining through this verse: “The words, God made man upright, even though they have their tragic sequel, are already enough to call in question the refrain, ‘Vanity of vanities’. Since futility was not the first word about our world, it no longer has to be the last.”[147]
Ecclesiastes 8
Ecclesiastes 8:1-9 (Being under the authority of the king)
(8:1) Who is like the wise person and who knows the meaning of a matter? A person’s wisdom illuminates his face and makes his stern face brighten up.
Solomon’s earlier pessimism about attaining wisdom could be hyperbole based on this passage.[148] In other words, perhaps wisdom is actually attainable, but it is hard to be a wise person in view of the problems of chapter 7. However, by the end of this chapter, we find the same pessimism (vv.16-17).
(8:2) I say, “Keep the command of the king because of the oath before God.”
This seems to indicate that we should follow the authority of the king because of our loyalty to God. This isn’t absolute authority, but a general call to follow the leadership of someone under God’s ultimate authority. After all, this didn’t stop Nathan the prophet from rebuking David (2 Sam. 12), nor did it stop the rest of the prophets from disagreeing with the evil decisions of the kings of Israel or Judah.
(8:3) Do not be in a hurry to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases.”
A person shouldn’t abandon his post if he is serving under the king (cf. Eccl. 10:4). After all, this is generally unwise, because a king can “do whatever he pleases.” This would involve killing a person for desertion.
(8:4-5) Since the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, “What are you doing?” 5 One who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure.
See comments on verse 2.
(8:6-7) For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a person’s trouble is heavy upon him. 7 If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen?
It is best to submit to the king and serve him, because a king can be severe and oppressive (v.6). Since we are limited and don’t know the outcomes of political coups, we shouldn’t get tied up in them. Garrett explains this well: “The wise man thus waits for the proper moment to make his case or take a stand and does not waste his influence on a lost cause.”[149]
(8:8-9) No one has authority over the wind to restrain the wind, nor authority over the day of death; and there is no military discharge in the time of war, and evil will not save those who practice it. 9 All this I have seen, and have applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun at a time when one person has exercised authority over another person to his detriment.
Eaton takes the reference to “war” to be a symbol for “death” itself.[150] If so, the message is that death is inevitable. Solomon compares this to being a traitor during war, hoping to flee to the other army. Death conquers everyone. While the king governs over us, God governs over all,[151] as the subsequent verses make clear.
Ecclesiastes 8:10-14 (Justice and injustice)
(8:10-14) All this I have seen, and have applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun at a time when one person has exercised authority over another person to his detriment. 10 So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out of the holy place, and they are soon forgotten in the city where they did such things. This too is futility.
Solomon seems to be upset that the wicked are getting an honorable burial.[152] He is also sad that one fallen person has authority over other fallen people (“one person has exercised authority over another person”).
(8:11) Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of mankind among them are fully given to do evil.
People interpret God’s slowness in judgment as his indifference to evil (2 Pet. 3:4).
(8:12-13) Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will go well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly. 13 But it will not go well for the evil person and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.
Solomon looks at evil people who live a long time and have honored funerals. Yet, he notes that these people will not ultimately get away with it. While they may live a long time (v.12), God will eventually settle their accounts.[153] This is especially true at the final judgment (Eccl. 11:9). This is not contradictory. Solomon is being “deliberately provocative.”[154] From a human perspective, it looks like the wicked get away with it; but not from a divine perspective.
(8:14) There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility.
If this life is all that there is, then there is no justice, because the wicked get away with evil all of the time (cf. Eccl. 3:16; 4:1; 5:8; 7:7). Malachi addresses this exact same issue of injustice in light of the final judgment (Mal. 3:13-4:3).
Ecclesiastes 8:15-17 (Enjoy the simple pleasures of life)
(8:15) So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a person under the sun except to eat, drink, and be joyful, and this will stand by him in his labor throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
This could be seen as merely a “practical solution” to the problem.[155] We shouldn’t be indifferent to suffering, but we should “come to terms with the limits of our ability to explain (much less eliminate) unjust suffering.”[156] We need to give up on trying to control our future. We shouldn’t let the horrors of life rob us of joy (Eccl. 2:26; 3:12; 5:18, 20) or enjoying the simple pleasures of life (Eccl. 2:24ff.; 3:13; 5:18).
(8:16-17) When I devoted my mind to know wisdom and to see the business which has been done on the earth (even though one should never sleep day or night), 17 and I saw every work of God, I concluded that one cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though a person laboriously seeks, he will not discover; and even if the wise person claims to know, he cannot discover.
This is reminiscent of what Solomon wrote earlier (Eccl. 2:24-25). The meaning to everything that we see is beyond human discovery.
Ecclesiastes 9
Ecclesiastes 9:1-10 (Death and dying)
(9:1) For I have taken all this to my heart, even to examine it all, that righteous people, wise people, and their deeds are in the hand of God. People do not know whether it will be love or hatred; anything awaits them.
Because of the connecting word (“For…”), this is concluding the theodicy that Solomon has been building. Here, he states that the problem of evil is beyond our knowledge, but it is in the “hand of God.”
God does not guarantee us a happy and healthy life. We cannot “gain control over God and coerce blessing from him.”[157] Wright comments, “You cannot use good and bad events as criteria to decide whether God loves you or hates you. Your future may be a mixture of two. When trouble comes, it is easy to ask, ‘What have I done to deserve this?’ It is less easy to ask the same question when happiness comes.”[158]
(9:2-3) It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and the unclean; for the person who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good person is, so is the sinner; the one who swears an oath is just as the one who is afraid to swear an oath. 3 This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of mankind are full of evil, and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterward they go to the dead.
Both the righteous and the wicked face the same fate: death. It could be argued that we should live for selfish gains because it all ends the same way. However, this is only if we exclude God and the afterlife from the picture.
(9:4-6) For whoever is joined to all the living, there is hope; for better a live dog, than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor do they have a reward any longer, for their memory is forgotten. 6 Indeed their love, their hate, and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun.
The “dog” was disgusting scavenger (Ex. 22:31; 1 Kin. 14:11), while a “lion” was a respected animal (Prov. 30:30). Solomon’s point is that it’s better to be gross and alive, than mighty and dead.
Death is the point of no return. We have one chance to make it count, and once we die, it’s all over. Because we know we will die (v.5), we should live in light of that reality.
(Eccl. 9:5) Are the dead conscious or unconscious?
(9:7) Go then, eat your bread in happiness, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works.
We’re not dead—at least, not yet. Therefore, we should enjoy the basics of life.
(9:8) See that your clothes are white all the time, and that there is no lack of oil on your head.
White clothes and oil made life comfortable in a hot climate.[159] Hence, we should enjoy the basic necessities and even comforts of life. The message is to be content.
(9:9) Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your futile life which He has given you under the sun, all the days of your futility; for this is your reward in life and in your work which you have labored under the sun.
Again (see Eccl. 2:24-25; 8:15-17), we should enjoy the good gifts that God has given us. Here, Solomon points to the simple—yet precious—gifts of life: food, wine, clothing, and family (cf. 1 Tim. 6:8). Wright comments, “If God has given us the blessings of a wife and, presumably, a family, we are to find happiness in the precious gift of love. This is what Solomon himself failed to find.”[160] Indeed, look at how far Solomon had fallen from his happiness in the Song of Songs. This must’ve haunted him at the end of his life.
(9:10) Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity, planning, knowledge, or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.
The “hand” refers to our strength and “finds” refers to our opportunity.[161] This passage is similar to Jesus’ statement to the disciples (Jn. 9:4). Our time is limited and our opportunity is narrow.
Ecclesiastes 9:11-10:20 (Various proverbs)
Eaton[162] states that 9:11-10:20 is not a logical sequence. Rather, it is like many chapters in Proverbs, where we find a “string of pearls.” Garrett[163] holds that this section (9:13-10:17) focuses on political power.
Chance
(9:11-12) I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning, nor favor to the skillful; for time and chance overtake them all. 12 For indeed, a person does not know his time: like fish that are caught in a treacherous net and birds caught in a snare, so the sons of mankind are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them.
We cannot plan our futures—even if we are strong, skilled, or smart. From our vantage point, many events are simply chance, and we cannot see the plan behind it all. This should create humility in a successful person. We like to think that most of our success was due to hard work—with only a little being due to chance and luck. Perhaps the opposite is true. The hard working may succeed, but they are not guaranteed success.
Public approval is fleeting
(9:13-16) This too I saw as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me: 14 there was a small city with few men in it, and a great king came to it, surrounded it, and constructed large siegeworks against it. 15 But there was found in it a poor wise man, and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are ignored.
All of the people in the town owed their lives to this wise man. But isn’t it amazing how quickly they forgot about him? Isn’t it amazing how quickly we forget about people who seemed so important decades earlier? Public approval is unstable, and frequently unfair.
(9:17-18) The words of the wise heard in calm are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
Reflecting on the example above, we agree that “the citizens were the real losers.”[164] They failed to appreciate the quiet words of the wise man.
Ecclesiastes 10
(10:1) Dead flies turn a perfumer’s oil rancid, so a little foolishness is more potent than wisdom and honor.
A dead fly spoils a bottle of perfume in the same way that a little foolishness can spoil a wise person’s life or decisions. Even one false step can screw up relationships, ministry, or our plans.
(10:2) A wise person’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish person’s heart directs him toward the left.
The “right” is associated with strength and protection (Ps. 16:8; Isa. 41:13).[165] The “left” was metaphorical for being bad or wrong. Even the Latin word sinister means “left hand,” as well as a metaphorical meaning for evil.[166]
(10:3) Even when the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool.
When a fool interacts with other people, he shows what he really is. He cannot cover up his character.[167] Silence is his best defense (Prov. 17:28), but even just looking at him gives him away.
(10:4) If the ruler’s temper rises against you, do not abandon your place, because composure puts great offenses to rest.
Fools like to blow up at their bosses and quit. Wise people will take a calm response to their bosses and work through the problem.
(10:5-7) There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like a mistake that proceeds from the ruler: 6 foolishness is set in many exalted places while the rich sit in humble places. 7 I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.
Even rulers can be foolish with their political appointments. The people rulers put into positions of influence can have horrible results.
(10:8-11) One who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite one who breaks through a wall. 9 One who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and one who splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of bringing success. 11 If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no benefit for the charmer.
This string of pearls show that we need to be careful how we execute tasks. We might refer to these as “work smarter, not harder.” While a person could be hurt by his own evil plans (v.8), it’s also possible that he could be hurt by living a simple life (v.9). A righteous life is no guarantee of avoiding suffering.
(10:12-14) Words from the mouth of a wise person are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him; 13 the beginning of his talking is foolishness, and the end of it is evil insanity. 14 Yet the fool multiplies words. No person knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him?
Fools act like they can know the future.[168] They talk on and on, but their words lack any substantive content or meaning.
(10:15) The labor of a fool makes him so weary that he does not even know how to go to a city.
In the context, the fool is busy by talking about the big issues of life, but he is exhausted by a little bit of work. They want to find the way for everyone through their foolish words (vv.12-14), but they can’t even find their way home! Garrett writes, “The advice of foolish counselors is so bad that they cannot even give simple directions.”[169] The fool is “the kind of person who gets the simplest of things wrong… He would get lost, we might say today, even if you put him on an escalator.”[170]
(10:16-19) Woe to you, land whose king is a boy, and whose princes feast in the morning. 17 Blessed are you, land whose king is of nobility, and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for strength and not for drunkenness. 18 Through extreme laziness the rafters sag, and through idleness the house leaks. 19 People prepare a meal for enjoyment, wine makes life joyful, and money is the answer to everything.
The king is described as a “lad” (NASB), “child” (ESV, NET), or “servant” (NIV, NLT). The Hebrew word (naʿar) doesn’t refer to “servant leadership,” but rather certainly refers to “an inexperienced person in this context.”[171] It does not refer to “age but to general maturity.”[172] Solomon considered himself a “little child” (1 Kin. 3:7), which was before he received wisdom.
The fact that he feasts in the morning shows that he isn’t getting to work to serve the land, but rather wakes up and starts to get drunk (v.17). The king should be hardworking, rather than a lazy drunkard (v.18). This lazy king believes that wine and money can fix everything (v.19), rather than hard work and wisdom. To be clear, in verse 19, the “licentious life” is still the focus.[173] This means that the person in view is the antithesis that Solomon is deriding.
(10:20) Furthermore, in your bedroom do not curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich person; for a bird of the sky will bring the sound, and the winged one will make your word known.
Even though leaders can be lazy and selfish, Solomon concludes that we shouldn’t trash talk leaders behind their backs. Wright explains, “If there is something wrong in your town or in the place where you work, you must either keep totally silent or be prepared for your proper criticisms to come to the ears of those at the top.”[174] Indeed, what if we spoke at all times like someone could be listening in the next room or at the top of the stairs? Surely our language would be more restrained!
Ecclesiastes 11
Kidner notes that chapter 10 gave us caution, but this chapter gives us enterprise.[175]
Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 (Take calculated risks)
(11:1) Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.
This proverb might be similar to our modern trope, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”[176] This fits with the commercial interpretation of verse 2, where one needs to diversify assets in business. It likely refers to commercial investment, because in the proverb, we get the “bread” back “after many days.” Hence, this isn’t literal bread on literal water.
Eaton[177] takes this to refers to a life of faith in general, because “man does not live on bread alone” (Deut. 8:3). This seems to be an interpretive stretch in our estimation.
(11:2) Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.
This proverb is similar to our modern saying, “Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.”[178]
(11:3-4) If the clouds are full, they pour out rain on the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies. 4 One who watches the wind will not sow and one who looks at the clouds will not harvest.
We cannot predict all of life’s circumstances.[179] But if we are hyper-conservative, this has its own problems. At some point, we need to take risks. Garrett paraphrases, “Just face the fact that things may go wrong, but get out there and do your work anyway.”[180]
(11:5-6) Just as you do not know the path of the wind, and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes everything. 6 Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether one or the other will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.
We don’t know everything about human embryology, but we can still nurture and raise babies into maturity. The same is true with regard to God’s plan: We don’t have all of the answers, but we need to step out in faith.[181] We need to trust the outcome with God.[182]
The reference to “sow your seed in the morning” doesn’t refer to sex, but rather to taking action.[183]
Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8 (Enjoy your youth)
(11:7-8) The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun. 8 Indeed, if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be futility.
Whether we are young or old, we should be prepared for good days and bad. Since we know that there will be sadness and unreliable suffering in the future, we should enjoy the good times when they are here, and learn from the bad times.
(11:9-10) Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. 10 So remove sorrow from your heart and keep pain away from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.
Youth should be enjoyed, but young people need to be reminded that they will give an account to how they used their time (cf. Eccl. 12:1-7). Garrett writes, “Awareness of divine judgment turns the pursuit of joy away from crossing over into sins.”[184]
(Eccl. 11:9) Should we follow our own way, or God’s way?
Ecclesiastes 12
Throughout this section, Solomon keeps telling young people to “remember… remember… remember!” This must imply that young people could easily waste their lives. The advertisement states, “Life comes at you fast.” How true! All of the sudden, we can wake up and realize that we are old, grey, and preparing to die.
(12:1) Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years approach when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them.”
God should be factored into the days of our youth, because our time of youth is fleeting. We don’t want to look back on our lives and realize that we wasted our youth on pleasure-seeking.
(12:2) Before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain.
This seems to refer to our inability to see in old age—perhaps even glaucoma.[185] The context refers to the body becoming dilapidated and dysfunctional over time (v.3), which only confirms this reading.
It could also refer to the general sorrows of life in old age.[186]
(12:3) On the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and strong men are bent over, the grinders stop working because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim.
Various body parts stop working: The “watchmen” are metaphors for a person’s hands that start to “tremble” in old age.[187] He cannot stand up straight (“bent over”). The “grinders” refer to his teeth.[188] Most of them fall out. Even his eyesight fades (“grow dim”).
(12:4) And the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly.
The old are often “increasingly shut off from the hum of daily life.”[189] Thus, they are stuck at home while business, work, and singing are happening. At the same time, they sleep restlessly (“arise at the sound of the bird”).
The “shutting of the doors” could also refer to deafness.[190] Yet, even though the old person is hard of hearing, they sleep “so lightly that the slightest disturbance is sufficient to take away sleep.”[191]
(12:5) Furthermore, people are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and the caper berry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while the mourners move around in the street.
“Almond tree blossoms” refers to gray hair.
“The grasshopper drags itself along” refers to an old person who used to be agile and spry like a grasshopper, but now can hardly walk. By contrast, Garrett[192] understands this to refer to the fact that even a grasshopper is difficult to lift. The former interpretation is most plausible.
“The caper berry is ineffective” refers to a sexual aphrodisiac, according to Eaton[193] and Kidner.[194]
“For man goes to his eternal home while the mourners move around in the street.” This body is winding down because our new bodies are on their way.
(12:6) Remember your Creator before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the spring is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed.
All of these are metaphors for death.[195] These are beautiful objects, but all of them face horrific destruction. The same is true of death. It is always horrific, and always shameful.
(12:7) Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
This is reminiscent of the creation narrative (Gen. 3:19), as well as Solomon’s earlier comments (Eccl. 3:20). Yet, there is a hint of hope: “The spirit will return to God who gave it.” (cf. Eccl. 3:11)
(12:8) “Futility of futilities,” says the Preacher, “all is futility!”
Here we see Solomon’s repeated expression in a new light: By living for self, we could look back and realize that our lives truly were meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 (Solomon’s conclusion)
Solomon gives us his conclusion. How does this compare with the conclusion of other famous people?
Leonardo Da Vinci: “I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.”[196]
Alfred Hitchcock: “One never knows the ending. One has to die to know exactly what happens after death.”[197]
Steve Jobs: “Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.”[198]
Jane Austen: “I want nothing but death.”[199]
Chris Farley: “Just don’t leave me alone.”[200]
Winston Churchill: “I’m bored with it all.”[201]
(12:9) In addition to being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.
Solomon wasn’t a man who kept his wisdom to himself. The true purpose of wisdom is to give it away to others.
(12:10) The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.
Solomon cared both about (1) delivery, as well as (2) truth. We shouldn’t let the flowery language and delivery overcome truth itself, as many Bible teachers are tempted to do. At the same time, there is nothing unspiritual about making a good presentation of the truth to others: We need both good presentation and sound teaching.
(12:11) The words of the wise are like goads, and masters of these collections are like driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd.
“The words of the wise are like goads, and masters of these collections are like driven nails.” These words poke and prod us to think about our lives. This doesn’t always feel good, but it agitates us in a good way.
The “one Shepherd” refers to God (Gen. 49:24; Ps. 23:1; 80:1).[202] This is the wisdom literature’s equivalent to writing, “Thus says the Lord.”[203]
(12:12) But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive study is wearying to the body.
This fits with the endless speculations of people on God’s plans. We shouldn’t live most of our lives in speculation, but in God’s revelation. This is a “conclusion” (v.13), not continuous speculation.
(12:13-14) The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
All good writers have strong conclusions. Solomon has shown how life apart from God is futile and absurd. He destroyed one vain purpose after another until only one remains: Fear God! Follow God! Prepare to finally meet God!
[1] Gleason Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction (3rd. ed., Chicago: Moody Press. 1994), p.528.
[2] Mark F. Rooker, The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2011), p.539.
[3] Emphasis mine. Mark F. Rooker, The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2011), p.540.
[4] Gleason Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction (3rd. ed., Chicago: Moody Press. 1994), p.529.
[5] Mark F. Rooker, The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2011), p.540.
[6] Gleason Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction (3rd. ed., Chicago: Moody Press. 1994), p.530.
[7] Gleason Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction (3rd. ed., Chicago: Moody Press. 1994), p.530.
[8] Gleason Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction (3rd. ed., Chicago: Moody Press. 1994), p.535.
[9] J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), p.1143.
[10] J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 1148-1149.
[11] J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 1196.
[12] Roger T. Beckwith, The Old Testament Canon of the New Testament Church and Its Background in Early Judaism (Grand Rapids, MI: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 1986), 321.
[13] Roger T. Beckwith, The Old Testament Canon of the New Testament Church and Its Background in Early Judaism (Grand Rapids, MI: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 1986), 320.
[14] J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 1149.
[15] J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 1144.
[16] J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 1148.
[17] Gleason Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction (3rd. ed., Chicago: Moody Press. 1994), p.525.
[18] J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 1152.
[19] Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes: A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance, ed. J. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984), 23.
[20] Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes: A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance, ed. J. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984), 14, 19.
[21] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 50, 66.
[22] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 55.
[23] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 271.
[24] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 278.
[25] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 52.
[26] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 277.
[27] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 277.
[28] Jack P. Lewis, “1991 קָהַל,” ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 789.
[29] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 282.
[30] See footnote. Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes: A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance, ed. J. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984), 13.
[31] Mark F. Rooker, The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2011), pp.540-541.
[32] John E. Hartley, “936 יָתַר,” ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 420.
[33] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 285.
[34] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 285.
[35] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 285.
[36] Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes: A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance, ed. J. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984), 25-26.
[37] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 287.
[38] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 288.
[39] I am indebted to my friend and colleague Chris Hearty for this insight.
[40] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 73.
[41] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 75.
[42] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 289.
[43] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 290.
[44] J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 1155.
[45] Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes: A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance, ed. J. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984), 31.
[46] Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes: A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance, ed. J. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984), 31.
[47] Louis Goldberg, “1493 סָכַל,” ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 624.
[48] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 291.
[49] Krüger notes several possible allusions: “Fruit trees” (Gen. 1:11; 2:9), “water” (Gen. 2:6, 10), and “trees” (Gen. 2:9). See footnote. Thomas Krüger, Qoheleth: A Commentary, ed. Klaus Baltzer, trans. O. C. Dean Jr., Hermeneia—a Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2004), 65.
[50] Joachim Jeremias, “Paradeisos,” ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 766.
[51] R. D. Patterson and Hermann J. Austel, “1, 2 Kings,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1988), 53.
[52] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 80.
[53] Sonja Lyubomirsky, The How of Happiness (New York, Penguin Press, 2007), 48.
[54] Ed Diener, Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2008), 151.
[55] Daniel Gilbert, Stumbling on Happiness (New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2006), p. 143.
[56] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 81.
[57] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 294.
[58] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 83.
[59] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 85.
[60] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 86.
[61] Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes: A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance, ed. J. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984), 36.
[62] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 296.
[63] J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 1160.
[64] Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes: A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance, ed. J. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984), 35.
[65] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 87.
[66] J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 1159.
[67] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 90.
[68] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 91–92.
[69] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 94.
[70] J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 1160.
[71] Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes: A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance, ed. J. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984), 38.
[72] Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes: A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance, ed. J. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984), 38.
[73] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 298.
[74] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 92.
[75] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 92–93.
[76] J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 1161.
[77] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 298.
[78] J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 1161.
[79] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 93.
[80] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 93.
[81] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 298.
[82] J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 1161.
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[85] Paul R. Gilchrist, “890 יָפָה,” ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 391.
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[88] Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes: A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance, ed. J. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984), 39.
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[99] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 107.
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[109] Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes: A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance, ed. J. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984), 53.
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[121] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 120.
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[123] R.D. Laing, The Politics of Experience (New York: Pantheon, 1967), 186.
[124] Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death (New York: Free Press, 1973), p.214.
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[126] Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes: A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance, ed. J. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984), 61.
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[130] Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes: A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance, ed. J. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984), 62.
[131] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 123.
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[134] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 124–125.
[135] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 125.
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[138] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 126.
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Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 344.
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