W. Sibley Towner wrote the Introduction, Commentary, and Reflections on the Book of Ecclesiastes for The New Interpreter’s Bible. He writes, “Ecclesiastes has always had its fans among the original thinkers of the Jewish and Christian communities… the rest of us know and love some of its individual epigrams and its more lyrical passages. On the whole, however, believers have found it at least baffling and at most wrongheaded… Time and time again one is driven to admit the truth of what Ecclesiastes has to say, even though one might not want to hear it.”

We don’t get the name of the writer of Ecclesiastes, only the title Qohelet which is usually translated into English as “the Preacher” or “the Teacher.” It’s also translated as “leader of the assembly.” When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek Qohelet was translated Ekklesiastes or “one who leads a congregation.” Congregation in Greek is ekklesia. Thus, the name we use for this book is Ecclesiastes.

The language used in Ecclesiastes is majorly influenced by Aramaic. The language used places it “among the later books of the Hebrew canon.” It was probably written in the middle of the third century BCE, perhaps around 250 BCE.

The genre of Ecclesiastes is up for debate and has been debated for centuries. Really, it’s instruction or reflection. It’s part of the Hebrew Bible known as “the Writings”- everything that is not law or prophets – Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles, Psalms, Lamentations, Daniel, Ruth, Esther, and Song of Songs. Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes are Writings, but are also wisdom literature (Psalms 1, 37, 49, 73, 112, and 128 are recognized as wisdom psalms).  Towner writes, “That Ecclesiastes belongs in the company of Job and Proverbs cannot be doubted. The genres of writing, the strongly secular perspective, the sophisticated quarrel with conventional piety and theology—all belong to the effort of wisdom writers to make sense of life based on observation and practical experiences… the focus is on human nature, and the goal is to guide human beings into the path of successful living.”

The plot of Ecclesiastes is mostly nonexistent. There is a title for the book given in chapter 1 verse 1. The rest of the book is presumably Qohelet’s words. There are two units at the end of the book, 12:9-11 and 12:12-14, that are by one or two other authors “who have added some words at the end of the work to integrate it somehow into the stream of canonical literature.”

Towner writes, “Perhaps Ecclesiastes is best viewed as a notebook of ideas by a philosopher/theologian about the downside and upside of life. In this notebook he reports much of his own inner life and then turns to his students or his public instructions that flow from that inner life. All of this reflection and instruction is framed by the famous slogan of the book, ‘Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.’”

The superscription or headline says, “The words of the Teacher (Qohelet), son of David, king in Jerusalem.” This sounds like Solomon, one of David’s sons who succeeded him as king. However, the language used is so late there is no way it could be Solomon or any later royal son of David. This book is written by an unknown author.  Towner writes, “this author created a main character, Qohelet, who impersonates the wise and pleasure-loving king Solomon from 1:1-2:11.”

Verse 2 introduces the major theme of Ecclesiastes while introducing the term hebel translated “meaningless” by the NIV and “vanity” by the NRSV. It is best translated “absurdity”- “a thing that cannot be made intelligible through any of the rubrics that people usually invoke to explain the meaning of their existence.” Towner writes, “That is the conviction with which Qohelet approaches his reflections on meaning in life. Everything is hebel. Nothing can be counted on to work out the way it ought to; nothing makes any ultimate sense… The traditional system by which life could be understood does not work, and randomness, pain, loss, failure, and death may break out unexpectedly and inexplicably… One of the salient themes of this book is that God wills that we enjoy our lives, and in that teaching lies at least an existential, if only temporary, respite from absurdity.”

Here in chapter 1 we see challenges to the traditional system. Qohelet claims there is folly in work ethic. This directly contradicts Proverbs 14:23- “In all toil there is profit.” Qoheleth claims there is nothing new under the sun.  We know that things change.  Yes, the sun goes up and comes down in a cycle along with the other cycles of nature, but our own experience shows us that things change and progress. Do you think life goes in cycles or spirals, going around but also going up?

Verse 15 is a proverb that Qohelet quotes. “Chasing after wind” appears nine times in Ecclesiastes. It “conveys a sense of extreme intellectual futility and frustration.”

What is the unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with?
This is the first time Qohelet mentions God so far in Ecclesiastes. Towner writes, “Qohelet discovers that God has ‘laid upon’ human beings an ‘unhappy business’ (NRSV) or a ‘heavy burden’ (NIV). What are we to make of this judgment?  In one sense, the proverb of v. 15 helps to answer this question. We live in a world in which providence reigns supreme. The rules by which existence is structured are firm and reliable; however, they also dictate that some of the things against which we rail and struggle, such as crookedness and deficiency, remain.”

Our hearts ask “why?” about so many things.  Wrestling with ‘why’ questions is not usually a happy experience, as Qohelet points out.  Does everything worthwhile lead to happiness?  Why or why not?

The first eleven verses of chapter two could be entitled “Pleasure Is an Absurdity.” In chapter 1 Qohelet reasons that acquiring wisdom does not bring happiness. So now he performs an experiment. First, he tells us the results of the experiment and then describes it. Towner writes that from the experiment Qohelet concludes that “pleasure is vanity and of no use. The reward of uninhibited hedonism is unbounded disillusionment; it is all absurd and futile.” Qohelet lists all the things he did to bring himself pleasure. What would this list look like today?

Verses 12-23 could be entitled “Wisdom Is an Absurdity.” What use is wisdom when “what happens to the fool will happen to me also?” Qohelet considers the very real issue of working all your life on something only to leave it to others who may or may not continue how you would like them to.

In verse 19 Qohelet asks the rhetorical question, “Who knows?”  This is used ten times in all of scripture and 4 of those times are found in Ecclesiastes.

Towner writes, “Literally translated, the Hebrew of v. 23 reads, ‘Even at night his heart will not lie down.’ Because the biblical writers have no interest in the brain and make no reference to it, the seat of all the emotions is always the heart. Such a heart is the mind of a person, and, as we all know, the mind can be restless and worried. Like the proverbial rich person who tosses and turns at night in anxiety over all there is to lose, Qohelet makes sleeplessness the rule for anyone contemplating the disposition of a life’s accumulation.”

Chapter two ends with the introduction of a common theme in Ecclesiastes – the approval of eating, drinking, and pleasure in life.  We’ll see this again in chapters 3, 5, 8, and 9.

Of verse 26 Towner writes, “the Hebrew word translated ‘sinner’ hote can also mean ‘fool,’ ‘bungler’—i.e. someone antithetical to wisdom. It might even mean simply an ‘unlucky’ person. A fool misses the mark by denying God’s will that human beings should enjoy life. An unlucky person discovers that in God’s utter freedom, the fruits of that person’s toil just may end up in the hands of a ‘lucky’ person. For Qohelet, one’s moral purity never guarantees that one gets the goods… In the end all roads lead to the grave. However, in this passage we encounter the counterpoint to Qohelet’s great theme of absurdity. There is a small space in life that, though not large enough to accommodate an abiding monument of any kind, is nevertheless tolerable. One can enjoy simple things such as food, drink, and life itself. If, in fact, these pleasures are ‘from the hand of God’ and cannot be enjoyed apart from God, then surely it is the duty of human beings to receive them gratefully and to enjoy them.”
 

Chapter three opens with a song by The Byrds. Or rather, in 1959 Pete Seeger was inspired by this section of scripture to write the song, “Turn! Turn! Turn!”

Wisdom literature often talks about time, and seasons, and how God appoints them.  Not here though. Towner writes, “Qohelet does not say why things occur at their appropriate times. They just do.” This is how we experience life.  We do not know why many things happen; we just know that they do.

This section of scripture reminds me of the Wesleyan Covenant prayer. How is this prayer and this part of scripture similar/dissimilar?

“I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.”

In chapter 1 we learn about the unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with. But in verse 10 that shifts. “Qohelet supplies an important context for human striving: it all takes place within ‘suitable’ time. God ‘has made everything suitable for its time’ and has given human beings a sense of having a place in the stately unrolling of the universal providential plan of God. The good news is that the (presumably) good God has provided direction, even finality, to the course of history. The bad news is that people ‘cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.’” This points to another theme in Ecclesiastes—the impossibility of knowing the whole of what is going on in the world.

In verse 16 we shift again to an exploration of the final outcome for all—humans and animals—death.  As well as an exploration of justice versus wickedness. God desires justice, but the everyday norm is wickedness.

Towner compares the person Qohelet describes in chapter 4 verse 7-8 to Ebenezer Scrooge. He writes, “to put everything off to some future time while spending the present enslaved to moneymaking is foolish. Just say no to that! On the other hand, it is also true that we want to feel that our lives contribute to a larger good. Perhaps within the Teacher’s doctrine of times and seasons there is a place for this truth, too, especially if moral choice survives within his scheme: There is a time to seek [one’s self-interest] and a time to lose [one’s life in the vigorous pursuit of a cause].”

We round out chapter 4 with aphorisms on competition, cooperation, and vows.  This continues through chapter 6.

In 4:4 we see envy driven rivalry.  That is contrasted at the end of chapter 4 with the two who work together.

Do you know a poor but wise youth? Do you know an old but foolish king who will no longer take advice?

Verses 1-7 are all aphorisms that have to do with the vanity of speech. Verse 1 refers to going to the Temple and says, “to draw near to listen is better than the sacrifice offered by fools.” How does that translate to today? Sacrifice was one way the Israelites worshipped God.  Perhaps at this time there was teaching or sermons at the temple, or the reading of scripture or the recitation of psalms.


Which of these aphorisms is your favorite? Why?
Verses 8-20 explore the love of money. What do you make of verse 10, “The lover of money will not be satisfied with money, nor the lover of wealth with gain”?

Chapter 5 ends with a reference back to chapter 2, the only positive theme in the book- “that the proper goal of all human endeavor is joy.” Towner writes, “A good life of enjoyment of the fruits of human labor is possible if people will simply look on food, drink, and money as gifts from God and accept their ‘lot’ heleq. This term, not to be equated with ‘fate’ miqreh refers to the individual’s share of personal history and of earthly goods. God ‘enables’ some to enjoy these gifts even though the gifts are limited both in quality and in duration. Because God makes this available, acceptance of one’s lot as a gift of God to be enjoyed becomes a moral responsibility.”

Chapter 5 talked about the gift of God which is for people to experience enjoyment in life.  Chapter 6 describes various people who are not able to enjoy their life for various reasons. Many of them have what we’d say were ‘blessings’ but they are unable to enjoy them.

Chapter 6 ends by picking up that idea that humans will never know what is truly going on in the world which we saw earlier in chapter 3.

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