Ecclesiates


Authorship: Probably Solomon for the following reasons:
  1. The indirect claim of the book. 1:1,12
  2. The general opinion of Jews and Christians from the earliest time.
  3. The qualification of Solomon to write it.
  4. The lack of agreement among critics as to any other author or period.


Plan or theory of the book: It is a biography of Solomon's life in which he not only records but re-acts the scenes of his search for happiness. This search is "under the sun"; that is, in the things of nature without God. The word "wisdom" in Ecclesiates means science as distinguished from piety which is the meaning in Proverbs. The word "vanity" means not merely foolish pride, but the emptiness of the the final result of life apart from God. Compare Rom. 8:20-22. Scofield Reference Bible.

The nature of the book: Dr. Erdman calls it the book of the natural man for the following reasons:

  1. The only divine name it contains is the natural name "God". (in Hebrew, Elohim)
  2. The frequent use of the phrase "under the sun", as if man was looking up, but knowing nothing beyond the sun except judgment.
  3. All experience and observations of the book are bound together by the question, "What is the chief good?" or "Is life worth living?" but the answer is sought amid general failure, contradiction, and half truth because the seeker is away from God and yet face to face with the mysteries of God in nature.
  4. A further reason rests on what the book calls "The conclusion of the whole matter" 12:13,14. This conclusion is "to fear God and keep his commandments." While this is right yet the author of the book confesses that he has not done this, while at the same time he sees judgment ahead with no preparation. Therefore, the book concludes where the life of the spiritual man begins. In othe words, the "all" of the man "under the sun" convicts him of failure and guilt aand ought to lead him to the "all" of the man above the sun who is the second Adam who bore his guilt in his stead.


Explanation of the book: As some of its conclusions are only partially true and others altogether false, how can it be inspired? The answer is that inspiration terminates not on the writers of the Bible but on their writings. In other words, Solomon was not inspired in what he thought and said and did in his search for happiness "under the sun" but the record of what he thus thought and said and did is an inspired record.

Brief analysis and outline:
The Scofield Bible divides the book into the following parts:
  1. Theme 1:1-3
  2. Theme proved 1:4-3:22
  3. Theme developed 4:1-10:20
  4. The best thing possible to man apart from God. 11:1-12:12
  5. The best thing possible to man under the law. 12:13,14.


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