Ecclesiastes

An Introduction and Commentary

Knut Martin Heim, David G. Firth

• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9780830842650
• eBook ISBN: 9780830850761
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

The book of Ecclesiastes is probably best known for its repeated refrain that "everything is meaningless," or "vanity." However, a thorough reading demonstrates that this is not its final conclusion.

Knut Heim's Tyndale commentary shows that the book is intellectually sophisticated, theologically rich, emotionally deep—and full of humor. While it is realistic about life, it is life-affirming and immensely practical. It is also politically engaged, presenting its critique of a repressive foreign regime in an entertaining and thought-provoking way.

The Tyndale Commentaries are designed to help the reader of the Bible understand what the text says and what it means. The Introduction to each book gives a concise but thorough treatment of its authorship, date, original setting, and purpose. Following a structural Analysis, the Commentary takes the book section by section, drawing out its main themes, and also comments on individual verses and problems of interpretation. Additional Notes provide fuller discussion of particular difficulties.

In the new Old Testament volumes, the commentary on each section of the text is structured under three headings: Context, Comment, and Meaning. The goal is to explain the true meaning of the Bible and make its message plain.

Table of contents

• COVER
• DEDICATION
• TITLE PAGE
• CONTENTS
• GENERAL PREFACE
• AUTHOR’S PREFACE
• ABBREVIATIONS
• SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
• INTRODUCTION
• ANALYSIS
• TRANSLATION
• COMMENTARY
• 1. INTRODUCTION TO A PHILOSOPHICAL TREATISE ON HUMAN LIMITATIONS AND HAPPINESS (1:1–3)
• 2. COMPLEXITY OF THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS DEMONSTRATED THROUGH POETIC MEDITATIONS ON THE CYCLICAL NATURE OF NATURAL PHENOMENA AND THE LIMITS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE (1:4–11)
• 3. CASE STUDY 1: A THOUGHT EXPERIMENT: QOHELETH’S ADOPTION OF THE IDENTITY OF A SOLOMONIC CARICATURE TO EXPLORE HUMAN SUCCESS THROUGH THE UNLIMITED SATISFACTION OF HUMAN DESIRES (1:12 – 2:26)
• 4. CASE STUDY 2: THE SEQUENCE AND DURATION OF DESIRABLE AND UNDESIRABLE TIME PERIODS BEYOND HUMAN CONTROL (3:1–15)
• 5. CASE STUDY 3: THE PUBLIC PERVERSION OF JUSTICE (3:16–22)
• 6. CASE STUDY 4: AN INQUIRY INTO PERVASIVE EXPLOITATION AND SOCIAL INJUSTICE (4:1–6)
• 7. CASE STUDY 5: ON LONELINESS DESPITE ‘SUCCESS’ (4:7–12)
• 8. FIRST PRACTICAL INTERLUDE: REFLECTIONS ON THE ILLUSORY NATURE OF YOUTHFUL WISDOM (4:13–16)
• 9. SECOND PRACTICAL INTERLUDE: INSTRUCTION ON THE PROPER CONDUCT IN WORSHIP AND THE KEEPING OF VOWS (5:1–7)
• 10. THIRD PRACTICAL INTERLUDE: INSTRUCTION ON THE PROPER RESPONSE TO SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND LEGAL INJUSTICE (5:8–12)
• 11. CASE STUDY 6: ON SELF-INDUCED MISERY THROUGH THE HOARDING OF WEALTH (5:13–15)
• 12. CASE STUDY 7: ON SELF-INDUCED MISERY VIA THE PURSUIT OF SUCCESS THROUGH HARD WORK (5:16–17)
• 13. CONCLUSIONS FROM CASE STUDIES 6 AND 7 (5:18–20)
• 14. CASE STUDY 8: ON A COMMON CAUSE OF MISERY DESPITE ABUNDANT WEALTH (6:1–2)
• 15. CASE STUDY 9: A SPECIFIC CAUSE OF MISERY DESPITE ABUNDANT WEALTH (6:3–9)
• 16. A REFLECTION ON THE HUMAN CONDITION IN THE LIGHT OF CASE STUDIES 6-9 (6:10–12)
• 17. FOURTH PRACTICAL INTERLUDE: INSTRUCTION ON COPING WITH BEREAVEMENT (7:1–14)
• 18. FIFTH PRACTICAL INTERLUDE: INSTRUCTION ON COPING WITH THE LACK OF A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN ACTS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES (7:15–22)
• 19. REFLECTIONS ON THE RESEARCH IMPACT OF THE PRECEDING CASE STUDIES (7:23–8:1)
• 20. FURTHER REFLECTIONS ON THE RESEARCH IMPACT OF THE PRECEDING CASE STUDIES (8:2–9)
• 21. FURTHER REFLECTIONS ON THE ABUSE OF POWER (8:10–14)
• 22. CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS ON THE ABUSE OF POWER AND THE APPARENT INCONGRUITY BETWEEN DEEDS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES (8:15–9:1)
• 23. REFLECTION ON THE UNIVERSALITY OF DEATH, IRRESPECTIVE OF MORAL OR RELIGIOUS QUALITIES (9:2–10)
• 24. REFLECTION ON THE PRECARIOUS UNPREDICTABILITY OF HUMAN LIFE (9:11–12)
• 25. CASE STUDY 10: WISDOM WITHOUT WEALTH IGNORED (9:13–10:4)
• 26. CASE STUDY 11: ERRORS AND RISKS IN DAILY LABOUR (10:5–15)
• 27. HUMOROUS REFLECTION ON BAD GOVERNANCE (10:16–20)
• 28. INSTRUCTIONS ON RISK-TAKING (11:1–6)
• 29. INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO ENJOY LIFE FROM BEGINNING TO END (11:7–12:7)
• 30. CONFIRMATION OF THE ORIGINAL HYPOTHESIS (12:8)
• 31. EPILOGUE (12:9–14)
• NOTES
• PRAISE FOR THE TYNDALE COMMENTARIES
• ABOUT THE AUTHOR
• TYNDALE COMMENTARIES FROM INTERVARSITY PRESS
• COPYRIGHT