Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes or Hebrew: קֹהֶלֶת, qōheleṯ, KufHeyLamedTav) is one of 24 books of the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible. It is among the canonical Wisdom Books in the Old Testament.
“The Words of Qoheleth, the Son of David, King in Jerusalem,” suggest that the author is identified as Solomon. The title Ecclesiastes is a Latin transliteration of the Greek translation of the Hebrew Kohelet which means "Gatherer", but traditionally translated as "Teacher" or "Preacher"), the pseudonym used by the author of the book.
Gather in faith
Understanding the letters in Hebrew tells us the word suggests that we are to gather in faith.
The book dates from c.450–180 BC and is from the Middle Eastern tradition of the mythical autobiography, in which a character, describing himself as a king, relates his experiences and draws lessons from them, often self-critical. The author, introducing himself as "son of David, king in Jerusalem" (i.e., Solomon) discusses the meaning of life and the best way to live. He proclaims all the actions of man to be inherently evel, meaning "vain" or "futile".
Meaning
Ecclesiastes teaches that life is uncontrollable where good hard things happen to the good and the bad, to the wise and the foolish.
How do we live well under these circumstances?
Any attempt to try and control our lives with our own wisdom is pointless. But life itself is not.
Ecclesiastes provides instruction on how to live meaningfully, purposefully and joyfully within the theocratic design of creation.
It is not our wisdom or desire but that of God's will at the center of our life, work and endeavor, by patiently accepting one's divinely appointed lot in life, and by reverently trusting in and obeying the Creator.
Outline
Chapter 1: Vanity is empty and all things that are empty remain empty.
- The Gatherer (1:1)
- All vanity is vanity
- The Vanity of Wisdom (1:12-6:12)
Chapter 2: The "fool walketh in darkness" which leads to a "vexation of spirit" and asks shall we be "a wise man or a fool?" While just laboring for self is foolish and vain... Shall a "soul enjoy good in his labour" or another "man that hath not laboured therein"? For what and whom do you labor?
- The Futility of Pleasure (2:1-11)
- The Vanity of Self-Indulgence
- The Vanity of Living by my wisdom
- The Wise and the Foolish (2:12-17)
- Vexation of fools
- The Futility of Labor and Reward (2:18-6:12)
- The Vanity of Toil (2:18-26)
- Your labor by the hand of God
Chapter 3: Addressing "wickedness was there; and ... iniquity" we see it repeated that everyman's labor belongs to himself by the endowment of God. The question is asked what is the spirit that leads a man upward, and the spirit that goeth downwardwhich brings man down to dust.
- Seasons and times(3:1-8)
- God’s Works Remain Forever (3:9-15)
- Exercised
- A capitalist God
- From Dust to Dust (3:16-22)
- Two Spirits, even three
- To Everything There Is a Season
Chapter 4: There is a warning in that if a man cares only for himself or chooses to oppress others" he may become a "fool who foldeth his hands together, and ends up where he eateth his own flesh.
- The Evil of Oppression Evil Under the Sun (4:1-12)
- Eat you own flesh
- One alone vs Two together
- The Futility of Power (4:13-16)
- The poor and the foolish
Chapter 5: Beginning with the sacrifice of fools, careful with your foot and the "rash... mouth"[1] and you should "not vow"[1] so that you can enjoy your labour as God intended.
- Approaching God with Awe
- Sacrifice of fools
- Vowest a vow
- The Vanity of Wealth and Honor(5:8-20)
- Riches kept
- Enjoy all his labor
Chapter 6: But a man can covet his riches kept as the owners thereof to their hurt which is an evil[2] common among men and an evil disease.
- Common evil disease
- Not full filled
- The Futility of Life (6:1-12)
- Increase vanity (6:11)
Chapter 7: The song of fools who make the sacrifice of fools verses the Song of the Lamb and the Corban of Christ. The gifts that destroy and keeps wisdom far off as there is a woman whose heart is a snare and a net. We need to know ourself which results from the wisdom of God which comes if we please God.
- The Teacher’s Conclusions and The Value of Wisdom
- Precious ointment comes to the solemn heart
- Heart of the wise and the fool
- Song of fools
- The gift that destroys
- The bosom of fools
- True wisdom gives life
- Just men give their life
- Ten men
- Know thyself
- Wisdom far off
- The woman whose heart is a snare
- The Limits of Human Wisdom (7:15-29)
- The Wise Man Keeps the King's Command (8:1-17)
- Those Who Fear God Will Do Well (8:10-13)
- Ways of God Are Mysterious (8:14-17)
- Eat, drink, and be merry
- Sleep with your eyes
- Not in the tree of knowledge
- Death Comes to All, Life Is Fleeting (9:1-11:10)
- The heart of man is evil and madness
- Enjoy Life with the One You Love (9:7-12)
- Wisdom Better than Folly (9:13-18)
- An evil net that snares man
- Besieged by a ruler
- Wisdom of the poor man is despised
- A wise man hears in quiet
- A little Foly makes wisdom stink(10:1-20)
- The fool's wisdom fails
- The evil error of rulers
- Dig a pit for your trap
- The effect of a fool is mischief
- A fool cannot be told
- When the kings son is noble
- For sloth and idleness
- Curse not the king
- Cast Your Bread upon the Waters (11:1-6)
- Give a portion to seven
- Thou knowest not what
- Remember the darkness
Chapter 12 Final Conclusions :
- Remember Your Creator in Your Youth(12:1-14)
- Return to bondage
- Despise not the truth
- Silver cord
- Spirit returns
- Preacher seeks his duty(12:9-14)
- The Goad
- The conclusion and call of duty(12:1-14)
- Fear God and Keep His Commandments
- Every work jugged
Influence in culture
Ecclesiastes has had a deep influence on Western literature. It contains several phrases that have resonated in British and American culture, and was quoted by Abraham Lincoln addressing Congress in 1862. American novelist Thomas Wolfe wrote: "[O]f all I have ever seen or learned, that book seems to me the noblest, the wisest, and the most powerful expression of man's life upon this earth—and also the highest flower of poetry, eloquence, and truth. I am not given to dogmatic judgments in the matter of literary creation, but if I had to make one I could say that Ecclesiastes is the greatest single piece of writing I have ever known, and the wisdom expressed in it the most lasting and profound."
All is vanity if we are those who vow to make the sacrifice of fools.
In our study on Exodus we show that the “actual” corvée system under Solomon was a return to the bondage of Egypt. This again is why Christ condemned the Pharisees because their Corban, meaning sacrifice made the word of God to none effect because it was the sacrifice of fools.
Audio Files
Chapter 2: The "fool walketh in darkness"?
Chapter 3: "Wickedness was there; and ... iniquity"
Chapter 4: If a man cares only for himself?
Chapter 5: The sacrifice of fools?
Chapter 6: Can a man covet his riches?
Download Recording Chapter 6 which includes Ecclesiastes 6 and Why a Network?
Chapter 7 The song of fools
Download Recording Chapter 7 The song of fools
Download Recording Part 7 second show
Chapter 8: The Wise Man Keeps the King's Command
Download Recording Part 8 show
Chapter 9: Wisdom of the poor man is despised
Download Recording Part 9 show
Chapter 10: A little Folly makes wisdom stink
Download Recording Part 10 first show
Download Recording Part 10 second show
Chapter 11: Cast Your Bread upon the Waters
Chapter 12: The conclusion and call of duty
Ecclesiastes | Ecclesiastes 1 | Ecclesiastes 2 | Ecclesiastes 3 | Ecclesiastes 4 | Ecclesiastes 5 | Ecclesiastes 6 | Ecclesiastes 7 | Ecclesiastes 8 | Ecclesiastes 9 | Ecclesiastes 10 | Ecclesiastes 11 | Ecclesiastes 12
Preceded by: Proverbs - Followed by: Song of Songs
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Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Swear not
- Numbers 30:2 “If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.”
- Proverbs 1:10 "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."
- Proverbs 6:2 “Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.”
- Ecclesiastes 5:5 "Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay."
- Matthew 5:33-37 “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”
- Matthew 15:18 “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.”
- 1 Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”
- James 5:12 “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.”
- ↑ 07451 ^ער^ ra‘ ReishAyin \@rah\@ or fem. ^הער^ ra‘ah from 07489 the verb 07490 (Aramic)ReishAyinAyin evil (to crush); AV-evil 442, wickedness 59, wicked 25, mischief 21, hurt 20, bad 13, trouble 10, sore 9, affliction 6, ill 5, adversity 4, favoured 3, harm 3, naught 3, noisome 2, grievous 2, sad 2, misc 34; 663
- adj
- 1) bad, evil
- 1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant
- 1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)
- 1c) evil, displeasing
- 1d) bad (of its kind-land, water, etc)
- 1e) bad (of value)
- 1f) worse than, worst (comparison)
- 1g) sad, unhappy
- 1h) evil (hurtful)
- 1i) bad, unkind (vicious in disposition)
- 1j) bad, evil, wicked (ethically)
- 1j1) in general, of persons, of thoughts
- 1j2) deeds, actions
- n m
- 2) evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
- 2a) evil, distress, adversity
- 2b) evil, injury, wrong
- 2c) evil (ethical)
- n f
- 3) evil, misery, distress, injury
- 3a) evil, misery, distress
- 3b) evil, injury, wrong
- 3c) evil (ethical)
- ר Reish Process of Clarification The "head" or "beginning". Life's revelation. [Head... Person head highest] (Numeric value: 200)
- ע Ayin also U. Divine Providence "eye" or "fountain" of five states of kindness or severity. AlefYodNun or nothingness as opposed to AlefShin something [eye, watch] (Numeric value: 70)