Ecclesiastes Chapter One, The Preacher Speaks

Ecclesiastes 1:1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

The term Ecclesiastes, a Greek term hailing from the Septuagint, is the equivalent of the Hebrew term, “Preacher.” The Tanakh and Setaugint also associate the term “Qohelet” with, “the assembler.” An assembler is one that gathers an assembly, which is a group of people gathered together for a common purpose. That common purpose, in this instance, is to hear the sermon of the wisest man that ever lived, after a lifetime of achievement and observation. This preacher has a sermon prepared, and it is a poignant, sometimes cutthroat subversion of what some readers might have been expecting from it.

There is some small controversy as to the origin of this book and its authorship. Some scholars place Ecclesiastes in the camp of Post-Exilic writings, generally between 300-200 BC. As this date is about 700 years too late for Solomon to have written it, it is instead said to be a compilation of Hebrew wisdom, mingled with Aramaic language inserts and Greek philosophical influence. The Aramaic terms enjoined to this book seem to be few and far less controversial than stated by some scholars. The appearance of certain Persian words (seven in total) were a strong enough argument apparently for even Martin Luther to cast doubt on the original author’s traditional identity.

Yet the Jewish Talmud cites Solomon as the book’s author. Early Christians and Jews likewise cite David’s son as the writer of the book. Some names include: Josephus (37-100 AD), Melito (100-180 AD), Epiphanius (310-403 AD), and Origen (185-253 AD). Furthermore, Ben Sira, author of the Book of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus (written between 190-180 BC), references Ecclesiastes. Internal evidences strongly indicate Solomonic authorship, since he twice asserts that he was king over not only Jerusalem, but united Israel as well, Ecclesiastes 1:12. Apart from David, only Solomon and his son Rehoboam qualify. Since the writer names himself the son of David, David himself is disqualified. Between Solomon and his successor, Solomon reigned 40 years, while Rehoboam reigned over united Israel only briefly before a schism saw 10 tribes depart under Jeroboam’s leadership, see 1 Kings 12:16-20.

Moreover, Solomon is attributed to having written nearly all of the book of Proverbs, sans the final 2 chapters, compiled by King Hezekiah’s scribes, Proverbs 25:1. He also wrote the Song of Solomon, as well as Psalm 127. In reality Solomon is attributed with writing 3000 proverbs, and 1005 songs apart from (or more likely as well as) the ones recorded in Scripture, 1 Kings 4:32. Proverbs itself contains about 900 of those 3000 aforementioned proverbs. So renowned was he for his God-given wisdom that the queen of distant Sheba heard of him and traveled from afar to ask him many questions, 1 Kings 10:1-3.

There appears to be precious little solid evidence to reject Solomon as the actual author of Ecclesiastes. The book depicts an embittered old man reflecting on life “under the sun,” that is, apart from God’s providential care, and seeing that it comes to naught, whether man is small or great. 1 Kings chapter 11 chronicles the fall of Solomon, and how wisdom possessed was not the same as wisdom practiced. Solomon multiplied wives, worshiped false gods, and due to God’s ire struggled against several adversaries in his old age, including Hadad the Edomite, Rezon the son of Eliadah, and Jeroboam the son of Nebat, 1 Kings 11:14, 23, 40. Ecclesiastes might be construed as an inspired chronicle of straying from God’s purpose for man as an individual, and mankind as a race created in God’s image. The Preacher goes on to boast of his many creature comforts and industrious projects, further aligning with the great heights Solomon brought united Israel to during his forty year reign, Ecclesiastes 2:4-8. Whatever our view of the author’s identity, it is God the Holy Spirit that ultimately wanted this book in the canon of Scripture. That being said, let us go forward, God willing, and learn what the Preacher has learned about “life under the sun.”