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Old Testament Book Commentaries: Ecclesiastes
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Ecclesiastes (The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries) |
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Title: Ecclesiastes (The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries)
Author: Choon-Leong Seow |
Good advice that stands the test of time - those things we all know are true, tips that help us live the good life - we call wisdom. But, one life time is not enough to master the fine art of living. Distilled over centuries, the biblical book of "Ecclesiastes" offers us the time-tested advice of Israel's sages. This is the best of wisdom, with echoes of East and West - from Zen and Tao to Merton and Moore - all rolled into one. In "Ecclesiastes", Bible scholar Choon-Leong Seow creatively translates and carefully interprets one of the world's most profound, most enduring collections of ancient wisdom. Sometimes joyful and exultant, other times cynical and fatalistic, the ancient author Qohelet ("Teacher") wrestles with the ups and downs of real life. Even today, we recognize and repeat the sayings of this treasure-trove of apt advice. The book begins and ends with the infamous claim, "Vanity of vanities, says Qohelet, vanity of vanities! All is vanity!" In between, the sage leaves no stone unturned in the search for meaning. As the wisdom of biblical "Ecclesiastes" has stood the test of time, so shall Dr. Seow's "Ecclesiastes" become a classic in the venerated tradition of the "Anchor Bible" series. |
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Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, NIVAC |
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Title: Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (The NIV Application Commentary)
Author: Iain Provan |
The Books of Ecclesiastes/Song of Songs present unique difficulties to readers - the challenge of reading the texts in themselves and seeing them as intrinsic parts of Scripture. In this newest volume in The NIV Application Commentary, Iain Provan wrestles honestly with the grammar and syntax issues of Ecclesiastes and the interpretation options of the Song of Songs, portraying both books as deeply relevant to the contemporary church and culture. |
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The Book of Ecclesiastes, NICOT |
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Title: The Book of Ecclesiastes (New International Commentary on the Old Testament)
Author: Tremper Longman III |
How does this pessimistic perspective fit into the rest of biblical revelation? In this commentary Tremper Longman III addresses this question by taking a canonical-Christocentric approach to the meaning of Ecclesiastes. Longman first provides an extensive introduction to Ecclesiastes, exploring such background matters as authorship, language, genre, structure, literary style, and the book's theological message. He argues that the author of Ecclesiastes is not Solomon, as has been traditionally thought, but a writer who adopts a Solomonic persona. In the verse-by-verse commentary that follows, Longman helps clarify the confusing, sometimes contradictory message of Ecclesiastes by showing that the book should be divided into three sections: a prologue (1:1-11), Qohelet's autobiographical speech (1:1212:7), and an epilogue (12:8-14) and that the frame narrative provided by prologue and epilogue is the key to understanding the message of the book as a whole. |
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Ecclesiastes: The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation |
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Title: Ecclesiastes: The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation (The Jps Bible Commentary)
Author: Michael V. Fox |
JPS Bible Commentary Series; The Book of Ecclesiastes is part of the "wisdom literature" of the Bible. It concerns itself with universal philosophical questions, rather than events in the history of Israel and in the Hebrews' covenant with God. Koheleth, the speaker in this book, ruminates on what -- if anything -- has lasting value, and how -- if at all -- God interacts with humankind. Koheleth expresses bewilderment and frustration at life's absurdities and injustices. He grapples with the inequities that pervade the world and the frailty and limitations of human wisdom and righteousness. His awareness of these discomfiting facts coexists with a firm believe in God's rule and God's fundamental justice, and he looks for ways to define a meaningful life in a world where so much is senseless. Ecclesiastes is traditionally read on the Jewish holiday Sukkot, the harvest festival. |
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Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, NAC |
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Title: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (New American Commentary)
Author: Duane A. Garrett |
In this volume, Dale Garrett turns his keen exegetical skills to the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. Although modern scholarship (including some evangelical scholarship) has all but dismissed any Solomonic connection to Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs, Garrett affirms the Solomonic connection inherent in all three. He also takes a fresh look at the wisdom literature in view of new studies on the historical development of biblical Hebrew and, more importantly, in view of his own evaluations of parallels with Ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature, particularly from Egypt and Mesopotamia. He presents stimulating arguments for Solomonic authorship of Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs, as well as for Solomonic background to those portions of Proverbs ascribed to him. A discussion of the nature and development of Israelite wisdom puts his work into context. Particularly helpful is Garrett's discussion of forms and rhetorical strategies in the wisdom literature. |
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Book Commentaries 
