Portrait of King Solomon in His LibraryBible World
1:1Ecclesiastes 1:1
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
The verse identifies the speaker as the Preacher, the son of David and king in Jerusalem, who is Solomon himself. The title of the book means Preacher, with the word Preacher itself meaning the preacher. The Hebrew Koheleth and the Greek Ecclesiastes describe one who speaks in a public assembly. The identification of the speaker as David's son supports the conclusion that Solomon wrote the book.
The book was written about the year 977, in Solomon's last days. It belongs to an earlier period and not to the second century B.C. The unanimous learned verdict for a second-century date was mistaken and has been set aside, showing the method used to fix its late date cannot be trusted.
The verse opens Solomon's record learned by actual experience after tasting all the pleasures this world could give and yielding to all the desires of the heart and flesh. In his wisdom he sought pleasure in luxury and power and wealth and glory and popularity and feasting and wine and women and idolatry. His heart was turned away and led into idolatry by his many wives.
The verse introduces his testimony that he sought pleasure but found it not. All his wisdom and all his glory and wealth and popularity could not bring rest of soul. Following all the luxuries the human mind can invent produces nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit. This shows the folly of earthly pursuits without hope in God, the nothingness of humanity without God, and the utter uselessness of all human pursuits apart from God.
The verse introduces his hearty repentance and return to God. Excellent practical instruction is interwoven in the sermon. It ends with the only wise and blessed conclusion that man's whole duty is to fear God and keep His commandments and trust Him.
Ecclesiastes 1 begins the first eight chapters of Ecclesiastes that belong with the last fifteen chapters of Proverbs as Solomon's writings. Ecclesiastes 1-4 is set for reading on Friday, May 27.
The verse identifies the speaker as the Preacher, the son of David and king in Jerusalem, who is Solomon himself. The title of the book means Preacher, with the word Preacher itself meaning the preacher. The Hebrew Koheleth and the Greek Ecclesiastes describe one who speaks in a public assembly. The identification of the speaker as David's son supports the conclusion that Solomon wrote the book.
The book was written about the year 977, in Solomon's last days. It belongs to an earlier period and not to the second century B.C. The unanimous learned verdict for a second-century date was mistaken and has been set aside, showing the method used to fix its late date cannot be trusted.
The verse opens Solomon's record learned by actual experience after tasting all the pleasures this world could give and yielding to all the desires of the heart and flesh. In his wisdom he sought pleasure in luxury and power and wealth and glory and popularity and feasting and wine and women and idolatry. His heart was turned away and led into idolatry by his many wives.
The verse introduces his testimony that he sought pleasure but found it not. All his wisdom and all his glory and wealth and popularity could not bring rest of soul. Following all the luxuries the human mind can invent produces nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit. This shows the folly of earthly pursuits without hope in God, the nothingness of humanity without God, and the utter uselessness of all human pursuits apart from God.
The verse introduces his hearty repentance and return to God. Excellent practical instruction is interwoven in the sermon. It ends with the only wise and blessed conclusion that man's whole duty is to fear God and keep His commandments and trust Him.
Ecclesiastes 1 begins the first eight chapters of Ecclesiastes that belong with the last fifteen chapters of Proverbs as Solomon's writings. Ecclesiastes 1-4 is set for reading on Friday, May 27.