Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 160:639 (Jul 2003)
Article: Guidelines for Understanding and Proclaiming the Book of Ecclesiastes, Part 2
Author: Gregory W. Parsons

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Guidelines for Understanding and Proclaiming the Book of Ecclesiastes, Part 2

Greg W. Parsonsa

the first article in this two-part series presented the first of three hermeneutical guidelines to follow in interpreting the Book of Ecclesiastes.1 That guideline was to interpret all verses in Ecclesiastes in light of the overall context of the book—its structure, purpose, and message. The current article presents two additional interpretive guidelines and four homiletical guidelines.

Guidelines for Interpreting Ecclesiastes

Guideline Two: Interpret Ecclesiastes In Light Of The Broader Context Of Biblical And Extrabiblical Wisdom Literature

Scholars have debated whether Ecclesiastes is primarily poetry or prose.2 For example the New International Version displays the text as about 60 percent poetry, whereas the New Revised Standard Version shows it as about 25 percent poetry.3 Although the consensus is that Ecclesiastes is wisdom literature, with a mixture of prose and poetry,4 no agreement exists concerning the overall

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subgenre. The role of the biblical context for understanding Ecclesiastes is slightly diminished by this lack of agreement over its genre.

Cultural parallels to or influence from Greek, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian milieus have been alleged by various commentators.5 The book sometimes reflects a concept found in other ancient wisdom sources (e.g., 7:16–186 and 11:17 ). The wording, however, differs significantly, and no direct connection or borrowing can be verified. Murphy rightly urges caution about possible literary or cultural dependence because of two factors: the ambivalent nature of arguments utilized to support such dependence, and the “mutually contradictory claims for dependence” in the past.8 Also the philosophical and political observations by Qoheleth are universal rather than being unique to any particular age or culture. Therefore the issue of possible cultural dependence is not a significant factor for dating the book.9

Three s...