Ecclesiates

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However, there are a number of clues in the book (and in others) that give us a pretty strong probability that the author was indeed King Solomon. First, the title “Son of David” (1:1) leads us to believe that Solomon could in fact be the author. Reading further in the same chapter, we find the quote “King of Jerusalem”. Solomon was king of Jerusalem at the time Ecclesiastes was written (971-931 BC). Earlier in the Bible, in 1Kings 3:12, we see that Solomon has bestowed upon him “a wise and understanding heart”. Obviously Qoheleth shares this trait with Solomon. Solomon is further shown to have great wisdom in 1Kings 4:29-34 and 10:23. Also, in 1Kings we find Solomon as an undertaker of great building projects. In Ecclesiastes 2:4-10, Qoheleth is said to have “inaugurated a great public works program”. Both Qoheleth of Ecclesiastes and Solomon of 1Kings are described as having great wealth. Clearly these common threads are ...

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of Pleasure-Seeking” explains that no matter how much one amasses in his or her life, in the end, none of it matters. Qoheleth explains that he has built numerous houses, vineyards, gardens and parks. He has slaves, cattle, sheep, gold, and silver in amounts that makes everyone in Jerusalem envious of him. However, he concludes the section by saying “All is vanity and a chase after the wind”, which is his “anthem” throughout the book: everything is vanity.
Upon initial study, you immediately see some similarities between Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. Because they are too numerous to list completely, these are but a few examples. When you dissect ...

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