Ecclesiastes
Old Testament · translated from the Hebrew
A wise man looks for the meaning of life in knowledge, pleasure, work and wealth, and repeats that everything is vapor “under the sun.” What remains: enjoy what God gives, and fear him.
How it is laid out
Key verses
- Ecclesiastes 12:13 — Fear Elohim and keep his commandments
- Ecclesiastes 3:1 — A time for every matter under the heavens
- Ecclesiastes 12:1 — Remember your Creator in the days of your young manhood
- Ecclesiastes 4:12 — The threefold cord is not quickly broken
Who wrote it
The author presents himself as Qohelet, son of David, king in Jerusalem (1:1, 12). Jewish and Christian tradition identifies him with Solomon; the book does not give that name. The authorship is debated.
When it was written
Debated: around 950 BC if it is Solomon’s, or several centuries later.
For whom, and in what situation
It names no audience. It speaks to anyone who asks what profit a human being has from all his toil under the sun (1:3), and especially to the young (11:9; 12:1).
All the books
GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation