AN INTRODUCTION TO THE POETRY AND PROVERBS OF AN OLD TESTAMENTBOOK OF ECCLESIASTES
By
Tesfaye Wegari Guta
0053319-MEA
East Africa Graduate Studies Centre
Final Assignment
Submitted to Dr. Carl Gibbs
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
BOT5173
Poetry and Proverb: The Psalms and Wisdom Literature
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTON
--------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------1
THE POETIC
IDIOM---------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------1
Parallelism---------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------2
Figures of
Speech--------------------------------------------------------
----------------------2
UNITY AND STRUCTURE IN INDIVIDUAL POEMS AND PROVERB CLUSTERS--
3
THE PROVERB AS A LITRARY
FORM----------------------------------------------------------
3
THE SENSE OF LIFE THAT IS EMBODIED IN, AND ELICITED BY, POEMS AND WISDOM LITERATURE-----------------------------------------------------------------------------3
ii
CONCLUSION----------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------6
REFERENCE LIST
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
Introduction
According to 1:1, the book of Ecclesiastes is written by
the son of David, king in Jerusalem, from this statement it is
believed that Solomon the son of David wrote the book. The
writer is called “qoheleth” the Hebrew for the preacher,
meaning the one who calls the assembly. “When the Hebrew
Scriptures were translated into Greek in the pre-Christian
era, the word qohelet was translated into the Greek word
ekklesiastes. In common usage ekklesia meant simply an assembly of
people,and ekklesiastes referred to someone who called an assembly
together” (Farmer 1991, 140).
The book deals with the meaning of life, life lived
without life is meaningless. Whatever the endeavor of people
to get success is unless priority is given to God life is
meaningless and man could not find fulfillment in life. The
writer says everything is meaningless. He shared his own life
experience from his early young age to his adulthood, so that
others learn from his own foolishness. There is a debate on
who the koheleth is, some say that the speech belongs to
another person and the narrator wrote the first hand
1
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
information. Others say Solomon compiled the wisdom and
teachings of others and brought it as one book.
“Come, learn from me,” the Preacher beckoned. We do not know his name. The Jews called him Koheleth, the one who addressed a congregation. The Greeks translated it Ecclesiastes. Both words are titles not names. They speak of atask he performed, of a role he played. He probably had appointed himself. What official group would have selected such an outspoken, controversial, contrary-minded leader to be their Teacher? Yet individuals and groups for centuries have answered his beckoning, have sat at his feet to listen, ponder, argue, and learn. (Hubbard and Ogilvie 1991, 16)
The time period of the writing of this book is not
mentioned. The book shows the horizon of life from birth to
death. In this materialistic era the book has great lesson
for the church. Even if the book has great lesson for all,
especially it is very useful for young people. The author
wants to share his own investigation in life. He himself
accumulated wealth and possessed power and tried to find
fulfillment in what he had. Indeed, the key word in this book
is “vanity” or “Meaningless”. It occurs 35 times in 29 verses. It
means “futility, uselessness, nothingness.” But a key phrase
to be noted is “under the sun”. It is found 29 times in 27 verses.
It suggests that this message of vanity is true when one looks
2
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
at life purely from an earthly perspective. Leave God and the
afterlife out of the equation, and life is truly vanity.
The negative view that Ecclesiastes is a pessimistic,
skeptical book is mistaken. It is neither the style of a
complainer nor one who has withdrawn himself from the world.
It is the observation of a man who has experienced everything
that man could want (2:10-11) to find meaning and
satisfaction. He does not resign himself to atheism,
agnosticism, skepticism, or putting “blind faith” in the place
of God. Rather, he firmly holds to the idea that the fear of
God is man’s strongest duty (12:13) and the assurance of man’s
truest prosperity (2:24-26; 3:13-14; 5:18-20). The writer does
not despise the world itself and all of God’s gifts in it.
Rather, he insists that the greatest enjoyment of life comes
within the limits of the fear of God.
Ecclesiastes belongs to the domain of biblical poetry. The fact is concealed by the prose format in which most of the book is printed in English versions. But even the prose sections are so saturated with parallelism that many of them meet the criteria of Hebrew poetry and couldeasily be printed in verse form. The writer relies on imagery. He demonstrates skill with metaphor. Futility, for example, is like trying to catch the wind. (Smith 1996 )
3
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
The Qoheleth was demonstrating that life without God has
no meaning. He was knocking down confidence in man-based
achievements and wisdom to show that earthly goals that are
taken as ends by themselves lead to dissatisfaction. The
author recorded the futility and emptiness of his own
experiences to make his readers desperate for God, to show
that their pursuit for happiness cannot be fulfilled by their
own effort. The Qoheleth “shocks us into seeing life and death
strictly from ground level, and into reaching the only
conclusions from that standpoint that honesty will allow’’
(Kidner 1985, 96).
This paper discusses about the poetic idiom like imagery
and figures of speech, unity
and str
ucture in individual poems and proverb clusters, the proverb
as literary form and the sense of life that is embodied in,
and elicited by, poems and wisdom literature in the Old
Testament book of Ecclesiastes. The usage of poetry and
proverbs in the book of
Ecclesiastes and their relationship to wisdom literature are
included in this paper.
4
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
The Poetic Idioms
Different poetic idioms are used in this book. The
preacher mentioned futility in the cycle of life with
parallelism and the mention of inclusio. “Generations come and
Generations go…The sun rises and the sun sets” 1:4, 5.
Generations come and go, while the earth abides forever. The
sun is constant with its rising and setting. The winds
continue their revolving cycle. The water cycle also, as
rivers run into the seas, and then through evaporation and
rain return to the rivers again. Nothing seems to satisfy and
nothing is new under the sun vv 8, 9. The prologue of the book
is concluded by synonymous parallelism on verse 18, mere
aspiration to acquire wisdom and knowledge just increases
grief and sorrow.
“For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge,
the more grief”. The qoheleth investigated life in the world
and gave his comment on his life experience. “The world is the
king’s classroom, his laboratory. The scope of Qoheleth’s
investigation covers three areas: world (1:12–15), wisdom
(1:16–18; 2:12–23), and pleasure (2:1–11, 24–26).” (Brown
2000, 29). Even if sometimes it seems that the Qoheleth
5
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
contradicts himself in his explanation of seeking these three
things his real intention is to show that seeking pleasure or
wisdom without God or God’s purpose is meaningless.
In chapter 2:1-11 the preacher shows that mere pleasure
cannot give meaning in life or fulfillment in life. The writer
used poetical devices in order to explain the meaninglessness
of pleasure seeking life. Beginning from verses 10 and 11 are
synthetical parallelism “everything was meaningless, a chasing
after the wind nothing was gained under the sun”.
The preacher used this repeated statement to show the
meaninglessness of life lived without
God’s purpose.
In verse 11 we read Qoheleth’s first response to the key question put in 1.3. There he asked about “lasting benefit,” and in 2.11 he will finally answer that question with the words “there is no lasting benefit.” Having arrived at that conclusion Qoheleth will offer some further examples before giving his advice in verse 24, which is based on his conclusion in verse 11. (Ogden and Zogbo 1998, 60)
The preacher continued with his explanation of his life experience on seeking wisdom
Verse 13. “I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as
light is better than darkness”. For his comparison the author
used the poetic idiom “Simile” as light is better than
6
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
darkness. Generally, chapters 1and 2 deals about very young
man searches for the meaning of life through seeking wisdom,
confronting challenging circumstances and seeking pleasure in
life. The qoheleth in chapter three began by showing there is
time for everything. God works in
time but He is out of time. He is not limited by time. God is
eternal thing but He is not
changed. The preacher tried to show this truth using
synonymous parallelism.
In one of the best remembered passages from Ecclesiastes (3:1–8), the Preacher recounts a list of activities in which people may be engaged. The highly rhythmic literarystyle of this list reminds us of the never ending tick-tock of a clock or the mesmerizing swing-swing of a pendulum as we read, “A time to … A time to … A time to …A time to …”. (Hayford 1997,9)
When we interpreted it in the light of verses 9–15, then
the main focus is on God. The subject no longer is human
timing but God’s activity and the human response to it. God is
in control of everything that takes place in life. Humans
cannot alter that which God puts in motion. Instead, they
learn to make themselves open to the seasons of life as they
come and eventually enjoy that which God gives (3:12–13).
7
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
In chapter four the qoheleth discussed about oppression,
toil and friendliness. The writer used poetic devices like
hyperbole and irony. “And I declared the dead, who had already
dead are happier than the living, who are still alive”4:2. In
fact, in 9:4-5 the writer said “Anyone who is among the living
has hope, even a live dog is better off than a dead lion”. The
qoheleth used hyperbolic language to explain the prevailed in
justice. The writer also used proverbs in this section to
elaborate his explanation “The fool folds his hands and ruins
himself” 4:5.
In chapter five we find synthetic parallelism in verses 2
and 3, it is about guarding mouth. Verse 10 is synonymous
parallelism, which explains that greater wealth does not bring
satisfaction. The synthetical parallelism in the preceding
verses 11 and 12 clarifies that great wealth does not bring
satisfaction. Verses 13-17, are Ironic expressions. The Hebrew
expression translated "wealth lost through some misfortune”
(v. 14) refers to any misfortune that results in the loss of
wealth. Striving to hoard the fruits of labor is futile,
because any misfortune can overtake one and reduce him or her
to poverty, if God allows it. Death itself is such a
8
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
misfortune that overtakes everyone eventually and robs him of
his wealth. No one can
take the fruits of his labor with him when he dies. Therefore
the preacher concluded that we
really gain nothing of truly long-term value from our labor.
The irony is complete: whether through hopeless indolenceor excessive industry, the tragedy of an unfulfilled or discontented life is the inevitable result. The opposite of contentment, “resentment,” is the privilege, as it were, of the self-obsessed rich, a self-directed wrath resulting from a life that has sought to gain the world and, in turn, has grasped only air. Yet, Qoheleth contends, while death trumps every achievement and plan, there is still room for joy in the hospice called life “under the sun.” The affliction of the rich, coined “affluenza” in modern parlance is symptomatic of the search for sufficiency in all the wrong places. Rich in money are the wealthy, butdead broke in all the ways that matter. (Brown 2000, 62)
In chapter 7:11, 12 we find Metaphor and Simile, “Wisdom,
like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who
see the sun. Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but
the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the
life of its possessor”. Prosperity can also be a good thing,
especially if the prosperous person behaves wisely. “The
superiority of wisdom, however, is that it guides one through
difficult times and thus preserves life. Money, to the
contrary, often vanishes in hard times” (Garrett 1993, 321).
9
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
The same usage of Simile is found in chapter 9:2 and generally
in order to present his teaching from practical life he used
the figurative languages and poetic mechanism. In 7:26 the
phrase “the woman” is the personification form for those who
seek wisdom by their own effort and reasoning and they fail to
find it.
In chapter 8:1-8, beginning with synonymous parallelism
and ending with synthetical parallelism. It is talking about
how submitting to governing authorities is important. Among
the meaninglessness in life is living in circumstances over
which we have little control. Such as the kind of government
ruling the country in which we live. The Preacher observed
that evil men are often in positions of power, and offers his
counsel for enduring such challenge.
In 9:12, is about the time of disaster which is
unpredictable and the author used metaphorical expression
9:12. hunting/fishing. Although Ishmael and Esau wereknown as hunters, hunting was not a typical vocation inIsrael except in time of hunger or to get rid of the wild animals that caused danger to flocks. In both Assyria and Egypt, however, there are numerous wall reliefs depicting royal hunting scenes. Hunting is alsoimplied for Solomon's court (1 Kings 4:23). This vocation was known well enough in Israel to be the basis for some metaphors. Fishing, like hunting, is notmentioned as a recreational activity in ancient Israel.
10
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
The book of Job describes fishing by spear or harpoon (41:7) or by hook (41:1-2; Isa 19:8). Like hunting, fishing was often the basis of metaphors, primarily as a figure of God's judgment on individuals or nations. (Walton, Matthews and Chavalas 2000).Chapter 10 begins with simile, “As dead flies give
perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and
honor”. The proverbs in this section compare and contrast
wisdom and folly and show the importance of wisdom in every
aspect of life. It is also Emblematic parallelism which shows
comparison.
10:2–3 If fools contaminate the benefits of wisdom, they also hurt themselves (vv. 2–3). To speak of the wise heart inclining to the right and the foolish heart to theleft is a metaphor contrasting the lifestyle of the wise and the foolish (v. 2; cf. “light” and “dark” in 2:13). “The right” represents strength, power, and justice. “Theleft” represents perversion, incompetence, and weakness. Wisdom and folly are poles apart. A fool is easily distinguished from a wise person, even in the mundane activity of walking (v. 3). In 9:16–10:3, Qoheleth expresses his continuous struggle with the value of wisdom, a kind of love/hate relationship (2:12–17). Yet in spite of its limitations and the lack of respect wisdom receives, Qoheleth never advises the readerto pursue folly. (Bland 2002, 378)
The Preacher continues to share wisdom that can help
endure the many vanities in life. This chapter is filled with
proverbial statements, in which he first deplores folly and
the affect it can have on one's reputation (1-3). The Preacher
11
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
also describes how folly is often manifested in government,
and in one's life and labors. The land suffers when governed
by foolish men, and labor is made even more difficult. Yet
wisdom can bring success to one's endeavors, and blessings to
the land when found in the conduct of those who lead (4-20).
The eleventh chapter is talking about casting the bread
upon water it is a metaphorical proverb “Cast your bread upon
the waters, for after many days you will find it again”
(11:1).
The text has nothing to do with the sowing of seed, as some claim, for the Hebrew verb shalach is not used of sowing or scattering seed. Who in their right mind would hurl cakes of bread into a stream of water? This seems tobe a metaphor for engaging in thankless toil. The proverbthen urges the wise person to do good without hope of
return.5 “You shall find it after many days.” This is not to be the motive for the good deeds, but it will in the course of time be the result. (Smith 1996 )
The other poetic proverb is “Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know
What disaster may come upon the land”. This is a proverb
based on numbers and it advices to be generous when you have
plenty and when the unforeseen disaster comes you may become
dependent on the generosity of others.
12
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
The final chapter begins with a continuation of advice
directed to the young. They are told to remember God in their
youth, before difficult days come in which there will be found
little pleasure. Such days are described through a series of
illustrations that depict the weakness of old age and eventual
death. When the inevitable happens, the body will decay
back to dust, and the spirit will return to God who gave it
(1-7). We find different
metaphorical expressions which refers to the parts of the
body.
The “keepers of the house” are the hands, which tremble in old age; and the “strong men” are the major muscle groups of the legs and back. Beyond that, it is
impossible to be specific in anatomical details. The “grinders” are teeth, which have ceased to chew food because they are few. Those who look out of windows are again the eyes, although growing “dim” may refer to a lack of sparkle in the eye rather than inability to see well. (Garrett 1993, 341)
If someone misunderstood the figures of speech which is
used here and apply the
literal interpretation it will lead to wrong meaning and wrong
application. In order to get the
13
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
right meaning and intention of the author, progressive
deterioration and aging, it is important to use proper
understanding of figures of speech.
Unity and Structure in Individual poems and Proverb Clusters
In the book of Ecclesiastes the proverbs are presented in
the form of poems and in our interpretation we apply the
principles of interpretation for poetry and we try to relate
the meaning to the general intention of the author in the book
of Ecclesiastes. The main theme of the book of Ecclesiastes is
showing the life that is not centered on God’s purpose as
meaningless. The book begins with double introduction .The
division and the structural development of the book is as
follows:-
a. Introduction: The futility of all human endeavor 1:1-11
b. The futility of human achievement demonstrated 1:12-6:9
c. The limitations of human wisdom empirically demonstrated 6:10-11:6
d. Conclusion: life cheerfully and responsibly in the fear of God 11:7-12:14
In order to achieve his objectives the preacher used
different poetic devices and
14
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
proverbs. The individual proverbs and clusters are unified
around a central conflict between
negative and positive viewpoints, as well as around a unifying
search pattern. Proverbs are striking and memorable literary
devices and transfers profound truth. The proverb is the basic
building block of the book. Although the book is not primarily
structured like a story, the underlying pattern gives it a
narrative effect an effect heightened by the continuous
presence of a first-person narrator. Many of the negative,
under the sun passages are voiced as a protest, so that the genre
of protest literature comes into play.
While all wisdom literature tends to make use of the
resources of poetry, including the verse form of parallelism,
the book of Ecclesiastes displays its poetic medium much more
than ordinary wisdom literature does. The author used simile,
metaphor, symbolism and parallelism in his writing. Poetry and
proverbs are combined to show relevant truths in the book of
Ecclesiastes. In1:8, “The eye never has enough of seeing, nor
the ear its fill of hearing”. We can find similar expression
in the book of Proverbs 27:20 “Death and destruction are never
satisfied, and never are the eyes of man”. There is no
15
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
satisfaction in what people see and experience. Once they
achieved something still there is quest to find another. The
author’s approach leads him to be grouped in to the wise men
of his day
Koheleth, as we have seen, belongs to the ranks of ‘the
wise men’ in Israel. They had a two-fold role: (1) to observe human conduct and to give practical advice on howto live the good and the successful life, and (2) to lay bare the basic principles on which the good and the successful life functions. For many of the wisdom teachers this meant drawing attention to the fundamental religious basis of all true wisdom: “the fear of the Lordis the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1:7). (Davidson 1986, 12)
The individual poems and proverb clusters serve the authors role of defining the
meaningful life with God and the meaningless life without God.
The main theme of wisdom literatures is the fear of the Lord
and in order to achieve this purpose the author used poetic
mechanisms and proverb clusters. The poetic mechanisms have
different figures of speech and parallelism. The proverbs use
poetic devices and the proverbs basically are from the day to
day life experience.
The Proverb as a Literary Form
16
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
The proverb is a leading literary genre. Wisdom
literature is largely composed of proverbs. The proverbs are
literary forms that do not include exceptions and are not used
as guaranteed promises. Proverbs are simple and profound. “If
a man is lazy, the rafters rag; if his hands are idle, the
house leaks”. According to Ryken (1992) this proverb is not
primarily about leaking roofs. It uses the particular image to
capture a universal quality, namely, laziness of any type and
in any area of life (315). They are general principles for
successful living rather than a comprehensive “legal code for
life.” The proverb does not deny the exception; it merely
omits them from consideration (Class notes). Different types
of poetry and figures of speeches are used in the book of
Ecclesiastes. Proverbs are presented in the form of poetry.
A proverb is always a brief utterance. This is part of the key to its memorability. Even the first time we encounter a proverb we know that it is worthy of memory. Its very consciousness makes it striking and attention getting. The proverb overcomes the cliché effect of ordinary discourse by being more concentrated and more tightly packed. To create an aphorism requires a skill with words and syntax that most people lack. It is, in other words, a literary gift. (Ryken 1992, 314-315)
According to Kidner (1985) different approaches, moods,
numerical sayings and acrostic are used in the book of
17
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
Proverbs (18-55). The proverb is the leading biblical genre.
We find proverbs in different books of the Old Testament and
the New Testament. Careful attention is needed to get proper
understanding of the proverbs. Proverbs are poetic in form and
when dealing with poetic proverbs therefore we should pay
attention to imagery, figurative language and parallelism.
Hyperbole is a common element in Proverbs, which explains why
so many are misinterpreted. Hyperbole is a deliberate
exaggeration made in order to make a point. Although there is
an important theological element in Proverbs their emphasis is
very much on practical matters such as how to live
successfully and have a rewarding life. Proverbs are not
legally binding promises from God.
All traditional societies have their wise men whose counsel is sought and respected by those less learned andexperienced, and their proverbs in which the ripened wisdom of many generations is condensed. Israel was no exception. At all periods in Israel’s history, wisdom wascultivated and counselled by the wise, and it came to form an important element in the thought and literature of the Old Testamen (Aitken 1986).
There are different types of proverbs in the book of
Ecclesiastes. The Bible writers label this application of
knowledge “wisdom.” The wisdom books treat the most practical
issues of life, such as one’s attitude toward grief, work,
18
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
marriage, death, etc. (Class notes). Most of the proverbs are
from the day to day life experience. The writer of
Ecclesiastes preferred and used proverbs purposefully (12:11).
In 4:12 we find the numerical pattern proverb. In 4:13-16 we
find the better proverbs or comparison proverbs. “Better a
poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer
knows how to take warning”. Advancement without God is
meaningless. This proverb shows the meaningless of secular
promotion. Ecclesiastes 6:7 is Antithetical proverb “All man’s
efforts are for his mouth, yet
his appetite is never satisfied”. In 7:1, “A good name is
better than fine perfume and the day
of death better than the day of birth”. It is the better
pattern proverb.
There are also different moods in proverbs we find
imperative mood proverbs in the book of Ecclesiastes for
example, “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger
resides in the lap of fools” (7: 9). These imperatives that we
find in the book of proverbs guide to the proper and useful
conduct and life in the day to day activities.
The Sense of Life That is Embodied in, and Elicited by, Poems and Wisdom Literature
19
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
Wisdom literature is not so much a philosophy of life as
a type of literature that embodies a sense of life. Writers of
wisdom literature share common attitude toward human life in
the world. The wisdom writers are practical in their outlook.
(Study Guide) .They are assessing every aspect of life in the
family and life in the society. The wisdom writers are not
interested in abstract thoughts as ways of behaving. The focus
of wisdom literature is more of moral than devotional or
spiritual.
The book of Ecclesiastes is not exceptional from the
wisdom literature. It included all observations and
exhortations in every human experience. It also touches all
human activates and professions. The writer of Ecclesiastes
shares his and other human’s experiences to other fellow
humans so that they could learn from others success or
failure. As far as things under the sun is concerned, “There
is nothing new under the sun” (1:9). In fact this does not
mean that there are no new inventions, but only that there is
no new type of activity. Things are being created and invented
from the already existing materials and things are repetitive
here on earth but there are always new things above the sun.
20
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
Chapter 3:1-8, tells us the universal truth that there
is time for everything and a season. God has eternal plan, He
is out of time but works and manifests His plan in time. He
has appointed time and season for everything. We are created
to live in fellowship and to live in fellowship has great
advantages. “Two are better than one” (4:9). We all need the
love, help and support of friends and others. Some people
think as if money and the abundance of material things bring
meaning in life. “Whoever loves money never have money enough”
(5:10). People betray each other and commit crime due to the
love of money. In5:11-12, we read that greater wealth brings
greater apprehension.
Ver. 11.—Koheleth proceeds to notice some of the inconveniences which accompany wealth, which go far to prove that God is over all. When goods increase, they areincreased that eat them. The more riches a man possesses,the greater are the claims upon him. He increases his household, retainers, and dependents, and is really none the better off for all his wealth. So Job in his prosperous days is said to have had “a very great household” (Job 1:3), and the servants and labourers employed by Solomon must have taxed to the utmost even his abnormal resources (1 Kings 5:13, etc.) (Spence-Jones 2004, 115).
The writer discussed every aspect of life from the higherstatus to the ordinary people
21
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
It shows the right conduct and acceptable way of life. His
poetry and proverbs are taken from every walk of life.
Conclusion
The book of Ecclesiastes deals about the meaningful life
with God and meaningless life without God. People have often
searched for the meaning of life. From the highly educated to
the common man they have asked questions like: “What is the
meaning of life?” or “What is my purpose for life?” People who
think that there is no God they are trying to get pleasure and
satisfaction here on earth by their own effort. But a search
that begins with wrong assumptions always leads to wrong
conclusions. If what we see in this life is all there is, then
truly life becomes meaningless and it is chasing after the
wind as the preacher said.
The Preacher, with his personal experiences and God-given
wisdom, has demonstrated that, yes, life from an earthly
perspective alone, life under the sun is truly meaningless!
But he has also declared that by fearing God and keeping His
commandments one can overcome the many meaninglessness of
life. “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the
whole duty of man” (12:13). ““Fear God.” This is the message
22
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
of the Book of Proverbs as well as the message here. In view
of the experiment made “under the sun,” the wise thing is to
fear God, which means to reverence, worship, and obey Him”
(McGee 1991, 94). Obedience to God and his word brings
enjoyment and fulfillment in life.
23
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
REFERENCE LIST
Aitken, K.T.1986. Proverbs. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press.
Brown, William P. 2000. Ecclesiastes. Louisville, Ky : John Knox Press.
Bland, Dave. 2002.Proverbs, Ecclesiastes & Song of Songs. Joplin, Mo.College Press Pub.
Davidson, Robert. 1986. Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. Louisville:Westminster John
Knox Press.
Farmer, Kathleen Anne 1991. Who Knows What Is Good? : A Commentary on the Books of
Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Grand Rapids, Edinburgh : Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.Handsel Press.
Garrett, Duane A. 1993. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs. electronic ed. Nashville :
Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Hayford, Jack W., Snider, Joseph.1997. Exploring the Depths of Life andLove : A Study of
Job, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. Nashville, Thomas Nelson.
24
Tesfaye Guta, 0053319-MEA BOT5173 Poetry and Proverb
Hubbard, David A. Ogilvie, Lloyd J. 1991.The Preacher's Commentary Series, Volume 16 :
Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Inc.
Kidner ,Derek. 1985 The Wisdom of Proverbs, Job & Ecclesiastes: An Introduction to
Wisdom Litrature.Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsty.
McGee, J. Vernon 1991.Thru the Bible Commentary: Poetry (Ecclesiastes/Song of Solomon).
electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson.
Ogden, Graham S., Zogbo, Lynell. 1998. A Handbook on Ecclesiastes. New York: United
Bible Societies.
Ryken, Leland. 1992. Words of Delight. A literary Introduction to the Bible.Grand Rapids,
MI:Baker.
Smith, James E.1996.The Wisdom Literature and Psalms. Joplin, Mo: College Press Pub. Co.
Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Hrsg.). 2004. The Pulpit Commentary: Ecclesiastes. Bellingham,
WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Walton,John H. Matthews,Victor H. and Chavalas, Mark W. 2000.IVP Bible Background
Commentary: Old Testament. Intervarsity Press.
25