KJV
Click to Change
Return to Top
Verses 9-14 form a double epilogue, supporting the qualifications of the Preacher for writing this book, summarizing the book's main application, and hammering a definitive conclusion. Some interpreters think it was written by someone other than Solomon, in which case it would be a divinely inspired "editor." Other interpreters think these words were added by Solomon himself, in which he takes a turn to refer to himself in the third person.
Whichever is the case, these epilogues are designed to establish the fact that Solomon knew what he was doing in writing Ecclesiastes and that this message was what God wanted His people to hear and respond to.
Solomon was a wise man, who was given a divine gift of wisdom by God (1 Kings 4:29-30). But Solomon shared his wisdom. In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher, or Assembler, shepherded his people. He also taught the people knowledge.
Solomon invested much effort into the endeavor of teaching the people knowledge. The Preacher pondered, searched and arranged many proverbs concerning daily living. In his wisdom, he put together a set of sayings that could become mental models for daily living. He knew in this manner he could impart wisdom to the simple. This is a direct reference to The Book of Proverbs, a place where Solomon works out what choosing to live according to wisdom (in the wake of "hebel") actually looks like. It is a sort of companion piece to the philosophical conclusions of Ecclesiastes.
The Preacher goes to great effort to find delightful words full of truth. He pondered and searched them out. He made sure he wrote them correctly. He took pains to make the writing appealing. He sought to find words to speak the truth that were delightful to read. The word translated delightful can also be translated "pleasing" or "just the right" words. Solomon took pains to express the proverbs in ways that would make people desire to read and understand them. Delightful words full of truth are enlightening and appealing without being fake or pulling any punches.
Used with permission from TheBibleSays.com.
You can access the original article here.
|
Line-By-Line Order:
 Verse-ReferenceReference-VerseSeparate LineVerse OnlyReference Only |
Reference Delimiters:
None — Jhn 1:1 KJV Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]Curly — {Jhn 1:1 KJV}Parens — (Jhn 1:1 KJV) |
|
Paragraph Order:
Verse-ReferenceReference-VerseReference-Only |
Number Delimiters:*
No NumberNo Delimiter — 15Square — [15]Curly — {15}Parens — (15) |
|
Other Options:
 Abbreviate Books Use SBL Abbrev.En dash not Hyphen |
Quotes Around VersesRemove Square BracketsSort Canonically |
* 'Number Delimiters' only apply to 'Paragraph Order'
The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy of Scripture. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry.
Blue Letter Bible study tools make reading, searching and studying the Bible easy and rewarding.
Blue Letter Bible is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
©2025 Blue Letter Bible | Privacy Policy
Note: MLA no longer requires the URL as part of their citation standard. Individual instructors or editors may still require the use of URLs.
Loading
Loading
| Interlinear |
| Bibles |
| Cross-Refs |
| Commentaries |
| Dictionaries |
| Miscellaneous |
