The Message of Ecclesiastes by Derek Kidner

The Bible Speaks Today: Old Testament

by Derek Kidner

What is life about? In the end, does it all amount to a wisp of vapor, a puff of wind, a mere breath—nothing you can get your hands on—the nearest thing to zero? So says the Preacher in the book of Ecclesiastes. But is this the whole message of Ecclesiastes?
With imagination and clarity, Derek Kidner introduces this Old Testament book which speaks so powerfully to our generation. His love of Hebrew poetry and his understanding of biblical mind shine through in his careful passage-by-passage exposition. The full biblical text is included.

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies, Nonfiction, Religion, Old Testament, Reference, Christian

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Frank Derek Kidner (1913-2008) was a British Old Testament scholar, best known for writing commentaries.

Reviews

[Barnabas Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kidner is so brilliant at concisely extracting the deep points of scripture and doing so clearly.

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've loved Ecclesiastes for years, and I recently committed to reading through as many of the most popular and enduring commentaries and other books about it as I can find--not all right in a row, or in a very orderly or obsessive manner, but just as I can find the books, so that I can learn more and regularly immerse myself in Qoheleth's world. The first book I read on this journey was Michael A. Eaton's Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary (reviewed here). I found it very encouraging and enlightening. And now the second book I've read on Ecclesiastes is Derek Kidner's A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance.

Kidner's commentary is regarded by many as a modern classic on the book of Ecclesiastes. Kidner is brief, simple, and direct, leading the reader on a guided tour through Qoheleth's logic and musings. There is occasional humor, and there are also challenges to apply Qoheleth's teachings to the reader's own living and thinking. Kidner doesn't devote a lot of space to discussing alternative viewpoints or the history of Ecclesiastes commentary and criticism, and that's all right with me. He employs the same "under the sun vs. under God's care" perspective as Eaton, which for me makes Ecclesiastes come alive (but also leaves ample ambiguity and space for reflection and mystery).

The English translations Kidner references are of course from the previous generation of translations--this is pre-NIV, and pre- many other of the current favorites. But his default text is the RSV, which is almost identical to the ESV, my current preferred translation. Kidner doesn't share as much Hebrew word study as Eaton; I preferred Eaton's slightly more in-depth explanations of what particular words and phrases meant in the original, and the various ways they've been translated into English.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! My previous experiences of reading Ecclesiastes usually left me with it's all vanity, and I missed just how rich the little book in the Bible is. This time, after digging deeper with Kinder's commentary, I was left with how much joy we get to experience because we have eternity set in our hearts.

"Although as time-dwellers we see God's work in tantalizing flashes, the very fact that we can ask about the whole design and long to see it, is evidence that we are not entirely prisoners of our world. In more promising words, it is evidence of not only how but for Whom we have been made."

[Michael Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more, due to Kidner's reputation and the help he has given me in other commentaries. But his style in this work was not exegetical, nor really expository. It was more like musings or thoughts on the verses in Ecclesiastes. Helpful at times, but it didn't really fit any specific needs that a student, teacher, or preacher would have.

[Mallory Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice 👌

[Andrzej Stelmasiak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kidner never wrote wordy commentaries, he was a master of succinct and punchy sentences.
But this one is brief not only in page count, but also in what it says.
And I think that claim that Ecclesiastes doesn't believe in an afterlife is a mistake that colours much of interpretation, and limits usefulness of a commentary on this book.

Like in my previous reviews, I am going to say - read CL Seow (expensive!), and if you have time (and some money left), then supplement him with Provan.

EDIT - decided to raise one star. He is better than 'just OK'.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

"nothing in our search has led us home; nothing that we are offered under the sun is ours to keep. but... this very passage points us beyond anything under the sun, in the words, 'your Creator,' and it invites response to him."

an incredibly thorough study that has me looking at life as fleeting but good. yes, all is vain... but only under this sun, and only apart from a Creator God.

[Bill Forgeard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most consistently helpful commentary I used whilst preaching Ecclesiastes. Succinct, reliable, insightful. Not comprehensive - offered a single point of view on most issues rather than canvassing every possibility.

[Matthew Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ecclesiastes is, for me, one of the hardest books in the Bible to interpret. Our small group from church just finished a study of the book--and I learned the most outside of our discussion from reading Kidner's little volume.

As usual, Kidner is concise, precise, and incisive. Though brief, this commentary covers all of the big things. He's careful with his statements but makes exegetical decisions. I can tell that the 1984 NIV Study Bible notes lean heavily on this book, too.

I don't have all of my questions answered yet, but of all the things I've read on Ecclesiastes, this is the one I trust the most. Recommended.

[Brian Parks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kidner is excellent on Ecclesiastes even if a bit too terse. He's obviously brilliant and has a great grasp on the text but the commentary sometimes leaves you wishing he had written a few more sentences to explain. The last section on chapter 11-12 is solid gold though.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scholarly and poetic, as befits a commentary on Ecclesiastes. Derek Kidner is a pleasure to read.

[James Ruley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kidner’s book on Ecclesiastes provides a solid overview of the subject matter and themes of the book. Although the style can be a little dry, there is some great insight and structure that help explain some of the mysteries of Ecclesiastes. Not amazing, but good.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kidner commentaries are some of the best out there. This was the shortest I read but it did not disappoint, straight to the point and clear. A blessing to read

[Ana · Rating 1 out of 5]

No era lo que yo esperaba. Era interesante y lioso a la vez

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Kidner is a master exegete and a gifted writer.

[Mwansa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Philosophers have always, in my view had a vague or morbid view of life, little did I know that Derek Kidner would show me that Solomon plunged the depths of the meaning of life in Ecclesiastes. Reading this book has once again shown the value of reading passages in context. Inasmuch as one can take passages from the book of Ecclesiastes in Isolation and get benefit from it there is so much more that can be gotten from taking the journey through Solomon. In my usual fashion I will mention two things that stood out for me as I read this amazing book.

Through the eyes of Solomon we get to glimpse life to the extremes of creativity, wealth and brilliance. What would I know and feel if I had free license of my creative wit, endless amounts of money and the brilliance that gravitates people to myself. Solomon shows this and like a very good writer he tells us what we will find at the end before we get caught up in the maze of life and living. And much like life we do get lost in the hustle and bustle of the rat race and the end is disappointing because 'Time and Chance' are cruel in dealing with all of us.

Life is meaningless! One may store up treasures just for them to be squandered or even if they are kept they are not enjoyed by the one who made them. And if our hope is to remain in people's memories, even that does not do. Solomon does a very good job in showing that regardless of what we pursue in life, whether it be wealth, family, pleasure or wisdom, if there is no God in it then it is all just a waste of life.

God has placed Eternity in our hearts that cannot be filled up by anything but him. It is a shame a lot of people only realize this on their deathbeds, by which point it is too late

[Will Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found Kidner's introduction: "What is this Book doing in the Bible - a reconnaissance" helpful, but the rest of the commentary was so short, I did not find it as helpful.

"He [author of Ecclesiastes] is demolishing to build. The searching questions he has asked are those that life puts to us, if we will only listen. He can afford to ask them, because in the final chapters has has good news for us, once we can stop pretending that what is mortal is enough for us, who have been given a capacity for the eternal." (p. 19)

"We face the appalling inference that nothing has meaning, nothing matters under the sun. It is then that we can hear, as the good news which it is, that everything matters - for God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." (p. 20)

[Cameron Barham]

“Triviality is more stifling than tragedy, and the shrug is the most hopeless of all comments on life. The function of Ecclesiastes is to bring us to the point where we begin to fear that such a comment is the only honest one. So it is, if everything is dying. We face the appalling inference that nothing has meaning, nothing matters under the sun. It is then that we can hear, as good news which it is, that everything matters—‘for God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.’”, p. 20

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent little commentary. Derek Kidner is the king of the concise commentary! This excellent entry in The Bible Speaks Today series is a perfect example. Rarely will you find a commentator who can pack so much in so little space. In addition, he also writes with beauty. So in a "quick" read, one can still also have a deep and meaningful read. This commentary is a great resource for both the pastor and the lay-person. Would recommend for personal study or as a small-group resource.

[Nathan Marone]

A decent, slim commentary. Kidner does a pretty good job analyzing the structure of Ecclesiastes, though I disagree with some of his choices for outlining the book. His commentary on the first six chapters was quite strong but then got weaker in the second half. But the second half is harder to pin down. My biggest complaints are that the intro is too short and that Kidner reads too much New Testament theology back into Ecclesiastes.

Still, helpful overall.

[Michael Locklear · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief and readable commentary of the Book of Ecclesiastes by Derek Kidner, who passed away in November of 2008. This book, first published in 1976, is very well-written and thought provoking. I do enjoy reading The Bible Speaks Today Commentary series edited by J. A. Motyer and John R. W. Stott, both deceased.

[Yuan Mejía · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best commentaries I've read on Ecclesiastes. The author is brilliant in the way he explains the verses. The first half is spectacular, but I give it 4 stars, because the second half is a bit more complex. The author draws conclusions that aren't intuitive to me (most likely because the author gets them from the Hebrew).

[Changkuoth Gatchay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first commentary by Kidner that I’ve read. It was a delightful read. Kidner is deep, concise, and clear. Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I was pleased by the scholarly insights and keen lessons for godly living through the voice of Qoheleth.

[Edwin Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Positives: Insightful, resonant, tight
Negatives: Perhaps marches through the text at such a consistent pace that he doesn't pause to meditate on some of the broader themes.

[JR Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and concise.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Thought-provoking.

[Micah Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great supplement to studying Ecclesiastes. Highly recommend the commentary AND, even more so, the Book of Ecclesiastes.

[Russell Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome commentary. Free of fluff; full of insight

[Alex Shepard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent

[Marty Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

an excellent commentary