Ecclesiastes (The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary

by Peter Enns

Ecclesiastes is an Old Testament book with a long history of diverse and contradictory interpretations. Even basic questions—who wrote the book, when, and for what purpose—perennially plague scholars. The book’s theological message is likewise elusive, hidden in riddles and convoluted trains of thought that twist and turn back upon themselves.

In this expert commentary on Ecclesiastes, Peter Enns neither disregards nor attempts to resolve the book’s many theological tensions and ambiguities. Rather, he shows how these form the backdrop against which the author struggles to show readers the proper path forward in their journeys of faith—remaining true to the tradition to “fear God and keep the commands” despite the apparent futility of human existence.

Genres: Christianity, Theology, Old Testament, Philosophy

252 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2011

About the author

Peter Enns is Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University, St. Davids, Pennsylvania. He has taught courses at several other institutions including Harvard University, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Princeton Theological Seminary. Enns is a frequent contributor to journals and encyclopedias and is the author of several books, including Inspiration and Incarnation, The Evolution of Adam, and The Bible Tells Me So.

Reviews

[Poetreehugger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have considered Qohelet a hero for his raw honesty and his wide open gaze on this often confusing world: everything is utterly absurd! I love that the book of Ecclesiastes is included in the Bible, so that beyond the simplistic platitudes people like to quote, there stands this dark monolith of a message that says Oh Crap! Peter Enns follows faithfully in the steps of Qohelet when he doesn't try to sugar coat or balance Q's statement, but gives permission to all of us to embrace the inner fist-shaker-at-God in all of us who have stared into the abyss that sometimes seems very strongly to BE reality. He quotes Winston Curchill at one point: "If you are going through hell, keep going."

This book may be difficult for some to read, as is Ecclesiastes. It feels much better to be sure of pleasant answers. "But in order to be honest with God it is necessary that we be fully honest with ourselves first...we may find that we are far less in control of things than we think, and we may find a God who is far less interested in being controlled than we want." (P. 211)

[Zan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a helpful, well-written commentary on Ecclesiastes. While Enns argues that Ecc was written post-Solomon, even if you don't buy that the book is still worth reading. Enns' takes on Christian suffering and Jesus as Sage are strong. Here are some gems.

"A messianic hope narrowly considered is not the focus of the OT, as odd as that might seem for some Christian readers. Rather the focus is on the creation of a people who would be used by God to bring reconciliation to the world."

"The God of Scripture is a no-nonsense God who is not interested in our wearing masks or maintaining our well-scriped roles. He is not interested in how 'together' we can appear, but in how much we truly belong to him. Books like Ecclesiastes show us how it is done."

"Any similarities between murmur and lament are superficial. The spiritual orientations are completely different."

"Christians are to keep moving in this life, not simply because a better one awaits them, but because the future has already begun. And this future breaking into the present, applied to the believer by the Spirit, is at the heart of the Christian's ability to live in a world where things have gone horribly wrong and where, with a moment's reflection, it would see absurd to continue. It is into this kind of situation that the gospel provides followers of Jesus with a way forward."

"When modern readers read Ecclesiastes, we are confronted with the words of an Israelite, a deeply religious man, to be sure, with significant struggles. He is not someone who 'does not know God' and is trying to make sense of life apart from him. He knows how things are supposed to be, yet his experience does not mesh with the ideal."

[Nathan Harden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love me some Peter Enns. Coupled with my love for Ecclesiastes, this was a powerful duo. I disagree with his view of Qoheleth as a burgeoning skeptic. Overall, great and knowledgeable commentary.

[Giovanni Generoso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Enns has written a fantastic commentary. This is a piece of true scholarship, but it is also accessible to the average reader who simply wants to know what in the world Ecclesiastes is all about. In my estimation, Enns did a beautiful job of interpreting and explaining the logic of Qohelet. This book, this horrible, wonderful book, is rich in wisdom, sorrow, wit, and honesty. I sometimes wonder how Ecclesiastes made it into the canon due to its seemingly anti-theological stance toward dogma and confession.

Enns spends a good chunk of the book taking the book and assessing its significance for the church. This is where his true (and controversial) colors shine. He takes up the following issues: biblical interpretation and hermeneutics, the nature of Scriptural inerrancy (do you like that I capitalized the "s" in Sciptural?), and the significance of Ecclesiastes for theology and praxis today.

Anyone who knows anything about Enns will already expect those portions of the book to ruffle some feathers. Good. Some feathers need to be ruffled. Some assumptions need to be challenged. Kind of like what the wise Qoholet might do.

[Roderic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike his other more recent books

This is full-on academic, professor-level scholarship from an incredibly sharp mind. This isn’t anything like his more conversational books like “Sin of Certainty,” “The Bible Tells Me So,” or his most recent “Genesis for Normal People” and “Exodus for Normal People.”
It is a bit dry but I expected that. The first half is a line-by-line analysis and the second half is a more thematic analysis.
Ecclesiastes is my favorite OT book and I really enjoyed the deep-dive. It is such a difficult book contextually and emotionally, but so rewarding.

[Tristan Sherwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great thorough treatment of the text, that definitely proved helpful when going through the tensions of Ecclesiastes, in rich dialogue with other interpreters.

I’d highly recommend this, alongside Tremper Longman’s New International Commentary on Ecclesiastes, and Julie Ann Duncan’s contribution to the Abingdon Old Testament Commentary series.

All these together offer a stunning view of this wonderful ancient book of Wisdom that still goads the modern mind.

[Autumn Kotsiuba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful commentary. Peter Enns is one of my favorite theologians, as he always puts the documents into the Ancient Near East context. The commentary continually draws parallels with other sources, such as The Epic of Gilgamesh.

Ecclesiastes is my favorite biblical source, because--I mean, let's be honest here--Qohelet is basically asking God "What the hell?" Ecclesiastes, Job, and the lament Psalms all demonstrate that Christianity is not about being sure or blindly faithful. It brings back the beauty of questioning and doubt, which has sadly been pushed under the rug in much of American/Western European theology despite being a core of Jewish thought.

Highly recommended.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the commentaries I used, I found this one to represent the most compelling perspective on Ecclesiastes. The second half is pure gold. H attempts to understand Ecclesiastes theologically. I found it fascinating and helpful. He also deals with the place of Ecclesiastes in the canon, not just historically, but what is it doing here. What he has to say about counterpoint was so encouraging. I highly recommend this.

[scott]

I've been studying Ecclesiastes for over 20 years. For heavens sake, I named my son River Solomon. I'm enraptured by the writings traditionally attributed to Solomon. At here, with Enns' work on the subject at hand, the job he's done is masterful - at least half way through. I hope it doesn't disappoint me in the end. But, Enns never has disappointed me.