Ecclesiastes 1:12

THE AUTHOR SPEAKS OF HIMSELF

"I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was striving after wind. For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow."

"I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem" (Ecclesiastes 1:12). "The word from which `Preacher' is translated is a Hebrew term, [~Qoheleth], pronounced `Koheleth' or `Kohelet.' Many attempts to translate this have given us: `Ecclesiastes,' `The Preacher,' `The Speaker,' `The President,' `The Spokesman,' `The Philosopher,'; and we might add, `The Professor.'"[5]

Along with Ecclesiastes 1:1, this virtually names Solomon as the author of Ecclesiastes. Some scholars think that the words, all that were before me in Jerusalem, denies that Solomon was the author, but there is no such denial in it. All that were before me, should not be read as if it said, "All the kings that were before me." Even if it meant `kings', the words all that were before me would apply to the two kings who preceded Solomon as well as it would apply to twenty-five or thirty. Scott noted also that, "If the passage is construed as a reference to `kings' who preceded Solomon `in Jerusalem,' then it might include pre-Davidic kings such as Melchizedek."[6]

Also, the Revised Standard Version renders Ecclesiastes 1:12; "I, the Preacher, have been king, etc.;" and many scholars understand this as an assertion that the writer, at the time of his writing, was not king. We do not accept that as a necessary conclusion. F. C. Cook, a very dependable scholar, stated flatly that, "This does not imply that Solomon had ceased to be king when this was written"[7]

"In much wisdom is much grief" (Ecclesiastes 1:18). This is the message of the whole paragraph. Even the pursuit of wisdom, like everything else, is vanity and a striving after wind. In all of these negative and pessimistic statements, one should understand that their primary application is to every life that is without the blessed hope in Christ Jesus. This is the message that should be thundered in the ears of all mankind: You are never going to arrive at any worthwhile place without the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. You will never chase anything except "the wind" unless you receive and obey Christ.

"It is a sore travail that God hath given unto the sons of men" (Ecclesiastes 1:13). This is a very significant line. The author is not an infidel. He believes in God and is able to see in the universal frustrations of our fallen race the will of God. Why is this so? Because the human family, in the person of our progenitors, by reason of their choosing to serve Satan in Eden, have brought all their posterity under condemnation.

Yes indeed, it is God's will that man's activities should end in frustration and defeat (until they might turn to God and obey Him). Did he not curse the earth itself for Adam's sake (Genesis 3:17-19)? "The conclusion reached here is that man is destined by God to ceaseless effort without results."[8]

"That which is crooked cannot be made straight" (Ecclesiastes 1:15). "Nothing that man can do can remedy the anomalies with which he is surrounded."[9] The inadequacy of all systems of government, economics, education, etc., are utterly beyond his power to improve or correct them. In a word, "He is stuck with the situation into which he was born."

"I have gotten me great wisdom" (Ecclesiastes 1:16). If Solomon indeed is the author here, his thoughts have already departed from the way of the Lord, because here he claimed that, "I have gotten me, etc.," whereas, as a matter of truth, God had given Solomon his great wisdom in answer to prayer." Here he was already well on the road to the apostasy that wrecked his life, his administration, and the kingdom of Israel. Solomon's wisdom was nothing whatever that he searched out. It was a loving gift from God.

In this context, Cook pointed out that even in those thirty-nine times that the author used the term God in the Book of Ecclesiastes, he never once used the sacred covenant name Jehovah by which God was known to the Chosen People. All of the references use the term [~'Elohiym].[10] This might indicate that Solomon no longer, when this was written, considered himself obligated by the sacred covenant.

Some recurring phrases in Ecclesiastes should be noted. "Under the sun," "on earth," "under heaven," and "those who see the sun" " - All of these indicate the sphere of vision that prevails in Ecclesiastes, MAN'S LIFE ON EARTH."[11] Furthermore, it is a view of man's life on earth without any knowledge whatever of the Redemption in Christ Jesus. The profound tragedy is that this description fits millions of people this very day. A proper understanding of the seventh chapter of Romans gives us another picture of these Christless millions "without Christ." See our comment on that chapter.