9 Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. 10 The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.1 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with2 every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Section Overview
Proverbs 27:2 counsels, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.” The Preacher concluded his words at Ecclesiastes 12:8, and in verses 9–14 we encounter an epilogue spoken by the frame narrator who introduced the work (cf. Introduction: Genre and Literary Features). A natural reading of the epilogue gives the impression that it is intended to be a straightforward commendation of the Preacher’s words (vv. 9–12) and a summary of their primary message (vv. 13–14). However, as noted in the Introduction, dissenting voices have been raised. Some scholars have argued that the epilogue either seeks to distance itself from the Preacher’s allegedly unorthodox message or is in fact openly critical of it, and possibly of the wisdom traditions of ancient Israel as a whole.46 According to this perspective, verse 11 is to be understood as a warning against his message rather than a warning against disregarding it. Such an approach to the epilogue is extremely implausible, since the epilogue openly acknowledges that the Preacher uttered “words of truth” (v. 10). Moreover, such an approach requires one to assume an astounding level of naiveté on the part of either the epilogist or the ancient reader. It is very doubtful that this handful of verses tacked on to the end of twelve chapters of extensive reflection would be sufficient either to warn a reader away from the Preacher’s teaching or to blunt the book’s intentionally provocative nature. Thus it is best to view the epilogue as indeed a hearty commendation and accurate summary of the Preacher’s teaching in 1:2–12:8.47
Section Outline
XIX. Epilogue: The End of the Matter (12:9–14)
A. The Preacher’s Wisdom and Works (12:9–10)
B. Exhortation to Pay Heed (12:11–12)
C. The End of the Matter (12:13–14)
Response
It is a teacher’s responsibility at times to make simple subjects complex and at other times to make complex subjects simple. Ecclesiastes is often enigmatic and difficult to understand, but the book’s epilogue provides a wonderfully succinct and accurate summary of its message. As fascinating as the ride has been, readers need this concise synopsis to provide clarity and focus.
Many writers and literary critics, religious and secular alike, have found Ecclesiastes entrancing to read. But it is one thing to admire a book for its artistry and flair, and another thing entirely to submit to its message. And so for the reader it is decision time. Here at the epilogue one must finally decide whether or not the book of Ecclesiastes possesses divine authority. Does it represent the voice of the “one Shepherd”? Does it give something more than merely human wisdom?
Alongside these questions are others that the book has been pressing upon us. Is God someone to be feared, honored, and respected? Will our spirits actually return to the God who gave them? Will a day of judgment ever come, and what will be said about us and our lives on that day? Will our lives simply amount to “vanity,” or will we instead listen to what the Preacher reveals to be both consequential and inconsequential, reorganizing our life’s priorities accordingly? The reader whose life is not changed in some way from studying Ecclesiastes has clearly not grasped its message. The Preacher has put his heart and soul into wrestling with the reality of God, his creation, his works of providence, mankind’s fall into sin, the sorrows and the joys of living in a broken world, and the hope of an ultimate “end” of all things that will be better than their beginning (7:8). This is not a book to be read dispassionately.
In the Introduction it was suggested that the book bears the free-flowing structure of a musical rhapsody, not the strict organization of a sonata. As a reader arrives at the book’s epilogue, another analogy suggests itself. The book can be accurately described as a roller coaster of sorts. The book takes us to the heights and depths with breathtaking speed, throwing us off-balance with its many twists and turns. It is terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. And, as with the best of amusement park rides, as soon as it is over and the riders can catch their breath, the courageous reader wants to get back on and ride it again.Ecclesiastes 12:9–14
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